Album Description

While their eleventh full length may strike you as easylistening with its soft steel guitars, female harmonyvocals, and fluttering guitars, Supper retains Smog'spenchant for sharp observations, a steady stream ofhumorous specters, and discomfiting intimacy. 9 tracks.Drag City. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A Wondrous Supper with Bill Callahan
Smog, which is to say Callahan plus guests, has probably recorded his most accessible and bright album to date. Now, "accessible" or "bright" are terms that must be qualified, when it comes to Smog. The wise irony of his lyrics and stark melodies, which have been staples of Callahan's songwriting are very much present here too, yet these songs seem to reveal a new phase of his personal and artistic development. As he said in one of his early songs, "I'm gathering splinters / to make a raft someday," and so he has and he's, it is my intuition, more interested in reaching you, than ever before. This is particularly poignant in "Truth Serum," "Anniversary," and, my personal favorite, the quirkily countryish "Feather By Feather," songs that combine the precision and irony of his best lyrics, with unassumingly simple yet enthralling melodies. This album should rank with "Knock Knock" or "Red Apple Falls," although its mood is definitely lighter by Smog standards, as a work of high consistency and weight. As Callahan says himself, in "Feather By Feather," this is music for people "who when they do the movie of your life / they gonna have to ask you to do your own stunts."

Parallel universe buffet - all you can eat
Another gem from Lou Reed's deadpan bastard cousin, Bill Callahan, whose 2X4 baritone and ability to sound assured and vulnerable at the same time evoke a terse bartender packing heat in the world's unconsciously hippest saloon; there may be danger, and it could be your funeral, but everyone will dress sexy for it, and would you want it any other way? The usual Smog palette is in place: thoughtful, nuanced arrangements and understated, dry, poignant lyrics that avoid being maudlin. Pedal steel guitar anchors some of the lovelier harmonies, which are launched into orbit by a female vocalist (listen to "Feather by Feather" & the epic "Truth Serum", almost too short at only 7+ minutes); not as earthbound as his last "Rain on Lens", "Supper" aims for the ethereal sonic beauty of '97's "Red Apple Falls" with the incisive, laconic songwriting that marked "Dongs of Sevotion"'s austere power. Rather than uprooting you with the force of an earthquake, Callahan's songs usually feel like aftershocks, low-key jolts that will turn your head but still leave your house standing. As he sings (in the leadoff song): "When they make the movie of your life, you'll have to do your own stunts.....", you're struck by his prescience - songwriter or seer? That walk on the wild side may just land you in a pothole.

Along with M. Ward's "Transfiguration of Vincent" and Howe Gelb's excellent "The Listener", you probably won't find a better album this year.

Record of the Year(so far) and (Smog)'s best (so far)
Smog's new full length, "Supper", is a masterpiece. From the beautiful and unpredictable "Butterflies Drowned in Wine", to the call and answer lyrical genius of "Truth Serum", Callahan flawlessly pulls off a new, more captivating sound. Never has one of his records represented his ideas so clearly. His songwriting is concise, intelligent and brilliant. (Smog) is in a league all his own stucture-wise. His songs on "Supper" are like a lovely rollercoaster ride. There's the build of anticipation, that ultimately pays off every single time. Also, you'll notice that any bad reviews of this work are about the fact that Callahan doesn't sound like he used to. All I have to say is that his old sound has absolutely nothing to do with the beautiful work he has produced now. An artist who remains the same throughout his carreer is an irrelevent artist. None of the bad reviews say anything about the record except that it's different. Last time I checked that wasn't a bad thing. "Supper" is an album unlike any other by (Smog) or otherwise. It is an acheivement.

Interesting...
A pleasant surprise. If you've never heard this guy, he's a cross between Lou Reed, John Cale & Willie Nelson. Interesting guitar playing (a la Nirvana, perhaps).

But certainly unique, despite my attempts to convey the style & sound through the work of others. I'd be interested in hearing more...

If he hadn't already made three classics . .
At some point during each week in the past month, I have thought I was tired of this album. "If I hear the butterfly song again, I will put my head through a window," I said. Then, two days later, I put it back in the player, and every week I find something else I really love about it. I took "Feather by Feather" for countrified schmaltz at first but now think it sort of stunning and quietly powerful. "Our Anniversary" is worth a full-fledged obsession. After the mostly dull Rain on Lens, I thought that Mr. Callahan was maybe too tired to turn out another great one. A lot of peoples' familiarity with Smog, or their ideas of what Smog music is, will keep them from listening to this album for what it is--varied, bright, crafted, subtle, achingly gorgeous. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

Indie rockers loved for their lo-fi sound always risk losing fans when they shine their new releases with big-band polish. Luckily for Guided by Voices zealots, their prolific king, Robert Pollard, can't seem to steer his band any direction but up. On Isolation Drills, GBV builds on the full sound of Do the Collapse, enlisting Robert Scnapf (Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith, Beck) to help with production. The result is a two-tiered record that sparkles with the fullness of fuzzy guitars, pounding drums, and the backing textures of organ, piano, and strings, while cracking the code of Pollard's more fragile psyche.

The band's gritty sound has swelled into a grand sonic landscape, but a closer look shows a pockmarked world existing between the lyrical lines. Pollard's whimsical songwriting takes a turn for the serious on a number of Isolation songs. On "The Brides Have Hit Glass," he laments, "It won't last/ To be on top of your own world/ With no guard rails to cling onto/ You fall so very fast." On "How's My Drinking?" he almost slurs the words about ceasing to care for sobriety as he sings, "I won't change," and coos with the rest of the melody. Isolation is a brilliant mix of uptempo Pollard anthems ("Glad Girls") teetering on the edge of a fractured looking glass. --Jennifer Maerz ... Read more

Reviews (66)

a total disaster - except for frostman! frostman rocks!
this cd is awful. the only great song on here is frostman. this song is full of the integrity one comes to expect from a great band like guided by voices. this is the real deal. this is the way gbv should always sound.

as for the rest of this album, it reeks of the kind of professionalism that us gbv fans hate. i mean, stuff like fair touching, skills like this, chasing heather crazy, twilight campfire, want one, the enemy, unspirited, glad girls, run wild, pivotal film, brides have hit glass, and privately sound like classic rock performances through and through. you can not only hear but actually understand pollard's lyrics (most of which have repeated choruses!!), the drummer is way too solid to be indie, and the guitars are in tune. in a nutshell, these songs just sound too good.

okay, this isn't bee thousand or alien lanes, but it's better than do the collapse or mag earwhig. in fact, this is a great album in its own right. the best since under the bushes. so don't hate bob because he's beautiful. enjoy!

Settle for a muted muse
I hate to be a naysayer of Bob Pollard's admirable talent for song, but this album, compared to the stuff I expect out of GBV, stinks. It just doesn't match up to Under the Bushes, Under the Trees, Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Mag Earwhig!, etc. Sure, it's better than 99.9% of the [stuff] you can listen to on commercial radio. It's better than 99.9% of the stuff GBV cannibalized to make their amalgam of psychedelic ueber-pop rock. But it's just not up to par. I expect a few things from a Guided by Voices album: catchy songs, cool riffs, weird experiments. This album sounds as though they failed to capture the 'catchy songs' and as though trying to cover up for the loss, drenched the songs in unnecessary riffs. When only four songs on a GBV album really catch me ("Chasing Heather Crazy," "Twilight Campfighter," "Sister I Need Wine," and "The Brides Have Hit Glass") something is wrong. In fact, some of the songs are just plain annoying. Now, I can accept annoying songs on GBV albums, they tend to show up in the third requisite ('weird experiments'), but here they raise their ugly head in actual attempts at melody. "Want One?" and "Run Wild" force me to skip (egads, skip entirely!) tracks. On a Guided by Voices album. Heresy. Now, overall, this is a moderately good album, it doesn't annoy me that I spent my money on this album. It's about the quality I would get had I spent my money on one of the myriad of psychedelic-pop bands littering college radio (Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples in Stereo, to name a few). But it's like buying a Beatles album and settling for the Monkees.

(For the note, I'm not one of those who despises the increased productions values or major label distribution: all the better, spread the word and make it sound better. Do the Collapse was a fine album, done with great production values but also great songs; this is mediocre.)

