The Blood Brothers

Young Machetes

V2

After a brief stint in the land of side-projects (Neon Blonde and Head Wound City), Brothers Blood have reunited and put their musical differences aside. Picking up where the brilliant Crimes left off, Young Machetes finds the band abrasive as ever, but without neglecting its penchant for grandiose theatrics. Still employing vaguely psychedelic Middle Eastern guitar parts with the thunder of modern hardcore, the Brothers continue to find innovative ways of expanding its already unique sound. í¢â‚¬Å“Lazer Lifeí¢â‚¬  sounds like the cast of Fraggle Rock fronting The Doors while í¢â‚¬Å“1,2,3,4 Guitarsí¢â‚¬  hints at the bandsí¢â‚¬â„¢ new affection for Krautrock. It doesní¢â‚¬â„¢t get much better than this, kids.

-Adam Simpkins

The Hold Steady

Boys and Girls in America

Vagrant

When Guided By Voices eventually called it quits, they probably had no idea of the giant void that would be left in its wake. Who else is going to empty a keg of beer during a three-hour set? Who else could give hope to middle-aged men that think ití¢â‚¬â„¢s too late to start a band? The Hold Steady, thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s who! Big bar-room rock, massive guitars and a front-man (the boisterous Craig Finn) that will throw back a shot of Jíƒ ¤ger with you one minute and knock your lights out the next. Its third album in as many years, BAGIA is equal parts rowdy and sentimental í¢â‚¬“ appropriately mirroring the highs and lows of a memorable night out.

-Adam Simpkins

the Whitest Boy Alive

Dreams

Bubbles

When the Quiet Revolutioní¢â‚¬â„¢s poster boy, Erlend íƒËœye, took a break from his usual folk outfit, Kings of Convenience, in 2003 to go electronic he received a rather chilly reception. Many criticized his solo effort for being too í¢â‚¬Å“digitalí¢â‚¬  and í¢â‚¬Å“cold,í¢â‚¬  and it was quickly forgotten like most electro-trash that flooded the turn of the century. Now in 2006, he seems determined not to let history repeat itself with his new side-project, the Whitest Boy Alive, by making a dance record devoid of any programming or production effects. Instead this Berlin-based band has relied on the old guitar-bass-drums set-up to make something completely danceable as well as organic. As a live-kit steadily pounds out house rhythms, íƒËœye sings his hushed melodies over some extremely simple yet completely infectious songs. By applying the back-to-basics principles that made Kings of Convenience so appealing, íƒËœye has finally succeeded in making a dance album worthy of attention.

- Brock Thiessen

Ammon Contact

With Voices

Ninja Tune

Sweet beat makers are not readily available in hip-hop. For every Showbiz, Premiere, Dre, and Dangermouse out there, hundreds more in the game treat the beat as backseat to the vocals. The beat is Ammon Contactí¢â‚¬â„¢s territory. Since their slept on and aptly titled debut Sounds Like Everything in 2001, DJ Carlos Niíƒ ±o and Fabian Ammon Alston have been the more soul-oriented musical cousins to Dabrye and Prefuse 73. And like the aforementioned, Ammon Contact have come to the stage in their careers known as the í¢â‚¬Å“guestí¢â‚¬  album. For the most part, the guests provide vocals to Contactí¢â‚¬â„¢s beats and keyboards. It seems natural and obvious to have talented friends and artists contribute to your sound, but like others in the genre, the experiment never really works as an album. The beauty of artists like Ammon Contact is that they can sustain the listener for more than a half hour on stark yet adept consideration to rhythm and sound without having to rely on the immediate gratification of lyrics. Although at times the album soars to new heights, for the duo the addition of vocals too often compromises their sound. Perhaps With Voices is a lyrical debt better not repaid. Ií¢â‚¬â„¢ll be waiting for the í¢â‚¬Å“withoutí¢â‚¬  version.

