Stones Throw 101 [coll] – [Stones Throw]

The Mole   8/30/2012   CD, Hip Hop

Peanut Butter Wolf, executive producer and DJ, started the Stones Throw label in 1996. This release from 2004, is a mix CD of the hits, misses and unreleased tracks, 42, count them. Wolf’s ability to connect the thick beats togetha in a seamless string of continuous rhymes and shuffles, has the listener asking “is this hip hop or what”? The reviewer says “sometimes”. The term Hip Hop is widely used, but the Stones Throw label is so wide that you could fall head first into Percee P and end up flat on your back with a hazy funk from J Rocc. Hip, yes, very, Hop, yes, on both feet, this 70 minute mix will take you into a blaze of finger snapp’n, toe tapp’n and tongue lash’n verbal assaults, that will convince you that it ain’t all rapp’n. The mix opens with a fifteen year old Charizma, lay’n out hommage to PBW and then blasts into artists like, Dudley Perkins, Lootpack, Jaylib, Madvillain, Quasimoto, and the utterly wild, Gary Wilson. This smooth mix will have you laying down pipes like a plumber. PLUS, there is a DVD with 15 KOOL video’s.

 

Desert Sessions – “Resurrection” – [Rekords Rekords]

The Mole   6/28/2012   12-inch, A Library

Josh Homme has released this double LP as an antholoy of his recordings from 97 to 99 of the 10 volumes known as desert rock. These are 17 of the most blistering, sun baked stoner rock tracks with the exception of Like a Drug, which throws a curveball of swank blues into the fast pace of guitar fuzz, rumbling bass and an occasional raw vocal such as Punk Rock Caveman… and the track Going to a Hangin is a happy hand clapping ditty that invites us all to go along. Over the span of time, Josh, former member of Queens of the Stone Age and Kyuss, has assembled an odd mix of 37 artists from all corners of the 90’s scene. Most tracks are driven by the songwriting of Twiggy Rameriz and features such notables as P J Harvey, Chris Goss of Goon Moon, John Mcbain of Monster Magnet, Ben Sheperd of Soundgarden fame and Dave Catching to name just a few. This takes you?? to the blistering barren landscape with loud rock intensifying your heat stroke into deliberate dehydration. No food No water just Desert Rock at its best.

Molina, David – “Music For Installations and Performance Art” – [Self-release]

The Mole   6/28/2012   A Library, CD

Here is a self released 5 track CD from the wide wonderful world of David Molina. David is no new comer to the sound design realm. His 15 years of composing sound sculptures has found its way into many landscapes of the multimedia experience. Presented here in its audio form, are sound designs of placement and /or performance art collaborating with local artists. The first track is an 18+ minute sound scape with floating guitar riffs layered with field recordings about California and the SF bay area. David worked with a local film group Cause Collective and the resulting piece is a permanent exhibit at the Oakland Museum. #2 is a short water world sound with plastic instruments made from item found on the beach. Track 3 is whirlwind of mechanical sounds ranging from player pianos to vintage vocals from old time crooners. 4 and 5 take a look at immigration from the eyes for young kids playing hide and seek with a toy piano playing twinkle twinkle little star and then 5 takes us to a close with a 8 minute dialog of a woman with an ill child needing to get to the U.S. for medical attention…both pieces are in Spanish. This reviewer suggests that you check out the visual side of each placement.

 

Stilluppsteypa – “Reduce By Reducing” – [Fire Inc/Some]

The Mole   5/30/2012   A Library, CD

Having no previous knowledge of Stilluppsteypa, I dug myself in for some serious research. What I discovered about this Icelandic endeavor into electroglitch, was a lesson in Sonology. Founding member Heimer Bjorgulfsson studied this sound theory in 1997 at the Royal Conservatory in the Hague, and the technology is used in medical diagnosis, the Sonogram. The use of his studies brought out this 1998 release on Fire Inc., Reduce by Reducing ,with Sigtryggur Berg Sigmarsson and Helgi Thorsson, this five track CD, will take you to various levels of audio awareness. Not as playful as other works, which include collaborative efforts
from Halfer Trio, and Melt Banana, Heirmir delivers a wide range of brain twists and turns. Track one starts off around a sludge pond in a dark swamp, a single frog croaks, the substance that he feasts on are illuminated fragments of gray matter. Track 2, low tone drones, short and sweet. Track 3, a distorted message from the abyss, warns of a menacing bacterial crawly thing, that with a pounding air gun, proceeds to disconnect brain cells with each forceful hit. Track 4 takes you up and beyond space and time, a Gort-like figure beckons you to follow, then sudden panic, and all is lost in the void, and Track 5 finds you in a diving bell fathoms below the surface waiting for the air to be sucked out and your head to collapse. Heirmir left Stilluppsteypa in 2002, and is now internationally know as an abstract painter and artist, with exhibits around the world. This is by far the best usage of Sonology, and by the way…#4 is a remix by Ryoji Ikeda. This eats brain matter and you’ll love it.

