4) Oasis, That's The Story (Behind The Story) . OK, it's a bootleg...don't tell. Compiling almost all of Oasis' B-sides from What's The Story up through the release of "Don't Look Back In Anger" as well as several songs from other sources, this won't be a surprise to any Oasis fans - the music stays within their established pattern. What is a surprise is that the quality of the songs of the songs rarely strays to that of a B-side, and many of the tracks would fit in nicely on any Oasis disc. If you want to financially support the band, you can also do like I've done and purchase the five singles from the UK on Creation Records, and the Help! soundtrack which serves a wonderful charity for Bosnian relief. But if you also want it all on one disc - and have Oasis' "4th" full-length (the 2nd disc being their 1st bootleg B-sides collection). And, no, I won't comment on how to get this one.
5) Dodgy, Free Peace Sweet (A&M UK). Coming out in the States sometime in 1997 on Mercury, Dodgy finally clicked with this one. It took a few listens to take hold, but then the album was a constant in my disc player. "Good Enough", a marvelous song drawing on the Motown influences, is atypical for Free Peace Sweet - check out the Who's earlier works for a more direct comparison. A likely contender to break here in 97.
Janet Herman
1) Tori Amos, Boys For Pele (Atlantic). With her third major label release Tori Amos continues her soul searching in a manner that is both passionate and endearing. Die hard Amos fans as well as new fans will continue to appreciate the combination of her beautiful voice and emotional piano-playing and will also be struck by the experimentation of different musical styles as Tori Amos continues to grow musically and lyrically.
2) The Pogues, Pogue Mahone (Warner). Once again the Pogues bring to life a joyous combination of punk-style singing and traditional Irish music. Now with their former tin-whistle player Spider Stacey on lead vocals, instead of former Pogue, Shane MacGowan, the Pogues continue to mix up their album with lively original tunes as well as translations of medieval Irish and French poetry as well as a rousing cover of Bob Dylan's "When the Ship Comes In."
3) The Cure, Wild Mood Swings (Elektra). On the most recent effort by this band beloved by many, the Cure manage to still deliver some of popular music's most beautiful and mopey songs about love and longing. Tracks such as "This Is A Lie" and the opening song, "Want" bring back happy gloomy memories of Disintegration, one of the band's finest albums by far, blending layers of somnolent melodies with yearning lyrics and vocals by front man Robert Smith.
4) Fiona Apple, Tidal (Sony/Work). This debut album by 19 year old (18 when first recorded) Fiona Apple is truly a remarkable achievement for the native New Yorker. With a sultry, mature cabaret-style voice, Apple croons and seduces her listeners with infectious ballads including her first single "Shadowboxer" and "Slow Like Honey." With such a notable debut the listener can only patiently (or impatiently) wait for more releases from this startlingly talented new musician.
5) Hamell On Trial, Big As Life (Mercury). Another amazing debut release of the year is this album by Ed Hamell, a one man band who relies on his sharp sense of humor and lightning fast acoustic guitar playing. Combining spoken word with rockabilly rhythms, Hamell expresses his views on racism, love and even treats his listeners to slices of his own life on tracks such as the title track "Big As Life" and "Blood of the Wolf."
Bill Holmes
1) The Odds, Good Weird Feeling (Elektra). Pound for pound, the best band working the stage right now. Infectious songs and harmonies, witty and poignant lyrics, and the ability to rock your world or rip your heart out. I dare you to find a more confessional heart-tugger than "I Would Be Your Man", and the poppier songs like "Satisfied" and "Anybody Else But Me" stick to you after the first listen. This is their third record, and they just keep getting better - Nest will be released in the U.S. in early 1997 and might be the one that finally breaks it wide open for them.
2) Fountains of Wayne, Fountains of Wayne (TAG/Atlantic). What a surprise! Out of nowhere comes this side-project band that strikes gold with it's potpourri of pop stylings and wry humor. How can you not like a band that takes the best parts of the Beatles, Raspberries, Beach Boys, Cheap Trick (!) and countless other pop icons and blends their influences into a fresh and varied approach? "She's Got A Problem" and the single "Radiation Vibe" will have you humming the chorus in your sleep, "Leave The Biker" will cause you to wet yourself from laughing, and the gorgeous "Sick Day" and "Everything's Ruined" will leave you pensive and daydreaming. There isn't a bad song on this record.
