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Sal Klita Blogger

Monday, October 31

The 35 Years Old Alien & His New Frock Of High Tech Minimal Techno Project.

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Although of English and Canadian origins, Plastikman's Richie Hawtin is closely connected with the current Detroit techno scene associated with figures such as Kenny Larkin, Stacey Pullen, Eddie Fowlkes, and Derrick May. His Plus 8 label — co-owned and operated with John Acquaviva — is one of the most influential experimental dance music imprints, and Hawtin's own tracks recorded as Plastikman and F.U.S.E.. are highly regarded as faithful, intelligent, forward-stepping updates of the Detroit sound. A DJ of renown and growing in repute as a remixer, Hawtin's visibility as one of experimental dance music's more important and innovative figures has been on the rise since the release of his debut Plastikman album, Sheet One.

Born in the English burgh of Windsor in the early '70s, Hawtin's parents moved to Canada when he was nine. An early interest in electronic-based pop and dance music turned serious when Hawtin discovered the tracks being pumped out of his neighbor-across-the-river Detroit. Beginning as a DJ in 1987, Hawtin quickly became involved in composition through his direct involvement in Detroit's tight-knit community of musicians and producers. Combining early influences from European synth-pop groups like Kraftwerk and New Order with the stripped-down techno-futurism of Detroit innovators such as Juan Atkins and Derrick May, Hawtin's tracks are as steeped in Motor City tradition as they deviate from it in terms of texture and rhythmic complexity. Although 12-inches through Plus 8 and the European NovaMute label have all been pretty dancefloor-oriented, Hawtin's attention to techno-based listening music has been just as focused through his full-length albums.
Bio By AMG

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A real labour of love from Hawtin here, and no doubt the definitive mix for all Minimal freaks out there. The package comes with a DVD featuring an extended 96 minute set (as originally intended) in glorious 5.1 Surround Sound and a convenient high quality MP3 version for Ipod heads, plus lots of extra video clips, films and information. The Cd comes with the regular 74 minute version – an unbeleivably tight, intuitive and beautifully structured mix that takes in a staggering number of tracks – easily over 100 at first glance. Featuring everything from the super hot Sleeparchive through to Mika Vainio’s “ø” alter ego, Maurizio, Villalobos, Baby Ford, Dan Bell, Fuse, False, Matthew Dear, Secondo, Alex Under and loads of unreleased tracks from Hawtin’s extended possee, this is so much more than just a masterclass in technique and digital dexterity (that, it certainly is) - it’s all about selection, like all the best sets. Killer session – the anthem for the Minimal Nation.

- Review By Boomkat -
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Monday, October 24

Six Piece Wellington - New Zealand Spacy Band - The Phoenix Foundation Has A New & Astonishing Album - 'Pegasus'.

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Six piece Wellington band The Phoenix Foundation were formed in 1997 by Samuel Flynn Scott (vox/gat), Luke Buda (vox/gat/keys) and Conrad Wedde (gat/keys). Having jammed for a couple of years, recorded "This Charming Van" and releasing the China Cove EP in 2000, they were joined by Richie Singleton (drums), Will Ricketts (percussion) and Tim Hansen (bass) in 2001. Songs begat songs until "The Drinker", which received special attention from the Bnet radio network and went on to win Best Unreleased Song at the 2002 Bnet Awards. Other 'hotcuts' "Blue Summer" and an early mix of "Let Me Die A Woman" also received significant airplay, with "Blue Summer" becoming the second most played song on New Zealand alternative radio in 2002.

The Phoenix Foundation recorded their debut album 'Horsepower' during the winter of 2002 with Lee Prebble (The Black Seeds, Trinity Roots) at The Surgery in Newtown, Wellington. The gruelling late nights and scurvy resulted in one of the most acclaimed New Zealand albums of the 2003. Horsepower was the only album to be nominated for 'Best Album' at both the Vodafone NZ Music Awards (aka the Tuis) and the Bnet Awards. It was also voted the 'Best NZ Album' of 2003 by nzmusic.com and was the only New Zealand album selected in The Listener's 'Top Ten Albums of 2003' by Nick Bollinger (Listener/Radio NZ). The video for the album's first single "Let Me Die A Woman" was made by esteemed video director/producer Richard Bell (One Collective) and went on to win the 'Knack Award' at the 2003 NZ Music Video Awards. The follow up video for "Going Fishing", also directed/produced by Richard Bell, again went on to win the 'Knack Award' at the 2004 NZ Music Video Awards as well as 'Best Cinematography' at the 2004 Handle The Jandal Awards.