The High Fidelity Works, People!
I loved the low-fi GBV. We all did. And I resisted the move to actual production and musicianship. We all did. Truth is, Pollard et al are better with the improvements. Admit it, you can hear how "Chasing Heather Crazy" would have sounded in the old days. Now listen again. It's crisp. It's immediate. It's better than it would have been then. Propulsive percussion is good. Distinguishing the bass from the muck is good. This is a great CD. It turned me from fan into believer. "Twilight Campfighter" is breathtaking. "Glad Girls" is a song you want to listen to with the top down. Bob, please, oh please re-record "Game of Pricks". Please! Buy this CD. Unless you are ridiculously in love with tape hiss, you will love this. Unless you are resistant to growth, advancement and improvement, buy this CD. If you are resistant to growth and love tape hiss, please seek out Silverchair bootlegs. Buy this, and then buy Earthquake Glue.

Out of the Bushes, Chasing the Stars
The critical intelligentsia seems to agree on Isolation Drills being GBV's best since Bee Thousand. While I don't necessarily agree (Mag Earwhig would be my pick) I can see why this record has garnered that kind of praise. But more importantly, it's truly interesting to see how even though there is a certain overlap ("Glad Girls", "Chasing Heather Crazy") everyone seems to list a different set of favorites from the album (I personally enjoy "Unspirited" and "Privately" very much) --regardless of how they feel about Isolation Drills as a whole. That, my friends, is always a good sign: a measure of the songwriting possessing a little something for everyone, without falling into contrived and trite conventions. Add a sympathetic, complimentary production by Rob Schnapf, and it's indisputable that Isolation Drills succeeds on various levels. (Even the packaging rocks!) In Bob we trust.

The fading captain and a simple equation
After reading the press and then listening to "Isolation Drills" you'd swear Bob Pollard is the most over-rated songwriter in the history of popular music. His cult may point to the imposing catalogue of GBV (and GBV spin-off) material as evidence of the man's genius, but quantity has never been a dependable litmus test for quality.

The best songs on "Isolation Drills" are all based around a corruption of the "Don't Fear the Reaper" chord progression, and their melodies - though filled with hooks - get mired in simple repetition. A song like "Glad Girls" starts out like the best song Big Star never wrote and quickly, and I mean quickly, turns into a repetitive snorefest. "Fair Touching", "Chasing Heather Crazy", and "The Brides Have Hit Glass" all share the same futile grasping at rote pop perfection.

The remainder of "Isolation Drills" consists of uniformly plodding, faceless rawk and pointless ballads bereft of any melodic or lyric invention. This kind of songcraft may have sounded promising back when Pollard presented it as 4-track GBV basement knock-offs, but now that he's set foot in the big leagues the lie has been bared. Fans often boast that Pollard packs more melody and emotion into his 40-second song fragments than most bands put into an entire album, but if "Isolation Drills" admits anything it's that those allegedly brilliant song shards exist as fragments simply because Pollard doesn't have the ability to finish them.

It's like Bob Pollard has learned every trick in the songwriting book except the most important: a great pop song must contain an inherent sense of drama for it to sweep the listener away for its three minute entirety. A simple verse/chorus/verse structure creates nothing but a ditty if it doesn't lead to a transcendental climax of some sort. The best rock'n'roll has that moment. Guided by Voices doesn't. Ergo, Guided by Voices is not the best rock'n'roll. It's all simple mathematics.

Although, if you're an unrepentant hipster who wants a band that you can call your own with no danger of it ever becoming popular, then look no further, this is the band for you... As long as you don't care that the emperor's tackle box is fully exposed. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

fingernails on the chalkboard
This is children's music for adults, and in the worst possible way. There is nothing genuinely sweet about this record, all of the songs are forced and insincere. This is probably the second worst CD I have ever paid full price for, the worst being a Danielson Familie album.

why can't anyone else write a good, honest, happy album?
i really think it's one of the hardest things in the world to write a successfully happy song without sounding dumb, cliche, or corny. of montreal avoids all of these things successfully, and crafts pretty damn good albums. the 60s influence is obviously there and rightfully so, *i* think they pull off a more honest and dynamic approach to pop songs than a lot of their classmates in the school of pop music (their connection to the brilliant alterior movement in pop w/great bands like the music tapes, olivia tremor control, neutral milk hotel is not to be ignored, but also not to be grouped with! ).

they get slung a lot of bad reviews from people without a tolerance for any sort of pop music, but i think if you can stand to not be self-conscious about how this compares with the rest of your record collection for 40 minutes and just enjoy someone else's view into a world less tragic and bitter than yours, this album is simple but smart, sweet and quirky, straightforward and unpretentious, and so are all their others.

The Most Beautiful Song I've Ever Heard
"Sing you a Love You Song" is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's amazing and so, so cute. I'd like to hurt "Pop Kulcher" in the face.

A Clever (But Flawed) "Concept Album" About Relationships
Pop Kulcher Review: This is one of the more offbeat and colorful albums I've picked up this year, though, sadly, it never quite works as well as it could. Of Montreal are part of the omni-present Elephant 6 collective of neo-pop bands, though trading many of those bands' trademark psychedelic power pop and studio gimmickry for a stripped down, pre-rock organic sound. Bedside Drama is an endearing concept album, tracing a single relationship from the initial crush to the painful breakup. Along the way we get the wedding, the the growing staleness and increasing communication breakdown, post-breakup resentment, and finally a sort of contented resolution. And it's all done with such a disarming, naive charm that it never gets maudlin or hokey. The sound falls somewhere between the similarly pastoral Kinks classic Village Green Preservation Society and Syd Barrett's solo albums (with some obvious nods to the Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks collaborations and the little-known pre-King Crimson charmer The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp). The album's strength lies in its uniquely guileless, pretense-free lyrics: the initial serenade is built on the refrain "I doubt that you're the only one like you that I'll find, but I'm sure you're one of a very few of a kind," while the album closes with the lament, "It's easy to sleep when you're dead" (a surprisingly chipper, upbeat song). Instrumentally, the album is pretty mid-fi, primarily acoustic guitars and simple drums with the occasional organ or kazoo solo. Ultimately, though, the album is somewhat unsatisfying; while the concept is clever to a fault, Of Montreal lacks either the pure popcraft of an Apples in Stereo or the musical innovation of an Olivia Tremor Control necessary to provide an entertaining musical foundation for the album's lyrical charms. Fans of any of the albums noted above might want to check this out, but I can't see giving it more than the occasional spin.

A Clever Concept Executed With Charm, But Falls A Bit Flat
Pop Kulcher Review: This is one of the more offbeat and colorful albums I've picked up this year, though, sadly, it never quite works as well as it could. Of Montreal are part of the omni-present Elephant 6 collective of neo-pop bands, though trading many of those bands' trademark psychedelic power pop and studio gimmickry for a stripped down, pre-rock organic sound. Bedside Drama is an endearing concept album, tracing a single relationship from the initial crush to the painful breakup. Along the way we get the wedding, the the growing staleness and increasing communication breakdown, post-breakup resentment, and finally a sort of contented resolution. And it's all done with such a disarming, naive charm that it never gets maudlin or hokey. The sound falls somewhere between the similarly pastoral Kinks classic Village Green Preservation Society and Syd Barrett's solo albums (with some obvious nods to the Brian Wilson/Van Dyke Parks collaborations and the little-known pre-King Crimson charmer The Cheerful Insanity of Giles, Giles and Fripp). The album's strength lies in its uniquely guileless, pretense-free lyrics: the initial serenade is built on the refrain "I doubt that you're the only one like you that I'll find, but I'm sure you're one of a very few of a kind," while the album closes with the lament, "It's easy to sleep when you're dead" (a surprisingly chipper, upbeat song). Instrumentally, the album is pretty mid-fi, primarily acoustic guitars and simple drums with the occasional organ or kazoo solo. Ultimately, though, the album is somewhat unsatisfying; while the concept is clever to a fault, Of Montreal lacks either the pure popcraft of an Apples in Stereo or the musical innovation of an Olivia Tremor Control necessary to provide an entertaining musical foundation for the album's lyrical charms. Fans of any of the albums noted above might want to check this out, but I can't see giving it more than the occasional spin. ... Read more

Album Details

Includes "Rock N Roll Nurse", Not Found on the USA Edition. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Buy this if you like buy this buy this buy this
I'm so happy I stumbled across this band. I was looking through a magazine and saw a little snippet about them, it didn't even say anything, just that jack white produced it, but I decided to buy it. It's great. It swampy and bluesy, the recording sounds cool, very vintage, but they sound fresh--their songs are exciting and original. I'm running across a lot of other bands in this same vein, I guess, where their songs are cool, but stale. The Von Bondies are exciting. I know this is a really bad review, but it's a cool CD.

