April 2005

On the turntables this month in Montpellier :
IUNO : Everything nothing ( .
Electrelane : Axes (Too Pure).
Quantazelle : Coaster (Sub Variant).
Mary Timony : Ex Hex (Lookout).

On the turntables this month in Oslo :
Lesbians On Ecstasy : Lesbians on Ecstasy (Alien8).
Tribe 8: Role Models For Amerika (Altenative Tentacles).
The Flying Lizards: The Flying Lizards (Virgin).
Shoplifting : Untitled (KRS).

What Babes in Boyland wrote about you.......

. Lesbians on Ecstasy : Lesbians on Ecstasy (Alien8 rec).
Close your eyes and imagine: dance metalriff electropunkpop meet LeTigre on SaphoMusicTeleVision. Now you can open your ears to the Lesbians On Ecstasy's sexual electrodykeclash vocals. They are paying tribute to all genres , including of "lesbians' music" (and no, it's not only KD Lang, Indigo Girls and Ani Di Franco) in a completely fun and irreverent way. This is lesbianism like it really is: sexy, free, playful, exhilarating and exciting. "The Pleasure Principal" has samples of "High School Confidential" in a Kathy Acker tone: guaranteed to get yr pants wet too. They are messy around with "classic" lesbian themes with the cleverness of Tribe8 and other Team Dresch-es, bouncing along a dance to industrial electro beat. It's like you've heard it all before, but you're not really sure where. It's raw power and pure ecstasy.

.MsLed : These Things We Say (Fish the Cat Records).
"Punchy Political Punk Pop from Seattle" is a statement as bouncy as the record, I find (yes, I did it all myself!). The album opens on a track about riot grrrlz and the abuse of the term that turns it into a dull label, emptied of power. So MsLed is getting the Grrlz philosophy right, once and for all (yes, I do agree that it needed to be said): "there shouldn't be a problem in saying you're a feminist, there shouldn't be a statement saying you're a feminist, you shouldn't be afraid to say you're a feminist." Pretty straight forward, don't you think? The whole atmosphere in the album is characterized by this genuine sincerity, carried through the diverse colourful atmospheres (from power pop to surf-garage -"And Now We Know" and flirting with electro-pop "Keep on the Outside") by Roxy's drop-dead charming vocals. deep and raw, uncompromising. They are sharp and political, and who cares if they don't play them on the radio (not enough of political correctness, I reckon), you'll go home and play them loud on your stereo (ok, it sounds better when they it themselves)

.Korupte Oppkastere : Moralen ut til Folket. Self-released
This is punk as you want to hear it: fast, forward and fun. This 7" is a hell of a 6 tracks e.p. It is going beyond all our expectations (and they were quite high, especially after seeing them live). The recorded songs are as explosive and genuine as on stage, with witty lyrics. no room for clichés unless they are ripped to pieces, or playfully subverted, whether it is in the lyrics or in the songs structure (see how "Kjønnsykdommer" turns form a smooth rock to a punk anthem).The vocals are simply perfect: a crucible of passion, anger (and hence energy), melting female/female/male voices. Definitely one of our favourite, but don't take my words for granted, just buy this record! (and see I am right;-:-)
korrupteoppkatere@yahoo.no

.Yeah Yeah Yeahs : Y control 7" (Fiction).
While you are waiting... for this second full-length the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been promising us (before destroying all they had been doing for it so far.. now who's sweating more: the band o the record label?), and if you're tired of watching this Tell Me What Rocker To Swallow DVD (the concert and the music videos are a total must have), well here is something you can chew, rock and pogo on: Y Control single. Something new under the YYY's are you gonna say, right? Well, you're wrong! The B side of this gotta be collectors single is actually a remix by The Faint ... and although it's more faint-electropunk dancy, they kept the rawness of the original guitars to make a superb version which sounds more like a YeahYeahYeahs/Faint performance that the interpretation of the former by the latter. It sounds like these two bands are in love with each other, but that's just me gossiping. The cover was taken form the video, with a bunch of punk kids are shooting a horror b-movie - looks like it was GREAT fun. You cannot miss it in a good record store near you, it says "WE ARE ALL GOING TO HELL."

>page2
> go to the ups and downs archives section