3) Brad Jones, Gilt Flake (Ginger). Another multi-talented sideman stepping to the forefront and delivering the goods. He's graced pop tribute records and always stolen the show with his stunning pop voice and studio wizardry. These songs date back as far as 1990, but you'd be hard pressed to find better pop manna than "Never To Come Again", "Dig Down Deep" and the anthemic "Mary's Moving Day". Keene, Badfinger, Hollies, Raspberries, jangly guitar, pop-perfect harmonies - Brad Jones has it all. Major League stuff!
4) Semisonic, Great Divide (MCA). Another great band who will be ignored by a lame label. Two members of the late Trip Shakespeare add a drummer and deliver a commercial, yet pop soundscape. Tempos are all over the map - ballads, rockers, pop - but 10 of these 12 songs could be radio hits, from the rollicking "Across The Great Divide" to the gorgeous falsetto-driven "Temptation"'. A 'drop the needle" must-have.
5) Doug Powell, Ballad Of The Tin Men (Mercury). Wow, what can I say? As perfect a pop record as Bill Lloyd's Set To Pop and maybe even more consistent? Todd Rundgren, Adam Schmidt and the aforementioned Bill Lloyd rolled into one. "Day After Day" might just be one of the best pop singles ever. Why didn't you ever hear this record on the radio or notice it in the stores? Jason Falkner fans - check this guy out.
Eric Hsu
1) Bjork, Post (Elektra). Bjork's melodies have sounded similar from the Sugarcubes on, but I can't dispute it's a dynamite sounding rut. And I don't usually like heavy production, but on this CD the music IS the production. Good for: providing cool sounds and moments that loop sickeningly in your head all day.
2) Ed's Redeeming Qualities, At the Fish and Game Club (Slow River). Intelligent writing melded with a real homemade acoustic sound. This band has the sweetest personality you'll find, and the songs are funny and sad. None of the songs surpass the best of their older records ("Someone Else in the Room", "Virginia"), but this is their most consistently great record. Good for: smart funny songs by a shy band you'll want to adopt.
3) Mary Margaret O'Hara, Miss America (Koch). She has a full beautiful voice which she isn't afraid to shred when the song or mood calls for it. The songs are as amazing as her singing. See an earlier issue of Consumable for a full review of this record, a re-release of what is one of my favorite records. Good for: post breakup pain.
4) Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel (Reprise). This is the legendary start of country-rock. Emmylou Harris sounds exquisite here and the bookends "Return of the Grievous Angel" and "In My Darkest Hour" are heart-wrenching. The stuff in between it is strong too, but it's a bit too hyped for its melancholy edge by depressives. Good for: finding hope in depression and Emmylou Harris, whose voice never sounded purer.
5) Matthew Sweet, 100% Fun (Zoo). More guilty pleasures. The songs are all completely standard pop songs, each with a cynical lyrical twist and a musical twist. His harmonies are sharp and his guest guitarists Richard Lloyd (from Television) and Robert Quine (from Richard Hell and the Voidoids) are two of my favorites. Good for: catchy sharp-angled guitars.
Reto Koradi
1) Def Leppard, Slang (Mercury). A couple not selling-as-well-as-expected albums, a greatest hits release - almost all bets were off for Def Leppard. Then along comes this excellent album with surprising variety, from catchy ballads and rockers to more experimental, trip hop influenced tracks.
2) Holly Palmer, Holly Palmer (Reprise). Fortunately there are quite a few talented women in today's music scene, but our hearts are always open for gifted newcomers like Holly Palmer. A wonderful album, and the amazing thing is that it sounds like she's doing it with ease.
