Album Description

The BEST surf instro CD of the year with 32 tracks of the coolest Surf music from Golly Gee Records and Double Crown Records. With almost 80 minutes of music from 15 of today’s hottest Surf Instro bands - You need to own this disc. All killer - no filler! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

surf mania!
The title of this alblum sounds a bit cheesy but the music in the CD is excellent. The soungs sound much better on my stereo than the little computer speakers. This CD is a champ as far as giving you your moneys worth of songs. I could not find any songs I did not like to listen to and was very impressed with the Supertones songs on the alblum. While not quite as authentic as real 60's surf music I find the collection of songs here to be some of the very best of whats offered today in the modern day surf guitar sound.

This is a Great CD!
I picked this CD up after I purchased the other Golly Gee release "Rockabilly Rumble". Someone had recommended it and since "Rockabilly Rumble" was such a great record, I had to have this one as well. I was not disappointed at all. This is an incredible CD with almost and hour and a half of music! No boring tracks at all - and surf music can be boring. After listening to it all the way through I had to listen again and again. "War of The Surf Guitars" is definitely worth buying - even if you live in Texas and can't see the ocean ; ) ... Read more

Reviews (37)

A Stable Collection Of Hits!
The first Totally Hits features a lot of top hits from superstar artists. I think is as good if not better than Now 3. TLC has the first track and they deserve it. No Scrubs was a huge, mega hit! That song is more popular than their record-breaking album! I also liked the slow Angel of Mine. This is Monica's best song and it is my second favorite song on this cd! Sugar Ray's Someday was a hit that doeen't make any since. It is slow and they sound like they're bored. Other bad tracks are Kid Rock's Bawitawba(I don't think I spelled that write),Santana's Smooth,NSYNC's A Little More Time On You, and 5ive's song. But I do like Cher,Whitney Houston,Madonna,Brandy,Usher,Deborah Cox,Faith Hill,and Barenaked Ladies. If you like R&B,slow pop,and little bit of rock you will love this cd.

Totally Awesome
A major competitor to the "Now" series has come along (at least in their first compilation). "Totally Hits" brings on a more adult mix of hits, including rock, pop, R & B, and a little country. There are more songs here that get played on "adult comtemporary" radio stations than on "Now", although this first CD does have three "Boy Band" songs. Lots of Grammy nominees from 1999 and one from 1998.1. No Scrubs-This was a Grammy nominee. I wasn't crazy about this song ("Waterfalls" was TLC's best), but I did like the video. (3/5) 2. Angel of Mine-Good, slow R & B tune. (4/5) 3. Someday-Sugar Ray is a fine group and this is a cool song. (4.5/5) 4. Smooth-Definitely the highlight of the album. This was released just BEFORE the song and the "Supernatural" album went to #1! Comebacks don't get any better than this, especially with all those Grammys! (5/5) 5. (God Must've Spent) A Little More Time on You-"TH" covers 'NSYNC on their RCA label. One of their better earlier hits. (4/5) 6. Believe-Another super comeback! Cher's Grammy-nominated dancehall classic. (5/5) 7. Nobody's Supposed To Be Here-So-so, unmemorable dance tune. (2.5/5) 8. Ray of Light-A little old at the time of release, but still Madonna demonstrates that she can do electronica. A 1998 Grammy nominee. (4.5/5) 9. One Week-Again, a little old, but another fun, quirky ditty from Canada's Barenaked Ladies, finally recognized by U.S. audiences. (4.5/5) 10. Jumper-An upbeat, inspirational Third Eye Blind tune. (4.5/5) 11. Heartbreak Hotel-Unfortunately, "TH" has caught Whitney in her messed-up state, especially after her disaterous marriage to Bobby Brown. Her early material was much better, and this selection is pretty dull. (2/5)12. Summer Girls-Pure bubblegum pop. (3/5) 13. When the Lights Go Out-More bubblegum. I actually thought this was by "Backstreet Boys" when I first heard this. (3.5/5) 14. Almost Doesn't Count-Okay Brandy song, better than the annoying "The Boy Is Mine". (3/5)15. You Make Me Wanna...-Good R & B from a relative unknown, now with a recent #1 hit. (4/5)16. This Kiss-"TH"'s country selection from Faith Hill, and one of the better ones. (4/5)17. Angel-Heartfelt Sarah McLachlan ballad. (4.5/5) 18. Bawitdaba-Wow! After all that adult material, we conclude with this Grammy-nominated head-banger from Kid Rock. A bit out of place, but well-done madness. (4/5)So, with a lot of Grammy nominees, "Totally Hits" comes on with a rush. Too bad they couldn't keep it up.

Good Collection
A good collection of the hits of 98-99. I was especially surprised at the inclusion of "Angel" and "This Kiss" (in a good way). I was impressed with the variety of music. Deborah Cox, Faith Hill, Madonna, Whitney, and McLachlan kinda steal the show, but not to any large degree, which is another big surprise. I was very happy to find no out of place "non-hits." a good collection for a good year.

