Album Description

Powerful and passionate instrumental music on electric violin and guitar.A journey from classical to contemporary, with jazzy, new age original compositions and dynamic interpretations of timeless classical works from Dowland to Pachabel, including a dynamic Blues selection.Our music will fill your days and nights with joy and positive energy. As it has done for so many, it can help to release you from pain and suffering and bring joy and love into your life and the lives of those you care for. Fifteen tracks. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Touches my soul
I "discovered" Malcolm Watson at an art show in Michigan. It was the end of the day, and suddenly we heard this wonderful violin music. My 6 year old son and I went over, and watched this odd man in a white tuxedo dance under the roof of a gazebo...bare foot. He seemed to be completely in love with his work. We purchased the Catharsis CD. This CD makes me want to learn the violin, just so I can come home after a rough day and experience the release that must occur when one coaxes such beautiful music from a man made instrument. Hell, I want to learn how to make the instrument that makes this music. It has that kind of an effect on me. If I could choose the theme song for the story of my life, it would be number 11, "Autumn". Highly recommended!
--TJM

A Journey on the Rivers of your Mind
I had the unexpected pleasure of first hearing Watson & Edge as they preformed on Pearl Street in Boulder, CO. Watson was dressed in a light colored suit and danced barefoot as he played on the street in the shadows of the Flat Irons on an Indian summer Sunday afternoon. His light steps kept perfect rhythm with his bow. I highly recommend this CD if you want to enjoy being consumed by music that will take you on a journey you have never been on before; and will not want it to end.

Savor the Range
This recording illustrates the widest selection range presented by the duo-all played with an emphasis on arousing strong emotion. The quality of Malcolm Watson's training is evident in the confidence of his technique. Darren Skanson is a worthy match. This duo generates a lot of music from two instruments. The listener will play it many times and remain engaged by the flow of each piece into the other, yet all representing different types of music. A recording to enjoy in many settings and one which will be played many,many times.

Music with emotion!
This is not the classical music you learned about in grade school, this is music with emotion, feeling and soul! This is music from somone who feels every note they play. Regardless of what genre of music you like, I think this is a must have for any music collection. I gave this only 4 stars because, the studio recording just can not capture the energy they bring to their live shows. ... 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

Includes liner notes by Sam Rosenthal, founder of Projekt Records and the band Black Tape For A Blue Girl. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Darkwave; music of the Shadows v2 is......
Just a great CD. I probably have been listening to it at least once a day for over a year now. You can space out to it, listen to it as you're going to bed, or while on the computer. Each song is different but mostly ties together in one way or anyother. My fav songs Partus - Stoa and Sparks by Faith and The Muse. If you like dark ethereal music, you need this in your collection.

Good Compilation
This comp was put together by Sam Rosenthal of Prokekt, so Projekt bands feature rather heavily (in addition to Love Spirals Downwards, Black Tape, Controlled Bleeding, Lycia and Steve Roach, the bands Rhea's Obession, Faith and the Muse, Stoa, and The Crüxshadows have all made their way onto Projekt samplers in the past).

That being said, though, it's a good compliation, and comes off very strong. I personally would have liked some more etherial tracks to some of the more percussion-laden songs chosen for the disc, but that's just personal preference.

The CD would probably make a good introduction to the genre.

Again Scary to think that KTEL is doing this
I mean honestly, has the goth movement become so well mainstream that K-Tel has decided to do us? But aside from the K-Tel label, again, they have come out strong with this CD. Not quite the basic Gothic Music you find on other compilations. Lot's o' Projekt bands and such, but a very nice melodic view of the Gothic Genre from the electronica/medevil view. Nice mix again! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Living in the 80's
This CD is awesome. All the songs make you want to put on leg warmers! Any CD with 99 red balloons has to be great! ... Read more

Album Description

These two albums feature The Glory and The Magnificent, 26punk and Oi! anthems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Magnifcent (NL) & The Glory (UK)- Skins & Punks Vol.3
This is a re-issue of the 1986 split album origionally released by Roddy Moreno's Oi! Records label.

Track 1 till 12:Is the origional side one of the album and are from the UK's Oi!band "The Glory". Some good old fashioned Oi! Oi! music straight from the heart, and straight foreward, for the more serious moonstompin' bootboys. For more on "The Glory" see also: "We are what we are/Never" on Amazon.com (step1;ASIN:B000007Z66)

Track 13 till 20: Is the origional side 2, and here we find Dutch Punk&StreetRock Legends "The Magnificent". More melodic Punk music with 1977 style influences and for sure the type of punk as made as it was in the 80's.

