Alternative Rock Compilations music reviews

This is a mix CD which showcases the Anticon label's past, present and future. It features as many songs and artists that a fan or new listener could hope for, not to mention the diversity contained in the music alone, which is both experimental and yet true school hip-hop.
Take the playful singer-songwriter approach employed by Why? on his featured tracks, and Sole's angst-ridden lyrics on "Dumb this Down" and "Bottle of Humans" for evidence. The instrumentals provided by Odd Nosdam, (eat:chew in particular) Alias and Dosh are dope, but hands down my fave pick is Jel's "Nice Last" which has a very powerful bassline, sample and drums.
The only reservation I harbour towards this sampler is that many songs are duplicated from the Anticon Compilation album. Anticon goes as far back as 1994 musically, if not as a bonafide label, and I would have appreciated old school songs from the artists who were making music at that time.
If the reader is already a fan of Anticon, then I am preaching to the converted, but if one is curious as to what this roster is all about, this CD is a great introduction. For an even better appreciation of Anticon, however, I would recommend a tandem purchase of this sampler along with the Anticon Compilation album(1999).

the anticon sampler. budget priced. this is totally great for anticon followers and newbies both. not only does this serve as a great introduction to people who haven't yet heard anticon but it has a few unreleased songs as well. at 33 tracks and nearly 80 mins. some songs had to be trimmed down, which isn't really a problem as some anticon songs run a bit long, although I guess I would have liked some songs run in their entirty. even some anticon fans have had little or no luck tracking down some of the material from pedestrian and passage so its nice to see stuff from them. sole has 4 songs (one of them unreleased), alias has 6 songs (unseen heights features marcus archer of notwist), why? has 3 songs, doseone and jel (as themselves) have 4 songs and jel by himself has 1, both the pedestrian and passage have 2, and odd nosdam (who also compiled, mixed, and edited this cd) has 3. the cd also has songs from deep puddle dynamics (which is dose, alias, sole, and slug from atmosphere), controller 7, restiform bodies (passage, telephone jim jesus, and bomarr monk), dosh, production from sixtoo, and sage francis. 'good people check' from themselves was remixed by Hrvatski.
bottom line is pick this sucker up. its cheap, its good. its 33 songs. its 80 mins. its cheap.

Not every track on this album was great, but that was not the purpose of this CD. I found out about a ton of cool Anticon artists through this compilation. However, that is not always a good thing, because now people think I'm weird. some of this stuff is way out there. Is that "Darla" song about a chicken? Man, these guys are awesome. I saw Dose One once, in person, jogging in a purple jumpsuit with his cat. I guess you have to be a little crazy to really be a genius. I reccomend Definitive Jux Volume Two along with this album, if you want the full underground experience.

this cd is worth the (money), i didnt hear of many of the bands before i bought it. but now i can sing it word by word troguhout the whole cd. its nice to buy if you want to get started on uk bands and helps to make me see what i like and would like to buy from the bands in the future

I got this given to me as a gift, and, although I am a big punk fan, had low expectations. The only bands I recognized were Snuff and Goober Patrol, and I have always been wary of the punk compilation. This CD blew me a way--some of the songs are absolute gems.
The song Solidarity, by Newtown Grunts, Godsend, by Turtlehead, and Unconditional, by Four Letter Word all blew me away, and most of the CD is solid. If you are a die-hard punker, and you need something new to expose you to some bands you may not have heard of, get this CD

These discs have some of the best songs from many popular downbeat artists as well as some artists that at least Ive never heard of. Still a pretty well put together comp cd and pretty well priced for the number of songs. If youre just getting into the music its a good way to experience some of the best available.

this compilation is exactly what i like to hear when im in the chillout room at my favorite night spot.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate rap, but what I don't understand is that while Farmclub.com has had some great rock/metal acts on the show and on the web site (i.e. One Minute Silence, Papa Roach (hey, I like the album), and Fear Factory), they are no where to be found on this album.
But all that aside, some of the acts on this album are pretty good. You're lucky, because of the diversity of this album, I will try to do one of those "a-review-per-song" type reviews. Ya' know, just to keep the diversity going...

