Have a happy birthday, November boys and girls.

Music: Modeselektor - Happy Birthday (click to download)

My post-surgery treatment beckons in a week's time. In the tradition of cancer patients striving to live it out and not be bed-ridden with distraught all the time, I'd like to raise a toast to all the Scorpios I know and those that I don't know (I really mean this). Have a happy birthday and never forget those who love and cherish you!

This November, my birth month, I am reminded that I don't need a birthday party to remind me how awesome Malaysians really are. I have their backing and dancing shoes so that my days are coloured pink rather than grey.

If you feel like swaying about alone in your living room, Modeselektor should get you in the mood. My fellow Scorpios should really fancy playing this track this whole November. I haven't danced in awhile but it won't stop me from tapping my feet.

John Legend covers U2's 'Pride (In The Name of Love)'.

Let me suggest something to do today since you have your ass sinked so deep in your chair.

Go watch John Legend's beautiful acoustic cover of U2's 'Pride (In The Name of Love)' here. Legend's contribution is part of a 2 hour TV special, 'KING', marking the fortieth anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King. It will be aired on the History Channel on Sunday, 27 APR 2008.

Feel like traveling home after a hard day's work with that John Legend cover tune to rock your iPod? Yeah with all the inspirational quotes from MLK himself. Here's your mp3 link (fixed volume levels from earlier mp3 post).

Image taken from The Enquirer.

fRm thom y.

Looks like Thom Yorke isn't away on holidays just yet. I've received this transmission just a few hours ago on a bunch of remixes of 'the eraser' being available soon via www.boomkat.com
__________________________________________________

please excuse this addiTion to YouR pile of email.

ThIs is not stricTly junk.

this
is a quick notE to Let YoU know thAT there will be shorttlY be a bunch of rmxs
of some of the songs from the ERAser album made available to download from boomkat.com.

on the 17th of Dec a BURIAL rmx of anditrainedallNight
a ModeSeleKtOR rmx of skipdivideD
& a VAriouS rmx of aNaLYse

on the 18th of Dec a FoURtet rmx of AtoMS for PEace
& two Christian Vogel rmxs of 'Black sWAn'

on the 19th of Dec the SuRGEon rmx of the CLock
a rmx of HarrOWdown HiLL by THE buG
& a rmx of Cymbal RUsh by The FIEld

that's it. apoloGIes for the disturbanCE. check themm out if you get amoment.

i Hope yours is a pEaceful CHRistmas.

>

thom yorke.

They can't stop us all.

Just had to link this. It's too elaborate to not share with fellow blog visitors.

Just when you thought that was all.

XL Recordings have been nominated the exclusive rights to distribute the latest Radiohead album. So, what's Parlophone got up their sleeves? Well, radioheadstore rides the bandwagon following the success of 'In Rainbows' by launching a discography boxed set and invites hardcore fans to purchase the physical copy consisting of all 7 previous albums (under Parlophone) remastered and repackaged. There are also digital copies available but do not expect the similar emphasis on "name your price" practiced by the band during the worldwide digital release for 'In Rainbows'. Parlophone has also taken the current 'new marketing strategy' trend by making the albums available through a 4GB USB stick too.

Limited edition boxed set will be priced at GBP 39.99. DRM-free, 320 kbps digital download at GBP 34.99. The USB drive (based on the Kid A/Amnesiac killer bear logo) will be tagged at GBP 79.99.

Oh but Thom sounds happy with it.

It came with no alarms. No pre-release Internet leaks. Straight up. Click. There. My hard copy of Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' already pre-ordered.

I've not read blog entries in detail of how Thom and Co. were going to execute this album. I've not even bothered to be a url stalker; crawling into the crevices of Radiohead fansites and scouring for live renditions of upcoming studio songs. But after listening to the new album myself by digitally downloading it for merely a few pounds, I understand all the hype now.

