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  • Tracey Thorn -

    Tracey Thorn: Out of the Woods
    When i heard Tracey Thorn was putting out a solo record, i got very excited. Then i heard the first single and was pleased to say the least. Tracey is one of my favorite vocalists, even though i wasn't an EBTG fan until they got all electronica. I'm a big fan to this day. I'm glad that on "Out of the Woods" Tracey didn't copy cat the EBTG/Ben Watt uber deep soulful house and downtempo sound. I got a little scared when i heard the opening track...very EBTG pre-electronica and not the best way to open up. Then the down beat heavy bassline track A-Z comes on and my trunk is rattling. Great song, tight beat. On "It's all True" Tracey Thorn gets production that sounds very Metro Area(great Group and CD, BTW). Her vocals compliment the synths so well it gave me chills. The album is a bit of a rollercoaster, not sticking to a particular tempo but remains consistent being feel good music...ironic since Thorns Lyrics are so freaking sad! The song writing is very good as usual but some of the song titles are a little odd. I think Tracey has been hangin' in the Hip-Hop clubs, with titles like "Hands up to the ceiling" and the Album closer "Raise the Roof". Ok the record s have no hip-hop flavor but still, we've stopped raising the roof years ago Tracey. But musically Out of the Woods is brilliant and vocally Tracey is as amazing as ever. Key cuts other than "A-Z" & "It's all True" are Grand Canyon which is another electro soulful house cut and the downtempo joint "Get Around to It". Out of the Woods is not classic but still a very good release. (****)

  • LCD Soundsystem -

    LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver
    I love LCD Soundsystem, loved the first albums and all the singles that came before it. With the new album "Sound Of Silver", i wont be tuning out any time soon. S.O.S.(I wonder if James Murphy hates the acronym) is much more consistent with the four to the floor beats than their previous effort. I was kinda wanting another "Too Much" but, it's all good. This album satisfies. The beat keeps going and going and doesn't slow down till the album closer "New York, I love you but you're bringing me down". And for LCD this is their best non dance track yet. But for you disco punks and DFA fans Sound of Silver delivers the good. S.O.S's opener "Get Innocuous!" is brilliant, with it's super long intro, giving all those lovely electronic sounds to fade in Individually. Vocally S.O.S. goes in many different directions which i like and especially since his voice is not hella great and at times Mr. Murphy can be a little odd on the ears. For some reason it just works here. For the fans of "Daft Punk is playing..." we now have "North American Scum" which is the lead single. I think most US citizens who are conscious enough to know whats wrong with us can get a kick out of this record and dance to it as well. I love the line at the end that we can't blame Canada. It's funny because it's true. The standout song for me is "Someone Great" which is perfect from start to finish. Sound of Silver is one for the collectors of this dance rock movement that was starting to fade out until James Murphy decided to keep it alive and interesting. (****)

  • San Ilya -

    San Ilya: They Died for Beauty
    I actually bought this one on I-Tunes, couldn't wait to hit the stores next morning. So I heard "Bellissimo" for the first time in full 2 weeks ago and that's when it hit me, that's the song from that revlon commercial. I've seen this record on the shelves and passed it up, probably because there was no listening station and I'd never heard of them. Straight outta Bristol, the place that gave birth to such acts as Portishead and Massive Attack(and much more), San Ilya are very melodic and moody in some sections, but over all have an amazing sound. Singer Joanna Swan, has this thick bassy voice that's deep and sexy. Probably the best female voice in electronica since Tracy Thorn. As for the songs itself, they are nothing short of brilliant. "Quatta Neon" is a stunning track with it's funky bass, drums and percussion that are just so alive. Slow songs like "Bliss" and "Pretty Baby" are beautiful and haunting at times. "Heavenly" is one of my favorites, if not my favorite. The horns, the drums, her voice, the progression of the song is amazing. "Happy and Weak" is sweet and epic. The final cut which is the title track "They Died for Beauty" let's Joanna's voice really be heard as she belts out this tune ever so perfect. Portishead was my favorit group to come out of Bristol and I still olve them to death, but San Ilya is the group to replace Portishead, assuming they won't release a new album. Just take out the pain of beth and replace it with a more loving sound. Buy it!!! (*****)

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Mark Ronson - Version ...A Review

So Mr. Mark Ronson who's been one of the busiest men in the record industry, somehow found time to release a new full length album called "Version", the follow up to 2003's "Here comes the Fuzz".

B000o77ksy01_sclzzzzzzz_v24495157_a Version is miles ahead of Fuzz( which was a dope record too). Ronson, with the help of The Dap Kings(Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings) who been getting alot of work through Ronson lately (Amy Winehouse, just to name one artist), help make Version one of the best records of 2007, hands down. I've heard some great covers albums and some seriously horrible covers albums and Version is so good, you could convince your friends these are the originals(except for Toxic). This style has been rather popular lately. That style of making your music sound like it came out of the 60's and 70's. Groups like Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Quantic and The Quantic Soul Orchestra, The Frank Popp Ensemble, Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators have helped made this sound popular again. Then this sound gets a big push to the front with the help of Amy Winehouse's Black to Black, which Ronson produced half of.

Now we have "Version" which kicks off with a super dope cover of Coldplay's "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" featuring The Dap King Horns...makes me wanna become a spy. James Bond would have sounded hella fresher with this soundtrack. Ronson collaborates with some of his new usual suspects, Lily Allen, Daniel Merriweather and Amy Winehouse who's cover of The Zuton's "Valerie" is so good...I've never heard the original but I dont think i can like it as much as Ronson's Version. Speaking of Amy, Ronson brings in Virginia's new wave soul-singer Kenna, who's 2003 lbum "New Sacred Cow" to this day, is still my regular rotation. Kenna is brought in to help Ronson cover a song called "Amy" in which I have no idea  who is the orginal...nor do I really care. This song with it's hard hitting drums, jumps out at you and gets you to get up and dance.

Now for the cover of Britney Spear's "Toxic" I could have done without the ODB pasted/scratched in verse, but it helps make this song become more humours than it already was. The vocalist sounds as creepy as Robert Smith(The Cure) looks. Yet somehow it works. The Radiohead cover of "Just" has been out for a minute and still sounds great with those lovely Dap Kings Horns and bangin' Drums. Apply Some Pressure is where Ronson goes to the Dance Rock/Punk Funk rout and pulls it off. Robbie Williams on "The Only One I Know"(a Charlatans cover i believe) sounds like the Petshop boys over a funk track, still brilliant.

Really you can't go wrong with any track on Version. All hail Mark Ronson!

April 06, 2007 |

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