Jan 31, 2008

Alphabet Soup (16)

Hello, Alphabet Soup day, alas my preferred pc is still out..got that Power supply, a dozen useless superflous cables but the geeks at Coolermaster forgot that most of their clients replace the supply on their older systems..which have a 20 pins motherboard connector. That said, the guy in the shop should have told me i needed a 24/20 connector converter, but he didn't warn me ..very frustrating stuff..

Well Rhotation reached P today and that means Primus...if you havent heard them before here's your chance to make up for that, but beware you might become a fan...Pigeonhed was a side project that seems to be put on ice 10 years ago, which is a pity because they made two great albums and a remix album. It often happens, relieved from the pressure of doing whats expected Fisk and Smith let themselves go in Pigeonhed. The eponymous album still gets a couple of spins every year, which -with my extensive and growing collection- is proof i really dig this album. Placebo has had success from the start and released some memorable singles, yet household names they are not, maybe it's their freaky side, i don't know. Here's their millenium release .

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese ( 91 ^ 99mb)

Primus is all about Les Claypooln not to deny guitarist Larry LaLonde or drummer Tim "Herb" Alexander any credit; no drummer could weave in and around Claypool's convoluted patterns as effortlessly as Alexander, and few guitarists would willingly push the spotlight away. Primus' songs are secondary to showcasing their instrumental prowess. Their music is willfully weird and experimental, yet it's not alienating; the band was able to turn their goofy weirdness into pop stardom. At first, the band was strictly an underground phenomenon, but in the years between their third and fourth albums, their cult grew rapidly. 1991's Sailing the Seas of Cheese went gold shortly before the release of Pork Soda. It had completely redefined the possibilities of the electric bass in rock music for those who'd never heard the group before. Slapping like a funk player, but strumming power chords and finger-tapping like a metal guitar hero, Les Claypool coaxed sounds from his instrument that had rarely if ever been made the focus of a rock band. Claypool's riffs were so full and dominant that they hardly needed to be doubled by guitarist Larry LaLonde, which freed him up on most songs to launch into dissonant, atonal solos that essentially functioned as texture, complementing Claypool's oddly whimsical sense of melody. The combination results in a weird atmosphere that could be transformed into something dark or eerie, but Claypool's thin, nasal voice and demented blue-collar persona place the record firmly in the realm of the cheerfully bizarre. The compositions are mostly riff-driven, fleshing out their heavy metal roots with prog rock tricks added with some of Zappa's sense of humor. However the willful goofiness never detracts from the band's frequently stunning musicianship

By the time of Pork Soda' s 1993 release, Primus had enough devoted fans to make Pork Soda debut in the Top Ten. After touring for a year -- including a headlining spot on Lollapalooza 1993 . In the summer of 1995, Primus released their fifth album, Tales From the Punch Bowl. It was another success, going gold before the end of the year. In the summer of 1996, Primus announced they were parting ways with their drummer, Tim Alexander. He was replaced by Brian "Brain" Mantia, who made his debut on The Brown Album, which was released in the summer of 1997. The covers EP Rhinoplasty followed in 1998, and a year later, Primus returned with Antipop. Antipop was a departure from previous Primus albums, as different producers were used on almost each track. After a supporting tour wrapped up in 2000, Mantia left the band to join Guns N' Roses. In 2003, re-united with Tim "Herb" Alexander, Claypool and LaLonde released the EP "Animals Should Not Try To Act Like People" as well as a DVD compilation featuring all of the bands videos, as well as studio footage and rare performance bootlegs, but shortly afterward announced that Primus was going on indefinite hiatus. During the ensuing break, Claypool focused on recording the debut album by his side project, Oyster Head (who also included Copeland and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio), as well as releasing his two-part solo outing, Live Frogs: Set 1 and Set 2. 2006 saw the band release another DVD; "Blame It On The Fish" featuring a live recording of the band live on their 2003 tour, as well as a greatest hits package "They Can't All Be Zingers: The Best Of Primus". In November 2006 Primus began touring again on the "The Beat A Dead Horse Tour 2006", according to sources, the band plans to return to the studio on completion of the tour and record a new album.



01 - Seas Of Cheese (0:42)
02 - Here Come The Bastards (2:54)
03 - Sgt. Baker (4:16)
04 - American Life (4:32)
05 - Jerry Was A Race Car Driver (3:10)
06 - Eleven (4:19)
07 - Is It Luck ? (3:27)
08 - Grandad's Little Ditty (0:37)
09 - Tommy The Cat (4:15)
10 - Sathington Waltz (1:42)
11 - Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers (5:19)
12 - Fish On (Fisherman Chronicles, Chapter II) (7:45)
13 - Los Bastardos (2:38)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Pigeonhed - Pigeonhed ( 93 99mb)

