8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 16, 1999
6
C-MURDER RECYCLES RHYMES IN 'BoSSALINIE'
Kiss Offs know how
to say 'Goodbye'
10
Rap music currently rates as the most popular
musical genre in America. Turn on MTV or study
Billboard's best selling album charts. Twenty years
ago the genre didn't even exist - now rap music
dominates America's youth culture with its blunted
beats and street culture.
"Bossalinie" promises to be the next multi-plat-
inum rap album to invade the car stereos and bed-
rooms of America's youth. C-Murder represents one
of the most talented rappers on No Limit Records'
roster. And just to make sure "Bossalinie" sells,
superstar rappers such as
g Snoop Dogg, Master P and
Silkk the Shocker have been
added to the album's lineup.
C-Murder Yet even with a lineup of
Bossalinie rap superstars, "Bossalinie"
ends up being a poor quality,
No Limit Records diluted album. One or maybe
Reviewed by two of the 28 songs can even
Daily Arts Writer be described as good when
Jason Birchmeier compared to rap albums such
as Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" or
Wu-Tang Clan's "Wu-Tang Forever." It's saddening
to think that an album of this quality will surely sell
millions of copies on brand name alone.
One of the album's weaknesses involves the
ridiculous number of songs. The fact that none of
them reach the five-minute mark reveals their
lack of craft and progression. Even the basic
verse-chorus-verse format seems to be a chore for
C-Murder and his producers. Many of the songs
consist of little more than a mumbled introduc-
tion, a verse by C-Murder, an occasional chorus,
some random babbling and a second verse per-
formed by a guest rapper. All of this occurs over
a repetitive loop of simple drum beats and the
occasional recycled sample.
Even with a total of 19 different rappers display-
ing their lyrical skills, the same cliched ghetto
motifs get recycled song after song. The ideology of
these ghetto superstars suffers from predictable
homogeneity, a promotion of violent self-destruc-
tion, derogatory sexism and illogical thought. Every
so often religious motifs appear, but these songs end
up sounding like an apology or justification for the
otherwise immoral content. One can only hope that
the millions of impressionable youths embracing
this album don't also embrace ghetto pride mentali-
ty of the No Limit collective.
Some rappers justify poor articulation or political
ideology with their vocal delivery. For example, lis-
ten to Busta Rhymes showcase his command of the
English language or the raw aggression emanating
from the canine bite of DMX. These rappers pro-
voke an emotional reaction much unlike any of the
rappers on "Bossalinie." Master P does a
respectable job on "Lil Nigga" with his drawn out
pronunciations, but the rest of his crew sound like a
bunch of 2-Pac imitators.
Even Snoop Dogg - once the hottest rapper in
America - recycles his old rhymes at the speed of
a sedated turtle. How many times can we listen to
Snoop sounding a bit too burnt out, rapping about
the "LBC" and preaching it's "still a G thang." It
seems that he can't complete a rhyme sequence
without inserting something from one of his old
rhymes. When he starts repeating his rhymes from
"Lodi Dodi" on the song "Gangsta Walk," it
becomes questionable what's more ridiculous, the
name of the song or Snoop's attempt to mine his
past hits.
Musically, there isn't much to discuss. Other No
Limit songs such as "It Ain't My Fault" and "Make
Em' Say Uhh!" rate as high-energy songs worthy of
a loud bumping stereo system. Unfortunately, there
is nothing comparable on "Bossalinic." The '80s
hip-hop beats of Public Enemy were more innova-
tive than anything composed by No Limit's Beats by
the Pound production crew.
So the question arises: If this is such a substan-
dard album, why is it going to sell so many copies?
The reason Master P and No Limit Records contin-
ue to reach platinum status at assembly line speeds
week after week isn't because they make great
music. The genius of Master P lies not within his
skills as an artist but in his skills as a businessman.
The marketing strategy of his label follows a proven
formula.
If you think what Master P does is different than
what Marvel Comics did with their roster of super-
heros or what Tommy Hilfiger does with his cloth-
ing, you're wrong. Like all successful products tar-
geting America's profitable youth market, Master P
puts much more effort into stimulating demand by
creating a strong brand image than making a quali-
ty product.
The exploitation of America's youth in the name
of greed may seem immoral to some. Yet this
thought seems petty when one considers the cor-
rupting brand image Master P promotes with his
music. Songs such as "Ghetto Boy," "Ghetto
Millionaire," "Nasty Chick" and "On My Enemies"
glamorize virtues such as drug dealing, crime, vio-
lence, sexism and greed. Hopefully, these themes
will be perceived by America's youth culture as
entertainment instead of reality.
Punk at its down and dirtiest,
"Goodbye Private Life" has enough
drop-dead hooks and trashy attitude
to make rock safe again for some
foot action on the dance floor.
Armed with a casio keyboard and
some mad boogie-woogie, the Kiss
Offs describe the facts and fictions
of first kisses, last kisses and all the
making out in between.