In 2004 'Horsepower' was released in Australia on Remote Control Records (The White Stripes, Badly Drawn Boy, The Pixies) and, following a quick tour of 'the lucky country', received strong reviews and radio play on Triple J and RRR. In May 2005, The Phoenix Foundation will release their long awaited 2nd studio album 'Pegasus' through Festival Mushroom Records. The 11 track album was again recorded and produced by Lee Prebble at The Surgery in Wellington and features new bass boss Warner Emery. The first single 'Hitchcock' has already reached the top spots on the New Zealand Alternative Charts and b.net stations. The video for Hitchcock was directed by esteemed New Zealand producer Rueben Sutherland and is set for release in February.

Renowned for their strong live show, the band have had much fun playing with the likes of Calexico, SJD, Evan Dando and Cortina. Highlights so far in 2005 have included a performance at the 'Big Day Out' and an outdoor concert in January at Wellington's Botanical Gardens which attracted a 3500 strong crowd. In June the band will embark on a New Zealand tour to celebrate the release of 'Pegasus' and are also planning a second Australian tour in July.

Bio By Noizyland Dot Com.

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About The Scene Of Wellington & 'Pegasus' New Album:



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Undoubtedly the most anticipated album of the year so far and a landmark for that oft-quoted, all-encompassing beast, the "Wellington sound", Fat Freddy's Drop's Based on a True Story is unlikely to disappoint the thousands who have been feverishly awaiting its release. The anticipation is a well-deserved reward after six years of acclaimed live gigs, and latterly crucial vinyl releases, that have seen their reputation spread out of New Zealand and onto the worldwide underground, assisted by patronage from Gilles Peterson, Recloose, Jazzanova and other tastemakers.

It is to their credit that, locally at least, the hype has been generated organically with a low-key approach that would leave most outfits under the radar, but instead has placed them at the front of the pack. Frustratingly, this laid-back approach also results in a review copy arriving the day after it was available in shops and allowing scant time before deadline to absorb the 10 drawn-out tracks. The production from Mu, or DJ Fitchie as he has now styled himself, is routinely superb and there can be no denying that it's an outstanding-sounding, lovingly recorded and mixed record. On the album highlight "Ray Ray", the combination of musical nous, instinctual playing and adventurous mixing and construction is breathtaking. It's the only entire track where all these factors fall easily into alignment throughout, and the glimpse of what this fearsome unit can potentially achieve feels as if it's over too quickly – not something usually said about an album with an average track length of seven minutes.

The remainder of live favourites, reworked vinyl cuts and new compositions generally draw on the model that has worked so well with the 12"s but fail to engage in the same remarkable way. On initial plays, at least, it feels like a little too much of a good thing. The impact of Dallas Tamaira's impressive voice has been blunted by his serial guest appearances on other people's records and the concentration on lengthy skankers leaves no room for the directness and discipline shown on their greatest single achievement so far, the b-side of "Midnight Marauders", "Seconds". This is only the beginning of the Drop's account and it's heartening to see an independent release achieve so much without playing by the rules, but musically the best may well be yet to come.

From a similar vintage and also including the ubiquitous "featuring members of" other bands in the Wellington co-op fashion, the Phoenix Foundation spread their wings a little further on Pegasus. After the splendidly wigged-out abstraction of their recent Rhian Sheehan remix all bets were off on how this record would sound, but only the whimsical instrumental "Sea World" comes teasingly close to that sort of behaviour. Refreshingly unpretentious in their musical explorations, the band are musically and lyrically several steps further down the track than their melodic, meandering debut Horsepower and they now boast the confidence and agility that allow for great lines in the "Slightest Shift in the Weather" and "Nest Egg" and even some sketchy rhymes on "The Posh Tiger". Though it may be short of a screaming singalong like "Going Fishing", there are several highly infectious pop oddities, including the breezy "All in Afternoon", studio lament "Damn the River" and the aforementioned Western-esque wonder "Slightest Shift in the Weather".

They pitch their tent most prominently in a kind of sub-country twanged-out zone that they make their own – the red herrings are the beautiful but incongruous piano piece "Twilight" that closes the record, and the inspired spooky instrumental chugger with the SUV-baiting video, "Hitchcock". As with their first album, there are moments where it feels as if they may have stretched themselves a little further than they are able, particularly vocally, but those moments are fleeting and fewer this time around on a beguiling sophomore effort
. (Review & Story By Listener.co.nz)

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Pictoplasma Use 'Hitchcock' As A Trailer Soundtrack

Tuesday, October 18

A Reminder - Fat Jon - 'Lightweight Heavy' - This Album Prezent To The World A Kinda New & Cool Mesh-Up Between Dj Spinna & Rjd2.

