5 comments about A Pretty Mess by This One Band.

1. Every great band starts on a foundation of not-great-but-good music. And so is Grandaddy's present sound built on "A Pretty Mess By This One Band," a psychedelic-acoustic collection of songs -- grittier and less polished, but still worth checking out.

   The distant float-away "Away Birdies W/Special Sounds" is grounded by the constant guitar-strumming. Following it are some laid-back rockers ("Taster," the buzzing "Pre-Merced") and ethereal ballads (the piano-led "Peeano," the folky "Gentle Spike Resort"), wrapping up with the harmonica-rocker "Egg Hit and Jack Too."

   Grandaddy was close, but not yet at their apex with these songs. They're rough and a little uncertain, like the band wasn't quite sure what was going to come next for them musically. But it was on this base that their vibrant indie-rock CDs of the present are set on, and if you listen, you can hear hints in songs like "Gentle Spike Resort" ("We'll get right on that/I'm sure it's just the thermostat...")

   Certainly the post-grunge psychedelica shows plenty of range. There are folky acoustic guitars and buzzing electric ones, a gentle piano solo and what sounds like a harmonica. Normal rock, this ain't. But the music rises and falls in true Grandaddy style, and Jason Lytle's singsongy voice is in fine form here.

   For fans of Grandaddy, "A Pretty Mess by This One Band" is a fun but not compelling collection of early Grandaddy. It contains little rumblings of genius, but they weren't quite there yet.




2. I love Grandaddy, and you should, too. This album is a firm foundation upon which Sophtware Slump and Western Freeway were built. The distinct sound of the band is present in this early release. It forshadows the masterpiece Western Freeway the most, as it calls upon both electronica and traditional acoustic workings to paint an ethereal yet firmly grounded menage of sound. The cool and sometime subdued sound of Grandaddy is what makes them so appealing. Taster is a perfect example of a song being laid back but hard at the same time. It never quite reaches full speed but is powerful throughout with high-pitched vocals to keep us overly interested. I like this album, it makes me quite happy...



3. I picked up this album after being turned on to "Software Slump" which is a 2000 release and was thrilled! This album is simply fantastic. The guitar hooks are basic but very catchy and the band has a quality that I haven't seen before.

   Think of Pavement mixed with a trucker driving along I-99 (in Central California for those who do not live in the golden state) and you'll get what im talking about. Its not as sound effects oriented as Pavement and not as disonant as Sonic Youth and simply lies somewhere in between. I think this band has moved into a more record company oriented (or Pink Floyd) type of sound on Software Slump but think this album is a hallmark of Indie music that is an untouched gem.

   A must buy if you are a fan of bands like Nirvana, Pavement, and Smashing Pumpkins but are looking for whats next for that type of sound.




4. I bought this album after 'Sopftware Slump'. Where was I? I just still can't believe I haven't heard this band before. Grandaddy's music is not just addictive, is well crafted / played, something that lacks at least the 90 percent of bands labeled as 'grunge'. Even as this CD is not so sofisticated as 'Sophtware Slump', you can listen how well thought is the noisy guitar playing in songs like 'Kim You Bore Me to Death' (pay special attention to this one- is anthological). Check this album. It's worth it.



5. this is a terrific little album. in some ways, it exhibits more charm than sophtware slump, which has been acclaimed over and over again as the bands "masterpiece." the roots of that album are clearly evident on this recording, but "a pretty mess..." has lower production values and less pretension perhaps. the songs are less restrained by over-dubbing and sluggish keyboards. they are allowed to breathe. it's quite hard to believe that this album was originally released in 1995. of course, bands have been "experimental" since the 60's as far as pop is concerned, but compared to what else was out there in 95, with the exception of the flaming lips or mercury rev and the like, these guys must have sounded quite ahead of their time. compared to what critical darlings radiohead releaseed at the time, this album is miles ahead of whiny thom yorke and his brethern.

1 comments about I Hate December (Remix).

1. Okay, to some this EP might seem a bit odd to buy, and granted it is. Yet for as simple as the lyrics are this is a good cd. It is nice to hear a couple of different versions of the song. In each version you can hear suttle different changes and it is nice to some extent. Yet this is a cd for only true Ivy fans who whant everything they have ever done, like myself. Other wise you might be wasting your money.

2 comments about Year After Year.

1. Now that the dust has settled on the socio-musical phenomenon that was "grunge", the true innovators of rock music from the early '90s can finally claim their place. Idaho's debut album was a tour de force of concise songwriting, inspired vocal performance and ear-tingling guitar noise. Jeff Martin's vocals ranged from narcoleptic drones to impassioned howls, supported by a wall of overdriven guitar fuzz and feedback that has long since served as a blueprint for a multitude of welterweight rock pretenders. The album contains a generous amount of nihilism that borders on depression, and this alone will alienate many listeners. However, those that have the desire to venture beyond Idaho's gloomy facade will find a wealth of invigorating sonic delights.



2. it's a shame this is the record of idaho's that's out of print because it is the best. idaho sound genuinely, seriously bummed on this disc but what keeps it from being a misery-fest are the many moments when the songs just erupt in stunning howling melody ('here to go' is catharticly beautiful, really spine tingling). the guitars ring forever and the drums just drive ahead with druggy insistence while jeff martin croons like he's about to slide off his stool or bellows in abandon.

   lots of bands do the sadcore thing but this is the real deal! it's bracing and beautiful despite the bleakness, an incredible record.

2 comments about Hokey Pokey.

1. After this album's initial release, much of the same material became available on the longer "Group Dance Epidemic" and it vanished from view. So if you missed it then, rejoice! This treasure, with its priceless "Bunny Dirge," is again available to set your soulful, furry [bottom] and long, dragging, soulful ears in cathartic motion.



2. Get this one while you can -- the Hava Nagila twist is not to be missed! Rock out to Hava Nagila, imagine a slo-mo Bunny Hop, and get into TWO cool versions of the Hokey Pokey. You'll be glad you did.

5 comments about Easy Listening....

1. With a cool cast of many,this is by far Pigface's best ! Not including remixes. Its heavy ,dancie,(?),and even in a Pigface way trancie .



2. Pigface is probably the best band I have ever heard/seen. There live shows are full of energy and never a disappointment. I lost this CD...and needed to get another copy!



3. Theres a lot of experimentation happening on this album and it really shows. Sure its not my favorite album or my favorite mix of people, but I'm not sad I bought it.
   
   Recommended to those who are new to Pigface or industrial for that matter.
   
   Now mind your own business



4. I really liked:

   Mind Your Own Business
   Insect Suspect
   Du Liebst Mich Nicht, Ich Libe' Dich Nicht
   Miss Sway Action
   Binary Stream
   The Loneliest Sound I've Ever Heard

   The rest of the album reminded me too much of main stream colledge radio. So I can give half this album a 3 star since only half of it reminded me of Gub, Fook, A New, and Notes. The other half if for sub-urban posers. There is some awsome poetry on this one that seems to go hand in hand with A New High In Low's My Generation which of course CAN NOT be missed. It's been a year since I bought the album, I used to hate it, and now I'm to this point. I give it 3 stars because only half of it rox.

   What Atkin needs to do is bring in cEvin Key (again), Ohgr, Genesis P. Orridge, Mark Spybey, Edward Kaspell, Brian Eno, Chris and Cosey, DJ Spooky, Trent Reznor, Jello Biafra, Al Jourgenson,and hell even Maralyn Manson (since he ripped off the scene it is pay repects time), Roger Waters, the guys from King Krimson, Kraftwerk ect. Then compile something truely new an unique. I think Atkins is loosing his vision, I'm still bitter with him and Mark Walk for bieing involved with Skinny Puppy The Process. No need to attack cEvin Key there, and try to interfere with cEvin's creation.

   Anyhow, I hope they get better than this...




5. I'm an old school Pigface fan. It kinda sucks, but I guess we need to realize there will never be another FOOK, Welcome to Mexico, Gub, Washing Machinemouth, etc.

   They've put out some good stuff, but really, nothing has been up to par since Notes, IMO. I do, however, enjoy much of the new stuff. It could just be a rut, the same rut that the rest of industrial seems to be in. It peaked in the early to mid 90s and had nowhere to go. So, at least Pigface it experimenting and seemingly trying to get out of it.

