In case you haven't heard WPI is now running radio ads on 107.3 WAAF that lovely obnoxious Boston radio station where they insist there's more rock and less talk but then you get people like Liz Wilde who blab for hours about nothing. Little opinion here... SHUT UP LIZ!! NO ONE CARES!!! For better listening pleasure check out the following: 88.1 fm (Holy Cross radio) 95.5 (Brown Univ. radio) and two other Boston stations: 104.1 and 101.7. Anyways these ads on WAAF are incredibly silly. They sound like typical ads for typical no-name schools where you can get a degree in computers by learning how to use DOS. The problem is this school is NOT one of those schools. If anyone in administration happens to wake up and read this Please PLEASE!! get off WAAF or get better ads... besides, the average IQ of a WAAF listener is so low that they probably couldn't spell Worcester Polytechnic Institute let alone go here.
By the time you read this you will have missed Boyz II Men at the Worcester Centrum. Oh what a pity. Newspeak was supposed to send me there to review it but somehow the tickets got lost. Too bad. I figured there was probably a good article in there somewhere about scalping tickets and yelling "nice pants poseur" in downtown Worcester.
Well, here's the part you want to read.. the album reviews. One note here, some people ask me "why don't you review certain albums like ______ ?" Simple. I only review those articles which I can make positive remarks about. This doesn't mean all the albums I don't review I hate but simply with limited space and time why waste it throwing stones.
Veruca Salt - "American Thighs" - Okay, I admit it. Other than the Buck Pets writing a song about the Veruca Salt guitarist, Louise Post I really don't know anything about them. I saw them in some silly interview on MTV where the interviewer was asking dumb questions and the band was getting bored and that was it. They have released what I believe is their major label debut and a very significant debut it is. The first single "Seether" is cute almost to a fault and so is the video. The songs range from mellow Liz Phair/Breeders style to bouncing pop singles ala Julianna Hatfield. A lot of the album reminds me of Julianna Hatfield and the Breeders, so if you like either of those you'll like Veruca Salt. The nice thing is that not as whiny as Julianna some gets and they're not as inconsistent as the Breeders last album. The song "Victrola" is probably the best track on there, with nice big hooky riffs and a bouncing backbeat. "Sleeping Where I Want" runs to the other less traveled side and is reminiscent of those rather slow light-but-moody Belly songs. Most of the album tends to stay with the hooky guitar and solid beat type material as is heard on other songs like "Forsythia" and "Number One Blind." All in all if you like female fronted bands here's another CD to add to your collection. Some might say Veruca Salt is just doing the same thing as a lot of other artists who have been doing it for longer. So what. They're good at it.
Mazzy Star - She Hangs Brightly - This was actually released in 1990 but since I wasn't here then, and since I just bought the album, and since they just came into the public eye with their new album; I figured this is one worth reminding people about. If you like their last release "So Tonight...." then you will like the first album. It features Hope Sandoval's amazingly dreary yet passionate voice that is reminiscent of Nico and that Mazzy Star sound. What is the Mazzy Star sound??? I believe it to be part Velvet Underground, part country, part depression, and part some mysterious etheral aura which sets them apart from everyone. Their songs are equal parts haunting and brooding as well as exquisite and beautiful. From the laid back feel of the drums to the slide guitar creeping in to prominent tambourine and the background textures with haunting acoustic guitars, distorted droning electrics, and organs; Mazzy Star creates a musical drawing that rivals most other groups. Spooky songs like "She Hangs Brightly" and almost pop songs like "Halah" (the video for which is finally getting MTV airplay) combine to form an album for which you need to turn the stereo up loud and let the melodies swim around you.
Anyways... you're probably all sick of these lists by now, but here's my top whatever list from 1994 of albums to get: In no particular order:
1: Mash It Up Volume 2 and 3 - great local ska
2: Cranberries - No Need To Argue - yes Virginia, there IS a band more depressing than the Cure...but still great
3: Hole - Live Through This - Good thing Courtney Love didn't go through with her and Curt's idea of a double suicide, she's a much better songwriter
4: Luscious Jackson - Natural Ingredients - buy this album and their first one "In search of Manny"
5: Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See - Hope Sandoval is amazing
6: Sugar - File Under: Easy Listening - Mr. Mould back with more underground angst and pop sense
7: Frente - Marvin the Album - unique. different. and they do a good New Order cover
See you next week. Try not to let the music industry buy your ears.