Pretty good! It's worth the money!
Here's my own opinion of the songs
1.)TLC:No Scrubs-Not the best by them, I liked this song a lot! 3.5/5
2.)Monica:Angel Of Mine-An OKAY song. I don't think Monica's very talented though.I think she should act instead of sing. I did like when she sang on the remix for "I've Got To Have It" by Jermaine Dupri on the Big Momma's soundtrack. 3/5
3.)Sugar Ray:Someday-Kind of boring, not bad though. 2.5/5
4.)Santana f/ Rob Thomas:Smooth- I HATE THIS SONG! WAY TOO OVERPLAYED!!!! 0/5

5.)'NSYNC:(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time On You-Nice ballad,not the best by 'NSYNC though. 3/5
6.)Cher:Believe-Very good song! Probably one of the best by Cher 5/5
7.)Deborah Cox:Nobody's Supposed To be Here(Dance Mix)-Good dance song,not my favorite though. 3/5
8.)Madonna:Ray Of Light-Very cool song by Madonna. She did a good job on this! I love the video!4.5/5
9.)Barenaked Ladies:One Week-Pretty good song. I was hooked on this song when i first heard it on the radio. Kind of old though 3.5/5
10.)Third Eye Blind:Jumper-This is one of my favorites by Third Eye Blind. Good message about a guy who's friend commits suicide and he was trying to stop him from "jumping from that ledge." 5/5
11.)Whitney Houston f/ Faith Evans & Kelly Price:Heartbreak Hotel-I don't really like this song. I doesn't suck though. 2.5/5
12.)LFO:Summer Girls-This was LFO's first song. It's okay for a debut. Their newer songs on their second cd are better though. They kind of seem like wannabes here. 3/5
13.)Five:When The Lights Go Out-I LOVE THIS SONG! I'm hooked on Five, they have great party songs. It's sucks that they broke up. But hey, they enjoyed it when they could! 5/5
14.)Brandy:Almost Doesn't Count: Good song by Brandy! She has other good songs though, but she's cool. 5/5
15.)Usher:You Make Me Wanna-Pretty cool.This is one of the songs that Usher got popular by. 4/5
16.)Faith Hill:Good song! I'm beginning to like Faith Hill more.One of her good "gems."HA! 5/5

17.)Sarah McLachlan:Angel-Okay, a little boring. 2.5/5
18.)Kid Rock:Bawidaba-One of Kid Rock's good songs. Pretty tight though. 4/5

Totally Hits=Totally Cool!
WOW!! This CD is so cool! I got it for my Birthday and it's so much fun to listen to! This "Totally Hits" CD covers the Year off well despite some mishaps on some of their songs...it's still a Great CD! TLC Opens up the CD with one of the most popular singles released that year, "No Scrubs" (Also written by Singer Kandi "Don't Think I'm Not")...followed by a similar sounding number "Angel of Mine" by Monica (The same producer Dallas Austin worked with both Albums "Fanmail" and "The Boy is Mine" so it's no wonder there is a similarity between the two) and Sugar Ray's best song lyric-wise "Someday" which was written by themselves. I must say the Highlight of the year was the suprising comeback of famed Guitarist Carlos Santana (From the band of his last name). Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas helps with writing the lyrics and singing vocals producing a killer combo! *N Sync gives us a taste of their slower side with the Boyz II Men-like "God Must of Spent ( A Little More Time on You)" which is no doubt their best single in their career, in flawless harmony. Like Santana, Cher gave us a suprising comeback as well with her hit single (and long time club anthem) "Believe." The well known remixer Hex Hector turns around Canadian R&B Star Deborah Cox's slowish and soothing "Nobody's Supposed to Be Here" with a Completely Different and upbeat Remix, adding some extra flare to the dance floor. Madonna also gives us a burst of techno with her upbeat heavy hit "Ray of Light." The Barenaked Ladies shine in their spotlight with the comical number, "One Week." After some years of absense Third Eye Blind successfuly returns to us with their metal guitar-heavy hit "Jumper." Soul Diva Whitney decides to take a dip into R&B and collaborates with R&B singers Faith Evans and Kelly Price in a song called "Heartbreak Hotel" which despite its name is Not an Elvis remake of his song by the same title. Unfortunatly we are tortured to hear the one hit wonders of Backstreet Boys and *N Sync copy-off's LFO and Five...fortunatly however the other songs compensate for these mishaps. By the way why aren't the Backstreet Boys on this album anyway? Thankfully, Brandy gives a shot with her last single from the multi plantum CD, "Never Say Never." Then-Newcomer R&B Star Usher Raymond appears with the Single that started it all- "You Make Me Wanna." After these two R&B Numbers, the CD takes us to the country scene with Cowgirl Faith Hill and her biggest hit "This Kiss." Sarah McLaughlin gives us a taste of Folk with her slow number, "Angel" and an unfortunat closure provided by Kid Rock. Was it really necessary? Sarah McLaghlan's song could've finished off the CD fine, as 18 tracks are a little much. If it werent for the unfortunate numbers by one hit wonders LFO and Five as well as Kid Rock, this CD would've deserved Five out of Five Stars...now it's just Four and a Half. dEFINATLY reccomended to any popular music fan. ... Read more

Album Description

"A Tribute To Elliott Smith" features some of the best Independent bands from all over the world honoring the late, great Elliott Smith with an outstanding collection of covers and originals inspired by Elliott Smith’s music.

The musicians represented here are a diverse crowd hailing from across the USA, France, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. Each was selected because of the quality of their unique and interesting music, to bring a wide range of takes on Elliott Smith's music worthy of a tribute to his legacy.

This fully licensed tribute complements any Elliott Smith fan’s CD collection – each cover is treated with the respect it deserves while at the same time exhibiting a fresh take on these classic songs. The originals on the album are all from musicians who were inspired to perform and create by Elliott Smith’s music. Unlike many tribute albums, the track listing of "A Tribute To Elliott Smith" flows seamlessly from one song to another, really keeping the listener in an Elliott Smith state of mind and coming off as a cohesive album rather than a hastily thrown together collection of songs. Each song and artist was chosen with care to ensure a heartfelt tribute that gets everything right.

