Week of 5/29 - Rock, Ambient, Celtic, Dubstep

This week some new stuff from an "old school" dubstep (is it old enough a style to have an old school sound? Probably), a rough guide to Celtic Women, and more! This week is odd that pretty much everything was released in the last three months - a little catch up of newer stuff, some of which I've had hanging around a few weeks to boot.

New and Recent Releases:

Burial
Street Halo / Kindred
Label: Beatrec
Released: 5/29 2012
Genre: Dubstep, Ambient

This is technically a US release of two Japanese singles, each with three tracks. Comes complete with an Obi Strip (that rather annoying piece of spine paper covering outside the case). Burial has been around for a decent amount of time, well before dubstep was all fuzzy wobbles. Though these six tracks come across as much more ambient, and darker, than some earlier stuff. No fast paced dance beats, no heavy fuzz, and very little wobble in the bass. But it really really is superb sounding stuff. While I actually hesitate to slide it into the dubstep label, because it's such an amazing piece of dark ambient soundscape.

Diablo III Soundtrack
Label: Blizzard Entertainment
Released: 5/15 2012
Genre: Ambient

The digital version of the album is available in the iTunes music store, being the big fan I am I have the CD Release that comes with the Collector's Edition of the game. Like the previous soundtrack they did an excellent job making the music fit the game, and updating it a little bit. This album was recorded with a full orchestra in an wide open space, not a studio. And you can hear the difference. Beyond the game, the music here is good atmospheric music for a number of places. It has quiet and loud places, some soft, some hard, but overall it invokes a bit of a creepy feeling, and sometimes a good fight scene, and a few epic build ups. If you're a gamer of the table top variety this is a good addition for some mood music for a fantasy RPG.

The Shins
Port Of Morrow
Label: Aural Apothecary Records
Released: March 2012
Genre: Rock

Mercer, the lead singer and guitarist here, is the other half of Broken Bells. Being a big fan of Dangermouse I had picked that up and decided to check out the other half. The Shins are good, but they're also pretty straight forward garage, or indie, rock. The sound isn't anything particularly daring or special or even innovative. But it is good, plain old rock and roll so to speak. I like it, it's not overly brash and loud, nor is it boring sound like the musicians would rather be somewhere else (I hear a lot of bands like that and take a pass on them). Nope, this is just good, plain, rock music. And I like that. Definitely worth picking up.

The Rough Guide To Celtic Women
w/ Bonus Teresa Doyle 'Orrachan'
Label: World Music Network
Released: Spring 2012

I have several compilations of 'Celtic Women' I've gotten over the years, so one more isn't going to make a splash. I sometimes wonder why I don't see 'Celtic Men' compilations, they seem rare enough from a casual glance. So, this collection is a good solid gathering of strong voices, a wide range of styles, more of the songs are in Irish, a very few in English. It's a decent and diverse compilation of modern and older women in the scene of traditional Irish music. If you're just getting into it, this is a good starting place for up and coming musicians to find. If you've been into the scene, this might help find newer voices to add.

The bonus disc is from Teresa Doyle has been around at least twenty years, a Canadian with strong Irish ties, many 'Irish' singers are from Maritime Canada actually. Her voice is soft and often described as 'ethereal'. We get the full Orrachan album with this two-disc release, originally published by Bedlam Records if you want just her album. Most of the songs here come across as dirges though, which is odd. I don't think they're all actually dirges, but between her voice and guitar and the arrangement that's the feeling I get. But, it is very good, and a little different from many traditional Irish with more instruments than you can shake a stick at sometimes.

Next Week:
some old Gothic Rock, some new EBM, some classic industrial, some modern psychedelic rock, and new hip-hop and industrial rock to round it out. Listen Hard!

Week Of 4/10 - Dubstep, Industrial, Gothic Rock, Fado

Introduced myself to a new musical genre from Portugal this week, picked up a release from a former KMFDM member, added some Industrial to the collection, and wobbled my way through the new Bassnectar....

New Releases:

Bassnectar
Vava Voom
Label: Amporphous Music
Released: 4/10 2012
Genre: Dubstep, Hip-Hop

The latest from house and dubstep powerhouse Bassnectar. He manages to put out about a release a year, and his latest offering is just as big as any. Heavy wobbly basslines permeate this one. Two tracks have hip-hop elements (Vava Voom and Ugly) and an MC to go with the music, the rest is mostly instrumental dubstep, a Pennywise tribute song uses their lyrics in it. Two tracks stand out as the most interesting productions - Ping Pong and Butterfly. Both are immensely catchy and toe-tapping tunes. This is high end dubstep, less fuzz and more actual musical production behind it.

Adding To The Collection:

Sweet Sister Pain
The Seven Seas Of Blood And Honey
Label: Danse Macabre Music
Released: 2010
Genre: Gothic Rock, Darkwave

For old KMFDM fans from back in the 80s Rudolph Naomi is a name you'll recognize. I don't know what he's been doing since leaving the band shortly after Naïve was released, but somewhere a few years ago he became one third of this outfit, an ethereal gothic-rock outfit. I hesitate to use the term 'old-school' because it feels very modern, but at the same time it reaches back into a slightly less industrial-influenced gothic rock style. Light, ethereal, it's low on samples, no heavy beats, and overall is an extremely relaxing listen. It's cello, guitar, and percussion, no one on keyboards or sampler, no loops. Both a male and female vocalist are used, but not often in the same song, each one is used to make a song stronger, where it fits best. And there's a haunting rendition of Mad World on it as well. If you want something in the darker side of the spectrum lyrically, but still  lighter musically definitely find and get this album. (US availability is fastest through the KMFDM online store.)

Unternull
The Failure Epiphany
Label: Alfa Matrix
Released: 2005
Genre: Industrial, EBM

I've been a fan of Unternull for several years now, but her label is in Europe which makes getting albums expensive due to exchange rates. Finally, I got around to picking up her first album. It's heavy, but not too fast, with expected dark lyrical content, maybe a little too focused on failed relationships, but not in a whiny kind of way. Her vocals are not typical female vocals hitting high notes and soaring through verses. She's mid-range, with heavy effects sometimes, giving her a kind of low growl without shouting 'death metal style' into the mic. Heavy beats, but not quite club-cuts. Another very dark album, but on the heavier side, if you want something that provides a noisier background without getting loud and invasive this is a good choice.