   I just wonder if Atkins has the right mix of people still. I want Ogre back, get him working the tape decks again.

5 comments about From the 27th State.

1. I finally got my hands on this CD after 5 months.IT ROCKS!and so do I for owning it!



2. Well, it seems that split CDs are all the rage these days, so 2 emo bands from the Sunshine State jumped on the bandwagon, too. As is the case with most split CDs/10"s/7"s/etc., one band almost always comes out on top of the other and shines. In this case, it would be Further Seems Forever.

   FSF hail from Florida (duh), and has ex-members of Shai Hulud (I think) and some other emo band (I think too; I lost the promo sheet for it, so it could be the other band). And boy, did they rock my ass. Imagine Cursive or Quicksand, with a little more structure, with vocals sounding a bit like a cross between the guy from Quicksand and the guy from Saves The Day (meaning, sort of high pitched, but not too whiny) . Their three songs will stick in your head for a long time, and will have you waiting with baited breath (mine is already baited) for their full-length (which they are hopefully recording soon).

   Conversely, we have Recess Theory, also from Florida. They sure do a good job of killing the atmosphere on this CD. They have that Six Going On Seven feel: they are able to do the task at hand well, but each song is just missing that right amount of umph, whether it is the climax of stomping on the distortion pedal and letting the song open up, or throwing in a weird time change to keep the listener on his feet. I'm not saying that Recess Theory is bad, though. On the contrary, they remind me a lot of Mineral (partly because they sing about god a little bit). They're good at doing their own thing, but they just seem out of place following Further Seems Forever.

   I did find, though, that the CD is great for different moods. If you're in that "rage" mood, and you want someone to do the screaming for you, listen to FSF. If you just feel like mellowing out after work, skip to track 4 and let Recess Theory soothe you. Either way, I'll bet my bottom dollar that one, if not both of these bands will be big someday.




3. I can't believe other reviews have dissed the Recess Theory songs. I am a fan of both Further Seems Forever and Recess Theory and think all of the songs on this cd are superb. If you like Mineral, The Gloria Record, or perhaps even Radiohead then I would think that you would like the Recess Theory songs and this is the only cd you can get them on (Recess Theory's album is out of print), unlike the Further Seems Forever songs 2 of 3 of which are on their first album (which is good too, buy it)...Anyways, this is an excellent cd.



4. I can't believe other reviews have dissed the Recess Theory songs. I am a fan of both Further Seems Forever and Recess Theory and think all of the songs on this cd are superb. If you like Mineral, The Gloria Record, or perhaps even Radiohead then I would think that you would like the Recess Theory songs and this is the only cd you can get them on (Recess Theory's album is out of print), unlike the Further Seems Forever songs 2 of 3 of which are on their first album (which is good too, buy it)...Anyways, this is an excellent cd.



5. The first half of the CD is arguably better than the second; much better, in fact. Further Seems Forever is one of the best bands of the genre that I have ever heard, and the song "New Year's Project" is AMAZING. The last song by The Recess Theory is really cool, but FSF takes the prize on this one. FSF has signed with Tooth & Nail Records and their first LP release should be great!

No comments about Motor City Is Burning.

No comments about Mama.

2 comments about Chapel of the Chimes.

1. This is a great little EP from a soon to be legendary band. If you are not familiar with Xiu Xiu's work, this may be a good starting point, along with the full length "Knife Play." Xiu Xiu combines deconstructed pop hooks, ingeniuos instrumentation, and best of all, frontman Jamie Stewart's amazing voice. Standout tracks on this are "Jennifer Lopez," an extremely noisy piece that features a distorted cello and harmonium as the main instruments, "King Earth, King Earth," one of the most subtle and beautiful pieces in Xiu Xiu's repertoire, and the devestating, jaw-dropping cover of Joy Division's last song they never properly recorded (although New Order did later), "Ceremony," which is so claustrophobic and emotionally charged it seems like it is going to implode at any second. THis is a band to watch out for, they are going to spearhead the new music revolution. Xiu Xiu for life.



2. Angst. Some bands hit you with it like a blunt object; Xiu Xiu wields theirs like a supersharp wakizashi. The Asian percussion, junkyard chimes and jagged electronics that surround Jamie Stewart's overwrought vocals are so over-the-top distressed, they'll either rivet you or fray your last nerve.

