Music Reviews
Show: New reviews | Artists beginning with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 | Compilations
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Talc - Sit Down Think |
| Wah Wah 45s |
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| 2006 has been an amazing year for music and there has been no let-up on weekly releases since January. Trying to listen to everything is difficult due to time and if you play across the board it's hard to give each piece of music the attention it deserves. So after "Modern Sleepover", "Please Please Please Me" from the Wah Wah 45s compilation a few months ago and recently "Garden of Dance", I was ready for something special and believe me this is more than something special- it's going to be a masterpiece, if you've got your head screwed on properly. The lyrics are clever and some of the funniest you'll hear this year, certain to put a smile on your face, if not split your sides.. When was the last time you heard a band sing about being a carrot or a lobster and this is only the start. Todd Terje has been quoted saying "that he nearly wet his pants when he heard "Modern Sleepover": you've been warned. Simon Harrison, 09/06 |
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Talib Kweli - Eardrum |
| Warner Bros |
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| What a journey it has been for Talib Kweli. Ever since he and Mos Def hit the scene as Black Star, followed by collaborating with Hi-Tek on Reflection Eternal, the expectations have been high. While there have been some shining moments (Quality) and some lackluster moments (The Beautiful Struggle), the feeling has been that Talib hasn't released his best yet. With "Eardrum" he may finally silence the critics. The first item that struck me about "Eardrum" was the number of songs. Twenty to be exact. Usually, when an hip-hop artist drops a cd with twenty plus songs, there are about seven to ten songs that could have easily been purged. However, I'm pleased to note that "Eardrum" is not only very enjoyable throughout but it's surely one of the best hip-hop cd's this year. The track "Country Cousins" displays Talib's affection for the south while holding his own on the southern delivery as well. The Will I.Am produced "Hot Thing" is a banger that should garner him plenty of airplay without alienating his core audience. The Pete Rock produced "Stay Around" finds Talib rapping about all the suggestions people have for him when they see him in the street (Talib, you should rap about this, you should rap about that, any more suggestions, yeah you in the back, you should rap on beat, you should rap more street). You can just imagine how often that happens. What happens often here is satisfaction from a disc seems to have a little something for everybody. Whether flirting with the ladies along with Kanye on "In The Mood" or asking the heavenly father to deliver him from temptation on "Hostile Gospel, Pt.2" (which I favor over Pt.1), the result is a consistent and focused effort. After months of delays, Talib delivers with arguably his best record to date.
Reg Dancy, 12/07 |
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Tekameli - Escolteu |
| Milan Records |
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| These three excellent Roma musicians from southern France, Jean Soler, Salomon Espinas and Julio Bermudez and their guests play Rumba Catalana and Flamenca with great style. This is a collection of religious songs and chants which range from sad to happy but always with passion and wonderful musicianship. Top notch. Graham Radley, 07/08 |
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Teressa Edwards - Days Ahead |
| Studio 45 |
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| Teressa Edwards was born and raised in Trinidad but now resides in England. Her My Space page states that this is both her debut and second album so I'm a little confused! Whatever the case may be 'Days Ahead' is a solid R&B/soul set which showcases Tersessa's sweet honey voice perfectly. She particularly shines on the nu-soul orientated tracks 'No More' and the title track, a simple but effective mellow groove with warm key chords. Andy Allen, 05/07 |
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The 4orce - Mind the Gap Anthems Vol.2 |
| BBE Music |
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| BBE and the UK's Producer and MC Steve Ellington join forces to give us this live offering from someone better known for remixing joints by Common, LL Cool J, and Buster Rhymes. On this British Hip Hop monster we are treated to a very soulful set of thirteen tracks helped along the way by Pete Cherry, Tim Baxter and Phoebe One and the most samples.. You will be racking your memory banks listening! Particular favourite here is "Precise Precision" for its soulfulness. Those looking for something harder should head straight to "Magnificent". Top marks for this release - quality hip hop CAN come without explicit lyrics.
Steve Williams, 01/08 |
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The Bamboos - Rawville |
| Tru Thoughts Recordings |
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| The Bamboos are back with more of the same i.e. good quality funk for the 21st centuary. Vocalists this time include Alice Russell, Tyra Hammond, Kylie Auldist, Fallan Williams and Ohmega Watts who sound perfect with the deep organ based funk productions. "Get In The Scene" should already be an anthem on the clued-up dancefloors. If you enjoyed "Step It Up", you'll love this. If you missed that, well it's time to wake up. Simon Harrison, 05/07 |
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The Bamboos - Step It Up |
| Tru Thoughts Recordings |
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| Originating from Australia, The Bamboo's have been rocking dancefloors ever since their self-funded 7". They were then signed to Kay-Dee Records, and Tru Thoughts recognised the talent and signed their debut. The sound is not a million miles away from Quantic Soul Orchestra, and on guest vocals is the wonderful Alice Russell on the single 'Step It Up' and also on the fantastic funk-fuelled version of Afronaught's Broken Beat anthem 'Transcend Me'. Also featured are updated versions of the Kay-Dee releases, so don't think you're being fiddled if you already have the singles. Even though Tru Thoughts are currently firing out albums, every single release is of the highest quality. Simon Harrison, 02/06 |
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The BDI's - The BDI's |
| BDI Recordings |
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| This is London based trio The BDI's debut album and a refreshing album it is too. With live instrumentation throughout including acoustic guitar, congas and horns, it's firmly rooted in the sound of 70s Soul and Rhythm & Blues and in places reminds me of Traffic. Tracks such as 'Crying Wolf', 'Still Get The Same Old Kick' and 'Marathon' really hit the spot but this album is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. Andy Allen, 09/07 |
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The Beauty Room - The Beauty Room |
| Peacefrog Records |
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| It was well over a year ago that Kirk Degiorgio came to DJ in Leeds and told me about a new project he was working on for Peacefrog which would be in the style of Steely Dan. I've been waiting in anticipation ever since and when I received a copy of the brilliant cover of Jan Hammer's "Don't You Know" I knew we were going to be in for something special. Kirk's previous work covers most styles of electronic music and his DJ sets have become legendary. I'm not sure how to describe this style but it's certainly heavily influenced by Kirk's soul and jazz history, with beautiful harmonies and strings and stunning vocals by Jinadu, which will blow your mind. Comparisons will be made with Zero 7 but with a backing band of Ian O'Brien on guitar, Chris Witten's drums and the involvement of The Heritage Orchestra, this has massive mainstream potential and the purists will love it too. So next time you're watching TV and your mum changes the channel to watch Gardeners' World, don't be surprised if you end up singing along to The Beauty Room.
Simon Harrison, 07/06 |
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The Black Seeds - Solid Ground |
| Sonar Kollektiv |
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| This New Zealand based group returns with their fourth album, and quite possibly their best. That’s saying a lot considering they already have one gold album and two double platinum albums to their credit. With Solid Ground the growth of this soul funk dub step band is evidenced by the precision like live instrumentation that is heard through the entire disk. On “Love Is A Radiation“, Baranaby Weir’s smooth vocals add warmth to this traditional reggae track. With “Make A Move”, the band adds a little funk, along with some nice horn arrangements as well. There’s also a nice dub remix for this track as a bonus. Overall, “Solid Ground” provides plenty of soulful, funky, reggae flavored gems and The Black Seeds prove that they can play any of these styles very well. This is another enjoyable record by a talented group that continues to get better. Reg Dancy, 09/08 |
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