August 31, 2024

Bomb Threat - Bomb Threat (1995)

By 
*This is a digital download purchased from Bandcamp. 
Originally released in 1995 on cassette tape only.
It was officially released on LP, CD & as a digital download 
for the first time in 2024 by 90's Tapes. 
Contains 9 tracks total

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: None

© 1995-2024 90's Tapes
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.


tags: bomb threat, bomb threat album, 1995, 2024, flac,
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Various Artists - Even More Dazed & Confused (Music From The Motion Picture) (1993)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: 9 24588-2

© 1993 Medicine Label
Even More Dazed & Confused is a collection of songs that are in the same spirit of the Dazed and Confused soundtrack. A couple of the selections were used in the film, but they were buried underneath the dialogue. For the most part, the songs included on the album have nothing to do with the movie itself, yet they faithfully replicate the feeling of the film and its soundtrack.

 tags: various artists, even more dazed and confused, music from the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 1993, flac,
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Various Artists - The Craft: Music From The Motion Picture (1996)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Post Grunge, Pop Rock
Label Number: CK 67626

© 1996 Columbia
The soundtrack to The Craft, a film about a coven of teenage witches, is the standard mid-'90s pop soundtrack. It features a number of alternative bands, from the good (Elastica, Matthew Sweet) to the undistinguished (Tripping Daisy), contributing rarities and covers. There are a few good tracks on the collection, but The Craft soundtrack is pretty bad, ranging from the dull to the downright awful. And out of all the mediocre music on the album, Love Spit Love's utterly clueless cover of the Smiths' "How Soon Is Now" ranks as the worst track by far, which is quite an accomplishment in itself.

 tags: various artists, the craft, music from the motion picture, 1996, soundtrack, ost, flac,
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Various Artists - Twilight Chapitre 2 - Tentation (Musique Originale Du Film) (2009)

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*This is the French pressing. 
Contains 16 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Film Score
Label Number: 7567895629

© 2009 Summit/Chop Shop/Atlantic
After Twilight became a world-wide hit, the film series based on Stephenie Meyer's series of vampire romance books got a major upgrade. More time, effort, and money were poured into the second film, New Moon, and nowhere is this clearer than the film's soundtrack. New Moon's music is darker, more sophisticated, and much more indie-friendly than its predecessor's soundtrack, and features more of the artists Meyer credits for inspiring her writing. One is Muse, whose "I Belong to You (New Moon Remix)" is so dramatic that it's easy to hear how the band inspired Meyer's angst-filled love triangle between the clumsy yet somehow irresistible Bella Swan, her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen and her best friend (and werewolf) Jacob Black. Meyer also cites Radiohead as a big influence, and Thom Yorke's previously unreleased "Hearing Damage" is New Moon's main attraction. Drifting in on buzzing synth bass, the song builds to luminous, ghostly heights that make it one of the album's highlights. However, it's not the only one: Death Cab for Cutie's "Meet Me on the Equinox" is more brooding and rock-tinged than the band's usual approach, but it fits in beautifully with New Moon's sullen mood, while the close harmonies and piano on the Killers' "White Demon Love Song" inject some much-needed drama. Indeed, despite the fact that this soundtrack is more musically satisfying, and certainly more star-studded than the first film's, Twilight felt more like the world Meyer created in her books -- melodramatic, earnest, definitely not reeking of indie rock cool. Even if nothing here nails that vibe the way that Paramore's "Decode" did, Lykke Li's "Possibility" and Anya Marina's "Satellite Heart" still offer winsome indie folk backgrounds for Bella's moping. Despite a few upbeat moments that stick out like a thumb that isn't sore, songs like Grizzly Bear and Victoria Legrand's "Slow Life," Editors' "No Sound But the Wind," and Bon Iver and St. Vincent's lovely, truly odd "Roslyn" are morose enough for die-hard Twilight fans and stylish enough to please the most discerning music snobs.

tags: various artists, twilight chapter 2 new moon, original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 2009, flac,

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August 25, 2024

Silk - Tonight (1999)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: R&B
Label Number: 62234-2

