4 comments about Boot Party 7.

1. ...if i knew what one was.

   delightfully groovy stuff from my hero calvin johnson, the K records/beat happening/halo benders guy. you wanna know what this sounds like? try imagining beat happening--with chops--auditioning to be james brown's backing band. (they wouldn't be chosen, of course, but they might just come up with something just as cool.)




2. The best album on the K records label, Dub Narcotic is my drug. This album will shake your brain loose. This album mimics a Dub Narcotic show and is great.



3. Frankly an album I love for it's goofiness and great sound. Shake the Pudding in my favorite song on the album, but don't over look the other tracks such as "Monkey hips and Rice" and "Boot Party". If ya liked the vocals on the Halo Benders, you will love this...



4. A very groovy project of a collection of studio musicians with the voice from the Halo Benders. Dance-around-the-room beats with words strung together in nonsensical phrases. If you can listen to "Shake-A-Puddin'" without bouncing, then call a mortician 'cause your dead.

3 comments about We've Moved.

1. absolutely adored the first psycho record, as it had some killer melodies hidden under the muddy production and low-volumed vocals. bob can still write beautiful songs in his sleep--see "jesus the clockwork"--for one of the absolutely most gorgeous songs ever recorded. i haven't gotten this record yet, but from everything i've heard it's a knockout.
   go bob! hi pb!
   s.w.



2. Talking about the genius of Pollard/Tobias collaborations needing time to nurture one's musical mind has become tiresome. It is a fact and bumper stickers should be issued, or something like that. Have you ever listened to something and loved it? Only to find later that you've grown tired of that hook or lyrical phrasing? This Robert Pollard fellow has something quite the opposite happening for him. I have a feeling it is something other worldly, as I've met Bob and he claims to be a red neck from West Virginia (not Dayton Ohio??:-). Bob and Tim, or whomever the man chooses a collaboration with, create the impossible timeless relevance of great anytime music. I challenge you to listen to this or any record on approved for anyone list (coming soon). There should be a money back guarantee! Save Jonesy.



3. I am glad I didn't give up on Pollard and his partner in musical crime, Tobias.
   I was amazed by how well these songs are put together--the previous Psycho and the Birds (what a cool band name) offerings were in the "20 listens and it still escapes me" category--this one is a different story.
   
   Music like this is one of the reasons I am grateful to be alive.

5 comments about Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace.

1. For two years I had only albums "Smash" through "Splinter" and thought that was all that Offspring encompassed. With the release of this new album, I am delighted to be proven wrong.
   
   There has been much improvement all around. Dexter's singing is better and brighter, and he throws away fewer of the words (something he has done on earlier albums). It's well-arranged and organized, the lyrics are well-planned, and there is so much joy in this album. In their five-year absence from the studio, the talent has not worn away. Gone are the cynic tones of "Americana"; the dark lyrics of "Conspiracy"; the experimental colouring of "Splinter". It is not another "Ixnay" or "Smash", but it is nonetheless enjoyable for that.
   
   Songs like "Hammerhead" and "Half-Truism" are very energetic and lively; "Nothingtown" is very entertaining, "Stuff is Messed Up" has a sudden burst of lyrics at breakneck pace, and the ballad number "Kristy, are you doing okay?" is quite nice.
   
   But on occasion, they seem to be looking backward in their career. This is most obvious in "Trust in You", where the chordal and melodic pattern is very similar (if not identical) to the song "Smash", an early success. Yeah, there's some sillyness on the album, but it's all very enjoyable. And it is 13 minutes longer than "Splinter", which is great. Much more to enjoy. The book of words is also well-designed, although I would have kept the words for "Half-Truism" in an order that can be followed, and not put the lyrics of "You're gonna go far, kid" in that box that has to be turned every which way to be read - especially in dark green against a black background, which is hard on the eyes! Beyond these little flaws, it is an excellent album and I'm happy to own a copy.



2. This is a great CD. I immediately liked all the tunes, didn't need it to "grow on me" - it was great on the first listen, from the rockin' "Stuff is Messed Up" (its PG title)to the moving "Kristy, are you doing okay?" It's a must-have for the collection of any Offspring fan.



3. Soooo Offspring! By now, most bands would have broken up, started writing sickening love songs, or had an unfortunate suicide but this is one of the few bands that stays true to its roots.
   
