archives cd archives I cd archives II cd archives III cd archives IV The Streetwalkin' Cheetahs Greetings from Gainesville Triple X Records $$$ If you like punkrock you should cash in your pay cheque and get that record. If you like highspeed rock’n’roll , too. Actually if you like any sort of rock music you should go out and buy that album. The Cheetahs once again put out a record that combines all sorts of rockmusic. The CD starts with the slow and soft Good Morning just to hit you straight in the face with the next fast punkrock title Strangled By Love. And the rollercoster ride goes on. Track listing: Good Morning – Strangled By Love – When God & The Devil Agree – Geek Like Me – Ward 6 – Destination Zero – Rock&Roll Fade Away – December In A Day – Come To Mind – Born Leader – Crucified – One In The Chamber – On My Way – Preach – Larger Than Life – Kiss Me Twice Goodnight The Cheetahs drag you through all the emotional states they have gone through. Or as the press release says: „Mental breakdowns, fist fights, arrests, drug and alcohol addiction and in-fighting. The Cheetahs saw and experienced it all (...)". Their sound has definitely evolved and they put out a very intense record. Catchy tunes are a little bit missing but the complexity of every song and actually the album as a whole makes you want to listen to it over and over again. If you want to know what it’s like to live the rock’n’roll way of life with all ist ups and downs you will know after listening to Greetings From Gainesville: „Reality Rock n Roll". But be sure to attend one of their energetic live shows. The Cheetahs are one of the best live bands around and if they come to town near you: check them out. They are burning gasoline on stage. -Sabine chicks rule www.thestreetwalkincheetahs.com KoRn "Take A Looke in the Mirror" Epic/Immortal $$$$$ I first became a fan of KoRn when their third release "Follow the Leader" came out. Ever since then, I had been obsessed with this band. I even would sign my name Laura enKoRnado instead of Encarnado. Everything to me was KoRn, KoRn, KoRn. I eat, sleeped, and breathed this band. When they released "Untouchables", I was very disappointed. I felt they took a step back instead of taking a step forward. And it was rare for me to say something bad about KoRn since I loved them so much. Then they release this. "Take a Look in the Mirror". This cd is the "I reclaim my place" in the music industry. It is nothing compared to all their previous releases. It's full of anger, yes, but musically, they have matured so much. Head, Munk, David, and Fieldy have matured from the previous release. I can't really explain it well in words, it's just something you have to hear. Of course the highlight of every cd for me is when lead singer, Jonathan Davis, plays his bagpipes and hearing the secret song, which on this cd is their kick ass, better then the original cover of Metallica's "One". One of the tracks, "Play Me" even features Nas. The last time a rapper was featured (that I can think of off the top of my head) on one of their songs was Ice Cube back on Follow the Leader. If you were a fan of KoRn during the Self Titled - Follow the Leader releases, you WILL LOVE this cd. And if you don't, still buy it. Also, see this band when they come to your town. They always put on a good show. -Laura enKoRnado www.korn.com The Skulls "The Golden Age of Piracy" Dr. Strange Records $$$$ Unbelievable! The Skulls got a new record out! And it’s rad! That album is a must have for those of you who like bands like the Ramones or the Bodies. It’s called the Golden Age of Piracy and if Jack Sparrow had a band it would probably sound like that. Hehe. The record sounds like a punk record should. Catchy tunes combined with enough punch to get me in the mood for some pogo dancing. A legendary punk album created by some real punk legends. Both thumbs up! -Sabine chicks rule www.theskulls.us The Checkers "Make a Move" Teenacide Records $$$$ The Checkers’ "Make a Move" is a fabulous blast of pure power pop crossed with the energy and brevity of the greatest punk records of the late 70’s and early 80’s; I’ve listened to it six times now and there isn’t a weak track on this album. Lead vocalist Julie Vox has the perfect voice for these songs and manages to combine a ton of attitude with the lyrical craftiness most bands take years to develop; from the opening cords of "Is He In?" you know this is one of the catchiest albums of 2003. Even though everything on this album is new it sounds like a classic already. A must have. - April Roberts www.teenaciderecords.com www.thecheckers.com Iggy Pop "Skull Rings" Virgin Records $$ and that's for the last three songs I am a big Iggy fan and a huge Stooges Fan. I've been to three out of the four Stooges reunion shows. The only one I missed was Detroit and that was because I was in Stockholm and the Blackout postponed it anyway, but I even bought tickets to that show convinced that I would not miss a one. And it was ALL worth it. Iggy was as electrifying as he ever was, with great musical performances by the Ashton Brothers. Mike Watt provided a solid groove on Bass, and knew to stand back and let Iggy do his thing. There were no disappointing performances - only one