The Velvet Teen
Out Of the Fierce Parade
Slowdance www.slowdance.com

While their talent is obvious upon first listen, the three-piece known as The Velvet Teen may require a few listens before you realize they've made one of the most exciting records of the year. We're now six or so years on since the birth of the "Inspired By Radiohead" epoch, and the influence has benefited bands with unconventional song structures like Elbow and Clinic. However unwillingly they feel about being grouped together, their similarity to Yorke and Co. lies less in their musical distinction than the very fact that people are looking for groups that can equally combine melodicism and innovation with apparent ease. Out of the Fierce Parade is no Kid A, but any fan of The Bends might be intrigued. Judah Nagler has the gumption to sing like he's gliding over the music, stretching notes with effortless flair in his mid-high-pitched voice. The songs are complex without losing themselves in post-rock noodling, catchy while carrying enough depth to rely on more than simple hooks. Considering this release is on a small independent record label, the production work is particularly fantastic, letting the musical nuances rise up to the surface with deft subtlety. Beyond Radiohead, friends have compared them to Shudder To Think, Jeff Buckley and Queen. I don't hear any of that, causing me to wonder if we are indeed dealing with a group whose future is a path yet to be paved.

-Ben Goldberg

Monster Movie
Last Night Something Happened Clairecords www.clairecords.com

Christian Savill's most well known stateside position was as a member of the blissful and atmospheric Slowdive, who garnered a blip of attention in the early 90's in the wake of My Bloody Valentine's Loveless. While derided as knockoffs, the band actually took the sound and slowed it to the point of near-stasis, thereby indulging in their soporific side and ignoring nearly everything else. Savill now has a new project named Monster Movie and, as opposed to fellow members Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell (who went the Americana route with the Nashville-by-way-of-Britain sound of Mojave 3), he continues indulging in the style he helped to perfect. The group's first album is, at its essence, well crafted pop songs, but, just like Slowdive, it boosts into stratospheric beauty by fitting shimmering guitar effects and harmonized vocals in just the right places. Again, as before, the key to making a good song has everything to do with taking familiar elements and combining them in unlikely ways. That Monster Movie chooses to articulate their talents through the oft-diluted dream pop route does nothing but highlight how substantial is their contribution.

-Ben Goldberg

Chara
Madrigal
Epic Records Japan

The first track "Bokuni Utushite" speaks like a true love song, duet and all with the voice of Chara & James Iha, the guitarist of the now defunct Smashing Pumpkins. Madrigal, however, delivers more than just simplistic sentiment of a madrigal. Once again Chara's pouty vocals move from song to song proving the tempermental singer that she has always been. If your looking for an introduction to Chara this is it. Madrigal is available on import only and damn those J-pop import prices!!.

Also in Madrigal, fans of Boredoms and The Blood Thirsty Butchers can scrounge around for the beat crumbs of thier idols. In the song TADD, fans of The Boredoms can certainly rejoice when they hear the drum beats of Yoshimi P-we & ATR that I think make that song seem right-on in those precious 3.34 minutes.

-AS

YUKI
the end of shite
Epic Records Japan
www.yukiweb.net

After taking a little breather as the 2nd drummer in the rock-n-leather Japanese sweatheart band Mean Machine (review in issue 1-01), YUKI has having fun with her new solo single "End of Shite." Any one who thought that there wouldn't be any more juice in YUKI after the break-up of the 7 year old band Judy and Mary was definitly mistaken. Judy and Mary was just a chapter in YUKI's singing career. In this new chapter, calling for "the end of shite", YUKI drops the childishly high pitch vocals and replaces them with more mature and seriously sexy vocals.

The big surprise in this release is that the songs where written by Aiha Higurashi, the lead singer of Seagull Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (review in issue 1-01), fuck off right? Aiha even played guitar on this single! What I wanna know now is if they're gonna tour together?, and if so I hope they make it out to New York City. I'll be waiting.

-AS

YUKI
the end of shite (video /mpeg)
Epic Records Japan

YUKI fans can't miss this: Check out the new video for "the end of shite" and see what YUKI has been keeping inside of her all these years...

Download this video and others at:
Yuki Forever a French JAM Fansite.

-AS