CD Reviews - Issue 62

STS9
Peaceblaster
1320 Records

You can’t help but like these guys. No, they may not have spikey faux-hawks or wear immense amounts of eye makeup. They don’t prance around on-stage with crumped-out dance routines…they don’t even sing (well maybe a little)… STS9 don’t need any of that commercial propaganda… their music speaks for itself.

Although some have cast the band into that mystical hairy-bushed realm cleverly hidden within the Northwestern festival circuit, there’s no doubt that Sound Tribe Sector 9 are much more than just your average jam band – even on the international level they pack houses with their heavy atmospheric grooves. For years, groups such as the UK’s Ozric Tentacles and Austria’s Dzihan & Kamien have embraced the energy of modern dance, house and jungle music in a live band setting, and with the release of Peaceblaster, Sound Tribe are set to join those ranks. Having delved into everything from Soul to Hip Hop to Jazz on previous releases, their grooves are always funky and unique. Unlike the majority of electronic music, it lacks the repetitiveness found in a programmed loop. The live band atmosphere, though tough to even distinguish at times due to the band’s impeccable timing and synchronicity, adds depth to each track, transcending every piece of music into a tiny soundtrack for life’s journey.


Beck
Modern Guilt
DGC Records

Danger Mouse is like an infection. But not one that’ll scab and puss all over the place, grossing out your little sister - more like one that gives you super-powers...like getting bit by a radioactive spider and suddenly being able to take down unruly foes. That’s right. Beck now has super-powers. I kid you not. It seems that every record the lanky, laid-back Danger Mouse ends up touching becomes a classic, and Beck’s ‘Modern Guilt’ has just outdone them all. My apologies to CeeLo... From minimalistic, yet danceable grooves on tracks such as “Youthless” and “Replica”, to the more catchy, pop feel of the opening track “Orphans”, Modern Guilt is like a breath of fresh air in a world overcast by heavy formulaic rock and over-commercialized rap. Beck has once again outdone himself, and if the MTV generation catches on, there may be hope yet for the future of music...


House of Badger
Death Birds
Independent

What the hell is a House of Badger anyways? I don’t know if I’ve ever heard of one of those. Come to think of it, I don’t think I even know what a badger looks like, let alone the type of dwelling that a badger would reside in. Regardless of the odd name, this Portland trio’s sound, though at times quite minimalist and spacey, is a completely engaging experience. Blending elements of surf to progressive to psychedelic rock, at first I didn’t exactly know what to think of House of Badger, but after hearing the track “Darkness Is Light”, an image of early Jefferson Airplane popped into my head - but with a much more talented and updated Grace Slick. House of Badger’s sound is a unique blend of catchy melodies and experimental guitar riffs…and led by singer/guitarist Amanda Kelly’s smooth yet intoxicating vocals, HOB’s newest release Death Birds is a veritable indie masterpiece.