disappointing venue (Jones Beach). Having said that, I know that Iggy's studio albums have been a bit lackluster of late with moments of greatness shining through. I was ready to not even listen to this record and just say how great it is and go on about what a great performer Iggy is, but that's not fair to some kid who has to save an entire month's allowance to spend $20 on a new CD (Record companies, take note. That's why you are losing your jobs. Not because said kids are downloading music off the Internet. What other choice have you given them? But I digress…) No. This review is a much-needed dose of tough love from one of Iggy & The Stooges biggest fans. The album kicks off with "Little Electric Chair", which despite a solid rock riff reminiscent of TV Eye, it just doesn't have the same raw power (sorry, I couldn't resist) of earlier Stooges work. I have heard people complain about "bad production" on Stooges records, but it didn't kill he vibe of the music. Maybe it was the rawness that laid bare The Stooges intensity, or maybe the intensity came from its rawness. I just couldn't help but feel that this first song sounded, well, quiet, which is the last thing you would want from the Stooges. Little Electric Chair has a faint groove and the hooky albeit buried handclaps of "Shake Appeal" without the Sex Appeal. Gone is the desperation, the urgency, the feeling that this is the most important thing they doing or that someone has a gun to Iggy's head. He always sang and performed like his life depends on it, and I'm just not hearing it here. I could blame it on inappropriate production, which is true, but the performance isn't there either. Those raw days are long gone in terms of the recorded work, but it STILL lives in the live performance. "Perverts in the Sun", the first Iggy & The Trolls song on the album, also makes the mistake of pushing Iggy's vocals into the background. I don't mind them being distorted and having that AM-radio-played-through-the-telephone-effect, but they should be LOUD or at least on top of everything else. Again, the raw sexuality suggested by the title is lost. The song does not reflect the perverted performance that I know Iggy is capable. Some of his more low-key lines in previous days had much more panty-soaking impact - "I stick it deep inside/'cause I'm loose". See your perverted you can be without telling someone you are, Iggy? I learned that in the seventh grade about writing - SHOW, don't TELL. How can this song be ordinary? I didn't think it was possible, especially if it has the Iggy stamp of suggested sexual deviation on it. The title track "Skull Rings" is back with The Stooges with a Peter Gunn-like groove. It's confusing to me to have the song has some punch played live, but fall so flat on record. "Superbabe" is a product of Iggy living too long in LA and becoming complacent. I'm sure he's got no shortage of Superbabes making him hard now, but that's making him soft on the song front. He doesn't have to try too hard to get laid. For me, "Loser" is the first thing on this CD to a real rock song that comes from something stuck deep inside Iggy and not just your "Oh shit, I have to bang out a few more tracks to make my deadline" album filler - as in the case of "Whatever" (the comment on the song writes itself. He wrote it for me.) , "Dead Rock Star" (is there ANY irony in this? He even says "I'm so afraid of failing, I hang on to the railing", which is EXACTLY what he does on this whole record. How can this rock icon who is probably sited as an influence for 80% of the records I own using a walker when it comes to putting out in the studio?), "Here Comes the Summer" (who knew a song about summer could be so dull? It makes me long for school.) and "Inferiority Complex" (It's not a complex at this point - it's a full-blown syndrome, an affliction). In "Loser", you can hear the tension in his voice. The track struck a chord with me because it finally struck a nerve with him. Iggy needs to let go, be unleashed. He needs someone to beat his Dead Rock Star with a voodoo stick so he gets so mad that he finally turns around and bites your hand off. I can tell he remembers what it's like to be a loser and not get the Superbabe somewhere in there. That's what motivates most artists to work that much harder anyway, or at least work out their issues, frustrations and accept their freakishness. I know Iggy does not feel like a normal person. He just can't. I am just trying to come to terms with how a person with a unique talent so extraordinary that I think it comes from another planet could produce something so, well, ordinary. In addition to "Loser", the true high point of the record is Iggy SOLO on "'Til Wrong Feels Right". Just him and a guitar. This is a blues-like, working-on-a-chain-gang song of despair that again seems to come from the soul. Iggy does not have to be fast or loud to be intense. He just has to be himself: real, raw, feeling, in the moment, loose and unselfconscious. I would really love to see a whole set of just Iggy and guitar alone if that's what it takes for him to lay himself bare. Strip away the production and the tribute-like collaborations and get down to the naked Iggy. Even the following track, "Blood on your