As part of a continuing series of EPs available digitally, this is only a smattering of what's in store this and next year from Pocket (aka producer/remixer Richard Jankovich, who's remixed Radiohead, Beck, Antony & The Johnsons, and Cat Power, among many others). This original work by Pocket sees a stellar set of vocalists providing words/voices for Jankovich's electro-synthpop stylings.
"Surround Him With Love" features the inimitable Robyn Hitchcock, and proves to be a catchy and slightly off-kilter pop song with an undeniable dance beat pulsing underneath the layers of guitars and vocals. "Sampo", featuring Yuki Chikudate of Asobi Seksu, is another sweet, lightweight pop gem with Yuki's ethereal vocals. Steve Kilbey of the Church fronts the glorious "Hear In Noiseville", which brings a mystical, introspectiveness as only he can. Former Dag Nasty pop-punker Dave Smalley brings a slightly heavier vibe to "Beautiful Grey", while Craig Wedren (of Shudder To Think) shows his world-class pipes on the bright and sunny "Someone To Run Away From".
Most of the added remixes don't fare as well, though the Justus Kohncke Remix of "Hear In Noiseville" adds a gauzy, drifty synthpop vibe, appropriately. And Spoolwork's remix of "Someone.." maintains the original song structure and succeeds, as well. The others? Perhaps these would go down better in a retro club atmosphere, but here they just add filler to what would be a really solid EP. Get the main songs, not the remixes, and you'll be quite pleased with these sparkly electro-pop confections. (24 Hour Service Station)
This French act considers themselves "black metal", but their third album shows echoes of speed, death, and thrash metal (and some other fringe elements) in their considerable arsenal. Indeed, "Triumph Of Heretic Fire" is a solid collision of these sounds, and, for once, the vocals are (sometimes) intelligible! It's lightning-fast, with superior drumming, crisp dual guitars with both high and low end, and a deep production by Andrew Guillotin. I like the band's diversity and adeptness at different tempos and styles. "Black Sun Of The Damned" slows things down to a crunchy classic grind sound in spots, while "Angstgeist" is a cruise missile of death metal. And this is just the first 4 tracks! Further on, the disc kicks out all kinds of blasting metal bruisers, culminating in the progressive "Blessings Of Blackfire", that brings a classic and doomy melodic angle to nuzzle itself near the blastbeats. A fine release, with something to please nearly any metal-oriented listener. (Agonia Records)
Taking their name from the scientific term for the syphilis virus, French industrial metal act Treponem Pal have been active for some years, and have seen a career littered with highs and lows. Often seen as a kid brother of sorts to their mentors/friends in Swiss avante-rock act the Young Gods, they have created some of the finest music of their genre, and they are back after an 11-year absence with a new CD. This is my quick-step assessment of their major recorded works up to now.
"Treponem Pal" CD (1989) - This raw debut was produced by Young Gods vocalist Franz Treichler, and indeed, it does echo that group's gutteral, explosive rock vibe. Vocalist Marco Neves' vocals are even a similar tone to Franz's. Nonetheless, the band's penchant for SWANS-style slow-burn grooves are obvious, as well as their prog-rock ala Voivod elements. Listen to "Slow Man" and hear for yourself their SWANS fixation in full effect. If you can get past some rather silly lyrics (who can forget the album's closer, "Soft Mouth Vagina"?), you may be surprised that this album holds up fairly well today.
"Aggravation" CD (1991) - My initial introduction to this smoldering aggro-metal act, "Aggravation" boasts production by former SWANS drummer Roli Mossimann. It's denser, heavier, and more guitar-heavy than it's predecessor. "Rest Is A War" is all-out war indeed, while the thrashy "Fugitive Soul" throws in some killer guitar samplings among the live instruments. Here is where the group really picks up some steam. There are still some slower grinding moments, but the band goes more metal here, with slicing guitars and thumping grooves. "TV Matic" is Voivod meets Young Gods, and works nicely that way, thank you very much. Their cover of Kraftwerk's immortal "Radioactivity" works surprisingly well, too. The start of something great.
"Excess And Overdrive" CD (1993) - With Treichler returning to the producer's chair, this remains the band's tour-de-force. I spent a lot of time in the 90's listening to post-Wax Trax! industrial rock and metal, and this album rates very highly, indeed. A shame it's been mostly ignored and unheard by many of those who would've made T.Pal major stars back in the day. "Out Of Reach" is a scalding, hot anthem of electronic-tinged metal. Every bit as powerful as Ministry ever were, the single, "Pushing You Too Far" is catchy, omnipotent, and combines the group's influences the most cohesively. It's simultaneously slow and brooding, then bombastic and grinding. It's no wonder Al Jourgensen drafted guitarist Michel Bassin for a Ministry tour during this era. The title track is a massive SWANS slave-grind, and "Sometimes" lashes this dissonant sludginess to a stomping metal groove. From start to finish, this is a stomping monolith of crushing mecha-metal madness, with a furious sense of urgency and swollen aggression. One of my personal favorite industrial-metal albums of all-time, seriously.
