11 - The Michigan Daly - Monday, June 29, 1998
.Album captures
spirit of X Games

By Jewel Gopwanl
Daily Arts Writer
In its third year, the mainstream
response to Vans Warped Tour, ESPN's
OX Games, is set for June 18-28. ESPN
is trying to wow the kids by accompa-
nying the skateboarding, skysurfing,
barefoot water-skiing and BMX biking
with "Music From the X (iames."
A compilation filled with popular
songs, "Music
f from the X
 Games" spells out
Music from the deep corpo-
the X Games rate motives
behind the event.
Volume 3 But it still man-
ages to squander
up enough inno-
Mammoth Records vation to make
the album worth
listening to now
and then.
ESPN and Mammoth Records
should be proud of the line-up on
"Music From the X Games." The
Migity Mighty Bosstones. 311 The
Crystal Method. Pantera. Penmw Nise
and The Descendents are just some of
the names that make this albus sery
attractive and relativeb cutting edge.
Mostls, the album shines with a mix
of fresh techno, punk and rock songs.
But those tracks cant make up for
some of the stale. overplayed singles
featured on the album.
The most obxioLts eye-catchers on
"Music From the X Games are -The
imspression That I Get by tou should
now by non) The Mights Mighty
Bosstones and "All Mixed Up- by 311.
The moxe to include these songs could
either be a greedx corporate scheme to
snatch up helpless radio addicts and
ensure a profit, or an attempt to provide
a sincerely solid musical backdrop to

souse exciting sporting events (you
make the call)
Other tracks, not so stale but still rel-
atively familiar, include Days of the
News "Touch, Peel and Stand, "I'm
the hie" by the IXscendents and
Pantera's "I'm Broken."
But "Music From the X Games"
offers more than played-out singles.
The techno tracks, courtesy of The
Crystal Method and Fatboy Slim, give
the album a welcome diversity.
Although The Method's "Busy
Child" and Fatboy Slim's "Going Out
of My I tead" are played in clubs across
the nation, the songs have not been
ruined by the airwaves and comple-
ment the rest of the tracks on the album.
Even with well-knoxn rock, punk
and techno songs, "Music From the X
Games" tries to introduce fans who are
attracted to the big names to a few
smaller bands in need of some atten-
tion.
Three songs on the compilation offer
a brand new sound. Although Fu
Manch's Jailbreak" is weak socally.
its raucous. vet quality guitar work
makes up for it. Coal Chamber others
music resembling Pantera. except loud-
er andeasix er.
The Dropkick Murphey s are the
highlight of the new tunes 'Road of the
Righteous* is a punk rock song that
kicks the listener right in the gut and
has the poxxer to do the same to any
snotty. baretoot uate-skiet skx surfer
or \exiselie" athlete
I sN's "Music I roim the X {games'.
should be considerid a seiotis and sue-
cessful attempt to bring good musi to
fans. With a dixerse ine up and e en a
little experimentation, the album
should set a nice beat to the anigra ity
displaixs sure to b seen at this year's X
Games.

Deep resentment of
status quo inspires
Pitchshifter's music

By AdHn Rosli
For the Daily
* Pitchshifter, of Nottingham,
England, recently released one of the
most amazing, genre-demolishing
albums the record industry has seen in
a long time, "wxww.pitchsliftercom"
(also the address of the band's website,
not surprisingly).
The album seamlessly blends
aggressive dance beats, ominous sam-
ples, politically charged lyrics and
rushing guitars. It is Pitchshifter's
ixth release in its seven-year history,
and its first for the band's ness label,
DGC.
This release is different from other
albums - while other bands xshich
have attempted to blend genres have

left listeners unsatisfied, this album
actually makes the combination work.
Pitcbshifter recently passed through
Detroit, touring in support of
wvxww.pitchshifter.com."
The band is now "out to make the
kind of music we wanted to hear,"
said vocalist J.S. Clayton. "We do
need to see if the things that piss us
off about 'modern' life piss anybody
else off ... or if we are standing on
the end of a very long limb alone."
What will certainly grab listeners is
the focused rage that the band has har-
nessed. Long-time fans are in for a big
surprise as Pitchshifter's past sound
has been refined without losing what
makes it so special.
See PITCH, Page 13