The Rough Guide To Fado
Label: World Music Network
Released: Early 2012 (January I believe)
Genre: Fado

Fado is a new musical genre to me - it's a Portuguese style of music going back to the early 19th century. A guitar music, similar but not quite the same as Spanish guitar, and almost always with vocal accompaniment. I don't speak the language but I get the feeling there are a lot of love songs in here, or at least about love, both losing and finding - just by going from the tone of the singer. The guitar work is really nice in this style, lots of extra little aspects that make it stand out. It's also not hurried, some of the most relaxing and laid back guitar work I've heard in a long time, the music doesn't lend itself to faster dance tunes. There are no backing bands, occasionally there's more than one guitar, but that's as complicated as it gets.

Bonus CD:
Cristina Branco
Murmúrios
Original Released: 1998

This was first released in 1998, and made Cristina Branco one of the leading vocalists in modern Fado, the inclusion here is a nice bonus to the Rough Guide, giving us a listen into one of Fado's greatest modern vocalists. Her voice is soft, almost jazz in her delivery. It's simply her voice and one guitar creating some incredibly relaxing and light music. If you like guitar work, definitely track down and find some Fado, this Rough Guide (with bonus CD) is a good start to any collection.

Next Week:
Lots of various kinds of rock and roll coming down the line, Iron Maiden veteran Adrian Smith, some great contemporary Gothic Rock, more A Cappella from Pandora Celtica, and I'll see if I can fit a surprise in there...

Week of 2/28 - Industrial, EBM, Electroswing, dubstep

This week, two singles, two albums, a remix set, and a compilation all fill out a week of listening pleasure.

New Releases:
Inure - The Offering
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 2/28 2012
Genre: Industrial Rock
This is good, solid music. It sounds industrial, but that's really just the veneer on top of some straight up really good rock and roll. This should be getting all kinds of radio play (I hope it is, at least). None of the songs drag on, all are a good length, without the droning on and on you get from some industrial acts. There's not much else to say beyond the fact that I really dig this album, it's a solid piece of work that'll hang around and be listened to quite a bit.

Recently Released:
Inure - This Is The Life
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 2012
Genre: Industrial Rock
The seven track single is all remixes, five are the title track, two are other tracks (This Death from the album, and Le Petit Mort, which is the same track with a clever name and another remix).The remixes vary from rave-style club cuts, to the now almost common dubstep version. If you like collecting remixes (which I admit I do to some extent), or are a huge fan of the band, the remix single is worth it. Otherwise, there's no exclusive material or non-album tracks that make this anything special.

Bassnectar - Amorphous Music Mixtape Volume 7
Label: Amorphous
Released: January 2012
Genre: Dubstep, House
This is a free remix set from Bassnectar, about 30 minutes long, it's almost a full set. It pulls from the 90s up through the 00s, grabbing samples from Beastie Boys, P!nk, and others that anyone who spent any time on the dance floor in the last 25 years should recognize. Mixed fluidly with a lot of dubstep wubbing behind it, house beats, and electro styling. The diversity is kept up, changing out frequently enough to prevent you from getting bored with the mix, though not so often you feel like someone's just flipping through channels. If you like Bassnectar (and you should) then go find this and give a listen.

Adding To The Collection
Fortran 5 - Love Baby / Crazy Earth
Label: Mute Records / Elektra
Released: 1990
Genre: EBM, Synthpop
An old single from a early 90s project. Fortran 5 varied from a synthpop kind of sound to very weird experimental EBM. This falls deeply in the dance-EBM synthpop side of things. And it's an EP single with a few remixes. There were a couple versions of the Love Baby single released, this one comes with b-sides of Crazy Earth. There are only 5 tracks making this a mercifully short EP, two remixes of Love Baby, two remixes of Crazy Earth, and one remix of Midnight Trip. All three songs are catchy dance tunes the would slot well into any retro 90s dance list. They aren't timeless tracks, showing a simplistic early 90s techno style - lots of beeps and blips. Good for Fortran 5 fans, nothing spectacular otherwise.

Nekta - Water The Flowers
Label: InfraCOM!
Released: 2006
Genre: Electroswing, Future Jazz
Nekta is one of the bands I picked out of the many on the Electroswing compilations I've got. They're a German based duo and open up to a lot of future jazz and electroswing sounds, not limiting to just the upbeat swing. A lot of the album is heavily jazz laden, though some of it is still the jump style swing you can really dance to. All of it is excellent, a music styling the US desperately needs to start listening to. A little hard to get in  the US, or at least moderately expensive, but completely worth it. A breath a fresh style, good music, retro sound, and modern styling.

Cyanotic Presents Gears Gone Wild: Spring Break
Label: Bitriot Records
Released: 2010
Genre: Industrial, Industrial Rock, EBM
This is infinitely better than the regular Gears Gone Wild compilation. The flow is consistent through the remix collection, all of which are done by Cyanotic himself. It's pretty much a complete collection of solid dance floor beats and rhythms. Interesting if you're a big fan of collection remixes, remix collections, or just want some more club songs to drop into your collection. After that, it's just another industrial compilation, without too much to really set it apart.

Next Week:
The Boss, Motörhead, Tom Waits, a couple of compilations, and an EP I picked up at random...

Week Of 2/21 - Synthpop, Psychobilly, Blues, Dubstep, Industrial, & music of the Congo

This weeks new music was a blind buy, picked it up without any knowledge of the artist at all, I knew the label usually put out music I liked, so I took a shot. And won. I also dove into my digital collection that has been gathering pixel-dust on my Hard Drive and loaded up several EPs. Plus some of the CDs sitting on my shelf waiting for attention. All together a good amount of music this week.

New Releases:
Grimes - Visions
Label: 4AD Records
Released: 2/21 2012
Genre: Synthpop, Experimental
Discogs - Visions US Release
Grimes is the project of Canadian artist Claire Boucher.Visions is full of pop melodies, her voice is in the same range as a lot of pop music. But, it stops just short of actually being pop, the rhythms aren't quite right, the songs ditch the hook, liberal bits of glitch and other exerimental ideas seep through constantly. Which is the best part of the album, it's very easy to listen to, very smooth, but it's not lost in banal commonality. It's different without being jarring. As a whole the album creates an environment, it's the kind of music you can listen to with headphones, or letting permeate the room as a whole. Loud or soft, it's just really nice to listen to. Visions is absolutely and album to go out and get, and Grimes is the kind of artist that should get mainstream exposure without needing to become a media spectacle. It does remind me a lot of Broken Bells in that it's at once very familiar and completely different from other music out there.