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There aren't enough natural resources on planet Earth to keep us going. And there are insufficient amounts of love, hospitality or, indeed, humane warmth. That's all a given. But what is not lacking in any way, shape or form on our madly spinning orb, is - instrumental hip hop. Not that this bothers Fat Jon. Beat creator for Cincinnati based hip hop outfit Five Deez crew and sometime collaborator with German dubmeister Pole, Jon has carved a nice little side niche for himself as a purveyor of, yup, the genre that has expanded exponentially ever since DJ Shadow showed the world how complete an instrument a sampler could be in the right hands.

Do we really need more?

Jon showed us back in 2002, on his album Wave Motion, that an ostensibly vocal-less album could speak volumes. He showed us how basslines could moil and mutter seductively, how jazz riffs could burble magnificently, and how cleverly placed samples and skilful arrangements could trick us into thinking these instrumentals were actually songs. Lightweight Heavy does the same again, conjuring up a certain sound ­summed up neatly in the title ­that balances butch, punchy riddims with summery vibes and simple structures that seem multi-dimensional.

The first single, "Everywhere" is a case in point. A tripping, folkish vocal stitched to a coruscating harmony produces an endlessly pleasant bump that has simplicity written all over it, but is still hopelessly infectious. Opening gambit from the album, "Talk To Me", is pure pillow-talk; breathy vocal samples rising up from a deceptively brisk beat ride a classical piano riff that pushes your thoughts towards an abstract horizon. Trademark dubby basslines are a big reason for Jon's allure. "Torn Again" and "Mystery Soul" tug directly at the knees, compensating for the overall lack in rhythm shifts and chord changes.

"Synopsis" takes another jazz-road entirely, heading for a kind of middle ground; strong and melodic, unburdened by the weight of weed-smoke, un-tempted by the noodling of free avant-gardism. Then there's the cosmic phunk of "Space Man", and the slathering sentimentality of "Her", which show that Jon is concerned with space, both inner and outer. More economic than RJD2, less experimental than Prefuse 73, Jon has his own lucid, light-heavy sound that, regardless of the glut of beatz in the world today, occupies a special ­and necessary place.


Review By The BBC.

Listen To The Album In Stream.

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It's The New Mixtape By Almighty Mighty! Dj Shadow!

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The New Mixtape By The Almighty Josh Davis Available Only At DJSHADOW.COM As A Part Of The Expensive "Music Works" Limited Edition Box Set. Shadow Made A Limited Amount Of Copies Available For Retail Sale. 60 Minutes Of Non-Stop Funky Shit, Mostly Old School Hip Hop For Your Hyperactive Eardrums...

Check Out Full 6 Minutes From The Magic >
Real BOOM! Player <

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So, We Are In The Beginning Of This New Retro Trend To Martin Rev & Alan Vega? Well...

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A dreadful exercise in humiliation for some. For others, a flexing ground for popular muscle. The boys in Gym Class, the band, didn’t take your money in the locker room but they didn’t fail the physical fitness test, either. If anything they might have schooled you in badminton. All grown up, this New York City-based trio exists somewhere between aggression and frailty, forging unknown sounds that transcend the confines of age and category, and teeter on the brink of virgin musical terrain.

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Colored by an amalgam of influences as diverse as Can, T. Rex, Miami bass, Lil Jon, Prince, Silver Apples, Pere Ubu, Talking Heads, The Gap Band, and Dub Syndicate, Gym Class don’t really sound like these artists. It’s all internal, and like repressed testosterone, it shines through when the time comes.

Exploring ever-changing musical identities, Jay Guillermo, Dylan Maiden and Jesse Serwer look to the heavy spirit of electronic, hip-hop, dub, and spaghetti western soundtracks for inspiration to accomplish their mission: create some of the bass-iest, bizarre, and most chest-reverberating music possible without the use of an actual bass. Guillermo’s Juno-60 and Serwer’s kick drum provide the boom in question, forming the backbone of the Gym Class sound, while Maiden’s intermittent single-note wails and “fey” moans fill the rhythmic vertebrate of simple synth tones and elemental hi-hat claps. The end result is a substantial union of highs and lows, a thick and stripped-down hunk of sweet meat that will make your frame shake.

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Bio From The Official Home Page, Were U Can Also Listen To The Darkness Of Gym Class - Here.

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Suicide Biography >

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Formed in 1971, from New York City and always with the avant-garde, they made the sound of New York... They were part of that "pre-punk era" with all that bands from Max Kansas City and CBGB's (Velvet Underground, the New York Dolls, Ramones, Blondie, Dead Boys, Wayne/Jayne County, Richard Hell, Lydia Lunch, ... cf. compilations) and today, they are venerated by any Techno-CowBoy which respects himself. Few bands (Velvet Underground, Suicide, the Stooges...) had and still have such an impact on the others (as diverse as OMD, Human League, Spiritualized, Orbital, Pulp, Soft Celle, Nick Cave, Jesus & Mary Chain, Primal Scream, Chemical Brothers, Luna, Foil, Bloodstar, etc etc).
Alan Vega (a.k.a. Alan Bermowitz) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and Martin Rev (a.k.a. Martin Reverby) grown up in the Bronx. Alan Vega started as a sculptor. In 1974 he opened a small gallery in the lower Manhattan, where he put up the Project of Living Artists, pluri-artistic place (like Andy Warhol's Factory, but much smaller), where they tried any kind of happening or artistic attempts. What enabled him to meet a jazz band Reverend B, with certain Martin Rev on piano (electric). It was the first step of an adventure of (more) 30 years : they recently gave a gig at CCCP, Barcelona, Spain (june 1999), for the SONAR festival of techno music, wich such comments as "deliberate demonstration of sounds provocation and irreverent toward assistence".

" Suicide was always about life. But we couldn' t call it Life. So we called it Suicide because we wanted to recognize life. " (Alan Vega, 1985).

Roy Trakin said when they issued their first record : "Suicide is not about alienation but about hope. They are not robotic monsters intent on leveling civilization and culture. Suicide will outlast each trend because they are the real thing -unique and experimental, yet totally accessible and in line with the tradition of rock and roll. Suicide is Alan Vega's vulnerability and cock-eyed pessimism/optimism as it is Martin Rev's stoical mask hiding a sense of humor and humility that is inspiring as it is heartbreaking."

"... I never heard anything avant-garde. To me it was just New York City Blues." -Alan Vega 1980

Just think about Suicide acting live: Martin Rev with his cheap-second-hand Farfisa and drum-machine, binary-playing, not even a guitarist nor drummer. Alan Vega howling and threaten the audience with a chain, as if downtown. Obviously that often finished in riot (a happening?). And when they happen to open the set for the Ramones in a stadium... fun! In comparison, the audience during their last acts in London in 1998 seemed so formal, in spite of the of Alan Vega'efforts. In fact, in an unexplainable way for much, one of the few to support them, so far to ask them to open his own acts with the Cars was Ric Ocasek, which remains close to them up to now.

After some 6 years away from the front scene, Blast First invited them to play live in London to coincide with the re-release of the first albums: "The band played four sold out nights at The Garage in the Spring of 1998 and reaction was so positive from audience and media alike that they continued to work together and later that year played their first shows in their home town of New York for nearly twenty years." After that they began again to tour, specially in places related to Art e.g. : Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Art, London Institute of Contemporary Art) (Oct. 2001), Fondation Cartier (Paris, Feb.2002), Centre Georges Pompidou (Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris, nov.2002) and also invited to the most important Techno festivals : Sonar (Barcelona, 2000) and Astropolis (Brest, France, 2001).

American Supreme, their first opus from 10 years and Why Be Blues, reaction from NYC to the cultural fall that followed 9-11. Tours in USA &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp; Europe in 2003 & 2004 confirm their come back as one of the biggest influencers of the modern music, with in addition some solo gigs, in particular Martin Rev at the festival Synthétique Plaisir in Pau, France, and Alan Vega in Bilbao, Spanish Basque Country.
In 2005, the book Suicide: No Compromise is published to coincide with the release of Suicide’s remastered CDs:– A Way of Life and Why Be Blue, both coming with bonus live CDs, on Mute records.

Check Out Suicide Discography By AMG

Saturday, October 15

Bastared Jazz Cutting Off New Cool Dub & Downtempo Mixtapes By > DRM & Dj Sema4 From Brooklyn.

DRM - MP3 - Listen Or DL Here.

