New Releases - Diana Krall, Nelly Furtado, Pneuma compilation

 

Diana Krall

Glad Rag Doll

Label: Verve Records

Released: 10/2 2012

Genre: Jazz

I've known of Diana Krall for a long time now, one of those artists that pops up every now and then and I think "wow, I love her voice, I should get some albums." But jazz of any style rarely makes it into my collection, which is something I can't explain since I love the genre. But, here it is, finally I picked up this album.

Her voice is made of silk, it's just smooth and soft, without losing any power at all. A great lounge style voice and some soft (though not easy listening soft) and lighter jazz. The album also punctuates itself with some torch-and-twang in the middle. A definite country feel to break up the jazz tunes. It works well, you can tell she had a lot of fun making the album. And her voice, did I mention her voice? Just amazing.

 

Nelly Furtado

The Spirit Indestructible

Label: Interscope Records
Released: 9/18 2012
Genre: Pop

While I only own Nelly's debut album, she's another artist that falls on and off my radar as I listen around. In this day and age her brand of softer, less dance-floor, influenced pop music gets drowned in the more boisterous artists. Another artist with an amazingly smooth voice, though in a different way that Diana.

This album bounces back and forth between a kind of smart-pop style and a slightly more bouncy radio-pop style (though never thankfully gets near the EDM-influenced dance-pop ala Lady Gaga). I ended up with the Deluxe version of the album, which adds six extra songs. Five tracks not on the normal release, and one remix of one of those tracks. Here's where the review gets weird.

The first 12 tracks (the standard release) for a great, tight, sensible album of smart pop music with just the right amount of bounce and serious, love songs. The 6 bonus tracks by themselves are good songs, and I'm never one to turn down more music. But as a whole, all 18 tracks  together create an overly long album that drags out, I started to not like the back third after a few listens all the way through. If you're a big Nelly fan, get the deluxe release, the bonus tracks are excellent and worth it. If you're a passing fan, or just getting into her and aren't sure, get the standard release and keep it short and sweet.

Pneuma

Label: none (http://pneuma.bandcamp.com/album/pneuma)
Released: 9/30 2012
Genre: Ambient, Industrial, EDM

This compilation was put together to raise funds for Lung Cancer research (hence the name). 22 songs of exclusive donated material by the bands for the release. That means if you follow any of the bands on here as a "hard core" fan, you'll probably pick this up. Beyond the good that it does for research into the disease.

The music itself, is almost all completely in a 'dark' ambient range. A lot of the bands on the release are known for a harsh industrial/EBM style, and some are known for other genres than what predominates this, but all are well versed in the electronica/EDM zone of music. The result is that everything fits, unlike a lot of fundraiser compilations which musically come across as haphazard as the bands they got to donate a song.

Getting 22 donated songs is hard enough, getting all of them to fit well together, and the creators managed to get the album to flow well too, is another matter. So, just from a perspective of adding some good music to your collection, and being able to play the album all the way through, this is a pretty solid compilation.

Week Of 12/28 - Jazz, Modern Classical, Ambient, Scottish Folk, Modern Arabian

The last week of December 2011 saw... well, absolutely nothing new worth getting. Not even digitally. I did find a hardcopy of Burial's 2011 release, so that was a bonus "new release" - a last hurrah of 2011. A few compilations this week as well.

New Releases:
Burial - Untrue
Label: Hyperdub Records / Cargo Records
Released: Spring 2011
Genre: Ambient
This piece of dark ambiance, with just the slightest hint of dubstep under it (Burial is usually known as a dubstep producer), is really interesting. It reminds me a lot of early to mid 90s era Future Sound Of London, not in a derivative way. But in that nostalgic kind of way that nearly makes you think you haven't quite left that time period yet. The albums rolls forward smoothly, the ambiance is not in light in nature. It's deep rolling bass, kind of like an impending twilight, not afraid to create dance style rhythms, without ever quite reaching that club-level sound. All mood and background. Easily one of the best albums of the year, and to my shame I didn't seek out a copy earlier. The cover is a grey-scale piece, which perfectly sets the mood for this - things are dim, but not bleak, deep without being heavy thumpers. Absolutely go find a copy (digitally or otherwise) and add it to your collection.


