FRANCISCO LOPEZ "Untitled #104" (Alien8)
With last BOHA's review of Jim O'Rourke dressed as black metal guitarist
on the Takayanagi Tribute disc, it seems as if the dam is about to burst
on introspective experimental music icons embracing the Dark One and his
musical capabilities. Yes, its certainly about damn time the world of WIRE
magazine readers figured out that metal has as many avant-garde properties
as some Pita record; I point you all to Tumult Records' Andee
Connors' brilliant contribution to the last WFMU Program Guide LCD,
pointing out how Burzum is on par with Aphex Twin. Here, the normally
sedate Francisco Lopez glitches amidst four minutes of tense silence
before opening the faucet on a nonstop barrage of piledriver metal samples
(which sources here have point out to be that of Meshuggah), whacking you
on the head for an extended period with such ferociousness not heard since
that 40 minute maniacal chord the Boredoms held on their Super Roots #5.
ENNIO MORRICONE Gli Occhi Freddi Della Paura (Dagored)
A much welcome reissue of the score for a 1971 Italian horror flick, and
a necessary listen for those who seek high points of this ultra-prolific
composer. This disc features Morricone's "improv" outfit, Gruppo di
Improvisazione Nuova Consonanza, who made a pretty incategorizable body of
work that had not much to do with Ennio's work in the film score world.
However here, they rise to the challenge well with great reverb-laden
scrapes and drones, muted trumpets and some simmering fuzz guitar flares.
MOLDY PEACHES Moldy Peaches (Pro-Anti)
KIMYA DAWSON Knock-Knock Who? (Pro-Anti)
The loose collective of NYC kids known as the Moldy Peaches have been
knocking around for the last year or so, dropping their CD-R's around
(including solo discs from members Adam Green & Kimya Dawson) that have
been charming our socks off. The "I can do this" aesthetic of 4-track
seems to be at its complete bareboned here with songs both catchy,
hilarious (often x-rated), and in the case of Kimya's ode to her departed
kitty cat ("For Boxer") heartbreaking (she breaks down sobbing at the
end). Steve Malkmus would be proud at some of the rhymes these kids come
up with (and jealous): Kimya's "Time To Think" rips on "It's the End of
the World As We Know It" and "We Didn't Start the Fire" with some amusing
juxtapositions like "Silly friends/Incontinency/Yertle the Turtle and
hierarchy" and then namedrops the two aforementioned songs for the hell of
it. As the Peaches, Kimya and Adam come together without being some kind
of Lower East Side Peaches & Herb; successfully playing off each other in
a sweet but un-sappy way, and even drop the fuzzbox on the acoustic and
completely rock out. Soon to be stars indeed.
DJ PICA PICA PICA Planetary Natural Gus Webbin (Comma)
AKA Eye Yamantaka, who has created a masterful plate of samples for the
enjoyment of all. Having made almost every sound in the universe, the
Boredoms' eventual alignment with the electronica world (also exemplified
by the band's recent remix projects with UNKLE and Ken Ishii) is
definitely something that does not dilute the impact of their aesthetic.
Eye/Pica Pica Pica's mix is pure and astounding, incorporating samples
from an amazing and wide spectrum of sound: water as beats, African
musician Mama San, San Francisco hiphoppers El Stew, hardcore freaks Fat
Day, and many more all flow into a cohesive and inventive listen.
EGNEKN 8 Track Magic (ATMOTW)
Nothing more needs be said about the genius of putting a warbly, beatup
8-track of Led Zep IV (found at a flea market) onto the Compact disc
format in its untouched, stuttering & stop-starting glory.
LORETTE VELVETTE Rude Angel (Okra-Tone)
What could be very well an angel waitress of a Tennesse truckstop wraps
up Booker T, Kim Gordon, Othar Turner, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Dolly Parton
and Tav Falco (her initial mentor) into music so damn great that only the
Germans would give her a record deal. At least til now; Lorette (who has
been in bands like the Hellcats, Alluring Strange, the Kropotkins - Sonic
Youth fans might recognize her for her duet on "Little Trouble Girl") now
has an excelent anthology of her music from various solo discs and
compilations & singles, and it sure is a necessary thing to have in the
household. Besides her own great tunes she makes Bowie's "Boys Keep
Swinging" and T Rex's "20th Century Boy" stamped with something new and
special.
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