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The Folk Implosion One Part Lullaby (Interscope/Universal)
Stereo Total My Melody (Bobsled)
The Beatnuts Musical Massacre (Loud/Violator) Most people don't know that the Beatnuts' production career stretches all the way back to Common Sense's first album and Chi Ali's first and last hip hop effort. Psycho Les and JuJu seem to be doing just fine cranking out the same irreverent beats that they always did, except now they're known. The guys who wrote "Lick the Pussy" and "Let Off a Couple" probably sold more copies of "Watch Out Now" from their new album than all of their other releases combined. Still unafraid to make their goofy beats and talk shit on the track, the Beatnuts continue to redefine the line between underground mentality and commercial success. 8.5/10 (Scott "Cocotaso")
The Wiseguys The Antidote (Wall of Sound/Oasis)
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At some point after Lou "Sebadoh" Barlow and John Davis scored a surprise radio hit with the loop-inspired "Natural One," from '95's Kids soundtrack, the side-project-esque Folk Implosion went from being Barlow's jokey lo-fi outlet to his jokey big-label play for commerciality. And while beat-driven studio music goes a long way to salvaging his sagging indie rock (career), Barlow is no master, pimping played shit like vocoder on "E.Z. L.A." or a Gainsbourg break on "Serge." Bottom line: Barlow is still an indie-rock sadsack, and no amount of loping breakbeats can change that. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)
Odd title, considering that half this disc is covers. This quintilingual pop-recycling unit out of Berlin maintain their pathological Gainsbourg fixation, padding things out with odd variations on the Beatles, Beatlemania (Phil Spector's "Ringo, I Love You"), and forgotten Japanese new wave ("Tokyo Mon Amour"). You see, this is what happens when hipster record nerds, cranked up on cappucinos and irony, decide that spinning nutty obscurities for the true believers just won't cut it. The upshot is discount retro karaoke kitsch, amateurish but not unlistenably so, cute and wonky enough to merit repeat listens. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
It's been ages since these London goofballs hit us with that nifty big beat track "Ooh La La." That tune's held up nicely, but after a couple of years' wait for their debut disc, it had better be good. It is--a stylishly stupid stumble through all things fun and funky. There's a stronger accent on hip hop here than you'd find with Fatboy Slim or Propellerheads, as childish as the Wiseguys' take on it is, cut with plenty of slapstick silliness. Along with "Ooh La La," standout tracks include the spaghetti western cool of "Cowboy '78" and the hyperactive "Start the Commotion," loaded with potential to do just that. Everyone's a comedian, sure, but how many can work your booty and your funnybone at the same time? 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)