Recently Released:
KDrew - Free EP Vol. 4
Label: Dubstep.Net (Self Released)
Released: 2/1 2012
Genre: Dubstep
Dubstep.Net - KDrew Free EP
Dubstep.Net tossed out this 4-track EP at the start of the month, which is unfortunate since if you go to KDrew's Soundcloud it's a full 6-track EP. What we have in these 4 tracks are three-vocal dubstep tunes, and one instrumental. The first is a hard hitter, with fast lyrics from a traditional Hip-hop MC. After that the next two tracks are pop-vocals with dubstep backing. And the last one is a very chill piece, good for dancing, but not so frantic as to wear you out. Good stuff, really. I don't really have a lot to say about a 4-track banger, but it's solid dubstep, hard and soft alike. And it's free, so you can get into the genre without much effort.

Adding To The Collection:
Marc Broude - Cruel Society
Label: Sirona Records
Released: 2011
Genre: Industrial, Experimental
Sirona Records - Cruel Society
This is a two-track EP sent to me. The first song is a pretty standard, not very interesting industrial-rock song. The second one, one the other hand, is glitchy and different, a dark instrumental soundscape that reminds me of some older industrial styled tracks that work with sounds in different ways beyond trying to build a dance club hit. It's two tracks, and not available in the US.

Little Axe - Champagne & Grits
Label: Realworld Records
Released: 2004
Genre: Blues, Electric Blues
Discogs - Little Axe US Release
Little Axe is some very excellent modern electric blues. From a traditional blues of him singing and a guitar, to the slightly 'techno' infused electric blues this album spans a wide range of ideas and interprettions of 12-bar. A supremely excellent guitarist, his style is classic in every sense while his thinking is very forward. There realy isn't a lot to say here beyond Go Get This Album, honestly. it's excellent and proves that the blues never fades.

Nekromantix - What Happens In Hell, Stays In Hell!
Label: Hellcat Records
Released: August 2011
Genre: Psychobilly
Discogs - What Happens In Hell US Release
This excellent three-piece band puts the gas pedal down on their hot-rod herse and doesn't let up until after the crash. Full of off kilter horror and songs about girls (or ghouls in the case of I Kissed A Ghoul), the whole thing is a little disturbing, but the bass just keeps on humming. The entire album is a standard set of rockabilly rhythms you can dance to, with the classic psychobilly left-of-center attitude. You just bop right along to the entire album, even if the song topics are less than cheerful the musci really is. Nekromantix really have got the 50s era Rockabilly sound nailed down, and have easily infused it with a modern punk attitude and styling.

Rough Guide To Congo Gold
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2008
Genre: Congo Traditional, Rumba
Discogs - Congo Gold
The Congo, like a good bit of Central and South Africa, embracing Rumba music when it came over in the 60s and 70s. They even infused it into their local traditional musics, came up with new genres, and played straight Rumba like it never left it's home. And you can hear that all over this compilation, at least half the tracks are pure Rumba, some even sung in Spanish. The traditional music to the Congo is pretty good, very rhythmic. As a whole, this is a pretty average Rough Guide - good to get into a region, but nothing really amazing is going on here, you get the feeling the Congo music scene is moderately homogenous, though.

Bonus Track:
Whitenoise - Bang Bang! Remix
Label: Soundcloud Self Release
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
I found this last year and fell in love with it, and then it got lost on a Hard Drive. And I refound it after organizing things. It takes Nancy Sinatra's Bang Bang and remixes it into a hard, dirty, lovely, dubstep pounder. It's just, well, it's great. Availalbe to listen on Soundcloud, go dance.

Next Week:
Industrial Rock, and plenty of it, some old school synthpop-electro, electroswing, a big dubstep mix, and a compilation of EBM/Industrial stuff.... very exciting, the whole week should just bop along.

Week Of 1/17 - J-pop/Trance, Brazilian Techno, Dubstep, Psychobilly

This week is a bunch of various electronica styles, and some Psychobilly.

New Releases:
Buck Satan And The 666 Shooters - Bikers Welcome Ladies Drink Free
Label: 13th Planet / Soulfoud
Released: 1/20 2012
Genre: Psychobilly
Al Jourgensen takes a break from industrial-rock songs about drugs to release an album of psychobilly songs about drugs. I didn't see Hank III in the credits anywhere, but it sounds like he should be on here. It's fast country beats with punk rock noise on top of it. A pretty good album, nice and quick. None of the songs linger around for too long, like proper punk infused anything. The country is fast, and full of fiddle and the occasional banjo, plus plenty of guitar and screaming vocals. Hopefully we see some more from Buck Satan in the future, as it's pretty good stuff - especially if you like your psychobilly with lots of country and your coutnry way too fast.
Adding To The Collection:
Rusko - O.M.G.!
Label: Mad Decent
Released: 2010
Genre: Dubstep
Reaching back just a little bit, right before dubstep exploded, is this album. It's got all the standard beats, drops, and wubs. Coupled with a few singers and several MCs, gives the tracks some depth beyond just trying to be dance-club only cuts. The album isn't a grouping of singles, but it's not quite the same as some of the 90s DJ mixes with nearly perfect flow between tracks. It's good, it's bouncy. You can pick out the evolution from the earlier stuff in the early 00s to the sound that caught mainstream success in the last year or so. All the really good tracks feature a vocalist, all the really basic, but decent, tracks are instrumental. As a producer Rusko has a good ear, but he really shines with vocals in the mix.

The Rough Guide To Brazilian Electronica
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2003
Genre: various electronica
This one pulls from various electronic styles from the 90s in an almost haphazard way. You can tell that house music was really just starting to pick up in Brazil a little before this was compiled. There's Chicago, Big Beay, Ambient, and all kinds of ideas mixed in with the more traditional, and pop, music of Brazil. And some of it is amazing. All of this is pure experimentation, there's no concept of genre limitation involved. The only possible reason these artists didn't make it bigger in the US and Europe had to be because they came to the party a little too late. A lot of it is relaxed, not so frantic, lots of samba bossa nova in mixed in. This made itself one of my favorite Rough Guides so far, everything here wants to be danced to.

Song + Nation 2 Trance
Label: Avex
Released: 2002
Genre: J-Pop / Trance
This is the second volume of Song + Nation, a collection of J-Pop megastars. This volume remixes all of it with trance/rave style. The two genres mix extremely well, as they aren't musically too far apart. But it's also a little boring, there's no real creativity in any of this. Aside from the mega-stars vocal presence the music is very recycled, so much so I can pick out the over-used samples. Fun if you needed some more trance, especially with Japanese vocals on it, but otherwise, stick with the first volume only.

Next Week - several new releases caught my attention, so many I had to actually narrow down my choices before I broke my budget too badly. And some other older stuff pulled off the shelf. Listen Hard!

