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diversions:
band review
Bands tweek into
electronica era
By Alex Roman
On-line Forty-Niner
Similar to the
days of coke and poke (otherwise known as the 70s) when bands
like KISS even had a disco song, everybody it seems has taken
a shot at electronica from rock gods like Perry Farrell to
pop divas like Madonna.
Scotland's The
Beta Band are not simply wankers trying to get in on an ethereal
revolution.
The band's use
of samples and electronica has gradually evolved into a more
cohesive and creative sound since the release of 1998's masterpiece
"The Three EPs."
Their latest CD,
"Hot Shots II" is an 11-track, 69-plus minute trek
of aural fantasy, from a band that attempts to make music
that matters, rather than to just sell records.
Similar to Radiohead,
whom they recently toured with, The Beta Band seem intent
on proving that you can make music these days that does not
place limitations on the artist's vision.
Without those limitations,
"Hot Shots II" trips through different soundscapes
and emotions forcing the listener to knock down their own
preconceptions.
While the beats
are consistently tight and funky, what makes this CD worth
listening to is The Beta Band's ability to step back and minimalize
those beats on some tracks.
Songs like "Gone"
and "Al Sharp" are bolstered by vocalist Steve Mason's
floating voice rather than relying on computerized sounds
or drum beats.
After stumbling
a bit with their first album proper, 1999's "The Beta
Band," the boys have seemingly regained their footing
by getting back to what made them famous.
What is most important
about "Hot Shots II" is that, while it harkens back
to the genius of "The Three Eps" it does so progressively
proving that it is all right for a band to look back as long
as they proceed full speed ahead.
On the other hand,
the problem with artists like The Crystal Method is that their
music is better off being heard while you're dancing at a
club rather than when you're just sitting around hanging out.
Such is the problem
with their latest CD "Tweekend." While it is technologically
innovative and a whole lot of fun to dance to in the right
setting, it is just too hard to meld an album like this into
your everyday life.
Like The Beta Band,
The Crystal Method have a tremendous use of beats and sounds
that can transport you to whole different world.
Songs like the
opening track "Pho" and "Name Of The Game,"
have great drumbeats and innovative uses of sound, but you
would feel like a fool dancing around the house with a glow
stick in your mouth.
Music in its many
forms deserves to be heard in different settings that fit
the mood.
Some albums you
can sit around and listen to in your house; others are made
to fit a concept of a video and still other music works best
when you hear it live.
Band members Scott
Kirkland and Ken Jordan can successfully re-create this type
of music in a club setting, which is good for them.
This is the type
of music that deserves to be heard live, pumping out of speakers
that feel like they will blow a hole through you. Unfortunately
for The Crystal Method, this music does not move you as much
when you are just sitting around the house.
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