REVIEW: Guitar - Sunkissed

9 out of 10

Find it here.

Buy a pair of headphones folks, cause this sonabitch is going to please your ears the way you thought only a cheap hooker could. Guitar is pseudonym of one Michael Luckner, and man does he love his layers and layers of sound. Every track on this album has a thick gorgeous ethereal sound. If, "No space shall be wasted" is his motto, he executes it with brilliance. Most of the music seems to be made with a guitar, but it's twisted, warped, wrapped, and played back words. The "studio as an instrument" ideal is definitely present here. A simple drum machine taps out the beat, and singers Donna Regina and Ayako Akashiba provide a poppy, if not cute element. If I have one complaint about this album, it'd be it's length. Seven songs and a remix!? God, I swear it's not enough. Luckily Guitar have four other albums, and this is only the first. I really have to wonder how his sound has developed considering it's already so mature. "House Full Of Time", originally on a Slowdive compilation album, will be appearing on my mix CD's until I stop making them.

Bottom Line: Buy this CD, don't wait, if you love shoegaze, soft pop, and dreamy lush noise, you have to own this.

Standout Tracks: House Full of Time, See Sea, Bee And Me, Hot Sun Trail

REVIEW: Psychotica - Pandemic

8 out of 10
Find it here.

*Pandemic*--defined in *Webster's Dictionary* as "of a disease, universal; widely distributed; affecting a nation."

Originally released on Red Ant Records in 2003. Pandemic was stuck in legal limbo for five years. Patrick Briggs, singer and conceptual artist re-released Pandemic on Halloween 2008 on Toxic Shock records. This is Psychotica's third and final album. These songs are Gothic in the true sense of that term -- sweeping, harrowing, romantic epics that, if they must be compared to anything else, are reminiscent of big-sounding, triumphant Goth opuses like the Sisters Of Mercy with a space age re-vamping. This album is largly influenced by his early-'80s adolescence: gender-bending and/ or genre-defying artists like Japan, Queen, Siouxsie, Devo, Bauhaus, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, the Go-Go's, Blondie--rather than the expected '70s glitter-rock influences of T-Rex and Bowie. The presence of a 12-piece string orchestra, as well as the setting where the album was recorded -- Great Lindford Manor, an 11th century castle in Milton Keynes, England -- also add a classical element to Psychotica's massive, orchestral sound.

Psychotica is not now, nor have they ever been a shock-rock glam band. They will go to great lengths to put on a great energetic and stylish show. Creating music with substance and mood, songs such as "Oceans Of Hunger," "Euthanasia," "Contradiction," and "Monsoon" give witness to there ability.

The re-release of this album came to me as a wonderful surprise, it wasn't until recently did i learn that this album was originally recorded in 2003 but it couldn't be more relevant then if it was recorded today right now in my living room.. oh perchance to dream.

Standout Tracks: Fools Gold, Euthanasia, Harlow

LIVE BAND OF THE YEAR...

Without a doubt....

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS

The loudest show you will ever go to. EVER. Astonishing, EAR-CRUSHING brilliance. If your ears are sensitive BRING EARPLUGS..YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. APTBS are so loud its dangerous. My ears don't ever ring when I leave shows, even if I'm standing write next to the worlds largest amp. My ears rang, "Oh sweet musical Heyzeus they rang!"! The main guitarist in the band, also the lead singer, puts on an amazing visual feast of distortion and destruction. Smashing his guitar on the ground, ripping strings out, just DESTROYING his equipment. ALL while keeping it plugged in and going. AMAZING. If you are a fan of louder-"rockier"-shoegaze bands this is right up your alley. Do not pass up the chance to have these guys shred your face off.


~Awesome~

REVIEW: Scritti Politti - Cupid And Psyche '85

5 out of 10

Find it here.

Scritti Politti started off as a bunch of politically radical weirdos with instruments. They took tons of speed and would rant and improvise entire shows, opening up for Gang of Four and the Pop Group. They were signed to Rough Trade for their first album "Songs to Remember", and are remembered mostly for this album, Cupid and Psyche '85. At the time it was a landmark album for it's use of samples, over glossed production and midi synths. For these reasons it has more or less has that definitive 80's sound.