Adding To The Collection:
Pizzicato Five - Unzipped EP
Label: Matador Records / Atalantic
Released: 1995
Genre: Modern Jazz, Pop
Another EP off of Pizzicato Five's brief dalliance with American exposure. They didn't become huge, but they had enough clout to toss out several singles off their one major US record. This EP comes from their addition to a soundtrack for the movie 'Unzipped' - hence the EP title. It contains four tracks, Happy Sad (from the movie), and a remix of it, If I Were A Groupie, and a remix of CDJ. Overall, it's decent, light, happy sounding, and just a four track EP. Unless you run across it as a cheap album like I did, nothing particularly great is here. That said, nothing particularly bad is here either. Like I said, light and happy sounding, poppy jazz rhythms and beats.

Unwoman - Wildness & Artifice (2CD Edition)
Label: self-released
Released: 2005
Genre: Modern Classical, Dark Ambient
This is the second full release from Unwoman, it's full of dark ambient rhythms from sythns and drums, and her cello, piano and voice. Most of it is of a modern classical bent, with some overtures towards downtempo styles and beats. It's far from dark itself, at least in total. Unwoman's voice is smooth, halfway between rock and trip-hop a lot of the time. The 2CD Edition (technically I have the digital version) comes with a 7 track 'acoustic' disc. Honestly, I don't particularly like the acoustic versions. It's just her voice and one or two instruments for each version. They lack the depth and even clarity of the non-acoustic versions with the percussion and beats behind them. A good early album, you can hear Unwoman's sound shaping up, gaining confidence in being a solo artist here. Worth picking up if you're an Unwoman fan.

Rough Guide To Scottish Folk - 2CD Edition with Maggie MacInnes
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2010
Genre: Folk, Scottish Traditional
Rough Guides are, as I've pointed out, great ways to get into a particular genre or region. It's easy to get Irish and Celtic music, Scottish contributions aren't as readily available. This compilation is full of folk music from the upper portion of the British Isles. It really sounds lovely, not overwhelming with bagpipes (as that's what usually pops into mind when you here "Scottish Music" - I'd actually wager bagpipes feature in less than half these tracks. Plenty of fiddle, guitar, soaring vocals, and dance numbers. Though, it's very full of arias and ballads. Less jigs and reels than I would have liked, but not so few that they're missed. Also, like many Rough Guides, it's a little haphazard in composition. Good to put on with other music in the genre (or near it) and hitting random, not as cohesive if you just hit play and listen. And, many tracks are sung in Scottish accents (as expected), which makes them a wee bit hard to understand to this American. Not a bad thing, just makes it difficult to sing along if that's your thing.

The bonus album is the album Bhon Chridhe from Maggie MacInnes, definitely a good deal to get two albums in one. Her voice is soft, her music is light, cheerful. It's not loud, it's not all fiddle and reels. A good album, though nothing stands out as magnificent, still worth the price either by itself (also on World Music Network) or with the Rough Guide. Another stack of songs to put on a random rotation when you need something Scottish in the background.

Between the two, I actually recommend finding a disc of two of Irish Folk and liberally mixing the two up, the sounds are similar enough they compliment and different enough to keep it moving.

Arabian Travels
Label: Sex Degrees
Released: 2001
Genre: Modern Arabic
Six Degrees compilations are just as good as World Music for gathering together a very diverse group of artists from a region or style in one place. It makes the album as a whole a bit non-cohesive, but that's hardly a problem. It's less a genre-compilation and more a region-compilation where the more diversity the better. This one goes to the Arabian peninsula, and bleeds into Persia and India as well, to find some of the best modern artists from that region. This one covers the gambit from exactly what you think modernized traditional Arabic music should sound like to Banghra House beats. It's almost a little too all over the place. Also, it's really a lot of English DJs and Producers who are of various Indian and Arabic decent that bring traditional music heavily into the future. It could due with a little more artists from the region and a little less modern house elements. Still, definitely a good album to put on at a party you want to keep things upbeat without actually having a dance floor spontaneously form in your living room.