3) Stiller Has, Moudi (Sound Service - Switzerland). Maybe of limited interest to the rest of the world, but this is certainly one of the most worthy Swiss releases of recent years. Simple music that reminds one of talking blues, but extremely intense, with an outstanding voice, and absurd lyrics on the border of genius.
4) David Gray, Sell, Sell, Sell (EMI). Wonderful voice, great songs, perfect music. What more can you expect from an album?
5) The Cure, Wild Mood Swings (Elektra). Even though they had kept releasing albums, this reviewer had considered them a band of the past for the last 10 years. Even nicer is the surprise if they find back to old shape, both on this album and in their live shows.
David Landgren
1) Baby Bird, Fatherhood (Baby Bird Records). New adventures in low-fi -- or how much fun can you have with a four-track? Steve Jones, a.k.a. Baby Bird, released five albums this year. I've played this album, (along with Bad Shave) hundreds of times and I still think it's amazing. A brilliant pop songster, sketching vignettes of life like a demented narrator for BBC documentaries.
2) Les Tetes Raides, Le Bout du Toit (WEA France). I'd hate to classify this as folk - that term conjures up images of woeful hippies wearing bad clothes - so let's call this neo-folk. Modern French music, essentially acoustic, less energetic than, say, Les Negresses Vertes, this album is still high on my play list. Sounds a bit like Georges Moustaki in the 60's.
3) DJ Shadow, Endtroducing DJ Shadow (Mowax). Reflecting, as the man says, a lifetime of vinyl culture. This is one of the most extraordinary, brilliant hip-hop albums I've ever heard. It's not particularly danceable, it's much more a feast of aural pleasures. DJ Shadow cooks up a massive sound by sampling drumbeats and then playing them back at 80%, for a thoroughly phat sound. Epic.
4) Stereolab, Empire Tomato Ketchup (Elektra). Yet another band that remains true to an ideal, and goes thoroughly unnoticed by the world at large. 1996 sees Stereolab shedding the Doorsian keyboards sound for something resolutely more funky. "Les Yper-Sound" (pron: lay-ee-pair-sow-nd), with its soaring crystal vocals, is the most grooviest, joyful pop song of 1996. Buy the album. Visit the unofficial site http://www.maths.monash.edu.au/~rjh/stereolab
5) Tricky, Nearly God (Island). Here's the man for whom they invented the genre Trip-hop. Personally, I didn't enthuse over Maxinquaye, and so almost passed over this album, that appeared on the shelves without much fanfare. I guess it was the fact that it featured guest vocals from the likes of Bjork, Neneh Cherry, Alison Moyet and Terry Hall (the voice from Fun Boy Three) that made me pick it up. Lucky I did; it's a dark, moody and sombre album, and very, very good. In particular, the track by Alison Moyet is as good as anything in Upstairs at Eric's, makes you wish they'd do an entire album together. Check out http://www.nearlygod.com
Sean Eric McGill
1) Tool, Aenema (Zoo). A disturbing batch of tightly-crafted songs that never ceases to amaze me - even three months after its release.
2) T.A.F.K.A.P., Emancipation (N.P.G. Records). Three CDs and thirty-six songs (thirty-four of which are new) that cover the spectrum of musical talent and styles that we've come to know and expect from the one who now wishes to be called "The Artist".
3) Korn, Life Is Peachy (Epic/Immortal). An album as unrelenting and brutal as their self-titled debut, Korn may well be the direction that harder rock is headed in the next few years...God help us all.
4) Tori Amos, Boys For Pele (Atlantic). Despite her occasional over-use of arrangements, Amos' lyrics and musical ability continue to set her ahead of her peers.
5) Pantera, The Great Southern Trendkill (EastWest). For the past four albums, Pantera has become more and more brutal with each album. For their next release, there's a chance that the band may just come to your home and beat you senseless when you buy the album.
Scott A. Miller
1) Wilco, Being There (Reprise). With its mix of heartfelt country and sing-along rock treats, Wilco's 1995 debut A.M. won over critics who remember lead songwriter Jeff Tweedy from the legendary Uncle Tupelo. Tweedy and Wilco are back in '96 with a sprawling two-disc set of 19 songs that draw on his love for groups like the Beach Boys, Small Faces and Mott the Hoople. But this is no Black Crowes retro outing. Everything is fresh and fun. And just like the classics of yesteryear, you'll be listening to Being There for years to come.
