Frenchy’s Fracas

General Description
Artist/Band: The Pepsils
Year: 2006

Grabbing attention by the balls..
 
How I Got Into This Music
FrEg
It was my turn to pick an artist from MySpace. I’ve searched for Dutch bands with interesting influences and the Pepsils had a huge mix of such. (Pamela Anderson? Yea, uh-huh)
But seriously, how would a band influenced by e.g. Japan, N.I.N, Scritti Politti, Kravitz, Bowie, Prince, Pink Floyd and Trevor Horn sound like?
Hieronymus Fox
OK, here we go….
A suggestion by FrEg this time. Another Dutch band and only 81 profile views..?? Welll…. fresh out of the egg! Mjammie!

The Tracks:

Pam
FrEg
Love the intro! Starts with a Groove is in the heart like bass loop, nice breaks and Apollo 440 guitar riffs. The verse and rest of the song is more straight-forward, although still tight, which I like. Recommended that you listen to this! (more than once ;-))
Hieronymus Fox
What’s this? Groove is in the Heart (Deeelite) is getting raped by Candy (Iggy), the Prodigy, Bow Wow Wow and the Creeps?
Helll..! A raw guitar/synthesizer sound, funky beat… After some listening I see some hit potential. Could easily be a song being played on 3FM….
frenchy!
Envigorating, catchy, energetic. Very recognisable, I’m adding Elastica’s Ready To Go in the mix..

Johnny Absolute Impossible
FrEg
A tight guitar riff and straight rock song that kicks off right away. Small minus: The break to the repeat of the chorus can be worked out better; it’s sounds too cheap as it is now. Overall: good sing along and (almost) radio ready.
Hieronymus Fox
Sounds like a late seventies/early eighties punk song. When you start getting bored, fortunately the chorus brings in the necessary freshness. Bring in the pooltable and the beer and I am happy! But that intro….. it sounds very familiair…very… Classic Rock? Help me out y’all! Chicago?
frenchy!
Ah, the Ramones intro, kinda beach pop rock. Strongest point of this track: it’s one that I’d like to hear live!

Seven Years
FrEg
This song fits in the style of the previous two. The overall feeling of the previous number is starting to echo into this one: Where are the influences of N.I.N, N.E.R.D, Pink Floyd?
It’s too electronic rock. Nothing wrong with it, but not where I stay tuned to too long…
Hieronymus Fox
Mhhhh this one is … Kind of an early Edge (U2) guitar sound and…. Smashing Pumpkins..? Typical Kink FM Jan Douwe Kroeske stuff? And… guys… no rapping anymore… please?
frenchy!
80’s intro (Gary Numan, Buggles) cyperpunk guitars and keyboards. Chorus is a little gem of retro-music, evoking a memory set that never really happened.

Sleeper
FrEg
It’s a plus that the fourth published song distinguishes itself from the previous ones. So the Pepsils are not a one trick pony
It has a layered build-up that is worked out well. Dark style verses that works itself to a double tempo Prodigy climax…
….and then with a short needle scratch back again to half tempo for the next verse . Hmmm, o-kay… and forward again to a climax, but then an abrupt ending, short silence and repeat of the chorus?!? Come on guys, those breaks are too harsh and should be worked out better.
Hieronymus Fox
Ha ha ha, I was starting to write down the following: “Without the uptempo beat the singing does not work for me anymore…” and then suddenly this damn Prodigy boost jumps in! Helloooooo..!! Are you still there? Superb ending of this song….
frenchy!
Weirdness intro, me like! There’s a definite Ween/Bowie thing going on here. But the track’s multiple buildups kinda lead to nowhere. The Linkin Park part is just that. NMCOT.