1. Nothing but a G thing-N.W.A 5/5
A very good way to start off the album. A great track from the godfathers of gangster rap.

2. The Real Slim Shady-Eminem 2/5
I'm sorry, I just think that Eminem bites. Though there are some milfly amusing things on this track, it just doesn't cut it following the great N.W.A.

3. N 2 Gether Now-Limp Bizkit with Method Man 1/5
Horrid. The second worst song on the album.

4. DMX-Party Up 3/5
Though over played, it still has a catchy chorus and some nice beats. Decent, but not great.

5. Nelly-Country Grammar (Hot Sh-t) 3/5
See "Party Up". This is NOT RAP!!! This is R&B.

6. Staind-Mudshovel 5/5
One of the only good Staind songs. Great bass line, great lyrics, great vocals, great everything. One of the best on the album.

7. Mystikal-Shake Ya A-s 3/5
See "Party Up".

8. Ja Rule-Between Me And You 1/5
This is just a p-ssy excuse for a rap song. It is really amazing how much he has softened up. You don't go from your first album about "thuggin" to your follow up about love.

9. Powerman 5000-Nobody's Real 4/5
Very good rock song. Not the best that they have ever done, but still a very good song.

10. Eve-Love Is Blind 1/5
Pure sh-t. By far the worst song on the album.

11. Nickelback-Leader Of Men 5/5
Great modern rock song. One of the only good songs Nuckleback has ever done.

12. Mya-Case Of The Ex 3/5
I apologize, I dislike this type of R&B, but that is my oppinion, but it is goo/decent for its genre.

13. D12-Sh-t On You 4/5
(F)eminem prodogies surprised because they son't bite like Eminem does, the track is actually pretty good.

14. Sev-Same Old Song 3/5
A typical rap/rock song. Like the titl inplies, it is just the "Same Old Song".

15. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead-Richter Scale Madness 4/5
Hard driving rock song. Is really standout because it is different from the rest of the album.

16. Bionic Jive-Pump 5/5
Best song on the album. Rap/rock with a twist. the M.C.s are actually black rappers. Unlike Sev, these guys really know what they are doing.

That right there is basically the overiew of the whole album. It is not a "must have", but it is a decent collection of rock and rap. Next time, please incude some more great hard rock/heavy metal bands Farmclub.com...

-MC

This CD only gets 5 stars because it brings back plenty of memories when I was a production assistant on Farmclub.com. It also gets 5 stars because of its content. Where else can you get a CD with live performances by a variety of HUGE artists in different genres. The CD is a little rap heavy only because Farmclub was a little rap heavy. Pump by Bionic Jive is a highlight of the CD.

If you're unfamiliar with the who's who in melodic metal nowadays, you owe it to yourself to pick up one or two of these Metal Dreams CDs, courtesy of Nuclear Blast, the best metal label on the planet. Vol. 1 features 17 metal ballads, branching into the genres of neo-classical power metal (Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Sinner), symphonic gothic metal (Therion, Amorphis) and melodic death metal (Hypocrisy, Dismal Euphony). Personal favorite cuts come from Primal Fear, Love Like Blood, Therion, Lacrimosa and Hypocrisy. Crematory's "Tale" is probably my overall favorite, with its beautiful keyboard intro and soaring vocals. A few weak tracks prevent this compilation from besting its successor, Metal Dreams Vol. 2, and I think it could have included a few songs from Nightwish or the Gathering. All in all, a very solid effort from Nuclear Blast. I also highly recommend Vol. 2, which is significantly better.

Very good cd, not as thrilling as vol. 2 though... wonder why. A must buy, keeps the legacy going.