© 1999 Elektra
There's a saying that most pop music is about romance, so it's logical that a good portion is also about sex. If you listen to Silk, however, it would be fair to say that 95 to 100 percent of their music is about sex. Ever since their debut, Lose Control, they have showed little inclination to sing about anything other than sex, coming on like disciples of early R. Kelly, crossed with a bit of Barry White and Boyz II Men. Through three albums, they haven't changed their modus operandi one bit, which makes Tonight a little predictable. If you're at all familiar with the previous two records, you know what to expect lyrically and musically from every track on the record, and chances are, you won't be too disappointed by this slightly over-produced, ballad-heavy set. The uninitiated may find the constant sex talk a little ridiculous and monotonous, but they'll likely groove on Darrell "Delite" Allamby's production, which updates classic '70s soul and funk. It can be a little glossy and glib, as well as a little lightweight in the songwriting department, but that Allamby production makes Tonight fairly effective romantic mood music -- even with Silk's vocal histrionics.

 tags: silk, tonight, 1999, flac,
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August 24, 2024

The Lemonheads - Lovey (1990)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: 7 82137-2

© 1990 Atlantic Records
Moving to a major label didn't affect the Lemonheads' sound as much as the departure of Ben Deily; without him, Evan Dando was free to let his sensitive side run wild, which is exactly what he does on Lovey. Dando never completely abandons punk-pop on Lovey, but he does balance it with excursions into jangle pop and country-rock, some of his best songwriting to date. By now, he has begun to develop a signature voice, a distinctly suburban and middle-class voice that embraces the mundane details of everyday life. That gives songs like "Stove" and "Lil' Seed" an off-kilter sensibility, which is made all the more appealing by his gift for simple hooks. Even though Dando has made significant strides forward, the most affecting moment on the record remains his stark and very pretty cover of Gram Parsons' "Brass Buttons."

 tags: the lemonheads, lovely, 1990, flac,
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Bakers Pink - Bakers Pink (1993)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: EK 48799

© 1993 Epic
Named after a shade of pink that was once used in asylums until it was discovered that it aggravated the patients' mental illnesses, Bakers Pink's one and only major-label album is a textbook example of the kind of rock music that labels were banking on before grunge came along. Offering hooks that revolved around wah-heavy funk guitar and groovy beats, the band fit nicely into the alternative metal scene that was quietly forming in the wake of Jane's Addiction. Bakers Pink's biggest drawback is how derivative the band sounded, rarely coming off as original. This is most apparent on its hard rock tracks, which alternate between funky rave-ups à la Mother Love Bone or spiritually motivated metal straight out of the Cult's songbook. Luckily, the band has a penchant for hypnotic and slightly psychedelic slow songs, resulting in some excellent mid-tempo material. "Untouched" shuffles along with a gently strummed guitar and eventually turns into a rootsy jam, while "Lonely, Lonely, Lonely" is a soulful stab at Drifters-style R&B. They tend to focus on this aspect of their sound a third of the time, inviting the listener to wonder what they might have made of themselves with a few albums to work with. But as it stands, this debut is typical of the era, offering a mixed bag of forgettable rockers and interesting psychedelic rock that never quite gels despite some really great songs strewn throughout.

 tags: bakers pink, bakers pink album, 1993, flac,
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The Verve Pipe - The Verve Pipe (Promo CD) (1999)

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*This is a promotional disc not intended for consumer sale. 
Contains 12 tracks total.
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Label Number: 07863 67644-2

© 1999 RCA Records
Here's more radio-friendly grunge-tinged power pop from the Verve Pipe. The single "Hero" is infectious, but much of the rest of the first half of the CD is generic and repetitive "alternative" rock. The disc starts getting interesting with the sultry "Kiss Me Idle," then builds to the crescendo of "La La," which as the the title would suggest, becomes a sing-along.

 tags: the verve pipe, the verve pipe album, promo, 1999, flac,
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August 22, 2024

The Front - The Front (1989)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hard Rock
Label Number: CK 45260

