Buckethead’s 32nd studio album, as well the second edition in the Buckethead Pikes series following “It’s Alive” . More experimental, much heavier, contorted, but beautiful, “Empty Space” with a total length of 32 minutes (ten songs) bring to the surface some intense riffs, noisy textures and wild, hurricane-like solos, but also funky basses, avant-garde experiments, industrial soundscapes, in few words, Buckethead shot all his big guns at our ears and once again he spare no energy to create music. Can’t stick labels to this, can’t force it into some boxes, his music have no genre, but style and class. Probably both, genius and madman, Buckethead is by excellence the most fascinating guitar wizard. Read more Buckethead – Empty Space, Underground Chamber, Look Up There (2011)
fusion
Infectious Grooves – Mas Borracho (2000)
This is a “not so old oldies”, released 11 years ago on 29 August, 2000, it’s the fourth – and up to date last – album released by the maniacs of Infectious Grooves. Maybe this is not same “classy” as the more notorious “Sarsippius’ Ark”, but as any Mike Muir project and product, it still kicking ass. Not to mention, we’ve got on the bass guitar the murderous Robert Trujillo (ex-Suicidal Tendencies, now Metallica), guitarists Dean Pleasants (also played with Ugly Kid Joe, George Clinton, etc), and Adam Siegel (Excel, Suicidal Tendencies, The Blondes, Eels, etc), and drummer Brooks Wackerman (Vandals, current drummer of Bad Religion).
The title of the album, as written on the album, means “but drunk” in Spanish. However, it most likely is a misspell of “más borracho”, meaning “more drunk” or “drunker”. Be prepared to funk off your ass and punk it up! Read more Infectious Grooves – Mas Borracho (2000)
Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet – Smells Like Tape Spirit (2011)
This is just great, feels so good to listen it. I won’t sell you lollipops, I actually don’t have a clue what “nu jazz” means, generally speaking, I don’t know what’s modern and what not in jazz, and digging further, in music. Sometimes – nowadays – modern becomes synonym of stupid, or at least trendy and patterned, and I really don’t wanna swallow it. This is different. “Smells Like Tape Spirit” have some gentle, warm, retro and kind of classy perfume, but on the other hand it’s extremely fresh, sparkling and breathing alive, it’s – God, I hate this world! – modern, a blending of standards and improvisations, structures and free licks, a rebellion build upon the solid ground of tradition.
Read more Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet – Smells Like Tape Spirit (2011)
The Beach Boys – Still Cruisin’ (1989)
The Beach Boys are one of the few mandatory “things” in music. If they wouldn’t be formed back in 61 somebody should be “invented” them. Many things in music would be different without Mike Love, Brian Wilson and Al Jardine. They gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting the Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, chosen for the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, The Beach Boys are one of the greatest rock and roll bands while their 1966 release, “Pet Sounds”, frequently rank among critics’ lists of the greatest albums and “Good Vibrations” as the greatest singles of all time. Paul McCartney named “Pet Sounds” one of his favorite albums of all time and has frequently said that it was the inspiration behind the Beatles’ album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys at number 12 on their 2004 list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time,” the highest ranking for an American Rock & Roll band.
Initially rising to become the most popular surf rock band in the U.S. during the early 1960s, the band with a legacy of 82 singles, 28 studio albums and 4 live recordings, The Beach Boys… still cruisin’. Read more The Beach Boys – Still Cruisin’ (1989)
Cosmonauts Day – Live Demos, EP (2011)
I’m gonna handle this one backwards: “The Last Watchman”, the closing track of this EP, it’s a beautiful, shining, Progressive Rock song with a friendly, warm vibe. Somehow it sticks in your head and can’t get rid of it.
Now I’m gonna get back to the beginning and I tell ya a secret: you can download for free this EP from the band’s Bandcamp page.
From Moscow, Russia, Cosmonauts Day delivered a quite unique mixture of post-rock, stoner/sludge metal and space/progressive rock with some exotic aromas, original structures and harmonies. Read more Cosmonauts Day – Live Demos, EP (2011)
The Prodigy – Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004)
Considered by many as a failure, “Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned”, the fourth studio album by The Prodigy, released on 23rd August 2004, 7 years ago, is the band lowest sold album and it was a departure from the band’s previous, mainstream success album, “The Fat of the Land”. Of the three members of The Prodigy, only Howlett is present on the album, some consider it almost a solo release of Howlett with the appearance of a lot of guest stars including actress Juliette Lewis, Oasis frontmen Liam and Noel Gallagher, Kool Keith of the Ultramagnetic MCs, who was previously featured in “Diesel Power”, American rapper Twista, Shahin Badar, English hip hop musician Princess Superstar, and The Magnificent Ping Pong Bitches.