Let's not study about how the band is marketing this seminal piece of work but how they have approached it with juvenile zest. In my humble opinion, fans out there who paid nothing for it are gearing up for the big release of the USD$80.00 hard copy.

Ever thought how Radiohead would sound like the day Thom Yorke feels pink all of a sudden? Well once you've got hands on the brand new album and you more or less have a picture of how brilliant this Oxford-based band can be, whatever the mood they're in! After years of interesting, desolate and sad bastard music, it's pure business sense that Radiohead ventures back into what made them a rock giant in the first place - guitars, layers and layers and layers of atmospheric noise and Thom's nonchalance.

Radiohead blends in all the necessary ingredients but executes a different formula from 'The Bends', 'OK Computer' and 'Kid A/Amnesiac'. Almost instantly recognizable, the drum loops and now-customary loops engage the listener to an all too familiar landscape of Radioheadland. But wait! Enter Thom Yorke; juggling rhymes and murmuring just like he used to but this time with a warm and chirpy grace.

It took me exactly five listens to fully appreciate Radiohead's new outing 'In Rainbows' in its digital format which clocks just over 42 minutes in its entirety. Maybe it's because I didn't get much feel of it; no liner notes to read, no Stanley Donwood art to drool over. How many take did it take you to dig this one? My favourite tracks right now would be 'All I Need' and 'House of Cards' but I can see the whole album being hot on my playlist this whole month.

Has Thommie found inner peace? Has Jonny got the fringes of his hair cropped? Ed's background vocals sound so much crispier compared to 'Kid A'. So many wonderful questions and remarks to make to compliment this meticulous production. Kudos to Phil Selway for his outstanding drumming in this album too.

Here are a few standout tracks from 'In Rainbows' but I'm just fooling myself because every song screams of nonchalance, telling the listener to just shut up and feel the new spawn of Radiohead. Many indie bands have shown mantle but none have been so exceptionally detail and managed to build-up their credibility album after album like Radiohead has.

01 - Radiohead - 15 Step
02 - Radiohead - Bodysnatchers
04 - Radiohead - Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
08 - Radiohead - House Of Cards
09 - Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place
10 - Radiohead - Videotape

In unison with some fellow bloggers who've purchased this album through their official website or leeched/thieved it from torrent sites, I just won't call this an instant classic just yet. However, it's heartwarming to know that Radiohead haven't lost touch with the way they present themselves. Their cross-fusion between electronics and acoustics coupled with layer-by-layer of industrial goodness do not fail them.



Made-to-orders should be out early December! Can't wait!

__________________________________________________

UPDATE (12 Dec 2007):

Songs from the 2nd disc are listed as follows:
1. Radiohead - MK1 (1:04)
2. Radiohead - Down Is The New Up (4:59)
3. Radiohead - Go Slowly (3:48)
4. Radiohead - MK2 (0:53)
5. Radiohead - Last Flowers (4:26)
6. Radiohead - Up On The Ladder (4:17)
7. Radiohead - Bangers & Mash (3:19)
8. Radiohead - 4 Minute Warning (4:06)

MP3s from the 2nd disc of 'In Rainbows' can be downloaded (for a limited time only) in zipped format by clicking on these two mirror links.

Download 'In Rainbows' CD2 via: zshare | rapidshare

An opera great dies.

Music: Passengers (feat Luciano Pavarotti) - Miss Sarajevo (click to download)

I don't speak Italian. I didn't know much about the man except the fact that a lot of great musicians liked to work with him. But I'll say this, you had a wonderful voice, Mr. Pavarotti. Ever since you worked with Brian Eno and Bono in Passengers, I kept listening to your song as though it was a prayer.

Dying after so many years keeping the torch burning for opera music, you certainly did not die in vain.

Pavarotti's tombstone will read 'October 12, 1935 – September 6, 2007'.

Thank you and may the Lord be with you.

'Identify That Trailer Music!' - Vol. 2

They say good things happen to those who wait.