Cool", seems much better than all the previous material after cleansing my aural palate on "'Til Wrong Feels Right". The two Green Day songs, "Private Hell" and "Supermarket", sound like Green Day songs with Iggy singing. They belong on a Green Day album with Iggy as a guest vocalist instead of an Iggy record, because the only thing that's Iggy on this his voice. The reverby guitar on Private Hell does not an Iggy song make. I would make the same exact comment for the Sum 41 collaboration "Little Know it All". He asked for Sum 41, he got Sum 41. Don't expect Iggy to dominate these collaborations. Expect the expected. The only interesting collaborative is Peaches song "Rock Show", which Peaches rightfully puts on her album "Fatherfucker" as a guest appearance. It's funny how Peaches is more Iggy than Iggy on this one, at least in attitude. This one DOES have the tongue firmly in cheek, thank "insert your diety-of-choice here". I thought I was going crazy for a moment. When the CD moves to an Iggy song "featuring Peaches" - Motor Inn - it goes from having the "Peaches-on-top" wit to having the tongue limply in cheek. It's very disheartening to think that Iggy needs artistic Viagara. The funny thing for me was actually happening upon the hidden track at the end, "Nervous Exhaustion", quite by accident as the last three songs actually piqued my interest. I resisted my urge to turn this thing off after "Song Fourteen" (I'm a masochist for hanging out THAT long. No, I'm a journalist. Same thing), and boy am I glad I didn't cheat and stuck it out. That song should have kicked off the record. It's got that AC/DC-based/Supersuckers/Datsuns-type guitar-fuelled Gearhead-style rock and roll that I really like, almost no matter who does it. It's the perfect platform for Iggy to go off. If Iggy wants to get down with the kids who sprouted pubic hair as he screeched into his fifth decade, he would do better not rely on shoo-ins like Green Day or Sum 41, but to rock out with his cock out, like he did in the old days. (I saw three Stooges shows and still, no kiszka! I got cheated!) Iggy produced this CD himself. And as much experience he has performing - for about 40 years - and recording, artist/producers don't always know what's good for them. VERY few artists do that well. It's like being a kid who says, "When I grow up, I'm gonna eat cake for dinner!". Your mom doesn't serve cake for dinner because she knows what's good for you. Iggy needs a producer that knows what's good for him, even if he resists it. Don't let up on that tough love, mom. You know what they say, spare the ego, spoil the record (well, I guess only I said that). It would be much better to get someone with a clear vision of how to make Iggy sound great when removed from his natural habitat (the stage) and not just working with folks who just think it be cool to do something with Iggy. Songs would help, too. He needs a creative dictator to tell him - THIS IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO, not what you want to do, like eating your veggies! The only advice I have for Mr. Pop is, next time, consider a live record, or invite 500 of your closest friends to the session and get loose. "Skull Rings" sounds like an exercise in restraint with the sole exception of Iggy "solo". - Ms Kitty Kowalski ny rox www.iggypop.com Viki Nova "Catch Me If You Can!" Think For Yourself Records $$$$ Talk about a powerful voice! Singer/songwriter Viki Nova is refreshingly honest with the shifting tunes that seem to embody carefree perception and impassioned urgency. Whether within the melodious tunes of solo acoustic, or with the accompaniment of a full band, all ten tracks of this debut album are excellent. My favorites include "I'm Yours (Catch Me If You Can)," where Ms. Nova sings of tough choices in the pursuit of attainable freedom, and "If You Didn't Need Me." Compared with the likes of Sheryl Crow and No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, Viki Nova's blend of unique sound and style is sure to get noticed. I can't wait for what comes next! - Patricia C. Stewart www.tfyrecords.com www.vikinova.com Full "DimStar" MadPeepsMusic $$$$ Evocative, sexy, energetic, mellow, anything but what you most expect, this album is a beautiful mix of soul. Off-beat, on-beat, funky, euphonic, Full is slightly reminiscent of Portishead and Bjork. These adventurous tunes take you places you’ve never dreamed of imagining. Exotic, with the amazing vocals of Ms. Wings, the bass and tweaks by Switch, vibraphones by Tacket, trumpet and tweaks by Brasswax, cello by the Commander, drums and pads by Sandon; this is the most eclectic and original sound I’ve ever heard on one album thus far! Haunting, dreamy, psychotic, these songs are a trip through layers of metaphor and complexity while all the more pleasing to the ear and shifting emotion. - Patricia C. Stewart www.rememberfull.com Cathy-Ann "Honey Wagon" Bumblefoot $$$$ This pink-haired "bitch" has arrived on a breath of fire! Intelligent, talented, chic, and haughty, this debut album has bad-ass attitude that all cool girls should have. With tracks like "Musical Prostitute," "Duraselove," "Identity Crisis," "We don’t f*ck," you tell me what well-spoken woman wouldn’t say