Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth

It’s been over five years since our boy Trent has graced us with his presence. The previous LP was that double disc job “The Fragile” while it was a good album, it was a transition for Trent . “With Teeth” returns to a more striped down affair. The album as whole is a bit more polished and there is two songs with “love” in the title.
“All The Love In The World” starts off with a slow little beat and Trent ’s vocal just slides on over it. It slowly starts to build and the piano bit in there is fantastic. It’s simple but very effective. “You Know What You Are?” is classic NIN, that is reminiscent of say Starfckers or something off Pretty Hate Machine. It’s fast, and really loud. The hook of “don’t you fucking know who you are” is cheesy yes but dam it it sounds great. “The Hand That Feeds” is the single we have all been going crazy for. It’s the closest thing to a pop song that they have ever written. “Love Is Not Enough” here is song number two with love in the title. Are you ok Trent ? This one is a bit more experimental. The drums here are very loud and industrial but everything else is just some odd distorted guitars and Trent never really gets loud. “With Teeth” one of the craziest songs on here, it starts off in say a more traditional NIN fashion. Then at about three minutes in the song suddenly stops into a quiet piano bit with Trent sounding barley audible. The last minute is outstanding, great tune. “Only” this has to be the strangest album track. No one could have seen this coming. The track starts off with an eighties dance beat and Trent has a very David Byrne like delivery here. Its got a great back beat to it. Different for Trent but it works somehow. “Line Begins To Blur” the intro is very raw and dirty. The live drums really add to everything. The heavy verses plus the slower hook make for a gorgeous song. “Right Where It Belongs” is a slow number full of pain and emotion… just how he likes to end the records.
This is certainly is a different album for the band. There is a bit more experimentation, different effects, more piano, and songs about love. For the diehard fans of the older stuff precede with caution you might be a bit disappointed. But otherwise this is a great comeback disc.

By John Siwicki

The Rakes – Retreat

With the release of each new Rakes single, it becomes even more challenging to pin down their sound. Combine the likes of The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand but add a 70s punk feel to it. It’s like a wonderful blend of the good parts of the aforementioned bands. There I tried. “Retreat” is a great tale of hooking up and not missing out. The hook is great and easy to sing along to after a few. I am still hoping the will release “Ausland Mission” (Demo version on the B-Side on Strasburg).

By John Siwicki

The Tears – Refugees

Bernard Butler and Brett Anderson are back together in a new band. (Of course there was a bit of worry when this was announced. Could they rekindle that magic they once had?) Well the answer is yes. I have been waiting patiently to hear their new material, and it certainly hasn’t disappointed. “Refugees” is an upbeat number with Brett’s vocals sounding as fresh and as full of passion in some time. If you like Suede you should certainly be in love with this song.

By John Siwicki

Autechre – Untitled

During Sean Booth and Rob Brown’s 14 plus year career, they have created music that challenges both your mind and ears. It’s not for the average listener. The album will run about 70 minutes and you will certainly be different afterwards. “LCC” opens up the piece after about 10 seconds of silence and then the loop kicks in a goes over and over again of hard piercing beat. “Ipecial Section” runs in at about 10 minutes in length and is quite a sonic journey that is hard to be prepared for. It sounds like a journey through space. It’s very odd but strangly compelling. ‘Augmatic Disport’ hits you hard with its machine gun like clicks and clops. “Fermium” sounds like a completely screwed up version of a Kraftwerk song. It’s wacky and wild. Autechre music is a challenge to listen to, but it is a rewarding piece of music. It certainly isn’t for everyone but if your looking for something a little different here it is. For fans its certainly a step in theright direction after the average “Daft 7.30

Your Code Name Is: Milo – Ignoto

After, a mini album and a few excellent singles, we finally get the debut Milo album. “Ignoto” (which is Italian for ‘nothing’) was produced by the legendary Flood. Milo themselves have been compared to everyone from Radiohead, Fugazi and Joy Divison, because like the bands they’ve been compared to, Milo make a brand of rock that is different and challenging.
“I Am Connecting Flight” is a fast, distorted and beautiful song all wound up in to one. “17″ is the next track and each time I hear it, I love it more and more. “Rapt Dept” this is one that sounds like your being under attack. Great vocal here and that riff is so engulfing. “Scheetve” has such a great bounce to it. The vocals are so epic and they just soar forever. “Team Radar” is their slow burning prog rock song. “Five Four” is at times very chaotic but somehow manages to stay together. It’s a wild ride that you will never want to end. Tracks like “Yesterdays Head” and “The General” at times just down right rock but there is also plenty to keep your brain in motion.
It’s really hard to do an album like this justice. Milo don’t really sound like anything that’s out there at the moment. They bring their own style and their own imprint on everything. What you need to do is get this record. Don’t overlook it and miss