I've always preferred films released in autumn. As Hollywood continue to phase out this year's summer films, we're enticed with a huge amount of trailers available for upcoming release for autumn right up till winter. And once again, film producers and directors have made music in film an essential part of their promotional footage. I've browsed through a jaw-dropping amount of trailers available online and made some of the tunes available here for a limited period only for your listening pleasure.

1) The Invasion (starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig) / Genre: sci-fi thriller
- Trailer features a track from Sigur Ros - Untitled 8 (Popplagiö, The Pop Song).

2) Feast of Love (starring Morgan Freeman, Radha Mitchell, Greg Kinnear, Selma Blair / Genre: drama
- Starring an all-star cast! Midway through the trailer, Air Traffic - Just Abuse Me is played in the background.

3) Dans Paris (starring Romain Duris and Louis Garrel) / Genre: drama
- Midway through the trailer, Canadian band Metric's 'Handshakes' takes a bow.

4) The Jane Austen Book Club (starring Hugh Dancy, Maria Bello, Emily Blunt, Amy Brenneman) / Genre: drama
- For the literary enthusiasts who tend to emulate their lives as per their favourite author...at the end of the trailer, we hear the soulful voice of Paolo Nutini singing his hit single 'New Shoes'.

5) Introducing The Dwights a.k.a Clubland (starring Brenda Blethyn) / Genre: comedy drama
- A fine piece of Australian film finally bought Stateside! At the beginning of the trailer, we have background music from French band Phoenix with 'Consolation Prizes'.

6) Margot At The Wedding (starring Nicole Kidman, Jack Black) / Genre: drama
- Granted this being a more serious role, with Jack Black amongst the cast, this is bound to be a fun-filled movie with gags aplenty. The trailer features Phantom Planet covering Crosby, Stills & Nash's 'Our House' and Blondie's 'Sunday Girl' at the end of the trailer.

7) The Heartbreak Kid (starring Ben Stiller, Malin Akerman, Michelle Monaghan) / Genre: rom-com
- Aahhh...good ol' funnyman Ben Stiller in a Farrelly Brothers' production, a remake of the original movie with the same name. The trailer for this contains several retro hits such as Supertramp's 'Give A Little Bit', Electric Light Orchestra's 'Don't Bring Me Down', Spice Girls' 'Wannabe', Miami Sound Machine's 'Conga' and the arguably, all-time classic midi favourite (and for Moog fans in Malaysia who caught the 'TV Pendidikan: Form 3 English' series in the afternoon back in the 1980s) Hot Butter's 'Popcorn'.

Petey, don't leave!

Music: New Order - Vicious Streak (click to download)



Whenever I am asked who was my preference for best bassist in the late 80s, I am split between 'cigarette-smoking' Adam Clayton of U2 and 'band-gangster' Peter Hook of Joy Division/New Order. As it was the '80s, you couldn't really tell if Peter was the backup, as most bassists tend to be, or the lead; the show man. He is often caught on camera with his sleeves rolled up and pacing around the mainstage (imagine Edge doing that all the time and Bono just singing with the mic). An indication that he wants to be known as the working class guitarist?

I was born in the new wave era so Peter Hook held a fond place in my heart. At a very early age, through the likes of songs like 'Blue Monday', 'Bizzard Love Triangle' and the quintessenial Joy Division track 'She's Lost Control', Peter Hook amazed me with his coolness and panache onstage; much alike Adam Clayton which I suspect secretly watches Peter Hook's live performances every now and then.

I was left in tatters today after reading news that Peter has imminently left the band and suggested that New Order has been disbanded. It hurts whenever you find out a brilliant musician decides to call it quits for such a genre-challenging band such as New Order. It is not a matter of quitting while you're on top because New Order is vibrant enough to defy classification and develop new sounds whenever they have new album projects. I can only pray that Bernard Sumner manages to reconcile withstanding matters with Peter Hook because I seriously doubt anyone can fill in his shoes.