Hey, and if you want to see them on DVD, get Later . . . Louder, it's a DVD compilatoin of musical guest who have appeared on Later with Jools Holland. It's got the VBs, the white stripes, QOTSA, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Jesus and Mary chain, BRMC, cardigans, mercury rev, afgan whigs, vines, new order, soundtrack of our lives, black crowes, primal scream, others--it's pretty cool.

In a perfect world....
I saw these guys about a year or so ago opening for the White Stripes in NYC. The Stripes were great and all and what they are doing in general is wonderful, but, in all honesty, The Von Bondies blew them off the stage that night. I remember thinking that night that in a perfect world The White Stripes would be opening for the Von Bondies. I bought one of their 45s (the loudest piece of vinyl I own) and began a one-man crusade heralding the true masters of the Detroit rock scene. I've since seen them two more times, once opening a shamefully under-attended show with the Fleshtones and then a few months ago headlining (finally) a packed show with the Soledad Brothers at, lo and behold, the same venue I had seen them with the White Stripes. Each time they got progressively more amazing. It's nice to see them developing such a good following. They deserve it. They make me think that this was what it was like the first time people saw bands like The Yardbirds, The Sonics, The Stooges or The Fabulous Wailers. All bands that took something kinda familiar and just blew the doors off it and reminded you how much dangerous fun rock-n-roll can be when you know what you are doing. Buy this album and, more importantly, go see them live. They are wholly worthy, and they are very polite too.

average
The von bondies are trying so much to sound like another group *ahem* another few groups out there. I hear talent but..where is it coming from? The desire to immitate other artists or real passion about the music.

The rain is gone....
I've been tired of so much of the stuff out there right now, so I started checking out some bands that most people probably haven't heard of, just to hear something new. I heard about this band in Thrasher a interview and instantly wanted to hear their music. The people are pretty awesome. It's so much fun to listen to these guys rock out, a true inspiration to anyone into making music. They have a great feel, and that girl who only talks about Ashton Kutcher and the shirt she got at hot topic, probably won't know who they are, so you don't have to share...

Frenzied garage rock done the way it should be
I first heard The Von Bondies on one of those free cds you get with magazines. Then I saw them play on the worlds best music show (Later...with Jools Holland, on BBC2). That was enough for me. I was sold.

Lack of Communication is an album of frenzied garage rock played at ear spitting volume. Everything goes up to 11 on this one. Jason Stollsteimer (sounding a bit Glen Danzig) screams out his vocals with malicious intent. The guitars snarl, the bass lines are menacing & the drummer plays like a psychotic Keith Moon. It's the way this type of music should be played. Most of the songs fall within the noisy garage band format, but there's also a lots of dark blues in the stew.

In contrast to the over compressed, sterile production sound of most recent American rock records, Lack of Communication sounds full, natural & warm. Like Surfer Rosa by the Pixies it's the sound of a band sound in a room, kickin' ass. Full marks to the producer, Mr. Jack White. If you a fan of the white stripes & that kind of thing give this a listen. Highly Recommended. ... Read more

Album Description

In 2003, primary Dirty Projector Dave Longstreth shocked and awed critics with his debut The Glad Fact, a strange, messy collection of singularly beautiful songs. In 2004, he bewildered fans and critics alike with his challenging orchestral suite Slaves’ Graves & Ballads. The new album will astonish again, as Longstreth trades his wabi-sabi for an arsenal of subwoofing sin waves, stoned rhinemaidens, clipshod beats, bone-crushing riffs played by wind orchestras, weird de-tuned guitars, and Wagnerian psychodrama. It is as subtle and flinty a piece of protest music as "A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall"— but in the end it is a love story, recorded over the course of almost two years in three different states with more than twenty-five people. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Longstreth tickles my demanding music buds!
Intricate, fearless, melodic, ambitious, confident, catchy-as-hell, and utterly captivating. I hope his head doesn't get too big! He's f****** brilliant, though. Love all his stuff. Great to see him branching out EVEN FURTHER. What on earth is the next one gonna be like?

F***ing Brilliant!
By far the most inventive release from Dave Longstreth of the Dirty Projectors. The sounds are primarily composed of a cut-up samples of orchestrations and high-range voice samples. To compare, the vocals used throughout are similar to that of Bjork's last work, Medulla. It produces a very ethereal atmosphere with chanting abound and the mood being set by an abundance of strings and whispy voices. This is where the similarities with Medulla end though and it would be unwise for me to liken this album to that one too much as this album, at its core, has much more substance than the latter in terms of rhythm. The opera-like voice samples along with his own airy voice are cut up along with cowbells, strings, and a whole host of percussion and wind instruments in a somewhat dischordant yet entirely captivating array of heavy beats. It really is something else and needs to be listened to if it is to be done any justice. I emplore you, listen to this album. It will be a refreshing experience. In my opinion it is the most engrossing and creative release of the year thus far and it's going to have a permanent place in my rotation of music. I dare someone to release an album better than this one this year. No really, i do. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Warning: This collection is not for fans of high-fidelity music. Pavement's early days were marred by murk; call it the limitation of the early days of any band, but nobody in the early '90s wanted this sound. Pavement seized it, wrapped it up in enigmatic packages, and soon a cult following was born. Westing (by Musket and Sextant) captures several early 7-inches and EPs for a look back at Pavement's gestation. All the essential elements are here, from Stephen Malkmus's beyond-bebop lyricism to white-heat guitars that sound like they're coming from the dark side of an Edison cylinder. Anyone swayed by the last couple of Pavement albums may not enjoy this collection unless they also appreciate edgy acts like the Fall and Swell Maps.It sounds quite tinny and one may wonder if there's anything on Westing that resembles a radio-ready hit. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? --Jason Josephes ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Dirty, Beautiful
Pavement's early sound is every bit as stunning as their later sound, albeit much darker and less polished. The songs here have such a dirty, gritty sound that you might wonder if they weren't recorded beneath 30 feet of quick sand... In other words, this album goes way beyond lo-fi; it's more like subterranean-fi.
There are several songs here that are easy to love because they have such a discernably Pavement quality to them... songs like Box Elder, Debris Slide, Summer Babe (of course), and My First Mine. The others, though, are much more alien, and will probably require repeated listens...
Once you discover it's raw glory, you'll be mesmirized... as long as you don't mind getting your ears a bit dirty in the process.

Pavement at their rawest
'Westing' is a collection of all of Pavement's low-fidelity early singles and EP's, which are all a lot more dirtier and less melodic than the bands later material. Infact, this album is so dirty, I really can't imagine anything else that has been recorded so ... badly. Pavement walks the fine tightrope between barely audible and musical genius like never before.

Underneath the dirt and grime lie some of Pavement's best songs, however if you're a stickler for hi-fi quality, you're not going to find anything to like. Myself, while I do like the cleaner sounding stuff, I had no problem with 'Westing' and loved every grit-filled minute of it.

If you jumped on the Pavement train with 'Slanted & Enchanted' or anything after that, you need to buy a return ticket and pick up 'Westing' to see what you have been missing all this time.

for obsessive Pavement fans only
Unfortunately I fall into this group.
This cd sounds to me like a band had to put something out in order to fulfill a record contract, I'm not suggesting anything like that, just sounds like that. Pavement just happens to be such an incredible band it is better than a lot of bands albums period.
Being a home recording enthusiast, I found it pretty interesting, but for the average music fan, I don't know if it will be liked.

melodic low-fi at its finest
possibly my fave Pavement album or close 2nd to Slanted. Low fi with catchy melodies galore. Perhaps they werent even trying and came up with tunes this great. I miss this sound..