Week Of 12/20 - Industrial, Dubstep, Psychedelic Rock, House

Late, blame the holidays.

New Releases:
Caustic - Justin Beaber's Never Say Never
Label: Self Released
Released: 12/20 2011
Genre: Industrial
Caustic gave away this free digital remix EP on his website. It's... a remix EP. Nothing massively interesting here, but it does include his awesome cover of Oxyacetalene. Beyond that, good for completionists.


Adding To The Collection:
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Label: Blue Horizon
Released: 2010
Genre: Psychedelic Rock
More from the Black Angels this week. This second album isn't nearly the tribute to Vietnam that their debut album was. Still, they still have the late 60s down pat. The whole album reverbs around, sticking firmly to the rock and roll genre without wavering or faltering.  An excellent piece of rock, but nothing really sticks out above the others. It's just a solid offering all around with no hidden gems, but no clunkers either. Overall, definitely the better of the two albums, a little more experience show through here.

Nero - Welcome Reality
Label: Cherry Tree / Interscope Records
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
From early 2011 before Skrillex's manic style took over. This feels more like the electro combination of Daft Punk and any standard House beats. The female vocals reach back and pull up a lesson from 1990s Trip Hop as well, effortlessly mixing all the styles into a dubstep sound. For all that, it's good in a generic 'toss it in the mix' kind of way. Doomsday is a bit of a heavy bass track, after that though it all kind of mixes together into something good but not great. It will be interesting to see their second album in the future, hopefully they get more adventurous and expand on the sound while keeping the trip-hop style vocals present.

Tabla Beat Science - Live In San Fransisco At Stern Grove
Label: Axiom Records
Released: 2002
Genre: House, Indian Traditional
This one I love, the first half is almost nothing but traditional sounds, tabla and vocals take up most of it. Very little of the Indian House you expect from some of the players here is evident - Karsh Kale,  DJ Disk and Midival Punditz leave it very light. Karsh plays all percussion here, none of his normal house stuff. The second half takes off with a lot of house, scratch, and more DJ influence, in a very nice mix. I don't even know where one track ends and another starts, and don't need to. It all blends so well as a live set that it might as well be a continuous mix album. This album is worth tracking down just for the performances on the tabla alone, really excellent live set.

Fabric Live 37 - Caspa & Rusko
Label: Fabric
Released: 2007
Genre: Dubstep, Electro
Speaking of Continuous mixes, this a joint effort from Dubstep DJs Rusko and Caspa, just shy of thirty tracks of dubstep-house-dub continuous mixing. They range all over the dubstep spectrum from the 2007 era - which is less frantic and more paced. You can definitely hear the dub underpinnings in the heavily altered beats. This is the genre in its most pure and raw form, while it's still very underground, pulling from as many influences as it can. One of the better DJ mixes I own honestly, in any style of electronica. If you're trying to get into Dubstep, or just want an above average dubstep mix, find this and add it to your collection.


Bonus EP
The Crüxshadows - Christmas songs
Label: Self Released
For Christmas Rogue released three songs for download, one track celebrating his recently born daughter, and two more holiday songs of a more traditional bent. All three are good darkwave/goth takes on the holiday, very good slightly down tempo holiday songs to mix up the constant high pitched bells everyone else uses. A nice little present for the season.

Next week - Scottish Folk, Ambient, Arabic, and some modern Jazz from Japan, plus a surprise or two...

Week Of 12/13 - Metal, Psychadelic Rock, Jazz, Dubstep

Running a little late in the day... this week I take a look at the weird collaboration between Lou Reed and Metallica, a late 00s band that sounds like a late 60s band, some dubstep, and future jazz.

New Releases:
Knife Party - 100% No Modern Talking
Label: Earstorm
Released: 12/12 2011
Genre: dubstep; electro-house
A digital only released I picked up off Beatport, a nice little electro-house/dubstep 4-track EP. Internet Friends is very house, a little spastic, and for a dance tune like this also funny. Destroy Them With Lazers continues the mayhem of the first track, less heavy house-bass kick and more dubstep drop and lots of electro thrown in to keep it up in the air. Track 3 is kind of dull by comparison, sort of plods on with the electro. Fire Hive, the final track, though is nearly pure dubstep madness, not as frantic as some releases lately, but still very energetic.

Adding To The Collection:
Lou Reed + Metallica - Lulu
Label: Warner Bros.
Released: 11/1 2011
Genre: Metal; rock
This collaboration seems almost natural, like it should have happened years ago. Actually, it probably should have because this effort is a little weird. Not particularly musically challenging. Lou nearly speaks all the lines, like poetry instead of singing a song. Metallica, for their part, pretty much jams some banging tunes through out the whole thing. Some decent editing probably could have cut this monster down to one disc, instead of two. A seventy minute listen is all this needs, not a near ninety minute epic. It's just not That interesting. Though there are some really good songs on it. Pumping Blood and Little Dog are downright catchy, Mistress Dread is nice and dark. Overall though, you have to be a big fan of both artists to want this.

The Black Angels - Passover
Label: Light In The Attic
Released: 2006
Genre: Psychadelic Rock
The Black Angels have done something a lot of bands have tried to do since the 60s ended - recapture that rock sound it had so clearly created. Fuzzy guitars, blues rhythms, medium tempo, updeat and downbeat both, rock that sounded like it was trying to find itself. They also, in the process, created a very odd little Vietnam/Anti-War album that would also fit right into the late 1960s. They don't sound like a band trying to recreate the sound, they sound like a band playing the sound. All very dirty, bluesy, rock and roll. The one irony is the hidden track - a Jimmy Cliff cover of his song 'Vietnam' with new lyrics for the Iraq War, and it's just awful. It's a terrible modern rendition lacking all of Jimmy Cliff's timbre and style. It's also the only non-rock track, all acoustic. They should stick to the rock, because they're very good at it.

Dzihan And Kamien - Gran Riserva
Label: Six Degrees
Released: 2002
Genre: Future Jazz, House
Dzihan and Kamien are two artists that push electronic music really as far as they can by not being artists who create electronic music. This release is heavily jazz influenced, almost to the point of being a standard jazz record. But just enough other elements sneak in, other little bits and aspects from house and trip-hop, to keep it in a 'future jazz' style. Something different, something really good came out of the recording sessions for this. It's mellow, without being light, it's trip-hop without letting the beats take over. It's all amazing, but mostly background music, not dance music. Every time I find a D&K album I'm not quite sure what to expect, but every time I'm pleasantly surprised by it. Definitely worth tracking down if you have any interest in jazz that isn't quite jazz anymore.

Next week, more psychadelic rock, dubstep, house, and industrial. Until then, Listen Hard!