In appreciation of Peter Hook, I've uploaded a clip from New Order's show in Finsbury Park on the 9th of June, 2002. Try and guess what this one's called...



-------------------------------------------------------

On a side note, renowned photographer/music video director, Anton Corbijn soothed the wounds with his supposedly excellent depiction of Joy Division's lead singer, the late Ian Curtis with the film 'Control' which should be out later this year.

Sam Phillips, revisited.

Hey, remember that German assassin chick in Die Hard III? That foxy, cold lady with bad helicopter piloting skills. Yeah, turns out Sam Phillips sings very well though.






I just realised that I missed out on her active career in music. I have fallen head over heels for Sam's very husky voice and nostalgic '60s Beatles-esque songwriting. Starting her career (under her real name Leslie Ann Phillips), she has, in a short span of four years released over four LPs (Beyond Saturday Night, Dancing with Danger, Black and White in a Grey World, The Turning) and a 'best of' album (Recollection). After changing her stage name to Sam Phillips and with the help of talented husband, T-Bone Burnett (yeah think Counting Crows, people!) has spawned over seven albums! In addition to that, she actively participates in collaborating with various musicians and film directors ranging from Bruce Cockburn, The Wallflowers, Bernardo Bertolucci and Wim Wenders! Talk about heavyweight...

Her alliance with Nonesuch Records has so far generated only 1 album, 'a boot and a shoe' but as a Grammy-nominated songwriter-musician, we should come to expect more releases in the near future from Sam. Unfortunately, one may be disappointed to find out that her last outing is now 3 years old and she hardly whispers of a new album on her website. While we wait, sample some very sweet tracks on her official site.

Blending folk and sensuality in her music, she makes me wonder what it would be like dating a female musician.

The Smashing Pumpkins @ Live Earth.

Some videos of The Smashing Pumpkins performing in New York for Live Earth 2007 are being broadcasted on the MSN site here. As each band is allowed approximately 20 minutes to perform, Billy Corgan and Co. managed to only squeeze in classics like 'Today' and 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' and new songs off their latest album, Zeitgeist - 'Tarantula' and 'United States' into their set.

Go and check them out! You know you want to...

The Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tarantula' video.

Welcome back Billy & Co.!

UPDATE (5 July 2007):

Hmm...what's Paris Hilton doing on the single's cover though?

Manic Street Preachers - Your Love Is Not Enough (feat. Nina Persson)

You know I hardly post YouTube feeds these days but I couldn't help doing it for this particular track.


Manic Street Preachers with Nina Persson (of The Cardigans) - Your Love Is Not Enough

Sweetest summer tune (and music video) so far! The sweetness factor obviously influenced by the fact you have super-skön Swede, Nina Persson, providing secondary vocals for the song.

'Your Love Is Not Enough' is taken from the back-to-form album from The Manics' 'Send Away The Tigers'. Filled with guitar-driven grandiosity and honestly carved lyrics, the album reminds me a lot of their 'Everything Must Go' days.

Even the DJ gets the finger.

I've always known that this would happen.


The beauty and the beast.

The White Stripes are slowly becoming irrelevant and Jack White so needs the money now. Pirating it over the airwaves will make Jack a dull boy when the album officially is released.

Jack White had all the right to be ticked off over the radio leak of 'Icky Thump' but then again what's an ecstatic fan to do?

Transform and roll out!

'Transformers', the live CGI action film, will grace screens this late June in Malaysia. Oh, what a joy it will be to be one of those born in the late 1970s, catching a glimpse of what we'd imagined heroes would be when we were younger. Gone were the toys that I've used to collect but memories of Optimus Prime and Megatron in their never-ending quest for 'energon cubes' will never really fade away.



Most of us remember the 1986 animated movie when the then Optimus Prime fell from grace after an epic battle against old foe, Megatron. At the time, I was in a state of shock, like most teenagers then, because we've always had the impression that heroes never die. Other childhood heroes followed suit; first the death of Superman and the fall of Batman in the hands of Bane, both in 1993.