With 21 tracks and over 77 minutes of music, "A Tribute To Elliott Smith" is absolutely loaded to capacity with great music. From slow and mellow songs to full on rockers, this album covers the whole musical spectrum while still retaining that special Elliott Smith flavor on each and every track.

A portion of all proceeds from this release will be donated to the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

one of the few good tribute albums
as a longtime fan of Elliott Smith (ever since the Heatmiser days) I of course buy anything and everything he ever released, and so when I saw this tribute on Amazon I ordered it - hey it was worth a try. I am glad to say that it lived up to my high expectations and is a worthy tribute to the great Elliott Smith. great covers and great originals that fit the tone and style of ES!

good variety of songs
i dig the variety of songs chosen for the covers. wildly different styles and tempos but all are good and some are great. i have to give it 4 stars because some of my favorite songs aren't covered but i like more of the obscure stuff anyways. overall this is pretty good.

finally a cool tribute cd!
I got this cd on a whim, as I was replacing some Elliott Smith albums that my friends have borrowed and never returned (don't you hate that!!) and I have listened to this a bunch of times since I got it! I really like the covers, as I have never heard anyone cover Elliott Smith songs before - I am sure people have but I have only been a fan about 3 years. 5 stars for this nice surprise!

Sorry, but this is terrible.
As a long time Elliott Smith fan who saw him in concert a few times, I can say that this CD is just plain BAD.

A number of the covers sound like the singer is in an 80s hair band.The recording quality is poor and inconsistent between tracks.I only listened to the 2 minute sample tracks, but that was more than I could take.

So, from what I heard, the songs were poor renditions and often poorly mixed.I suspect that this is a small record label's attempt to get your attention by releasing a tribute CD featuring a bunch of bands who don't have releases of their own.Don't let them fool you.

In an interview linked to from the record label (double d records) website, I found the following quote, which sort of confirms my theory:

"With no experience in the recording industry, Dickerson started the label in September with the initial goal of making a Smith tribute album."

Be sure to listen to the track samples for yourself to be sure you actually want to buy this CD.

Great bands and a great CD! 5 star tribute album!
I love this CD and I have discovered so many great bands that participated on this tribute. Every cover is great, and in the booklet it has the websites for all the bands who contributed a track. I started checking out their websites and I have found a ton of really cool bands! So I have to give this one 5 stars - this will definitely make any Elliott Smith fan happy. Also a portion of all proceeds benefits the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund so it helps a good cause too! Two thumbs up! ... Read more

Album Description

The followup to 2001's hugely successful 'Acoustic' album.Another skillfully compiled set of (mainly) acousticmellowness including current & classic tracks from the last three decades. Highlights include, Travis 'Drift Wood',Mercury Rev 'Nite & Fog', Eva Cassidy 'Songbird',Spiritualised 'Do It All Over Again' & Electric Soft Parade 'Silent To The End'. 40 tracks on 2 CDs and housed in aslipcase. 2002. ... Read more

Album Description

Compilation album from Long Beach Records:Featuring unreleased songs from Long Beach Shortbus, The Falling Idols, Scott Drake (Humpers), Secret Hate and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great album
I have had this in my car for the last two weeks, and don't feel like taking it out yet.

I bought it to hear the Shortbus songs, but it turned me on to some great live stuff from Secret Hate and the Falling Idols. Also the Mongrel songs and Leek and the Bouncing Uptones are awsome.

CD is worth it for the Shortbus songs alone. ... Read more

Album Description

This is the first-ever tribute to one of college/indie rock's classic bands and its charismatic leader.The tracks on the disc come from a wide variety of musicians and represent an equally wide variety of styles, from industrial/dance and heavy metal to folk, electronica, upbeat pop and more.The goal of the project was to not end up with 18 tracks of bands trying to sound just like Throwing Muses.We asked the participating artists to take the songs and put their own unique, creative stamp on them. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

How to Rock a Tribute Album
It is SO incredbily hard to rock the house with a tribute album--every fan knows the disappointment of listening to a bland and flaccid compilation. Yet HOT HANDS more than successfully blends the many ways musicians have been influenced by the dark, raw power of THROWING MUSES/Hersh/et al. into a heady, exhilarating stylistic trip through 17 interpretations of MUSES tunes: it also RAWKS!

True to the spirit and variety of the independent music scene and the way in which influence crosses across musical categories, the disc brings together a truly awesome variety of styles, everything from folk-tinged guitar ballads to synth-heavy dance tracks. Favorites: The Blood Group's 'Buzz,' Dirty Power's 'Hate My Way,' Phil Locke's 'Uncle June and Aunt Kiyoti,' Flare's 'Dizzy,' Taikonaut's 'Night Driving,' and John Ashfield's 'Portia.'

Alternative icons get long-overdue tribute
A tribute CD is a tricky thing. On the one hand, fans of a particular band want to see their beloved artist treated with the respect they deserve, yet the contributors need to show how the band has influenced their own sound which can lead to radical reinterpretations of the songs. Tribute CDs also expose the fans of contributing artists to (sometimes) an entirely new band, so the songs need to stand on their own to create any kind of cohesive, listenable work. Hot Hands succeeds on all fronts. Although I was vaguely familiar with the Muses from my college rock days, I didn't really know any of their songs. Likewise, I was familiar with a couple of the contributing artists but the bulk of them were unknown to me.

