SHORT TAKES
- Bob Gajarsky
Three albums which aren't your usual fare...
REVIEW: Hanuman Care Kit, Visiting (Gorgone)
Sometimes the best things come in unknown packages...
Named for the Hindu monkey god (Hanuman), the French/English duo of Hanuman Care Kit incorporate nearly every dance sound imaginable to produce one of 'those' records that breaks down barriers and defies conventional descriptions.
Like two chemists striving for perfection, the Frenchmen / musician (Flazz) and Englishman / vocalist (Stig) mix trip hop, techno, jungle, drum 'n' bass, rap, scratching and pop in a giant beaker to produce the perfect antidote to combat boredom from bland music - even if their names aren't exactly brilliant.
A quick perusal through their debut album, Visiting, offers a glimpse into their exciting new world. "Aural Exciter" pushes the limits of a new 'catch phrase' - jungle jazz???? - while keeping the beats pounding. "Jezabella" wouldn't seem out of place on Space's Spiders disc with its unique ambient-meets-trip hop feel, and "Ironality" is just tripping space-age rap. "Sombeleev" was remixed by Massive Attack's DJ Gaffo Armagedion, and if there was one overriding comparison for Visiting, it would be straight to Massive Attack.
Forget the stagnant American dance scene. With the uprising of artists who parlez vous francais, it has become painfully obvious that the real cutting edge scene is emanating out of France - and the musical diversity on Visiting positions Hanuman Care Kit right at the forefront of it all.
Gorgone Productions can be contacted at PO Box 2242, Austin, TX 78768.
REVIEW: Jaymz Bee And Royal Jelly Orchestra, Cocktail
Shaken And Stirred
While the lounge scene hasn't quite captured the fancy of North Americans as it has in the U.K., Canadian Jaymz Bee is hoping to change all that with the release of his cocktail covers compilation, Cocktail Shaken And Stirred.
Bee has devoted this eleven track album to deconstructing and reworking hits - with different vocalists on each song - from some of Canadian's best known rockers. "The Safety Dance" is transformed into a scene straight out of the Tijuana Brass meeting Ravi Shankar on the Dating Game, while crooning occurs on the Wayne Newton-esque twist on Loverboy's "Turn Me Loose" as well as an ultra-hip version of Bryan Adams' "Run To You". The standout track is the James Bond meets Partridge Family feel to Corey Hart's "Sunglasses At Night", but alterna-fans will feel more comfortable with the cleaning detergent feel of Alanis' "You Oughta Know" - and, yes, they do say 'fuck'.
A collection such as this, no matter how kitschy, still requires competent musicians to complete the mood, and the twelve piece Royal Jelly Orchestra is up to the task. Using the traditional (trumpet, sax, piano) and unconventional (sitar, vibraharp, flugelhorn), they provide the perfect atmosphere for Bee's vocalists...and an easy chair...and a nice, dry, martini. Shaken, not stirred.
REVIEW: Abe Lincoln Story, We're Having A Dance Party (Flipside)
Flipside Records first gained a (belated) sense of national notoriety when they released a single, "MTV Makes Me Want To Smoke Crack", by a then-unknown Beck. The other side of the double A-side was recorded by a band friendly with Beck, Bean, fronted by Steve Moramarco. Now, several years later, Moramarco returns to the California scene leading the dignified Abe Lincoln Story.
This time around, Moramarco leads a group of three regular members (Gary Viggers on bass, Jonathon Stearns on trumpet and keyboards, and Peter Fullerton on drum kit/percussion) and cast of many part-time members to generate a novelty ska-punk group that can play a tune. Some of the outside contributors include the Geraldine Fibbers' Carla Bozulitch (who sings on "Come Home") and Glue drummer Peter Tomlinson.
"I Don't Understand (Star 69)" owes much to Eddie Cochran, but with a powerful horn section and 'Mr. Popeil'-style backup singers. Imagine Weird Al's original tunes combined with The Foremen's subtle sense of satire. "Rock, Scissors, Paper" takes the age-old children's game, and makes it into something everyone can dance to. "Get High And Go To Work" is the raise-your-hands-and-pump-your-fists rock and roll that carried music in the 80s, but with a different tale of partying and getting even with the boss.
It won't make a fiesta by itself, but Dance Party offers an opportunity to get drunk and let the Abe Lincoln Story tell the tale.