© 1989 Columbia
Blessed with a shock of dark wavy hair and the ability to ape Jim Morrison, singer Michael Anthony Franano probably thought he was on the fast track to Cult-like stardom when he and the Front bolted into the national spotlight. CBS Records seemed to share that opinion and the Kansas City band's first single "Fire" from this eponymous debut received a sizable radio and MTV push. There was just one problem. Franano's songwriting bore no resemblance to the objects of his reflection and the "fire" he and his band were hoping to ignite ended up more like a bright but brief spark. The Front's supporting musicians delivered performances that bore no more of a resemblance to the Doors (or the Cult, or any capable group) than did Franano's songwriting. Guitarist Mike Greene, Bassist Randy Jordan, Keyboardist Bobby Franano and one-named drummer Shane packed a limp commercial-rock punch essentially void of subtlety and invention. Released in 1989, this derivative debut from the Front is just about as prosaic as rock music can get.

 tags: the front, the front album, 1989, flac,
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The Whooliganz - Put Your Handz Up (Promo CD Single) (1993)

By 
*This is a promotional maxi-single not intended for consumer sale.
Contains 5 tracks total.
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: TBCD 579

© 1993 Tommy Boy
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

* Due to past abuse, comments for the Hip-Hop section have been disabled.


tags: the whooliganz, put your handz up, promo, maxi single, hands, 1993, flac, 
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Accept - Humanoid (2024)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: Germany
Language: English
Genre: Heavy Metal
Label Number: NPR1213DGS

© 2024 Napalm Records
The 17th album by the unstoppable Germanic horde known as Accept is upon us and resistance is brutile. After the enjoyable machinations of 2021s Too Mean to Die, those who keep their balls to the wall opted to stick with the same basic formula. Their three-guitarist wall of sound is back along with no-longer-so-new frontman Mark Tornillo, and Accept find themselves in a late-career groove, very aware of who they are and what they want to be. And that means Accept continue to drift closer and closer to AC/DC territory as their core metal sound drills down further into hard rock idioms. This is still metal to be sure, but the hard rock hooks and overall simplicity of design are increasingly the key feature. Founding guitarist Wolf Hoffman continues to find inspiration in classical music but adroitly dumbs it down for thugs, goons, and mouth breathers, of which I am proudly one. If you loved Accept in the 80s or 90s or just over the past few years, you’ll recognize and appreciate the shit they’re throwing at the barroom walls here.

With hooks and balls the essential ingredient, opening mission statement “Diving into Sin” is like a slap upside the head from an old friend. It’s a rugged, dirty anthem with grit and attitude powered by beefy riffs from the axe triad that provides the foundation for Mark Tornillo’s raspy screeching, which sounds more and more like Brian Johnson on an ugly bender (that’s a good thing). Hoffman’s interesting guitar flourishes add an extra dimension to the hooliganism and everything feels tight and right. The punch-drunk rampage continues on the burly title track, which also benefits from slick guitar work, and the band elevates their game for the more epic-sized might of “Frankenstein.” This one is pumped full of machismo and a ne’er-do-well 80s verve and its forceful riffage and Tornillo’s constant exhortations that “I’m alive!” make me want to fight a mob of angry, torch-bearing villagers for the title of King of Windmills.

Also rock solid is the charming ode to toxic masculinity called “Man Up,” which will send the sensitive types scrambling for safe spaces as Tornillo implores you to hang tough through life’s rough patches. Move this one to your leg day playlist and suck it up, buttercup! “The Reckoning” is a primo example of why Accept have endured so long, riding waves of riff mania roughshod over your feeble defenses and making tales of destruction and doom sound exciting and fun. Hoffman and company cram an ass-ton of guitar pimpage into the song and it feels hard, lean, and hungry. “Nobody Gets Out Alive” is an uber-catchy rocker that sticks immediately, and to bring themselves in closer alignment with AC/DC, there’s a tribute to hard drinking called “Straight Up Jack.” There are no throwaway pieces and every track has its cool, catchy bits, with moody power ballad “Ravages of Time” offering some maudlin but effective pathos. At a reasonable 48 minutes with almost every song in the 4-minute window, Humanoid goes down like fine hobo wine and requires no chaser.

The biggest positive comes from what the three-headed guitar monster cooks up. Though the songs themselves are direct, no-nonsense rockers, Hoffman, Uwe Lulis, and young gun Philip Shouse dazzle with slick, enthusiastic leads and harmonies as Hoffman infuses the tumult with his love of classical music without ever coming down with Yngwie Madness. Hoffman excels at decorating these filthy cuts with a hint of classical grandeur and then retreating back to knuckle-dragging before things get too posh for comfort. Amid the 18-string maelstrom, Mark Tornillo stands strong, his whiskey and cigarette-seasoned vocal cords hard as nails and keeping things fugly and pugnacious. He makes the most of the rare opportunity to explore a “softer” side on “Ravages of Time,” but the rest of the album is all razor blades and axle grease.