m. ostermeier – “rules of another small world, the” – [Tench]

The Mole   5/9/2012   A Library, CD

As I first glanced at this solo release from M. Ostermeier, the cover made me think of a place I’d been in a dream. Come to find out the futuristic landscape really exists, a forsaken housing project in Taiwan. This CD from Marc on Trench is the latest project from the co-owner of Words on Music and member of the group “Should”. Considered by some as “dreampop”, this “minimal” soundscape conjures up visions of lush, placid, peaceful strolls through vibrant green meadows surrounded by strange buzzing creatures that maybe only in your mind.The piano keys play a lullaby as the electronic wind gently flows past,soft interludes of mysterious chirps and celestial chimes enhance the dreamlike landscape. This beautiful 11 song CD is good morning music, if you like caffeine in your coffee, this is decaf, very relaxing but a full body of flavor.

Third Sight – “Chillin’ Wit Dead Bodies In a B-boy Stance” – [Self Released]

The Mole   5/7/2012   CD, Hip Hop

This is a 15 track CD release from the three member hip hop team Third Sight on Disgruntled. Roughneck Jihad, D-Styles and Dufunk get together for a bass driven, cut-up, straightforward session and don’t (bleep) around. Each track runs 3-4 mins. with the exception of trac 5 and trac 5 may contain an obsenity. But that’s ok because all the tracs contain some sort of form of a word that you won’t hear in daytime airplay. The subject matter varies from EGO driven tunes about MC’s, and rhymes to the outright vulgar comments on the size of ones male organ, (take me out to the ball game). The beats are bassy and I wished I had a 250 watt system in my car.?? Third Sight is not new to the KFJC hip hop scene as it was Spiderman who brought in the first release “ballsacks” back in 96. Overall, I wanted to hear some good old hip hop beats without the spoken word. But, hip hop really ain’t my thing…so check it out and if need be channel Spidey and see.

 

Atriarch / Alaric [coll] – [20 Buck Spin]

The Mole   4/21/2012   12-inch, A Library

Here is a 12″ split with Alaric/Atriarch from 20 Buck Spin that speaks of ancient spirits and dark souls awaiting a new arising. Side A gives us 3 tracks, a trilogy, from Alaric. Track one unfolds to tails of the anguish of lost battles, the continued struggle for victory and the relenting quest for freedom. The drum and bass presents itself as a reminder of the fight, persistent, strong. The vocals echo the voice of the lost in battle, the guitar screams for justice. Track 2 starts with the drum call to, again, another attempt, the final sack against the betrayer. Track 3 closes the scene with death, honorable, glorious darkness submerged in liquid for eternity. Flip the LP over and we find Atriarch with 2 tracks. This is a new view of who we are, and where we need to go. The drum and bass are same and the guitar still screams, but this time the vocals are raw and resurrected from the ashes of despair.

 

Mount Carmel “Real Women” (Siltbreeze)

The Mole   4/21/2012   A Library

As I started to listen to the first track off the 2nd release from the three piece band Mount Carmel
titled “Real Women”, I was immediately thrown into the H.G. time machine and the taste of cheap
whiskey and Seconal came rushing back. It’s been two years since the last release from these
Columbus, Ohio boys on Siltbreeze Records and they have made much headway in their sound.
No longer as lo-fi as before, the new material hearkens back to the early to mid 70’s with a certain
resemblance to Humble Pie, Foghat and Savoy Brown. Matt Reed on guitar and vocals, his brother
Patrick on bass and Kevin Stubak on drums, the 9 track CD showcases how the band has taken
their talents to newer heights. Matt’s guitar workings and his vocals are much more advanced and
the overall sound is tighter and crisper. A mix of rough rock and backroom blues, Mount Carmel is
getting closer to the summit.