Week Of 12/6 - Rock, Metal, Dubstep, Psychobilly

This week a new Black Keys album lifts off with a solid rock sound to it, Korn mixes it up with a Metal-Dubstep collaboration album, I find an odd Dubstep compilation, and add some Psychobilly to the holiday music scene that is usually mind numblingly bad.

New Releases:
The Black Keys - El Camino
Label: Nonesuch
Released: 12/6 2011
Genre: Rock, Blues
Teaming up with producer Danger Mouse for this release, The Black Keys take their drum + guitar show and rock it out a little bit. With a sound that reminds me a little bit of the production quality on Danger Mouse's side project Broken Bells, but giving it a little more bluesy feel. The whole deal is very stripped down, understated, but with a big loud sound. There's a lot of rock and roll fun behind this album, very upbeat in a lot of parts. But the crowning gem on this one goes to Little Black Submarines, which starts off acoustic, before blaring on some heavy guitar and rhythm. I'm not sure I can actually explain the emotional connection I had with this song, but it's sad, longing, uplifting, and majestic all at once. The whole album is a good listen, enough variety in the songs to prevent them from sounding too similar, without gettign too far away from each other either.

Korn - The Path Of Totality
Label: Roadrunner Records
Released: 12/6 2011
Genre: Metal, Dubstep
For their latest effort Korn has decided to take a step a little further from traditional rock/metal albums by finding and working with a whole series of dubstep producers. It works amazingly well. The fuzzier heavy dubstep fits in nearly perfectly with heavy metal guitars and speed. Like most Korn albums I don't find all of it particularly good all the way through, bits and pieces at a time. There's always a few standout tracks though, Narcissistic Cannibal and Get Up! are two awesome songs. Overall the back half the album is much better than the front half. The Special Edition of the release has two bonus tracks and a DVD with the video Encounter, which is a live-shoot done in a crop circle, a sort of video best of. Dubstep producers that worked with then are Downlink, Kill The Noise, Skrillex, Noisia, Dastik, Excision, 12th Planet, and Feed Me.

Adding To The Collection:
Dubstep Madness
Label: Hypnotic Records
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
Not sure where to really begin with this one. It's a two-disc set, almost all of it falling inbetween the older lighter stuff and the new heavier style. It also has a bunch of weird covers and remixes on it. About a third of it are original productions, all of which are excellent. The rest are some really good and some really odd choices to dubstep. By far the more interesting are Riders On The Storm (which is also the best cover of the song I've ever heard, replacing Jim with female vocals), Pass The Dutchie (which doesn't get all that far from its roots), Ice Ice Baby, Don't Stop The Rock, and Ghost Town. Thirty two tracks of decent dubstep, but nothing is particularly experimental, this whole thing is middle of the road filler for the most part.

Psychobilly Christmas
Label: Cleopatra Records
Released: 2008
Genre: Psychobilly
This one opens with a nice instrumental rendition of We Three Kings by The Reverend Horton Heat. After that, it goes off in a whole bunch of directions, all of which touch on holiday themes, but are decidedly not "traditional" holiday or christmas music. No one would play this in a mall, unfortunately. All of it great Pyschobilly in its own right, now with a Christmas theme. I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus goes from silly little ditty to excellent song with the addition of an upright bass. You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch gets a needed rock infusion. Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer likewise transforms from holiday cheese to an actual rocker. On more original somes I'm Getting Pissed For Christmas and Gunslingin' Santa are just the right touch to take the edge off family gatherings. There are nineteen tracks on here, all of which are a switft kick in the backend, unlike most "rock'n christmas" style songs or albums these really pour on the rock, hard.

Bonus Track:
The Razor Skyline - The Longest Night
I don't know when this was first released by the band, but it's been arounda few years. It feels like it might be a traditional christmas song, with a darkwave/goth rendition, but I'm pretty sure it isn't. A good little number to have in the holiday rotation to keep it all from being dull ballads and 'classics'. Released free to the public via Vampire Freaks.

Next Week:
I finally get to the Lou Reed and Metallica collaboration, some future jazz, some heavy blues-rock, and more dubstep, and maybe a little Moombahton thrown in the mix... maybe. Listen Hard!

Sunday Vinyl - Punk & Dubstep

Sunday morning, spent digitizing some records - another album out of the Bad Religion Box Set and a Dubstep 12" I picked up a while back.

Bad Religion - Stranger Than Fiction
Label: Epitaph Records
Released: 1994
Genre: Punk
Side A - This side is hit and miss, it feels very generic Bad Religion. But there are some tracks on here that get stuck in the head, the title track, and The Handshake both are excellent songs.  Incomplete and Infected can both be left on the table, they just don't excite me much. Side B, now this side is much better I think, faster, a little more punch. Television opens the side up and reminds me immediately of the early 80s Hard Core scene. Marked and Slumber are both great tracks, and you can hear an evolution in the sound of Bad Religion here, they're moving away from the formula a little, expanding the riffs. And the last track 21st Century Digital Boy is awesome, really, could easily fit into a Bad Religion album another half a decade down the line without skipping a beat.

The album is a definite bridge between the 80s and 90s here, as punk rock takes back off in the 90s the next album from these guys is The Grey Race, one of my all time favorite albums out there.  They're finally letting the guitars go further out from the basic riffs and rhythms they've been using for a decade or so.  Late 90s Bad Religion is one of my preferred eras of listening to that.

Downlink - Biohazard / Vasik - Zombie Apocalypse
Label: Rottun Recordings
Released: 2011
Genre: Dubstep
This split 12" is a 2-track single. Biohazard is a fuzzy, dirty track. Good on the dancefloor, not quite a heavy pounder on the bassline, still it delivers with the drops and grinding bits. At over seven minutes, the opening is a little slow, it doesn't really get started until about a minute fifteen seconds in. Slow, methodical rhythms with synth breaks keep the song from becoming repetitive at least. It also exits slowly with synths repeating the outro until it just stops, not fades. The AA side is Zombie Apocalypse, which opens with the speech from Night Of The Living Dead, then some piano, then a slow dubstep fuzzy beat. This one plods along nicely, just like a zombie apocalypse, chasing you down until you just run out of energy and can't run anymore... scattered with zombie grunts and noises as well, which it could probably do without, but aren't completely out of place. These two are heavy bangers meant to keep a dancefloor at high energy, but they aren't so slow you lose energy, just enough in here to keep the floor going without wearing it out too quickly.

Next week I continue to go through the Bad Religion box set...

