HOLY FUCK- "Holy Fuck (2005)" ♣♣♣♣♣ (5/5) & "LP (2007) ♣♣♣♣ (4/5)"

"LP" (2007)

"Holy Fuck" (2005)

After revising some groups this week, I chose to write about
this amazing band called Holy Fuck. These Canadians
-formed in 1994 and with two members that have been
consistent: Brian Borcherdt and Graham Welsh- manage to
perform tunes filled with some weird electronic "idm-ish"
progressions, fast drumming, krautrock inspired touches spiked with the
charms of post-rock music. Both the LP (2007) and the homonym "Holy Fuck" (2005) have
proved that they're a band you can't simply ignore. His raw
progressions make you feel you're getting immersed in some
"rabbit-hole". At some point they also sound a bit like Battles
but with a more aggresive sound to it, especially in their
homonym album. The LP is more amicable in terms of music,
it's experimental but more in an ambient sort of way; while the
homonym "Holy Fuck" delivers some music that's has been
polished to its very last detail in terms of intervals, drum and
electronic effect treatment in general and in composition wise.

They're possibly one of the best acts to have emerged from
those ever-mutating genres such as "post-rock/progressive
rock/krautrock/math-rock/experimental rock/idm". Quite a
great combo for your listening pleasure! Just handle with care! It may blow
up your mind!

P.d.; more info on them:

http://www.myspace.com/holyfuck

www.holyfuckmusic.com/music.html

Cheers! G.!

"Holy Fuck" - HOLY FUCK (Dependent Music, 2005.)
1. Korock

2. Korg Rhythm Afro

3. Casio Bossa Nova

4. Tonebank Computer
5. Bontempi Latin

6. K.Rhythm Pt. 1
7. K.Rhythm Pt. 2

"LP" - HOLY FUCK (Dependent Music, 2007.)

1. Super Inuit
2. Milkshake
3. Frenchy's

4. Lovely Alien

5. The Pulse

6. Royal Gregory

7. Echo Sam

8. Safari

9. Choppers

-Genua Diabla.

MEDIENGRUPPE TELEKOMMANDER- "Naeher Am Menschen" ♣♣♣♣ (4/5)

"ICH KOMMANDA!"

I recently stumbled into this relatively new group called Mediengruppe Telekommander. Their songs are completely in German lyric wise but that doesn't stop them from creating some great songs about political and social criticism with some "Beasty Boys old-school rap" (they even mention it at the beginning of their song "Bild Dir Deine Meinung") influences and better yet mixed with some "German avant-pop, turntablism scratches and electro" guidelines. What's best of this duet, "kommanded" by Florian Zwietnig and Gerald Mandl, is that they have a very ludic, contagious and anti-establishment attitude towards the music and themselves, which definitely shows in their peculiar stage fashion, on how they conduct themselves while performing live and doing videos. Their songs, such as "Mein Herz", are also filled with some good sense of humour and with some catchy sound design; these two conditions make them worth-listening to. I recommend them specially if you like music like Funkstörung, Gustav, Apparat, electro in general, EBM, IDM, Beasty Boys (yes I said it again hehe) etc.

As for other info, their most recent album is"Naeher Am Menschen" which you can buy directly in the band webpage or iTunes, but they also have some other "EP's" going on, released by their label "Mute Records".

You can listen to them in their myspace page and official webpage:

www.myspace.com/mediengruppetelekommander

http://www.mediengruppe-telekommander.de/

With this I leave you, dear telekommanders :).

"Naeher Am Menschen" - MEDIENGRUPPE TELEKOMMANDER (Mute, 2006.)

1. Bild Dir deine Meinung

2. Sprengkörper

3. Mein Herz

4. Ein kleiner Widerstand

5. Loft oder Liebe6. Gekleckert

7. Mach das Leiser

8. Komm lass doch die Sonne Rein

9. Jedem sein Disco

- Genua Diabla.

Snatch: Stealin' Stones & Breakin' Bones-Various Artists ♣♣♣♣♣ (5/5)

Some soundtracks are good. Some are great. But this soundtrack is mind blowing. First of all, this has to be one of soundtracks with more variety I´ve ever heard. From Overseer to 10cc. From The Herbaliser to The Specials. Every track in this album works great in the film as well as it would do in gypsy party. It would be pretentious to say this album has every major music genre, because it does not, nevertheless, this album includes Reggae, Pop, Soul, Rock, Electronic, Ska, Trip Hop, Funk, New Wave Punk, (old fashioned) R&B as well as some dialogues to set you in the mood for the song and make you remember random parts of the film. But where to begin? Maybe with the third song "Supermoves" by Overseer, a very electronic and powerful piece, great for driving at a not permitted speed or dancing at a party. The Johnstone Brother´s version of the classic "Hernando´s Hideaway", sets the mood for the 20´s secret speakeasy vibe. "Golden Brown" by the Stranglers is definitely the "master-piece" of this soundtrack, smooth and emotional. Powerful vocals.

