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PBOGBESSIJE HObSE JIMMY VAN M Compiled & Mixed (Bedroom 00.
In a (are show of selfleSSness. prog god John Digweed allows American-Belgian. Jimmy Van M. the tasi< of presenting the BedrOCk some on the seCOnd compilation albun“ in the labei series. Jimmy ably lives up to weighty expectatioris however. and delivers a two—CD overview of the progressive spunn'. ranging from dark atmospherics to hard— edged tribal grooves Peak time floor- fillers like Junkie XL's ‘Bon Voyage' dominate the second CD. while deep bass stabs and euphoric breakdowns inform the first. Jimmy even manages to exercIse his own self-interest by squeeZing in his forthcoming Bedrock Single ‘Love Like Sleep'. (Catherine Bromley)
POCKPOP KING LOUIS
Generation I Want (Nude) .000
While there are echoes of Padiohead and Spiritualised on this inspiring debut. King LOuis are a band who build on their influences rather than Simply aping them. The West Country duo spent four years on this release. and the result is a beautifully
ccn‘poseo pie: of ri‘eianccoia. both serene and e"gag:ng.
It's tne kind of record that seerrs to have ties/c past yotir ears until you realise that its hooi<s have werked their way into the part of ydur Sktiii that tISuaiEy persists on singing ‘Do Yoti Beaily Like It" to itself .vnile you're tryhg to do {He washing up. And 7'0' that sen/ice. King Leuis ShOLiid have yOur whoienearted thanks. dairies Smarti
ROCK POP COLIN REID Tilt :Topici 000
This is the second fuli studio album by Colin Reid. following his epOnynious 1999 debut. Hailing from Belfast. the guitarist is being billed as a riging star on the fOIk scene. collecting endorsements from the likes of stringy hero Bert Janscn along the way. Here. the mostly instrumental selection fully demonstrates his skill and — while a lot of the songs tend towards the samey — faultless string arrangements.
Plus the vocal contributions from Boo Hewerdine (ex-The Bible) and Eddi Reader (a versron of Fleetwood Mac's ‘Never GOing Back Again') help make this one yOu might actually take off the coffee table and listen to. (DaVid Pollock)
ROCK POP TOASTER
Signs And Wonders (k.f.m) O...
The company With the coolest name in the w0rld — knife fighting
menkey records — has done themselves crew with the reiease of this Scottish Quintet's excellent debut. The unoruttered production gives .vay to ten very streng tunes that air seen“ to burst with a glan‘ dubby sophistication not often heard in ScottiSh indie t‘kiSlC.
Sinclair Hutchinson's vocals transcend the most insidiotis of lyrics particularly in the
affecting rant ‘Tickets To
The 200'. This is very fine stuff indeed that has been rightly c0mpared to Gorky's Zygotic lvlynci at their very best. (Paul Dale)
ROCK POP MICHAEL J. SHEEHY
lll Gotten Gains (Beggars Banquet) COO
‘You‘ll never get out of this world alive'. Sings Sheehy on the cheerfully titled 'Black Hole Is Waiting (Baby
Let's Go)‘. Gnomic and
gnarled. troubled and tousled; take the
haunted vocals of Chris Isaac. the tOrtured lyrics of Roy Orbison and the
fuzzed up ballyhoo of the Jesus And Mary
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ELECTRONICA TI-IE BETA BAND Hot Shots ll (Regal) 0000
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The Betas are no longer flrlng blanks
One question is immediately begged of The Beta Band after this new venture: do they deserve the title they have bestowed upon themselves with their second album proper or are they still firing blanks?
Whatever this quartet throws in the air tends to float around forever (a bit like that carrier bag in American Beauty) before landing somewhere in limbo, just to the left of no-man’s land. At times flat, but on occasion flying, Hot Shots II happily ditches the cul de sac meanderings of their eponymous debut (for the most part) and adopts the simple rhythmic glories which frontman Steve Mason dabbled with in his King Biscuit Time venture. Lord a-blimey, there may even be a couple of hit singles hiding high up in the Hot Shots II trees.
With the trip hop tomfoolery of the opener ‘Squares’ (which could have been that hit single were it not for some sampling copyright issues), the motor racing drive of ‘Human Being’, and the hippy love tune of ‘Gone’ it all gets off to a pretty storming start. But they simply can’t stop themselves: ‘Dragon’ floats meaninglessly into a void of nothingness, while in ‘Broke’ you can hear them wanting to be Selling England By The Pound Genesis,
but what you actually get is Blue Nile meets Yazoo.
lt’s love/hate thing with The Beta Band. You get the distinct notion that this is just the way they like it. The cantankerous sods. (Brian Donaldson)
Chain. and you have Michael J's second LP. At best. it‘s gorgeous balladry and melancholy musings: at worst. sentimental tumbleweed blues just dy:ng to be used in a car ad. You know the thing: sleek motor and open road. pale girl and dark clouds. verin a gOld card romance. It'll drive you mad. (Rodger EvanS)
ROCWPOP VARIOUS ARTISTS Smoke (Press Hat & Cigar RecordS) 000
A collection of unsigned artists from “Glasgow and beyond'. Smoke is a Wildly mixed bag, both in terms of style and competence. As you might expect. there's plenty of filler
standard rock ‘n' roll and guitar pop. but it's the more adventurous bands that stand out amongst the nineteen acts on show.
Amongst the early highlights are the minimalist electronica Of Ives and the country folk of Cayto. while later on. there's excellent Jazzy dance trip hop from Squander Pilots and post-rocking piano mayhem from Lapsus Linguae. The Quality is inconsistent. but at least these people have admirable intentions. (Doug JOhnstone)
ROCK/POP SEAFOOD When Do We Start Fighting (Infectious RecordS) 000
The homogenised bastardisation of
Britpop. old-school punk and alternative Americana of the 90s vintage is now so widespread as to qualify as a genre on its own, mercilessly peddled to the kids like baking powder in a speed wrap.
Seafood start off here in the same vein, With feisty odes to bedroom rebellion like the ‘Cloaking' Single and ‘Western Battle'. With its chorus of “All the wasters come alive". By the end. though and the dreamily mesmeriSing 'l-Ie Collects Dust', they've Just said ‘fuck it' and gone back to bed. A cut above the rest. though, and definite future idols of the cider- and-DMs masswe. (David Pollock)
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