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Meme Review Archive 2008-2009
 
Tru Thoughts Covers - VA (Tru Thoughts)
We have a real soft spot for cover versions, and also a soft spot for Tru-Thoughts Records (don't know if you'd noticed at all?). So, when TT sent us the promo for 'Tru Thought Covers' you can imagine the little squeal of excitement we let out. This selection of cover versions from the last 5 years of TT output is pretty much rock solid - apart from the rather difficult J.Views cover of Smooth Criminal (despite Jackson covers usually being our favourite sort of cover). All of the tracks manage to blend very diverse styles of music - our favourites being The Hot 8 Brass Band's 'Sexual Healing' and Nostalgia 77's version of 'Seven Nation Army' (featuring Alice Russell). A great collection as well as a excellent compliment to the Shapes series. Released 7th September (but listen to 3 of the tracks on the
MemePlayer right now).
Listen here:
>
MemePlayer
Download this:
>Sexual Healing
>Seven Nation Army
Buy it here:
>Etch (from 07/09/09) |
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The Phenomenal Handclap Band - The Phenomenal Handclap Band (Truth and Soul)
This is our newest favourite band, and for lots of reasons. They are an 8-piece group from Brooklyn with a really refreshing diversity of sound across the whole LP - including soul, funk, pop and, er, prog rock - with the result that no two songs are the same (just look at the Meme Genre Web, below, for proof). You can hear influences from people like Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, Blondie and The Doors. The musicianship is tight and they are not afraid to explore many different sounds, which provides you, the listener, with a real treat. You can hear one of their songs (the soulful 'Baby') on MemeMix010, then head over to MySpace to hear more before buying your own copy. Eclectic ain't the word for it.
 
The Herbaliser Band - Session 2 (K7!)
Can you see what they've done here? This is a kind of a retrospective of the Herbaliser's best songs, made as instrumentals and recorded as live. You've also probably worked out that this is the sequel to 'Session 1' which they released in 2000, and includes reworkings of tracks from their subsequent LPs, including a Meme favourite 'Same As It Never Was'. Jake Wherry and Olie Teeba, who hail from West London, have produced some mighty fine tunes in the past and this is definitely reflected on the album. Some tracks clearly stand out, including our fave 'Moon Sequence', originally off 'Very Mercenary'. If you are a Herbaliser fan then you should go and get this; if you like funky hip-hop electonica then it's definitely wirth a try. Released 24th July, but download a free track here.
  27 Devils - Flevans (Tru-Thoughts)
We previewed some tracks off this LP a while ago, but we've held back from reviewing the whole thing because we wanted to give it a fair hearing. When we first listened to it, it was a bit like listening to a compilation CD, so diverse were the tracks. But we liked Flevans' previous work and knew it had potential, so we listened to it again, and again, and again. The effort was worth it - we really like this LP and it does, eventually, all hang together. There are some stand-out tracks to look out for, particularly those with the excellent female guest vocalists Sarah Scott and Shona Foster ('More On The Way', 'On and Out'). You will see from the Meme GenreWeb, below, that the LP covers a wide range of styles, which, if you give it a chance, is actually the record's big strength.
 
Speech Therapy - Speech Debelle (Big Dada)
I know this is kind of hip-hop, but it is brilliant. Speech Debelle has given us a beautiful record that provides a surprisingly honest window on her troubled 25 year-old life.
The music alone is enough reason for you to buy this record, but the quality of the lyrics on tracks such as 'Daddy's Little Girl' and 'Searching' make this one of our favourite LPs of the year so far. Don't dare compare her to people like Lilly Allen - if you made a pile of contemporary female singers in your living room, Lily Allen would be on the bottom, with Speech Debelle very much on the top of the heap. This one is worth every penny of your hard-earned pocket money.
 
Kitsuné Maison Compilation 7 - Various - (Kitsuné)
Even at number 7 in this series, it is still well worth getting your hands on this compilation of acts from the uber-cool French label, Kitsuné. The mood of this one is a bit more relaxed than the previous ones, which is probably just a reflection of how the label's music is developing. There is a track from La Roux (their single 'In For The Kill') which, like a number of the songs on offer here is a jolly good remix. Other stand out tracks are 'Time After Time' from 'We Have Band' and 'This Sweet Love' from James Yuill. It is unlikely that you will have heard of most of these artists, which gives every reason to give them a go. And if you like this, then do have a look at the previous 6 compliations and their (slightly more boisterous) Boombox and Tabloid series.
  Traditions In Transition - Quantic and his Combo Barbaro - (TruThoughts)
It's fairly easy for a European musician to make a pretty good Latin-American-inspired record these days, but damn near impossible to make a great one. You need the sort of commitment that involves moving yourself to Cali in Colombia and setting up your own band and studio. Back that up with a natutlral ability honed through years of experience creating many different styles of music and the end result is this stunning LP. We really, really like this latest record from Quantic, and it should stand as a belweather for anyone wanting to create an authentic, quality Latin American album. Excellent musicianship, great guest vocalists and a rhythm that will creep under your skin and stay with you for the rest of the day. Essential.
  Remixes - Cro-Magnon - (Lastrum)
We reviewed their latest LP, 'Mellow Out & Acoustic' a few weeks back, and that put us on to this collection of Cro-Magnon remixes from the Japanese band (originally released as 3 EPs). If you like your music a bit more electronic (and who doesn't?) then this may suit you even more. It still retains that laid back, so-mellow-it's-cool feel but with extra bells and whistles (not literally, obviously!). There is also a live session included, but this gets a bit too far away from the Cro-Magnon we really enjoy.
 
Betty Padgett - Betty Padgett - (Ubiquity)
This is one of those 're-discovery' LPs that Ubiquity do so well. Betty Padgett recorded this LP in Miami in 1975 when it had some minor success, mainly through a 12" of 'Sugar Daddy' (which was actually used on a Pepsi ad). The tunes themselves are quite diverse (sweet soul, disco and reggae), and Betty has recorded since this (as recently as 2006), but if you like your authentic 70s soul music then this should definitely be on your list of CDs to buy next.
 
Stonephace - Stonephace (Tru-Thoughts)
So, imagine you are in Cairo, or London, or somewhere; it is late at night, you hear some music coming from behind a doorway at the bottom of some dark steps off the street. You go down the steps and push open the heavy door a little. You see a small dark room packed with hundreds of sweaty people dancing to some big, fat jazz beats - some people are swaying slowly, some are flaying their arms around - all are completely hypnotized by the music coming from the band on the tiny stage at the back. The 5 band members are equally entranced producing this music, oblivious to the audience and each other - it is only the mesmerising rhythms and brooding music drawing everyone in the room together. You step through the door, the heat hits you, the music enters your body, and you are lost forever.
 
Jazzanova - Of All The Things (Verve)
Jazzanova have moved in a subtly different direction on this LP. Using mainly real instruments rather than samples (they are DJs by trade), and some cracking (all male) vocal talents, they have produced a superb record that manages to keep things real gentle but carries with it enough tension and energy to make it stand out from the crowd. There is much diversity in the songs (with soul, jazz, electronica and hip hop featuring) which are enhanced by the different singers, including Paul Randolph, Ben Westbeech, José James and Dallas from Fat Freddy's Drop. A great record that keeps getting better and better the more we listen to it.
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