Conclusion
FrEg
Promising sound that’s catchy, but the production still needs some work to keep your attention. So let the Trevor Horn influence shine though more and I certainly will come back to listen again.
Hieronymus Fox
The guitarsound is a little rough (on the treble that is) for me. Furthermore the singer gets a little irritating after a while. I am not saying he is a bad singer or something; but there is little variation in his voice. It’s a bit monotonous.
The sound of the band isn’t really original (except for Sleeper perhaps). It keeps reminding me of other bands and songs. On the other hand…. who said you should be original in music…. And the name is pretty original!
It took some hearing sessions to convince me, but thumbs up: 3/5
Good luck guys! And eeeh… consider adding Fisher Z to your influences too
frenchy!
Honestly? Like their stuff, not something I’ll be listening to, but they’re definitely making interesting music. Their biggest problem: everybody (in this case: the three of us) recognises a lot of other people’s music, but no specific style of their own - 3/5

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General Description
Artist/Band: C-mon & Kypski
Album Title: Where The Wild Things Are
Year: 2006

Quiltmasters of Sound (in training)
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hieronymus Fox suggested we listen to this band (gotta change the setup of this post coz this part’s not making any sense..)

The Tracks:

Bumpy Road
FrEg
In-your-face intro - like it. Nice uptempo groove, mixed with Wall of Sound heaviness - like the bass.
The singing offers a strange contrast against the heavy mix of sounds. Nice bridge.
Hieronymus Fox
The single. Kinda when Junkie XL meets Fatboy Slim. The voice-overs are funny at the beginning, but start to annoy me during the song. I am missing a “flow” which makes the song a little boring, I think. Reminds me more of a TV Comedy tune.
frenchy!
Yes, I get the irony, yes, I really do, don’t worry.. Nice 70’s feel combined with scratch-n-breaks. Please notice the great guitar sample in the background! It’s mostly a patchwork track of styles and samples, refreshing and yet a bit tedious!

Chemical Mixture
FrEg
Like the intro even more than Bumpy road’s. Sounds like a cross mix of Aphex Twin break beats meet Chemical Brothers. Lots of tweaks, bells and whistles - in the end it’s too much, especially the scratching. This heavy sequencer based techno is not quite my kinda music
Hieronymus Fox
The start of this song is promising: raw old school hip hop beats meet electrosounds… When they start “freaking” in the song I start losing interest a little. It reminds me more of a DJ battle than a song. 3 minutes of Chemical Mixture is really my limit!
frenchy!
Great sample and scratch work. The track’s sooooo retro (in a great way!)

Attention
FrEg
Kinda easier to digest: more to dance to than on the previous tracks. Starts of in reggae style while ending in acid dance and the ending is too abrupt
Hieronymus Fox
Mhhhh…. “Survival” (a Grandmaster Flash classic) opening and then…. It’s when reggae meets drum’n bass. Where have I heard that before? Despite funny voice samples, this could have been that specific song from Goldie’s first album or the 1998 Freestylers’ album you mostly… skipped…
frenchy!
Afrika Bambaataa and Kraftwerk are back, still with a 00’s cheap ripped-off feeling. That female vocal sample’s from Eric B and Rakim’s Paid In Full. Nice but not shockingly great.

Chocolate
FrEg
Techno goes India - choice of instruments is good, but I don’t get the link between title and music (should’ve listened more closely, FrEg - frenchy!)
Hieronymus Fox
Freaky synth bass, nice acoustics. But still… it doesn’t work for me.
frenchy!
I love the guitar and that funky snake charmer horn!

Conclusion
FrEg
In every song, you hear that it’s well crafted and thought through. The mix of styles is all over the place which makes it harder for me to form a strong opinion about this band. All-in-all the balance is going towards positive so give it a serious try yourself!
3/5
Hieronymus Fox
First of all, respect for the attempt of crossing music borders (again), but the search for new and surprising is annoying me. Every moment is used for “new” twists in the songs. Where’s the soul? For Fatboy Slim it worked. The chosen instruments and sounds should be sufficient for almost half of it. The songs I have listened to, made me think of a collage [...] and this starts to annoy me every time halfway the song.
Sorry guys…. I am not going to buy your album, but I am curious for your next one.
frenchy!
It’s different in the same way you describe a girl as having a great personality. Thing is, it really isn’t about the looks, it’s about the sound and that’s where the band kinda falls short. I wouldn’t mind seeing them live though, they sure as hell have a great energy!