Nothing like a funky song : "Cross the Tracks" by Maceo Macks, this one will get you dancing in no time, great trumpets and sax make this piece one of the strongest in the album. People who enojoy funkjazzsoul, will aprecciate it as much as someone that knows nothing about those genres.

Moving on, The Specials bring us "Ghost Town" a reggae/ska song with frightening vocals and rythmic trumpets. A great song to have a green fancy cocktail and smoke whatever you like to smoke.

"Sensual woman" by the Herbaliser is one of those smooth jazzy/hiphop songs that turns you on. In a personal observation, every woman should listen to this song to learn the important basics. A sexy song, nothing else can be said.

Huey Smith & the clowns seal the deal for this record with an intelligent/instantclassic/catchy song which is the ONLY way to close an album like this.

Here is the tracklist. Enjoy!...and listen loud.

-Dengue Diable

1. Diamond - Klint

2. Vere Iz da Storn? - Benicio Del Toro

3. Supermoves - Overseer

4. Hernando's Hideaway - The Johnston Brothers

5. Zee Germans - Jason Statham

6. Golden Brown - The Stranglers

7. Dreadlock Holiday - 10cc

8. Kosha Nostra Theme

9. Avi Arrives - Dennis Farina

10. Cross the Tracks (We Better Go Back) - Maceo & the Macks

11. Disco Science - Mirwais

12. Nemesis - Alan Ford

13. Hot Pants (I'm Coming Coming I'm Coming) - Bobby Byrd

14. Lucky Star - Madonna

15. Come Again - Alan Ford

16. Ghost Town - The Specials

17. Shrinking Balls - Vinnie Jones

18. Sensual Woman - The Herbaliser

19. Angel - Massive Attack

20. RRRRR... Rumble

21. Fuckin' in the Bushes - Oasis

22. Avi's Declaration - Dennis Farina

23. Don't You Just Know It - Huey "Piano" Smith

GUSTAV- "Verlass die Stadt" ♣♣♣♣♣ (5/5)

"Verlass die Stadt" is the second album from singer and composer Eva Jantschitsch. She produces music under the name of Gustav, music that's everything but not ordinary. This second album is the follow up of Mosz record's first album "Rettet die Wale" (review will be displayed some other time). You can expect to listen to songs with heavy political content or some dark stories about people. And that's exactly one of Gustav's appeal, that narrative ability she has, to display those stories and to accompany them with electronic avant-garde musical atmospheres. Being German, she sings in both languages, English and German, but with both languages she manages to transmit her tough and direct personality. Songs like "Total Quality Woman" leave you amazed because of her sarcastic way of singing -with some 50's like music- about how a woman should be/is like these days and wether she's free or not. Such a delight!
To listen to Gustav is like reading a comic strip because the characters she includes in her lyrics become very easy to imagine and keep you entertained whilst enjoying her music.
Other songs such as "At The River's Edge" and "Ifall" are a display of pure dramatism and attractive lyrics with some anthemic touches.
Great album to listen to if you like strong lyrics and one-of-a kind electronics.
Salute!

"Verlass die Stadt" tracklist
01. Abgesang
02. Neulich Im Kanal
03. Total Quality Woman
04. Soldat in Oder Veteran
05. Alles Renkt Sich Wieder Ein
06. Verlass Die Stadt
07. At The River's Edge
08. Ifall
09. Happy Birthday

-Genua Diabla.

LYKKE LI- "Youth Novels" ♣♣♣♣ (4/5)

We've flown to Sweden.... This time to talk about this enchanting record called "Youth Novels" by the very pretty Lykke Li. This record opens with the song "Melodies & Desires" which contains some read lines and that contribute to a rather hypnotising symphonic intro. Once you get started, the songs can't help but make you feel immersed into that kind of sweetness you don't mind "O.D.-ing" with. It also has some folky music with some electronic touches without exlucluding the cadence in which the album results in most of the tracks. "I'm Good, I'm Gone" is the third track in the album and it has a catchy piano line with some lyrics that are somehow... catchy aswell. Track # 4, "My Love", is a little bit more organic sound wise and the guitars (let's not forget about the chorus voices) gives it a "folky" vibe. That's the type of sound you could expect for the rest of the album. Having said that there's not a song not worth listening too. "Complain Department" is a bit more aggressive but still sweet. And as we go to the final track of the album we stumble into songs like "Breaking It Up" and "Window Blues", the last one with some raw singing (and SWEET, hahah can't stop sayin' that) and dramatic music. It gives you the feeling of having watched a movie, in that exact moment in which you sit down to think about the whole picture, that's exactly what happens with this album, it leaves you feeling like "i've defnitely listened to something sensitive, nice and soothing".

I suggest you take a sip of this album especially if you like singers such as Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Charlotte Gainsbourgh, Feist, Emily Haines (Metric, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton), etc. And if you do,make sure you lay down and relax, I assure you'll have a nice experience doing that!