This is rock, my friends
Everything by or related to Pavement is top-quality essential stuff, and just because this is their early works, it doesn't mean this is an exception.

This stuff is great. If you enjoyed the grittiness of "Slanted and Enchanted" then you'll really like this (especially the simple guitar/feedback and guitar/vocal combinations of "You're Killing Me" - recorded so poorly that it kinda sounds cool). It's more of the same, although there's more of a musical emphasis, as I think (lead singer) Stephen Malkmus was a bit shy behind the mic at this point so his vocals are less attention-grabbing.

Be warned, though, this is not the catchy Pavement, this is the Pavement that you just gotta rock out to without thinking too much about it.

If you like this, check out "Slanted and Enchanted" and the Preston School of Industry's stuff. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Gotta Love the Ostrich!
Quirky, Eccentric, Guitar-Blasted, Melodic, American, and Original - these words best describe the Swirlies.

Although good things are said about Blonder Tounge, this CD is better produced - somewhat less noisy and rough, although there are some very driving guitars on a couple of tracks. They put the most time, money and effort into this one, and it shows. The production value is very high - the only lo-fi bits are the "field recordings" that seem to be inside jokes. (After you hear the French guy talking about his cat Gatsby for the 100th time, you might be rolling on the floor, too.) The fold-out artwork is also much more elaborate and fun, in a child-like way. The mostly instrospective lyrics are softly delivered. The complex song structures and unexpected breaks will tickle your brain. Electronics and oohh-ooohh harmonies add a nice warm poppy feel. The opposing elements never fight against each other, but are more smoothly blended than they are on Blonder.

The band really made their mark on this one. I implore you to buy this first! NOT ONE BAD SONG ON IT.

The in sound from way out
This is the most 'far out' record I've ever heard. If you like guitars then get this.

why is it?
why is it whenever someone plays a guitar with a tremelo bar, people just automatically say "he sounds like Kevin Shields" or "they sound like My Bloody Valentine"? (Did people compare MBV to Link Wray? ) This album sounds nothing like Loveless, or Isn't Anything. To say that it does is just an insult to both bands. The music of the Swirlies and MBV runs much deeper than trivial material comparisons. The Swirlies had, and always will have a unique sound.

swirlies always will be number 1 in my book
most of the recordings are more like isnt anything period my bloody valentine. saw them for the 12th time last month. and although they have improved their live set you still find yourself waiting, yet its worth every minute. album is amazing, and this is their last for taang so now damon can really do what he wants.

Brain candy for the swiling-guitar set
"They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days..." lies somewhere between My Bloody Valentine's "Loveless" and the synthesized bliss of Stereolab - lush layers of guitar blend seamlessly with electronic keyboards to weave a soundscape most American bands haven't yet been capable of creating. The vocals are, much like MBV, sometimes nearly incomprehensible, but the sonic sweets are sure to make you forget about deciphering lyrics. Every song on this album is *perfect* - buy it now! ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Matador does another one
As a follow up to the first Everything is Nice - this newest of Matador compilations features some pleasant new music to enjoy. Running the spectrum from Pavement with two quite nice songs (including an alternate version of Grounded which is, in many ways, better than the original) to the always pleasing Boards of Canada hit Roygbiv and the flash in the pan Burger/Ink - there is almost certainly something for everyone here. And with three discs for under twenty dollars, it's hard to go wrong with this purchase. I could have done without some of the Arab Strap and Bardo Pond songs - but once again, something for everyone.

A great sampler for a great price.....everything is nice...
Three CD's with some of the most interesting bands from the last decade....Pavement, of course, JSBE, Mogwai ("X-Mas Steps" great track that...try listening to this when it's raining...), Chavez, Guided by Voices, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney(who are on Matador in Europe...)and more. But it's the ones who maybe have not exploded over in these states yet that are surprising...namely, Unwound (okay, yes, so maybe they are now making a name for themselves...with a dangerously weird track with growled wordless vocals), Cat Power (both tracks awesomely sparse and haunting...), Solex (Dutch version of Pizzicato 5 maybe?), Bardo Pond (weaving and crunching guitars in a sea of noise...brilliant and groovy...)and of course, the goofy and genius Lynnfield Pioneers (shades of 60's meltdown, funk and god knows what else...). Get it-- it's cheap and it's genius.

The best indie pop in one little package
Not all of the bands included in this box set are great, but as a sampler/retrospective it works. I applaud Matador for doing something like this for the fans, when it would have been 10 times easier not to do anything at all. Even if you don't like Cat Power that much or think Mogwai are self-indulgent, it doesn't matter. You get Guitar Wolf, Modest Mouse, Bardo Pond, JSBX, Cornelius and (seemingly) hundreds of others. You can't go wrong, especially when you stop to consider that if a major label had done this it would cost you about $40. Buy it. Enjoy it. Be happy. After all, Everything is Nice.

A great compilation, a great jumping point
This is a great starter album. I had heard of about a third of the artists on here, but now I'm very interested in hearing more of some of the more obscure ones.

(I'd also like to add that, as a dancer, this is a great set to put on and improv with for a few hours)

Very Inexpensive Sampler of a Wide Variety of Music
As in the other reviews, I'll say that one of the things which attracted me was the incredibly low price. You get 3 brand new CDs for almost the price of one used. And the variety of styles and groups represented is another plus--I've read about a lot of these groups in the pages of _Alternative Press_ and _CMJ_, but this is the first time I've had a chance to hear them. There's hiphop and techno and guitar-based rock. You can't beat a deal like this! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a great collection by a really fun band
Fans of the Beatles and lo-fi recordings will eat this up like Froot Loops. This compilation of singles and "songles" might be better than any of Of Montreal's "proper" releases. Being from Athens, Ga., Of Montreal's music definitely betrays an Elephant 6 influence, but they're not as intense as Neutral Milk Hotel and not as far-out as Olivia Tremor Control. Of Montreal's music is much more catchy and concise. This isn't to say they're not experimental; this CD is chock full of bizarre chord changes and sections, weird little spoken word bits and occasionally grating bits of noise. But some of the melodies, which strike me as a combination of "Magical Mystery Tour" and old 1920s show tunes, are just devastatingly perfect and gorgeous: "A Celebration of H. Hare," a declaration of brotherly love which is practically tearjerking; "The Problem with April," which sounds like a rollicking marching band, "Nicki Lighthouse," which alternates a wonderful melody with kitchen sink instrumentation, "In the Army Kid," the stupendous, freakish "Ira's Brief Life as a Spider," and others. A handful of icky tracks mar the record a little bit, but there's at least 10 ace songs that make this collection well worth purchasing.

fun but meticulously crafted
this is a wonderful batch of songs. my personal favorite is, "nickie lighthouse." they are just so cute! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Debut full-length album from the Blow
It's an audacious album that begins with the musical question "How Naked Are We Gonna Get?" and The Concussive Caress by The Blow (the newest manifestation of Khaela Maricich after Get the Hell Out of the Way of the Volcano) is audacious indeed. But no one is more surprised at the fact that I am reviewing this album positively than myself, considering that my first introduction to Maricich as a solo artist (sidestepping her vocal appearances on various Microphones recordings) in The Blow was via the Invisible Shield compilation, on which her "The Democracy of Small Things" (originally from the Bonus Album EP) appears. It quickly became one of the few songs I would invariably skip and Maricich became known around my household as "the girl who talks to her molecules." Luckily, I had an open enough mind to approach The Concussive Caress on its own merits--once I determined that "The Democracy of Small Things" was not featured.

The Concussive Caress isn't your average electronic pop album. It requires a little attention be paid and does not hold with common song titling conventions. Track 3 isn't titled at all and two songs--"'Sweetheart'" and "Gravity (Pauline's Response to Amy)"--expand over two consecutive tracks each. Timing isn't a consideration, either, with four of the fifteen tracks coming in at considerably less than one minute and Track 15 figuring at over ten minutes (if you include the hidden track at the end of the album). However, as with many K artists, once I got over the sheer oddity of the album, I was able to settle back and enjoy it as music.