   There are many ways to hate Xiu Xiu. You can criticize the sincerity of Stewart's performance. Nobody gets that depressed: in our culture, we experience unhappiness but we don't (figuratively) vomit all over ourselves to express it, so it's partly his fault if he seems somewhat insincere. Then there's the aesthetic problem: the piercing first tracks of their debut, Knife Play, drove some people out of the room before they even cared where Stewart was coming from. And while some would find them too noisy, noise geeks play harder stuff than this at Sunday brunch.

   But to sweat all that is to forget that sometimes, it's fun just to bang on stuff and shriek, and that's where Xiu Xiu excels. Their sonic palette won't make waves in the new music world, but it sounds exhilarating in this brutally expressive, and often catchy, avant-pop context. Now, only months after the release of their debut, Xiu Xiu has issued an EP, Chapel of the Chimes, and once again, they deftly mix chaos with concentration to create pieces that sound spontaneous, yet are intensely precise. And the emotional extremes are cathartic in their own theatrical, witch doctored-way.

   On "I Am Center of Your World", Stewart sings like Bryan Ferry after twelve hours of torture. It's like they just yanked the electrodes off his privates and handed him the mike. He eeks out the lyrics in a faltering voice that's strained, believable, and yet also, strangely, romantically expressive. He's helped by the music, which is darkly fragile and fleetingly beautiful. A low, rapid-heartbeat bassline runs under the song, and a staggering piano and flourishes of chimes break out of the near-silence like a burst of light before he passes out. In contrast, "Jennifer Lopez (Sweet Science Mix)" is blaringly loud and single-mindedly abrasive. Raw-bowed cello, a drum kit and piercing electronics burn around Stewart's indecipherable exclamations. The song's multi-layered arrangement melts down to a concise attack.

   But the middle tracks flag. "10-Thousand-Times-A-Minute", solid but less remarkable, delivers its melody through an echoed, blatting sound like farting into a cistern. Stewart again sounds pained and strained, but he's at odds with the mushy context. The next track is career-record quiet: "King Earth, King Earth", a thin watercolor where the different tones float through too easily. It's subtle and nearly peaceful, but too vague to make an impression.

   So, after all that, who couldn't use a nice cover song? Xiu Xiu closes with Joy Division's "Ceremony", the most ecstatic track on the album. They maintain the tempo and spirit of the original, but boldly replace the guitars and drums with-- guess what!-- harsh electronics and a crateful of percussion. Stewart, keyed up to shrieks, seems to act out everything that might have been going on in a morose Ian Curtis' head. If nothing else, it's a confident reworking. I can't speak for whether Joy Division fans would find this creative or repellant, but I think it's a raucous, chimy good time. Sure, Curtis was more convincingly miserable-- but look what happened to him.

   -Chris Dahlen, October 16th, 2002

2 comments about Slow Motion Apocalypse.

1. Some stats: Grotus 'Slow Motion Apocalypse' (1993) 11 trks CD TT= 51:08
   Printed lyrics included
   
   Bruce Boyd- drums
   John Carson- bass, samples, ruler
   Lars Fox- moulthpiece, samples, percussion, tube
   Adam Tanner- Fender 6 string bass, Jupiter 8 and crew, samples
   
   Industrial rock, a bit bonzo for sure, with weird samples,Indian tablas and sitars. Innovative, sarcastic, progressive, controversial and confrontational. From San Francisco for sure.
   
   Grotus perform like Hari-Krishna's from Hell chasing down renegade Angels in some airport between Worlds. In that airport between Heaven and Hells there's a newspaper dispenser next to the escalator (which only goes down). Lucifer is the editor of that paper and the stories within are the subject matter of Grotus' songs.
   
   Not as fierce and unforgiving as 'Mass'(1996) but has a more consistant groove (dark fun).
   
   To Mega Therion



2. This blend of noise and world rhythms is a must have for any industrial enthusiast. This album is not as hard as Brown and not as harmonious as Mass.

   The lyrics and samples present a cynical and sarcastic view of modern society set to the backdrop of Indian inspired (and possibly sampled) tracks.

   And Lars has the coolest voice in the biz.