"Youth Novels" tracklist:
01. Melodies & Desires
02. Dance, Dance, Dance
03. I'm Good, I'm Gone
04. Let It Fall
05. My Love
06. Tonight
07. Little Bit
08. Hanging High
09. This Trumpet In My Head
10. Complaint Department
11. Breaking It Up
12. Everybody But Me
13. Time Flies
14. Window Blues

-Genua Diabla.

OYSTERHEAD- "The Grand Pecking Order" ♣♣♣♣ (4/5)

Along came Mr. Oysterhead. The beginning of the millennium saw what might have been the time with most trends. There were trends everywhere. Two of the most trendy things to do in music during those years was either songs with titles like “Millennium,” “Brand New Day;” pretty much anything which reflected that from now on, we would have to write the year with four digits instead of just two (also known with tremendous exaggeration as the “Y2K”). The next trend was the formation of the so-called super-bands.

Left-over members from bands which had been famous just a few years before got together and formed what seemed to be a dream come true for many fans, and a ego-train wreck waiting to happen for others. One of these bands turned out to be quite incredible, but it went under the radar of the Velvet Revolvers and the Audioslaves out there, specially for us living outside the U.S. of A: Oysterhead. Just the names of the band members thrown together sound absolutely insane: Les Claypool, of Primus fame, on bass; Trey Anastasio, of Phish fame, on guitar; and finally, Stewart Copeland, of just plane fame (but he used to be in The Police), on drums. They released their first and only album so far in 2001, by the name of “The Grand Pecking Order” with Claypool and Anastasio sharing vocal duties.

The styles of the band members are so different, that after listening the album just once, one can take a very good guess on who wrote which song. For instance, Les Claypool’s style is pretty damn obvious in “Shadow Of A Man.” However, in “Rubberneck Lions” the style shifts completely, to a jazzy drum-driven style, toning down the Claypool approach to bass-playing quite a bit. This occurs throughout the entire record, in a way that keeps the record interesting and not predictable at all. Need another example? Try imagining Primus playing a song like “Birthday Boys,” in which the hand of Anastasio’s songwriting becomes apparent.
None one of the musicians in this album needed to prove their musical skills in going into this project. However, one of them still manages to surprise the listener beyond belief. Stewart Copland is a drum beast in this album. A perfect example that complicated and impossible playing is not always the best way to go, his beats, change of rhythm and timing (in “Rubberneck Lions,” for instance), and just regular embellishments makes him the musician to listen for carefully in “The Grand Pecking Order,” which, considering his band-mates, is pretty damn impressive.

In short, “The Grand Pecking Order” brings the best of all the band members musical skills, and combines them quite nicely. This one is for everyone to enjoy; fans of any of the previously mentioned bands, or not. Copeland, Anastasio and Claypool got together to have fun and the result was an incredibly awesome oyster-headed mutant.

-PookLowEnd.

MÚM- "Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy" ♣♣♣♣ (4/5)

The last record by this icelandic band sounds different form the other Múm albums, live instruments are included which gives it a more folk/jazzy feeling.
Mellow, but at the same time strong and propositive this band takes their music possibilities to a more experimental level. Yes, Kristin Valt is not in the band anymore, but we can still listen to gorgeous vocals by Ólöf Arnalds (male included this time), which expands the texture to this poison ivy sound.
The combination between a childish but hauting voice and the infinite possibility of instruments make this record unique. Barroque as the concept may seem, the band succesfully keeps it very simple and down to earth.
A combination between electronic and classical instruments makes this album smartly melodic, and interesting from the beggining to an end.
As the record starts a multi-instrument band starts playing “ Blessed Brambles” a great beginning which gives you the general idea about this album, moving forward we find “ A Little, Bit Sometimes”, a song with great vocals, heavy dark beats and an accordion that seals the deal (my personal favorite).
Songs like “ Rhuubarbidoo “ and “ They Made Frogs Smoke ´Til They Exploded “ remember lullabies with a modern sound and that Múm touch we all love.Following this album tradition we find “Marmalade Fires” which is maybe the most “simple” song on the album, as well as being one of the highlights on this record. Deep, well executed and with beautiful string sounds.“ Dancing Behind My Eyelids” a classic Múm song with a wide range of electronic sounds and discrete vocals.
A “fairy tale” feeling is what you get after you interact whis this cd, not only the music resembles that but also the art on the record. Mountains, squirrells, trees and the color beige as well as “school sketch” illustrations gobern the record´s art. ( I don´t know if it is important to you, but I always felt art and music go together ). “Winter” a very icelandic and epic sound. Vocals that give you goosebumps. Perhaps the most “artistic” song on the record. Reminds me of a very “ Yesterday Was Dramatic ” sound. The best way to finish. Electro, Acoustic, Pop and Jazzy as this record may be, the mixture of elements follows no other than Múm´s best recipe for another great record.
Enjoy this record with a cold winter in the woods!

-Dengue Diable.