Big Star: #1 Record/Radio City reissue CD review (Shockhound)

(5 out of 5)
The two albums that Big Star released in the early ’70s have attained a mythical quality that borders on the talismanic; virtually every alternative pop band of the last 30 years – from R.E.M. to Wilco – has drawn influence both musical and philosophical from these discs. It probably didn’t hurt that, for years, #1 RECORD and RADIO CITY were impossible to find, given the collective yawn of indifference that greeted their initial release in 1972 and 1974. Though the albums were reissued during a renaissance of interest in the group in the early ’90s, the middling sound quality of those CD versions neutered Big Star’s soaring and muscular power-pop. But with this remastered collection, these two albums are finally widely available in a form that does them justice. The full strength of crunchy anthems like “In the Street” (yes, the song from THAT 70S SHOW) and “She’s A Mover” finally come across like soulful, full-bodied rock songs, and the group’s more ethereal and gentle moments – “Morpha Too,” “Thirteen” – glisten with an expansive and elegant sheen. Even longtime aficionados of Big Star will find new things to love in signature songs like “September Gurls” and “What’s Going Ahn.” Sadly, the bonus cuts here – two single mixes – are possibly the least interesting of all the band’s unreleased material, but such a minor quibble does nothing to detract from the strength of the absolutely essential material on the rest of the set.

First appeared June 16, 2009 at Shockhound.com.

Major Lazer: Guns Don’t Kill People … Lazers Do CD review (Shockhound)

(4 out of 5)

Between the presence of Prince Zimboo and the whole zombie-war mythology constructed around this Major Lazer character, it would be pretty easy to assume that GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE…LAZERS DO is nothing more than a bunch of punchline-filled joke-hop. It is not. Although it’s far from being a serious academic exercise, there’s nothing about this mad scientist project that reeks of casual stupidity or silliness…okay, maybe a little bit — but the Prince Zimboo skit (“Baby”) featuring a mewling infant born from Auto-Tune is sure to crack a smile on even the most studious listener. The other dozen cuts here find Diplo and Switch, two of the most exciting and unrestrained producers making beats today, projecting an astounding sense of assured innovation. With the same globalist, post-hip hop mindset that they’ve applied to their work with Santigold and M.I.A., Diplo and Switch refract dancehall, reggae and bashment styles through a postmodern prism that’s noisy, bass-heavy and unapologetically digitized. Yet a rootsy and raw vibe permeates all the cuts here, from the lovers rock groove of “Can’t Stop Now” and the toasty, electro minimalism of “What U Like” (which features lyrics that would make Peaches blush) to the surf-twang-dancehall of “Hold the Line” (with Santigold and Mr. Lexx) and the relentlessly percussive and pitch-shifted batucada funk of “Pon de Floor.” Why on earth Diplo and Switch felt it necessary to disguise such awesomeness with a ridiculous, fictional bacsktory is a mystery, but forget about the zombies; the futuristic funk and rough-and-ready rhymes here are more than enough to keep your attention.

First appeared June 16, 2009 at Shockhound.com.