rae aan 2 See November 30, 1994 Buck Shot LeFonque Buck Shot LeFonque cd wit Who the hell........ Is the first thing that came to my mind when I heard the name of this group. Buckshot Lefonque is a group put together by Branford Marsalis, the brother of Wynzron, and leader of the band on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The name is a great cover-up for Branford, since the acid jazz sound of this album could tint his image. The modern version of acid jazz is a mix of hip hop and rap. Unlike most releases to date such as Digable Planets, Us3, Guru, etc., this album has more jazz then rap. Branford experiments with 3 to 4 songs, mixing reggie and soul sounds. He doesn't do a bad job. The rest of the album is a nice smooth mix of jazz and rap. A job well done, but you better not like one style more then the other, because you will be disappointed. If you are open to new sounds and like something laid back and hip, this is it. - Kenny Spittel PUNISHMENT Consolidated Business of Punishment cd London / PolyGram Adam Sherburne, Mark Pistel, and Philip Steir make up this heavy and often grunge sounding band that uses blunt “in-your-face” lyrics to promote social awareness and to protest against the raging injustices in our world. Their approach leaves little to br desired except maybe the eventual changes in the system itself. What better way to enjoy music than by learning something too - songs about equal rights for everyone, abortion, Butyric Acid, being a vegetarian or not, Meat, Meat, Meat, and Meat are all included in this CD. Traditionally, Consolidated encourages the audience to participate in their performance by expressing opinions during an open mic session. Here, radical points of view are expressed and quickly responded to by the band, and the audience themselves. Business of Punishment does not disappoint. It follows in the footsteps of previous ultra-political works by the si - Tammy Coombes Edie Brickell Picture Perfect Morning cd “ MCA You sure can tell Edie Brickell is married to Paul Simon. There’s nothing here that shakes the world, or anything, but Picture Perfect Morning is an okay listen. And Simon’s influence on the former New Bohemian is evident throughout this effort. Melodic, beauteous, and just plain pleasant, perfect background music for any time of the day. My fave track is Green, exploring the jealousy and envy one feels for those on the other side of the fence (i.e. where the grass is a deeper shade of jade, if you know what I mean). Morning is - Jason Kurylo Pulp His ‘N' Hers cD Pulp / Island Unfortunately the quote on the cover of His ‘N’ Hers is the only great thing about this release,everything else is just OK. Here's the quote: “Please deliver us from matching sweatshirts and ‘chicken in the rough,” from evenings sat on couple row admiring the flock, from Sundays spent parading the aisles of meadowhall. We don’t want to live like this. It’s bad for our health. Do something soon or it’s curtains (just as long as they match with the walls and the sofa).” - Tammy Coombes Engine Alley Engine Alley cd Mother / Island A lighthearted CD for those who like to lose themselves in solid drum The Other Press beats and unusual instrumental background sounds (for one song there is an orchestra style addition). These added sounds enhance each song and get ya thinkin’: “Gee, what instrument is that?” Although the first song, Switch, sounded refreshingly like Dream Academy, this band of Dubliners, comprised of 3 guys and a girl, has a style of their own...I really liked half the songs and I thought the others were good too. - Tammy Coombes Sting Fields of Gold: The Best of Sting 1984-1994 cd A&M First off, I'd like to announce that I have long been a fan of a fellow named Sting: In fact, I’ve been a fan since 1980 when I heard a snippet of a single called Fallout by a little known English band called, of all things, The Police. Fronted by a man who used to be called Gordon Sumner, the Police had an urgent energy that they combined wit, intelligence, and a goddamned urge to fucking party. Then came Roxanne, and the rest is synchro- history. Since then, I’ve seen and bought five Police albums, two Police greatest hits packages, five Sting albums, and countless charity albums featuring this Sting fellow. Out of all of them, I have to say, this is the most bloodless, passionless release yet. At risk of upsetting the man, I have to call out to the world: don’t buy this compilation! My reasoning is thus: Sting has released, between his group and solo careers, a total of ten original albums since 1980. The marvel of this man’s work is not the endless stream of popular hits, the #1 throwaways (Fields of Gold, to name one) that capture the pop culture mindset. The incredible thing about Sting’s stuff is the consistency. On any given Sting album, the ‘filler tunes’ usually outshine the singles by far. Although you should, you will never see Contact or Children’s Crusade on a best of disc. Take my advice. If you want to get the best of Sting, buy everything he’s ever done. Every album is at least 50% full of choice tunes. A compilation like this just doesn’t cut it. - Jason Kurylo Milla The Divine Comedy cd EMI Here's the scoop. There's a Sistene-esque painting on the front of this album. It's of a gorgeous naked woman, struggling to free herself from the demons and snakes of the world to grasp the hand of a winged angel. There's a woman singing on this album. She's a gorgeous woman (she's a Russian model named Milla, struggling to free herself from the demons and snakes within the world she lives. With The Divine Comedy, she almost makes it. Unfortunately, the machine is selling her as a 'model/ singer.’ She should get credit where it's due. This is a great album. Watch especially for the track sung entirely in Russian, Jn A Glade. It's a beauteous treat. - Jason Kurylo Dada American Highway Flower cassette IRS/Capitol Omigod! Harmonies! Dada is one of the few new bands I’ve heard in a while that employs decent, old-fashioned, down-home vocal harmonies. American Highway Flower is populated with two types of songs. Type one: Well-written, snappy country- blues rock with great lyrics and superb musicianship. Type two: Dreck. Like many 13-song major-label efforts, Flower runs out of pollen long before the last note fades away. Unlike most, it also boasts six killer tracks. Check out Feet To The Sun, Ask The Dust, and All | Am; these guys are for real. My advice is to buy the disc and program the filler right the fuck out. - Feargal Sharkey Got records if you want ‘em... turn the page for a million more reviews... It's our Birthday! Is it yours? We're celebrating 20 years in New Westminster and want to celebrate with you! If it's your birthday between Nov 30 and Jan 10, we'll buy you a spaghetti dinner. Just bring proof of your birthdate along with this ad anytime between these dates, and your spaghetti dinner is on us! ( 50 - 8th Street, New Westminster, B.C. 524-9788