Critics might dislike this one, I’m still loving it. Read more The Prodigy – Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned (2004)
The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash (2011)
If this isn’t a great band name – obviously quoting Biafra’s band name, I don’t know what it is! Eventually The Dead Kenny G Spots… 😆 😆 😆 Songs such as “Melvin Jones” merged explosive Noise-Metal with exotic aromas and Ethno-Jazz blowing, but one thing is absolutely sure: they are loud. Imagine a Rock-like noisy and loud Jazz band with suspicious taste for Klezmer and Metal and Hardcore, eventually like Primus. Not accidentally I mentioned Les Claypool’s “insane brigade”, they toured together last year.
Eric Walton aka Skerik (saxophones, keyboards, loops, samples, effects and guitar), Brad Houser (bass, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and electronics) and Mike Dillon (vibraphone and percussion) – aka Critters Buggin -, are The Dead Kenny G’s! This is the highest level of musical subversion, stay tune or stay away, injuries are unavoidable! Read more The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash (2011)
Aram Bajakian’s Kef – Aram Bajakian’s Kef (2011)
Listening to the almost raging, furious and noisy guitar hurricanes of “Sepastia” it’s obvious why Lou Reed ask guitarist Aram Bajakian to perform guitar on his summer tour. And Aram Bajakian’s Kef is electrifying. “Sumlinian” is blowing like a chainsaw from one ear to the other and will leave you breathless. Aram Bajakian – Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz – Acoustic Bass and Tom Swafford – Violin delivered an unique and extremely groovy mixture of traditional Klezmer music with Garage Rock resonances, merged electric explosions with sensitive acoustic braiding, combined the energy of the free Jazz improvisation with the clearness and smoothness of classic and traditional music, Aram Bajakian’s Kef puts on the same level the bursting electric guitar shredding and the joyful violin plays.
I was at the middle of the 5th track, “Wroclaw”, when I noticed there’s no drums or percussion in this… Holy Moses! Read more Aram Bajakian’s Kef – Aram Bajakian’s Kef (2011)
Primus – Green Naugahyde (2011)
12 years are more than a lifetime in nowadays music industry. Bass player Les Claypool was considered by many a weirdo even back in the 80s, beginning of the 90s, nowadays with the more uniformed, pattern-driven music, with all those self-proclaimed “whatever-core” stuffs pretending to be “alternatives” and post-everything we might think or dream of, the Primus project seems much more off-beat. I’m quite curious what the media will write about this and how the ex-emo kids, now sport-ware and iPhone fan teenagers will receive it. Things that don’t fit in the boxes, labels don’t stick to them and aren’t easy to chew and swallow are not so welcome nowadays. If you want to be appreciated, you must stay in line. Odd… isn’t it? While everybody struggling to sound the same, Primus comes back and sounds just like they did two decades ago. Like nothing else and like… Primus. Bloody bastards! Read more Primus – Green Naugahyde (2011)
Victorian Halls – Charlatan (2011)
This isn’t Metal, but I love its vibe and it’s noisy enough. But if you ask me, “Burn Me Up Like a Wax-Kissed Letter” it’s heavier than most of the so-called “alternative metal anthems” the media try so hard to sell us day after day. And when a band labeled “Pop” becomes heavier than bands labeled “Metal”, it’s something very wrong with this world we’re pissing on.
Juggling between Noisecore and Power/Dance Pop, this Chicago four-piece band find an exciting crack on the music pallet to breaking through at and “Charlatan”, the band’s debut album comes crushing like a hurricane with songs as “A Crush Is A Crush”, the retro dizziness of “Lucky 16” or the bursting energy of “It All Started In The Hall” and won’t let you (sit) down for a second, leave no space to take even a breath.
This is the future sound of the dancefloor and it’s definitively makes you jump off your shoes and do some crazy things. Read more Victorian Halls – Charlatan (2011)