"How Naked Are We Going to Get?" is bold in any form, with lyrics that touch on unspoken thoughts, including the idea that one can "remember the route to her heart from her thighs." All this is backed by a droning undertone and the occasional high-pitched accompaniment to Maricich's sweetly alluring voice that shows itself to be malleable to any situation. This groove is broken by "Chase Dream," with knocks its way in with the side of a drum and the staccato delivery of "I get it, got it, get it get it, got it" for 26 seconds, followed quickly by an untitled track featuring a barely tuneful guitar and drums for 22 seconds. Strangely enough, these interludes add to the narrative flow somehow that I understand but can't explain.

Pop craftsmanship comes to the fore in "A Night Full of Open Eyes," with a sound that is quite familiar with the necessities of top 40 radio. The second part of "Sweetheart" is another standout, almost purely due to its conciseness and lyrics:

He called me Doll Eyes
He called me Sunrise
He called me Hearty Thighs
He called me Super Size
He called me Heat Lamp
He called me Summer Camp
He called me...just that once and then he never called again.

Khaela's courageous (and, I must add, almost entirely successful) experimentation with different genres on The Concussive Caress is epitomized by the slow, groovy rap goodness of "What Tom Said about Girls." It is easily my favorite track on the album, not least because she really gets into the mind of this mostly unlikable character and shows his cockiness truly and satirically, making him sympathetic in the process. "Nothing" didn't strike me as very memorable at first, but eventually worked its way into the folds of my brain and emerges at unconventional times--strange for a track without a chorus to speak of.

Throughout the album, we are introduced to snippets from the Karicich's recent narrative opera, Blue Sky vs. Night Sky and if these songs are any indication, a full recording of this opera would be an event, indeed. As it is, we are merely teased with snippets of the whole storyline. "Come On Pauline (Amy's Cassette for Pauline)," "Gravity (Pauline's Response to Amy)," and "What Amy Heard in Her Mother's Voice Played Backwards" are only the most obviously titled ones of this selection. Based on their lyrical content, I'm assuming that "What Tom Said About Girls," "'Sweetheart,'" "Where I Love You," and "A Night Full of Open Eyes" are also part of this cycle and these are some of the highest points on The Concussive Caress. But even so, this album as it is could well be the crowning glory (so far, of course) in the career of The Blow.

The final track ("The Warrior's Hearts") is grandly reminiscent of the music from The 7th Guest but also sounds like something that would play under closing credits, making it the perfect closer to this disc. The entirety of The Concussive Caress runs only about thirty minutes (not including the hidden track at the end of 15), which is just enough time to take the dog for a long walk (or the ferret, depending on your pet predilections), but not so long that you have to stay the night over at a friend's house the finish the thing, unlike some bands that seem to thrive on filler just to take up the whole running time of a compact disc. It's a truly great album that leaves me wanting more. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Proof that pop lives in the new millennium
After two servings of cold, tastless oatmeal in the form of "Fun Trick Noisemaker" and "Tone Soul Evolution," The Apples in stereo started serving cereal that, for the most part, stays crispy in milk. Nowhere is the Apples' new random-precision formula more evident than on 1999's "Her Wallpaper Reverie," an extended EP with a collection of excellent tracks strung together by a recurring link track. That album left the listener wondering what sort of full-length album the ever-improving Apples could achieve if they put their minds to it. "The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone" answers with an electric guitar riff and the word "Go!" shouted at the beginning of the first track. "Go" isn't just a great, rockin' album opener; it serves notice that as long as Robert Schneider and Hilarie Sidney are around, catchy, in-your-face pop music is in safe hands. Another jammin' gem, "The Rainbow," follows, preceding the album's first average track, "Stream Running Over." However, Hilarie meets what seems to be a one-song-per-album quota with a knockout punch in "20 Cases Suggestive of ...," a high-energy track featuring her great vocals and occasionally double-tracking them with Robert's. The single "Look Away," a satisfying, mid-tempo rocker with a psychedelic wink, is next. Track 6, "What Happened Then" is a letdown, and tracks 7 and 9, "I Can't Believe" and "All Right/Not Quite," sound a bit too similar. They sandwich a great slow number, though, in "Submarine Dream," a song reminiscent of "The Shiney Sea" from "Her Wallpaper Reverie." And the album's Single Most Likely to Succeed, "The Bird That You Can't See," follows. This song's body-rockin' groove sounds like it came straight off a Beatles B-side compilation, and the strong hook overcomes the mistifying lyrics (if ever there were a song about nothing, this is it). The album closes with "Stay Gold" and "Thursday Afternoon," two tracks that the album could live without. Neither does much to distinguish itself, instead serving as a reminder of what the Apples lived off of during their first two albums.

Label this album punkish pop, retro or whatever else you will, but don't make the mistake of thinking that Robert's fascination with The Beach Boys has a huge impact on his music. "Surf's Up," "Carl and the Passions," "M.I.U. Album," "L.A. Light Album," "Keepin the Summer Alive," "15 Big Ones," "The Beach Boys" and "Summer in Paradise" - especially the latter five - lack the punch and consistency of the Apples' current output, but the Apples still haven't shown the ability to take their music a step further and craft songs as strong as "Till I Die," "Cuddle Up" or "Feel Flows." If they keep evolving, though, the results could be frighteningly good.

An OK record
This April 2000 release of the Elephant 6's most prominent band is quite accessible, especially poppy, and downright enjoyable. The funkiness (especially of the bass line) of the tenth track, "The Bird That You Can't See" is a little unexpected and very infectious. The overall mood of the album continues the band's practice of tipping the hat to the Beatles. The harmonies still are suggestive of Beach Boys. Perhaps the dissappointment of the album lies in its unexperimental and totally straight-ahead foci. Of course, the Apples in stereo aren't quite as exotic-seeming as the Olivia Tremor Control, for instance, but some different sounds a la Her Wallpaper Reverie would be interesting. Overall, the record is good as a fairly coherent pop statement. I think it is recommended in the least for listening if not for purchasing.

NOT For Me
Wow. If my idea of good Beach Boys music was Mike Love without Brian Wilson with 90's alt. rock production (as in bare bones), then I'd LOVE this. This is like Olivia Tremor Control without the ambition. Its all so simplistically upbeat that it makes The Shins sound deep! I wish I didn't feel this way, but at least OTC, while hardly original, appeals to the psychedelic Beatles fan in me because the songs are good. This is strangely one dimensional to these ears. I don't yet have Ambulance Ltd's new release, but what I've heard from them sounds more like it.

Quick quiz to see if you'll like this...
1) Is asking for "meaning" or "depth" in pop music missing the whole point of it?

2) Do retro 60's and 70's hooks get better the more over-the-top they are?

3) Would it be fun to make your roommate/spouse/parents say "you jerk, I can't get that awful song out of my head?"

If you've answered "yes" to these questions, this just might be the disc for you. Heck, get Of Montreal, Beulah and other Elephant 6 artists while you're at it.

You'll especially like "Go." Imagine Weird Al, whiney voice and all, parodying "Tears of a Clown" by crossing it with the playground song about diarrhea. Watch people around you either writhe in pain or bust out their best ironic disco hipster moves. "Go baby! Go baby!"

As for me, I downloaded "Please" and it seemed like my kind of indie power pop -- a bit simple, sure, but catchy, direct, energizing. I figured maybe I'd luck out and other Apples songs would add some heart to it, as well as wit, like the Deathray Davies... but both wit and heart are sorely lacking on this album, I'm afraid.

Go Baby Go !
Grooooovy! E6 release.This could be my fave Apples in Stereo
recording yet!
The Surfs up all over this CD!
Reminds me of the era I think I missed from the 60's in the
California sunshine.
This one stays close to my player. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Eponymous albums are usually either debuts or the work of musicians trying to introduce themselves to a new audience. Count Liz Phair among the latter. It’s Phair's fourth studio album, but her first since 1998, and it's a long way from the arty, low-fi sound that marked her true full-length debut, 1993'sExile in Guyville. Phair has developed into a considerably more confident singer, while her songs and the production they receive here are as slick and radio-friendly as anything by, say, Avril Lavigne. That’s no surprise, since Lavigne's production team, the Matrix, produced many of the tracks here. (The rest are helmed by LA rock stalwarts Michael Penn and Pete Yorn producer R. Walt Vincent.)Sex is still Phair's primary subject, whether it’s comparing a lover to a comfortable pair of old underwear ("Favorite") or asking a much younger man to "Rock Me" all night long. The only time Phair lets the cheery facade crack a bit is on "Little Digger," on which Phair tries to explain to her young son why the man she's currently dating is not the boy's father. Who could've guessed that even the freest, best-protected sex could have such far-reaching, unintended consequences? --Keith Moerer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Very good
Let me start off by saying the clean version is just as good without the explicit content and lyrics. Liz Phair's voice is pretty. My favorite songs are Extraordinary, Red Light Fever, and Why Can't I. This album is soothing and flowing without any foul language, or bad songs. I'd recommend this cd to anyone who'd rather have a good, clean version of this instead of explicit.

