Slipped Discs

Discs You May Have Missed
by John Noyd

Reviews From: Rock
Magnetic Fields - Distortion

Magnetic Fields - Distortion

Magnetic Fields
Distortion
Label: Nonesuch

Fuzzed-out and corrosive, MF’s alt-pop honky tonk bangs up against a rusted wall of sound. Misogyny, zombies and mistletoe figure in the swamp of serrated guitars and overloaded amps as lonely robots and goth girl groups play droll love songs and tales of romantic woe. Encased in metallic caverns, Distortion seduces with moody splendor.

The Magnetic Fields WebsiteThe Magnetic Fields Wiki

Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea

Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea

Tyler Ramsey
A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea
Label: Echo Mountain

Frail vocals emphasize grand scales then plug into something grander as pre-dawn songs turn after-hours jamming. A Baptist of folk-rock RAMSEY’s warm and honest homilies dive inside shipwreck serenades as fluid runs of sparkling acoustic chemistry flow, splashing affectionately upbeat before gliding calmly into almost spiritual waters.

Tyler Ramsey Website

Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!

Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus!

Super Furry Animals
Hey Venus!
Label: Rough Trade Records

Smug and subversive, cool and calculating the courageously contagious confections from Wales’ most excellent power-pop pranksters clears a well-constructed road between dazzling RASPBERRIES-era posture and cheeky 10 cc seizures.  Sequined synths ply rhinestone riffs as the clownish FURRIES shine, combining post-modern playfulness with devilishly ironic nostalgia. SFA play Chicago’s Metro Feb 16.

Super Furry Animals WebsiteSuper Furry Animals Wiki

Joe Jackson - Rain

Joe Jackson - Rain

Joe Jackson
Rain
Label: Rykodisc

Despite a stripped-down sound of voice, piano, drums and bass, JACKSON nevertheless concocts an immaculate universe of sour sages and bittersweet sentimentalists. Sorrowful soliloquies brush against steely social indictments as Rain broods smoothly over classy jazz piano, fires up pounding Memphis soul and turns new wave sophisticated through cutting lyrics, clever irony and consummate razzle-dazzle. Joe is slated to play Milwaukee’s Pabst on April 21st.

Joe Jackson WebsiteJoe Jackson Wiki

Photon Band - Back Down to Earth

Photon Band - Back Down to Earth

Photon Band
Back Down to Earth
Label: Empyrean

Orbiting over semi-savage psychedelia, PB’s lumbering Lotharios freefall into the soulful sludge of zero-gravity blues while Earth moves from the vast to the vital. Re-entering the atmosphere like drunk angels on fire, Earth spins off stompin’ rockers, sixties R & B and cosmic shuffles with laser-guided clairvoyance, causal wisdom and heel-kicking gumption.

The Photon Band Website

Kate Nash - Made of Bricks

Kate Nash - Made of Bricks

Kate Nash
Made of Bricks
Label: Geffen Records

Pulling no punches in her melodic bobbing and street savvy weaving, this cocky British bird is a sweet beat poet camouflaged as a flippant pop princess. The bold and brassy NASH grabs bohemian panache, adding jaunty piano and folky trip-hop to make Made a frank yet bubbly cabaret bursting with thrills and sport.

Kate Nash WebsiteKate Nash Wiki

Sons And Daughters - This Gift

Sons And Daughters - This Gift

Sons And Daughters
This Gift
Label: Domino Records

Inspiring the inner punk to take to the dance floor and let loose, Gift boldly goes beyond new wave frontiers. Trashing Clash clichés with post-modern panache, SAD’s razor-sharp shimmies and Cossack rock thunder throbs like slick war path hoopla as images of Deborah Harry and Chrissie Hynde conjure terrific riff rock sock hops.

Sons And Daughters WebsiteSons And Daughters Wiki

Eric Matthews - The Imagination Stage

Eric Matthews - The Imagination Stage

Eric Matthews
The Imagination Stage
Label: Empyrean

A bold, smoky-voiced balladeer sauntering through lonely harmonies, grand, sweeping themes and sentimental melodies - Matthews rolls out the big guns with casual gallantry crafting smoldering symphonic spaces and subtly blustery jazz for evocative philosophy at the Heartbreak Hotel. Enveloping the listener slowly, Matthews’ foggy phosphorescence attracts vagabond songs sprinkled among romantic temptations.

Eric Matthews Website

Kula Shaker - Strange Folk

Kula Shaker - Strange Folk

Kula Shaker
Strange Folk
Label: Cooking Vinyl

Slithering hippie metaphysics turns into slightly dour flower power as the newly-worldly KS assess the new century in rump-shaking sass, nature love songs and symphonic psychedelia. Ushering in another round of bell-bottom ashram rock, England’s astralnauts serenade sweet lotus-eaters riding electric funk, battle urban arrogance with over-sized hooks and concoct folk-epics condemning corporate Maya.

Kula Shaker WebsiteKula Shaker Wiki

Flowers Forever - Flowers Forever

Flowers Forever - Flowers Forever

Flowers Forever
Flowers Forever
Label: Team Love

Partying with a vengeance, Tilly and the Wall’s Derek Pressnall toss urgent and eclectic thought bombs for a monster block of wild-eyed vaudeville, sonic torpedoes and toreador flourishes. Shouting and soldiering righteously before bouncing along in unconditional whimsy, woozy brass circle sinister syncopation as gypsy sparks collide against prankster jams and shredded regalia.

Flowers Forever Website

Dawn Landes - Fireproof

Dawn Landes - Fireproof

Dawn Landes
Fireproof
Label: Cooking Vinyl

New York based Kentucky native Landes tweaks conventions on her combustible Fireproof. Throwing odd instruments, pop afterthoughts and the occasional alt-rock muscle into her skewed waif folk, Dawn draws from both country and city sources. A recording engineer as well as singer-songwriter, Dawn’s refreshingly low key approach makes Fireproof, intimate, quirky and wonderfully brazen.

Dawn Landes WebsiteDawn Landes Wiki

Rufus Cappadocia - Songs for Cello

Rufus Cappadocia - Songs for Cello

Rufus Cappadocia
Songs for Cello
Label: Velour Records

From a single instrument, Songs serves up jazzy slap-bass, swelling raga drones, pointed Arabic whirlwinds and plummeting subterranean melodies. A lustrous sound of unearthly bellowing lifting exotic flicks of whispering kicks flying in oily waters, Cappadocia’s cello squirms with genie-like turns uncurling from an ancient bottle unleashing a gorgeous choir of wordless voices.

Rufus Cappadocia WebsiteRufus Cappadocia Wiki

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