Alternative Rock music reviews

The strong, raw voice of Kat is what lifts this album almost up to 5 stars. The lyrics are not as strong, the theme tends to get a bit tired and used after 14 songs and one instrumental track, even though the motive of the songs varies.

The drumming of Lori is okay, but it gets a bit boring, and I really don't like her voice when she sings "Magic flute". The other songs are powerful and make me want to scream along with Kat. My favorites on this album are "Bruise Violet", "Bluebell", "Handsome and Gretel", "Real Eyes", "Mother" and "Gone". I doubt there are many other female artists that can scream the way Kat does, and sing so beautiful in between the howls and screaming. This album is definitely worth checking out.

If you want to check out some of the more mature work by Kat Bjelland, I can recommend her new band "Katastrophy Wife" and their two albums "Amusia" and "All kneel".

When I first bought this CD a year ago I hated it. I couldn't even listen to it all the way through. But I was drawn by some force to listen to it again, and I ended up becoming a Babes fanatic. It's a little jarring at first, because this is unlike anything you've ever heard.(if you're like me and hadn't heard many female rockers) Fontanelle is a little over-produced (Painkillers is better) but it still contains some of their best work. These girls are gutsy and very likeable.

~The Songs~

1. Bruise Violet- said to be about Courtney Love (her song is "Violet") "you've got this thing that really makes me hot"

2. Right Now- Babes have quite a few songs about being right, this is one

3. Bluebell- song for the guy who attacked Lori "you're dead meat motherf*cker"

4. Handsome & Gretel- classic song, very obscene

5. Blood- "I never wanted to be alone" dynamic vocals on this

6. Magick Flute- Lori sings, her best song, very cool guitar

7. Won't tell- "I wait forever for you to figure out your problem with me is you" Kat writes lyrics that are direct, while not being boring and obvious

8. Quiet Room- polished version of this instrumental song; I like the version on "To Mother" better but this one is still good

9. Spun- masterpiece work, starts off quiet then explodes, "living is nice when you're spun like a kite" Kat really shows her vocal capacity here

10. Jungle Train- primal song

11. Pearl- great song

12. Real Eyes- "I realize your lies are from your own eyes"

13. Mother- high voltage screams

14. Gone- perfect ending song, Kat smashes bottles in the background which adds a nice climax

Fontanelle is definately not for the faint of heart. Or for those with sensitive ear drums. If you thought Hole was loud, then Babes In Toyland definately aren't for you. The most interesting thing about the album are Kat's lyrics. They are deep, chilling, and have a gothic edge to them. Fontanelle sounds like the soundtrack to your nightmares. Kat gurgles, bellows, and screams her lungs out. You can enjoy the album better when you're feeling angry or upset. Of course that doesn't mean the whole album is completely harsh and serious (although most of it is). 'Bruise Violet' (obviously a song about Courtney Love) and 'Handsome and Gretel' have a bit of a funny side to them ('Handsome and Gretel' is also rumored to be about Kurt and Courtney). 'Quiet Room' is an instrumental song which almost sounds like classical music. Drummer Lori Barbero gets to sing on 'Magick Flute' which has a bit of an '80s new wave tinge to it. Fontanelle ends with 'Gone' quite possibly one of the most chilling songs ever recorded. Kat's voice wails like a demon possessed spirit and glass bottles crash in the background. It gives you goosebumps just listening to it. That's when you know you're truly listening to good music. When the music actually makes you feel things. It's a shame Babes In Toyland never got the full recognition they deserved.

I love this cd! This brings back so many memories!! My friends and I would listen to this every day we saw them in concert twice! I love to bring this cd out and play it, remembering fun times with friends!!

T'his CD is just as excellent as it was during my 4 years at UNC. I wish I had appreciated the Connells more when they were playing around RTP when I was at Chapel Hill. It seemed like everyone in my dorm, Teague, freshman and sophomore years, had the Connells playing non-stop. (OK they were also playing Vanilla Ice and Dee-Lite too.) When I hear it now it makes me homesick for NC and wistful that they didn't "hit the big time." Although, of course, if they had, they might be sitting in as guest-judges on American Idol or something equally hideous. So I'll just sit back and remember downstairs at Linda's, the old Hector's before it burned, Bllue Cups at He's Not and Frat Court after football games, and be thankful the Connells are part of my college memories.

I will die knowing The Connells, and this album in particular, were truly one of the great unknowns.

