February 6, 1996

Washing Machine Sontc Youth

Influential is an understatement when used in conjunction with Sonic Youth. Just listen to all the noise pop bands and you will hear something of Sonic Youth in all of them. However, with the release of their last album, Experimental Jetset Trash and No Star, The Youth seemed to be becoming a subtle mockery of their own underground standing.

Ever since 1988’s Daydream Nation and 1990" 's Goo, when the band signed with David Geffen’s label, the band has been growing

more musical and even tuneful. However, with that came the”

accusations of a sell out. Sometimes, in interviews, the Youth Seemed to be fishing for indie attitude. Experimental Jetset Trash, withthe exception of the track ‘Bull in the Heather’ was a weak effort. at trying to regain some of the fire and anger from the early and‘mid 80s. The youth seemed to have split into twin oppdsites, musical and experimental. Fortunately, Washing Machine succeeds: beautifully. *

Washing Machine is the synthesis of the:t two Sonic. Youths: The album washes cleanly between noise and melody, providing- sublime moments of listening. If Yoda were a music critic he might just say that on this album there is no trying—only doing.

Listening to a track like the epic ‘Diamond Sea’ (almost twenty ~~ ;

minutes) gives the listener the impression that the days touring with

Neil Young were not lost on Thurston Moore. The subtle melody

hypnotises you and draws you into the drugged—out imagery of the. lyrics. The noisy sections of the song aren’t just loud and repetitive (like on the end of ‘Moot’ from Goo), they are dynamic and flowing.

Other stand up tracks are the title track, ‘Becuz,’ Lee Renaldo’s~ * and Kim Gordon’s ‘Little Trouble Girl," with-The .

‘Saucer—Like, Breeder’s Kim Deal doing.a beautiful job on back-up: v: song is like an early sixties pop song (a la the Shangra L it is darker and een

~ A frien 1¢ Said something that he never say about a And it is true, the mid section of the title track hooks you.in. ike a: dazed fish. Sonic Youth have come a long way since the early: days of Confusion is Sex, they don’t need to prove that-they are still underground—if they keep doing music the way they. want to, they will be the definition of it. by Byrun Stedmann

‘onic Youth album, that Washing Machine is y.

roa pe

Cherdle Jardine Born Naked Trak

Born Naked, recorded at Bullfrog Studios in Vancouver, allows this up-and-coming female vocalist shows off her talents. Cherelle Jardine sounds soulful in most of her songs, although in ‘Gotta Get This Call Thru’ there wasn’t much feeling in her voice for such a desperate type of song. As well the synthesizers in this music seemed to be played experimentally (that’s how much they didn’t belong).

The music combines acoustic and electric guitars for a sound like Blue Rodeo. Sorry, it’s still not as good as them. Mostly the CD contain soft rock material although ‘Ain’t It Amazin” was a more upbeat tune. “Introduced To Love’ was also:upbeat and reminded me of “Fhe.Sweater,’ an alternative song from.a couple years. .

If you like the Barenaked Ladies or Elton John, a.couple of the songs may Satisfy eu just: remember ihey are wong by a woman who breathes. soul. be

Her voice is Fall pretty 2 jad strong. ‘Her voice really’s suites ‘country music. I formed thig opinion after hearing “Don’t Wanna Go

To Work,’ which is a country:Song guest anne the: voices of the -

-Titans men’s fastball. team. ae

There are two songs, ‘Wanna Be With You" iid ‘Emily,’ —the

longest song on the CD, at over -five minutes—where Cherelle is

“especially good, with her singing full of sadness and feeling, as well as being very mmigieally sound. She’s not bad.”

A fiend of mine once said,

have a question and ag My question: Ate E

to be punk? : My statement: ‘Regardless of the answer to the just-

‘mentioned query, I am rather confident in saying, if punk is simply a name for bad rock and roll then Picasso Trigger is the quintessential -

punk band. z by Jason Kurylo Cathedral ©. The. Carntyal Bizarre Columbia 3

Secret Devil signs all around! Metal is dead, you say? Wrong.

Dead Wrong. One listen to the fury of the latest opus from Britain’s

Cathedral is the proof in the pocaitg that metal i is a beast that refuses

‘to die.

Following in the charred suiateking footprints, of the mighty

- Sabbath and the immortal’ Witchfinder General, Cathedral, along ~.with fellow grinders Trouble, St:-Vitus and Monster Magnet are at ». the-forefront of.a movement intent upon revitalizing and re- engineering a genre that has been choked for too long with the bile

thatis Poison and Warrant. Their bottom-heavy, low-énd sound fused

: with elements of death, disco and doom has been critically acclaimed : as One of the most original and important sounds in heavy metal.