Playlist:

1. Awa Band - Bababatteur (Quantic French Mix) - Ekosound
2. Jonathan Krisp -Tangible Gain (Mawglee Mix) - Cookshop
3. Fort Knox Five - Radio Free DC - Fort Knox
4. Jugoe - Goose Me (Nickodemus + Zeb Remix) - Bastard Jazz
5. The Dining Rooms - Milano Calibro 9 - Schema
6. Overtone - Give It Again (Dither Down Mix) - Redbud
7. Kabanjak - Clap Your Hands - Switchstance
8. Este Lado - Mejor Que Tu Cumbia - Sistema Local
9. The Humble Few - Confusion - Yenara
10. Incognito - The 25th Chapter - Dome

Sema4 - MP3 - Listen Or DL Here.

Playlist:

1. One Self - Be Your Own (Vad Dub Mix) - Ninja Tune
2. Cymande - Fugs Back (Greenskeepers Remix) - Smash Hit
3. Nobody - The Coast is Clear (For Fireworks) - Plug Research
4. Deadbeat - Abu Ghraib - ~scape
5. Fort Knox Five - Radio Free DC (A. Skillz/Krafty Kuts Mix) - Fort Knox
6. Inverse Cinematics - Vogelhaufen EP - Faces
7. Husky-Rescue - New Light of Tomorrow (Bonobo remix) - Catskills
8. Zion 1 - Birds Eye View (Live Version) - Live Up
9. Jugoe - Goose Me - Bastard Jazz
10. Junkie Slip - Muddy Empire - Tummy Touch


Peace...

Sunday, October 9

John Parish Sounds Familiar To You?

And How About Something Worm And Cool?

Tuesday, October 4

Canada Brutally Hits Again! Here Comes This Unbelievable Album Made By B.S.S.

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Broken Social Scene materialized in 1999 when K.C. Accidental's Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, formerly of By Divine Right, bonded their friendship into a band. They spent the next few years honing an atmospheric rock sound in their native Toronto and the dynamic was great. Feel Good Lost marked their debut album in 2001 and introduced a revolving cast of Canadian indie musicians. Drew's fellow mate from Do Make Say Think, Charles Spearin, was added to the band, as well as Evan Cranley (Stars), James Shaw, and Emily Haines (Metric). By the time their guitar-fueled sophomore effort, You Forgot It in People, was released in fall 2002, Broken Social Scene had become an 11-piece collective. Jason Collett, Andrew Whiteman, Justin Peroff and Leslie Feist fulfilled the band's bombastic, orchestrated sound and critics loved it. You Forgot It In People was a buzz among indie cohorts and plans for a stateside release on Arts & Crafts was slated for the following summer. A surprise, however, coincided those plans in spring 2003 when Broken Social Scene won a Juno for "Alternative Album of the Year" for You Forgot It In People. In order to maintain praise from critics, the band issued their first ever b-siders & rarities collection, Bee Hives, in spring 2004. For the band's 2005 self-titled studio album, Broken Social Scene once again joined producer David Newfeld. Additional contributions by select members of Stars, Metric, Do Make Say Think, Raising the Fawn, the Dears and others contributed to the ambitious sounds of Broken Social Scene. A joint North American tour with Feist followed its release.

Biography By AMG.

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Expectations are a bitch. Ask J.D. Salinger. Or George Lucas. Or Kevin Shields. After Broken Social Scene stumbled out of the incestuous Toronto alt-rock scene with Feel Good Lost-- a postrumental refrigerator-hum stiff of a debut-- few would have guessed this group of scruffed-up bohos had a veritable classic lurking in their collective consciousness. Then, ignited by a rabid internet reception, You Forgot It in People gracefully went boom, and lots of people remembered why they loved indie rock-- the shambling ecstasy, the pitch-perfect experimentation, the unabashed heart-on-sleeveness of it all. Now, with file-sharers queuing up like mad and pre-orders bumping them to Amazon Top 50 status, the collective reacts to the furor by expanding and magnifying; another six members join the brood for its self-titled third full-length, and the band's once-refined studio sound is blown up into a pixilated blur of blood-gush guitars and squall-of-sound production that's somehow meticulously unhinged. This exercise in excess makes the ambitious You Forgot It in People seem positively understated by comparison.

