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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | DanAbnrml9@aol.com |
| Subject | Re: Top 5 CDs I've picked up lately |
| Date | Tue, 11 Feb 2003 12:53:25 -0500 |
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I've actually been in the process of selling many of my CDs lately as 1) the bad economy continues to tighten its squeeze on my wallet and 2) I try to create a "more killer, less filler" CD collection. Hopefully SOMEDAY I'll join the ranks of all the yuppies who earn extravant incomes over 20K! ;)
Still, I can't kick a habit cold turkey:
1) HOT HOT HEAT - MAKE UP THE BREAKDOWN
This is really, really good stuff--at first it may not stick out that much, with the vocalist (can't remember his name, I don't have the disc in front of me) yelping all over the place in a kind of early Andy Partridge way. On the fourth or fifth listen all the hooks come out, though, and I have to say that after listening to this one a good 20 times or so already I have yet to get even remotely sick of it. Wish I had found it in time for my top list of last year.
2) COCKEYED GHOST - RARITIES, VOL. 1
One of my biggest audities-styled finds of the past year was our very own CG/Adam Marsland, and in the months since buying their catalog I've had every one of their/his albums in constant rotation. I just recently ordered this one to fill out my collection. The price was a bit steep for a CD-R, I guess, but it provides a lot of insight into the period leading up to the debut and (most) of these cuts are as good as anything they did use. The cover of the Raspberries "If You Change Your Mind" is particularly awesome--Adam, is that Rob or you doing the Carmenesque scream at the end? I can't quite tell. Oh, and is there a "Vol 2" on the horizon? :)
3) LADYTRON - 604
Admittedly the current electro (or electroclash or nu-electro or whatever) scene is a bit overdone, but the best acts--like Ladytron and Felix da Housecat, as well as Bis who have been around in various other scenes for awhile--put out some good product. Both Ladytron albums are a tad inconsistent--they are basically composed equally of three types of songs: pop songs (which are mostly great), more experimental songs (which are hit and miss, but often great), and filler (essentially songs that just sound like bland retro exercises). The good stuff is enough to make me go back to the discs, though, and "604" especially has some neat stuff--like "Paco!" which is really just the elevator directory from a department store sung over a disco beat.
4) PULP - HITS
If you DON'T own these songs already, you're in for a treat. Like Roxy Music but sleazier. I'm sure most of you are quite familiar with Pulp and Mr. Cocker, but in the event that you have yet to get fully acquainted this is about as good a compilation as one could possibly hope for, including all their biggest, best, and most important singles in one place.
5)GO-BETWEENS - FIRST THREE ALBUM REISSUES
I only found the Go-Bees about four years ago when I picked up the first Wannadies album and was captivated by their cover of "Lee Remick". I picked up their best-of when it came out a few months later and was hooked but only recently started delving into the albums. The first three have all been reissued by their current label, Jetset, with bonus discs of bsides, rarities, non-album singles, and videos. I also got to interview Robert Forster a few weeks ago for a feature on the band in an upcoming issue of "Amplifier". They have a new record, "Bright Yellow, Bright Orange", that's quite good and will be out in two weeks (I think).
I should also note that the new Supergrass album "Life on Other Planets" is out in the US today, and anyone with a passing interest should really check it out. It's a first-rate return to form.
And (responding to our naughty little restricted threads) for the record there are a few (though not many) Arby's restaurants in the Boston area. The Waltham one closed, I think, but there's one on Providence Highway on the Dedham/West Roxbury line and there are a few in various mall food courts. So if you're REALLY dying for cheap roast beef...
--Jason
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