From the lyrics, to the music, this album is full of originality without sounding 'experimental'. Classic alternative ('college radio') rock.

kt

Along with Pavement's "Slanted & Enchanted", "III" helped Lo-Fi garner respect as a credible subgenre. It's pretty uneven, but overall it's very good. Most of the tracks are more interesting than fun, though (but with 23 tracks that's not a problem). Because of the number of its highlights, as well as its historical importance, I give this 5 stars (but with caution, except for "The Freed Pig" its a very acquired taste and only for fans of the genre). Highly recommended for Lo-Fi fans as well as music collectors and historians.

Highlights include:
"The Freed Pig"
"Total Peace"
"Truly Great Thing"
"Kath"
"Perverted World"
"Wonderful, Wonderful"
"Limb By Limb"
"Rockstar"
"Renaissance Man"
"God Told Me"
"Violet Execution" (parts of)
"Scars, Four Eyes" (parts of)
"Holy Picture." (parts of)

Domino Record Co. (UK) will be reissuing this disc in the very near future for much less than people are trying to sell it here for, and as a reissue, it will likely have a lot of bonus stuff on it. wait to buy this, and get much more for much less.... Great disc, one of Sebadoh's best (but they're all very, very good).

Even though this isn't the first legit album from Sebadoh. It still is the first complete album Lou and co. released. This is just insanity at times. Even though this album is out of print (it has been for a while), copies are still floating around. Even if you have the slightest interest in Sebadoh or Lou Barlow's work, pick this album up. The standout song for me is the closing track "As the world dies, the eyes of god grow bigger" which is a 7 minute scream-fest of disturbing lyrics and vocals that just put everything you believe in down. The lyrics are really hard to get in the song because Lou and Eric are singing different lines at the same time until they just start screaming and wailing. Gaffney is at his best here and it shows so much. But it's not just Gaffney, Lou and Jason also contribute the best that they would ever make on this album.

Either way, get this album if you can, you WON'T be dissapointed at all.

Very inspirational. This song really inspire one to be naturally giving and be humble

This is the very original version of In Deep which was released in Australia in late 1997. It wasn't until 1998 and 1999 it was released to other markets such as the US, the UK, Mexico, etc. Each version of the CD has significant differences among them. This one too, is worth having. This version of IN DEEP features songs which were not on the US version, such as the jazzy "Welcome To My World", or the beautiful ballads "Stay" and "Not For Sale". These are all great songs, but the one that is well worth the price is the "Burn" (Acoustic Version), a very beautiful version of her great ballad, just her and the piano. The songs which are not on here but are on the US version include the great Diane Warren ballad "If I Was A River", the ballad "No Shame" and the duet with Marc Anthony "I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You". IN DEEP is one of her best albums, and both the US version and the Australian version are worth having!

It is a baffling enigma as to why "In Deep" didn't do as well as it should have in different markets. The US chose to ignore her again. The UK release showed little response. What gives? This album, which has evolved since it's 1997 release in Australia, has Arena treading water on all sorts of genres. The actual surprise is that she does it very, very well. Standard fare radio tracks like "Burn" and "Unsung Hero" give Arena to express them with deeply felt emotion. The same kind of emotive style that has eluded pop stars such as Whitney Houston and Britney Spears. "If I was a River" is simply gorgeous, a beautiful track put together by cash-mongel writer Dianne Warren. Arena gives life to almost every song on this record. The real gem on this record happens to be the 3rd single from the Australian release, "Now I Can Dance." It's a striking love letter to her friends and fans. She has to achieve creative freedom, and be free of her past. Judging from earlier releases, such as "Strong As Steel," "In Deep" does a wonderful job showcasing that.

Very inspirational. This song really inspire one to be naturally giving and be humble

This is the very original version of In Deep which was released in Australia in late 1997. It wasn't until 1998 and 1999 it was released to other markets such as the US, the UK, Mexico, etc. Each version of the CD has significant differences among them. This one too, is worth having. This version of IN DEEP features songs which were not on the US version, such as the jazzy "Welcome To My World", or the beautiful ballads "Stay" and "Not For Sale". These are all great songs, but the one that is well worth the price is the "Burn" (Acoustic Version), a very beautiful version of her great ballad, just her and the piano. The songs which are not on here but are on the US version include the great Diane Warren ballad "If I Was A River", the ballad "No Shame" and the duet with Marc Anthony "I Want To Spend My Lifetime Loving You". IN DEEP is one of her best albums, and both the US version and the Australian version are worth having!