Humanoid is another successful chapter in the second stage of Accept’s eternal crusade to build you a functional Metal Heart. It’s better and more consistent than Too Mean to Die, with their bare-bones style polished and improved upon. The writing is tight and the band sounds young, dumb, and full of…rum. I’ll take as many of these consistently hooky platters as these coots can crank out between now and the final reckoning. Hail, Hail Germania.

 tags: accept, humanoid, 2024, flac,
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August 20, 2024

Various Artists - Amateur Soundtrack - A Film By Hal Hartley (1994)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Film Score
Label Number: 92500-2

© 1994 Matador/Atlantic Records
Hal Hartley's film Amateur was given one of the most effective soundtrack albums of the 1990s. Instead of relying on shoddy leftovers from contemporary hitmakers, Amateur features songs from some of the early-'90s best alternative albums: "Only Shallow" by My Bloody Valentine (from Loveless), "Girls! Girls! Girls!" by Liz Phair (from Exile in Guyville), "Here" by Pavement (from Slanted & Enchanted), and "Water" by PJ Harvey (from Dry). It also includes great tracks by Red House Painters ("Japanese to English") and the Jesus Lizard ("Then Comes Dudley"). In addition to these great previously released songs is the superb score, reminiscent of Brian Eno's Music for Films and co-written by Hartley (under the pseudonym Ned Rifle) and Jeffrey Taylor.

 tags: various artists, amateur soundtrack, a film by hal hartley, ost, 1994, flac,
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Various Artists - SLC Punk: Original Soundtrack (1999) ☠

By , No comments
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Punk Rock, Garage Rock, New Wave
Label Number: HR-62178-2

☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1999 Hollywood Records
SLC Punk was a movie that concerned a punk scene in Salt Lake City, UT, so it would make sense to have the soundtrack filled with a whole bunch of punk bands. Of course some big names are scraped up, like the Exploited, Fear, the Stooges, the Ramones and the Dead Kennedys to contribute some of their "hits," but whoever had the idea to include a dance track courtesy of Moondogg wasn't thinking with a clear head. Aside from the Suicide Machines' contribution of "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden," which incorporates a violin orchestra with their brand of upbeat ska-punk, all of this material has been previously released. It's at least interesting to see the Velvet Underground and the Exploited included on one record together.

 tags: various artists, slc punk, original soundtrack, ost, 1999, flac,
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Various Artists - Almost Famous: Music From The Motion Picture (2000) ☠

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Rock, Hard Rock, Pop Rock
Label Number: 0044-50279-2

☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 2000 DreamWorks Records
Although it's been pronounced dead more often than Mark Twain, the life expectancy of rock & roll was surely looking faint at the end of the '60s. Few people realize that it wasn't all bad. As Almost Famous' central character slowly realizes, it's much less important what history may mean to music journalists 30 years from now than what it means to actually experience it right then and there. Maybe it was a hard lesson to learn. Because while the counterculture and its music started to become everything it hated (and too soon before punk came to remind everybody what the revolution was really about) rock's "lurch" still promised much for those that paid attention.

Indeed, it would take a concentrated effort to ignore this soundtrack's refreshing outlook. Simon & Garfunkel and the Who are pitted right against Yes and Elton John. The Beach Boys against Cat Stevens. There's a sense of heady nostalgia here -- but one more deliberately adolescent and tender than the schlock-infested oldies radio station trends of most soundtracks of this ilk. The Seeds are represented by one of their most psychedelic pop gems ("Mr. Farmer") while Thunderclap Newman sounds almost prophetic with their playfully carny-piano mini-marathon ("Something in the Air"). Even the two new fictionalized compositions both manage to evoke the feeling of a waning era with just the right amount of reminiscence.