Onto 2012:
No bonuses or surprises this week. The future holds more of the same next week (Indian, House, more Modern Classical and some Rock). But Sundays will, starting this coming Sunday, focus on The Blues. I picked up a massive 52-CD blues compilation that spans literally the entire history of the genre and touches on every major aspect (from Delta to Chicago, R&B to Rock N Roll influences) and about a hundred different artists. I'll be going through it, two discs at a time, for the first half of this year. Vinyl Files will get snuck into weekly updates occasionally, and pick up again over the summer on Sundays unless I find any more giant box sets between then and now.

Listen Hard!

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 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 6/14 - Gothic Rock, Jazz, Industrial, Rock

This weeks new addition is Bella Morte's latest release 'Before The Flood' - a great Gothic Rock album, plus some Dengue Fever bringing back the sound of the 1950s quite handily, a spattering of Industrial musics, and a Rough Guide Compilation.

New Release:
Bella Morte - Before The Flood
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 6/14 2011
Genre: Gothic Rock
Bella Morte has the ability to take all the best parts of 80s Gothic Rock and leaving behind all the worst parts (namely, having to have been around in the 80s). Great guitars, light on the synths and samples, and Andy's voice is just an amazing fit for the genre. If you are or were a big fan of Gothic Rock before the 1990s started to change the genre up then you really want this album, it fits right in without feeling dated. Definitely modern rock, definitely something new. Bella Morte managed to capture the feeling without sounding like a bad copy. Lights In The Sky is a massive stand out track, as is Falling Star. It's not all dark and moody, the rock here is above the norm, way better than your average radio play rock group.

Adding To The Collection:
Dengue Fever - Escape From Dragon House
Label: M80 Music
Released: 2005
Genre: Rock, Indie-Rock
Dengue Fever takes average indie-rock and kicks it up a notch by adding a Khmer (Cambodian) singer. Her vocals are excellent, and the album has a very old-rock/lounge feel to it. The whole sound (and even album art) feels like they're channeling the rock of the 1950s, a bit lounge, a bit jazz, a bit rock, all good. And the vocals in Khmer make you feel like you're listening to it in a bar in the jungle heat, I file this kind of thing under Summer Music, good music, hot air, long days, great feeling to it.

Turnbull A.C's - Let's Get Pissed
Label: Out Of Line
Released: 2008
Genre: Industrial, EBM
Turnbull A.C's, named after the gang from the movie Warriors, is a side project for Pontus Stålberg (of Spetsnaz), whose main goal is to create EBM as heard in the 80s. Less crunch, more reliance of the beat, and a little more repetition of chorus. Let's Get Pissed is a pretty good party-album, throw it on when the party needs something loud, catchy and danceable in the background that isn't very noisy or guitar-distorted. All the songs do suffer from sounding a little too alike, the lyrics really stand out as the shift in song. Man Made Modern Machines stands out as a club-style classic, and We Can Drink Without Having Fun is an awesome track - fun and loud.

Rough Guide To Brazilian Lounge (w/ Bonus Axial album)
Label: World Music Network
Released: 2009
Genre: Jazz, Bossa Nova, Lounge
I love these Rough Guides, really. This one, though, is interesting. The entire thing is really light, lounge jazz. It's an entire RG of what I end up putting on in the background to allow me to focus, not really listening so much as letting the music block other noise. It's not loud, it's not particularly catchy sing-a-long type music. But it is really good, the jazz here is fused solidly with Bossa Nova rhythms - or rather Brazilian sounds are given a slight jazz flair.

Axial - the bonus disc by this band - on the other hand, is even more down the downtempo road, even lighter. While still really good music, it's the kind of stuff you take it really easy to, afternoon nap or reading material. Non-intrusive music, Sandra's voice is hypnotizing, it does demand some attention, making you pause and Listen to the music.

A good compilation, but fairly downtempo, I wouldn't pull this out to dance to.