It is a baffling enigma as to why "In Deep" didn't do as well as it should have in different markets. The US chose to ignore her again. The UK release showed little response. What gives? This album, which has evolved since it's 1997 release in Australia, has Arena treading water on all sorts of genres. The actual surprise is that she does it very, very well. Standard fare radio tracks like "Burn" and "Unsung Hero" give Arena to express them with deeply felt emotion. The same kind of emotive style that has eluded pop stars such as Whitney Houston and Britney Spears. "If I was a River" is simply gorgeous, a beautiful track put together by cash-mongel writer Dianne Warren. Arena gives life to almost every song on this record. The real gem on this record happens to be the 3rd single from the Australian release, "Now I Can Dance." It's a striking love letter to her friends and fans. She has to achieve creative freedom, and be free of her past. Judging from earlier releases, such as "Strong As Steel," "In Deep" does a wonderful job showcasing that.

I wrote the same thing about the live CD of Nick Cave's early band, the punk act The Birthday Party. With the release of this album, "The birthday Party live 81-81", as with the live dvd "Pleasure heads must burn", Nick Cave showed he was much more than just a singer; he was a performer, shocking, arresting, preaching, screaming, howling, even menacing... but always moving.

After the early demise of TBP Nick came back in the early eighties with his ensemble The Bad Seeds. First with some experimental albums like "From her to eternity" and the more than wonderful "The Firstborn is dead", then some crossovers between the experimental and the more pop music orientated songs ("Your funeral... my trial" and "Tender prey") and then the real polished, mainly matured LP's like "The Good son" and "Henry's dream".
But even the polished, pop orientated albums are always full of surprises, off beat musical structures, dark, oppressing moods and filled with Oldtestament-like preachings.

Now there is the first official live cd "Live Seeds" and it's a smasher. It takes guts to open with the song "The mercy seat", (for theatrical performance a little abridged - the original lasts about seven abrasive minutes) because you have to be a real artist to top such a sheer musical rumpunch of genius.
But Nick Cave just proceeds like a howling blind man, with such rock songs as "Deanna", "Papa won't leave you, Henry", the apocalyptic "Tupelo", "Brother my cup is empty", "Jack the Ripper", that other Biblical thunder: "The Good son" and of course "From her to eternity".

In between are some moments of contemplation with ballads like "The Ship song", "Plain gold ring" and "New morning".
With the exception of some truely great songs, Nick Cave's weak point is the ballad - like I said, he can be great but most of the time, his slower songs don't really stick, they don't eat away our memories, they don't devour us, not like the stage-smashing rock pieces do.

But this album rocks, it stuns. It devours.
And when it leaves you gasping for more, try the two live dvd's "The Road to God knows where / Live at the Paradiso" and "God is in the house" - and you'll come to the same conclusion as me, graphicly mentioned above: put The Nick and his topnotch musical ensemble of the Bad Seeds on a stage, where they belong.

Like your traditional "live" album, this is a collection of some highlights from several albums, rendered IMO perhaps better than the original versions. One of Nick's many mighty virtues is his flair for performance, and this album showcases him and the Bad Seeds clearly at the height of their powers -- not to say those powers have diminished.

I can go on and on about Nick and his abilities as a singer, a performer, or slightly less known, as a scholar of English-Lauguage folk music, but this album really demonstrates that wonderfully. OK, just one remark: I believe "Papa Won't Leave You, Henry," originally from "Henry's Dream," is in great part inspired from a much older English song, "Tom of Bedlam." For any Nick enthusisast who isn't aware of his bardic side, it might gladden your heart to study the original and to discover more of the history that Nick is so well-versed (literally) in. I was originally thrilled to see a pal of mine, a massive scholar of English music, play this song at a coffee house one evening. To my mind, Nick is a great scholar of folk music, and a genuine great performer of our time. It is the darkness he dwells upon that has obscured him from broader acceptance, of course.

So let me just give wholehearted approval and not go on for too long. Five stars.

I have enjoyed all of Nick Cave's work with his penchant for acting , drama, and the doggerel lives of the backwaters, the crooked, the low life characters that convince us of the rawness of life and the band's story telling ability. This CD is more convincing though because you can feel the band is really engaged and you feel that you are being sung to directly as a person. There are few instances in life, even in a live set, where we the audience become we the experience. The songs connect and take you into the rhapsodic balladic stories. This is grand rock and roll, people, it's just wailing and bringing the hammer down.