The styles here range from very heavy (industiral's rising young star HypoFixx, the skull-crushing metal of Dirty Power), to largely acoustic (Taikonaut, Kuma-chan co-founder Phil Locke, for whom this tribute CD was a labor of love), to pop (the incredible John Ashfield), to experimental (Washington DC sonic terrorist BLK w/BEAR), and a smattering of current indie favorites (The Blood Group, Xiu Xiu, Flare).

The songwriting of Kristin Hersh (and to a lesser extent Tanya Donelly) takes center stage in these songs about love and madness. Hersh has made it a habit to exorcise her demons through her material and the effect here filtered through the sounds of others is like the soundtrack to a really great film you'd like to see.

I own a lot of tribute albums to "legendary" bands but few of them are as repeatedly enjoyable as Hot Hands, which has lived in my CD player since I got it a few weeks ago. It's not only an educational resource for today's bands who want to see how self-referrential alt-rock came to the fore, it's also just a really satisfying listen. Recommended!

Not your average tribute disc!
Being only an early-period Muses fan and a Kristen Hirsh NON-fan, I was skeptical about the quality of this disc when I received it as a gift, especially after buying so many tribute CDs that don't do justice to music in general, let alone the artists they're trying to celebrate. BOY WAS I MISTAKEN ABOUT HOT HANDS!! There's such a wide variety of sounds on here, none of which mimic The Muses or Hersh, that it holds up on its own merits and makes me want to pick up some of the original material!

Great Tribute CD
Hot Hands is a very well done collection of songs. It doesn't matter if you're a fan of Kristin Hersh or Throwing Muses; this CD can stand on its own. I highly recommend it!

hot hands ... hot tribute
Okay, I'll admit my bias as a contributor up front ... BUT ... the variety of styles on this disc makes for great company! I am truly honored to share disc space with artists whose work I already admire [ Flare, Waycross, Xiu Xiu ... all of whom should be HUGE! ... along with label mates Phil Locke, JDSexton, John Ashfield ] and those I've come to know and fully enjoy [ Dirty Power, HypoFixx, Quasimojo, Taikonaut .... damn, everyone else! ]. Fans of alt-country, electro-pop, folk-tronica, shoegazer, drone ... independent music, period ... are encouraged to join in the discovery. All top notch contributions ... ... Read more

Album Description

Long Beach Records compilation featuring Long Beach Shortbus and the Falling Idols.All unreleased songs. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great New Music from the LBC and Beyond
Great album for the car. An hour of new music from around the world. Leek and the Bouncing Uptones from South Africa starts the CD out with new great songs and some terrific horn work. Souldier of Fortune debuts next with a couple of songs that sound alot like the Long Beach Dub Allstars. Speaking of which the next two songs are from Long Beach Shortbus themselves. Three and a Quarter from Portugal are 4th up. 3 1/4 sounds like Secret Hate and Sublime put together. Great stuff. Mongrel from Germany has 3 new songs, which have a bit of a Pennywise influence, but don't get me wrong they are diffenently an original act. The Dutch band Walrus has a couple of rocking tunes, followed by Long Beach Corn Dog laying down some cool surf covers. The last song is a Live Falling Idols song, with local rock-star Ken Rocker sharing the lead vocals.

A must have for LB Shortbus fans, and anyone else who likes good music. ... Read more

Album Description

A daring and impressive tribute to legendary mid-80s English band The Smiths. Arguably one of the finest pop groups of all time, The Smiths released an impeccable collection of records between their debut in 1983 and their swansong in 1987. Among their many fans are several top artists from California-based indie Matinée Recordings, so the label invited twelve of them to pay respect to the brilliance of The Smiths and mark the 20th anniversary of their first album with this sincere tribute. Borrowing a title from the run-out groove of the "William, It Was Really Nothing" single, "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware" provides solid interpretations of Smiths classics by current Matinée artists from England, Australia, Brazil, Sweden and the United States. The contributors include The Pines, with a jangly version of the hit "Ask"; Pale Sunday, providing a magnificent bossa-nova/shoegaze reworking of "I Know It’s Over"; The Lucksmiths, who approach the mighty "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" as a duet and come out smelling of roses; Slipslide, with an expertly crafted cover of "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"; Pipas, adding a dance beat to the early classic "This Night Has Opened My Eyes"; Lovejoy, contributing an admirable cover of "Girlfriend In A Coma"; Would-Be-Goods, with an unforgettable version of "Back To The Old House"; The Young Tradition, putting their polish on an untraditional version of "Sheila Take A Bow"; Simpático, with a convincing rendition of "That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore"; The Guild League, glam-ing up the already glam hit "Panic"; The Liberty Ship, attacking the rollicking "Sweet and Tender Hooligan" in fine fashion; and The Snowdrops, with a splendid live recording of "Bigmouth Strikes Again". Created with immense reverence for the band, "Romantic and Square is Hip and Aware" is a passionate tribute to the most influential pop band of the past 20 years. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the best tribute albums I've heard...
Bands you love covering the songs of a band you love equals a unique pleasure that's hard to describe. That's the case I find myself in with this album, with the stable of Matinee artists (Simpatico, Lovejoy, The Would-Be-Goods, Pipas and 8 others) playing the songs of The Smiths. The bands here take a loving approach to the material; it shows in the way they highlight what was great about the originals and in how handily they showcase their own styles and aptitudes without overshadowing The Smiths. The collection is filled with magic moments: The Lucksmiths stripping the immortal "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to its essence; Slipslide casting a soft, lovely sheen on "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"; Simpatico's Jason Sweeney doing a brilliant Morrissey vocal impersonation on "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" while still sounding like himself and keeping the song as heartwrenching as ever. It's one of those rare tribute albums that makes you remember how much you love the original musicians and makes you love the interpreters even more at the same time. {note: excerpted from a review originally published on http://www.erasingclouds.com}