Bonus Album:
Caustic - Born This Way
Label: none
Released: May 2011
Genre: Industrial
This little four-track gem was given away on Caustic's Facebook page. It's a couple remixes of Hiroshima Burn, and one each of The Saint Of Fuck-Ups, and White Knuckle Head Fuck. I think these remixes were done but not chosen for any specific release, and Caustic is one of those 'it was made and must be heard' type guys. If you've 'Liked' his Facebook page you can go grab a copy of this. Very club-oriented remixes, but honestly nothing really awesome. Just a fun little four-track bit that is good to throw into a big mix.

Week of 5/31 - Jazz, Industrial, Ambient, Gothic Rock

A couple of this weeks selections are short, I probably should have added one more to make up for it. But I'm sticking to Five Per Week anyway. The new release, Eliane Elias is one of those artists I probably should have known about all along, being a moderately famous Jazz singer and pianist (famous in Jazz circles at least), from Brazil she's got a lovely voice, has been recording since 1984, and is completely new to me. Sometimes I wonder how I miss artists like this. Especially considering the number of jazz aficionados in my family.

New Releases:
Eliane Elias - Light My Fire
Label: Concord Music Group
Released: 5/31 2011
Genre: Jazz (Latin, Pop, Lounge)
Eliane Elias hails from Brazil, and her music is in both Portuguese and English, Light My Fire bounces around the arena from a very Latin Jazz sound (usually in her own writing), some lounge (or Nightclub, however you want to call it) jazz perfect in those after hours jazz clubs, and a pop-music sound. This album has a few covers on it, chiefly the title track is a cover of the The Doors (doing the song some actual justice and in my mind proof that Jim should have been writing for other people from the begimning - he can't touch the elegance of Eliane's rendition), and Stevie Wonder's "Ma Cherie Amour" which is a beautiful sounding cover. If you're not a fan of jazz with too many horns, I definitely suggest this, it's quiet, elegant and brings just enough bounce to keep you paying attention - maybe even dance.

Filling Out The Collection:
Combichrist - Throat Full Of Glass
Label: Out Of Line Records (German Release)
Released: 2011
Genre: Industrial
Combichrist are one of the work-horses of the Industrial world, they always seem to be either on tour or in the studio, and they've got the fanbase to show for it, and the catalogue to back it up. This particular single is the German release, because it includes the video - and the American release had to be censored (it shows breasts and violence, God help us all, they edited out the breasts....). The title track and four remixes are here. Each remix is a very different take on the track. There's a standard heavier dance beat, a sped up version, a dub version, and a slowed down version. The last track is a remix of Industrial Strength which is very club friendly. Pretty much exactly what you expect out of an Industrial genre single. The song itself - can't for get that - is catchy, the hook and chorus are infectious, it's almost radio friendly in that regards.

Bella Morte - Undertow
Label: Metropolis
Released: May 2011
Genre: Gothic Rock
Bella Morte is one of those modern Gothic Rock groups that would have easily fit right in with the 80s genre kings. A distinct vocal sound, and excellent composition. This two track digital single has one track from their upcoming album, and a cover of Celine Dione's "My Heart Will Go On" which they take out of pop-hell and give it new life, known for covering it live at shows, they finally recorded it. And with their darker sound, low guitars, and Andy's distinct vocals make it a much darker song that before. The new album is out June 14, 2011.

Panda Bear - Tomboy
Label: Paw Tracks
Released: April 2011
Genre: Ambient
Panda Bear is an ambient (and almost by nature of ambient electronica highly experimental) artist, his latest release Tomboy fully explores a low energy, and mellow, environment. It's very good for putting on in the background and just letting the room fill up, though it doesn't have some of the multiple layers that some ambient artists fill their sound with. It's very stripped, very simple, mostly bass and vocals throughout. His vocals are treated to sound somewhat distant, buried in the underlying beat. The album comes with a digital download of a live set played in 2010, unlike some artists in the genre the live set isn't as improvised, mostly straight renditions of album tracks. The album also comes on vinyl (which has a digital download of the full album + the live album), and it's white vinyl which I think makes it look more interesting than other colors bands choose.

