Over The Edge Page 8 = SOUNUSEADE = The Wild Strawberries Quiver (Nettwerk) The Wild Strawberries’ new release Quiver is worth listen- ing to, again and again and again. The first track. “Gotta Go” is vaguely reminiscent of the theme from Mad TV’s Spy Vs. Spy but as the disk pro- gresses so does the quality of the music. The stirring vocals of Roberta Carter Harrison are perfectly matched to the intricate har- monies provided by Ken Harrison. Quiver could be described as a picture of contrasts, there are few singles which sound alike, and sometimes a listener may wonder if they are still listening to the same group, the only unifying fac- tor, the sound of Carter Harrison’s voice. Even her voice changes with the rise and fall of the melodies and Imani Coppola Chupacabra (Columbia) Goat Sucker. That's what the title of this CD means. Despite it’s odd title though, Chupacabra is a one of a kind. Imani Coppola comes from a New York family which holds a strong back- ground in music. Both of her parents play multiple instruments, her mother sings, she has two brothers who rap, and another who plays bass. On top of ail this, she is a sophomore at the State University of New York, studying, of course, music. Consequently, her diverse background in music shows through in a tapestry of sounds on her premiere release which make for a unique record- ing, subtly hinting at stories, art, and culture. Not ever intending to rap at all, Imani says “| had planned on being a_ singer...Rapping was just a way for me to tell my stories.” And that is exactly what she does on this album, with obvious success judging from her fast-rising hit “Legend of a Cowgirl”. She tells soothful stories about life and con- harmonies’ provided by Harrison, now sweet, now raspy and always matched to the music. Tracks like “Trampoline” and “Mirror Mirror” show some of the Wild Strawberries’ musi- cal past and produce similar emotional stirrings to “Bet you think I’m lonely” from their last album Heroine. The strange beauty of tracks like “Blunt” mixed with the slightly more up-beat sound of “Minions” and “Speak of the Devil’ produces and interest- ing contrast which is what makes this album stand out from other groups which find a synthesizer sound and stick exclusively to it. This group is so musically diverse that some tracks have a hint of Depeche Mode, but the sounds are still unique to this Sic RGit these fronts topics common in life but still manages to delve into the surreal with her loose, carefully constructed rapping. All of this is held together by a funky beat and a wide range of sounds carefully placed in the most strategic of places. ‘The result is an unexplainably unique blend of the most unique musical beans ground up and brewed into a “spiritual, feel-good” rap that is supremely listenable and just plain .doesn’t suck goats. -Kevin Milos Wild Strawherries quiver band. Diversity is the word of the day for Wild Strawberries. Their sound on quiver has only slight similarities to their last album, Heroin, and each track barely relates to the others, but the effect is not chaotic and works together to form a whole. Quiver is the musical equivalent to an impressionist painting, when viewed in tiny portions it is not especially aesthetic but when viewed as a whole it is a true work of art. -By Nicole Larson Barstool Prophets Last of the Big Game Hunters Mercury The Barstool Prophets have a consistent sound. In a market saturated with one-hit wonders who can’t reproduce the sound they sell, this consistency serves to increase the marketability of their music. But the BP don’t rely completely on remixing the same sound -ideas for this album. They pursue the old combination of word games from Crank and add a lot of interesting new guitar riffs to gain the listen- ers attention. The packaging is well laid out, replete with the ‘story’ format of song titles (like the back of the Crank album) in the middle of the cover flap. The BP go about their busi- ness right from the first cou- Space Monkeys The Daddy of them All. (Interscope) Acid house at its best, Space Monkeys has a fast-paced delirium beat to satisfy the DJ’s around the world with beauti- fully sampled tunes and sur- prisingly meaningful lyrics. The Daddy of them All is this Brit bands third release so far. Their confidence backing them up and showing results so far, the quad consists of Richard McNevin-Duff (Vocals, Guitars, Loops), Chas Morrison (Drums,. Vocals, Percussion), Dom Morrison (Bass, Guitar), and Tony’ Pipes (Du, Keyboards, Beats, Samples). The synthesis that you will find this concentration of talent pro- ducing contain samples of soundbites stolen from other amazing musical mixers such as The Wu Tang Clan, Public Enemy, and DJ Shadow. Masterfully concealed, it is impossible to pinpoint these riffs without listening to the track over and over again. The ple of tracks, The Expedition (Intro) and the Last of the Big Game Hunters, rocking with- out going into a youth-band- kill-us-all brain aneurysm. The softer tunes, Friend of Mine, All Tangled Up and Thrusters are all still com- pletely unmistakable as hard- er rocking tunes (ie they probably won’t put you to sleep without a real effort on your part), but the control that the BP exhibit playing these songs is phenomenal. Where most bands would explode into the chorus, the BP main- tain a steady, plodding, yet pleasurable beat through Thrusters to end the album. The social commentary found on the Crank album, in songs like Robin Song and February 9, 1998 we es | Space Monkeys have taken the talent of a great potential indie band and created a unique new sound with it through the use of musical mixing technology, causing them to debut onto charts in 1996 with their former album “Keep Tripping On.” Now their new single, “Sugar Cane”, is causing fury in the acid house clubs. It sure beats their earli- er days of drinking, smoking, and listening to loud tunes in a hotel room, booked under a false name, and then running riot through the corridors uniil they were kicked out without paying. -ByKevin Milos - ay aOR et ~~ ENCWMAE THE BIC Chae HURT ENS Short and Curlies is still very much present in the subtly aggressive undertones of Vigilante and Get Along. The BP know how to make the words wrap around the musi- cal arrangements so that the emotions of the lyrics lash out and cut into the listeners’ ear and mind. It's fun hunting and a great listen. Get your paws on a copy. -Paul Berard Over The Edge SoundScape is a new review column encompas- ing music and its many talents. Features will include reviews of artists live venues, recordings, and upcoming releases with a focus on Canadian and local artists when it is viable. Future publications will include features of artists and outlines of upcoming events in the area. Individuals and commercial interests can contact SoundScape c/o Over The Edge at 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9.