redundant
Good tribute albums are hard to come by. In rare instances, tribute albums bring together an eclectic group of popular musicians, many of whom are ostensibly quite different from the band being honored (qv, the Grateful Dead tribute), resulting in a uniquely interesting and pleasurable experience. The vast majority of the time, however, such tribute albums consist of tepid covers by artists that are so aesthetically similar to the original band that there seems no point.

This album is one of the latter. None of the versions on this album are unpleasant or offensive, but the decidedly twee roster of Matinee Records prove themselves incapable of straying far from the original versions of these songs, ultimately making this album a bit dull. Worse, by recording such faithful renditions, the bands have unwittingly revealed their lack of musicianship: none of these guitarists have anywhere near the skill of Johnny Marr, and none of the singers can match the sonorous quality of Morrissey's voice.

If you're the sort of person who eagerly anticipates every new Pipas release, then perhaps you will enjoy this compilation. The rest of us, however, might as well just listen to our old Smiths albums. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

5 Stars and no plans to re-release
The one disc compilation is outstanding. As an earlier review stated, the 2 CD set is more of the same great music.
If you are lucky enough to find the two disc version, hang on to it. It's beyond rare. Both are out of print.

Contacted Razor and Tie; their clerk/worker-bee did not know of any plans to re-release this great 80's music. Perhaps it would be worth organizing a write-in campaign to encourage another production run.

Sadly, out of print
The one disc compilation is outstanding. As an earlier review stated, the 2 CD set is more of the same great music.
If you are lucky enough to find the two disc version, hang on to it. It's beyond rare.

Contacted Razor and Tie; their clerk/worker-bee did not know of any plans of a re-release of this great 80's music. Perhaps it would be worth organizing a write-in campaign to encourage another production run.

Be aware of something
First, let me say that this is an excellent CD. For that, it gets five stars.

HOWEVER, be aware that there were two versions of this album: a single-disc version and a two-disc version. This is the single-disc version. The expanded version is, as you might imagine, twice as good as this one. But since they're both out of print, you better grab this one while you can.

With an album this good, I can't imagine why Razor & Tie allowed it to go out of print. I wrote to them and asked if they were going to sell it again, but they never replied. If you like it, I'd encourage you to contact them and ask that it be reissued, especially the two-disc version.

Great Songs from the Eighties
It reminds of late nights with friends trying to tune the radio to the local college stations. We would listen to these songs in between the static. This is the best in what was called "Alternative/New Wave" music. Definitely a must have.

Dissapointed
Warning: I was replacing a worn CD - I liked it so much. The new one is different and missing Joey by Concrete Blonde.??? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Better than the Lilith CDs!
I love this cd and i only bought it for 99 cents at hastings! I could listen to a couple of songs i liked here and there on the lilith cds,k but this really made women's music strong enough to make me want to listen to the whole cd. I highly recommend it.

An eclectic collection
The title "After the Fair" is obviously patterned after the popularity of Lilith Fair, and the message is clear. Women are still making music! There's more diversity on this CD than a Lilith Fair compilation, ranging from electronica-pop to country pop to the guitar based songs you might expect from the Lilith Fair genre. Tara Maclean's "Let Her Feel The Rain" is a standout here, as is the final track. ... Read more

Album Description

If the term “enigma” were ever to be used to describe a band, that band would be New Order. Rising from the ashes and terrible circumstances which dismantled the acclaimed, cult phenomenon, Joy Division in 1980, New Order became a legend. Members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris single-handedly transcended all the misnomers associated with the post-punk movement of the early 80’s and created a wickedly clever hybrid of sound, vision and idealism. Or, to put more plainly and succinctly, a beautiful marriage of modern gloom rock with a synthesizer mentality which has since never been replicated as effectively.All at once, their music and lyrics could send the spirit soaring with gleeful abandonment or suck you into a depressive, loathing state of being.

However one decides to interpret the band, nothing can take away from the massive amount of adoration enjoyed both in their home of Great Britain and all over the world. To this day, dance floor staples like “Bizarre Love Triangle,” “Blue Monday,” “True Faith,” and “Perfect Kiss” still get continuous spins in clubs and critical favorites like “1963,” “Temptation,” and “Shellshock” still get their share of airtime on flashback radio shows (sort of what we’d refer to as the ‘golden oldies’ of our generation.) After experimenting with their various side-projects over the years (Electronic, Revenge, The Other Two) with varying degrees of success, the band reformed recently and released their first album of original material in over 8 years.But never before has the European and U.S. modern synthpop scenes paid homage to one of their primary inspirations. We specifically chose artists whom we felt had the tenacity and talent to contribute a unique interpretation while respecting the original’s integrity. Many of these bands will be recognized by other Synthphony Records’ releases such as Shades Of Grey, Dark Distant Spaces, Persona and Intact, while others are our special guest newcomers: Wave In Head, Seabound, D’Woolve, Paradoxx, Hungry Lucy, Equatronic and Provision. Still, there are some veterans who were enthusiastically committed to the project like “Celebrate The None,” “Invisible Limits,” “Atlantic Popes (Alphaville),” and “Days Of Fate.” As always, support the ban! ds who brought you this fantastic collection; their music keeps the disco soul of New Order alive for our future. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

excellent!
This CD is awesome. New Order has been a favorite band of mine since before 1985, and I've never stopped enjoying them. I was curious about the covers but couldn't have anticipated I would enjoy them so much. Some takes I even like better for now - e.g. Confusion, a song I love, done in a new way. The artists on this collection are true enough to the originals for a die hard fan to appreciate, but unique enough to give a second life to still great songs. Recommended across the board. ... Read more