- Robert Robot

Easy Star Allstars

Radiodread

Easy Star Records

Radiodread, a dub-influenced remake of Radioheadí¢â‚¬â„¢s hit album OK Computer, marks the anticipated follow up to the Easy Dub Allstarsí¢â‚¬â„¢ breakthrough record, Dub Side of the Moon - a cover of Pink Floydí¢â‚¬â„¢s classic album Dark Side of the Moon. However, the musical successes of the Floyd tribute hinged on two factors not transferable to the Allstarsí¢â‚¬â„¢ latest endeavour. First off, Dub Side was an original idea, and thatí¢â‚¬â„¢s worth its weight in gold: the second attempt reeks of a cash grab, and not a genuine interest in remaking a í¢â‚¬Å“classicí¢â‚¬  album (putting OK Computer in the same musical realm as that of Dark Side is a tenuous claim itself). A second, more prevalent issue remains, and that is the simple fact that in the context of Radiohead covers, dub does not gel with the original tunes. The result is somewhat boring, listless, background music - nothing to really warrant a purchase (Radiohead obsessed fans, feel free to disagree).

- meelosh

Squarepusher

Hello Everything

Warp Records

I was just thinking it was time for a new Squarepusher release. It seems Tom Jenkinsoní¢â‚¬â„¢s brother Andy (Ceephax Acid Crew) has been getting all the attention over the last few years for his blistering acid tracks. Getting the release copy of Hello Everything a few weeks back I was sure Tom was poised to return to his rightful place as most talented in the family (check other brother John Jenkinsoní¢â‚¬â„¢s animated film The Crisp Chronicles). Unfortunately I was wrong. The first time I heard Feed Me Weird Things I knew Jenkinson had a touch of the musical genius in him. Raw talent is the only way to explain making compelling contemporary drum ní¢â‚¬â„¢ bass long after the genre completely fell off the radar at the turn of the century. But Tom Jenkinsoní¢â‚¬â„¢s talent has boundaries. The wrestling between drill ní¢â‚¬â„¢ bass and jazz fusion is stronger than ever on Squarepusherí¢â‚¬â„¢s 10th release. Hello Everything never gets the chance to soar; it only hints at something better. If drum ní¢â‚¬â„¢ bass is what you want, check Hard Normal Daddy. For jazz fusion, check Selection Sixteen. As for the musique concríƒ ¨te inspired tracks, they simply muddle what is already a potpourri of an album. Too many ingredients can spoil a good recipe. Hello Everything indeed.

Robert Robot

(yes, we meant to put in two Squarepusher reviews)

Squarepusher

Hello Everything

Warp Records

As a title, Hello Everything is reflexive of a shift toward the high note in Squarepusher's new release. Jenkinson's still got the codebook to minor chord-driven foreboding, bringing up the usual hints of eeriness, spine-chilling fear and life's more mundane moments of darkness. If you can weather the lovely murkiness, you'll be fished out and soothed by the surprisingly reassuring, optimistic hand of tracks like 'Circlewave 2'. Slower bass strumming is reminiscent of jazz and even folk more than of electronic genres evoked with Jenkinson's dizzying staccato in the past. Never fear though - that frenzy appears too, defined by someone with authority, in 'The Modern Bass Guitar'.This is a blatantly beautiful album, lacking the sometime-desol/isolation, and even the rather humorous musical irony characteristic of parts of Jenkinson's catalogue. There is no loss in complexity, and to say that even those who find Squarepusher too abrasive to love will enjoy this is not to say that the album compromises on versatility or delightful challenges. Sincerity! Hope! Skill!

- Vanessa Rockel

Grizzly Bear

Yellow House

Warp Records

While retaining the low-fi moodiness of the band's first album, Yellow House shows that with a bit of polish Grizzly Bear is one of the more important contemporary bands producing emotionally evocative folk rock. Much bigger, elaborate and ambitious than the band's debut Horn of Plenty, the haunting and melodious songs on Yellow House unfurl like spacey Beach Boys tunes permeated by the otherworldliness of a southern gothic and the twang of an Ozarks kitchen band. The use of found sounds and the reliance on static as a musical device has faded to the background on the recent effort, though still creeping into tracks like í¢â‚¬Å“Central and Remoteí¢â‚¬  and í¢â‚¬Å“Plansí¢â‚¬ , where the effects take on an uncanny quality not found on the original. So to with the hiccupping compositions and warm but fragile production of the first albumí¢â‚¬”while the essence of what made Horn of Plenty a slow burning underground hit remainsí¢â‚¬”Yellow House is incredibly well served by the richness of the improved recording quality and the increased coherence of the songwriting and compositions.

Andrew Riley