16 Volt - Beating Dead Horses
Label: Metropolis
Released: May 2011
Genre: Indutrial
Long standing duo, 16 Volt, latest is an Industrial-Rock power house, dark and gritty. Exactly what you want from these guys, as the years have progressed their sound gets heavier, grittier, and more aggressive. Beating Dead Horses delivers 13 tracks of pure club-friendly industrial rock, with no slowing down. The standout tracks are the title track (which opens the album), Sick Sick Sick, and We Disintegrate. The rest is good, but nothing really extra-ordinary, to be honest. It fits right into a playlist or set list to keep things moving smoothly along to a heavy guitar laden beat. I definitely recommend it for fans of the genre.

Week Ending 5/14 - Jazz, Gabber, Industrial, Metal

Slowing down on how many albums I look through in a week, gives me a nice long backlog of music sitting on my desk taunting me. This week I scored a Charlie Parker box set for 6$, the new Skindred finally arrived from the UK, some old GabberTrance, and brand new Industrial from the legendary Ogre.

New Releases:
OhGr - Undeveloped
Label: Metropolis Records
Released: 5/10/2011
Genre: Industrial
Ogre is one of the originals on the scene in the 1980s when it broke into the clubs, from Skinny-Puppy through KMFDM and Ministry. He's been everywhere, this is his third solo released under ohGr. It doesn't show off the more modern guitar and crunch laden Industrial, it feels old school, early 90s Industrial, though you can tell there's the experience of time behind it. Some of the songs feel a bit repetitive in the chorus, not everything is club-friendly. But there are a few really standout tracks (Crash being my favorite). It's a good album to put on to get things started, an opening salvo for the day.

Filling Out The Collection
Charlie Parker - The Yardbird Suite: The Ultimate Charlie Parker Collection
Label: Rhino Records
Released: 1997
Genre: Jazz
Charlie Parker is without a doubt one of the greats of Jazz through the 40s and 50s, and even beyond as his sound carried onto the next generation. Bird is a timeless classic. This 2-Disc set covers his entire career from his time with Dizzy Gillespie at the start to his various bands - quartet, quintet, and sextet, septet, all-stars, and orchestra. A little bit of everything is here. It comes with a booklet that hi-lights his career along the way, some of the ups and downs. In total the 38 tracks here going right up to the unfortunate end of his career in 1955 with his death. If you want a wide selection of The Bird's work to get started with, or even just a box-set that you can put on this is an excellent resource to track down.

Skindred - Union Black
Label: 7PM Management / BMG
Released: April 2011
Genre: Metal, Ragga-Punk
Skindred are part punk rock, part heavy metal, and part ragga. Born out of London, lead singer Benji carries the group to a new level with his vocals. Always loud, always rowdy, this is their fourth release, and it's the first release since their move back to the UK after several years trying to take off in the US. They're sound is bigger, bolder here. The first single Warning is just that, it attacks with ferocity, and delivers the opening salvo an an album that doesn't slow down. The whole thing comes off awesomely, a few tracks go above and beyond. The defiance of Own You and Game Over almost make them anthems, while Guntalk and Bad Man Ah Bad Man just rock along in a danceable beat rarely achieved in anything related to metal. Skindred consistently tops out as one of my favorite bands.

Ultimate Gabber Trance, The Beats From Hell
Label: Hypnotic Records
Released: 1996
Genre: Gabber, Trance, Techno
The early 90s saw a rise of trance music, and when it hit raves it got sped up a little. And sped up a little more. Eventually it reached 180+ Beats Per Minute, that was Terror Trance. At over 200BPM it shifted into Gabber Trance, a hard, fast, twitchy, all rhythm style of beats. It's hard to imagine just how fast this music goes, how much it throws you onto the dance floor. Hard to find on releases even back when it was just getting into the mainstream dance scene. This ten track compilation is full of choice high-BPM cuts. Not particularly good to listen to all at once, though it does blend nicely into the background if one is laser-focused on something. But taking a few tracks and dropping them into the middle of a playlist is sure to break things up, keep things moving, and make sure the listener is always paying attention. If you want really fast and hard techno go out and find some Gabber.