Why so huffy?
The review in the NY Times for this CD read like a letter from a kid in junior high to the person who just broke up with them. This is a great album and I'm glad Liz has decided to shake free of the we're-so-cool snobbery that pollutes the indie music scene. I'm surprised that people can take such offense from an individual making artistic and business decisions that serve her own best interests. The indignant reaction is likened to the way people got all huffy when the Dixie Chick's singer criticized Bush. If Liz Phair buys into this criticism, she'll be selling out. At this point, she's doing what she wants to do by kicking off the dreary dust of artistic martyrdom and trying to make some cash. Liberate Liz; buy this disc!

DO NOT BUY CLEAN VERSION...
Do not buy this. Liz Phair censored is like a car with no gas. First off the whole song of H.W.C. is gone, which was a great song. I can't even imagine the rest of the songs and how they got butchered. Just buy the Explicit version..so what she says F*ck once or twice. Please. So get out now and buy the real thing.

Liz...Liz...Liz.....
Liz's latest album is practicably intolerable. Such a fine artist has chosen now to wade in the end of shallowness. A huge admirer of her previous work, this album is pathetic. Only a handful of well written tracks that resemble the talented Liz that we know of are present out of the 14 on this record. The rest sound like the worst 1980's metal band you could ever imagine. Very sad indeed.

Rough Stone Polished
I've always loved Liz Phair, always thought she was a diamond in the rough. The garage band production values are mostly missing from this CD-but not the Liz Phair edge. It says a lot that, even without the dirty sonics, she's as subversive as ever. The polished diamond is still razor sharp. This CD will probably take her mainstream with lots of radio play. She cleans up real nice. I hope it makes her filthy rich. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's hard to know what to make of Will Oldham, partly because he refuses ever to reveal his biography, partly because his music is opaque to the point of total blackness.With various Palace incarnations, Oldham has obsessed over lower than lo-fi quasi-country music, and his first full length solo album, continues with his raging sonic sermons of apocalypse, despair, evil, and sex.The sound moves slow as a 101-degree day in his native Louisville; the overall effect is troubling. --Roy Francis Kasten ... Read more

Reviews (7)

After it's open, it's unlimited!
At first, it may seem dingy, purposefully clumsy, lame. Occasionally rocking, but nothing special. Then the iris opens, and its perfection is revealed. I have long claimed to not be so crazy about Will Oldham -- "I like more rockin stuff, less affected stuff" -- but the truth is, I rarely listen to this album just once through anymore -- I am ALWAYS hitting play once it's over. You have to give it time, though. Bravo, gentlemen! Robert Arellano who plays guitar on this just published a novel with Akashic books. And David Pajo... oh, Pajo!

Utterly inspired
"Joya" and "I See A Darkness" are utter masterpieces. If you like one then buy the other immediately. The rest of the Oldham oeuvre is worth having too, but these two are the pinnacle.

Joya brings me lots of joy
this album is brilliant, will oldham is a genious..one of my favorites, together with I see a darkness. I reccomend this album to anyone who is a fan of relaxing and beautiful music.

Joy..ah!
I think the songs on this album sound a little stronger than on other albums. If this is a good thing or not, I can't say. All I can say is that the resulting CD is one of my favourite Palace-linked records. I like this one better than Arise Therefore (with its drum programming) and almost as much as Viva Last Blues or I see a darkness! It definitely takes a while to get into this one, but once you've accomplished that, you're on for a lifetime of joy...ah!

oldham's worst album
I love everything else he's done but this album has always seemed LACKING to me. It's got a few great songs but a lot of it seems RUSHED, a bit too jokey and loose, and the lyrics are definitely sub-par compared to ARISE THEREFORE. ... Read more

Album Description

The Kills consist of VV & Hotel. They have a serious knackfor doing great raw recordings, narcotic & saccharine - the drums alone will pull you in. Strong female presence muchlike Chrissie Hynde of Pretenders & Justine Frischmann from Elastica with fierce singing & wild taunts similar to Patti Smith. Male vocals much like the sounds of Lou Reed & TheVelvet Underground & even some Royal Trux work. Well honed& with gorgeous delivery they will knock you on the floor.The Kills are a whole new creature with new claws & sharpfangs to get the blood pouring again. So here is theculmination of two great artists, two of the hardestworking people you'll meet, producing songs that are simply timeless. Five tracks, 'Cat Claw', 'Black Rooster', 'Wait', 'Dropout Boogie' (Captain Beefheart), & 'Gum'. Dim Mak. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Junkmedia Magazine Review
The Kills, who hail from bloody old England, are the newest guy/girl garage-rock duo kicking out the solid-gold jams. On their debut EP (full-length will be released in Spring), the duo aims to be the United Kingdom's answer to the White Stripes; and though the concept is becoming a bit passé, they do a pretty good job playing mechanics in the classic rock chop-shop. The songs on this EP come across like a young Chrissie Hynde recording some demos on an answering machine with Lou Reed. Call it fuzzed-out raunch rawk if you like. Add to that sound some sassy stage names, (the girl goes by VV while the guy goes by Hotel), and one can already hear the roar of the hype machine revving its engine.

But it's not as though the attention is completely unwarranted. The first song, "Cat Claw", has VV strutting around singing "you got it, I want it" with enough gritty sex appeal to send all the young dudes into epileptic fits. Similarly, "Black Rooster" uses a spare guitar grind and kick drum beat to nice effect, as Hotel reveals what the "kids in the basement" like to do. It's predictably naughty. VV then takes everything down a notch on "Wait," with breathless vocals and a dirty guitar chug that recalls early Spacemen 3. It's probably the best song here, leaving one with an idea of what sucking on a cherry blow-pop found in the gutter would be like.

Unfortunately the last two tracks fall a bit flat. As good as it is to hear a cover of Captain Beefheart's "Dropout Boogie" from the wonderful Safe as Milk, it's probably best saved for the live act. They have the sloppy fuzz down and give it a solid go 'round, but it pales in comparison to the original. If you are going to cover Beefheart on record, you better tear that thing apart. The last song is a spoken word bit by VV about chewing gum that tries to come off as sexy but ends up sounding lame. It's not even worth going in to, trust me.

In the end, this mixed bag leaves the listener wondering if these two aren't just hip pretenders instead of the real deal. Perhaps it's the over-studied cool of a band whose members take names like VV and Hotel, or its shameless attempt to gain indie cred by pointing out in their bio that they "declined a tour with Vines earlier this year because Vines suck." They'd be better off if they quit the name calling and let the music do the talking. And let's face it, as nice as the first three songs were, all we can gather from Black Rooster is that The Kills have some of the same records that we do. Putting a little more under the hood on the full-length may give them license to speak like that, but until then, shhhhhhh!

Barin McGrath
Junkmedia Magazine Review

My favorite new band.......
I first saw this band in October 2002 when they openned for Sleater-Kinney in Brooklyn NY. I had never heard of them before and it was love at first sight and sound for me. This is gritty, nasty, garage rock, chock full of catchy hooks and blues chords. Weather its the infectious beat of"Cat Claw", or the slowly haunting melodic pace of "Wait", this music will get under your skin and stay there. Onstage female singer/guitarist VV(dont know what that stands for), is a combination of Donita Sparks and Steven Tyler. She's at her best during the songes that she doesnt play guitar whenshe does this wicked sick little dance that I cant really descibe, but I just luv. I cant remember ever being this excited about a new band before. The only down side to this band is that they record on Dim Mak records so they wont get a whole lot of promotion, and they probably wont sell a whole lot of records. In other words...buy this music while you can!!! And make sure you PLAY IT LOUD!!!