"Goodbye Private Life," the Texas
band's debut full-length after a
handful of singles, has 14 bottle
rocket songs that shake and
explode.
"Bottle Blonde" suggests using
The Kiss Offs
Goodbye Private
Life
Peek-a-Boo
Reviewed by
Daily Arts Writer
Jimmy Draper
hair dye to for-
get an old flame
- "Bleach him
out!" - and
"The Kiss That
Kills" name-
drops an arsenal
of smooches
(eskimo, butter-
fly, etc.).
Yet this album
is as far from
pt
and chance: "I'm sorry, pumpkin,"
he pleads before she deadpans,
"I've heard it all before."
This call-and-response keeps the
songs fresh even when the music
gets repetitious. The band makes a
few attempts at different styles,
though, like "Hey, Cowboy" with its
punky-western feel and hilarious
demand to "Just get on your horse
and go/Giddy-up and go!"
The album's main flaw is that the
music tends to drown out the vocals
-- a tragedy when the lyrics are so
clever and quick-to-the-draw. These
five smarty pants reference every-
thing from "O.P.P." (remember,
that?) to the urban myth about.
stolen kidneys, so it's frustrating
when the vocals aren't front and,
center.
Even still, "Goodbye Private
Life" is an enjoyable invitation into%.
the band's public displays of audio
affection.
the pink lacy diaries and feathered
bangs of ninth grade as it gets. This
ain't touchy-feely romance: the Kiss
Offs declare their mission singing,
"Kiss me ... slap me!" It's all about
the kiss and tell. It's all about the
kiss off.
By employing boy/girl trade-off
vocals, several of the songs take on
a fun he-said-she-said dynamic. On
the highlight, "Rock St. Augustine,"
a guy unsuccessfully begs for a see-
16
a
.
w"r
.
Source's
ungle rock
hypnotizes
Imagine an apocalyptic invasion
of Earth by flying saucers. Now
envision- red, overcast skies filled
with rain, lightning and destructive
lasers being fired by the evil robotic
invaders. If an event such as this
really were to occur, "Exorcise the
Demons" would be a fitting sound-
track.
Source Direct
produces some
** 7!p of the most
Source D haunting yet
Exorcise the soothing jungle
Demons music ever
heard. Unlike
Astraiwerks the majority of
.Reviewed by electronic music
Daily Arts Writer intended to
Jason Birchmeier make you shake
your booty, the
epic songs on this album are more
likely to shake your psyche into a
state of instability. Designed to
invoke strong emotional responses,
this music exploits the poetic beau-
ty of horror, science and paranoia.
While there's no denying the
effects of this music in a solitary,
late-night home listening, the nine
songs found on "Exorcise the
Demons" function just as powerfully
in a rave situation. Turn out the
lights, burn some candles, turn on a
strobe light, push your subwoofers
to the limit and let your body react
to the deep, twisting bass lines and
rattling breakbeats. This music will
drag you into its dark world. The
rhythmic elements of the music
compliment the eerie atmospheres
impressively.
Beginning with an interest in
hardcore hip-hop and hard techno,
producers Jim Baker and Phil Aslett
fr_''
'4 7
'Tornados' breathes new life into Lee's music
Aussie wonderboy Ben Lee's third
album, "Breathing Tornados," takes his
incredible storytelling skills and pushes
them into the abstract. His previous solo
work ("Grandpa Would," "Something to
Remember Me By") showcased a
stripped down and folky style and voice.
"BT" is a leap. Not necessarily a blind
slowly were drawn into England's
inner city jungle scene as it slowly
began to evolve in the early '90s. By
the mid-'90s, Source Direct had
released the first of several EPs on
the most innovative record label spe-
cializing in complex, dark jungle in
England, Metalheadz.
"Exorcise the Demons" is their
first full length album, and is
released and promoted by
Astralwerks - the same record
label that introduced America to
Fatboy Slim and The Chemical
Brothers.
There's a slim chance Source
Direct will attain a similar level of
commercial success. Even though
jungle seems to be rather trendy
right now in America, "Exorcise the
Demons" is a bit too complex and
inaccessible for the mainstream.
Those who appreciate the literature
of Edgar Allen Poe, the films of
David Lynch or unending dreams of
being chased will enjoy the feelings
this music presents.
Although this album definitely
requires the listener to be in a cer-
tain mood, it retains an element of
tranquility unlike heavy metal and
other forms of evil sounding elec-
tronic music. The drums and bass
pound relentlessly, but somehow
they end up being more hypnotiz-
ing than annoying.
The most remarkable quality
about this album is how it can make
banging jungle music with an ele-
ment of horror so pleasing to the
ear and picturesque to the mind.
Ben Lee
Breathing
leap and not nec-
essarily a leap of
faith - more like
a leap of synth -
but a leap
nonetheless.