Album Description

Middle Pillar Presents’ latest compilation is an exploration of the experimental Japanese dance theatre. Butoh is an interpretation of modern Japanese dance, exploring the beauty in what is malformed and horrific in humanity. While most of what has been released on the Middle Pillar Presents label has been ethereal in nature, it is with this compilation that we hoped to add a rhythmic nature to that aesthetic in order to explore dramatic movement and dance in this dark context.

To that end, Middle Pillar has assembled exclusive material or mixes from its known roster of artists which include A Murder of Angels, The Machine in the Garden, The Unquiet Void, The Mirror Reveals, as well as other eclectic bands whose artistry would compliment the aesthetic. This includes material from Kobe, Mors Syphilitica, Sumerland, Thread, Wench, and Zoar, some of whom will be releasing material on through Middle Pillar in the near future.

The album opens and closes with the aggressive primal drumming of Kobe, establishing the tone of a theatre performance with a prologue and epilogue of the Japanese dance. In between we are exposed to equal parts of experimental landscapes and darkly driven forces which belie the nature of a world we have been born into and which we continue to create.

"We are the erotic as well as the ascetic, the grotesque and beautiful, thefragmented ritualized and improvised whole. We experience the medium and world beyond our bodies not through stagnant objectification, but rather through intense mutual sensation within the movement of the dance."- BUTOH ... Read more

Reviews (4)

3 out of 4 Oasis wimps agree
I disagree with 100% with the previous posts. What a pitiful record.

"Carnation"- Liam Gallagher & Steve Craddock--Paul Weller never wore the Beatles influence on his sleeve. So this is a little like hearing an Elvis impersonator sing the Cramps. Anemic bubblegum from the Oasis frontman.

"Start"-The Beastie Boys & Miho Hatori-By removing the vocals and subtlety, they've created a stylized Gap-ready caricature of an important song. More of an homage to Beck, really.

"That's Entertainment"-Reef-All the elements are in place. The bitterness, the immediacy, the youthful outrage are on board this runaway train. It may not be pretty, but it is beautiful.

"The Gift"-Heavy Stereo--Heavy Stereo fearlessly grabs this song with the sort of desperation that someone is going to steal it out from under them and make a mockery of the Jam.

"Art School"-Silversun--Silversun forego the Urge Overkill 70's consumer sound. They opt instead for dirty garage punk. Vocals aren't quite as adolescent as Blink182.

"English Rose"-Everything But The Girl--Listenable, without being an album buyer.

"Going Underground"-Buffalo Tom--. This awful version slowed down to Cowboy Junkies speed has the singer struggling to breathe. If he doesn't want to sing, he should be hanging around downtown with Marcy Playground.

"The Butterfly Collector"-Garbage--Altering the rhythm of this bitter, pointed tale would seem like a travesty, but it works perfectly. Surprisingly, the most enjoyable dish here.

"This Is The Modern World"-Ben Harper--In an odd turn of events, he has managed to suck every bit of venom out of the vocal delivery. It brings to mind Mel Torme's version of "Superstition."

"Town Called Malice"-Gene--The music is tight and driven, but Martin Rossiters warblings float over it like a detached entity.

"To Be Someone"-Noel Gallagher--Noel has a much more interesting voice than his brother. When he gets out of control, he sounds a bit like Ozzie.

"No One In The World"-Paul Weller--has him sounding like Bowie after an all nighter and 3 packs.

Go Buy Snap
Though a heart felt tribute to one of Britain's best and most inspriational bands could be thrilling, and judging by many of the names on this album, you would think it should be, this is rather tedious. Reef does the worst cover of "That's Entertainment," outside of my shower. Everything But the Girl does a xerox of the original "English Rose" without out all the teenage passion and innocence to give it meaning. Ben Harper should stick to his dreary Hendrix pastiches, and Gene's cover of "Town Called Malice" is a travesty. Why I bet they have never even heard a Motown record in their lives! The good stuff includes Buffalo Tom's slowed down romp through "Going Underground", and Noel's acoustic kereoke of "To Be Someone", which gives a true sense to the burnout behind the lyrics. Even Weller sounds tired on the hidden track. File under for completists only.

Fire & Skill: The Songs of The Jam
This is a well-conceived tribute to a very deserving band. The eclectic array of artists who cover The Jam's songs (not all of the songs covered here are "the hits") is a nice indicator of how influential The Jam were, despite never really busting wide open in America.

Although the Beastie's cover of "Start!" and Garbage's cover of "Butterfly Collector" are a bit redundant and predictable, there are some wonderful highlights on the album:

Everything But The Girl do themselves proud with "English Rose", an amazing love song that Tracey Thorn nails perfectly, recalling her best "Eden" and "Love Not Money" performances.

