Sound Bites

 

Gorillaz “Gorillaz” Virgin
Records

In a world dominated by humans, these animated rockers bring
along the tunes to back them up. Gorillaz, a band composed of urban
cartoon characters, are forcing their way into the airwaves with
their megahit song “Clint Eastwood,” and their
self-titled debut album on Virgin Records. With strangely unique,
yet deadly infectious melodies, Gorillaz provides a strong album
that paints an eerie soundscape covering the entire musical map.
Unconventional vocals and instrumentation make
“Gorillaz” an exciting album, without crossing the line
into novelty. Behind the cartoon smokescreen are the extremely
talented and well-established voices of Blur’s Damon Albarn
and Hieroglyphics’ Del tha Funky Homosapien.
“Gorillaz” is not the type of album that a listener
would necessarily pop in and rock out with, but is instead a
brilliant composition of music that can provide the background for
most environments. Ranging from rock to hip-hop to instrumental
pieces, and everything in between, Gorillaz truly have a little
something for everyone. A unique blend of music,
“Gorillaz” provides a genius escape from the
“TRL” cookie-cutter music of the day.

Chris Moriates Rating:4/5  

Basement Jaxx “Rooty” Astralwerks
Records

In the last year or so, popular electronic dance music has moved
away from the racing, pounding beats of late “˜90s techno and
into a more funky sphere of disco and kitschy hooks. Basement
Jaxx’s new album “Rooty” continues this trend,
but with less successful results than their peers Daft Punk and
Fatboy Slim. Right from the opening of the album’s first
track, “Romeo,” it becomes immediately apparent that
this is a disco album. From the sassy Donna Summer-esque vocals to
the bouncing, sugary backbeat, this is pure “˜70s with the
techno buggery of 2001. As the album plays on, though, things begin
to go wrong. Each track seems consecutively more tinkered with,
like the Jaxx spent a little too much time in the studio. Tempos
shift with no rhyme or reason, synth pops and whizzes bombard the
backbeat and the hooks become increasingly less catchy. By the time
track 11, “Crazy Girl,” rolls around, the listener is
ready to scream, “Enough with the sound effects!” What
this album needs is more memorable hooks and less electronic
tomfoolery. Basement Jaxx’s colleagues, Daft Punk, succeed
because they mostly stick with the tried-and-true
verse/chorus/verse formula, but inject their own sense of style
into each song, making them both creative and instantly catchy.
However, Basement Jaxx worry too much about disrupting the flow of
each song, which gives their music a frenetic, almost nervous
quality. And nobody wants to be nervous on the dance floor.
Basement Jaxx’s attempt at revolutionary dance music falls
flat. Their album “Rooty” can basically be summed up as
a collection of potentially good ideas executed poorly.

Chris Kelly-Cochrane Rating:2/5  

Bad Azz “Personal Business” Priority
Records

Bad Azz, a recent addition to the Dogghouse gangsta gang, debuts
his second hip-hop album featuring artists like Busta Rhymes, Ice
Cube, Kurupt and, of course, Snoop Dogg to back him up. Although
the hit single “Wrong Idea” is the only one to have
received wide responses on the radio, most of the other songs are
enjoyable and easy to dance to, without beats that are too harsh or
lyrics that are overly explicit. “Money 2 Fold” and
“We From The LBC” are examples of such songs, and
“Too Many Choices,” featuring Lil Tip Toe and Lil Beau,
is an unexpected, but pleasing change as the album’s only
slow jam. The intro, titled “Da Birth,” gives a brief
explanation of how Bad Azz was “born bad” in a
freestyle rap with smooth jazz playing providing the background.
Even though it is only a few seconds long, its irrelevance makes it
seem much longer. Bad Azz should stick to making music. “When
Bus Callz,” literally a phone call from Busta Rhymes, and a
skit titled “W.B.L.O.” are disappointing additions to
the new album. Unfortunately, most of the songs are about the life
of a gangster, or the life of a rapper, a topic that typical
listeners won’t be able to relate to. Although one song
boasts the relationship of “Mister B.A.D. and big Snoop D. O.
double G.”, Snoop has an overriding influence on the
former’s style. There will be new tunes and beats for
listeners to enjoy, but a style that may be all too familiar.

Sophia Whang Rating:3/5