Weeks of 9/27 and 10/4 - country, sufi, punk, metal, industrial, blues-rock, dubstep

Two weeks worth of music crammed in here due to vacation - also due to vacation is a lack of New Releases. I'm loading up three weeks worth of those for next review before getting back into the regular swing. This week though - 10 albums from all across the board.

Adding To The Collection:

Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - The Virginian
Label: Blood Shot Records
Released: 1999
Genre: Country
This is Neko Case's first full album, and it's not very typical country. Coming right at the start of the 00's alt-country explosion, it's laced with heavy doses of rockabilly and other throw-backs to 1950s country that got close to rock'n'roll and hadn't migrated too far from the blues. The sound isn't as completely polished as later albums, but for a first effort this little number is excellent.

ZZ Top - Recycler
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Released: 1990
Genre: Blues-Rock
Moving onto a similar genre, blues rock trio ZZ Top put this out in 1990 and is last part of the Eliminator-Afterburner-Recycler triology that summed up their 1980s sound. It was a move away from some of the more straight forward blues they built themselves up with in the 70s and by this album had refined itself into an almost straight alt-rock with blues mixed in sound. Nothing particularly fast, or slow. In fact, unless you're more than a casual ZZ Top fan there's not a lot here. It does contain the massive hit My Head's In Mississippi, but the production mix isn't as good as some later remasters, I don't think.

Skream - Skream!
Label: Tempa
Released: 2006
Genre: Dubstep
Not quite early dubstep, but definitely near the front of the pack, and it's not nearly as distortion heavy on the breaks. Low key, kind of down tempo, but still hits the dance floor nice and hard. It could do with a few more really heavy beats and breaks tossed in somewhere in the middle. Still, a nice shift in the dubstep from heavy to mellow.

Overkill - Bloodletting
Label: Metal-Is
Released: 2000
Genre: Thrash Metal
The last album from Overkill's less than stellar 1990s era. They managed to get stuck in a more slowed down metal sound, less thrash and more groove, and this is them stepping back up, but not completely, into a much heavier pure thrash metal sound. Hard to find these days, but still worth it for the die-hard fans that either want to fill in the holes after skipping many albums (like me), or for new fans looking for older material that isn't as pure speed as the stuff released since.

Army Of The Universe - Army Of The Universe
Label: self-released
Released: 2011
Genre: Industrial
Army Of The Universe (AoU) are an Italian industrial-rock act. As much glam as industrial, they put out this mostly remix mini-album on their own. It's a good showcase of how well they remix in talented hands. They sound like they're having a lot of fun, and it's a nice stripped down almost under-produced set of sequences. Can't wait to hear more from these guys going down the road a few years. The bonus is it comes with a video for Lovedead.

Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole EP
Label: TVT Recrods
Released: 1990
Genre: Industrial
Head Like A Hole is one of their really big early on songs that started to get NIN mainstream attention. And just about everybody has had a crack at remixing it as well. And this... is a really generic set of remixes for the title track, Terrible Lie, and Down In It. I picked it up cheap and used and am glad for the fact, the remixes have seriously dated themselves at this point 20 years later, and the whole single comes off as what it is: one of the many (hundreds) of singles put out with too many remixes and not enough substance. Diehard NIN fans will want it, and probably already have it.

Human Factors Lab - Pap3r
Label: self-released
Released: 2008
Genre: Industrial
This is another remix album, and it's from a band that hadn't at the time put out a full album yet to really remix from. There's a lot of remixes on here from a lot of bands (some famous, some not so much). And it shows off that HFL can be remixed into something really good (or in some cases just danceable) the band itself doesn't quite impress me with this release. It needed a few more un-remixed band originals to really make it good. Otherwise, it's just run of the mill industrial dance stuff.

Dropkick Murphy's - The Meanest Of Times
Label: Born & Bred Records
Released: 2007
Genre: Punk
I'm a huge DKM fan, and they're a band that consistently puts out the same sound without putting out the same album. The overall tone of this one is pretty negative, there's a lot of the downside of life here, as opposed to some other releases that emphasize the upside or fighting back. Title appropriate, as it really does take the listener through the meanest of times and situations. And comes out sounding like a great punk-rock record. This is bare-knuckle punk here, and while they don't have as much bagpipes as normal, it doesn't need it. Great album to keep around.

Rough Guide To Sufi Music w/ bonus Sufi Fakirs Of Bengal
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2011
Genre: Sufi
There's something about religious music, done well, that both soothes the soul and energizes the mind and body. And the Sufi music represented here does just that. I don't understand the words, but I understand the ideas they represent, the sounds are familiar and at once, completely different. This is great music just to listen to even if you don't take away the messages being presented. And a double CD of it at that, which is why I really like the Rough Guides. They always deliver and sometimes they deliver above and beyond expectations.

And that's that - all the new additions I listened to over the past two weeks. With that I almost depleted my backlog of albums to load up - not to fear, I reloaded the stack (a good chunk of it with Iggy Pop, I may just do an all Iggy week). Next week I review all the new releases I didn't get to over my vacation. Listen Hard!

Week of 8/30 Industrial, Dubstep, Klezmer, Electroswing, Ambient

Crawled all over the spectrum this week, good diverse set. A last minute addition of an Electroswing compilation, a Klezmer compilation, took a shot at Skrillex's EP, and a Combichrist album from a couple years back. But, again this week, nothing new at all. Really slow month for new stuff in August. September is going to more than make up for that....

Adding To The Collection:
Marc Broude - Medecine
Labek: No Zen Records
Released: 2011
Genre: Ambient
This gem, I picked up along the way when the artist contacted me. My last release from this artist was effectively death metal. This, not so much. Dark ambient, moody. Good headphone music here, as there's some complex things going on with it. But, honestly, nothing extra-ordinary. There isn't quite the depth I'm used to with this kind of headphone ambiance, it almost reaches the likes of Controlled Bleeding's ambient offerings. But falls just ever so slightly short. Less complexity is only part of it, there's a certain emptiness behind it, like you're only catching part of what it wants to be. All that aside, though, it's a good background album, something a little darker than your average ambient offerings, less tinkling bells and more dark atmosphere.

Combichrist - Today We Are All Demons
Label: Out Of Line
Released: 2009
Genre: Industrial/EBM
I don't make a great distinction between Industrial and EBM personally (I'm sure someone out there is annoyed with me...) - but then I don't make a lot of genre distinctions sometimes. This actuallly falls closer to the EBM side of things, but it's got enough heavy bits to be good Industrial. I picked up the bonus 2-CD version of the German release. The second disc is another 8 tracks of songs, some of which seem like incomplete tracks or demos. Honestly, the second disc turns a great club album into something less, not really adding much onto the package. The album itself, though, is excellent. The first six songs alone are beyond awesome, truly pounding anthems for any dance floor. After that things go hit or miss, the EBM roots showing through heavily. Pick up the single disc release of this one.

Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
Label: Big Beat / Atlantic
Released: 2010
Genre: Dubstep
Like any good pure-dance music this is mostly breaks, beats and bass. Though for an EP is contains seven tracks and only three remixes, which is a good hefty bit of new music for a non-album. The first track is a really good song for a dance mix, has everything you need from the build up intro to a good outro (not faded thankfully). After that the album is a bit generic, nothing really stands out above what's out there. But it does move, and moves well. Good to have around to fill out the set, or night, just to keep things bouncing right along without pausing. It's priced like an EP, which makes it a definite grab.

Electroswing II
Label: Wagram
Released: 2009
Genre: Eletroswing
All the electroswing is still in Europe, and all the best stuff is still put out by French label Wagram. Which makes it a good buy to pick up these compilations if you're in the US. This goes a little more diverse than most compilations on the genre, pulling in some rock influence, some hip-hop influence, a little house appears, and the always present stand-by bands, Nekta, Caravan Palace and Lyre Le Temps. Everything here is good, everything is so completely listenable. Electroswing is all fun, all the time. It's a genre you need to a grab a partner to and just move on the dance floor. It's impossible not to, and this compilation delivers in spades.

Rough Guide To Klezmer
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2000
Genre: Klezmer
Klezmer is a uniquely Jewish style of music, most usually seen at weddings. This Rough Guide goes from the European origins to the US Revival of the genre. Grabbing traditional songs and new ones from recent groups. A lot of Klezmer, to me, would fi right in with a barn-dance set. It has the same kick-up-your-heels dance feel, and good time all around style to it. Other than that, unless you need a disc to keep on hand for a Jewish wedding, this is mostly a really interesting look at another culture. Not an album you put on to listen to just because.



Next week will be a Hank III fest as he releases three new albums all at once. I'll find something else to throw in the mix to balance all that out though....

Week Of 8/23 - Blues, Industrial, EBM, Dubstep

No new physical releases, I did pick up a pretty wicked digital single though. Of the Dubstep variety. Last weeks new release came in, Ana Popovic is a wicked blues singer. A live album from KMFDM, and an Accesory CD+Single round out the listening.

New Releases:
Afghan Headspin - Stand Up
Label: Skint
Released: 8/23 2011
Genre: dubstep
Afghan is a breakbeat and dubstep DJ out of the UK. This four-track single is the track plus a remix, both with instrumental versions. It's a very bouncy, hard, dubstep single. This is a fast track, very good for the dance floor. Fuzzy guitar-like riffs with a great vocal behind it from Stapleton. Definitely one to pick up if you like your dance music a little darker, a lot heavy, and very bouncy.

Ana Popovic - Unconditional
Label: Eclecto Groove Records
Released: 8/16 2011
Genre: Blues
I'd only heard of Ana casually, but I figured it was time to check her out, especially since every other new release for the week was definitely on the Pass list. She's got a seriously good blues voice, not gravelly, a little deeper than most female vocalists, like you want your blues - low and mean. And her guitar playing is top notch, proving that the guitar really is far and beyond one of the best instruments out there. Twelve tracks from slow to fast of perfect modern electric blues come pouring out here, she deserves super-stardom.

Adding To The Collection:
Accessory - Forever & Beyond
Label: Out Of Line
Released: 2005
Genre: EBM
I picked up one of the last Limited Edition 2-disc releases of this, it comes with a 4-track EP that includes a bunch of video as well. The album is a perfect modernization of late 80s/early 90s EBM. This entire album reminds me of Bigod20, early Front 242, Nitzer Ebb, and the like. Nothing overly heavy, the bass doesn't take over, and no guitars to be found - the days before Industrial Rock got a hold of the dance floor. But it isn't stuck back there, it feels and sounds very 2000s despite the throw-back sound. Accessory have figured out the dance floor and unleash a barrage of awesome cuts here. Every DJ needs this in their mix.

KMFDM - WWIII Live 2003
Label: Sanctuary
Released: 2004
Genre: Industrial
This is a live recording from Chicago off the WWIII tour, their second album since reforming with Lucia after the 'breackup' in 1999. Sadly, this is why I don't normally buy Live Albums. I remember this tour, it was epic - with video behind the band and the typical crowd pleasing energy and non-stop music. KMFDM knows what to do at a concert: play, and play hard and never stop. No bullshit crowd interactions, no song introductions, just music - song after song. This though, doesn't translate that energy, fails to capture the experience. Also, Raymond was near the end of his line with KMFMD here and it shows - he's almost off time in some places, and sound terrible through most of it. Sascha sounds like he might have a cold, and Lucia hasn't quite left behind her screaming days from Drill (though that's 4-5 years back by this point). They do play and record almost all the songs off WWIII though - which is nice, and catch a few of the truly awesome classics, though nothing further back than Angst. A good one for the KMFDM collector or fanatic, skip it if you're simply a big fan or less.

Bonus Track:
Bassnectar - Divergent Spectrum Continuous Mix
Label: self-released
Released: August 2011
Genre: dubstep
As part of the pre-order bonus this was sent out, it's a continuous mix of the album. It's a pretty straight interpretation, smoother cross over between 'songs', and some very minor differences. It's pretty cool, but not anything spectacular or anything that those who didn't pre-order are going to miss. It comes as a single hour long track, as well, not split out.

Week Of 8/2 - Dubstep, Raï, Industrial, Jazz, & Iran

Short trip around the world this week. From Algeria by way of France I have Rachid Taha, adding some rock to the native Raï music of North Africa. Also from france, the jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, SoCal delivers the dubstep monster of Bassnectar, and the Industrial beats of Imperative Reaction. And finally a compilation of musicians from Iran - both new and old.

New Release:
Bassnector - Divergent Spectrum
Label: Amorphous Music
Released: 8/2 2011
Genre: Dubstep
Normally Bassnector is good for solid back to back beats and bass, Divergent Spectrum fuzzes it up a little. The opening track is pretty classic, put it on a big system and it'll bounce the floor around. It's by track 3 that things shift, Immigraniada (Gogol Bordello) comes on almost completely unmolested, until the break hits, then you get a few seconds of deep bass. After that a few tracks really add some fuzz to the beat, sounding almost like guitars. And finally around track 8 (through the end) the floor is finally dropped out and all that wonderful heavy bass and drum and rhythm crushes the dancefloor. As the liner notes say: the bigger the system you play this on the better the impact.