   Other reviews were on the money, none of the tracks have me pressing the >> button and that classification falls to less than 1% of the stuff in my music collection.



4. Rise & Fall, Rage & Grace is a very good effort put forth by The Offspring. It was a long wait since Splinter and the new album came not a moment too soon, especially with the current vast wasteland that is the music frontier. In my opinion, the best songs are Nothingtown, Hammerhead, and Your're Gonna Go Far, Kid. I replay these songs over and over when they come up on my IPOD. Also, for a change, I think that the slower songs work well. I like Fix You and A Lot Like Me quite a bit. For my tastes, the only song that does not work is Stuff Is Messed Up. With a hit ratio of 12/13, I rate this album very high! Thanks for a great job to Dexter and the guys!!



5. Pretty good cd. My fav songs are Hammerhead and You're Gonna Go Far Kid. Not something that can be listened to over and over but for something to listen to every now and then its good.

No comments about Ridin' Shotgun.

2 comments about Out of Your Mind.

1. Buy it, our your life just won't be complete



2. for those of you who love the lonelyness of listening to music nobody else can share with you and dancing like nobody else dances this will perfectly suit your needs. don't get me wrong - i played out of your mind to several people and some did like it but it's no music to march to, to wave the american (or as in my case the german) flag at. it's teenage riot time. it'S the music for fast train rides, when you stand between cars and see small portions of the rails under your feet. one can dance to it and one can cheer to it during bumpy rides up to the black forest. I wish to listen to it sitting on a huge log drifting north towards olympia, wash. and hitting puget sound with it. 4 stars because the halo benders occupy the 5ht. thanks cal! next time you should get liz phair as a duet partner.

5 comments about Sailing the Seas of Cheese.

1. In the late 80's and early 90's some bands of my generation were missing the experimental sounds of yore(sixties/early seventies) and this is what came of it, the best use of a bass gitar is as a medolic instrument, not just a backstander to the other "main" instrumentalist. Ignore "Search for the Stars" or "Rock Idel" or whatever show and don't take Paula Abdule's ill-begotten "advice" about "loosing the gitar" and be a slap/vocalist god intended. The other members are far from weak though, particularly the drummer who has the gusto of his clearly stated influence by Bill Bruford of the "Bill Bruford Band" and "Yes" as well as "Genisis" and many other efforts.
   Primus once opened for Rush.



2. The title of my review says it all. This is my favorite Primus album. Even Frizzle Fry in my opinion is a distant second. The best part of this is the songs. Primus was at the height of their creativity and songwriting and humor on this one. The quirky songs and lyrics still feel fresh, and its really a fun album to listen to. All the songs are good and SSC should be listened to all the way through if possible, but my personal favorites are:
   
   "Here Come the Bastards"
   "Sgt. Baker"
   "American Life"
   "Is it Luck?"
   "Tommy the Cat"
   "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweakers"
   "Fish On"
   
   If you can only buy two Primus albums, make them Sailing on Seas of Cheese and Frizzle Fry. If you can only own one, make it this one. Of course if you're more a fan of the standard 3 minute top 40 rock song like something from Nickleback, Avril Levine or (gulp) Creed, then you'll probably not know what to do with this.



3. THIS EARLY 90`S PRIMUS IS GREAT,PRIMUS IS PRIMUS IS PRIMUS,YOU KNOW YOUR GOING TO GET SOME GOOD FUNKY ROCK WHEN YOU BUY A PRIMUS CD,I GUESS YOU COULD CALL THIS KINDA CHILLI PEPPERISH BUT HEAVIER AND BETTER AND MORE DIVERSE WITH MORE SKILL ON THE INSTUMENTS,THE MUSICIANSHIP ON ALL PRIMUS DISCS IS SUPERB AND THIS IS NO DIFFERENT.GET YOUR CHEESE!



4. Though there's no real way to describe Primus, it's best to know that they're sort of like the funk-rock of modern alt bands such as RHCP and Jane's Addiction mixed with the hardcore/punk of Meat Puppets and Fugazi by way of Frank Zappa. In other words, they're very weird, but even when they fail, they fail marvelously. Luckily they fail far less here than they would on upcoming albums.
   