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Lovely bass-player and all-round musician extraordinaire, Meshell Ndegeocello, got some great live tracks on myspace.com Have a listen!

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General Description
Artist/Band: Azevedo Silva
Album Title: Clarabóia
Year: 2006

Moody..
 
How I Got Into This Music
It kinda found me.. I got a mail from the artist if I was interested in listening to his demo tracks at myspace and if I wanted to consider writing a review. Ego-wise, I’m guessing about a gazillion bloggers were contacted about this demo, but I kinda like the approach: no multi-billion record company sales machine, just a mail and a profile at myspace. Ok, works for me.
I thought it’d be interesting to change the setup of the review by asking two friends of mine to listen to the three tracks and send me their opinion. So this review is a done by a three man committee (Hmm.. maybe next time, some female opinions?)

The Tracks:

O Início

FrEg
1st impression: if you like this type of music (I got a CD of Billy McLaughlin at home) then it’s okay.
Conclusion: get’s a bit monotonous, more variations would be nice
Hieronymus Fox
Melodic. The guitar is somewhat too loud and that is why is starts getting on my nerves after a couple of times. After some post production, I think it would be a nice tune for a Peter Coyote kind of melancholic road movie.
frenchy!
Love the intro, it’s full of promise. Spacey effects on the background remind me of a track by Ween. Like the whole atmosphere.

Deserto

FrEg
1st impression: Slow, but echo on vocals works for the atmosphere and enhances it too.
Conclusion: needs a more fuller sounding vocals, maybe without the echo?
Hieronymus Fox
This is too depressing for me. Reminds me of the dark side of the Seattle sound. Again I think the guitars is too loud, vocals too low.
frenchy!
Nope, not going anywhere, this song.

Cianeto de Potássio

FrEg
1st impression: More moodiness, like it better than the first track. The vocals could be a bit stronger, since they seem to lose out to the guitar.
Conclusion: Still a bit monotonous.., more variations would be nice
Hieronymus Fox
Whereas this reminds me a little too much of Radiohead this song has potential after some post producion and…. work more on the vocals.
frenchy!
Yep, the grunge thing is in full effect.

Conclusion
FrEg
It’s a demo, so rough takes are okay. Like the themes for the songs but they do need more variation/depth/enhancements.
Hieronymus Fox
First off, I have to be honest in saying this type of music isn’t really my cup of tea. (which is why I asked him — frenchy!)
So that’s why I’m not too thrilled about it all.
frenchy!
Loved the first track, like the style, wondering how the music and the artist will evolve.
Well, there it is.. It’s all very experimental and new for me, this way of reviewing (the layout’s not working for me). I’ve had to edit/cut some comments because they were too long or possible a bit too harsh ;). And I tried to keep in mind that this artist isn’t on the mainstream pop charts earning big bucks and already into his second marriage with another soon-to-be-has-been model wannebe-serious-actress. So maybe soon, this really will happen and I can tell everyone that I reviewed his work before he became famous, heheh..
Seriously, lemme know what you think about the tracks and the review..

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General Description
Artist/Band: The Pharcyde
Album Title: Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
Year: 1992

The title says it all!!
 
How I Got Into This Music
Hmmm.. 1992, do you know how phar back that is?!? Come on, give me a break.. Okayokay.. Round that time I guess I was into De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest and a very faithful viewer of the YO! MTV Raps program. I’m almost sure it was there that I first heard and saw these guys. It’s been almost 15 years (ouch!) but still I got some of those songs in my head. Just the different approach and style was so unbelievably refreshing! It still is fresh if you listen to it in ten years, trust me..

Review at Answers.com || Google Search: Reviews of Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde || Album credits at Artistdirect.com

Tracks that got my attention:
Oh Shit
West Coast mixed with The Bomb Squad? Can’t really describe the sound.. But the vocals and the lyrics - funny and sharp. Wicked sample of either Richard Pryor or Eddie Murphy

It’s Jigaboo Time (Skit)
Jigaboo - excellent skit!

4 Better or 4 Worse
Damn! I remember listening to the lyrics of this track - hilarious, and the phone call.. scary too! Obsessive stalker humor?