Track 21 till 26: Are added as a bonus and are taken from "Hit and Run" which is the first full length album of "The Magnificent" released in 1988 at 'Link Records'.For more info on "The Magnificent" see also the more extensive review at: "Hit and Run" on Amazon.com (ASIN:B000004SYE1) or go to their webpage at: http://www.themagnificent.nl

Feb 15 2001. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

MISREPRESENTED
I purchased this CD because I am an avid collector of original Jamaican ska. I simply love this musical genre. This particular collection is not all ska. Several of the tracks are calypsos. There is some good vintage ska here, but the people who put this together shouldn't have marketed it as a ska compilation because it is not. It should be re-titled to better reflect what it is. Ska is ska. Calypsos are calypsos. Calypsos and ska tunes DO NOT sound good together. I was disappointed in this CD. I'm the Big Oh and I say don't say it's ska when it's part calypso. I gotta go.

King of Kings!
This album serves as quite possibly the best and most accessable ska compilation available. It progresses chronologically from Laurel Aitken's 1959 hit "Boogie in my Bones" through the formative years of early ska, through Millie Small's 1964 smash "My Boy Lollipop." Along the way, it covers its bases with cuts from undeniably the world's greatest trombonist, Skatalite Don Drummond, as well as early tracks from Toots Hibbert, Jimmy Cliff, and Bob Marley. Two years ago, after spending a year listening to third wave ska, I picked up this album and haven't looked back since. It's full of amazing classics such as "Carry, Go Bring, Come" and a couple of sweet duets "We'll Meet" and the unbeatable "Housewife's Choice." This album is perfect for those just learning to skank, those fed up with ska-core, or anyone looking to supplement their reggae collection with some of the earliest classics. It's a great survey of the first few years of early Jamaican music. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Forgotten alt-bands of the 90s remember alt-bands of the 80s
When bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam redefined the "alternative rock" genre in the early 90s, it became easy to forget that the 70s and 80s had alternative scenes of their own.

Except back then it was called "new wave" and the songs were characterized by synth-driven tempos, propulsive arrangements, and lyrics about alienation and nuclear war.

Freedom of Choice, a fund-raiser for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, presents some of the genre's best songs and places them in the context of the alternative rock of the 90s. So, songs by the Human League, A Flock of Seagulls, Missing Persons and Soft Cell are covered by Chia Pet, It's OK, Erectus Monotone, and Finger, respectively. Add covers of pre-new wavers Elvis Costello by Mudhoney and Iggy Pop by Tiny Lights, and you've got the idea.

When this collection came out in 1992, it was probably a little early to be commemorating the 80s and call -- as the liner notes do -- the Go-Go's Charlotte Caffey and Devo's Gerald V. "new wave legends". The good news, however, is that unlike most compilation CDs, this one is surprisingly consistent.

Sonic Youth, perhaps the best-known alternative band on the compilation, turn in a fine dismantling of Plastic Bertrand's "Ca Plane Pour Moi" as do Yo La Tengo, who cover Blondie's best song, "Dreaming".

White Flag provide an effective, albeit unrecognizable, cover of Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and the Muffs score with an upbeat version of Paul Collins' "Rock & Roll Girl".

More faithful to the originals are Mudhoney's take on Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" and the Connells' rendition of Split Enz's "I Got You."

Ten years after the fact, this compilation remains an interesting relic, though it's telling that the bands of the 80s covered here are still remembered fondly, while the bands doing the covering are, but for a handful, mostly forgotten.

The dream of a Tribute lover
Many people hate tribute records. Many people like them. I am one of the later. I accept that they are often made in a careless way, looking like the artist involved didn't care too much for something they are doing free. This is not the case here. Almost all the covers are taken very seriously, with love. After all those are the songs that really got a lot of people into music. And we are talking about some heavyweigths here: Sonic Youth (alma mater of the project), Mudhoney, Yo la Tengo... ... Read more

Album Details

A Compilation of Essential Performances, Each No Longer Than One Minute, by an Eclectic Selection of Fine Artists from Mainstream Pop to the Cutting Edge. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Supershort tracks run the gamut from art to noise
I purchased this album on vinyl in the mid 80's and listened to it for many years. I tend to think of it as short-attention-span theater for the ear. A wide range of subjects are covered through music, spoken word, audio collage, and other methods. It's not all music, but the styles include folk, avant garde, punk, classical, even vaudeville; and all tracks have a certain lo-fi feel.

