As usual, courtesy of our friends at Ice magazine. No real rhyme or reason for the spotlit titles - just stuff that loks interesting (or not).
AIR Talkie Walkie (Astralwerks)
Already discussed this one. Go here if you forgot.
Interestingly, Ice has a feature article contrasting the new Air album with the new Crystal Method album. It calls the Crystal Method "daring and globally adored". OK, here's the deal: I think the Crystal Method are happy when they don't suck. They are simple folk with simple demands out of life, and I applaud their courage, for every day is another battle in the never ending war on suckitude. Most often they lose, but the fact that they keep plugging away makes them worthy of our respect, or something.
DAVID BANNER MTA2: Baptized in Dirty Water - Screwed & Chopped (Universal)
This the same David Banner who released that 'like a pimp' song a while back? That was horrible. And, as with last week's Scarface release, its got that whole Screwed & Chopped thing going on in the title. What's up with that? I just don't get it.
BIG BOI Big Boi’s Boom Boom Room (Arista)
What the fuckety fuck? Is this real or a joke? Big Boi, in case you didn't know, is one half of Outkast (along with Andre 3000). You'd think if he were releasing anything, there'd be a big deal about, especially if it were a solo release. Perhaps its important to be skeptical here.
DAFT PUNK Daft Club (Virgin)
I think this is probably the definition of "stopgap", but that doesn't mean I don't really want it anyway. Its got some of the b-sides and remixes from their Discovery album - great stuff. In addition to Aerodynamite, which just might be better than anything which actually made the album you've got mixes by the Basement Jaxx, the Neptunes, SLum Village, Demon, and a few others including Daft Punk themselves. Its great stuff, its just kinda frustrating that its nowhere near complete. No Digital Dub, no Pete Heller or Breaker's Break remixes of 'Harder Better Faster Stronger'.
Still, you know I'm buying it so I should just stop complaining.
MIKE DAVIS Trumpets Eleven (Hip Bone)
Its Miles' younger brother, Mike. He plays the trumpet, too. (No, not really. I have no idea who this is - don't get excited.)
DISKONTO We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us About (Six Weeks)
Yes, yes you are.
ELECTRELANE The Power Out (Too Pure)
Ooooh, I remember them. They're good. They're British and they first showed up on a couple editions of Skint's Brassic Beats compilation - they were the only "real" rock group alongside producers like Fatboy Slim, Midfield General and, ahem, Doctor Bone. Sort of an interesting vibe, last I heard them, sort of a post-rock thing with some psychedelic overtones but in a very poppy way, if that makes sense? They didn't use to have vocals but apperantly they do now.
FILLMORE SLIM Funky Mama’s House (Fedora)
Whoa, talk about synergy. He's on Fedora records, and he's got a fedora on the cover of his album.
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Whoever their art director is, he's doing his job.
FIVE FOR FIGHTING The Battle for Everything (Aware/Columbia)
You know, I seemed to recall disliking these guys but I had kinda forgotten who they were. I went to Amazon.com and sure enough:
Customers who bought this title also bought:
My Private Nation ~ Train
America Town ~ Five for Fighting
Message for Albert ~ Five for Fighting
Feels Like Home [ENHANCED] ~ Norah Jones
Lucky ~ Melissa Etheridge
Heavier Things ~ John Mayer
Superman (It's Not Easy) [CD-SINGLE] [IMPORT] ~ Five for Fighting
Long Time Coming ~ Jonny Lang
These guys run with a tough crowd.
IN STRICT CONFIDENCE Holy (Metropolis)
I guess this means I'm totally out of the loop, because I have no idea who probably 2/3 of the young up and coming Goth/synthpop/industrial acts signed to Metropolis are these days.
INCUBUS A Crow Left of the Murder... (Epic/Immortal)
Who wants to guess this'll be big? No-one? What, too easy?
You know, I've always liked the idea of Incubus. Not that I've particularly cared for their music, but I do appreciate it when good, solid rock & roll music becomes popular. They seem like nice guys, can't resent them for that. Better them than Slipknot.
J-KWON Hood Hop (Arista)
OK, this is obviously a big and important launch from Arista, because an Amazon.com search finds Jason Mraz and Cat Steven's classic Mona Bone Jakon, but no J-Kwon.
CLEDUS T. JUDD The Essenshul (Razor & Tie)
You'd think this joke would write itself, but I will refrain from going the obvious route. Instead, I will merely point out that this would be the number one record in the country if they had Soundscan at gas stations. (Rim shot)
KEB MO Keep It Simple (Secretly Canadian)
Ah, Keb Mo. If you had known how long and successful your career was going to be, would you have picked a different name?
LOSTPROPHETS Start Something (Columbia)
I guess that Emo computers don't have space bars, they've probably been co-opted by The Man or something.
MEAT BEAT MANIFESTO ...In Dub (Tinocorp)
As opposed to some other artists I could mention, MBM are still going as strong as the day they started. This album kicks ass from start to finish, especially if you like your breakbeats served up with a heaping side of dub. Its ostensibly a remix album for last year's RUOK?, but there are only a few tracks which even slightly betray their origins - its a new and beautiful beast.
MICROPHONES Live in Japan (recorded February 2003) (K)
I got real excited when I was coming down the page because I thought for a split second it said Micronauts. We've been waiting five years for that Micronauts full-length from Astralwerks. No, I don't want to buy it on import, why do you ask?
MOUNTAIN GOATS We Shall All Be Healed (4AD)
Heard some buzz on this. Supposed to be good. They're quite prolific, apperantly.
EDDI READER Sings the Songs of Robert Burns (Compass)
Hmm. Robert Burns. Scottish poet-laureate. Hmm.
RUN RUN RUN Drizzle (w/Phil Cunningham of New Order) (The First Time)
I guess if Peter Hook can do a track with Hybrid...
VAZ/THE SEAWHORES Vazzed in a Sea of Whores (EP) (Essay)
.
VA The King of Crunk & BME Presents: Trillville & Little Scrappy (Warner Bros./Reprise)
You have to wonder if that's an official title or whether or not he's a pretender to the throne, a la Howard Stern and his King of All Media shtick. Is there a royal governing board?
VOODOO CHILD Baby Monkey (Virgin)
Man, this is a damn good album. Really, unbelievably good. It's Moby, in case you didn't know - Voodoo Child is an old psuedonym of his. He decided after a few years tooling around on the fringes of electronic music with Play and 18 he wanted to release a hardcore dance album. Sure enough, its about everything you would expect from that: its recognizable Moby all the way through but its got the techno, its got the old-skool, its got some deep house, breaks, and latin house as well. I keep meaning to write at great length about just how good this album is, maybe I'll get around to it in the next couple of days. In the meantime, just go buy the damn thing, OK?
OST Barbershop 2 - Back in Business (new Ice Cube film) (Interscope)
Remember when Ice Cube was tough and hard and cool? What? Oh yeah, that was before you were born, sorry.
OST Lion King 1 1/2 (Walt Disney)
Hmmm. Methinks they are going to make this franchise bleed until it dies. Well, at least they got back all the original voice actors, which is better than Disney usually does (especially since Nathan Lane is so busy - hey, I wonder, if he ever gets confused and starts talking like Timon during 'The Producers' - "Bugs! Bugs! I wanna eat some damn bugs, bitch!!!" Or something).
Not that I'm gonna watch the damn thing in any event.
There's, like, six music DVD's out this week and not a one of them worth watching. Pity.
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