2) Jonny Polonsky, Hi My Name is Jonny (American). The Pixies never got the credit they deserved for defining the '90s punk/pop sound. Enter 22-year-old Jonny Polonsky in 1996 with what is essentially a great Pixies album. Recorded in a spare bedroom at his mom's house, the album's 10 songs clock in at 24 minutes even. Still there isn't a half-baked idea anywhere. Polonsky can even use the word "impregnable" as he does on the shoulda-been-huge "Love Lovely Love" and not sound stupid.
3) Slobberbone, Crow Pot Pie (Doolittle Records). If there's a place in your collection for cow punk, then there's a place in your heart for Slobberbone's debut. Crow Pot Pie is a fast, fast, fast ride through the trailer-park ghetto of singer-songwriter Brent Best's Denton, TX, mind. From the opening "Sober Song," which is anything but, to the dark humor of "Shoot You Dead" and "I Can Tell Your Love is Waning," this set will have you laughing, dancing, and drinking all the way to hell, which by the way, you will glimpse in the ninth song, the heart-breaking "Little Sister."
4) The Lemonheads, Car Button Cloth (Atlantic). Rich kid turned grown-up rich kid Evan Dando may have the world by the ass on the downhill drag, but that doesn't make his endearing garage pop sound any less charming. Filled with catchy melodies and moderately sloppy fills, like the whistling solo in the sly "If I Could Talk I'd Tell You," Car Button Cloth finds Dando playfully winking at his life and yours. He even did the cover drawing and you'd swear it was the work of a 6-year-old.
5) Jason Falkner, presents Author Unknown (Elektra). If Evan Dando is the lazy boy genius of pop, then Jason Falkner is his overachieving perfect brother. What stands out about presents Author Unknown is Falkner's absolutely stellar guitar work and his near-mastery of every other instrument in the band. Some people can play piano, drums, bass and guitar; Falkner could play them in other people's bands. But the songs don't exist for Falkner to show off. With a list of influences a mile long, Falkner moves easily from bluesy rock to power pop with a little punk attitude thrown in for good measure.
Tim Mohr
1) Space, Spiders (Gut UK). A welcome widening of Britpop, melding the strong melodic sense and structured writing of the guitar bands with syncopated beats and a sense of fun borrowed from Madness, the Specials, and Black Grape. A rebirth of the spirit that produced the Madchester scene; dance, pop, and wry lyrics rolled into a terrific debut album. Coming out on Universal in the States in 1997, a full review of Spiders will appear in a January issue of Consumable.
2) Ruby, Salt Peter Remixed (Creation/Sony). A well-rounded report on the various forms of dance music bubbling about the UK. A lengthy drum & bass excursion by Goldie's Metalheadz crew, some engaging house-ish rethinks, hip-hop-ish underpinnings, the works.
3) Suede, Coming Up (Nude/Sony UK). Stripped of the arty extremities that originally brought them to the forefront of British guitar music, Suede return with a mainstream album of Bowie rock. The lyrics are perhaps a trifle more ridiculous, though a quick relisten to old tracks ("Stay Together" is a particularly egregious example) will remind you that Brett's musings were never the reason to listen to this band anyway.
4) The Prodigy, "Firestarter" & "Breathe" singles. A pair of brutal hybrids of technology and, unexpectedly, guitar. Vocals from two guys whose styles could hardly be farther apart: one intent on resurrecting Johnny Rotten with more authenticity than Mr Lydon himself managed with re-formed Sex Pistols, the other representing the hard-core element of raggamuffin and hip-hop. Not an album, but truly a highlight of 1996.
5) Baby Bird, Ugly Beautiful (Echo). For their first record with a full band, this New Zealand outfit redoes tracks from their four oddball records from the last 18 months. Great songs very reminiscent of Echo & the Bunnymen's best work.