"Higher" CD" (1997) - The band was on a roll with "Excess", but for some reason, it took 4 years for this one to finally see release, and on a major label, no less. Well, this is where the band's momentum stopped abruptly. I blame part of that on the weak production of KMFDM's Sasha Konietzko, which managed to completely subdue and neuter Treponem Pal's hard-driving sound. "Higher" as an album sounds plastic, puerile, and like KMFDM with a different vocalist. The dubby-reggae sounds of "Panorama" or "Freetribe" are likely the doing of vocalist Neves, who went on, after this album, to work as dub project Elephant System, but the KMFDM production makes it all sound flat and bland. And we won't discuss their cover of "Funky Town". Sad to see the band fall so far.
"Weird Machine" CD (2008) - After 11 years away, Neves returns, with a new lineup, bolstered by the addition of some genre heavyweights -- bassist Paul Raven (Killing Joke, Prong, etc., who, sadly, passed away while recording for this album) and drummer Ted Parsons (SWANS, Godflesh). This is the group's strongest showing since "Excess And Overdrive", with songs like "Planet Crash" returning to the band's original heavy rock sound. "Hardcore Massive Soldier" recycles lyrics from past T.Pal songs, as well as referencing Sonic Youth, among others. "Mad Box" is a cover of the track "The Box" from the band's debut album, and there's more big rock songs like "Human Attack", which balance the group's "Excess"-era sounds with electronic underpinnings. Marco's vocals are appropriately gutteral and harsh, and this proves that Treponem Pal is back with a vengeance. "Weird Machine", though it's not seen release in the states at all, is certainly worth looking for if you've ever appreciated this band's past works.
Chicago-born artist and musician Wesley Willis passed away a few years back, but not before he found a receptive and enthusiastic international audience through his music and drawings. The unlikely (and self-proclaimed) rock star, who was tormented by chronic schizophrenia (and some tumultuous inner "demons"), brought a larger-than-life spirit and over-the-top personality to whoever would lend an ear. This touching documentary succeeds in capturing the essence of what made his life so unusual and so inspiring. It's a non-stop joyride, to use one of Wesley's favorite expressions. Seeing him hawking his CDs on the streets, or reveling in the audience's applause, or even chatting with the haircutters during a simple haircut, proves to be a funny, entertaining, and charming experience. His simplistic, sometimes-childlike songs were based around his day-to-day experiences, and he wrote songs for nearly everyone he befriended. Directors Bagley and Shively have compiled footage of Wesley in his later years, and it's a fitting tribute to the man and his legend, and includes interviews with Wesley's family, as well as his closest friends. It's evident the filmmakers were close to Wesley, as this loving portrait of an artist who, in his own way, changed the world for the better. He had a larger-than-life joviality and sense of wonder about the world that made him an icon and a character like no other. This DVD is a harmony joy bus ride. (Eyeosaur Productions / MVD Visual)
Dense, large, and rumbling aggro-doom-metal from some Rhode Islanders who collect their paychecks from ("Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" video game developers) Harmonix, and a drummer who plays bass in Lightning Bolt. This is their debut, and it whacks handily with mighty riffage and pummeling drumming, akin to some of the better stoner-metal acts around. "Swords" is a massive, primal mountain of droning riffs and thunderous drums, laying waste to the modern world. It's not for the faint-hearted, for sure. "Hexes/Szaadek" is another behemoth of loud, bonecrushing aggression, like if Slayer teamed up with the Melvins, got high together, and then got into a raging fist-fight. "Red Lottery" is another speedy assault of dangerous noise and fury. This is some evil and engrossing metal of remarkable acumen. Fully worthy. (20 Buck Spin)
Originally recorded in 1956, and with some added Tatum solo cuts from 1953, this selection of smooth piano-led jazz was the culmination of years of experience from the masterful Tatum/Webster Quartet (though it isn't billed as such, oddly). Tatum's smooth (and seemingly omni-dexterous) piano pyrotechnics still wow critics and fans today, while Webster's husky tenor sax adds a late-night vibe to the sound, which ranges from the laid-back, melodic "Gone With The Wind" to the wild rollercoaster of "Have You Met Miss Jones?", where Tatum takes the lead and shows why he's considered one of the finest pianists, period. "My One And Only Love" is sweet and gently seductive, as the title suggests. Without accompaniment, Tatum's fantastic solo version of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" (featured later in the disc), is so kinetic and sprightly, I easily forgot this was just one man with two hands playing. Tatum's superhuman energy and evolved melodic sense is the focus here, and this release is a superlative document of his immortal style and grace. (Essential Jazz Classics)
As part of a continuing series of EPs available digitally, this is only a smattering of what's in store this and next year from Pocket (aka producer/remixer Richard Jankovich, who's remixed Radiohead, Beck, Antony & The Johnsons, and Cat Power, among many others). This original work by Pocket sees a stellar set of vocalists providing words/voices for Jankovich's electro-synthpop stylings.