Film director Michael Bay, along with executive producer Steven Spielberg, will make way for brand new 'larger-than-life' replications of our heroes, Autobots and villains, Decepticons. As observed through the Transformers blog, these designs will disappoint certain circles of the original series' fanbase but nonetheless I'm thrilled that it is all becoming a realisation after years after careful thought put into production. Other names recognisable from the cast list include: Brawl, Bumblebee, Frenzy, Ironhide, Jazz, Starscream and Scorponok.



Initially, after watching the first teaser and trailer, many have thought that the sound fx that accompanied the original cartoon series would be replaced by sonic booms but in trailer 2, all that doubt was put into rest.



So fanboys, for nostalgic reasons, go ahead and download some tracks taken off the animated movie. It'll do you a world of good to kick-off this summer's best non-sequel related action film with timeless tracks like these. These four tracks are available for a limited time only.

+ Vince DiCola - Death of Optimus Prime
+ Vince DiCola - Autobot Decepticon Battle
+ Vince DiCola and Kenny Meriedeth - Transformers Suite 2006
+ Stan Bush - Dare
+ Stan Bush - The Touch

Billy & The Pumpkins: Don't write them off just yet!

After discovering that Dinosaur Jr's Joseph Mascis and Lou Barlow have patched up again, I wondered if another '90s great, The Smashing Pumpkins, would generate the same buzz when they return in July 2007. Not so much of media hype this time around; unlike what happened with Machina.





Variable editions & songs will be available for the consumers.

Billy Corgan, after a considerably underrated release under the guise of Zwan and a solo-effort that has been promising but panned by many circles, I am only hoping that this reunion of his former band, The Smashing Pumpkins, minus bassist D'arcy and lead guitarist James Iha, can clench the yesteryear glories his post-SP works have tried to pursue. The Pumpkins embark on the launch of their new album 'Zeitgeist' this 7th of July 2007.

Download a radio-ripped version of Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tarantula' here. (for a limited time only!)

*UPDATE: A cleaner rip of 'Tarantula' posted here. (for a limited time only!) Based on what I've listened so far, this comeback is definitely NOT going to be shortlived!

A lot of people out there still don't have the slightest clue on who's going to be behind the Pumpkins' reunion. But all I know is that one should never write off Billy Corgan, even after listening to a mere 30-second snippet. It takes a mild-mannered Piscean dressed in a 'zero' t-shirt to save the world from the daily humdrums of Billboard's R&B chart.

*UPDATE on band members: Reports have been published after their 22 May 2007 concert in France that new lineup of the band consists of youngins Jeff Schroeder (guitar), Ginger Reyes (bass) and Lisa Harrington (keyboards).

*UPDATE 2 Jul, 2007: The video for 'Tarantula' is available from their official page here.

Twö döts ön töp öf an 'o'.

It's difficult following Björk Gudmundsdóttir's musical career. It may be church bells to some people who actually don't mind expanding their CD collection, but Björk's habit of churning out releases that are often cited as "genre-bending" can drive anyone's budget out of sorts.

Working with the likes of more accessible acts like Timbaland this time around will prove to be a stroke of genius in disguise as Björk enters her 21st year in the commercial music business. Ironically, it shouldn't be a huge surprise lest one has forgotten how successful her last collaborator, Tricky has achieved. Big names aside, Björk is still keen to collaborate with lesser-known musicians: Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons) and Brian Chippendale (from Lightning Bolt) drops by for support.