Al Muzer
1) Scarce, Deadsexy (A&M). Ravaged vocals, stuttering riffs and a humbucking guitar collide with an almost British Invasion, multi-harmony, male/female chorus for a wild, steering wheel-pounding, three-minute ride ("Honey Simple") to the top of the Buzz Bin heap.
2) The Cheese, Flip Your Lid (Curb). Joyously plagiarizes, modernizes and bastardizes supercharged classic rock and pop riffs nobody's thought to steal in years.
3) The Wrens, Secaucus (Grass). An effervescent blend of classic-sounding melodies, choruses and hooks coupled with a brilliant mastery of the forgotten art of writing great songs.
4) The Elevator Drops, Pop Bus (Time Bomb). A juiced-up, hit producin' version of Ween with a major new wave-via-glam-era Bowie fixation and a kouple'a Kinks records in their kollektion.
5) The Borrowers, The Borrowers (Guardian). The effortless, intuitive pop instincts of a Marshall Crenshaw-Bruce Cockburn genetic mutation gone electric - one of those sneaky, low-key discs that creeps up on you and quickly becomes an essential part of your day.
Linda Scott
1) Sting, Mercury Falling (A&M). Sting continues his interest in pop music with a polished production. One classy release.
2) Nirvana, From The Muddy Banks Of Wishkah (Geffen). While it satisfies even the mightiest grunge hankerings, listening to Kurt Cobain is still a sad experience. An excellent album knocked out of first place since most tracks are already widely distributed on bootlegs.
3) R.E.M., New Adventures In Hi-Fi (Warner). R.E.M. puts together another solid hit maker with roots in Automatic For The People and Monster. If you like R.E.M.'s newer albums, this one's a winner.
4) Blue Nile, Peace At Last (Warner). The Blue Nile is an obscure pop band that we all need to find out more about. The band takes its time to make each song a jewel. In twelve years just three albums have come from this Scottish trio. The second, Hats, may be the best, but the third, Peace At Last is beautiful. A lovely, romantic recording with exquisite lyrics, wonderful vocals and music.
5) Neurotic Outsiders, Neurotic Outsiders (Maverick). Bringing together musicians from Guns N'Roses, The Sex Pistols and Duran Duran, this self-titled album roars with rock and punk. The band's experience level is high, so performances are polished yet raw. The only thing standing between Neurotic Outsiders and success is the members' prior commitments to their home bands.
John Walker
1) Manic Street Preachers, Everything Must Go (Epic). The Manics survive the loss of founding member and focal point Richey Edwards to make their most focused, eclectic album yet. EMG balances Edwards' bleak nihilism (in songs like his "Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky") with the more melancholic but ultimately life-affirming pop vision of bassist Nicky Wire to great effect, whilst singer/guitarist/musical composer James Dean Bradfield again proves that he's the most underrated talent in rock and roll.
2) Nearly God, Nearly God (Island). Tricky says that he's never done heroin, but now that a friend told him that Nearly God is the ultimate smack album, he doesn't have to. Whatever your drug of choice may be, this is one seriously mind-boggling "duets" album from the guy who brought you 1995's "trip-hop" classic Maxinquaye. Success hasn't sat altogether comfortably on Tricky's skinny shoulders, and on this slab of mutant postmodern blues, he delves into the inner recesses of his twisted psyche a la Sly Stone circa There's A Riot Goin' On. Ditto for his just-released solo work Pre-Millennium Tension.
3) Suede, Coming Up (Sony UK). Too bad you unlucky Yanks will have to pay import prices (until April) for this until next year, but we in the U.K. and Canada can tell you that the coin outlay is worth it. Just when they were supposed to fall flat on their pretty faces following the departure of guitarmeister Bernard Butler, Brett Anderson and the boyz have dusted themselves off, got out the Bowie and Bolan records, and made another strong album. With newbie guitarist Richard Oakes at the helm, songs like "She" and "Film Star" (glam) rock harder than Suede has previously done, and Brett is up to form on the Ziggyesque balladry of "Picnic By The Motorway."