I approached this first compilation album from Nuclear Blast with a little bit of trepidation. Bands with names like Sinner, Primal Fear, and Hypocrisy generate images of goth and death metal, but I was pleasantly surprised by my first listen. Each song adds a unique perspective to life and it's obstacles. And most of the songs have seriously depressing lyrics. But the music will just take you away. The songs are all written in a way that can touch one's heart. The best cuts are from Therion, whose "Seawinds" is an enchanted journey through darkness, and from Primal Fear, who provide the "Tears of Rage" for the listener to absorb. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars is at 17 songs, some of them get repetitive, and start to sound alike. But the great songs stand out, and make you hungry for more, which has come in the form of the just released Metal Dreams II. I haven't heard it yet, but if it's half as good as the first, it will be well worth your money. As for Metal Dreams 1, it's a must have for any metal fan who doesn't mind a little bit of melody with their doom.

"Now" has been an institution in the U.K. since 1983, sprawning many U.K. imitators and, of course, single-disc U.S. editions which started in 1998. And this Autumn 2001 release celebrates their 50th installent. Part of the fun of buying the U.K. "Now"s is listening to the U.K. hits for the first time and seeing if they become U.S. hits later on (such as Craig David's "Fill Me In"). The best reason to buy this collection is for Kylie Minogue's wonderfully catchy "Can't Get You Out of My Head", which was the #1 song in the U.K. for 2001 and is now making a rapid rise up the U.S. charts. Also, iio's "Rapture" (not related to the Blondie song) has just entered the U.S. charts. Other familiar U.S. hits include "What Would You Do", Turn Off the Light", Alien Ant Farm's wonderful Michael Jackson tribute "Smooth Criminal", "Fat Lip", J-Lo's original version of "Ain't It Funny" (Once again, a remix with Ja Rule is becoming more popular, much like "I'm Real"), "Little L", "Bootylicious", "Purple Hills", "Let Me Blow Your Mind", "Family Affair" (unfortunately, it fades early), "Baby Come on Over" (a mix a little different than on "Now 7"), "Because I Got High" (the editing here was ridiculous), and Britney's sickening Prince imitation, "I'm a Slave 4 U" (Sadly, it will be on "Now 9"). U.K. highlights include "Mambo #5" (Bob the Builder's reworked Lou Bega hit), "Let's Dance" (the last hit for boy band Five), "Take Me Home" (Cher's disco hit with reworked lyrics), "Heaven is a Halfpipe", "What If" (Yes, Kate Winslet CAN sing!), and "Digital Love". Lowlights include worthless remakes of "Uptown Girl", "Hey Baby", and "Stuck in the Middle With You" (too many U.K. artists rely on remakes). There seems to be a lot less "filler" than on most of the other U.K. "Now"s. The only drawback is the high price tag. But, unless you plan to visit Europe, you cannot find reasonable prices for these.

Its not suprising for the edition number 50, that this would be a great compilation. It has songs from all around the world. Mostly US and UK. Some Us hits like "I'm A Slave 4 U", "Family Affair", "Smooth Criminal" and "Bootylicious". Plus some UK hits from people like Samantha Mumba, Daft Punk, former Spice Girls, Steps and Five, even a cool remake of Billy Joels' song "Uptown Girl" by Westlife. Anyway her's the tracklisting for this double disc compilation and let you decide.

CD#1
1) Kylie Minogue - Can't get you out of my head
2) Westlife - Uptown Girl
3) DJ Otzi - Hey Baby!
4) Bob the Builder - Mambo No. 5 (a parody of Lue Bega's hit)
5) Steps - Chain Reaction
6) Five - Let's Dance
7) Sophie Ellis Bextor - Take me home
8) Wyclef Jean - Perfect gentlemen (great song)
9) City High - What would you do? (the overplayed summer hit)
10) Blue - If you come back
11) Nelly Furtado - Turn off the lights
12) OPM - Heavan is a halfpipe
13) The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian like you
14) Alien Ant Farm - Smooth criminal (the best Michael Jackson remake)
15) Sum 41 - Fat lip (the song EVERY one knows)
16) Wheatus - A little rescpect
17) Travis - Sing
18) Jennifer Lopez - Ain't it funny (J. Lo's new single, realeases though first, then I'm Real was realeased, I'm Real might be on the next one)
19) Emma Bunton - Take my breath away
20) Gabrielle - Don't need the sun to shine
21) Lighthouse Family - Free/One
22) Kate Winslet - What if

