At the Drive-In - This Station Is Non-Operational [2005]
At the Drive-In was: Tony, Jim, Paul, Cedric, and Omar. As accomplished as they became after ATDI’s 2001 split, This Station Is Non-Operational really makes you miss the focused intensity of the band’s salad days. This hits and rarities retrospective is chronological, moving from “Fahrenheit” and “Picket Fence Cartel” off 1997’s Gran Orgo through to selections from their 2000 swan song Relationship of Command. Remixes, covers, 7″ singles, and a BBC session follow; the guitar tone in their 1998 version of “This Night Has Opened My Eyes” matches the Smiths’ perfectly. There’s a great dynamic between “Chanbara” and “Lopsided,” both from In Casino Out. “Chanbara” is taut, and full of spirited lyrics and periodic explosions; it’s provides the definition of 1990’s post-hardcore. But while “Lopsided” also has that tension, it’s much closer to the austerity and melody of indie rock. Because of where ATDI went after their breakup — in particular Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez with the elemental, furiously improvisational the Mars Volta — it’s easy to forget about At the Drive-In’s capacity for convention. Their spectacular live show was a big part of their success. But as This Station Is Non-Operational continually points out, At the Drive-In wrote incredible songs, too. Vaya’s “198d” is an honest-to-God ballad, and “Rascuache” (from the same EP) appears here in remix form, a dubby, electronics-addled version dating from a 1999 7″ on Buddyhead/Grand Royal. “One Armed Scissor” was At the Drive-In’s most well-known song; it’s responsible for this anthology’s title, and is no less incendiary here. Other This Station Is Non-Operational standouts: “Autorelocator”’s hissing, faraway synths, and the appropriately psych rock cover of Pink Floyd’s “Take Up They Stethoscope and Walk” that closes the set. (This Station Is Non-Operational also included a DVD with videos, a full discography, and multimedia content.) ~ Johnny Loftus, All Music Guide. Read more
Matisyahu - Youth [2006]
An orthodox Jew who kicks it dancehall style, Matisyahu may seem a gimmick, but he’s the real deal. Unfortunately, he’s struggling with the sophomore jinx on Youth, an album that expands upon his debut, 2004’s Shake Off the Dust… Arise, without capturing its immediacy or excitement, thanks in large part to producer Bill Laswell. No stranger to genre-combining — he’s remixed Bob Marley and Miles Davis and is always up for any world music versus electronica excursion he’s offered — Laswell treats Matisyahu like so many of his previous subjects. He can’t resist adding a sound effect swoop and other studio trickery to most tracks, and he often makes Matisyahu’s band sound gigantic and polished when they’re really tight and free. While the whole affair is great for showing off bass-heavy speakers, the live and exciting Matisyahu that makes the jam band crowd go crazy is hard to find and the tasteful studio touches of his home-brewed debut are absent. His material is also going through some growing pains, but there is growth and for every song that wanders a bit too much, there’s a revelation that fleshes out the artist. The spiritual message was always bigger than the man before, but the sparse “What I’m Fighting For” is a surprisingly intimate track while “Dispatch the Troops” flippantly quotes the Police, an unexpected twist from a man who always seemed stately to a fault, even when he was doing the human beatbox thing. At the time of Youth’s release, Shake Off the Dust… Arise was out of print and one has to wonder if Matisyahu’s new label, Sony, was behind it. Arise’s great “King Without a Crown” appears again here and Sony decides to push the single as if this is Matisyahu’s grand entrance. That’s a total misrepresentation of Youth, which is really more about a talented artist struggling with the pressures of topping his brilliant first album. Even if he didn’t, and even if he or the label chose the wrong producer for the undertaking, Youth is meaty enough to suggest this man is no gimmick but an artist with his eye on the long haul. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide. Read more
Guano Apes - Don’t Give Me Names [2000]
Product Description
All songs have been written by Guano Apes, except “Big in Japan”, written by Marian Gold, Lloyd Bernhard and Frank Mertens. Super. 2004.
Album Tracks Listing
[MP3 Direct Download]
Right Click and Save Target As…
1. Innocent Greed
2. No Speech
3. Big In Japan
4. Money & Milk
5. Living In A Lie
6. Dodel Up
7. I Want It
8. Heaven
9. Mine All Mine
10. Too Close To Leave
11. Gogan
12. Anne Claire
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