After pioneering 'human beatboxing' in the commercial music scene, fans would only expect more surprises next time around. The highly anticipated album number six, 10-tracked 'Volta', will be unleashed on the 7th of May 2007. Tracks include:



01. Earth Intruders (4:30) (Co-produced by Timbaland)
02. Wanderlust (5:48)
03. Dull Flame (7:32) (Duet with Antony Hegarty)
04. Innocence (4:14) (Co-produced by Timbaland)
05. I See Who You Are (4:22)
06. Energy/Vertabrae by Vertabrae (5:08)
07. Pneumonia (5:14)
08. Hope (3:39) (Co-produced by Timbaland)
09. Declare Independence (4:16)
10. My Juvenile (4:05) (Duet with Antony Hegarty)

Can't wait to know what it's gonna sound like? SpineMagazine.com has a rough approximate. Click on this link to download 'Timbaland feat. M.I.A. - Come Around'. I seriously cannot begin to imagine how Björk is going to top that!

While we wait for this release, I've uploaded (for a limited time only) some tracks from the underrated Björk boxed-set album 'Family Tree' for your listening pleasure.

Björk - Bachelorette (Strings)
Björk - Hunter (Strings)
Björk - I've Seen It All
Björk - I've Seen It All (Strings)
Björk - Jóga (Strings & Vocals)
Björk - Karvel (Beats)

The cream of Manchester.

Ready or not, The Chemical Brothers are back!

News is making rounds fast that The Chemical Brothers will release a brand new album entitled 'We Are The Night' after a brief recess from the recording studio. Already well-known for pioneering the big beat scene in electronica music, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons fancies another shot at re-energizing the dance scene with some pretty neat tracks. From what we've last heard, on 'Electronic Battle Weapon 8 & 9', we will not be disappointed.

Their sixth album will be out in June 2007. Stay tuned for more updates as we receive them.

+ UPDATE (April 12, 2007)



Official release date (18 June 2007) and tracklisting has been released!

01. No Path To Follow
02. We Are The Night
03. All Rights Reserved Ft. The Klaxons
04. Saturate
05. Do It Again feat. Ali Love
06. Das Spiegel
07. The Salmon Dance Ft. Fatlip
08. Burst Generator
09. A Modern Midnight Conversation
10. Battle Scars. Ft Willy Mason
11. Harpoons
12. The Pills Won’t Help You Now Ft. Midlake.

Eire creme.

That's some seriously fine threads you sporting there, Dolores!

Like most of you, when I was in high school, the radio club spun the cranberries (have you got your period?) like no one's business. Days and weeks would pass when I was literally in an undead-like state with the word "zombie" buzzing in my head. It has been a good decade since that time and just when I started to miss Dolores O'Riordan's voice, the wailing Irish lass is back with a brand new album - alone!

Dolores O'Riordan's 'Are You Listening?' hits stores in a couple of months. UK & EU fans will get their copies this May 7th, A U.S release on the 15th of May. The Japs and Aussies on the 21st of May. It won't be a classic I'll bet on that but for sentimental value's sake, why don't we indulge a bit 'ere?

The video for the album's first single 'Ordinary Day' (filmed in Prague) is available here through youtube.

Click to download (for a very limited time only!):
Dolores O'Riordan - When We Were Young (link deactivated)
Dolores O'Riordan - October (link deactivated)

Those two tracks...maybe I've just gone temporarily deaf 'ere but they do sound alike don't they?

Let's do a 'Brian Ong' list, shall we? - Part 1.

Music: French Kicks - So Far We Are (click to download)

It takes a huge amount of chutzpah to be nominated as 'Penang's self-styled King of Indie' and a whole bunch of testoterones and credit card transactions to make the cut as one (just ask Swee Jin!).

Although some parties have secretly claimed that the aforementioned self-styled King of Indie has resigned to a life of picking scabs and brainstorming ways to produce higher grade and efficient rubber (see attachment below), one cannot deny the musings of a musical intellect such as Brian Ong has made my life so much richer than it should be.