Hmmmmmm
Something very interesting is going on here, and I have the distinct feeling this band's first full length is going to be an absolute stunner. The pieces are all here, just need to channel that into 12-15 songs and let us have it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

anything but lonely
IF you love the many works of Stephen Merritt, then you won't be disappointed with this small gem. Though it's only five songs (and 2 of them are on Memories of Love), it's still worth a listen. I'm a huge fan of Merritt, and I think his work is honest and quite brilliant. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Brilliant
This CD/EP is actually 3 versions of a single song, a collaboration between Northwest indie rockers Modest Mouse and the recently broken-up 764-Hero. I'm not much of a fan of the latter, but they are used here quite well, and this is truly Modest Mouse at its best.

The single is one of the greatest Modest Mouse compositions ever recorded, and easily the best "really long" song I own. At over 14 minutes, "Whenever You See Fit" is pure musical genius, the sparse songplay of the lead singer of 764-Hero, mixing with Isaac's shouted words, squeezing in between soaring guitars and drums. It's brilliant and beautiful and affecting for the entire 14 minutes. In fact, if anything, I wished this song could have continued even longer. it's that good.

The other 2 versions of the song on the EP are shorter dance/DJ re-mixes that really don't add anything to the music. I don't think I've listened to them more than once. But the CD is worth the purchase for the one single alone, which I believe is not available on any other Modest Mouse release.

A nifty lil EP
I hesitated at getting this EP for my great fear of remixes. Anyone who has ever heard They Might Be Giants' "World's Address" remix or more recently, the remix of Tenacious D's "Explosivo" would understand where I am coming from.

The first track is a long 14 minute jam that doesn't seem to get boring at the least, and should provide sufficient entertainment for any Modest Mouse fan despite its endless redundancy. (I will be honest, I haven't heard anything else from 764-HERO, so this review is from a Modest Mouse fan's perspective). The following two tracks are much shorter remixes of Whenever You See Fit, and both are, thankfully, not overdone (once again, see above remix examples.) In fact, the three tracks blend together so nicely that I didn't find myself sick of the song by the end of the third track.

This EP makes a great CD to complete a Modest Mouse fan's collection, but those unfamiliar with MM may want to start elsewhere. If you are curious about MM and want to keep it [affordable], I would recomment either the Fruit that Ate Itself for their old sound or Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks for the new sound. If price isn't an issue, than I would highly recommend the absolutely incredible Moon and Antarctica.

Incredible single by two great bands
This is a great cd to own if you like either band. And if you have not heard either band, this song is an amazing tune that you should at least hear once. The vocal styles of Isaac Brock and John Atkins are not very similar and sound strange at first, but they work together very well. Great purchase for anyone who likes good sound.

Key word: stoner.
It makes sense for two of the Pacific Northwest's most intelligent exponents of dreamy, otherworldly music to collaborate. The end result is, well, dreamy and otherworldly. The most notable thing on here is the title track which, for 14 minutes, reels in the listener with its two (count 'em) chords and immensely sad refrain. Despite its length, and considerably minimalist grip of songwriting, it's never boring, the combination of spacey, atonal guitars and awesomely-clashing voices striking a hauntingly beautiful chord. It works more as a fascinating, space-rock jam than an actual song, and as a result, it's difficult to recommend this to anyone other than Modest Mouse or 764-HERO fans, as the original certainly isn't for all tastes, while the additional remixes offer little more than the unnecessary throwing of samples into the mix.

good, but not excellent
Not quite the standard mouse fare, but close. There are a few difffernt versions of this. The looooong 14 minute ones, and the short one. They are very different. I'm not sure if the short one is on the CD of this (I have the vinyl)but it can be downloaded. The long version sounds exactly like you'd expect, a cross between 764-HERO and the mouse. The short one is slightly dub influenced and very electronic sounding, not much guitar at all. Overall a good CD for hardcore fans, otherwise, stay away you're better off with one of their other offerings. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This package is stuffed with top-line artists, and whoever chose the tracks knew what they were doing. With this kind of sprawl to deal with, track selection is like haiku: difficult, but evocative when done artfully. Radiohead does "Fake Plastic Trees," Rancid does Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come," Patti Smith gets "About a Boy," and the Beasties weigh in with "Root Down." And on and on the list goes, from Sonic Youth to Taj Mahal. Maybe you don't think you want a no-commitment introduction to Tibetan music. Actually, you do--and there's some here. A huge record of a huge show. Comes recommended. --Gavin McNett ... Read more

Reviews (9)

great
the best cd i've ever heard .it dosn't matter what music your into your going to love it.

The best way to remember this concert....
The Tibetan Freedom Concert in 1996 when shown on MTV changed my life forever when I discovered what was going on in Tibet. And when I got my first glimpse into Buddhist culture. This CD goes over 2 years of the Tibetan Freedom Concert. It is the first 2 that were held in 1996 and then in 1997.

The CD is not just a youth approach to doing something for the Buddhist nation of Tibet, it's a celebration of Tibetan Culture. Many artists from Tibet appear along with bands like Rancid and The Beastie Boys on this CD. There are also chants from Buddhist monks. Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam play an acoustic version of "Yellow Ledbetter" that makes this CD well worth the money you paid for it. There is also a track that appears only on this CD from Rancid titled "The Harder They Come"

Beck appears on the 3rd CD with "..." and De La Soul plays a very energetic version of "Me, Myself & I" The 3rd CD is also an enhanced CD for your PC that you will be very inspired by. It comes with a collection of information on what it is that you can do for Tibet and a Quicktime library of video files showing The Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Ben Harper, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and some very special messages from His Holiness The Dalai Lama. As well as a short video of Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys explaining how he got involved. This CD is truly a great way to remember these concerts. If you buy this CD, you not only get music, but a celebration of Tibet's spirit and culture celebrated through 2 years of concerts.

Not worth it
This triple album, unless you want to support the freedom of the Tibet, is not really worth buying. For a three disc set, it only has as much as one disc's worth of acceptable good music, which you probably can get on iTunes individually.

Great album
Rancid's version of "The Harder They Come" rocks. The rest is just as good.

Great live songs from established acts, newbies, Tibetans
This three cd collection exhibits the talent of many big-time established artists, such as U2, A Tribe Called Quest, Noel Gallagher, Foo Fighters, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Beastie Boys, Alanis Morisette, Beck, the Fugees and Rage Against the Machine. It also shows off some up and coming artists, like the John Spencer Blue Explosion, Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band, and Pavement. There're hits, like RATM's Bulls on Parade and Beasties' Root Down, but it's dominated by lesser known, non-single, songs. Beck's folky Asshole and Blur's answer to Oasis, Beetlebum. The cd is spiced with a share of traditional Tibetan chants and music, so you won't forget why this album was made. As MCA Adam Yauch says at the end of Root Down, "Let's not forget why we're all here. To help the people of Tibet get their freedom." ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"It's Not That Easy"....
This contains 5 songs that Phair wrote before Guyville came out and were never officially released until this short CD saw the light of day some 3 years after that auspicious debut. Juvenalia probably should only be bought if your a true fan of Phair's because I can't imagine that many people enraptured by its quirky experiments. Interested, yeah, but enraptured? These experiments are apparently interesting to the many Phair fans who are into the whole "girlysound tapes" thing, of which the last 5 songs here are culled from. These are Phair's home-demo tapes of just her performing sparse-sounding songs apparently written for consideration of inclusion on the eventual Guyville. These weren't included most likely because they don't fit in with what she did release. Mostly, it sounds pretty obvious why she didn't develope these songs further. With a couple exceptions( "Easy" is actually one of her all time best. Truly a great example of a "haunting" work ), these home-demoes are throways to my ears. True enough, "South Dakota" is funny but that's about all I can say since its slight, imo. The other exception is "Dead Shark". It has its own nice vibe, too bad more wasn't done with it. Still good. Thought I should mention that Jealousy is the same version from Whipsmart, and it is one of that album's better tracks. The first 3 songs range from good( "Jealousy" )to clunky ( The just plain silly, too my mind, "Turning Japanese" ). At least Liz didn't write that one.

Short, sweet.
Dead Shark is probably my favorite Liz Phair song--I love the guitar. Batmobile is also a favorite. South Dakota is kind of juvenile, appropriately. The Vapors' cover w/Material Issue is fun; RIP Jim. Ms. Phair should look back to her old peers for inspiration....

