Reviews

Weekly Reviews For July 2, 2006

Review Index

I am Managing Editor at Metal4Life

I also contribute reviews to getreadytorock

I am also featured reviewer at spacerock.co.uk

I was Editor & reviewer at MetalUK.

New Reviews

The Decemberists - Sixteen Military Wives

What a stupid name for a song. I can only assume that sixteen scanned where forty seven wouldn't. Unless it's a historical reference to the Decembrist uprising in 1825 that I'm too lazy to Google. It doesn't matter that much, anyway, for this is an excellent single.

A deceptively jaunty tune, well at odds with the polemnical vocals will ensure that the retardathon festival crowds will bounce inappropriately and join in the la-de-da's. With some parping organ and a brass band joining in, this is all that a splendid single should be. Catchy, melodic and thoughtful. Just make sure you get the single with the full version, as the radio edit is poorly cut. Splendid work, chaps.

Guillemots - Made Up Love Song #43


We like Guillemots despite their seabird referencing sobriquet and lack of a definitive article. they're amd as hatters in a proper, eccentric way, not in a 'see me, I'm flipping wacky' way or a 'wooh, I'm drunk on cider and black, and therefore kerazy' way. Facts - wacky isn't amusing and drunks are boring. And those are real facts not internet facts.

Anyway, this is another splendid single which you really ought to buy if you have any semblance of taste. Even if you don't have taste, buy it anyway. That way your friends will think you have taste, which is almost as good as having taste, but not, and they will then invite you to do interesting and innovative things. Possibly with string

Oh, and this is a glistening, melodic pop tune, a bit Mercury rev, soaring when it needs to without conforming to the big book of pop cliches. And all in under 3 minutes. On the radio edit, anyway. As it should be. Ask The Temptations how long "Get Ready" is. Proper music for proper people.

Zero 7 - Throw It All Away

Despite their position as the Guardian readers dinner party music of choice a couple of years back, Zero 7 are actually rather good. And if this single is anything to go by, then they've added a healthy dose of classic soul to their ambient dance mix.

Which is a good thing as it provides a few very pleasant minutes, something that is always to be applauded. "Thistles" is an od (and dull) foray into acoustic singer / songwriter territory before they get back to their roots with the instrumental "Inaminute".

The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song

I suppose it was inevitable that the Flips would eventually jump the shark. Now, for the Flips that involves repeating themselves when they used to continually mutate. And there are worse ways of doing a Fonzie. After all, regurgitated Flips is still better than the generic indie nonsense that passes itself of as music, clogging up the charts with their whiny, white boy guitar scratching. Or the misogynist hate filled atonal mumbling that masquerades as hip hop.

Which makes me feel better about this song, raising it in my estimation from average to good, but still not great. the ymay be treading water but maybe they haven't clambered on board the water skis just yet.

The Kings Of Frog Island - same

What started as a series of loose jams between guitarist Mark Buteaux and percussionist Dilge Watson took on a different twist when frontman Mat bethancourt arrived in the studio to work on some demos.

Serving up swirling psychedelic riffs straight out of the Big Book of Brockian guitars circa Hawkwind 1974, turning the amps up to 11 and letting fly, they're also not averse to pickin gout delicate, Eastern tinged acoustinc tunes and looking longingly at the back catalogue of the late, lamented Tea party.

An utter psych delight from beginning to end, you should own this.

Rotor - 2


The Berlin instrumental groove rockers have gone and added vocals to the mix on this release. A bit of a mistake, but don't worry, it's only on a couple of tracks, so there's plenty left to play with.

Most of the time, Tim, Milan and Marco settle down to the business of hgigh quality instrumental psych fuzz rock. And they are extremely good at what they do. When their groove hits the mark as it does most of the tine, you'll find it hard to tear the headphones off.

This is one of those albums that works as a complete piece of work, so invest the time, sit back and enjoy.