One day, whilst I was browsing through his almost never-ending collection of CDs and vinyls from my mate, Brian Ong, one concedes that his life would inevitably crash and burn in his lust for the perfect album cover. Granted, he has been out of touch with the modern indie music scene which again I quote Nor Azan's favourite tagline, "indie is the new pop", but nevertheless after much careful thought and care, I've practically come out with what I'd personally vouch as Brian's 'Music Starter Kit' list. Yes, he did publish one; months ago via CR1T1C ME TH15! but let's just take this as a revamped list of quintessential must-haves for all the Brian Ong's in the world.
___________________________________________________________________



04. The Clash - London Calling
Their effect on global politics were marginal and probably no sane high school kid would ever take them seriously, but The Clash taught a generation that rock is supposed to change the world one bedroom hi-fi at a time. This 1979 double album heralded the punk band's graduation from typical UK street punks to global stars. Revisiting their catalogue, one would find influences akin to Jamaican music which in hand moved Bob Marley into penning 'Punky Reggae Party' after being introduced to them. The song influenced by The Clash was released in Marley's 'Babylon by Bus' in 1978.

'London Calling' was a relatively mainstream album, almost safety-pin like in its lyrical approach. Other punk bands followed suit, most notoriously Rancid. One useless but interesting fact to note is that their later hit 'Rock The Casbah' never charted in Iran.

Most likely to end up in Brian's 'Screw you guys I'm going home' shelf.
___________________________________________________________________



03. Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express

Avant-garde in all aspects, Kraftwerk was the pioneer of the electronica scene way before I was born. The album's thirteen-minute ode to Eurorail travel managed to find its way from Berlin to the Bronx after Grandmaster Flash had spun it on the dance floors. Afrika Bambaataa picked off where he left and transformed its hypnotic groove into 'Planet Rock' and invented electro; in Motor City, Chicago. In Tokyo, it influenced the techno scene and spawned the Yellow Magic Orchestra. It then returned to Chicago and mated with metal to spawn industrial music. German engineering at its best!

Most likely to end up in Brian's 'Paranoid android LPs' shelf.
___________________________________________________________________

02. Nirvana - In Utero



Many grunge purists (just ask them Eddie Vedder wannabes!) will attest to this album being the flaw in between Kurt Cobain's sheets. But many who say that do not know the immaculate power this noise giant of an album possesses. Churned out right after the dummy's alt-rock bible, 'Nevermind', 'In Utero' was destined to reach new heights (or should we say fan base' after conquering the flannel-shirt makers and skateboard makers alike with their polished studio work with Butch Vig in 'Nevermind'. New project helmer, Steve Albini, obviously has other intentions as he and the band deconstructed their sound to something raw and reworked most of the guitar chords to abrasive levels.

'In Utero' marched through Czechoslovakia, the Middle East and China, making punk a seriously bankable international commodity and raised the level of teenage angst a few steps further after 'Nevermind'. After championing 'Nevermind' with nods to his roots by reviving the careers of London's Raincoats and Scotland's 'Vaselines', 'In Utero' revisits a more hardcore bunch such as The Pixies, Black Sabbath, Meat Puppets and AC/DC.

Nirvana's third and final studio album did what 'Saturday Night Fever' did for the hustle.

Most likely to end up in Brian's 'Closet fag and/or suicidal tendencies' shelf.
___________________________________________________________________

01. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band



It is said that The Beatles were forever damned for turning rock into art after inventing this "concept album"; a musical masterpiece. This psychedelic 1967 album of catchy pop tunes raise the consciousness of high-minded musicians everywhere. Blame John Lennon for making The Velvet Underground sound too serious and the supposedly radio friendly Styx for 'Paradise Theater'.

In Brazil, it triggered the 'Sgt Pepper' influenced samba-bossanova-rock supersession 'Tropicalia', which blended rock, samba and irony into a manifesto and took culture-vulturing into the mainstream (yeah wayyyy before Beck was eating solid food!). Tracks from 'Sgt Pepper' has been covered by Sonic Youth and The Fall in 'Sgt Pepper Knew My Father', a tribute album released in the late '80s.

Most likely to end up in Brian's 'I am indie and you are not.' shelf.