   One of the only minor crossover hits they had is one here ("Jerry Was a Race Car Driver"), but if you're attuned to music like this (they're consistently labeled under metal, after all), almost all of them will be worth hearing. Les Claypool remains one of the most dexterous musicians ever to slap the bass and this is one of their more song-oriented albums (likely as a result of just being signed to a major label), but I imagine equal numbers will love it and hate it. It's a mood thing for me, but it's always worth the attention.
   
   Best cuts: "Sgt. Baker," "Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers," "Is It Luck?" "Jerry Was a Race Car Driver," "American Life," "Tommy the Cat," "Eleven"



5. I thought this was supposed to be software that had cheese recipes in it. Instead I get a lot of Bass and some guy talking through his nose. I finally was able to make some but it did not taste that good so I am going to return this because it no workie workie.

5 comments about Kiss Kiss Kill Kill.

1. I was relatively late to start listening Psychobilly. I have usually listened street punk/Oi!, NYHC, and Ska (Please read my other reviews on my favorites!). However, I cannot definitely pass enjoying the HorrorPops' recent efforts at "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill." This album would be the best work ever done by the HorrorPops, both musically and lyrically. The band has obviously progressed in a good direction, since the release of "Hell Yeah!" and "Bring It On!."
   
   I tend to conceptually parallel HorroPops's "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill" with Tiger Army's "III: Ghost Tigers Rise" because both have two previous albums leading up to the third releases, and both contain more mellow 50's-oriented songs, highlighted by the upright basses. Also, I consider both albums to be the best masterpiece by the bands, with respect to the songwriting. I am just wondering how the HorrorPops will manage the next album because they have set the standard very high. In this sense, Tiger Army's 4th effort "Music From Regions Beyond" failed to carry the high standard set at the previous 3rd album. I hope that the HorrorPops would pursue the same vein in the 4th album.
   
   The top-notch songwriting of this album is well demonstrated by the following sequential songs; "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill," "Everything's Everything," and "Hitchcock Starlet." It is always thrilled to listen these three songs in order. I can listen them with 10,000 repeats for sure! These songs are very beautifully written, especially "Hitchcock Starlet," which is my favorite song of the album. The band had never written such sensitive tunes at the two previous albums. These songs are not typical Psychobilly songs, which is good thing to make differences.
   
   That said, this album is phenomenal on many aspects. The vocal, upright basses, and guitar works are just perfect to give a birth to the true music in the genre of Psychobilly. Actually, this album can be easily accessible to the wider audiences, not only for Psychobilly fans, but also for fans of good oldies or rock in general. The summer around the corner for the year 2008, this album "Kiss Kiss Kill Kill" should be perfect music to listen to, when you drive the car, or when you BBQ. Also, make sure to pick up the recent album by LA based Rezurex, because they are good too.
   
   PLAY LOUD so your neighbors can listen the HorrorPops as well!!!!!



2. great album, 12 cool tunes, listen to samples then buy it ....you wont be sorry.if you like the albums then you must see them live. they are the best show around. very cool ,talented ,entertaining and hard rockin.
   horrorpops rule!!!



3. It's not a bad album. It's not a great album. I picked this up because I have heard good things about the Horrorpops, but they are just a really standard rockabilly band.
   Maybe they are better live, but the CD is pretty weak.



4. This is my favorite Horrorpops cd. Great mix of psychobilly and punk. Lots of energy and fast songs. The lyrics are witty and cool. Some of the songs deal with some creepy topics and really fits the music well. The singing is great and sounds a lot like Siouxsie Sioux but not too much to be annoying. I have to recommend this puppy! I have had this album for two months and still playing it often!



5. I was really looking forward to picking this one up, as I'm a big HorrorPops fan and I thought their first two albums were fantastic. I'm pleased to say this is certainly no disappointment. It's a lot more rock/punk than the previous albums, but I believe this is a really good step the band has taken. While I like the whole rockabilly sound of 'Hell Yeah!', I believe it's not something the HorrorPops should perpetuate in each album. As a result, 'Kiss Kiss Kill Kill' has a fresh new sound that will probably appeal to a larger audience, and hopefully enable HP to achieve more success around the world.
   
   Patricia Day's voice is particularly appealing on this album. She's got that excellent mix of angry and sweet that a lot of vocalists seem to fall short of. The double bass isn't as apparent, but you can still hear it, and the guitars are much more "roaring" and full sounding. A nod to the lyrics in 'Heading to the Disco', as well. Good to know I'm not the only one who disapproves of the whole '80s revival!
   
