:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Sunday, September 10, 2006 ::

Album Reviews: The Veils - Nux Vomica (Rough Trade) & Oneida - Happy New Year (Brah/Jagjaguwar)

I occasionally get sent music to review. I'm not quite sure how it started but obviously a couple forward thinking PR agencies have picked up on this whole blogging thing and think its worth their while engaging with the dirty end of internet journalism. Of the things I receive, I write reviews when I get round to it, if I like it, and if I don't lose the CD first. If all three obstacles are overcome I sometime find the most amazing gems of recordings that deserve far more attention that the main-stream media give them. That was how I discovered Ascoltare and boy am I grateful for that. [Sorry about the dead image links on that page, hangover from the old blueyonder hosting, I'll sort it when I get a chance.]

Sometimes I'm pushed to write something about a release, whether I like it or not. So I'll happily pour scorn onto something like the new Scritti Politi (Mercury nominated, wtf?) if that's what they want. After all, all publicity is good publicity as they say.

Now neither of these is ground breaking, but I was presently surprised.



The cover photo on The Veils' Nux Vomica is almost enough to make me hate it before it got to the CD player. I don't know who would think that shot was a good idea. The hard-edged blues delivery and dark introspective melancholy give it an intriguing Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds feel that hooked me from the start. His voice lacks the baritone gravity of Cave but I'd suggest that any Bad Seeds fan should give this a listen. Really quite good. The single (Advice For Young Mothers To Be) has a much better cover btw even if I do have to admit it's only because I like the heels on it.



You can see the video for - Advice For Young Mothers To Be here:
The Veils - Advice For Young Mothers To Be [rm]
The Veils - Advice For Young Mothers To Be [wmv]



Oneida is more variable. It has some great throbbing electronic moments and some very different arrangements of good swinging drums juxtaposed with what I can only call Medieval melodies. I'm sure someone who knows a bit more music history could pick me up on that. Not every track is to my taste, and it gets just a little too Polophonic Spree for my liking at times (although less Gospel), but it has some highlights and is worth a listen.

There are some full length streams of tracks here:

Reckoning [ra]
Reckoning [wmv]
Up With People [ra]
Up With People [wmv]
The Misfit [ra]
The Misfit [wmv]
History's Great Navigators [ra]
History's Great Navigators [wmv]

Nux Vomica is released 18.09.06 and Advice For Young Mothers to Be is out now, both on Rough Trade.
Happy New Year is out now on Brah/Jagjaguwar

:: Dan 10.9.06 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post]    ::
...

Links to this post:

<\$BlogBacklinkControl\$> <\$BlogBacklinkTitle\$> <\$BlogBacklinkDeleteIcon\$>

<\$BlogBacklinkSnippet\$>
posted by <\$BlogBacklinkAuthor\$> \@ <\$BlogBacklinkDateTime\$>

<\$BlogItemBacklinkCreate\$>