Ben Harper's cover of "Modern World" is a pleasingly reckless and sonic awakening at the album's end. I think Weller would be proud of Ben's emotional delivery, both vocally and on that guitar-like thing he plays.

Heavy Stereo's cover of "The Gift" (one of my all time favorite Jam songs) is priceless; equally rock and soul-infused funk.

Gene's cover of "Town Called Malice" is flawless and is the album's high point. Martin Rossiter's vocals are pained, urgent, and sincere. The percussion is also staccato heavy and smooth all at once. Hmmm...I wonder where I've heard that drum sample before! ...

Noel Gallagher's version of "To Be Someone" is both an ironic and poetic choice, and a beautiful and sorrowful acoustic update of Weller's classic rocker. Listen to the lyrics, Liam. Your brother is trying to tell you something!

The hidden Weller track might be the album's most anticipated bummer. It failed to move me at all.

All in all, this album deserves a listen. If you were a fan of The Jam back in the day or if you only recently discovered their music, you will enjoy this album. I suggest buying The Jam's box set or buying the old records and playing them side by side for a nice comparison.

A pleasant surprise among so many mediocre "tribute" albums in the bins these days.

Can I buy just half?
How could you let someone ruin "That's Entertainment" the way Reef did? It's like letting Motorhead cover "For No One" by the Beatles. Morrissey's version was a million times better, but unfortunately, it didn't end up here. You can rip the Gallagher's but they did some of the best work on this record, hands down. Borrow this cd from a friend and just tape or burn the good tracks. ... Read more

Album Description

Fourteen indie rock bands from all over the country come together to celebrate the music of Jawbox. ... Read more

Album Description

The Beat Of Dis-content is the first CD released by Auralgasms.com. It features some of our favorite selections from the site. This compilation contains many up and coming artists, as well as some voices you may be familiar with. You may be familiar with Kristy Thirsk's voice on many Delerium hits, Tanya Donnelly's voice with Belly and Throwing Muses, Mark Gardener's voice as the lead singer of Ride, or Violet Indiana (featuring Robin Guthrie of The Cocteau Twins and Siobhan de Mare' of Mono). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Big Sonic Heaven for the rest of us...
This album is hauntingly intimate and deeply personal. It is mellow and swirling and evokes deep feeling.

The artists on this album are not so well known, but I have found have a rabid fan base for those who know them. Many of them are familiar in the Detroit music circles, especially from a radio show that played for about 6 years on one of the more popular radio stations there. The show was Big Sonic Heaven and it showcased Dreampop, Triphop, Electronica, Brit pop and singer-songwriters and was the best part of many listeners' Sunday nights.

This album continues that legacy and brings new artists into the mix as well. The album is great late night listening, background music or something to simply sit around and lounge with a cup of tea while the music swirls around you, enveloping you in etheral aural bliss. ... Read more

Album Description

1998 compilation featuring Coil, Nurse With Wound, Current 93, The Inflatable Sideshow (aka NWW) and a solo track from Coil keyboardist/programmer Peter Christopherson. Originallyreleased to support Coil front-man John Balance's drug and alcohol rehabilit ... Read more

Album Description

The new remix version of the acclaimed Group Audio Letter is a pastiche of musical styles boldly spanning the landscapes of electro hip-hop, worldbeat, experimental jazz and psychedelia. The seven remixed pieces are a collaborative effort where the original members of the band, Sharon Gannon, Sue Ann Harkey, David Life and Jazz Greats, Denis Charles and Don Cherry are joined by Beastie Boy, Mike D, with a pro vegetarian message from animal rights activist, John Robbins, djs Sean Dinsmore and Cheb i Sabbah, Sky Cries Mary’s Roderick Romero, Ambiant wizard, Bill Laswell, hip hop wonders, Russell Simmons and Rev Run (run DMC) to create a musical journey which shimmers with the dust of ancient wisdom and proves that great music doesn’t have to be forced fit into one limited category. Produced by Sharon Gannon, distributed through META records ... Read more

Album Description

Singer/songwriter Jonathan Rundman spent his elementary school days listening to albums by FM radio arena-rockers STYX. As a 25-year-old in the late-‘90s, Rundman moved to Chicago, STYX’s hometown, and began a career as a full-time traveling musician. While playing club gigs in Chicago, Rundman met Thomas Dunning, host of the infamous "Hoot Night" show at Schuba’s Tavern. Dunning had recently released I Wanna Be Kate: The Songs of Kate Bush, a tribute album on his own independent label featuring contributions from Midwestern bands. Dunning’s Kate Bush Tribute CD provided a catalyst and inspired Rundman’s plans for a STYX Tribute project.

