November 18 2002 “th Ker in Has DEL wa re; Las Ketchup Hijas Del Tomate Columbia 2002 kk Hijas Del Tomate is Cordoba, Spain’s Las Ketchup’s first released album. Lola, Lucia, and Pilar Munoz, the three group mem- bers, acquired the name ‘Las Ketchup’ from their father, a traditional flamenco guitarist who goes under the name Tomate. Hijas Del Tomate (literally ‘Daughters of the Tomato’) is a fairly stereotypical Spanish/Latin pop album that combines Spanish and Latin influences with the ubiquitous pop beats. It’s almost like lis- tening to the last half of an Enrique Iglasias album, but with less EuroPop influences. ‘The Ketchup Song, the album’s first single, is, in all honesty, somewhat annoying. This is emphasized by the fact they put the same song on the same album four times. Fortunately, that song is not a good representative of the entire album, the six other songs that are not ‘The Ketchup Song’ (which, by the way, has nothing to do with ketchup). The sisters’ voices are strong, but they opted to sing the straight melodies and not dabble in harmonies. This made the album sound a bit plain, but they compensated for some of that with some cool Spanish beats. For a first album, it was a good effort. -Steph noovenrionic lupheie Cane Hooverphonic Presents Jackie Cane Sony 2002 kk This album had to be reviewed on the listen alone, as Sony included no informa- tion about the group. However, that can be a good thing. | find that a bio can sometimes ruin a_ listen. Anyway, | quite enjoyed this album. It reminded me of a less electronic Propellerheads mixed with a Portishead big band feel only less depress- ing. The instrumentation is quite diverse featuring the London Session Orchestra, the Scala Choir, as well as some organ and keyboard work. A lot of the music reminded me of Sean Connery era James Bond soundtrack. The vocals are quite engaging and pleas- ant. This group might not be everyone’s cup of tea, though, as it is not exactly commercial and lacks in this department, which is another reason it appeals to me. -Destrudo Sugarcult Start Static Ultimatum 2001 kkk Sugar Cult started in 1998 with only “4 guys, 3 chords, 2 guitars and 1 van.” They are primarily a live band, playing high-energy live-type songs, and have toured with a looocooo000ong list of other bands, including Pennywise, 311, Blink 182, and Reel Big Fish. Start Static, their first album, was released in 2001. First of all, let’s just admit to ourselves that these guys are a punk band. Normally this might deter me a little, but | figured | may as well give it a try. Well, right from the start | found myself interested in this album. It’s very energetic, and unlike most punk doesn’t sound like it was recorded on a four-track in the back of a van. Also, their sound varies enough from song to song to keep me from getting bored. Even if you don’t normally try pop-punk, you might want to give this one a try. -Josh Over The Edge Page 9 STRIKE ZONE University se - $2.50 Tuesdays!!! Cheap Bowling! Cheap Tap! 2366 Westwood Drive 563-BOWL(2695) WorkRights.ca @ know your rights!