April 7, 1998 Over The Edge Page 6 Various More of Our Stupid Noise Biokl GlERES w THE SOURS BF TERAY: (Squirtgun/Nettwerk) This aptly titled album is brought to us by the little known Squirtgun Records. which distributes through Vancouver based Nettwerk Records. This album is defi- nitely not for the close minded. If you enjoy the range of music performed at such places as the Urban Coffee House then you will probably enjoy this. Some of the better songs include Mystery Machine’s What | Want and Versus’ live version of Forest Fire. Many of the artists are smaller bands and that, while good, haven’t had the publicity in mainstream music. This album came into being when one person sat down to record a mixed tape composed of unre- leased songs from their favorite bands. This intrepid individual actually tracked down Sebadoh’s frontman, Lou Barlow by calling directory assistance for his number. Instead our brave soul got Lou’s dad who gave him Lou’s number. All this just so he could get permission to include Lou’s music on this album. The diversity of music on this album is amazing. It varies from the strong rhythms of Poledo’s Herskin to the lulling melodies of The Ids’ Pain nd Beauty. Songs like Bionic’s C’mon C’mon and Squirrel’s Superforgetior are loud and _ unimaginative. Definitely not for the faint of heart but for those adventur- ous souls out there who enjoy expanding their musical palate it is well worth checking out. By Teryn DeSmet The Phoids The Phoids (Ng Records) THE ) 10 | rs Se EOE. Re RNREY aR HHHK, HE Nee fee: asa me: The Phoids are an interest- ing mix of jazz, ‘70’s rock and new’ age pop with definite hard rock undertones. This band, out of New York, pro- vides a sound that is reminis- cent of many others but com- bines to form music that sounds like no other. The Phoids were formed early in 1994 and at the time only consisted of Jac Calabro (vocals, guitar), Matt Chiaravasile (guitar, vocals), and Michael Chambers (drums). They later acquired Greg Bass (bass, yes, he plays the bass), after Jac, Matt and Mike decided they desperately needed a better bass player. They found a good one when they found Greg. The songs released on their new album “The Phoids” have a paradoxical nature, which is culminated in their song Broken Gun. Broken ‘Gun is a song that sounds very much like some of the soft rock from the 1970’s ‘until you stop and actually listen to the lyrics which talk about the pain of breaking up and the desire the speaker has to shot people. Every song has a unique sound, and that is facilitated hy the use of a wide range of instruments on this album. The use of instruments such as Memphis Horns, Mellotrons, and a Hammond B-3 as well as the more widely used piano, acoustic guitar and trombone help to add the unusual flavor that The Phoids have on their new self-titie album. The most interesting addition to their musical repertoire was the use of a children’s choir. The Phoids are a group worth checking out it you have diverse musical taste SOUNDSCAPE because there will be some- thing you like on their new album, guaranteed. -By Nicole Larson Killah Priest HeavyMental (Geffen) Killah Priest of the Wu- Tang Clan claims that his mission is to bring the sheep back to peace. Although | am not a farm animal, | did feel peaceful enough to doze off while lis- tening to his debut album, Heavy Mental. The contrast between the music’s jazz-like ramble and its repetitive melodies make it comfort- able background music for a sedate evening with friends. Sadly, what would sail smoothly is sunk by Killah Priest's pretentious expres- sions, mindless profanity, and fundamental unoriginali- ty. The music is further marred by the Wu-Tang Clan’s tradition of impossibly cheesy lyrics. Killah’s attempt, of course, was not a total failure. The music is smooth and sweet, and its messages are noble despite their arrogance. Moreover, if you can under- stand much of what Killah is saying without straining your ears, then you are likely to enjoy the experience of his album more than | did. - By Naomi Manning Izzy Stradlin 117 Degrees (Geffen/Universal) At the end of the day, if it sounds good, don’t screw with it. This loose attitude has been typical of Izzy Stradlin from the beginning = oeES) ~ He of his career. Originally from Indiana, Stradlin learned to play the drums and was a co-found- ing member of Guns N’ Roses when he met Axl Rose in high schoo! and eventually helped track. down the rest of the band. He started writing music because “Songwriters make more money” and left Guns N’ Roses in 1991 to pursue his own ventures, the most successful of which was /zzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds of ‘92 which pro- duced such Top 10 hits as Shuffle it All and Somebody Knockin. Stradlin toured the world twice with the Ju Ju Hounds. By mid-1993, He began a period of experimenting and sporadic recording as he wh c IZZY STRADLIN UT s SPE, Cie a Seay, ES dear oe a traveled around the world. He also got interested in endurance racing of BMW 2002’s and Alpha Romeo GTV’s on a quarter mile track which he built for himself in Spain. By 1996, Stradlin had assembled enough songs to get a start on another album. He heard that Taz Bentley had left as the drummer for Reverend Horton Heat and being a huge fan, he seized the opportunity to track him down and asked if he wanted to go to LA and do an album. also acquired Duff McKagan (Bass) and Rick Richards (Guitar) who was formerly of the Georgia Satellites, and a member of the Ju Ju Hounds. Izzy calls © him the “Real Six-String Maestro [of the new album].” This talented new trio put together Izzy’s new album 117 degrees, recording at four major studios around the world. 117 degrees is a great care- free album. You can easily sympathize with Stradlin and the rest of the groups no- nonsense, don’t mess with it, garage-jamming music style. The rock n’ roll recording draws from a lot of different - backgrounds including metal, punk, blues, country, and surf, with regards to the great musical backgrounds of the different band mem- bers. In 117 degrees, Stradlin and the boys provide a great easy-listen. It's one of those “shove in the CD deck and drive into the sunset” kind of albums. -Kevin Milos TOP . Titanic Soundtrack Various Artists . Big Shiny Tunes 2 Various . Van Halen 3 Van Halen . My Own Prison Creed . Days of the New Days of the New . Clumsy Our Lady Peace . Women and Songs Various . Surfacing Sarah McLachlan 9. Yield Joe Satriani 10. Re-Load Metallica Brought to you by: