Limp Bizkit Chocolate Starfish and Hotdog Flavored Water (Flip/Interscope) Waow. I didn't think Fred Durst's voice could get any more annoying, but lo and behold, it seems that he and Pauly Shore have magically morphed into one. Usin' Nine Inch Nails rhymes in their fucked-up excuse for a track "Hot Dog," the Bizkit sound as retarded as ever, even throwing in a kinda techno track on their intro for good measure. Uninspired lyrics backed by uninspired music make a boring-ass and pointless album. I implore all the disenchanted and misled youth to dig deeper into the rap/rock world and find something BETTER. Once again, 3/10 (Lateef Martin) Gomez Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline (Virgin) This collection of re-recorded tracks, rarities and a token cover (The Beatles' "Getting Better") shambles along just as nicely as any Gomez disc. Sweet, mellow and juggy, there are some ace tunes here--such as the ethereal prog of "Buena Vista"--right alongside dull no-brainers and overly dirty '70s pastiche. Though I have issues with the gravel-throated vocals of part-time singer Ben Ottewell, this is a fairly pleasant listen if you're in a lazy, straw-munching mood. 7/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Iommi Iommi (Divine/Priority/Virgin)
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi is back casting his cloud of doom but this time he's brought friends. Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Phil Anselmo, Billy Corgan, Billy Idol (?) and even his old buddy Ozzy all get songs. Iommi's biggest accomplishment here is managing to stick close to his roots while bringing something new to the game and without trudging through the same old leaden riffs. Should please old Sabbath heads as well as the Farmclub.com set. Turn on, tune down, doom out. 7/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Various New Beats From the Delta (Fat Possum/Epitaph)
Ec8or The One and Only High and Low (DHR/Fusion III)
DJ Craze United DJs of America Vol. 16 (Mixer/DMC World) You may have seen him around town the last time he was chilling here and recognized the short 23 year old as the king he is. What you probably don't know is that Craze gets respect in the U.K. and in the States spinning drum & bass with all of his turntablist craziness mixed right in there. This is a mixed CD that finds him dropping exclusives from labels like V Recordings, Undiluted and Virus, all the while working the turntable wizardry that's made him internationally known. Who knew? 7.5/10 (Scott C)
Nightmares on Wax DJ Kicks (K7/Fusion III) The DJ Kicks compilations have always been an interesting and sometimes-telling portrait of what some of our favourite DJs are playing in the clubs. George Evelyn (aka Nightmares on Wax) joins the ranks of the mixed CD elite with this collection of tracks that ranges from funky breakbeat to underground hip hop. Evelyn is definitely not one of the best mixing DJs in the world, but I can hear where he's coming from with this. Kenny Dope, Saukrates, Paul Nice, Only Child and Aim play key roles. 8.5/10 (Scott C)
Various Lazy Dog (Astralwerks/EMI) In London's Notting Hill, DJs Ben Wyatt (of Everything but the Girl) and Jay Hannan spread their love for smooth, jazzy house like Nutella. This double disc is derived from their infamous late-Sunday-afternoon tag sessions at the Lazy Dog club. Two years of pickings are seamlessly blended and represent a cross-section of U.S. and European-flavoured garage joints, including some Latin house and classic acid jazz. Despite great selections, Lazy Dog has instrumental overload, but with cats like Kerri Chandler and Isolee in the mix this package deserves a look-see. 7.5/10 (Peter Lightburn)
Various (mixed by Roni Size) Through the Eyes (Full Cycle/Fusion III) The Full Cycle label's always been about the rollers, those bouncy, bassey, rolling tunes that form the backbone of a DJ set, and that's what you get here. Nothing too gimmicky, no massively massive hits, just two CDs (one mixed) of sharp basslines, tight breaks and liquid beats. Maybe not the best thing for home listening, but a pretty complete statement about what Full Cycle reprazents. 7.5/10 (Chris Hatherill)
Jori Hulkkonen Helsinki Mix Sessions (Turbo/Koch) Is it me or do the boys at Montreal's Turbo Recordings seem to have a bit of a Scandinavian fetish? Three out of eight of their mix CD releases have been by Scandinavians (the other five were by local artists), as has one of their full-length releases. The latest addition to the Turbo extended family is the Helsinki Mix Sessions (as in Finland) compiled and mixed by (former) communist sympathizer (just kidding) and Finland's greatest electronic music producer, Jori Hulkkonen. As is to be expected, Jori's mix is a collection of house tunes sensitive enough for that big date yet sexy enough for the dancefloor from names like Blaze, Nick Holder and Jori himself. And no, he doesn't play hockey. 8/10 (Krista)