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De facto band leader Kevin Drew recently told Pitchfork that Broken Social Scene producer (and NYPD punching bag) David Newfeld "got addicted to the idea of trying to top YFIIP." He added: "His massage therapist says he might die in 10 years unless he changes his lifestyle." It's Newfeld's risky mixing and uncanny knack for coalescing myriad instruments and voices into a propulsive whole that defines this new album. Whereas You Forgot It in People was exacting and refined-- each cymbal crash snipped to perfection, each underlying string melody was spare and to-the-point-- Broken Social Scene is wily and flowing. Just consider each disc's mood-setting introduction: YFIIP's "Capture the Flag" is muted and tasteful; BSS's "Our Faces Split the Coast in Half" gets out of bed, trips, falls down, does a sloppy summersault, and gets back up no worse for the wear. The contrasting titles alone-- one direct, one Dali-esque-- speak volumes. But, however symbolic, "Faces" is only a casual stretch, with follower "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Half)" serving as the album's first true workout. "Ibi" breaks in with a woozy, five-alarm guitar-- a warning call for the track's off-key surrealism and pile-on distortion. Like the shaky ascent of a homemade rocketship, the song constantly teeters on cataclysmic oblivion; shards of chords slip away and grind against each other as the track embarks. Buried between the static and the void, mumbled vocals are folded in before the brass enters and elevates the endeavor to fist-pumping, room-on-fire glory.

That track's garbled vocals and lyrical ambiguity are filtered throughout this record. With no accompanying lyric sheet, most of the album's highly interpretable words not only provide fans with a time-wasting message-board guessing game but add another layer of atmospheric haze to the group's already out-there takes on sex, politics, and that whole indies-vs.-majors thing. On the wispy, faux-idyllic "Major Label Debut", the chorus could be "I'm all hooked up" or "I'm all fucked up," but either meaning snidely puts down the rockstar clichיs Broken Social Scene are determined to avoid. Anyone's who's been to a Broken Social Scene show over the past few years probably knows "Major Label Debut" as a rollicking, open hi-hat dust storm. But here, that version is relegated to an accompanying EP (otherwise filled with mostly expendable outtakes and instrumentals) while the album version is slowed down and fogged up-- and decidedly less single-worthy. Another live favorite and possible crossover contender, "Superconnected", is still catchy on record, but Newfeld's all-at-once, in-between-vox production subverts any chance at overt smashdom.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"Broken Social Scene" New Album Cover.

Such insular stubbornness leads to Broken Social Scene's few overly self-indulgent moments, when their lack of inhibitions turns from charming to faintly annoying. Their tendency to jam out-- not entirely surprising given bassist Brendan Canning's striking Trey Anastasio-meets-Elmo look-- turn the seven-minute "Bandwitch" into an aimless jumble. Along with the similarly too-free-spirited "Windsurfing Nation" and "Handjobs for the Holidays", such unchecked exorbitance damages the album's hard-won continuity. But a few regrettable overreachings are somewhat inevitable when a band tries to top a record as strong as YFIIP. Looser and slightly kinkier, Broken Social Scene indulges in the pop eccentricities and keen melodic ears of more than a dozen Canadians who take willful pride in their ability to lock together into one solid unit and make good on the sum of their unique individual talents. With its doomsday provocation of a title, the epic Springsteenian endcap "It's All Gonna Break" bursts forth with enough ideas to keep a lesser band productive for years. The song ecstatically encapsulates Broken Social Scene's heightened ambitions and flawed Icarus journeys, conflating into a bold, brash love-in infatuated with its own bumps and bruises.

Review By Pitchfork Media.

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Listen To The First Album From 2001 (u'll need real player)

Listen To The Second Album From 2002 (u'll need media player)

The Modest
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Another Interesting Review About The New Album By Tiny Mix Tapes:

This may be one of the most difficult reviews of the year. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Half the reviews you read are going to praise the Canadian collective's third proper, self-titled album as another masterpiece; the other half are going to trash it, citing the band stretching themselves too thin, that too much is happening in the midst of the album's 14 tracks to catch all of it, even after repeated listens. Of course, I'm going to be difficult and be the margin of error -- that damned 1% that throws the curve out of balance and leaves pollsters scratching their heads. Why are these people still straddling the fence? All the above comments I've made about Broken Social Scene's latest effort are true: It is a masterpiece, if you measure masterpieces by reputation and assumption. The band's stretching themselves a little thin, if you measure thin as sleeker production, more lush sounds, and overextended musical interludes. But I pose this question: Isn't this what Broken Social Scene has been hanging their hat on since they burst onto the American music landscape late in 2002? This is a band that makes the same noise whether 6, 7, or 15 people are gracing a stage or a studio booth. They're just carrying on their tradition, and doing so with tight craftsmanship even Bob Villa would be proud to sponsor.

But none of this even remotely describes Broken Social Scene.