4) Girls Against Boys, House of GVSB (Touch & Go). An incendiary live act that burned up the second stage at Lollapalooza this summer, GVSB are one band that remembers when alternative rock meant The Fall, PIL, Killing Joke and others of the first wave of post-punk rockers. These guys rock demonically here on songs like "Disco 666" and "The Kinda Mzk You Like." If you think alternawimps like Evan Dando and Green Day are somehow "cutting edge," it's time to spend a night at the House of GVSB.
5) Placebo, Placebo (Caroline). Like GVSB, Placebo also look back to first-wave alternative rockers like Joy Division, early New Order, Jane's Addiction, and others of the "darker" 80s set, but update the sound and look for the 90s. Androgynous singer Brian Molko emerges here as a serious contender for Bowie-styled visionary status with stunningly sophisticated songs like "I Know" and "Lady of the Flowers." A band to watch for in the remaining years of the decade.
Simon West
1) Manic Street Preachers, Everything Must Go (Epic). No, so it's not the dark, seething classic that was The Holy Bible, but any attempt to stick with that would have been rather contrived at best. Instead, the Richey James-less Manics release a blinder of a comeback with an atypically accessible effort. First single "A Design For Life" is simply majestic, an epic song with one of the best videos of the year. Richey is present in spirit on the haunting "Removables" and "Small Black Flowers that Grow In The Sky." A fine album with some cracking songs, although part of me still prefers my Manics crackling with anger and spitting with venom...
2) Pulp, Different Class (Island). Technically a late 95 release, but Spin picked it in their Top 20 list... This one is simply genius. Building on the style perfected on His 'N Hers a couple of years previously, Jarvis Cocker breathes and moans his way through this brilliant collection of tales of class warfare, childhood love and adultery. "Common People" is a superb, biting attack on class, and "I Spy" is evil stuff, Jacques Brel after a bottle of cheap gin. "Disco 2000", meanwhile, will be immediately loved by anyone rejected by some great love in middle school (you can almost see Jarvis following the song's subject home in his shorts and blazer), and "Something Changed" is surprisingly touching, as close to a "conventional" love song as Pulp have got. Wonderful. Buy it.
3) Cast, All Change (Polydor). Technically late 95 too, but it didn't hit the States till 96. The nearest rivals Oasis have got for good honest rock, from ex-La John Power and friends. "Alright" was a criminally overlooked single in the States, the catchiest tune of the year ,it should have been *massive*. "Fine Time" and "Promised Land" are equally infectious and addictive, and the acoustic ballad "Walkaway" is marred only by the fact that you keep imagining Liam Gallagher singing it instead of Power. The best "Britpop" album of the year.
4) Chemical Brothers, "Setting Sun" single (Caroline). A thundering beat, driving techno rhythm, and bugger me if that's not Noel Gallagher, taking time out from Oasis to deliver the vocals on the best techno/dance single of the year. Nice show of diversity from the Oasis songwriter, and he shows he can handle vocal duties on something loud and nasty. Is it just me, or does he sound quite a bit like Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan on this? The latest in an increasing crossover between Britpop and Techno (Chemical Bros vs. Charlatans, etc), more of this is welcome.
5) Marc Almond, Fantastic Star (Mercury UK). The big shock. Normally an Almond release would be top 2 by default, but after two years of delays, during which an enormous amount of great new music emerged, Fantastic Star was a wee bit of a let down. A lengthy 18 track trawl through the dark side of fame, sleazy cities and seedy people, it's a slightly hit-and-miss affair. Early live performances of some of this material were surprisingly heavy on guitar, lending a harder edge to the Almond torch song, but unfortunately much of this was watered down and embellished with rather mundane electronics. "Brilliant Creatures" was the biggest disappoinment, transformed from a guitar-driven plaintive lost-love rainy night type thing into a generic high bpm dance floor filler, though the brilliance of the song still shines through here and there. There's still eight or nine songs on here that meet the expected standard; however, not a bad strike rate on what is essentially a double album. After some 15 years, this is as close as I've come to an Almond disappoinment - number five instead of one or two.
