two {qualified) recommendations
B Merrill <merrillb <at> crisny.org>
2004-03-25 14:56:59 GMT
Well, since there's some sign of life out there (as spring kicks in?),
.... as opposed to my unqualified admiration for Jane's Walking,
In hopes that this might inspire the curiosity and pleasure of another sib,
On the rock/pop & all that front, the two best tunes I've come upon in the
past six months are....
"Amphibian" by Bjork. Who meant nothing to me, I hadn't heard her since the
Sugarcubes, and saw her being satirized on SLN, but Amphibian, which turned
up during the credit crawl for "Being John Malkovich" is pretty wonderful,
approaching the jaw-dropping, I believe. Bjork's breathy cooing & chirping
on top of this music box arrangement. Dunno anything about the lyrics. But
worth renting the movie for. So I bought Vespertine, since I gathered I'd
find more like it, therein. And I did, tho nothing as swell as Amphibian.
But Vespertine is worth a listen, for sure. It's emotional and romantic, a
big plus.
Turning from girl to guys,
I picked up California by Mr. Bungle-- which is very Guy-ish. Highly
arranged, eclectic, clever, aggressive. And I mean HIGHLY! Everything's
tongue-in-cheek, in the GUY style, which is a pity. Nothing emotional and
romantic here, just scrap irony. But if you like highly arranged, eclectic
and clever-- this definitely fills the bill. Middle eastern + Beach Boys +
Martin Denny + Doo Wop... They even throw in some Balinese Monkey chant.
-- reggae and out,
Bruce
(Continue reading)