This is surely not a definitive collection of post-'60s music and it's proud not to be. Like all great soundtracks, the one for Almost Famous works both as an instant reminder of the film's highs as well as a personal, startling perspective into the very "last gasps" of rock & roll. And like all great soundtracks, music journalists will probably hate it.

 tags: various artists, almost famous, music from the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 2000, flac,
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Various Artists - Mallrats: Music From The Motion Picture (1995) ☠

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Post Grunge
Label Number: FTD-11294

☠: Selected by Lass
© 1995 MCA Soundtracks/(510) Records
Not only was Mallrats a miserable second movie from Kevin Smith, the director of wildly funny Clerks, but the soundtrack to the film is a wretched collection of alternative by-the-numbers. With the notable exception of Elastica's sinewy, wiry "Line Up," the soundtrack coasts by without any energy, serving up a large number of faceless grunge and funk metal bands. The record is filled with macho music without any muscle, spiked by snippets of inane dialogue, which only confirms what a depressing, disappointing experience Mallrats is

 tags: various artists, mallrats, music from the motion picture, ost, soundtrack, 1995, flac,
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Various Artists/Michael Andrews - Donnie Darko (Original Soundtrack & Score) (2001) ☠

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This is a 2 disc set. 
Disc 1 on contains the movie soundtrack consisting of various artists. 
Disc 2 contains the film's score by Michael Andrews.

Country: U.S.A.
Genre: New Wave, Pop Rock, Film Score
Label Number: SANDD320

☠: Selected by Lass
© 2001 Sanctuary
Fans of Richard Kelly's cinematic cult masterpiece Donnie Darko will be well served by this two-disc collection from Sanctuary. The first disc contains the entire soundtrack outside the original score -- it features cuts by everyone from INXS and Duran Duran to Joy Division and Oingo Boingo. The second disc is devoted to a remastered version of composer Michael Andrews' truly haunting, beautiful, and sometimes disturbing complete score including one bonus cut, which is an alternate take of the cue "Mad World." While one can argue that the set should be presented as it happens in the film, this is a lame argument. Andrews' score, done without the budget or large group of musicians normally accompanying a Hollywood flick, is something so masterful and utterly moving that it needs to stand on its own.

tags: various artists, michael andrews, donnie darko, original soundtrack and score, ost, 2001, flac,

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August 15, 2024

Various Artists - The Corruptor (The Soundtrack) (1999)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Film Score
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 01241-41671-2

© 1993 Giant Records
Here's one for the when-pigs-fly files: a good rap album with Mark Wahlberg's name on it. Granted, Wahlberg doesn't sing on this disc; he co-starred in The Corruptor with Chow Yun-Fat (great chemistry, that). The film bought it pretty quick, but not before New Line Cinema authorized two soundtracks: the film score from Carter Burwell and, here, a generous helping of rap from Jive Records billed as The Corruptor: The Soundtrack. There was a time when soundtracks actually featured songs from the movie, but over the years labels have taken liberties with that rule, noting that most people forget which songs were used in the movie anyway (when they don't forget the whole movie altogether). The Corruptor does feature some songs from the film, leaves out others, and fills the holes with Jive Records' stable of artists. Yeah, you're being marketed to with this disc, but credit Jive with making the most of a limited opportunity. In fact, the disc performed better than the movie, cracking the Top 50 and generating the popular "5 Boroughs." It's unlikely you'll enjoy everything on here, any more than you'll like every candy in a Whitman's Sampler. Some of the artists, like Jane Blaze, are relative unknowns; others, like Mobb Deep and Jay-Z, are major-league. Still, not every major-league artist comes through with a hit here. Jay-Z's "More Money, More Cash, More Hoes [Remix]" is less than stellar, U.G.K. is tapped for Dirty Money's "Take It Off" (which they should have), and the attempt to work "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" into "Feel the Rush" is just God-awful. But that leaves over a dozen tracks that get it right, from the sweet samples of "The Corruptor's Execution" to Murda Mil's "Have You Heard of Me?" As you'd expect, gangster themes and naughty words are part of the mix -- they don't call it The Corruptor for nuthin' -- but as "explicit advisory" discs go this is pretty tame. The last track? Well, that's actually from Carter Burwell's film score. Just a little bit of cross-cross-marketing is all.

 tags: various artists, the corruptor, the soundtrack, ost, 1999, flac,
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Various Artists - Grosse Pointe Blank: More Music From The Film (1997)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Post Punk, Hip-Hop
Label Number: 422-828 944-2

