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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Speed! Nebraska update; cleaning out the CD review attic...

The fine folks at Speed! Nebraska sent out their summer/fall update last week. It's an aggressive schedule that rivals the output of any other Nebraska label. Among the releases:

--The Third Men's long-awaited debut, Boost, is slated for release next month. I've been hearing about it for what seems like forever. I'm sure we'll be getting a sneak peak at some of the new songs when The Third Men perform at O'Leaver's anniversary show Saturday afternoon.

--The Monroes' new 7-inch "Drillin' Daylight" is happening in September or early October (on red vinyl, no less). It was recorded at the world-famous Hitt studios in beautiful Havelock.

--Ideal Cleaners' new long-player, Muchacho, is slated for a mid-September release.

--Bombardment Society is finishing up tracks for Pistons, which will be out in early fall.

--Last but not least, Domestica have been recording at ARC Studios (that's the Mogis compound) for a Speed! release with a street date TBD.

In addition, rumor has it that Speed! Nebraska will have new apparel available in the near future. Half my rock-shirt wardrobe is taken up by Speed! Nebraska gear (including very rare D is for Dragster and Mercy Rule T-shirts that we all know would fetch hundreds on e-bay). Check out speednebraska.com for more info.

* * *

You may have noticed that the Reviews Matrix was finally updated Monday night. While logging 70-some discs into the table, I got an idea for a new blog feature called "Cold Call," wherein I randomly pick a CD off the stack every day and review it. I figure, at the pace of a review a day, I'll get through all the CDs on the Matrix sometime in 2010. If the disc is a real stinker, there may only be a "No" rating and a summary of what they were trying for. Some reviews will be more detailed. Look for the first one (probably) tomorrow.

Hopefully, I'll get some help burrowing through the stack of discs from my trusty intern, Brendan Greene-Walsh, who owes me a shit-ton of reviews (Where the f*** are they, Brendan?). Here are some leftover Brendan reviews that I've been sitting on:

Yip Yip, In the Reptile House (Safrecords) -- Beep bloop beep beep blop click boop click click? That's about all I took away from listening to something that's about as appealing as reading binary coding on a computer screen. The vocals are sparse and the majority of the album depends on speeding up and slowing down the tempo of the techno-electronica-industrial dribble. Rating: No -- Brendan Greene-Walsh
Tim Sez -- Give them credit for creativity. Unfortunately, that doesn't make it any more listenable. Sorry Darren. Rating: No

Matt & Kim - self-titled (I Heart Comix) -- This debut is pure fun, and by that, I mean that you can tell that this duo truly had a good time making their music. They combine layers of synths and drums, and the result is both catchy and dance-y (hence the "fun" aspect). It's straightforward, and that by itself is to be applauded. Running slightly under 30 minutes, it never wears thin. The third track, "Yea Yeah," is a standout, with a chorus that forces you to sing along. Rating: Yes -- Brendan Greene-Walsh
Tim Sez: One of the better releases of '06, it's still a bit too quirky for my taste, but the Brooklyn duo more than make up for it with their tunefulness. Rating: Yes

Minmae - 835 (Greyday) -- I really struggled with this review. Portland's Minmae combines a ton of talent and musical background, coupled with too much of an artistic attempt at making a record. The product is disjointed, and lacks continuity. The first, rather long track relies on drone-heavy guitar, white noise and random static. The rest of the album rarely strays from that formula. The disc is basically a compilation of 14 "ideas" that the band attempted to translate into songs instead of actually writing a song. Rating: No -- Brendan Greene-Walsh
Tim Sez: Rating: No.

Mutemath - Mute Math (Teleprompt/Warner Bros.) -- Jeesh. When I first listened to this CD, I thought I was in for a treat. The intro was captivating -- a minute-plus change that rested on a strong beat. Then the actual album began. What I had experienced on the first track was washed away by weak chord progressions and horrible pop-influenced vocals. The production is slick and well-recorded, as you'd expect from a band with huge financial backing. Aside from that, it's a watered down, mainstream attempt that came out as garbage -- wet, smelly garbage. Rating: No -- Brendan Greene-Walsh
Tim Sez: One of the reasons why I have an intern. Rating: No.

Sothen - Lookatchurself Reggie Measuresworth (self released) -- If you can remember the early '90s, then you already have a good grasp on what this album sounds like. Jangling and often inappropriate guitar riffs over root-rock bass with trash drums. Add raspy vocals that follow the same melody for every song. These guys remind me of a rehash of Bush. Ugh. Rating: No -- Brendan Greene-Walsh
Tim Sez: Perhaps a bit too ambitious for their own good, songs were too long and repetitive. Rating: No.

This week's column (online tomorrow) is a brief history of O'Leaver's in celebration of five years of vice and debauchery. See you then.

--Got comments? Post 'em here.--


 

posted by Tim at 10:51 AM

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