Even over the course of just a few years (this is from 1962), the Motown sound evolved very rapidly. That’s not to say anything wrong with this, it’s delightful, but Motown moved really fast, and by 1965 they would be in a pretty different place. I mean, “Nowhere to Run” is from 1965.
Man, Revolver was really revolutionary! (For the record, this is from 1966, after that Martha & the Vandellas ripper.)
[Read More]As the wave of industrial dance started to crest in the late 80s, Einstürzende Neubauten’s 1989 record Haus der Lüge was released with a couple of songs on it that, if you squinted hard enough, kind of fit in. This song, while being far more interesting than a lot of stuff under that industrial dance umbrella, nevertheless shares some of the same groove and had some crossover potential. They even released “Feurio!” as a single with remixes. I have no idea if it succeeded, my little bubble found Neubauten and gleefully dove into the back catalog. But I like to think that maybe some Nitzer Ebb fans got Neubauten-pilled by this album.
[Read More]I dunno, the vocals on this track are really amusing me tonight. Something about the cadence here is extra ridiculous.
Negativland, in their roles as cultural and social critics, were usually on their strongest footing when they took aim at consumerism. They would always have such rich vocal samples to draw from, and their pointed sarcasm always landed well. And it’s not like it’s super easy to nail this target. Yes, consumer culture in America is a giant blimp, but criticism can come across a smug or facile here because it is such a easy path. Negativland succeed because they mix the absurd in, and they also let our consumer culture speak for itself. The most powerful criticism can be just a simple mirror.
[Read More]Guess how many people are in this band? Correct, two! That places them square in one of the major interests of Five Songs: Loud Rock Duos. They’re not as outre as someone like Lightning Bolt, they’re more towards the Big Business end of things. Only the one record from them, though.
You ever wonder how often you’ve listened to albums you love? Slanted & Enchanted was released in April of 1992, and I bought it the day it came out. I think I probably listened to it a couple times a week for the first year or so, and then maybe once a week on average for the rest of my time in college, and then maybe every other week for the next decade. And then down to maybe…once a month? For the next fifteen years? Let’s add that up - have I listened to this album 400 times? Jesus.
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