Adding To The Collection:
Inperative Reaction - Surface
Label: Metropolis
Released: 2011
Genre: Industrial
This is just a short EP to precede their upcoming full release. They're pretty straight up industrial-rock, if you liked early Orgy, and the like, you'll be into this group. There's a 'club edit' of What Is Left To Say which is, well, clubby. After that you've got a whole wide variety of remixes of the title track. Six of them. Some better than others, some only work if you're in the right mood. Sebastian Komor kicks out the best mix of the group - heavy and hard. Not much else to say about an 8 track EP.

Django Reinhardt - The Best Of
Label: Blue Note
Released: 1996
Genre: Jazz, Jazz guitar
Django, born in a gypsy caravan, ended up redefining and inventing all new elements of jazz through his guitar. If you don't know him, and aren't a jazz fan... go become one and then buy this album. The compilation does a pretty good job covering his entire career, short as it was. The recordings are clean and clear as well. Eighteen tracks of some really good, mellow, jazz guitar.

Rachid Taha - Rock El Casbah
Label: Wrasse Records
Released: 2007
Genre: Rock, Raï
Before we get started - Raï is a style of pop music predominant in Algeria and other areas of North Africa. Rachid was born in Algeria, and is living in France where he added even more of a rock element to his native style. Another best of collection, this covers his career through most of the 90s and a bit of the 2000s. Including an Algerian cover of The Clash's "Rock The Casbah" - and it rocks. It's all definitely radio-friendly rock and club-friendly rhythms (though nothing with the big bass of House is here).

Rough Guide To The Music Of Iran
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2006
Genre: native Iran (rock, traditional folk, and pop)
Another Rough Guide, another comprehensive look at a country in the world. Everything here has a very traditional feel to it, even the very obviously modern songs with outside influence. This isn't "music by Persians" it's local music in both traditional and modern settings. Like any Rough Guide, it's a perfect entry into a region of the world to find some new artists.

Bonus Track:
M.I.A. - 27
Label: Strerogum
Released: 7/24 2011
Genre: Pop
M.I.A. put this out the day after Amy Winehouse passed away, hence the title. A little pop-track as only M.I.A. could put out (meaning, heavy doses of dancehall and house). A sad and almost angry song about losing talent too soon, it's obvious this is not specifically aimed at Winehouse, but at the loss in general. It's also short, and to the point, a couple verses and end. M.I.A. doesn't harp, almost like a musical PSA. Available free as well.

And that's the new tunes I've been listening to over the past week. This upcoming week includes bunches of House, and Gothic Rock, and some really really new stuff - as in totally new genre of music. Listen Hard.

Week Of 7/26 - Industrial, House, Pop

Finally, after 12 years, the new Atari Teenage Riot album. You can definitely feel the loss of Carl Crack on it, but still definitely ATR. A couple house remix albums find their way, one from London the other Paris. The long awaited addition of Sinsect (there were some printing issues with the physical CD) made it in, and to top it all off some Grace Jones.

New Releases:
Atari Teenage Riot - Is This Hyperreal?
Label: Digital Hard Core / Dim Mak
Released: 7/26 2011
Genre: Industrial, Noize
ATR, way back in the late 1990s, kind of slapped the heavy music scene in the face as they managed to achieve some moderate measure of commercial success. Now, twelve years later Nic and Alec are back, minus Carl. And you can feel that loss here. Overall, they haven't grown up lyrically - it's still angry anti-pop, anti-establishment, anti-mainstream, anti-fucking Everything. All their in its shouted glory. Musically, they've moved beyond since hardcore and speedcore noise. Elements of chiptune, more Industrial sounding melodies, and slower rhythms. Nic even shows off her ability to sing instead of merely shout. Overall, it's what I'd expect out of an ATR album, and what I was generally hoping for from new material.

Added To The Collection:
Grace Jones - Island Life
Label: Island Records
Released: 1985
Genre: pop, dancehall, reggae
Grace never was, and still isn't, a force to be reckoned with. Aside from being physically imposing, she's got the musical talent to stand her own. This little collection of songs is, as the title implies, very Caribbean in feel. From either just the sound of the music, or the content of the songs. Some dancehall mixes in with the straight pop music. Good summer or party album to have on hand.

Sinsect - Bug Life
Label: Crunch Pod
Released: May 2011
Genre: Industrial
Technically, this is a digital-only release, but a few hardcopy CDs were printed up and made available to Kickstarter contributors. Which is why I waited a bit from release to now - the printing took longer than expected. On with the music: great thundering industrial hardcore noise here. Dancefloor friendly for those dance floors that aren't afraid to deviate from the same boring shit. This one got stuck on repeat for a couple days this week.

Snooze - The Man In The Shadow
Label: The Medicine Label / Tangerine
Released: 1998
Genre: House
Snooze is a London DJ, and this made it over the pond in the late 90s when pretty much anything related to Techno was bouncing back and forth. At this point not only is this CD out of print, but the label that brought it over is defunct. It's not a bad CD, it's actually mostly original music and not a straight CD mix, but it sounds like one, and plays like one. Didn't leave much of an impression either way, just a decent enough collection of songs to put on in the background.

Stephane Pompougnac - Costes: La Suite
Label: Pschent
Released: 1999
Genre: House
This one is a true DJ Mix from Paris DJ Stephane, the second in a series he's been doing for over ten years now. This one bounces around a bit, starting mellow, moving up to a good dancefloor rhythm, and shows off just how far ahead of the curve the French DJs really were, a very early Electroswing track. I like this one, especially the back half as it bounces right along at a good pace. Not something you put on for background music, definitely a mix for dancing to.

Bonus Track:
Bassnectar - Immigraniada (Bassnectar Mix - Radio Edit)
Label: Amorphous Music
Released: July 2011
Genre: Dubstep
This free little track found its way into my collection recently as I scraped up the cash to buy the new Bassnectar album (out today 8/2). It starts off as Immigraniada by Gogol Bordello, pretty straight forward, but somewhere in the middle goes all dubstep bassy on us. Nice litte ditty.

Hidden Track:
Bassnectar - Upside Down (6Blocc Mix)
Label: Amorphous Music
Released: 7/29 2011
Genre: Dubstep
And this little number was sent out to pre-orders of the new Bassnectar album - after I scraped the cash together. This one is straight through dubstep in all its wonderful bassy drumming glory. No tricks, just dance step all the way.

and that's all I got for this week. Next week pulls back from the past a bit more, goes overseas to Iran, and tosses in a bit more industrial-rock because I can't seem to get enough of that.