Cd#2
1) iio - Rapture
2) Supermen Lovers - Starlight
3) Jamiroquai - Little l
4) Destiny's Child - Bootylicious (one of the best songs this summer)
5) D12 - Purple hills (the group Eminem made up)
6) Eve & Gwen Stafani - Let me blow your mind (the best rap song this year)
7) Britney Spears - I'm a slave 4 u (not her best stuff)
8) Mis-Teeq - One night stand (just heard it, awesome)
9) Mary J. Blidge - Family Affair (who dosen't know this one?)
10) Samantha Mumba - Baby come on over (different remix than released in the US)
11) Liberty- Thinking it over
12) Victoria Beckham - Not such an innocent girl
13) Louise - Stuck in the middle with you
14) Geri Halliwell - Scream if you wanna go faster
15) Allstars - Things that go bump in the night
16) N-Trance - Set you free
17) The Ones - Flawless
18) Daft Punk - Digital love
19) Groove Armada - Superstylin'
20) Jean-Jacques Smoothie - 2 people
21) So Solid Crew - 21 seconds
22) Afroman - Because i got high (very funny song)

Great CD, go get it, my only problem is that in the US its so much money, I only paid about 18 bucks becasue I bought it in the UK but this is a import so it will cost more but worth the money

A swell holiday offering by some of best, most hearfelt indie bluegrass artists of the Pinecastle label's stable. Michelle Nixon, Larry Stephenson, David Parmley, Charlie Waller and others are included, drawing on material off of several albums recorded between 1996-2003, with most of the material apparently recorded just for this album. The highlights are two zippy instrumentals, "Frosty The Snowman" as done by Scott Vestal and his pals, and a version of "O, Come All Ye Faithful," featuring Ross Nickerson with some sweet banjo licks. Nice stuff!

So who says that "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful" can't be interpreted and played as a hard-driving instrumental bluegrass breakdown as Ross Nickerson does? But let's not forget that the song was originally written as a lyrical calling to behold and adore the king of angels, Christ the Lord. Bluegrass instruments work well for Christmas music, and back in 1994, Pinecastle Records released a successful compilation project called "Blue Ridge Mountain Christmas" (PRC-1030). Now, Pinecastle's 2003 latest gift, "A Pinecastle Christmas Gatherin'" is a pleasant hour-long holiday sampler to get you in the mood for decorating the tree and wrapping presents by the fireplace. The 18 tracks were recorded between 1996-2003 and include new versions of standards (like Charlie Waller's "White Christmas" and Larry Stephenson's "Away in a Manger"), as well as plenty of mostly interesting original material.

Apparently, most of the label's current artists were asked to each record and contribute a song or two to the project. The list of those featured reads like a who's who of bluegrass.....including, among others, Aubrey Haynie, Wildfire, Josh Williams, Wayne Benson, Larry Stephenson, Jesse McReynolds, Michelle Nixon, Sally Jones, Charlie Waller, Jim Hurst, Missy Raines, Nothin' Fancy, Ross Nickerson, Village Singers, Eddie and Martha Adcock, David Parmley, Special Consensus, and WhiteHouse. Favorite cuts are actually some of the slower numbers, Wildfire's rendition of "There's a New Kid in Town," The Village Singers' "A Carpenter, A Mother and a King" and Eddie and Martha Adcock's "One Starry Night."

