CD reviews

Blockhead's The Music Scene

Blockhead
The Music Scene
(Ninja Tune)
*8.7*
Goes well with: DJ Shadow, Bonobo, Howie B.

Tony Simon, aka Blockhead, is probably best known for his production work with Aesop Rock as well as other Def Jux MCs and cool underground cats like Mike Ladd.

But while Ladd is amazing—check out “Bush League Junkie” from 1997’s Easy Listening 4 Armageddon—why Simon’s solo work isn’t usually the first thing mentioned about him is beyond me. His debut, 2004’s Music by Cavelight, was a fabulous tapestry of hip-hop instrumental goodness that rivaled the enveloping auditory hypnosis of DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing. He followed it a year later with Downtown Science, another collection of finely conducted beats that, amazingly, didn’t suffer from the fast turnaround.

The Music Scene had more than four years to marinate, and it shows. The beautifully nuanced compositions serve as companion pieces to Cavelight and Science while building upon them, as well. The one-two punch of African-inspired ass-shake on “Tricky Turtle” and the underwater slow dance of “Four Walls” showcases an astute electronic arranger who’s able to tread new ground without having to fuck with the original formula. It seems as though Simon is just now hitting his stride. Late-night headphone enthusiasts of the world rejoice!

—Scott McDonald

Melvins
Chicken Switch
(Ipecac)
*5.5*
Goes well with: Nine Inch Nails, Prefuse 73, Fantômas

Kudos to Melvins. After talking about it for more than six years, they’ve finally released their long-anticipated remix album. And like almost everything the band does, it’s anything but typical.

The band has experimented enough in recent years to dispel the notion that “Melvins remix album” is a conflict in terms. Problem is, Chicken Switch veers exclusively toward the long-running group’s radical noise-rock excursions. Nowhere to be found are the foundations of hilarious, endearing and tongue-in-cheek punk, stoner-rock and metal that vaulted the band beyond mere cult status.

The upside is that when they amassed the group of remixers here, they ignored many of their more high-profile and rock-oriented colleagues (perhaps veteran Lee Ranaldo excluded) and opted for an international group of lesser-known purveyors of noise, including Matmos (who infamously sampled surgical procedures on A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure), Japanese din guru Merzbow and German experimentalist Christoph Heemann.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like my Melvins a little more straight-up. However, if you like a nicely varied, and often headache-inducing, collection of noisy compositions with a dash of Melvins thrown in, this is for you.

—Scott McDonald

Surfer Blood
Astro Coast
(Kanine)
*8.0*
Goes well with: The Jesus & Mary Chain, Weezer, Blur

Don’t be bitten by the band’s cheesy name, West Palm Beach address or even the shark on the album art: Surfer Blood is not a surf band. Although they share the same affinity for the bold chord progressions and reverb the genre is best known for, the comparisons end there. And even though the band members are all in their early 20s, the songs are influenced by early ’90s power-pop. While it frightens this reviewer to think of the category as “retro,” Astro Coast is built to be blasted.

The band’s first single, “Swim (To Reach the End),” comes on like gangbusters and never lets up. Despite suspiciously positive-sounding lyrics, the song builds and builds until—wait for it—the end finally comes. Meanwhile, “Floating Vibes” provides a hint of what The Jesus and Mary Chain might have sounded like if anti-depressants had been more readily available back in the day.

With riffs that are catchy and clean, Surfer Blood seems destined to bypass the basement for the big stage. Just as some surfers are all about the epic wave, Surfer Blood traffics in huge hooks that pick you up and propel you into the music—no paddling required.

—Jim Ruland