© 1997 London Records
 While most of the best songs featured in John Cusack's black comedy Grosse Pointe Blank were on the original soundtrack album, Grosse Pointe Blank -- More Music from the Film is nearly as enjoyable as the first collection. With cuts from the Specials ("A Message to You Rudy"), Echo & the Bunnymen ("The Killing Moon"), Tones on Tail ("Go!"), Siouxsie & the Banshees ("Cities in Dust"), the Pogues ("Lorca's Novena"), and Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel ("White Lines [Don't Do It]"), it effortlessly captures the spirit and sound of '80s collegiate rock, as well as the movie itself. It's a thoroughly entertaining album.

tags: various artists, grosse pointe blank, more music from the film, ost, soundtrack, 1997, flac,
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Various Artists - Grosse Pointe Blank Soundtrack (1997)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Pop Rock, Alternative Rock, Hard Rock, Rock
Label Number: 422-828 867-2

© 1997 London Records
Director George Armitage's Grosse Pointe Blank (which probably should be called John Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank, since he not only starred in it, but also co-wrote and co-produced it) is set at a ten-year high-school reunion in Grosse Pointe, MI, in the present day, that being the spring of 1996. Thus, ex-Clash member Joe Strummer, credited with the original score, could call upon music dating back to the mid-'80s for songs the characters, now in their late twenties, would know. You might expect, then, that those 1986 graduates would be grooving to, say, Heart's "These Dreams" or "Greatest Love of All" by Whitney Houston. But, of course, Cusack and Strummer are much too hip for such popular fare. Instead, they put together a collection of edgy, British-oriented new wave and alternative rock, mostly from the early and mid-'80s, tracks by the likes of the Clash, the English Beat, the Specials, and the Jam, plus Americans Violent Femmes and Faith No More. Then there are ringers like Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," which was a hit in 1972 when the main characters would have been about three years old, and Guns N' Roses' version of "Live and Let Die," which wasn't a hit until 1991. Okay, so this isn't really the music that would have been popular with the 1986 graduating class in Grosse Pointe. Who cares? The soundtrack album works well, including a relaxed "remix" (actually a different version) of Pete Townshend's "Let My Love Open the Door" as well as a new take on Violent Femmes' "Blister in the Sun" called "Blister 2000." Like the movie, which grossed 28 million dollars, the soundtrack album was a modest success, peaking at number 31, which inspired a follow-up collection, More Music From the Film Grosse Pointe Blank.

 tags: various artists, grosse pointe blank soundtrack, 1997, flac,
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August 12, 2024

Various Artists - 24 Hour Party People (Music From The Motion Picture) (2002)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Post Punk, Punk Rock, House, New Wave
Label Number: 0927 44930 2

© 2002 London Records
Attempting to document the aesthetic and spiritual transition from Manchester to "Madchester," the soundtrack to Michael Winterbottom's 2002 film is a quick primer on the Factory Records saga and the songs that propelled it. Set in motion by the timelessly vitriolic "Anarchy in the U.K.," its inclusion is key to the legend that the Sex Pistols pried open the third eye of label founder Tony Wilson during their 1976 Manchester Free Trade Hall gig. With his vision firmly imprinted, Wilson set off to be Manchester's chief impresario and, apart from the other two punk inclusions (the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love?" and the Clash's "Janie Jones"), the remainder of the compilation outlines the legacy that he stumbled upon and at times fostered. Certainly Wilson's signing of Vini Reilly's Durutti Column, while perhaps not pivotal, shows that the one-time TV host had a keen ear. "Otis" is one of the few uplifting moments among the non-dance selections here that simultaneously showcases Reilly's overlooked talent. Other proper selections include 808 State's breezy sax/synth hit, "Pacific State," and one of the Hacienda Club's fave moments, A Guy Called Gerald's "Voodoo Ray." Unfortunate choices include the Happy Mondays song that serves as the title for the compilation and the film, and the Moby-tainted version of Joy Division's "New Dawn Fades." There's also some wonder as to how the awkward "Move Your Body" by Marshall Jefferson found its way into this mix instead of A Certain Ratio's "Shack Up" single (which reached the American R&B Top 50). The Joy Division content ("Transmission," "Atmosphere," "She's Lost Control," and the closer, "Love Will Tear Us Apart"), while predictable, will always stand as Factory's principal jewels. But Morrissey's last-minute withdrawal of Smiths music from the project is symbolic of the fact that the film, and its unsurprising attendant soundtrack, are really only a portion of the Manchester story (serious dabblers should opt for a copy of 1991's Palatine: The Factory Story/1979-1990). What this collection does illustrate, on a glossier scale, is why Factory may have been the most significant of the post-punk labels.