   I have a feeling HorrorPops are going to be huge in the not-too-distant future. I can only hope they are able to make it over to Australia for a tour!

5 comments about Adore.

1. I love their heavy riffs, which are completely absent here, but the beauty of the songs have soul of the highest level. This is easily in my top five albums from my collection of over 300. Every track is unlike anything the pumpkins have ever done, and a work of genius. The lyrics are on the highest level I've ever heard from Billy too. As long as the pumpkins next album is good, I'm happy, but if they went back to do something awesome in this style I'd be in the clouds.



2. Adore by the Smashing Pumpkins is probably their most misunderstood album ever. I like this album, some of the tracks dabble in electronica especially on the first single, Ava Adore, I just love the lyrics in that song. Songs like Perfect, To Shelia, and Crestfallen display Billy Corgan's sensitive side. This is a stunning album, buy it today!



3. I dont care what other people think about this album because i know its awesome. Adore is darker and more beautiful than their previous albums and if you can apreciate good and beautiful music than you would appreciate Adore!



4. If you listen to this album and are not at some point moved by its beauty then I feel for you because you have no soul and are completely lost forever.



5. let's kick it off by saying that I love the Pumpkins. Yet, this is the ONLY CD that I've thrown away. not just thrown away, but cracked in half, stomped on and sworn at before chucking in the dumpster. $16.39 for this? Are you kidding? If I could find one song here that could have even halfway redeemed this refuse, I would have kept it. No such luck. Before anyone accuses me of being closed-minded, I might add that I have 1300 CDs covering many MANY genres. To quasi-qhote Anthony Bourdain, when I say something sucks a**, you can believe it. by far the most boring and tedious title i have subjected my ears to date.

5 comments about Seventh Tree.

1. There are simply not enough words in the English language to describe how good this album is.
   
   I had been thinking about buying a Goldfrapp album for years, but never took the leap. I came to them by way of Thievery Corp, Massive Attack, Potishead and Morcheeba, to name a few, but the heavy electronic sounds of albums 2 and 3 made me hesitate. I received notification about their Radio City show and decided to check their website out and was mesmerized by the loop that plays on the site. Clicked over to amazon and immediately downloaded this album. It has not stopped playing since! My classic rock husband is even a fan now.
   
   You should not die without hearing this. It's summery and ethereal and just Happy! Each song is a work of art and I don't think there is a dud on it. Do yourself a favor and experience this album. Alison has a lovely voice.
   
   Rather than Thievery et al, I would relate this album more towards a delightful mix of Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Pink Floyd and the Beatles with a tiny touch of the good aspects of Enya mixed in and the crescendo 'pop' song writing of Stretch Princess, although I would say it really is it's own thing and no copy of anyone else. I really find the songs emotional, lush and delightful.
   
   I'm sorry that some people were disappointed with the album because of expectations of more dance music, but that is no reason to dislike this album for it's own strengths. Besides, they are kind enough to give us remixes of the songs to dance to.



2. Not an album that you'll like at 1st listen. But grows on you, it sure will! One of my fav albums of the year!!



3. Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory have been known for their arty, strange visuals and dramatics since their release in 2003 titled Black Cherry,. It had images of wolves' heads with Goldfrapps' sexy "pin-up girl" image. Then there was Supernature, both albums good with their eclectic/glam/disco alternative style of music. Now here's album four, so you have to wonder what is she going to do next?
   
   You open the inside and you'll see Alison holding a giant owl suit and under the CD tray there is a drawing of an owl head on a human body. I guess she may have picked an owl because they are nocturnal and solitary and the music on this album is dark and moody, owl like. It's the type of music to play on lonely nights, when you can lose yourself into the songs. It's a softer, dreamier and poppy album, way different from her prior releases.
   
   The album opens with "Clowns", a soft finger-picked melody of a song, very atmospheric. "Little Bird" is more energetic, with a driving chorus and neat electronic sounds. Overall this is a beautiful album, showing a more mature side of Alison Goldfrapp.



4. It is, I believe, very hard to argue that "Clowns", the lovely and complex opener to Seventh Tree, isn't a song about breasts:
   
   Only clowns would play with those balloons
   what do you want to look like Barbie for?
   Titties that go on and on, on and on
   
   That the lyrics are mumbly and indistinct, while the lyrics are bravely printed inside, is further evidence that the artist intended to hide the message beneath waves of haunting string arrangement and folksy soprano crooning.
   