Matthew Hahn, www.movingtracks.com

This is one of the greatest CD's I have purchased in about a year or so. After I recieved my copy, I listened to it and it didn't leave my car CD player for a good month...it's that good!!!!!!! Do yourselves a favor and BUY THIS CD!
The haunting style coupled with her smooth voice is terrific. For those that have a sub in their car.. it will give that sub a nice work out with the low bass tones. It almost holds you down in your seat as this bass blanket covers you. Dang its good!! BUY THIS CD!!!!!!!

Most people have heard her unique vocals, singing the hauntingly, sorrowfully creepy "Gollum's Song" during the closing credits of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." But very few people know Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini by name. Which is a shame, because her trip-hop/electronica album, "Love in the Time of Science," is a unforgettable one.

While sitting firmly on a seat of trip-hop and gentle pop, Torrini stretches her wings with a variety of musical types. It's made up of light electronica like the cool, sweet "To Be Free," and murky pop ballads with a slightly morbid edge. "Keep my daughter in a jar/she can't get out/she won't go far," Torrini croons in one song.

She keeps the cool, dark edge with the eerie "Wednesday's Child" and "Telepathy," the offbeat jazz of "Dead Things," and even a few songs that are fun and upbeat pop, singing about friends who hang out and goof around in the summertime. There's even alien avant-pop that defies classification, where Torrini sings creepily about how tuna fish float with "bellies to the moon."

Comparisons to Bjork are inevitable, since they hail from the same country and have similar vocal styles. However, Torrini's music is smoother and less distant, less electronic and more organic. It's also graced with more traditional instrumentation and a warmer sound. Her music is a different shade of electronica-pop.

Her voice has a haunted, slightly eerie quality. Furthermore, it has the flexibility to be warm one moment, chilly and creepy the next, allowing her to gracefully slide from one kind of song to another. Her thick Icelandic accent makes her singing even more enchanting.

The writing of the songs ranges from surreal ("Tuna Fish") to pleasantly ordinary ("Summerbreeze"), using simple and evocative words for jumbled feelings. "But if it's so good being free/Would you mind telling me/Why I don't know what to do with myself?" she asks plaintively at the very start.

Far from a Bjork clone, Emiliana Torrini produces a superb solo album. Combining the best of electronica, pop and jazz, "Love in the Time of Science" is startlingly memorable and well worth it.

Not to repeat all that has already been said, But I felt I needed to just throw in my 2 cents. This CD is amazing. There is also a cover she did of 'Sounds of Silence' that I would recommend you get a hold of as well. Enjoy.

Like many people posting reviews here, I was introduced to Killing Joke via the song 'Eighties'. This actually got a little rotation on college radio and late-night MTV during that decade.

I quickly found a friend who had some KJ albums, and dubbed them to cassette. However, he didn't own "Night Time", so I became a fast fan of their earlier sound instead. In short time, I had dismissed 'Eighties' as the product of sell-out syndrome and basically forgot about it for years.

Many years and music collections later, while stationed on a military base in Iceland, my interest in Killing Joke was rekindled after hearing that Jaz Coleman had lived there for some time. EG Editions was reissuing many of the old albums on CD, so I decided to purchase "Night Time" based on it's low price - not even remembering that 'Eighties' was one of the tracks.

Needless to say, "Night Time" is an album that has survived quite well. Actually, 'Eighties', while a great song, is the weakest track here.

I listen to alot of different genres but Avant-Classical, Progressive Rock and Metal are mainstays. This album, while not really any of those things, has enough to appeal to anyone who enjoys said styles.

"Night Time" is a great (re)introduction to KG. It's slightly more accessible and less texturally harsh than much of their work. It's also one of the few albums I have that is great workout music AND great 3am intimate soundtrack fodder.

I recommend most of KG's albums to anyone who appreciates a unique and sophisticated band that do things their own way. Some other bands you might find interesting are: Psychic TV, Dead Can Dance, Voivod, The Stranglers, Celtic Frost, The Damned, Hawkwind, Blue Oyster Cult, The Swans and The Chameleons.

This might be their most accessible album but it is also the one I prefer. The melodies are fantastic without sacrificing the punch of their approach. Very very heavy still. I saw them during the tour after this album and it really was something back then. Very very heavy 80's music.