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This is a classic example of the adage 'the more things change, the more they stay the same.' This self-titled gem mirrors the highs and lows of You Forgot it in People almost to a tee. The opener, "Our Faces Split the Coast in Half," is an instrumentally-driven ditty; and while some faint vocals waft in and out of the track, it's the same up and at them spirit of "Capture the Flag," bottled in a jar and slowly unleashed to an ever-growing crowd of rabid indie kids hungry for something bigger, louder, and in your face. The album's first single "7/4 (Shoreline)" mimics the heartbeat of its cousin "Stars and Sons," before exploding into a fury of horns, walls of guitar, and an impassioned choral plea. "Major Label Debut" recycles the dreamy atmosphere of "Looks Just Like the Sun," with quiet aggressions. However, Broken Social Scene isn't reusing all the same tricks that made You Forgot it in People a surprise hit. "Windsurfing Nation" has a fresh vibe all its own. It's a clever (and danceable) mix of hip-hop, post-punk, and indie ethos. The beats are crisp and expressive, if down-to-earth; the vocal rounds in the chorus are catchy; and the riffs move all over the place, forcefully holding your eardrums for ransom. And maybe K-os' cameo puts the track over the top.

Meanwhile, the subtle horns and jazz rhythms of "Handjobs for the Holidays" create yet another classic BSS track. Besides the attention-grabbing song title, the track holds a quality hard to put a finger on - it's another danceable song, full of understated beats and overstated production; but there's an intangible nature that's layers deep. Not even a drill powerful enough to dig to the song's molten core would discover what truly makes "Handjobs for the Holidays" a keeper. Perhaps the most unusual BSS experiment, "Tremoloa Debut" is a quick, but hard-hitting instrumental built around misplaced guitar slides. It isn't anything to write home about, but it feels as if it's hinting toward new things to come from the band -- we're getting a sneak peak at a new Broken Social Scene that is already moving forward and ready to leave much of the past four years in the dust.

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But no matter how much I sit here listening to Broken Social Scene, and no matter how special most of these tracks are, they lack the cohesiveness that made You Forgot it in People, and even Feel Good Lost, something to get ecstatic about. I find myself skipping parts of the album when I'm not in the mood, whereas the previous studio albums put me in the mood for every track just by pressing play. Of course, that can't ruin an album full of noticeable indie hits and diamonds in the rough -- just hinder it. Like any album, the true test will lie in its shelf life. Will I be pulling this out six months from now, twelve months from now, five years from now? It may be unfair to compare this to their heralded masterpiece of 2002; but when a band makes such a stunning album, everything else they release is going to be thrown up against the wall and scrutinized top to bottom just for the sake of tearing it apart. It's impossible to completely deconstruct Broken Social Scene's self-titled, however, and that may be why you should ignore the upcoming lofty praises and put-downs and just listen for yourself. You owe the band that much.

1. Our Faces Split the Coast in Half
2. Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)
3. 7/4 (Shoreline)
4. Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast
5. Major Label Debut
6. Fire Eye'd Boy
7. Windsurfing Nation
8. Swimmers
9. Hotel
10. Handjobs for the Holidays
11. Superconnected
12. Bandwitch
13. Tremoloa Debut
14. It's All Gonna Break


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Sunday, October 2

So...What Do U Think About The New RSL?