Tornados If you don't
Grand Royal know who Ben
Reviewed by Lee is yet, rest
Daily Arts Writer assured that some-
Erin Podolsky day you will. He's
the guy who sang
"I Wish I Was Him" about Evan Dando
and penned the line for the disgruntled
'80s youth, "I thought my life would be
like a John Hughes film." He put out a
slew of material with his grunge band,
Noise Addict, before they broke up sev-
eral years ago. Russell Simins of the Jon
Spencer Blues Explosion calls him "the
future of rock and roll."
All this and he's only 20.
On "Breathing Tornados," Lee moves
away from the earthbound, slightly sug-
ary stories of his mini-youth that were
anchored with little more than a guitar
and a prayer, and creates a melange of
layered, synth-heavy music that offers
something new with each spin. It's very
glossy and polished in places, painfully
coarse in others. There's much to choose
from on this album, from the mislead-
ingly upbeat lead-off track "Cigarettes
Will Kill You" to the more raw songs like
"The Finger and the Moon." There's also
the slinky "Nighttime" and the
unabashedly sweet "Birthday Song,
written for girlfriend Claire Danes.
But mostly there's desperation, some-
times hidden deep within the lines and
the chords. Lee has taken several concert
favorites and completely reworked them
for the studio. The once-anthemic "Burn
to Shine" becomes a lament, dragged
down by bass and lyrical reduction to the
underworld that Lee seems to position
this album in. Many of the songs also
feature Lee's voice in a scratchy form,
making the tracks on which he sings
smoothly all the more striking.
"Nothing Much Happens" has also
been drastically altered and includes a
rather odd monologue by resident
Hollywood indie freak Harmony Korine
(screenwriter of "Kids," here he also co-
wrote the album's title track) that refer-
ences Peter Weir's "Picnic at Hanging
Rock." It's an interesting reference given
the content of the song, whose chorus
says "Don't you know that nothing hap-
pens / but a lot goes on," a reasonably
good approximation of the thematic
material of Weir's film.
The biggest surprise on "BT" is the
slithering, lounge lizard wake-up call
"Nighttime." If there was ever song that
sounded like running full speed down
wet New York City streets teeming with
brake lights at 3 a.m., this is it. Lee
shouts his live-wire nightlife desires:
"I'm worth my weight in gold / Watching
the crowds unfold / Late-start velocity /
Nighttime's making a mess of me.
There are a couple of throwbacks on
the album to Lee's acoustic days of yes-
teryear. Foremost among these is "Ten
Feet Tall,' which is short but sweet, sim-
ple but celebratory with a fantastic open-
ing couplet in "I'm ten feet tall today /
I'm higher than a kite / I sidle up beside
/ Awake for five days and five nights."
There's still a wistfulness in the words
and the bare music, but it's the kind
that'll have you walking 10 feet off the
ground yourself before you realize just
how bereft the rest of the album sounds.
That wistfulness works well with the
two most anguished, emotionally honest
songs on the album, "The Finger and the,
Moon" and "Sleepwalking." "Sleep-
walking" is an achingly beautiful, quiet
lullaby filled with pain, longing and a
refrain in which Lee softly begs, "Teach
me to sleepwalk / There's nothing I want
more." He lets us into his dark places. He
could be crying. He certainly could push
more than one of us to tears.
It's hard to figure out what Ben Lee has
to be desperate or sad about. He's got a
girl, he's got a contract, he's got an able
body and he's got his whole life ahead of
him. On the one hand, he ought to enjoy
what he's got. On the other, he's making
some of the greatest music of his not-so-
young career. As he says at the close of
the album's title track, his heart is pure. So
is his music, and "Breathing Tornados" is
the kind of pure pop delight that keeps on
giving with every repetition.
Holland's Gathering shows it's a small world, after all
The Gathering is easily not a familiar
name for American music fans. In their
native Holland, however, this band is one
of the biggest music acts around. The
The Gathering
How To Measure
a Planet?
Century Media
Reviewed by
Daily Arts Writer
Adlin Roshi
group, which has
been together for
close to 10 years
now, is well-
known by Anneke
van Giersbergen's
charismatic
singing.
In the begin-
ning, the band had
a heavy rock
sound with dark overtones. Over the
years it has softened up but has lost none
of the melancholy feel. On the group's
new double CD release, "How To
Measure a Planet?" the group seems to
have come into a sound that has the lush
pop sound of the Cranberries but has
also the mournful feeling of The Cure.
"Frail" sets the mood with its mid-
tempo pace and pretty guitar parts.
Anneke hypnotically sings, "I bleed for
you, I voluntarily give myself." The mel-
low feel of most of the songs make it per-
fect listening for those lonely late nights.
Anneke's performance on this release is
strong, emotional and self assured. She
bears a very commanding presence and
has a way of getting the listener's attention.
The band does go for distorted guitars
occasionally, but the parts are always
used in subtle textural ways and do not
take away from the mood set. The group
dips into two intriguing instrumentals on
the second disc with "South American
Ghost Ride" and the title track "How To
Measure a Planet?"
They may not be as big here in the US
as they are in Holland, but given a
chance, they could probably establish a
pretty loyal following.
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