A new series has arrived in the form of Grab Bag, a fun monthly list that finds me listening and reacting to ten random songs from the depths of music's annals. There's no prerequisites, no regulations self-imposed. Anything can make this list if the site I'm using to discover these songs, RateYourMusic's random release generator, spits them out. This is a great way to discover new music with no attachment to something in your catalogue. Or, a dark reminder that truly horrid music exists in droves.
The positioning is based on the order in which I discovered them. The rating system similar to what DoD already enforces, in that 5 / 10 is average, not bad.
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If just one song on every instance of this new Grab Bag series is as good 'Heaven,' consider this idea a rousing success. Seriously, what a lucky single to pull out the hat first. The Psychedelic Furs lean towards the late era of New Wave, but 'Heaven' features a noticeably subdued tenor that was majorly absent during the mid-80's kitschy style. A style, mind you, I was fully expecting based on the album's cover. But the group, through Richard Butler's raspy vocals and the crunchy guitar riff, really heighten the psychedelic edge their namesake implies. 'Heaven' screams bonafide single material though, as the simplistic progression and reliance on multiple melodies will appeal to almost anyone, especially in the 1980's, instantaneously.
8.5 / 10
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Well, it was clear what type of song we're getting here. A blasé DJ name attached to a crude title as 'Face Down, Ass Up.' Expectations were reached when DJ Isaac repeated, ad nauseam as most club/rave anthems go, the title of the song, which is merely interpolated from Luke's original Hip-Hop joint 'Face Down, Ass Up' from 1990. Comparisons can be drawn to Fatboy Slim's Breakbeat, but without the panache and charm of his peak era. Like many screwy DJ mixes such as this one, enjoyability is achieved merely by existing. It cheats the human brain by forcing pleasure points into the aural canals. You'll tap your toes, but expect nothing more.
3 / 10
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Bleh. Far too vacuous and wooden for me. This sounds like Contemporary Pop, the kind only out-of-touch adults trying to enter the 90's in-step would enjoy. Nothing for me to appreciate here. Sam Brown's vocals are pretty, but uninspired. You can taste the vocal lessons she spent hours on in her teenage years, only to waste them with instrumentation that strips any semblance of art from the artist. The only noteworthy part of 'This Feeling' is this faint squeak captured in the middle of the chorus. I don't know why it's there or what it's for, but its placement amongst a sea of vapid guitars and weary-minded drums causes the little texture to stick out like a sore thumb.
2.5 / 10
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Would you look at this. Not only is China Crisis another New Wave band, much like The Psychedelic Furs, it's exactly the type of band I criticized for creating cheap and kitschy romance Pop in the mid-80's. Difference here, 'Saint Saviour Square' released in 1989, which is a pretty awful look considering how far New Wave had fallen by then. That being said, 'Saint Saviour Square' isn't nearly as bland as you'd imagine. There's an interesting bridge that hollows out a choir recitation midway through, all the while these lovely strings play collectively beneath. This carries for the duration of the track, with the swelling chorus repeating endlessly till China Crisis fades it all. The vocals reek of saccharine, but apart from that 'Saint Saviour Square' succeeds even when nothing around it did.
6 / 10
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Classic mid-90's Hard and Alternative Rock from the United Kingdom. That point is key considering how Grunge 'Alice, What's The Matter' wants to be. In most cases of musical evolution, the U.K. comes first with the United States waiting for the sound to travel overseas. Here, the opposite happens, and it shows. Here, Terrorvision seem too polished and professional for the reckless genre they found themselves in. There is constant structural shifts that keeps the sub-three-minute song from becoming tedious, utilizing the loud/soft dynamic Pixies pioneered. Vocals are about as bland as the instrumentation, both merely relying on the genre principles set before them.
3.5 / 10
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The first artist to appear that I've heard of. It's not a small name either, as virtually everyone knows James Brown as one of the forefathers of Soul and R&B. 'Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud (Part 1 & 2)' is strong evidence to support that statement. Not only do the horns hint at Sly & The Family Stone, the pacing and background vocals Funkadelic, James Brown's embrace of black power, in 1968, makes 'Say It Loud' an all-around inspirational powerhouse. Initially, the underproduced nature by which the instrumentation - basically, everything but Brown - sounded was off-putting, but soon thereafter I grew to honor that vintage style and how it fits into the context of what he was after. Brown's catalogue holds tremendous potential if 'Say It Loud' doesn't register at the top echelon of his singles, as the general RateYourMusic fanbase indicates.
7 / 10
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Judging by everything I gleamed prior to hearing Mortiis' 'The Grudge,' I knew, regardless of the quality, that this would be an interesting experience. Hailing from Norway, Mortiis' aesthetic hinges on the horribly dated act of Dungeon Synth, something I can not possibly take seriously after witnessing Tim & Eric's parody band Zwei Dunkel Jungen. His make-up and horrendous album art did not help matters. And while yes, 'The Grudge' isn't good musically, considering this was released in 2004, Mortiis' expansion into Industrial and Electronic overload paints a succinct portrait of a genre dying whilst clinging onto its final hope. Towards the end of the track a female vocalist comes in, and let me tell you, that's not a pretty sight. She sings as if there's little more than an acoustic guitar and minimal drum kit behind her, yet alone a massive Electro-Metal calamity.
2 / 10
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According to RYM, quite the respected Indie Rock band, riding a long peak from 1994 to 2002. 'Dinosaur Act' finds itself towards the end of that line, on their 2001 LP Things We Lost In The Fire. Along with certain Indie Rock, there's a line of sight towards Slowcore as well, a genre that, outside of The Antlers, I'm not too familiar with. While their pace is trudging, with the desolate vocals following suit, Low provides a pleasant climax in the chorus. Witnessing that loud/soft dynamic at work again, 'Dinosaur Act's' hook, which merely repeats the title, swells with fire as reverb-heavy guitars and celebratory horns, a la Post-Rock, create a cacophony of sound that teases itself with every silent retreat into Slowcore. A well-made song for sure. Call me curious.
6.5 / 10
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Wow. Luck is on my side for our inaugural Grab Bag. Truth be told, I was expecting a flurry of bland material not worth revisiting. That's the complete opposite of Joe McPhee Po Music's 'Pablo,' a wirey Avant-Garde Jazz piece that evokes a breadth of overlapping emotions contextually falling in and out of one another. Even though the year was 1983 and Jazz had virtually run its course, McPhee's unorthodox sounds translate effortlessly to a futuristic landscape in which experimenting acts, like Bjork, Julia Holter, or Radiohead, embrace these dark corners of the art. Every aspect is drenched in gripping beauty, especially the periodic woodwinds that flutter in a frozen wonderland. This seems equally inspired by the unspooling's of Sun Ra as it is the gothic wickedness of Nico.
8 / 10
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There's some adjectives in genre names that immediately evoke a reaction on my behalf. Some more positive than others. For example, if Experimental comes before Rock or Hip-Hop, you can bet I'm interested. If Sludge comes before Metal, you can bet I'm not. Yes, that includes in cases where Atmospheric comes before both, as we see with Pelican. 'Forecast For Today' marks all the checkboxes for expectation. Full throttle guitars reliant on abrasive feedback, pounding drums relentless and guttural, and hell-raising climaxes meant to awaken the dead. I'm just surprised, relieved even, that there's no vocals. 'Forecast For Today' doesn't sway the needle in any direction. It sounds exactly what I'd expect Sludge Metal to sound like.
4 / 10
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