Little did Rundman know that executive producing a compilation album with submissions from various bands across the country would take nearly two years to complete. Back in the Summer of 2001 initial invitations went out to artists that Rundman thought might be interested. After getting shot down by some big-time acts like Alison Krauss, Rundman got interest from numerous indie rock and alt-country bands who had been closeted STYX fans since the 1970s. As song submissions arrived Rundman was amazed at the way the musical arrangements had evolved beyond the original STYX album versions. Throughout 2002 Rundman collected STYX cover-songs from some of his favorite musicians from across the American rock & roll landscape

Finally in the Spring of 2003 the album’s songs were assembled and mastered. The CD artwork was created by painter/designer Kelly Newcomer, who brought her "peaceful technology" themes to the project. Now in the Summer of 2003 TOO MUCH TIME ON OUR HANDS: A STYX TRIBUTE ALBUM is finally ready for release. Coincidentally, the band STYX is simultaneously launching a national tour (with Journey) in support of a new studio album. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Interesting Look @ Styx and indie artitsts
This album makes an interesting study for any Styx fan, or a fan of any of the artists that contributed. Unique in its approach, Too Much Time On Our Hands emphasizes the vision of each artist's interpretation of the track to which they contributed. In that way, fans who know each artist's style will easiliy recognise their sound. Like any compilation or mix tape, there are highs and lows for every listener. Favorite moments: Lost and Found's freakish grade school recorder Grand Illusion, a heavy Man In the Wilderness by Jerry Chapman and His Evil Herbivores, and the album's cover design.

A new take on the old songs...
How could one not love Styx? Yeah, they're bombastic and their 70's and 80's hits sound a bit dated now, but Styx always crafted melodic rock that stuck with you.
Here's a fine and fun set of Styx songs done in decidedly unStyx ways. And it's a bit of a revelation.
My favorite tracks include Alva Star's lovely rendition of "Lady" (ditto for Jeff Krebs' version of "Boat on the River"), the bizzare take of "Babe" by Jim Roll and the Famous Authors, the emotional Beki Hemingway track, and the punk-indie "Grand Finale" by Hearts Beat Red.
Overall, it's a must for Styx fans...

More interesting than exciting
If you do a cover of a well known song you must change it enough to distinguish your recording yet leave it recognisable. The versions on this album are distinct enough to be worth the effort but they lack the grandeur that makes the originals great. Gone is the extraordinary showmanship Dennis DeYoung brought to his vocals. Gone is the agony of JYs screaming guitar. In their place is a more respectable laid-back and folkish sound. These are good songs performed well but they don't inspire the way classics do. ... Read more

Album Description

Jonathan Richman's career as singer, songwriter, and all-around mischief-maker now spans more than thirty years. Like Lou Reed & the Velvet Underground before him, Richman has inspired countless music fans around the world to take off their headphones and strap on guitars. From his Velvet-inflected early days with the original Modern Lovers, through numerous iterations of the Lovers, to his latter-day solo career, Richman's work has mixed an arresting sense of innocence with a deep sensitivity to human emotion. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Great party record!
I've been a Jonathan fan for a long time and it's really great to hear a compilation like this. Lots of energy and humor, and very true to the spirit of Jonathan. It mostly focuses on his early ('70s) songs, but there are a couple versions of his more recent tunes, too. I'm hooked. If you want to hear classic Jonathan Richman songs done the way Jonathan might do them now, get this CD!

I think they all work for Wampus!
Hey, I'm sorry, I'm listening to it right now and it is...absolutely horrible! If you go way back with Jo-Jo, stay away from this garbage. Who's kidding who - It appears to be a bunch of locals (DC) doing disastrous covers of Jonathan songs. No feeling, no heart, no character. Totally bogus and contrived. Jonathan deserves so much better than this.

The folks at Wampus did a great job!
This cd is an absolute necessity for Jonathan Richman fans. There's a great flow to these tracks, with a nice blend of Jonathan's earliest to his more recent music. We get Jonathan at his most punk (Pablo Picasso, I'm Straight, Modern World) and at his very sweetest (Government Center, Ice Cream Man, Little Airplane). There isn't a bad song on the whole thing!

The opening track is from a great band called the Fee Foe 5 "Someone I Care About" who sound like ? and the Mysterians meet the original Modern Lovers (check out that organ)! The band most likely to make you wanna slam dance was definitely the Microwave Orphans, "Dignified and Old." The band most likely to make you wanna dance like the Peanuts gang - that was a tie between the Underhill's "Government Center" and Beeky's "Little Airplane." Jonathan himself recommends the Crowd Scene's track "When Harpo Played His Harp." (I was there when he said it Mal) And Geoff P. Russell's Inhibition Exhibition's has the most original version of "Hey There Little Insect" ever recorded. The disk ends with two of my favorite Jonathan songs, "Lonely Financial Zone" by Kowtow Popof, and "Twilight in Boston" by the Wampeters.

Great selection of songs. 47 minutes of FUN!

hoping for a sequel
this cd is really something to behold. from the great album design to each and every song. i can only hope these groups decide to do a sequel. maybe one a year, not just of jojo songs, but maybe a cheap trick trib, or herman's hermits. that would be great. i wonder if there are any videos to these songs on the web?? kudos to all at wampus multimedia for a job well done.

-bob

MY GIRLFREN TRICKED ME INTO IT ...
She is like obsessed with this Johnathan Richmond guy, and I usually cringe when I hear his voice, but she put this cd on of other "GOOD" bands doing his songs, and i had no clue it was his music, and i even said to her "now THIS is good music" not like that nasally guy you are so nuts about, and she just smiled like a cheshire cat and made a tape of it for me to listen to in my car, and i started singing all the songs around the house, and finally she told me these songs were written by that guy from Something About Mary that I always complained about. I mean, it's not a "5" like Creed or something, but it really is good. Bye. ... Read more

Album Description

The Hen House Anthology Volume Two is the second CD of a series of compilation CD's showcasing LA's up and coming bands.The artists and styles vary from underground singer songwriters, like Andy Tubman to more well known artists like Fishbone.The music is as diverse as the people in Los Angeles ranging from Soul to Rock to Ska. ... Read more