Palin vs. Polar Bears!

Ashley Judd narrates this new indictment of VP-candidate (and walking, semi-talking billboard for conservative narrow-sightedness) Sarah Palin, and her heinous record against wildlife conservation. Check it, and don't wreck it!

Collide - "Two Headed Monster" CD

This California act's fourth full-length CD strikes with a powerful and dynamic blow, balancing the heavy with the sweet as well (or better) than any band I can think of. Anchored by the tough and darkly-evocative electronic grooves of programmer/instrumentalist Statik, and led by the sensual, ethereal vocal stylings of kaRIN, Collide's modern rock attack is multi-faceted and melodic. Some place them firmly in the 'industrial' or 'gothic' category, but here Collide move way past those classifications and take bits of hard rock, as well as swirly shoegaze aspects, into their lush mix. 'Chaotic' features drums by Tool's Danny Carey and bass by Curve mastermind Dean Garcia, and this synthesis of live instruments with Collide's electronic foundation makes for one of the band's finest, and most sonically well-developed songs to date. 'Head Spin' is a twisted pop song with an unusual tempo, while the thumpy and hallucinogenic 'Two Headed Monster' could almost be mistaken for Skinny Puppy (who Collide have been known to associate with), if not for the cool and seductive female vocal. The dramatic 'Shifting' shows an almost orchestral side, and this vibe works well, showcasing this group's skill at any style they tackle. Simply, 'Two Headed Monster' is Collide's best work thus far, and any follower of dark and stylish modern rock should investigate now! (Noiseplus Music)

photo by Dan Santoni

"Rock & Rule" (dir: Clive A. Smith)

This feature-length, 1983 Canadian animated rock obscurity is tailor-made for fans of stuff like 'Heavy Metal', Ralph Bakshi's innovative films ('Fritz The Cat', 'American Pop', 'Lord Of The Rings', 'Cool World'), or even Peter Chung's much later 'Aeon Flux' TV shorts. It's the tale of a young rock band who find their lovely co-vocalist (Angel) abducted by an evil rock star (a vaguely Bowie-esque chap named Mok) in order to summon a gigantic demon. Yeah, so that sounds a bit iffy, but stay with it - it's fantasy!
Needless to say, Mok's advances towards the imprisoned Angel are met with resistance, especially from aspiring star and co-singer Omar, who has a romantic interest in Angel himself. With music from Blondie's Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, and Iggy Pop (not to mention Earth, Wind, & Fire), this epic sci-fi rock fantasy tale is interesting and fun, and definitely aimed at adults (the club scene in particular is, well, full of gigantic jiggling breasts). Some segments (the musical interludes) are quite psychedelic, and I'd bet there were more than a few teens who got stoned to watch this way back when...Fine work, and I should add that the soundtrack (in remastered 5.1) is incredible - sounds flew all over the room! Nice touch.

Benoit Pioulard - "Temper" CD

Soft, blurry, and wispy folk-drone-pop from this Oregonian composer (known to his parents as Thomas Meluch), 'Temper' continues in the direction of his inaugural release of a couple of years back, and offers better songs. The strength of Benoit Pioulard's fragile and often delicate popsongs are his bouncy, almost upbeat melodies. But coupled with the well-layered and deftly-mixed guitar textures are Meluch's vulnerable vocals, all swirled-up in a melange of effects and introspection. It's an effective mix - and it works wonderfully in the composer's favor.
The first track, 'Ragged Tint', is among the more rhythmic cuts here, and sets the stage for the more folksy offerings that follow. Recorded at home by Meluch, the sound is quite lush, flowing, and really quite lovely. If you can imagine something like Nick Drake as remixed by Kevin Shields, you may understand the overall vibe of 'Temper'. Highly enjoyable music for sunny days and a glass of lemonade. (Kranky)

pioulard site

Amiina and Lee Hazlewood - "Hilli (At The Top Of The Mountain"

In late 2007, one of my favorite Icelandic groups, Amiina, collaborated with famous American singer-songwriter Lee Hazlewood, who added some very wise and beautiful (and possibly prophetic) words to Amiina's song 'Hilli'. Just after this track was completed, Lee passed away. The world is a much sadder place without Lee, though his 40 years of amazing songs will live on for all times. This song was released digitally through regular distribution channels in December, and on a very limited European CD single. Additionally, Amiina plan to release a 7" single including this song and a cover of Lee's 'Leather And Lace', with release date still to be announced. Meantime, here's the marvelous video...

Johan Agebjorn featuring Lisa Barra - "Mossebo" CD

Swedish electronic composer Agebjorn's debut solo release would've been a superb arctic soundtrack on it's own, without a doubt. His cool and glacial soundscapes are lovely and mysterious, hinting at darkness and isolation, but remaining alive and hopeful somehow. However, coupled with the brilliant, wordless vocals of Lisa Barra, 'Mossebo' becomes a remarkably lovely set of exotic ambient songs that evoke naturalistic and multi-cultural climates. Barra's Indian-inspired vocals are at once ethereal and earthy, reminding somewhat of Lisa Gerrard or Sky Cries Mary's Anisa Romero - some esteemed company. That said, this album is simply a breathtaking combination of sound and voice. As for notable individual tracks, 'Ambient Computer Dance' breaks the mood a bit with an early Autechre-influenced rhythmic interlude, but the strings that summon themselves later in the track glide the vaguely IDM-ish track into more beautiful, almost classical territory. 'Siberian Train (parts 1 &2)' are fitting and evocative audio travelogues of the long, harsh Siberian railway journey, and 'A New Day Arrives' ends the trip with a gentle ambient whisper. Superlative work here. (Lotuspike)

Die Krupps - "Too Much History" 2xCD

Jurgen Engler and his band have been innovators in their field, pioneering electronic rock and 'industrial dance' since back in the late 70's. But he/they have made some major stumbles in the past. Their disastrous (and mostly laughably pointless) electro-recreation of Metallica back in the early 90's spawned a great deal of scorn and laughter among metal-heads and industrial kids alike.The band's mid-late 90's phase involved an endless stream of remixes of the same songs...and to make it all even more confusing, the American pressings shuffled the songs and mixed it all up even further. But we can likely blame Cleopatra (their then-US label during this period) for that.
Here, after a hiatus (when the band recorded under the name Dkay.com), Die Krupps returns with a double-CD of remakes of their past work. A curious idea, if the songs were much different. Sure, the production is much better now - old songs like 'Gladiators' or 'Metal Machine Music' have a more pronounced bass kick, and more distinct electronic layering. And although 'Fatherland' (easily my favorite DK track from the past) is smoothed out a little too cleanly, the band's trademark 'Germaniac' is still plenty powerful and heavy. And who can't like the classic anthem 'Machineries Of Joy', which features guest vocals from Nitzer Ebb's Douglas McCarthy? The whole thing ends up memorably with a fun and faithful cover of Pop Will Eat Itself's 'Ich Bin Ein Auslander'.
But in general, 'Too Much History' is simply a 'best of' comprised of remakes and remixes. There are a number of different DK 'greatest hits' compilations already available. This re-hashing seems opportunistic and unnecessary. (Metropolis)

Die Krupps website