This is Killing Joke's most accessible album for anyone interested in getting into this band or for the casual listener. You will not be disappointed! If you hate Killing Joke for whatever reason, you will instantly love this album! The best songs are here: Night Time, Love Like Blood, Kings And Queens, Multitudes, Europe, Eighties, oh and did I mention Love Like Blood? I'm very shocked to know that this album didn't give the band major success and exposure to the mainstream back then. Just because they didn't doesn't mean the album sucks. This album is the perfect New Wave rock album! Trust me! :)

I heard these guys at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin a few years back (they are simply amazing live). Bought the album based on the show, and it is now one of my favorites. I highly recommend this album!

It had been a long time since I had enjoyed every single track on an album until "On a Rolling Ball" came along. I picked up on a few Gabe Dixon tunes on internet radio and liked it so much I took the chance and ordered the whole album. Two years later it still has a permanent home in my disc changer. You can't go wrong with this album... Whether high school kids, 20-somethings, 30-somethings, or parents of their own 20 or 30-somethings, everyone is a fan.

I bought this CD after being wowed by their track on Bonnaroo v.2. I was a little worried that the CD as a whole wouldn't be as good as that one song. Happily, I discovered my worry was unfounded. This CD is simply fantastic. Great songs and great playing make a nice little package. Oh yeah, the vocals are very strong too. I've listened to it back-to-back on several occasions which is something I rarely do. Definite 5 star material. Don't you love it when you buy a CD knowing very little about the artist and it turns out great? Well, this is one of those. Can't wait for the next one.

The Cardigans have grown into a band un-recognizable from their first incarnation, and though I miss the the sugary goodness of their retro past, if they are going to put out music, it may as well be the stylings of "Long gone...". The stand-out tracks for me are "Communication", "You're the storm", "For what its worth", and the addictive "Live and learn". The poppy up-beat music of my favorite LIFE wouldnt fit anywhere on this album, the melancholy and sadness is just too lonely to have room for anything else...but the Cardigans are still a favorite of mine simply for the skillful music they put out, and this album is no exception.

I was introduced to The Cardigans by Pandora.com, on a channel modelled upon the music of Tori Amos and Kate Bush. The track Pandora served up is the wonderfully spare and haunting Couldn't Care Less, which turns out to be the second best song on the album.

Singing was a vocalist who sounded like a younger, more soulful Stevie nicks. Perhaps Fleetwood Mac is as good an analog to the Cardigans as one will find--they are versatile and capable of doing many differenct kinds of music.

LGBD has a charmingly country lilt to it [how does Swede Persson get those "a's" down so perfectly?], but, fear not, this is in no way irritating to any but the most narrow-minded of I-Hate-Country listeners. As a matter of fact, the artists take the opportunity to mine some lyrics and themes that are downright surprising, from alcohol addiction to near-sado-masochistic love affairs, with a touch so light and downright lovely that Suzanne Vega could take notes.

Instrumentation and production are spot-on. If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac, or are one who simply appreciates the smokey vocals of artists like Everything but the Girl, Tori Amos, Beth Orton, Autour de Lucie, or even Daughter Darling, chances are good that you'll really enjoy this album.

Oh yeah: The best song? Feathers and Down, which starts with a keyboard and tambourine, slowly adding a quiet electric guitar and, like a one-woman angelic choir, Nina Persson pours out her lovely voice like the instrument it is.

If The Cardigans were a mainstream group, this CD would probably have won album and artist of the year. The stripped down pieces toward the end of the CD is as good as anything you will ever hear in this kind of catagory of music. Songs like No Sleep, Couldnt Care Less, If There Is A Chance, as well as: Communication, Lead Me Into The Light, etc. The more uptempo songs are ALSO quite good! These songs are beautifully crafted and written, the lyrics are thought proving and mature, the arrangements are very impressive, the production superb. The bands back up work is tremendous, even the fine details (guitar pieces, drums, etc all work together to create a real mood here). The songs reach out and grab you and dont let go. These are some of the best pop songs I have heard in a very long time. What a long way to come from the Life CD, which to me was like Oblivious Happy Pop Music. When they made the BIG TURN on Grand Turismo, I started to hear a potential I didnt really expect. But rarely does a band make a transition like this on Long Gone Before Daylight. Everyone involved in this project deserves a great amount of credit! A++++