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Even without seeing the press - release, I'd have been willing to stake a tenner on Giles Peterson loving this lot. A 3 piece from the dark-heart of... Lancashire, RSL (Martin Almond, Joe Botham and Chas Morrison) make sprawling instrumental music that bounces between reference points as diverse as David Axelrod and Duke Ellington without ever coming across as unfocused. Recorded as a 9-piece, RSL apparently have a soft spot for the indigenous music of South America, drenching the title track in a whole Rio Carnival of whistles, crazy-legs rhythms and a spicy gumbo of Theremins, horns and subterranean bass. Phew; I'm exhausted already! Similar in approach to label mates Pest, RSL are just as happy to floor you with a wall of noise ('Inside Looking Out') as they are to coax you in with some saccharine strings ('Star'). Sounding at times uncannily like Fingathing (see particularly 'The Plunge'), albeit backed up by a pit full of musicians, RSL succeed in off-setting their odd dalliance into wine-bar music ('The Mast') with moments of rambling genius ('The Magic Of Spain'). ~ Review By Boomkat.
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RSL are a three-man (Chas, Martin and Joe) instrumental production outfit from the depths of Lancashire who write amazing, life-changing songs and with a nine-piece band, perform them live to devastating effect. They bring together a unique and energetic mix of both new and traditional influences, creating funked-up Latin-jazz sounds mixed with turntablism, breaks and sweeping cinematic atmospherics. First coming to our attention on the first EPs on the Players label from Manchester's Sub Tub club night way back in 2001, it wasn't until 2003 with the addition of the live element that they really lifted off with the all conquering "Wesley Music" and have since become one of the most sought after outfits on the live circuit and front of box favourites for the likes of Gilles Peterson, Masters At Work, Mr Scruff and Danny Krivit. "Every Preston Guild" brings together their three recent singles ("Wesley Music", "The Mast" and "The Magic Of Spain") plus seven brand new tracks. ~ Review By Piccadilly Records.
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RSL are blowing up right now - their three singles to date have seen DJs from Mr Scruff to Masters At Work getting hot under the collar. Their debut Wesley Music has had the Danny Krivit re-edit treatment, The Mast has decimated dancefloors from Berlin to Burnley and The Magic Of Spain can always be relied upon to make the sun shine! But it's live that the real RSL experience takes over. The seven piece band includes piano, brass, two vocalists and as much percussion as they can lay their hands on to wow the audience where ever they play, be it a Manchester basement or Maida Vale for Radio 1's Gilles Peterson show. With their amazing album titled 'Every Preston Guild' it's only fitting they play
at itch and bring their Latin edged jazz funk soul to town - it certainly won't be another 20 years before you are hearing a lot more from this crew!

Here’s the deal… at its creative core, RSL is Joe Botham, Martin Almond and Chas Morrison. Three 20 something’s, originating from Summerseat, 8 miles North of the Manchester Metropolis in the United Kingdom. Strange then that the songs they produce should put them somewhere closer to the equator. Through intense rehearsing, hours spent in the studio and growing up on each other’s doorsteps, they know each other pretty well. This strong link between the three is the basis from which RSL’s songs flow and develop.

Their first single release "Wesley Music" (now licensed for the US on Giant Step) received praise from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Masters at Work, Mr Scruff and a re-edit courtesy of Danny Krivit. Certainly a fan club envied by most and an example of their wide appeal. With Nu Yorican/Latin-edged musicianship and a passion for authentic sounds it’s easy to understand their broad fan-base on both sides of the Atlantic. Description By 53 Degrees.
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Listen To The New Album At Tunes >>> Right Here <<<
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Saturday, October 1

A Reminder To - Bermuda Triangle Service - The New Mazzy Star.

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"Just call her Wig. For years now, Cynthia Wigginton has been making music for many great artists, from Richard Buckner to the Mekons. Now, it is only fair and proper that she unveil her considerable talent, not only as a player, but also as a songwriter, in her very own musical vehicle, the Bermuda Triangle Service. High Swan Dive, their first full length, is a well-thought out and consistent work of art, never losing sight of balance and its own slow moving brand of space-country ambience.

Lodged somewhere between the early Mazzy Star records and the incredible sounds of Paula Frazer and Tarnation, Wig and the Bermuda Triangle Service deliver song after song of fuzzed out slide guitars, thick bass, and morphine-drip drum beats. Wig has recruited a few capable partners-in-crime, in the persons of Adam McCauley and Robert Malta. Then with the assistance of famed producer/engineer Karl Derfler (who worked with the likes of Roky Erikson, The Who, and The Talking Heads). Add to that the ubiquitous melodica, some judicious harmonica and the ever-mysterious screwdriver, and you have a recipe for some pretty spooky and affecting tunes.

These strange tunes work best when Wig's voice enters the mix. It is a sort of reserved and just a little more sung than spoken, but every song weaves a weird and wonderful story of textures and colors, from June bugs to Caine, swan dives to Indian princesses (even though that song is a delightful take on a Billy Childish tune). The tracks sometimes build into small smoldering things that eventually explode (like the tom-tom and slide guitar driven "Caine"), and other times they are content to languish in their molasses-slow assuredness. Either way, almost every track has something to offer a fan of music, from Calexico to the Willard Grant Conspiracy, to Lambchop.

Self released by the band itself, this is a true example of an independent artist. Go out and support good music and buy a copy of this CD. One listen and you can tell it was a labor of love... a strange, twisted kind of love, but love nonetheless." Review By Indei work shop ~ 2004

Listen To MP3's from the album ~ "High Swan Dive"


"Six Years" ~ "Motel 5" ~ "Last Dada Dance"


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