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27 April 2006

The Late Cord, Lights from the Wheelhouse EP (4AD) Rating: 7
John-Mark Lapham (from the Earlies), and Micah P Hinson (from Micah P Hinson) may seem like strange collaborators, but in returning to their hometown of Abilene, Texas, they have struck upon a haunting, completely formed idea -- The Late Cord. Powerful and strange, serenity wells from the organ pumps and the broken electronic wells of this alt-country-tinged melancholia: it's in the evocative cello wail on "Chains/Strings"; cuts right through the country accordion and ghost's calls of "Hung on the Cemetery Gates". "My Most Meaningful Relationships Are With Dead People" is the haunting core of the EP, built off tinkling electronics and a serene piano progression; Hinson mumbles like Luke Steele in "Fill Me With Apples", minus the affectation, and the whole song builds to glory to the sound of wind through the trees and electronic rain. 4AD doesn't usually get these things wrong, and they've picked another quality act: watch for The Late Cord's debut full-length. Here's hoping it comes soon. [Amazon | Insound]
      — Dan Raper
"My Most Meaningful Relationships Are With Dead People": [MP3]

Niyaz, Remixed EP (Six Degrees) Rating: 6
"Rarely," wrote Steve Horowitz, reviewing Niyaz's debut album in April of last year, "does a voice get raised or the instrumentation build to a climax. This music... would seem appropriate to accompany meditating more than dancing." The Remixed EP turns things around. All four of the tracks here are aimed squarely at clubbers, and you're only going to be able to meditate to them if your idea of meditating incorporates the kind of deep, penetrating beats that try to thump your bone marrow into jelly. Junkie XL's nine-minute version of "Dilruba" is the deepest, while the MIDIval PunditZ make "Allahi Allah" rattle and jump with pattering tablas, and Carmen Rizzo, who is already part of the Niyaz trio, takes the same song and briefly tries to fool us into thinking that the meditative atmosphere of the original album is going to reassert itself -- but no -- he's only getting his footing before building up to one of those winding, hysterical climaxes that go higher and faster and whinier and whirlier and squigglier and then pause for effect before the music kicks in again. Andy Gray repeats "Dilruba" at a driving pace. If you're not a DJ looking for new material then the main attraction of this album will lie in hearing how pieces of music change when they're fed through the brains of four different people -- a dance version of the novelty song. [Amazon | Insound]
      — Deanne Sole
multiple songs: [MySpace]

Rock Kills Kid, Are You Nervous? (Reprise) Rating: 6
This four-song EP is the baby of Jeff Tucker, someone who has taken the darker tinged alt-rock of yesteryear and buffered it up a bit a la The Killers. This is quite apparent from the introductory notes of the big and bombastic "Hide Away" that sounds like a cross of The Cure and U2. A gem of a tune thanks to drummer Ian Hendrickson and the trio of Tucker, Sean Stopnik and Reed Calhoun on guitar. Meanwhile, the title track is another infectious rocker that you know is going to grow and burst out shortly. And it does, but not as over the top as song one. Rock Kills Kid show another side with the funky, dance rock of "Paralyzed" that sounds like Franz Duran, oops, I mean Duran Ferdinand. "Raise Your Hands" is another sleeper pick but on the whole, this is a very tight and strong EP, albeit only four tunes. [Insound]
      — Jason MacNeil
multiple songs: [MySpace]

M.O.P., M.O.P. Salutes the St. Marxmen (Koch) Rating: 3
M.O.P. are hip-hop prize fighters, the epitome of aggression born out of pain. This time around, though, they sound worn-out. They're on the verge of their next level of success, now part of 50 Cent's G Unit, but they too often sound weary of the fight, retreating into a cocoon of weak R&B hooks and insignificant beats. And when they break from the slow beats and try to sound as wild and angry as they used to, the results are even worse: messy and strained. Their St. Marxmen compadre Teflon shows them up on his own "Suicide", an excellent mean-streets tale framed with cinematic strings. DJ Premier's production shows them up on "Pop Shots (remix feat. ODB)". 9th Wonder's production does the same on "Instigator"; no matter how loud they yell or how many f-bombs they drop, they sound surprisingly tired. They used to be undisputed showstoppers, and now they can barely hold the stage for a whole track. [Insound]
      — Dave Heaton
multiple songs: [MySpace]

.: posted by Editor 7:55 AM