Oscar De La Hoya Oscar De La Hoya (EMI)
33.3 Plays Music (Aesthetics) One can imagine record store employees' headaches over the placement of this one. Pop? Jazz? Classical or indie rock? If the store doesn't have a specific Chicago post-rock section, then the best pain reliever I can recommend is the record itself. Soothing cello interacts comfortably with expressive guitar, horns, drums and acoustic bass, weaving instrumentals that are spacious, tasteful and gently dynamic. This quintet indeed Plays Music, and it's real good. Once they rack it, get it. 8.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
John Stetch Heavens of a Hundred Days (Justin Time/Fusion III) Pianist/composer Stetch is a jazz musician from the Canadian west who arrived in Brooklyn via Edmonton and Montreal. By my count this is his eighth release as a leader. This one has him hooking up with some of his U.S. buddies, the unsung Bill McHenry, (tenor), Ben Street (a strong bassist) and Chick Corea's drummer, Jeff Ballard, in a program of originals and standards that mixes quartet sides with duets and solo items. As usual Stetch's sense of humour and Ukrainian background are added to the mix. 9.5/10 (Len Dobbin) At Upstairs, Oct. 27-28
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New York seems to have this effect on people. After the accomplished but tepid semi-electronica of Is This Desire?, Stories is nothing short of a complete rejuvenation, a seventh album that has the passion and ambition of a debut. With help from former co-conspirators Rob Ellis and Mick Harvey, Polly has produced a bold, guitar-driven album that sits comfortably between raw and polished, confrontational and hopeful, always showcasing her big voice--which mimics her hero Patti Smith on several tracks. Did I mention New York? Speaking of York(e), the ubiquitous Thom of Radiohead guests on "This Mess We're In," one in a collection of stunningly beautiful songs. 9.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
R.L. Burnside Wish I Was In Heaven Sitting Down (Fat Possum/Epitaph)
If Robert Johnson was "the king of the delta blues" in his day then R.L. must surely have the crown now. R.L.'s porch-style ramblings are as blues as dirt, and subtle turntablism and drum loops remain comfortably in the back seat to these tales of killing, drinking and trying to get your mojo going. If you weren't too shocked by the dance grooves of his last CD Come on In then you're sure to dig this, but purists beware. New Beats From the Delta takes a hip hop spin on Moby's Play by combining breakbeats and hip hop crews like Organized Noize and Go-Gittas with delta giants Cedell Davis, Model T Ford, Junior Kimbrough etc. In what appears to be shameless money-grubbing, Fat Possum plow through their discography and clumsily try to illustrate the crooked lineage of gangsta rap lyrics and delta blues testifyin'. The Kimbrough tracks alone are complete desecrations. Fat Possum, shame on you, shame, shame, shame. Heaven: 8/10, Delta: 3/10 (Johnson Cummins)
Digital Hardcore, so much to answer for. Busting eardrums worldwide, this Berlin-based, Atari-Teenage-Riot-run label specializes in pounding mechanic beats, nonsensical "anarchist" lyrics and mad, shouty female vocals. With their third album, this Kraut duo pretty much fits the bill. With song titles like "Six Million Ways to Die" and "Gimme Nyquil All Night Long," the sense of humour here is appreciated in a genre that often takes itself a bit too seriously. Though the chaos is pretty sweet on tracks like "You Can Hire" and "Zero Heroes," the album lacks the guts it takes to really stomach this stuff. 6.5/10 (Lorraine Carpenter)
Singers acting, actors singing, what's next? How about a singing boxer? That's what world-class boxer Oscar De La Hoya wants to be. His self-titled debut is comprised of inoffensive Latin love songs, with some exceptions: he tackles the Bee Gees' "Run to Me" in regular and dance mix versions, neither of which offends the original. Lead single "Mi Amor," featured in almost identical English and Spanish versions, brings up the heat (slightly), while the Diane-Warren-penned "With These Hands" carries her trademark over-the-top style. Not bad Oscar, but no TKO. 6.5/10 (Gerard Dee)