   Perhaps the real message, after the success of Supernature and its bit of TV sync candy "Ooh La La", is that Goldfrapp doesn't want to be reduced to a pile of breasts and analog synth hooks. Want me to install a couple of fake ones? Jiggle on stage and snag another Mitsubishi spot or two? No thank you, sir; only clowns would play with those balloons.
   
   It's a terrific album at nearly every turn. Will Gregory's composition is timely and delicious. "Happiness" and "Little Bird" are also standouts. If you liked Zero 7's "The Garden", you'll like "Seventh Tree".



5. HELLO I've been wanting to review this album since I got it.I can only echo what most of the other reviewers have already said.I thought I could hear influences of sgt. pepper, pet sounds, even pink floyd but what emerges is totally new and unique sound.This album has changed GOLDFRAPP from music I always thought was really good to one of my top favorites I just can't stop listening.There have been a lot of "highly anticipated" new releases(MOBY,REM,etc.)that I wish I could get my money back,but this is the best record I've heard in along time.Also GOLDFRAPP have just not gotten the attention and exposure they deserve.Maybe this album will do it for them.THANKS DENNISC9

5 comments about Real Emotional Trash.

1. Solo se queda en 4 estrellas porque los otros 4 discos del embarque son de 5 estrellas y no quiero subirlo a ese nivel, con el tiempo tal vez. Te gusta el rock? Te gusta el blues? Te gusta el jazz? Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks logran uno de los mejores discos del año en el que comienzan con un excelente tema abridor en el que exploran todas las emociones posibles en una sola canción y una gama equivalente de ritmos, tienen también canciones enternecedoras, canciones rápidas y movidas pero sobretodo una sinfonía que le da el título a la placa (Matador, 2008) que dura mas de 9 minutos pero vale la pena cada segundo.



2. To explain just how deeply I love this album, let me tell you first off that I'm on my 2nd copy already! That's right, I wore out CD #1. This album rocks; shreds; cooks with gas. Glorious. Hallalujah brothers that there's a songwriter like Malkmus alive today! It's classic rock with indie lyrics. It sweeps, it swoops, it dives, it sings, it sways. Everybody should have a copy. The new Sgt. Pepper.



3. If we classify music as art, we should recognize this definition of art: having the capacity to stimulate the senses in unexpected ways, even after after repeated exposure. No collection of an artist's output can be deemed "perfect" due to the subjective nature of art itself. The real test of a piece of art, then, is not how we label it, but how often we are drawn back to it.
   
   That said, Malkmus and his collaborators have produced a recording that sounds great right out of the gate and bears repeated listening. I kept listening to this disk for a solid 8-10 days--to the exclusion of everything else in my library--and have continued to revisit it on a weekly basis. The guitar parts, though vaguely reminiscent of prior artists and styles, are continually intriguing--quite a good thing given that this is a guitar-driven recording. I can't slight the Jicks, whose empathetic support lend this project a dynamism in which Malkmus quirky lyrics and lithe guitar musings thrive. Of course, it doesn't hurt that the entire endeavor rocks!



4. It can't get much better than this record. As if he needed to add to a resume already including Pavement.



5. If the build-up in the musical press was to be believed, Real Emotional Trash was going to be one of the best albums of the decade. But albums rarely live up to the hype that precedes their release and this CD is no exception. So after the hype has evaporated, it is possible to express a dispassionate opinion on a very good but less than masterful album.
   I am not a hard-core Stephen Malkmus fan. I own and enjoy several Pavement albums, but none of his previous solo efforts. So what useful can I tell you about this? Well, that if you like Pavement you will probably like this album with his new long-term band, the Jicks. Real Emotional Trash is quintessential and unmistakable Malkmus. There is absolutely no question whose record this is when you hear it for the first time.
   Malkmus is known for his eccentric and often inscrutable lyrics backed by a searing guitar attack. You get that in spades here. Though this is no masterpiece, there are some excellent songs here. My favorites are Hopscotch Willie, the title cut, Baltimore, Gardenia, and We Can't Help You.
   If you are looking for some rather outre yet enjoyable alt-rock, then you need look no further than this. It will be interesting to hear what the Jicks will come up with next.