The Carnival Bizarre is the latest in a long line of creative, if

“not commercial successes for Cathedral, who burst upon the scene “several years back with The Forest of Equilibrium on-Earache.

Followed by the Soul Sacrifice EP, the more widely acclaimed The Ethereal Mirror on Columbia—which gained the band greater exposure—and their final effort for Columbia, Cosmic Requiem, all

of which are considered ground-breaking material by fans and peers alike.

Their current lineup, lead by—founder and ex—Napalm Death vocalist— Lee Dorrian, guitarist Gary “Gazz” Jennings, bassist Leo Smee and drummer Brian Dixon. They show no signs of having tapped the creative well dry yet as they return in full force with what will doubtless cement another chapter of excellence in their already formidable catalogue.

From the moment the trepidatious listener first gazes upon the haunting, psycho-delic cover art to the moment their senses are assailed by the opening chords, they know that they are about to take a journey into a realm of tripped—out doom and gloom where

Ringmaster Dorrian and Co. Reign supreme.

Travelling along with the black-cowled ones, you are awed as Dorrian growls his way through mindscapes of grindcore hell, carried by the weight of Jenning’s and Smee’s axework, and the cerebral percussion—work of Dixon. Fave tracks include turgid sloth—-rocker “Utopian Blaster,’ a molten slab of blackest blight which features none other than Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, the Grandfather of the form on guitar, the title track which moves at an energetic pace broken up by moments of extreme intensity, ‘Blue Light,’ a rare moment of sensitivity from Dorrian who shows his vocal versatility, and the trademark doom epic ‘Fangalactic Supergoria.’

An acquired taste to say the least, Cathedral at this point in their career, can do no wrong. So for those of you who are tired of the endless Vedderish whinings of the “alternative generation”, who want something new, vital and energized; prepare to enter the nighted

realm that is Cathedral’s Carnival Bizarre.

by Ciaran Meeks

et Charlotte: Holst ;

“Punk is $ just the legitimization s

The Darkest Of The Hillstde Thickets Cthilu Strikes Back [ILM?]

* Just imagine for a moment, if you will, that Luke Skywalker decided that he didn’t want to lead a rag-tag group of rebels in a suicide mission against the Empire’s weapon of ultimate destruction, but rather was going to learn how to play guitar and form a really cool band. Chances are the results wouldn’t be completely unlike The Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets’ latest album, Cthulu Strikes Back.

The Darkest Of The Hillside Thickets are a Chilliwack band

~ who perform songs almost completely based upon the writings of

Nineteenth-century science fiction writer H.P. Lovecraft. It’s an album full of driving, energetic—if occasionally repetitive—songs, with titles such as ‘Rock Lords’ and ‘Worship Me Like A God.’ You can even play Name That Sample, as the album is peppered with little soundbites from Star Wars, The Simpsons and so on.

__©_ My song of choice has to be ‘Burrow Your Way To My Heart’

hen-you were a little girl you were stung by a wasp/And the skin ‘on: | your arm puffed up and went red/Yet you so loved that wasp and lof his brothers that you/Brought the whole damn angry hive right into your bed.”) Such pathos. Such drama. I may weep openly.

Not only is this a fun little album to listen to, but the record sleeve is also pretty amusing, complete with lyrics and explanations for all the songs (“Everyone desires to be worshipped like a god at some point in time, We’re just very outspoken about it. Worship us!”) There’s even required reading.

Recently I had the pleasure of seeing the lads play live at The Mighty Niagara. They dress up as their favourite science fiction characters; the bass player, for example, was dressed up as an X- Wing pilot. In no time the crowd was on its feet, bouncing about on the tightly-packed dance floor. Perhaps the most impressive song of the night was their one cover song, which was a decidedly up-beat version of The Police’s “Walking On The Moon.” Way cool.

Admittedly, science-fiction/fantasy punk rock might not be for everybody. However, if you’re the kind of person who takes your fantasy a little more seriously than most people, and have plans to tule the universe, then this is the band for you. If nothing else, it will help take your mind off things after a hard day ruling the galaxy. May the force be with you.

by Sean P. Veley

Nightmares On Wax Smoker's Delight Warp

‘I love it when you get something you can genuinely call “cool—ass.”

Smoker s Delight is just that: the perfect album for those about to spark. It’s also kicks for those of us intrigued by the infectious bass-driven beat-heavy rap trax, but alienated by the mindless talentless drones on the mic.

The emphasis here is on sound, not loud. Nightmares On Wax is what contemporary rhythm and blues could and should be, if you got rid of all the pompous shitheads and the am-radio scholck whores.

Of course, nothing is perfect; there’s maybe one or two yawners here. But overall, a pleasant surprise in its content and consistency.

by Jason Kurylo

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