 tags: various artists, 24 hour party people, music from the motion picture, 2002, flac,
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Various Artists - 2 Fast 2 Furious (Soundtrack) (2003)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: B0000426-02

© 2003 Def Jam South
The soundtrack to John Singleton's road-racing film features 15 rap anthems, most of them new and all of them perfectly primed -- like the movie itself -- for a rap/rock/club marketing trifecta. Most are crossover-heavy and tending toward Southern bounce, led by co-star Ludacris and his Disturbing tha Peace posse; both I-20 and Shawnna get feature tracks, as well as heavy plugs inside for their upcoming Def Jam South full-lengths. Star Tyrese gets a track with Ludacris and R. Kelly, but it's weaker even than his solo work for J Records. Joe Budden's immense left-field hit "Pump It Up" is the highlight here, followed by Trick Daddy's "Represent" and Ludacris' own "Act a Fool."

 tags: various artists, 2 fast 2 furious soundtrack, ost, 2003, flac,
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Various Artists - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (Original Soundtrack) (2004)

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Country: U.S.A. 
Genre: Film Score, New Wave, Pop Rock, Garage Rock
Label Number: 5050467-6818-2-8

© 2004 Hollywood Records
Defying the trend of shoving a bunch of songs together for unit-shifting, the soundtrack to the Bill Murray movie The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is a cohesive and entertaining collection of songs. Sven Libaek's score pieces are remarkable, from the dreamy jazz of "Shark Attack Theme" to the watery, hypnotic "Open Sea Theme," while Mark Mothersbaugh's offerings are as consistently good as ever. From lilting horn orchestrations ("Loquasto International Film Festival") to bright beautiful pieces ("Let Me Tell You About My Boat"), Mothersbaugh triumphs. Filmmaker Wes Anderson contrasts such instrumentals with outstanding '70s rock choices like Iggy & the Stooges' proto-punk Molotov "Search and Destroy," Devo's "Gut Feeling," and a pair of Hunky Dory-extracted David Bowie classics like the rollicking "Queen Bitch" and the somber brilliance of "Life on Mars?" A second version of the latter, sung in Portuguese by Seu Jorge, is one of five absurd but likable Bowie covers, making for an eclectic but compelling collection.

 tags: various artists, the aquatic life with steve zissou, original soundtrack, ost, 2004, flac,
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Day Wave - The Days We Had (2017)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Indie Pop, Dream Pop
Label Number: 2557384017

© 2017 Harvest
After a couple of releases that established Day Wave's dreamy, reverb-dunked bedroom indie pop sound, the band's owner/operator, Jackson Phillips, takes a bold step forward on The Days We Had. Previous Day Wave songs sounded like a glossy update of the kind of beachy '80s-damaged pop Captured Tracks bands like Beach Fossils were known for; now Phillips has gone in for a larger, slicker, more pop-friendly approach. His vocals soar over the pristine layers of guitars and synths, the bass and drums have a driving power, and the melodies have an aching, melodramatic quality that would be the perfect soundtrack for a heartbroken montage scene from a lost John Hughes film. It's not a million miles away from the sound of earlier Day Wave albums; it's just a pumped-up version that's meant to be heard by scores of people, not just isolated pockets of mopey bedroom pop enthusiasts. Unlike many times when artists make the leap from the bedroom to the big time and lose what made them good in the first place, Phillips managed to improve on what he was doing. The Days We Had takes advantage of the sonic upgrade and bumps everything up a notch, from songs to vocals and everything in between. In one easy step, Day Wave went from being a promising band to a fully realized project with an impressive album under its belt. It's not the most unique sound ever created, and there are bands like Wild Nothing who do it better, but Phillips and Day Wave are close to the top of the class, and another couple records like this and they might be teaching it soon.

 tags: day wave, the days we had, 2017, flac,
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