The Pigeonhed project is the result of a collaboration between two of Seattle's more credified figures: Steve Fisk, a member of Pell-Mell and one of the area's best producers (Nirvana, Beat Happening, Soundgarden, Unwound, Screaming Trees); plus Shawn Smith, the vocalist for Brad and Satchel. It's not surprising that a band on Sub Pop's roster looked to the '70s for musical inspiration, but instead of the one-two Stooges/Sabbath punch of Soundgarden and Nirvana, the recordings of Pigeonhed look to Sly Stone, Al Green and Prince. With a large roster of vintage keyboards, Pigeonhed debuted in 1993 branching way out for influences and sonic textures on this eponymous debut, the pair of highly respected artists put together a detailed and evocative landscape that was praised by critics for its rich material and sweeping yet earthy sound. Smith's exceptionally soulful voice is haunting, rich, and especially effective on standouts like "Her" and "Grace," while Fisk's compositional and production chops are shown off nicely on the retro funk of "Lovely Lines" and the more modern electronic trip, "Theme From Pigeonhed." A spectacular debut from two of the Pacific Northwest's most committed artists, Pigeonhed plays like a neo-R&B joyride filtered through Pink Floyd-esque mood swings and some genuinely alternative electronics.

Four years later, the pair reunited for The Full Sentence this time combining drum machines with live drums and percussion, heavy guitar riffs (courtesy of some of Seattle's finest) and analog synth sounds of every color to anchor this remarkably consistent collection of songs. Often reminiscent of Prince's early work, this album is at is best when Smith is on target, a gospel and rock inflected throwback to the funk of yesteryear. they follewed that up with a remixalbum "Flash Bulb Emergency Overflow Cavalcade of Remixes" . Many of the alternate versions -- culled from Pigeonhed's release from the same year, The Full Sentence -- out-funk their predecessors with nifty dancefloor arrangements and well-utilized sonic bells and whistles. Highlights include the Lo Fidelity Allstars' treatment of the famous "Battle Flag," a track that LFA took to the heights of alt-radio success when they released a rendition of the song on their Columbia debut. Two versions of "Marry Me" also stand out, the space funk "Fisk-Goodmanson Prenuptial Trash Heap" remix and "Dave Ruffy's Blissed out Ambient Mix"
Since, no news from Pigeonhed as Fisk and Smith concentrate on other projects.



01 - Theme From Pigeonhed (3:31)
02 - Ain't It So (6:29)
03 - Special Way (3:22)
04 - Her (4:22)
05 - Lovely Lines (3:30)
06 - Cadillac (6:29)
07 - Trial By Sex (4:41)
08 - Salomé (7:10)
09 - Brothers (7:34)
10 - Buzz (5:51)
11 - Grace (2:42)

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Placebo - Black Market Music (00 ^ 99mb)

Placebo was formed by singer/guitarist Brian Molko (part Scottish and American, but raised in Britain) and bassist Stefan Olsdal (originally from Sweden). Briefly called Ashtray Heart and influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, the Pixies, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana, Placebo's drum slot was filled alternately early on by Robert Schultzberg and Steve Hewitt. Placebo signed a recording contract with Caroline Records, which had issued the trio's self-titled debut in 1996. The album was a surprise hit in the U.K., as the group became the toast of the British music weeklies and supported their debut with opening for such outfits as a the reunited Sex Pistols, U2, and Weezer.

Despite their flying start, Schultzberg wasn't seeing eye to eye with the other bandmembers, who by this point were able to convince Hewitt to come back onboard full-time, prompting Schultzberg's exit from the band. Placebo switched over to the major-label division of Caroline, Virgin Records, and issued Without You I'm Nothing in November. The album was another large seller in England and initially appeared to be the group's breakthrough in the U.S. Placebo's third release, Black Market Music added hip-hop and disco elements to the band's tense rock sound. It finds Molko in such moody lust that his strangled, androgynous wailing rivals anything the band has previously flashed to the world. Whether it's the dripping, slithery punk circle of songs like "Black Eyed" or the choir-boy enthusiasm of others like "Special K" , they seem to have finally found that sweet wet spot between beauty and perversion.

In spring 2003, Placebo showcased a harder edge with the release of their fourth album, Sleeping with Ghosts. The album went Top Ten in the U.K. and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Australian tour dates with Elbow and U.K. shows with Har Mar Superstar followed in 2004. Placebo's singles collection, Once More with Feeling: Singles 1996-2004, was released before the year's end. Dimitri Tikovoi, who mixed select songs on Once More with Feeling, produced Placebo's fifth effort, 2006's Meds.



01 - Taste In Men (4:15)
02 - Days Before You Came (2:33)
03 - Special K (3:52)
04 - Spite & Malice (3:37)
05 - Passive Aggressive (5:24)
06 - Black-Eyed (3:48)
07 - Blue American (3:31)
08 - Slave To The Wage (4:06)
09 - Commercial For Levi (2:20)
10 - Haemoglobin (3:46)
11 - Narcoleptic (4:22)
12 - Peeping Tom (5:13)
13 - Black Market Blood (3:47)
--Xs-K special
14 - Dub Psychosis (3:39)
15 - Passive Agressive (Brothers In Rhythm Remix) (9:07)
16 - Special K (Timo Maas Remix) (7:32)
17 - Little Mo (3:03)
18 - Slave To The Wage (I Can't Believe It's A Remix) (3:31)

**** ***** ***** ***** *****

All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here

1 comment:

  1. Primus is a excellent band-thank you for the post--(seen them about 1997 headlining Lalapalooza )
    Had this on a well used cassette for years..

    ReplyDelete