Alternately in-your-face and fragile, the tracks are contributed by not only musicians, but also poets, pilosophers, illustrators, teachers and other creative people -- all of whom received personal invitations to submit from Morgan-Fischer, the album's editor. And while a few contributors may seem mired in the academic or the 'arty', the album as a whole feels lighthearted, spontaneous and fun.

"Miniatures" shifts gears so often that it may take more than a few spins before you begin to appreciate the individual pieces on their own. (You won't get a complete picture from hearing just a few samples either.) There are some memorable tracks waiting to be found in the cacophony, however. Some of my favorites include the endearingly humble "Sweetest Love" as rendered by the infamous illustrator Ralph Steadman; a rapid reading of da-da poetry entitled "Sounds That Saved My Life" by George Melly; Quentin Crisp's lofty derision of teenage culture entitled "Stop the Music for a Minute;" and The Pengun Cafe Orchestra's "Aurthur's Treat" (still one of the most treasured pieces of music I own).

This collection sometimes tests the boundaries between pop music and dissonat noise as certain contributors experiment with technique and technology. But "Miniatures" manages to stay entertaining throughout, and I always thought of it as a rare and collectable novelty record. (It also provides excellent answering machine material.)

I would have given it 5 stars but it occasionaly suffers from its own lo-fi production values, and is also bound to be just too strange for most people.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Hear, in 60 Seconds or Less
In 1979 keyboardist Morgan Fisher (Morgan, Mott The Hoople) sent out invitations to about a hundred of his favorite musicians to supply him with a miniature of their work. The only restriction was that the piece couldn't be over a minute long.

Surprisingly, he received many more responses than he could use! What resulted is this album, chock full of fabulous little pieces by nearly every musician of interest twenty years ago. They range from the obtuse ("The Complete Works of Henry Cow" overdubbed into a cacophonous roar) to the sublime ("The Swift"). Along the way you'll meet classic eccentrics, rock idols, and more than a few names who are much better known today than they were then. Fisher is nothing if not a shrewd judge of character.

This project is not just a novelty -- well, okay maybe it is. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A diverse tribute indeed!
The late Drew Blood, a good friend of mine submitted the hidden track which follows the final track of 'Shutdown'. It is a spoken word poem he wrote about Darby, The Germs and LA Punk in general. It doesn't get credit but is audible if you wait for the last track. I really love the diverse versions each artist brought to show the influence The Germs had on them in whatever way they did. Darby you are missed and so are you Drew.

Circle of Friends
I loved the Germs when I was in Jr. High School and bought GI on vinyl when it came out. This seminal album has inspired many other bands and is a masterpiece. I picked up Circle of Friends at a used CD store yesterday and it brought back old memories. This is a great CD if you liked the Germs. I found the Posies rendition of Richie Dagger's Crime to be hilarious.

It's ok for a tribute album
I never really ever cared for buying tribute albums , but I only really bought this to hear NOFX's cover of "Forming" , but the rest of the CD has some pretty descent material , especially White Flag's cover of "Manimal" . It is descent , but I wouldn't really recommend unless you really like the Germs , or you like some of the band's on this. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Tribute albums?
The problem with tribute albums; you only buy them only if you liked the original, and this is not the original.
The only remakes I like of DK songs; Disposeable Heros 'California Uber Alles', and Mojo Nixon's 'Winnebago Warrior', which suck on this album.
I mean buy the original, and if you have to buy a remake, buy the original remakes, Hipocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury and Gadzooks: The Homemade Bootleg.

Aging very well.
I bought this album on vinyl when it was released. I sat in my room with headphones on, listening over and over again. It was great. I taped it and listened in my car. My friends asked, "what the hell IS this?". I kept listening. It ruled.

Time passed, I lost the tape, sold my turntable. Last month I bought the CD, wondering if it would still sound as good as it did when I was younger.

It mostly did. The highlights are definately Moon Over Marin, California Ueber Alles (and if you like it too, check out Spearhead, Mike Franti's current group), and the NOMEANSNO track (a capella! wow!). The other tracks often benefit from a little more volume, and some are too close to the original DK interpretation to be very fresh, but altogether a fine tribute album, and worth your time and money if you like Dead Kennedy's music.

a dead kennedy's no brainer
this was Alternative tentacles 100th release, they wanted to make it count. if you like DK, this is a must have. The covers are well done and too much fun. this album gives you a complete new feeling for"Moon over Marin" if you are old school and remember the "old days" of punk, this is a definite keeper ... Read more