Imports offer great music in spite of high
price
By Jason Kosareff
Daily Forty-Niner
Whoa, the price of import compact discs
is outrageous! But never mind the price of the releases I am about to introduce
to you. They are worth the sacrifice for the great booty quakes that will
rumble across your backside.
First, Space Raider is making some of the
best trip-hop techno around right now. The new album, "Don't Be Daft,"
is an electronic music masterpiece of sampling over some very funky beats.
Outstanding on this disc is a track called
"Glam Raid." This song sticks in your brain like Crazy Glue on plastic
wrap.
Space Raider tunes are generally upbeat,
placing more emphasis on the craftsmanship of beats than on the number
of beats per minute. This is definitely an "A" album.
You may want to hock grandma's heirlooms
to pick up the new compilation, "Gatecrasher: Disco-Tech." This incredible
compilation comes straight from the dance floor of Gatecrasher: Disco-Tech,
a renowned dance club in England.
Left Field gets the hole shot on this double
disc release with hard, belligerent beats on a track called "Afrika Shox."
Some great house music is also featured, with soulful mixes by Planet Perfecto
on "Bullet in the Gun" and Tomiska on "Love Will Come."
Thirty-five tracks are provided for you
to groove to, including some of the best trance around. Gatecrasher studied
hard for a solid "A".
Ian Brown of the defunct super-group
The Stone Roses, returns with a strong new solo album.
"Golden Greats" features some solid tracks
stamped with Brown's arrogant attitude. While Brown must be getting on
in years (he's at least in his mid-thirties by my calculations), he still
postures as an invincible youth.
The brazenly tough, almost thuggish lyrics
that were lost in the sweet melodies of the Roses are more pronounced in
Brown's solo work.
This compensates for some areas of weak
music backing Brown's always-enchanting vocals. At times it sounds as though
Brown is singing over some pretty generic techno. The title over states
this album's worth. I give it a "B+".
Our Lady Peace has been unjustly ignored
by mainstream radio for years. Because of that sad fact, their new album
"Happiness is not a Fish that You Can Catch" will probably slide right
under your quality music radar.
Front man Raine Maida writes some of the
most sad lyrics in the alternative rock music scene, and overall O.L.P.'s
music is smart and thought provoking.
I can't recommend "Happiness..." enough,
I give it a definite "A+". |
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