It was the longest gap between two albums – five years – for Incubus, but “If Not Now, When?” will be released on July 12, 2011 by Epic Records, although the full album leaked online on April 25. “If Not Now…” pick-up where they left in 2006 with “Light Grenades”. You can forget about their experiments of utilizing elements from a variety of genres and styles, there’s no even traces of Nu Metal, Rap Metal, Funk Metal, not even any sings of any kind of Metal at all, and no left-over shades of Jazz or Hip/Trip Hop inflections as well, Incubus maybe “grew up”, perhaps they lost their appetite for exploration and settled down to a clean, some may call adult, Rock sound. This is not that bad as it may sounds, but I have to admit it, this Incubus is not “that” Incubus I used to love. This is “something” much closer to the late Pearl Jam (“In the Companies of Wolves”) and even passages that reminds me of Kings Of Leon (“Thieves”) than to Faith No More. Read more Incubus – If Not Now, When? (2011)
Reviews
Fred Hersch Trio – Everybody’s Song But My Own (2011)
Strongly influenced by the work of Bill Evans, about Hersch critics have exclusively laudatory words, been called “a modern master”. Pianist and composer, Hersch explore the borders and beyond the Jazz for the 21st century. Intelligence and emotional involvement goes together in his work and revealing unexpected dimensions of intimacy and beautiful glows of desire for living. High lyricism and impressive turns of pulsing dynamism are meant to keep the audience attentions tight, Hersch led us through different moods and colors of the music smoothly and kindly, he’s universe it’s truly transcendent and he’s melting into one the tradition and the innovation, being classic and modern simultaneously. Read more Fred Hersch Trio – Everybody’s Song But My Own (2011)
The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida (2011)
This is the American dream, or the sparking of it, what’s left from it. Ian,James and Simone Felice, sons of a carpenter, used to play on Sundays at their father’s afternoon barbecues. They stayed in a little apartment in Brooklyn and The Felice Brothers started as a band playing in the New York City subway stations at 42nd Street and Union Square and in Greenwich Village. Ian is the main vocalist and plays the guitar and piano, James contributes vocals and plays the accordion, organ, and piano, their friend Christmas Clapton, previously a traveling dice player plays the bass guitar. Simone Felice was the drummer as well as a vocalist and a guitarist, he is also an author, having released books entitled “Goodbye Amelia, and Hail Mary, Full of Holes”. Simone left the band in 2009 and now leads his own band: The Duke & the King, Dave Turbeville was put behind the drum kit and Greg Farley is the fiddle player. They album “Through These Reins and Gone” released in 2006 made it onto Radio Woodstock WDST’s top 25 albums of 2006 and in 2008 it was announced The Felice Brothers had signed a record deal with Team Love Records, since they traveling the country in their “Short Bus”, touring extensively. Read more The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida (2011)
Gavin Friday – Catholic (2011)
Gavin Friday spans around for more than four decades, not only as musician, but as painter as well or writing and MCing his own weekly cabaret “The Blue Jaysus”. He wrote the soundtrack to Jim Sheridan’s “In the Name of the Father”, which including Sinéad O’Connor’s hit, “You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart” and subsequent film scores have included the song “Angel” to the “Romeo + Juliet” soundtrack, the score for the Australian film “Angel Baby”, “The Boxer”, “Disco Pigs” and “In America”. He collaborate with artists such as The Fall, Coil, Dave Ball, U2, Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart, The Heads, Howie B. and Preacher’s Son. Gavin’s first solo album was released in 1989, “Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves” followed by “Adam ‘n’ Eve” in ’92 and “Shag Tobacco” in ’95. Gavin have a long collaboration with pianist Maurice Seezer. “Catholic” was released on April 22 and we’ve got 11 brand new tracks. Read more Gavin Friday – Catholic (2011)
Mindless Self Indulgence – Tighter (2011)
This band from NY it’s around since 1997 and “Tighter” actually it’s the re-issued version of their debut and out of print album “Tight” released 12 years ago. It’s a crazy shit, but well, my kind of shit. Love at first listening. Because till this morning I never heard of them. MSI gave us a noisy mixture of Punk and Electronic music, whatever Electronic music may means from Synth Pop to Industrial, in and out and from Marilyn Manson to Jaguar Love. The 26 tracks of “Tighter” it’s kind of trip to Hell and back – all fucking inclusive. A good one. And funny one. To Hell or wherever else you want or imagine to go. It may be a sunny island, a cellar, the (pink) side of the Moon or… a bordello in Amsterdam. Read more Mindless Self Indulgence – Tighter (2011)
Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (2011)
So, this is it, after four years awaiting and few delays, the eighth studio album by the Beastie Boys. This is NOT another explosive “Ill Communication” or another “Licensed to Ill “, it’s following the line of “To the 5 Boroughs”, but seems better than “Hello Nasty”. There’s no “Sure Shot”, no “Sabotage”, no “Brass Monkey” and no more “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” – if you know what I mean. But still, it’s positive, I guess, there’s no “Intergalactic” and “Super Disco Breakin'” kind of… ass shaker and money maker shit. Originally planed for a 2009 fall release, after Adam “MCA” Yauch was diagnosed with cancer, the release of this album was consequently delayed. And don’t dig to find “Hot Sauce Committee Part 1” because there is no part 1 yet, it will be release probably later. But since, we’ve got 16 brand new tracks from Mike D, Ad-Rock, MCA, Money Mark and Mix Master Mike. Read more Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (2011)
Mono Inc. – Viva Hades (2011)
The leading riff of the title track “Viva Hades” it’s just a huge take off from “Personal Jesus” by Depeche Mode. Still, the album was nominated by the German ORKUS Magazine as “album of the month” and got 10 out of 10 points. Well, I was always a little bit skeptical about artists praised by media. Mono Inc. delivering German taste like Gothic Rock, blending melodious vocals with heavy guitar riffs and tones, synth layers and pianos with Metal sounds, they have a few better riffs – “Admiration Hill” which reminds me of Marilyn Manson – , they have some fine choruses and pumping themes (“C’est La Vie”), but still, I think Mono Inc. suffers from the same linear, repeating and mainly “pale” symptoms of musical constructions as most of the German artist/bands dose. Well, not everybody can be Faust or Einstürzende Neubauten, not even Rammstain, isn’t it? Read more Mono Inc. – Viva Hades (2011)
Masami Akita, Mats Gustafsson and Jim O’Rourke – One Bird Two Bird (2011)
Limited edition of 500 copies vinyl release containing two tracks, “One Bird” 21.37 minutes, respectively “Two Bird” 13.38 minutes, this is the result of the clash of three twisted minded titans of experimental music in a studio session in Tokyo in 2009.
Masami Akita knowned of course as Merbow since 1979 has released over 350 recordings. Mats Olof Gustafsson is probably best knowned lately mainly by the trio called The Thing, but he first came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe, started in 1986 and the band Gush, started in 1988. He has later played widely with musicians such as Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Paul Lovens, Barry Guy, Yoshimi P-We, Derek Bailey, Magnus Broo, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O’Rourke, Thomas Lehn, Evan Parker, Misha Mengelberg, Zu, The Ex, Sonic Youth, Hamid Drake, Michael Zerang, Ken Vandermark and many others. O’Rourke Read more Masami Akita, Mats Gustafsson and Jim O’Rourke – One Bird Two Bird (2011)
The Five Corners Quintet – The Helsinki Sessions (2011)
A live recording with a Jazz band such as The Five Corners Quintet can’t be nothing but exciting. In 2005, The Five Corners Quintet from Helsinki took the international dancefloor jazz scene by a storm. “Chasin’ the Jazz Gone Byâ€, their debut album proved out to be both an artistic and a commercial success story. TFCQ surprisingly managed to merged smoothly the essence of the traditional Jazz with the sounds and approaches of modern Jazz and combining standards with fresh improvisations and quite danceable rhythmic structures with the richness of harmonies, melodies and mind blowing improvising explosions. It’s impossible to stay sit, TFCQ makes you jump up and swing to their music, and let’s face it, this is quite rare quality for a Jazz band now days. Read more The Five Corners Quintet – The Helsinki Sessions (2011)
Red Snapper – Key (2011)
This is absolutely bloody ass kicking! And I mean it. Don’t judge a book by its cover and a CD by its label. In this particular case the label was “hip hop” and well, maybe there’s some hip hop left-overs in it, but this have nothing to do with what usually we thought of hip hop. This is jazz, modern, alive, pulsing, experimental jazz without being kind of exclusivist, it’s avantgardist without being abstract, in not so many words: this is fucking music! Well, if we trying hard enough we may find some parallels with US3, eventually with the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, but still. If there some other band which reminds me of , perhaps that would be Morphine. Honestly I don’t know where I kept or what I did with my ears in the last few years, but I stumbled into Red Snappers only yesterday while it seems they being around since 1994. But I can take off “Key” from the player since. Read more Red Snapper – Key (2011)