such things! Wanna talk wild? From the track entitled Crazy Bitch, "And if you ever hear me moan, oh and you’re all alone, it’s ‘cause I like to masturbate outside your window." And Cathy-Ann is just getting started, wait 'till you hear "Hollywood!" Cathy-Ann’s command of voice & guitar strumming is comparable to Jewel and PJ Harvey, but to give you more of Cathy-Ann's ragin’ personality, she has promised (in her press release) to "punch the next person who emits cat calls in her direction that begin with, "Hey pinky..." followed by, 'nice ass.'" So, check Cathy-Ann out yourself, and enjoy! - Patricia C. Stewart www.Cathy-Ann.com Bird York "The Velvet Hour" Blissed Out Records $$$$ Bird (Kathleen) York’s jazzy tunes and velvet voice calm the air, haunt the mind, and make you want to sing so quick, you can’t help hit "repeat." I absolutely love this album with its sexy metaphor, bluesy wistfulness, and moody truths. A perfect album to cuddle up with on a cold winter’s night, this solo release includes collaborations with the Grammy Award winning producer, Larry Klein (Shawn Colvin, Joni Mitchell) and Thom Russo, Grammy Award winning engineer mixer (Juanez, Macy Gray). While I can’t really say I’ve heard a sound like her, a friend stopped by (during my 10th listen to this album) and asked, "Wow, is this the newest Sarah McLachlan album?" Catch Bird York, you won’t be sorry. In fact, you’ll be sorry if you don’t! - Patricia C. Stewart www.birdyork.com School of Rock - Soundtrack "Various Artist" Atlantic Records $$$$ The soundtrack for "School of Rock" is just like the movie: fun, infectious and in an odd way – inspiring. This collection of classic rock hits assembled here reads as a catalogue of some of the greatest rock moments of the past 35 years. I haven’t picked up a Led Zepplin cd in years – maybe ever? – but listening to "Immigrant Song" makes me remember why my older brothers worshipped Zepplin, why the first time I got in big trouble with my parents was when I snuck out to see a midnight showing of "The Song Remains the Same" and why the most thrilling moment at a live show I have seen this year was at the end of last month’s Rene Risque & the Art Lovers performance when Moby got up and played guitar during the band’s cover of "Whole Lotta Love." And remember Stevie Nicks? There was a reason why every little girl who grew up in the 70’s wanted to BE Stevie Nicks – and "Edge of Seventeen" was one of those reasons. This album manages to capture how fresh these songs must have been before they ended up as overplayed radio stalwarts. The cd also includes great stuff by The Who, The Doors, T. Rex and a surprise inclusion by new favorites The Darkness, but for me the BEST track on the album is the Ramones’ "My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo goes to Bitburg)" which played during the movie’s montage sequence and which I have been singing – often aloud, to many people on the subway’s horror – ever since. The songs by the movie’s "band" School of Rock are also great and will make you smile if you saw the movie and maybe if you didn’t. While so many movie soundtracks now seem like nothing more than a cheap marketing ploy and a chance to milk a few more bucks from the viewers, "The School of Rock" soundtrack delivers the movie’s excitement and love of music. A must for everyone’s collection. - April Roberts www.atlantic-records.com HellFire Choir "Self Titled" $$$$ Can you say "I WANT it NOW?!" What you may expect from the name of this band is a bunch of satanic, screaming chicks. What you may not expect are the encouraging lyrics in "Today," with the promise "I will control my life today, I will not throw my life away," and the bad-ass shout "I like to go fast!" on the track "Sammy Hagar." This aggressive San Francisco group is in-your-face lead vocalist/guitarist, Shelly Cardiff, Michelle Weeks on rhythm guitar, Carmela Thompson possessing the bass, and the drum-pounding Eric Davenport. Comparable to L7 and Hole, there’s plenty of energy and excitement in the midst of all this fast-paced rock’n roll that is guaranteed to get you motivated, moving & grooving. Have fun! - Patricia C. Stewart www.HellfireChoir.com The Capricorns "Go The Distance" Banazan Records $$ Relying on two mics, a tambourine, and various keyboards, this two-woman band is reminiscent of ‘80’s pop rock like Berlin, Sweet Sensation, and a bit of early Madonna. My favorite tracks are "Prisoners of Love," "Yeah, So?," and "Everywhere I Go." While the vocals and keyboards tend to stay within the same range, the abovementioned songs are definitely worth checking out. I look forward to hearing what The Capricorns come up with next, while also hoping to hear greater versatility and articulation. - Patricia C. Stewart www.thecapricorns.com www.banazan.com Vivian Khor "Paradise" Delvian Records $$$ Vivian Khor’s instrumentals are beautiful and dreamy with the ambience of water and tranquility. Orchestrated around a relaxing piano core with acoustic mood enhancements, the sequence is also reminiscent of changing seasons and the cycle of rebirth. These gentle melodies are the perfect antidote to a rugged day, so sit back, put your feet up, and imagine. - Patricia C. Stewart www.delvianrecords.com