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 Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:42 pm
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Well, we're a few weeks away from closing it, so what was the best? For me, it was:
Angels & Agony - Unison
Positive and inspiring lyrics, uplifting melodies and chunky EBM kick drums. The vocals have traditionally brought down Angels & Agony, but on several tracks on Unison the vocals prove to be a rival to VNV or Assemblage 23. Awesome.
Stand out track: Forward
Assemblage 23 - meta
Not quite on a par with Failure, but an incredible album none the less.
Stand out track: Binary
Dreamcypher - The Cruxshadows
A really lovely album. Poetic, melodic and excellent overall production. A little guilty of filler tracks, but we can excuse that when the meat of the album is so good.
Stand out track: Sophia
Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker
After seeing Skuppy twice this year I decided I needed to go collect some of their albums, and I really, really liked this one.
Stand out track: Ugli
I've seen all of these bands live this year and can vouche all of them are in top form. Roll on 2008!
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 4:25 am
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Quote: Atlantis: Hymns for Disco K-OS K-OS is, simply put, a genius. In a single album, he's dissected every genre of popular music from the last century and reassembled them all for his own purposes. From the cabaret and showtune influenced "Flypaper" to the pop-rock, new-wave, and reggae amalgam of "Born to Run". K-OS still shows strengths as a straight-forward rapper (as on the very old-school "ElectricK-HeaT: The SeeKWilL" ), but also shows real chops as a singer. While some may find his work to be a bit spacey, there's no refuting how moving his music can be, particularly the auto-biographical allegory of "Ballad of Noah".
Quote: Grinderman Grinderman Nick Cave and company are old now. And grumpy. Grinderman was born. Masculine to a point of self-parody, Grinderman is one of the best garage-rock acts in years. Their constant willingness to take it too far makes them perfect at what they do, and while some might call them immature, I'd say a better descriptor would be "boyish and nostalgic". Highlights of the album include the absurd "Depth Charge Ethel" (about prostitute of that very name who just wants everyone to get along), "Get It On" (a masculine anthem if there ever was one), and the pleasingly awkward "No p***y Blues". Further listening and you may come to appreciate the album's best track (in my opinion), "Go Tell the Women", a dry spoken word piece that fights back traditional melody to make room for plucky post-modern frusterations. Nor should be overlooked is the self-titled track ("Grinderman"), a haunting and barren hymn of very Bad-Seeds nostalgia.
Quote: Fighting Naked Humanwine I've loved Humanwine for years now. They were one of the first dark cabaret groups I really got into, and they have yet to dissappoint. Their "Rivolta Silenziosa!" [EP] was pretty damn brilliant, and this album is continuing right were is started. Storytelling of a steaming, greasy world is ever present in the lyrics, but the real beauty of Humanwine is the sound. The vocal harmony, the complex instrumental arrangements, and the enigmatic diction all add up to an intoxicating album. While not as well focussed as the EP, the full-length album proves to be some of the best dark-cabaret os the decade. Check Humanwine's MySpace for free download of several songs from the album, particularly, the abstolutely astounding "Rivolta Silenziosa!" |
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