Each cut on "A Pinecastle Christmas Gatherin'" has individual strengths in its own right. There's plenty of tight harmony and solid straightforward bluegrass picking. Only two instrumentals are offered ("Frosty the Snowman" and "Oh, Come All Ye Faithful"), and many of the numbers are uptempo secular offerings like "Christmas in the Mountains." While some may view it as a strength, the album's variety could actually weaken it within the overall program's context. Any holiday sampler with so many different artists has the potential to easily lose something in continuity and thematic presentation. I can't help but wish that a few more gospel offerings had been chosen to emphasize messages about the true spiritual meaning of Christmas. And I might have at least ordered the songs differently to have a very strong opener and closer that conveyed celebratory messages about the birth of Jesus. Despite this observation, there are consistently good performances on the project. Bluegrass fans looking for a concept album for the holidays will definitely find something to their liking on this sampler. Nine short bonus tracks at the album's conclusion include greetings from some of the featured artists, and I think that the Village Singers say it best, "Let's remember the reason for the season." I wish that even more of this sampler's music would have done the same. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

The Shanti Project Collection bears tracks of 5 indie, "slow-core" bands, some more known than others. I purchased the cd because I am a Red House Painters fan, and not so much a fan of the others. Indie bands Low, Idaho, Hayden, and Misc also contributed songs to the collection, though it is apparent that RHP was targetted the focal point of the compilation. RHP contributed 4 memorable songs: "Find me, Ruben Olivares" (also on the Mark Kozelek solo effort), Genesis' "Follow You, Follow Me", "Midnight on the Bay" by Young/Stills, and a demo version of "Smokey".

My first notion was that the covers would be cheezy, but surprisingly, they came across as original would-be RHP songs. I mean, come on, an old Genesis song from years ago thats still played on the light rock stations? Now I think "Follow You, Follow me" is my favorite RHP song on the disc. However, after seeing how often Mark Kozelek performs covers and less original work makes me wonder if he's starting to lose the muse. Hope not...

Because I am not as savvy with the other bands as with RHP, I have to say that the songs are very promising; I have heard Low and Hayden in the past and think they are decent bands. They all mesh well together--all very mellow, slow, and emotional. This is one of those albums that one could fall asleep to. Fans of RHP will also like Mark Kozelek's solo album, "Rock'n' Roll singer".

A slow-burning meditative listen. A must have for fans of Red House Painters, Low, Idaho, Misc or Hayden.

It had very dark tones which I liked, but some of the music was very repetitive. Still, pretty good.

This was my first purchase of Witchcraft, and I was blessed.
The CD automaticly captured my sole, and spoke through my
heart. It was a magickal work of art, dedicated to remembering
the "Old Ways", and enhancing the spirit of the witch.

bubble core records is beautiful.

i picked this up on a random trek to amoeba in berkeley or san francisco, upon my promise to find something interesting in the odd bin during each visit.

strange criteria. but, oh god, this is beautiful. and its obscurity confounds my excited little shakings - and i fell in love with the dylan group, but especially iris. i feel like a desperate fan having enquired what happened, and even ordered a strange 7", but yeah . . .

all right. so it starts with 3-4 tracks by iris, suspectedly more. these are off their album 'after school special', and magically, i found this too in san francisco. it is one of my favorite albums, ever. oiy vey. i thought i just liked the tracks off the sampler, but damn, it's everything to speak of drear, glorious hope, emotion and anti-emotion, being alone, being productive - rrrgh. words bothering me. i reviewed that too, i guess.

erm, squelch is fun, and the dylan group is magical (get ur-klang search), and the whole first sampler is beautifull downbeat. the end kinda gets long and difficult, but still . . .

whooo! apparently, the official gangster of the west coast, covered in tattoos, and the official isla vista town drunk, both at a stunning 5'3", broke into my home and stole my cds. i eventually got them back from a random police barracks in the wilderness of the california central coast mountains, but all my track listings were missing.

the point of that was to say: i was most relieved to have this rarity back, as i know i won't find anything like it again.