If you're curious about the girlysound tapes; this is probably a good intro.

Dessert
I spent a long time waiting for Whipsmart, and this EP felt like dessert after a tasty dinner. It's always nice to get more Liz. She's a talented singer/songwriter not in the tedious-overly introspective-I take myself and my ovaries too seriously-female singer songwriter mold, though she's taken a turn toward that with her most recent album, Whitechocolatespacegg. That said, this is a good album. You can certainly find umpteen dozen copies of girlysounds(the four track stuff Liz did in her apartment before Exile in Guyville) all over the internet, but for those of us committed, yet not obsessive fans, this is enough of that sound.
I'm absolutely crazy about Animal Girl, Turning Japanese and Dead Shark. She's talented. This is just more(and less refined) proof.

I like the cow and California connection.
On the credits for the songs on this album, "Jealousy" is listed as "Taken from whip smart ole." This release in 1995 followed the release of Liz Phair's "Whip-smart" album in 1994, and it might have been picked as a familiar emotional starting point to attempt to establish the honesty that could make sense of the songs that follow. I consider the second song, "Turning Japanese," brilliant even if Liz Phair didn't write it. "Animal Girl" was recorded live. Then there are five songs "previously released through girly sound cassettes." I can't think of a more perfect description of the songs. "California" is the perfect reaction to a joke about an old bull and a young bull. "South Dakota" describes the "wide open" spaces in the future, as seen by prairie dogs. The rest rock without striking me quite so forcefully. I don't have a wide enough knowledge to have an opinion on whether these songs are the best that have ever been released by girly sound cassettes, but I suspect that anyone who has ever wanted to buy anything from girly sound cassettes might like these. Or they might not: even the idea of turning Japanese might be considered controversial by people in certain parts of the world, and America might be one of those parts.

With Demos Like The These, Who Needs Producers
When I bought this album on sale, I knew nothing about Liz Phair. I just remembered that I heard her name before and that it was registered in my brain on a positive note. I swear I didn't even know what type of music to expect, neither did I expect much anyway. Listening to it for the first time, I was Firstly relived to discover from the very first seconds that she's not in any way a Kylie wannabe, which was my biggest worry, and than I slowly found myself actually listening, paying enormous attention to each track. The first three were good and in the right areas of alternative rock but when the five following ones started, these demos that got her a recording contract, that's when I slowly got truly knocked over. They just didn't stop getting better, each one more incredible than the one before with the astonishing (one of my all time favourites) 'Easy' finishing the set. I tell you this, I don't think I've ever managed to actually listen fully with 100% attention to any album on the first time before. True, it's quite short (about 28 minutes long) but we're also talking about demos, Five songs that have only vocals and an electric guitar on them.
I guess I can see how this story might sound unbelievable, but goodness me, I think it just shows the possible relation between sales and fate, after all, she is now, beyond any reasonable doubt, my favourite female singer. However, even after knowing and loving all her other albums, this one's is absolutely unreplaceable as my favourite and forget what people might think about the disorder and lack of structure these songs have, I have never received a clearer feel of knowing where the song is and what the structure is on the first listening of any album as I did with this one, but I think it will come as no surprise when I'll say that Syd Barrett's 'Madcup Laughs' is also one of my favourites. Conclusion? one of the ten best autumn albums ever and a splendid must to listen to when surfing the net. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Revisiting the magnetic fields
This band has always had a prominent place in my CD collection but was often just an occasional guest in the actual CD player...until just recently. Not sure if my taste in music has changed or if I just didn't take the time to really listen before, but I'm so glad that the lack of play didn't ever convince me to trade my magnetic fields CD's off for something else fleeting. Get Lost has definitely gone from being a set of single tracks that I flip between to an essential album for me.

Don't Lose This One
From experience, many fans of the Magnetic Fields would argue that this is one of their weaker albums. On the other hand, I'd be tempted to say this is one of their best albums.

Stephin Merritt sings all the songs on this one, which is much to my pleasing. All of my favorite Magnetic Fields' songs (save for 100,000 Fireflies) are those that he sang, as opposed to Susan Anway. His deep voice matches the lyrics perfectly, especially those with upbeat tunes yet depressing lyrics. On the other hand, though, it makes singing along with the songs very hard for those of us lacking in ability to hit the lower notes. But we can try anyway...

Personal favorites of mine are the weepy 'Why I Cry', 'All the Umbrellas in London', 'Desperate Things You Made Me Do', and 'Don't Look Away'. 'Desperate Things You Made Me Do' sounds distinctly electronic, verging on techno as opposed to electro-pop, and both the music and the lyrics are fantastic. 'All the Umbrellas in London' is the first Magnetic Fields song I ever listened to, and is what got me hooked on them. It's lyrics are great (as are pretty much every Magnetic Fields' song's lyrics) and the the backgroudn music is very good. Unlike a lot of their depressing songs, it doesn't have upbeat background music, thouh. 'Don't Look Away' has this experimental sound, even though it probably uses the least synthesizers on the album. I'd also say it's safe to say it's the slowest song on the album. And, as I said before, 'Why I Cry' is rather weepy, but not to the point of annoyance.

So, until the new Magnetic Fields album comes out in May, this darling is gonna sit in my CD player playing on a constant loop.

I got started from a cover
I was listening to this on a whim and when "Why I cry" came on I had to have it!!! If you havent heard it covered, look for a cd under the name All-Time Quarterback where "Why I Cry" is covered by Ben Gibbard (Ben, the guy who did ATQ as a side project, sings for Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service)!!! Anything that Ben covers must be GREAT!

So I got this cd... what fun!!! Its good to hear honest lyrics and some innovative instrument arrangements!

Me and you and the moon
The best example of Stephin Merritt's lyrical genius; I love this album. Post-breakup, post-disappointment, post-mortem, this album relishes in the melancholy longing that every boy alone is his bedroom has felt at one time or another. This album burned a hole through me - I can honestly say it saved my life. It remains a testament to the songwriting brilliance of Stephin Merritt as well as a reminder of just how fragile the heart truly is. Superb.

A brilliant shining light in a sky of poorly lit stars
This is the epitome of Stephin Merrit's genious. If ever there were an album to solidify the necessity for the promulgation of indie pop, this is it. Love songs with which to serenade your betrothed, ballads to bawl through your black rimmed glasses and stain your v-necked sweater, rock anthems to yelp at the top of your lungs in your pre-owned Honda Civic to. Poor grammar aside, buy this CD. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

like a black cloud of doom descending
At only about 25 minutes, this CD has more raw angst and gloom than many full-length CDs. Blistering guitarwork, pained vocals, and gut-wrenching lyrics combine into a funeral dirge straight into a black pit of darkness that defies categorization. Absolutely stunning.

A perfect short CD
Many CDs are too long, this one is six tracks of perfection. I have it on my top shelf of 42 (by the way I own over 2000 and have sold 8000+)

Other SMOG stuff can be weak and wayward but Burning Kingdom is an essential for any collection of alternative rock. Comparisons can be made to Flaming Lips/Mercury Rev even Guided By Voices.

Buy it - it's a bargain!

I'm not lonely anymore...maybe a little depressed
It is amazing that 20 minutes can have such a profound effect on your mood! Over the course of six songs, Callahan makes you confused and a little sad at the same time, but you don't really know why. The fidelity of this recording is pretty bad, it doesn't sound like a four-track, but the sound is comparable to Beck's "One foot in the Grave." Callahan uses the services of a violin and cello to great effect, particularly on the first track, where the combination of distorted guitar, cello, violin and tom rolls make a splendidly gloomy atmoshpere before the song actually starts. All the other songs are just as effective, using spare but effective instrumentation and placing Callahan's voice low in the mix a la Stephen Malkmus in "Slanted and Enchanted." "Renee Died" features Cynthia Dall on vocals and guitar, and the two harsh acoustic guitars on the track contrast with dall's frail voice. Overall this 6 song ep will leave you feeling emotionally raw, listen to it straight through at night with headphones just before you go to sleep, interesting music to fall asleep to....that's for sure. Overall a wonderful disc, with plenty of emotional moments. ... Read more