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01 November 2005

Cantankerous, Cantankerous EP (Tommy Boy) Rating: 6
Cantankerous! They're the latest masked rock 'n roll craze! Cantankerous! They're shocking! Cantankerous! Their logo features a crude drawing of a pseudo-satanic creature with breasts and a (giggle) penis! Cantankerous!...Actually, despite the decidedly non-shocking nature of their brand of shock rock, Cantankerous actually manages something that sounds a bit inventive, melding thickly accented dancehall-style vocals with industrial rock elements, a backdrop fairly akin to that of recent KMFDM. The lyrics concentrate on essentials like money, fucking, and Satan, often combining two or three of the aforementioned elements for Maximum Shock Value. In a pleasing twist, the lead singer (also called "Cantankerous", apparently) is female, lending a Karen O/Hanin Elias sort of riot grrl mystique to the vocals. "Make Money" is the most fun and danceable track on the band's self-titled EP, but the centerpiece is probably "Flesh Roast", a song that tries to update Patti Smith by adding cannibalistic tendencies and a bluegrass coda, not to mention plenty of lyrics that I wouldn't feel comfortable reprinting in an international publication. Honestly, it's not a bad guilty pleasure if you long for the heyday of industrial rock circa 1993 or so, but it all comes off a bit silly. [Amazon]
      — Mike Schiller

Sciflyer, The Age of Lovely, Intimate Things EP (Clairecords) Rating: 6
Named after a song on Swervedriver's first album, this California-based act wears its shoegazer influences on its sleeve. You've gotta love that they include "suggested bass and treble settings" in the liner notes, too. Sciflyer's particular variation on the whirling, effects-heavy theme is that the vocals are mixed so low as to hardly be audible -- really not much of a variation at all. More importantly, on "The Nation" and "The Same Thing Goes for Christmas", the band show that they also have an affinity for melodic, jangly 1980s indie-pop. "Never Come Down" is clearly their own attempt at Swervedriver's monolithic "Duress", all creeping minor chords and tension. Elsewhere, the guitars sparkle and fade, the rhythm section is active, and all's well for those who can't get enough dreampop in their record collections.
      — John Bergstrom

Attack Formation, Somebody As Anybody (Australian Cattle God) Rating: 6
What to make of Attack Formation? Well, "Station ID" is a quirky but eclectic intro that goes on a bit too long while "Pearl Snaps" sounds like a cross between The Strokes and The Raveonettes. And they hit the ground running at full garage-rock throttle. Attack Formation then let the drums led the way during "Russian (Glacier Song)", resembling the best of both Franz Ferdinand and Spoon worlds. "Oh isn't it nice?" the lyric goes, and yes, yes it is. Another pleaser has to be "I'm Buried Alive" that sounds like retro dance rock in the vein of Joy Division-meets-Gang Of Four. The soft and hard shifts on "Waiting For America" are stellar as the guitars break out of their shell and continue on during the slightly tamer "Release the Lions". Not to be outdone though is the hellacious, foot-stomping "High Noon" that at first glance could be mistaken for The Cure on high-speed dubbing. [Amazon]
      — Jason MacNeil

Redman, "Rush the Security" [single] (Def Jam) Rating: 5
Redman has a way of moving his verses around a mid-tempo beat that makes it seem like he's both standing still and moving at a frenetic pace -- somehow giving the impression that he is both trying real hard and not at all. His singles tend to be less revolutionary statements than consistent updates from a stable performer. There's nothing here that's gonna rewrite the rules, but there's enough in the way of pleasant, boastful craftsmanship to keep the hedz happy. Extra Credit: play this track for any drum & bass fan and have them guess the producer: if they can tell that this tepid track-by-numbers was crafted by jungle maestro Adam F, they get a cookie.
      — Tim O'Neil

.: posted by Editor 5:58 AM