TURNTABLE LAB

Air
Moon Safari: 10th Anniversary Special Edition 2CD+DVD

Super deluxe 10th anniversary edition of AIR's first proper album from '98. You might've listened to this back when it first came out, but it's definitely worth a revisit. I know my ears were a little more biased a decade ago and weren't really in tune with the Frenchies, but in '08 I'm pretty sure we're all much more familiar with the "French Style" and can really appreciate what these dudes were doing. Nicolas and JB (aka AIR) were definitely ahead of their time, combining elements from Burt Bacharach and Serge Gainsbourg, ambient, lounge, new wave, disco and lots of synthesizers, into one unique musical style paving the way for similar-minded artists like Sebastien Tellier. Just take a listen the masterfully crafted chill moods -"La Femme D'Argent(1)," "Talisman(2)," "All I Need(3)," and "Sexy Boy(4)," "Le Voyage De Penelope(5)," and "Remember(6)." The whole album really goes down real easy - it's that smooth. This limited edition set also contains a bonus CD loaded with rarities, remixes, demo versions, and radio sessions as well as a DVD with an hour long documentary on the band entitled "Eating, Sleeping, Waiting and Playing" by none other than Mike Mills. All this in a fancy 12- page hard cover booklet with full liner notes, lyrics, and original artwork. Recommended.
reviewed by snackmaster


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Coldplay
A Rush of Blood to the Head LP

Limited repress of Coldplay's massive 2002 album from the new "Capitol Vaults" reissue series. Each title in the series is faithfully restored to audiophile sound quality standards and pressed on heavy duty 180g vinyl. Here's our original review from DJ Casals aka Stress: "Two reasons why you should buy this immediately and not bother with the review: First, it's a universally appreciated album from one of the most beloved brit-rock bands of this decade, and second, the vinyl is only accessible as limited press UK import. I never really listened to rock growing up cause it didn't suit my hip-hop steez. However, the number of good, full-length hip-hop albums are like the number of Koreans who don't like kim-chee, one in a million. So when I heard the first Coldplay album "Parachutes," I thought it was nearly perfect from start to finish. "A Rush of Blood" is the same way, but with more bangers. These guys know how to translate beautiful melodies into great songs. Simple, yet mood invoking chord progressions are their specialty. Look for their tougher side in the first track "Politik(1)," where the power chords and vocals take turns dominating. "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face(2)" sounds like it got lifted off Radiohead's "The Bends" with lazy singing and a depressing aesthetic. They separate themselves from all the other brit-rock/pop bands with uptempo, remix friendly tracks like "Clocks(3)" and "Daylight(4)." Both are a refreshing break from your standard riff-rock operas and for all the rock mash-up artistes, this is a smorgasbord of material. For the heads who are feeling it but not able to let themselves fully connect, rest assured! Timbaland loves Coldplay - check out Tokion 38 for the full story." Gatefold jacket; double vinyl. 11 tracks total.
reviewed by Van Hammersly

file under:
new rock

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Lil Wayne & Raj Smoove
Lilweezyana, Vol.1 CD

Folks goof on Weezy all the time, but the simple fact is he's retarded popular and not really that bad of a rapper. Actually, listening to this mixtape (as I have been a few times per week for the last month or so) I'm starting to think he's "actually" "pretty" good. There, I said it. Listen to his freestyle over Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got" and tell me he doesn't murder it harder than Hov did. Like this Mortal Kombat passage: "Gotta talk about the flow, cuz you is concerned / only down south rapper coulda been in The Firm / or The Commission, or Wu-Tang n*gga / tryna tell you, I can kick it like Liu Kang n*gga / got that Sub-Zero flow, how you want me ma? / make her 'get over here' like Scorpion." And that's not even the hot part! Along with a gang of original beats, Weezy makes tracks over The Pack's "Vans," Lupe Fiasco's Gunter Kallmann-sampling "Daydreamin'" and Lil Scrappy's "Money In The Bank." I haven't heard a solo artist make a mixtape this good in a long, long time. 24 tracks; 79 minutes. Recommended.
reviewed by Chris Lemon-Red


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