For all it's accomplishments, I feel like it's a failure. It's aged horribly. The 80's are my favorite decade for music, but this album epitomizes what people (and VH1) remember about the 80's. Cheesy hair, clothes, and silly synth pop. If you're wondering exactly what their sound is watch a dance scene on a brat pack movie. Watch Footloose, or Can't Buy Me Love. It's dance in your underwear with shades music. I read all these great reviews about this album, five stars the lot of them. After listening to this album three times, I'm glad my copy is only a cassette. I'm not saying it's not without merit. The song writing is strong, but 23 years later it will only make you laugh. You have to be over thirty to enjoy this.

Bottom Line - Album of cheesy CHEESY 80's synthpop with Ska influences in some places. Strong songwriting, aged like a bad prom photo, it'll only make you laugh.

Standout Tracks: The Word Girl, A Little Knowledge, Perfect Way

M83 Extends US Tour For 2009

All shows in Support (yeah, I know) of The Killers:

January 2009

17 Denver, CO Magness Arena - Ritchie Center

18 Omaha, NE The Slowdown (without Killers) <--#4 for me!

19 Minneapolis, MN Northrop Auditorium

20 Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion

22 Detroit, MI EMU Convocation Center

23 Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre

25 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

26 Boston, MA Agganis Arena

28 Washington, DC George Mason University Patriot Center

29 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues

30 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Civic Center

31 Nashville, TN Grand Ole Opry House

February 2009

2 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater

3 Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center

4 Dallas, TX Nokia Theatre

Top 10 Music Related Videos I Own:

..IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER..

Director's Series, Vol. 2 - The Work of Director Chris Cunningham
Videos, installations, and other awe inspiring works by an amazing video futurist.
Replay value: HIGH

Downtown 81 - 1981 New York Music Scene
Documentary seen through the eyes of Pop-Artist Jean Michel Basquiat following the "No Wave" music scene that should've have been way bigger than what it is today. Most of the artists involved influenced all of the popular artists you here today.
Replay value: Moderate to Low

Brain Eno - 77 Million Paintings
Trippy screen savers, or "Live Paintings" as Eno calls them, made for installation purposes backed with gorgeous ambient music.
Replay value: Moderate to High

Brian Eno - 14 Video Paintings
Same concept as 77 Million Paintings only longer, more involved solid pieces. Companion piece to Eno's "Thursday Afternoon" album.
Replay value: Moderate to High

Nine Inch Nails - Closure
One day this amazing 2 cassette VHS awesomeness will see the light of day on DVD. One day.. Live concert footage from the "Downward Spiral" era of Nine Inch Nails on first cassette. On the second cassette is a collection of music videos with the coveted "Broken" movie.
Replay value: HIGH

Pink Floyd - The Wall
Amazing visual epic movie masterpiece companion to one of the most important rock albums of all time. If you haven't seen The Wall I'm not really sure why you are reading a music blog in the first place.
Replay value: Moderate to High

Pink Floyd - London 1966/1967
The beginning stages of Pink Floyd's amazing career. This is the very beginning of the psychedelic scene in Europe. Great visuals, mind bending music.
Replay value: Moderate

Pink Floyd - The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story
A somewhat "unauthorized" documentary on Pink Floyd's original lead singer Syd Barrett.
Band members to Syd: "Syd you've done way too much acid, we, including yourself, don't even know who you are anymore.."
Syd Barrett: "Thats Syd's problem, not mine."
Replay value: Moderate

Radiohead - Meeting People Is Easy
A mini documentary following Radiohead around during the OK Computer era. Watch as this slightly known band becomes a household name.
Replay value: HIGH

Sigur Ros - Heima
Sigur Ros go back to their homeland, Iceland, and play surprise shows for their peeps. Some of the locations in this film are just so damn gorgeous it hurts.
Replay value: Moderate to High

Anything you could recommend to me?

Telefon Tel Aviv Fans...

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