By John Siwicki

The Ordinary Boys – Boys Will Be Boys

The Ordinary Boys first LP was enjoyable overall. It had a few bad moments but what doesn’t. “Boys Will Be Boys” makes a bit of a change of direction for the guys. They move more into a ska direction. The lyrically the song is rather crummy. There is also a bit of rap about two minutes in, it actually helps break up the repetitive nature of the song. The song isn’t bad it just doesn’t really do much, but hey the horns are delightful.

By John Siwicki

The Fever – In The City Of Sleep

“In The City Of Sleep” is quite the departure from 2003’s debut “Red Bedroom. The album was recorded with by producer/engineer Steve Rivette (Beastie Boys, Dr. John, Black Dice). The album is a sixteen track epic that takes the listen on quite a dark, psychedelic cabaret, and much more it’s quite a wild ride of an album.

“Redhead” starts off the album; it has a bit of a surfer rock feel. Its got some really cheesy keyboard, it has that riff and a swagger to it, you can picture people surfing to this. “Waiting for the Centipede” is something you might hear on a Tom Waits album. It’s wild and has a circus like quality to it. “Magnus” sounds like something that could have been pulled out of the 40s. “Little Lamb & The Shiny Silver Bullets” is like the Beatles meets some evil lullaby. “Eyes On The Road” easily hands down the best song on the album. It uses a very creepy sounding guy, in a spoken word situation. Musically, it’s a very erratic and jerky song, making for quite a chaotic experience, and the end is just magnificent.

The album is loaded with crazy instruments (organ, xylophone, marimba and surely more) it really does take a listener on a pure journey. The band is clearly being heavily influenced by the late 60s Beatles work, post punk, and some punk funk. “In The City Of Sleep” ups the ante for the bands and really helps them break away and make.

By John Siwicki

Roots Manuva – Awfully Deep

Roots last LP “Run Come Save Me” in 2001 earned him a Mercury Music prize nomination, and widespread acclaim. But of course a lot has changed since then. Roots is back with a deep and thought provoking LP. He knows that the game has changed

The Perishers – Let There Be Morning

The Perishers, a four piece from Sweden , have unleashed their second album “Let There Be Morning.” They have just completed a tour of the US with Sarah McLachan. This will be my first taste of the band so I am quite excited.
“Weekends” kicks things off with a swooping piano intro. A gentle and fragile vocal kicks in over the beautiful piano. It’s quite a lovely track. “Reminder” is another slow and moody piece. The vocals are bit fuller, the backing vocals are quite stunning too. It’s a charming big epic soft rock tune. “Trouble Sleeping” brings things a little bit more back to earth it’s not quite as grandiose. “Pills” is an acoustic led, and a duet with Sara Isaksson. It’s a gorgeous track with a beautiful piano and they both deliver solid vocals. One of the finest moments here. “Let There Be Morning” sees a more optimistic end to the album. Strings kick in toward the end and really lift the song to new levels.
“Let There Be Morning” is a good late night album, or perhaps right when you wake up. It’s got some epic tunes that will surely see you into slumber with ease. Overall, there are some good moments and it ends on a really high one two punch.

By John Siwicki

22-20s – 22-20s

These lads from Brighton have been on the scene for a while now. After a few releases including a live mini-album and 3 singles finally we are left with the album .

“Devil In Me” kicks off things here. That riff kicks in you know you are in for a loud and dirty tune. Martin’s vocals are spot on and you feel it in his voice. “Such A Fool” released last year as a single yet the song still holds up. Its got a riff that is just classic. It’s a very big sounding song the keyboards fit right in there perfect. “22 Days” this is just one of those songs you don’t see coming but it just knocks you out. The song has a great crossover appeal. Catchy hook and very pop sound could mean big things for these guys. A great lyric and that amazing wall of guitars on the track are brilliant. “Friends” slows things down a bit. It’s a very simple acoustic song just dealing about well friends. It’s a nice change of pace on the album. “Shoot Your Gun” is a more dark and epic song. Song appears to be about a murder of some sort. The song has a swagger to it with its choppy guitars and Martins great howl.

The album is a great start. There are some really killer songs on here. But one of the problems was that about 6 of these of these songs were released on their mini-live disc so it kind of feels like there’s not much new here. But this is a solid debut album.

By John Siwicki

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