Another week gone, and another pile of CDs accumulates by the Clash office stereo. Unsurprisingly, its a mixed bag, containing the insanely genius and the genuinely insane. This week, we’ve been typing away to a varied soundtrack, ranging from the old to the new, the borrowed to the rhythm and blues. The top five that stand out this week are as follows:
1. Adem – Takes
Signed to Domino, Adem’s third album is a covers album with a difference. Charting the singer’s artistic development, “Takes” includes covers of songs that deeply influenced Adem in some way. Que an eclectic mixture that takes in Low, Bedhead and – astonishingly – Aphex Twin. Adem’s laid back delivery takes the music of Richard D James and turns it inside out, revealing the Aphex Twin to be quite the tunesmith.
2. Future Loop Foundation – The Fading Room
Electronic genius releases first new material in eight years. Reminiscent of The Orb’s best work, but with a uniquely regional flavour, Future Loop Foundation binds together blissful beats with spoken word samples. Hence, an album that binds together stunning ambient rhythms to decades old interviews with family members. An intimate yet accessible piece of electronica “The Fading Room” is definitely one to look out for.
3. DJ Yoda – Fabric Mix
The force is strong in this one! Fabric long ago established a reputation as purveyors of quite nifty mix CDs, but this one is an absolute belter. Containing crunching hip hop beats, calypso harmonies and some French electronica you’d better takes your passports with you as Yoda is heading on a musical journey. And of course, any compilation that includes Violent Femmes would get our vote…
4. June – OST
A good film but an incredible soundtrack, this will put the twee into your step. Contains Belle and Sebastian, Mouldy Peaches and the NHS specs wearing king of rock ‘n’ roll, Buddy Holly. Soundtracks rarely stand alone from their parent film, but this one does – compiled with obvious care and attention, this proves that there is far more to supposedly ‘twee’ music than cardigans and Beat Happening covers.
5. Jesse Malin – On Your Sleeve
Apparently not a good week for original music in the Clashmusic.com office, this is the second covers album on our list. Containing a vast array of authors, the original artists list reads like a who’s who’s of great music. Lou Reed, Al Green and The Ramones rub shoulders on this alt country troubadour’s salute to the songs he loves, done with respect but no little abandon. Special mention to Clash cover “Gates Of The West”, for obvious reasons.
