December 16, 2003
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2 Many DJ's As Heard on Radio Soulwax pt. 7
various artists
label:: WaxedHead RecordingsVolume 7 of the hang all dj's took me longer to get into than other volumes. Partly this was due to the fact that volume 7 incorporates the mix they did for Paris boutique Colette as CD2 of the compilation 'Colette No. 4' (which I had already). Partly it was due to the many hiphop tracks on volume 7.
With repeated listenings, I have come to treasure this disc as much as others in the series. Nothing here for me to complain about: another great disc from the brothers Soulwax.
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October Country
title:: October Country
label:: Rev-OlaOctober Country - a song, an album, or a band? Well, indeed, it was all three of these - and much, much more. October Country were a group - a folk rock group out of LA in the mid 1960s, who were taken under the wing of young wunderkind Michael Lloyd, who was a producer and songwriter by the age of 13, and worked with the band that would become October Country when he was 16 and 17.
The group recorded their full length album and 3 singles under the production and with the compositions of Michael Lloyd, in what would become a string of wonderful Beatles/Beach Boys inspired folk rock and pop rock albums. This work on Lloyd's part led up to and included the album by The Smoke (not the UK band) and the music for the Cattanooga Cats. Up until this Rev-Ola reissue, October Country's orchestrated harmony pop music was nearly impossible to find, except to collector's and cd-r traders. Thanks to Rev-Ola, October Country's recordings have been given a wonderful reissue treatment, and in fact the album has never sounded better.
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Them
title:: Belfast Gypsies
label:: Rev-OlaGarage rock is an ugly beast which rears its head every so often even at times when it is unwanted. 1967 was a dull time for garage rock, and yet the Belfast Gypsies put out a sneering, garage rock platter of an lp, and because of the changing times, were considered has-beens.
Kim Fowley discovered the Belfast Gypsies from the remnants of Van Morrison's group Them. Upon the birth of Van Morrison's solo career, Them split into two different groups - Them bass player, Alan Henderson took the group's name to the U.S. and released some psychedelic albums. The other off-shoot of Them, was re-christened the Belfast Gypsies, and included Them's organist Jackie McAuley and his brother, Pat, on drums. But given time, Them Belfast Gypsies has indeed become known as a garage rock classic, inspiring everyone from The Modern Lovers to Iggy Pop (who claimed the Belfast Gypsies' Secret Police was one of his favorite garage rock singles), and thanks to reissue label of the year Rev-Ola, Them Belfast Gypsies has been finally reissued on cd.
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Undisputed Truth
title:: Smiling Faces: The Best of Undisputed Truth
label:: MotownUndisputed Truth are the music equivalents of 'fake out' street rods. The cover of this CD looks like a 60s soul 'golden oldies' comp, and the label is even Motown Records. To top it off, the band was formed by Norman Whitfield, who also formed The Temptations.
But Undisputed Truth are much sharper and controversial than first impressions would lead you to believe. Hidden under the hood is the dissension of radical social reform, blended into incredible early 70s songs.