I’m That Type of Nigga
Great intro, after that it’s a very typical 90’s chant-along type of song

If I Were President (Skit)
I guess these guys were one of the first to put a piano sound at the foreground, listen to the skits on this album

Soul Flower (Remix)
Still prefer the version they had on the Heavy Rhyme Experience, Volume 1 album of The Brand New Heavies - ohwell, a great groove is a great groove..

On the DL
Wow.. The lyrics.. just the lyrics.. I mean, The Lyrics!! All about stuff you don’t tell to others easily, on the downlow.. It’s been done before, you know? Being bad-ass and all that, but here? It’s different, more intense and with a very different take on Confessional Rap..
His story’s soundin’ sad like the movie Ben
But um, anyway I’m just protectin’ my shit
‘Cause if it wasn’t me he’s killin’ then my moms mighta got it
It’s on the downlow don’t tell nobody I killed him all right?

Officer
Heheh.. This one’s so inside joke material.. The song is a parody of an epic track by Public Enemy called Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. A very, very intense song (check out the link for more).
And these guys? They use it for their slaphappy song about getting caught by the cops for driving without a license. Now, in those times, that was almost blasphemy! Very funny blasphemy

Ya Mama
Read the lyrics, heheh.. Just do it!
Ya moma is so fat (how fat is she?)
Ya mama is so big and fat that she can get busy
with twenty-two burritos, but times are rough
I seen her in the back of Taco Bell with handcuffs

and also:
We drove into the drive-in and she didn’t have to pay
because we dressed her up to look just like a Chevrolet

So, maybe it ain’t your type of humor, but here’s some more info on the dozens (your mama jokes)

Passin’ Me By
Oh, wow.. One of my all-time favorite tracks, seriously.
I like the theme: choosing to let the girl to pass you by or not being able to prevent her from passing you by. Love versus Wisdom. Heart versus Brains. Protecting Yourself From Harm versus Naked Vulnerability. Topics include:

• Puppy love for some teacher
• Semi-fatal attraction
  I’m shootin for her heart, got my finger on the trigger
  She could be my broad, and I could be her (nigga)
• Waiting for her to dump her man
  She was kind of like a star, thinking I was like a fan
• Unrequited love letter
  Now there she goes again, the dopest Ethiopian
  And now the world around me be gets movin in slow motion
  when-ever she happens to walk by - why does the apple of my eye
  overlook and disregard my feelings no matter how much I try?
  
  And if I was your man then I would be true
  The only lying I would do is in the bed with you
  Then I signed sincerely the one who loves you dearly, PS love me tender
  The letter came back three days later: Return to Sender
  Damn!
  

And that’s just the lyrics.. The vocals? The first part seems like almost 15 seconds of rap without a pause to breathe.. The last part by rapper Fatlip is like a scat-singing combo when he starts to write his letter. Un-fucking-believable! Nobody ever used that style in a rap before.. Damn!
Not done yet! HellNo! There’s the music: like I said earlier in my review of Nightmares On Wax, I was totally, mega-crazed about those soft keyboards on the background. Later, much later I found out that it was a sample of Quincy Jones’ rendition of Summer In The City (screw Joe Cocker, Q’s version is almost as good as The Lovin’ Spoonful’s original). Okay.. I’m done.. Where’s my tea?

Otha Fish
Nice band-aid for the heartbreaks of the previous track. Again, that style of rapping was different, a kind of scat-singing.

Quinten’s On His Way
Weird and funny..

Pack The Pipe
A crude yet effective way of discussing one of the biggest social problems of that time: crack cocaine.

Return Of The B-Boy
Heheheh! Delicious!! Great samples (from a track of Prince’s Madhouse Project), loops and hooks. Just love the little tributes to LL Cool J and Kurtis Blow

Conclusion
I knew I would get carried away reviewing this album..
Still one of the most innovative and intelligent (rap) albums of all time: it’s party music, it’s serious music, it’s funny music, some tracks are still fresh. And.. I kinda remembered where I got this album from: thanks Hieronymus Fox!

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