October 2, 2010

Massive Attack - Heligoland Review


I think it is safe to say the Massive Attack that we knew from the 90's and earlier in this decade is gone. It has been 7 years since their last studio album and waiting this long for Heligoland is quite a let down.

I'm not saying it's a bad album. It's just not a good Massive Attack album. Every track features a different vocalist and can be at the best of times interesting. The Music is reminiscent of a film score. Like what Massive Attack have been doing in the last years. It is background music and never really forms a complete experience over one album. Some songs stand out on their own. The opening track is maybe the most progressive on the album and features a solid vocal performance from Tunde Adebimpe (TV On The Radio). I almost wish he did the entire album. "Flat of the Blade" featuring Guy Garvey (Elbow) on Vocals is another highlight on the album. The music suits his style well and is different to what Elbow fans might be used to.

Heligoland is an interesting listen and Electronica \ Altrock fans might find it enjoyable. But if you thought that this would be the comeback of Massive Attack after their somewhat disappointing 100th window you'll be wrong. Massive Attack have been threatening to fade away for a while now and this album does not do much for them. Next week we'll see the realease of the new Tricky album, hopefully that will be a a taste of how great Massive Attack used to be back in the day Tricky performed with them.

Stereo 8 Recommends: Maybe

V + AL

October 1, 2010

Stereo 8 Top 20 Covers

Picking only 10 covers is an impossible task. We could have gone on forever but decided to limit it to 20:

20. Travis – Baby One More Time (Britney Spears Cover)

19. Muse - Feeling Good (Anthony Newly and Leslie Bricusse Cover)

18. Wolfmother - Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin Cover)

17. Vampire Weekend – Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

16. NIN – Dead Souls (Joy Division Cover)

15. Hole – Gold Dust Woman (Fleetwood Mac Cover)

14. Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World (David Bowie Cover)

13. Blind Melon – Out on the Tiles (Led Zepelin Cover)

12. Marilyn Manson – Golden Years (David Bowie Cover)

11. Cake – Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Osvaldo Farres Cover)


10. The Slits – Heard it through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye Cover)

09. Novelle Vague – Killing Moon (Echo and the Bunnymen Cover)

08. Nick Cave – I'm Your Man (Leonard Cohen Cover)

07. Supergrass – Condition (Mickey Newbury Cover)

06. Ministry – Lay Lady Lay (Bob Dylan Cover)

05. The Hot Rats – I Can't Stand It (Velvet Underground Cover)

04. Queens of the Stone age – Goin' out west (Tom Waits Cover)

03. Patti Smith – Gloria (Van Morrison Cover)

02. Johnny Cash - Rusty Cage (Soundgarden Cover)

01. Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower (Bob Dylan Cover)


V + AL