Beck — Guerolito

I like Beck’s thinking on this project more than the outcome. As you can see from the track listing there are some big names involved, but overall Guerolito is less enjoyable than Guero. I suppose that’s what you should expect with remixes.

Track listing from Wikipedia:

All songs were written by Beck Hansen and The Dust Brothers, except where noted.

1. “Ghost Range” (Hansen, Dust Brothers, Beastie Boys) – 4:24
   • “E-Pro” remix by Homelife
2. “Qué Onda Guero” – 2:29
   • Islands remix
3. “Girl” – 3:53
   • Octet remix
   • Originally released in the special edition CD/DVD package of Guero
4. “Heaven Hammer” (Hansen, Dust Brothers, Marcos Vinicius de Moraes, Carlos Eduardo Lyra) – 4:54
   • “Missing” remix by Air
5. “Shake Shake Tambourine” (Hansen, Dust Brothers, Eugene Blacknell) – 3:37
   • “Black Tambourine” remix by Ad-Rock
6. “Terremoto Tempo” (Hansen, Dust Brothers, Mark Adams, Steve Washington, Daniel Webster, Mark Hicks) – 3:47
   • “Earthquake Weather” remix by Mario C
7. “Ghettochip Malfunction” – 2:39
   • “Hell Yes” remix by 8-Bit
8. “Broken Drum” (Hansen) – 5:36
   • Boards of Canada remix
   • Originally released in the special edition CD/DVD package of Guero
9. “Scarecrow” – 4:37
   • El-P remix
10. “Wish Coin” (Hansen, Dust Brothers, Jack White) – 3:44
    • “Go It Alone” remix by Diplo
11. “Farewell Ride” (Hansen) – 4:51
    • Subtle remix
12. “Rental Car” – 2:59
    • John King remix
13. “Emergency Exit” – 3:18
    • Th’ Corn Gangg remix
14. “Clap Hands” – 3:19
    • Originally released in the special edition CD/DVD package of Guero

Various Artists — Everything is Illuminated (Picture Soundtrack)

Various Artists -- Everything is Illuminated (Picture Soundtrack)

• Artist: Various Artists
• Title: Everything is Illuminated (Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2005
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2007 – Christmas present from my beautiful wife
• Keeper: Yes

First of all, if you haven’t seen the movie Everything is Illuminated make sure to put it on your list. It stars Elijah Wood, but to me the real star is Eugene Hutz. Eugene is also the singer of Gogol Bordello. The film is excellent, and I’ll leave it at that. The soundtrack, which is why we have gathered here today, is also excellent. Most of the music is original stuff from Paul Cantelon. Other artists have also contributed songs, with a couple from Gogol Bordello, including “Start Wearing Purple.” I’ve praised that number before. That happens to be the most raucous song on the album. While raucous is usually my thing, I do enjoy the entire soundtrack. I could sit on the couch and just listen to it over and over. I prefer to consume music as primary activity. But let’s say you do your music listening mostly as a secondary activity, say, walking around town with your iPod. Everything is Illuminated would make the experience of running errands a lot more interesting. It’s full of unusual music and often slightly mysterious moods. Pretend you are in the movie.

Plastilina Mosh — DVD

• Artist: Plastilina Mosh
• Title: DVD
• Year: 2005
• Format: DVD
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2007 – Amazon.com
• Keeper: Yes

It’s Cinco de Mayo time! Today we celebrate Mexico sticking to the French in 1862, and Plastilina Mosh. We’ve reached the end of my Plastilina Mosh collection. Tonight we have a DVD titled simply, DVD. And the only thing I like better than Plastina Mosh’s music is their music plus video. After seeing a couple PMosh videos on MTV3 I knew I had to get a hold of this. I’ll admit that I haven’t seen the entire thing. There are a bunch of album documentaries and extras. But I have watched all twelve music videos and they are so damn good I give it a rating of 10 just for those.

By now you know I’m a complete fan of their music, and that I think they are geniuses. Their videos just take all of that creativity, fun, funk and hard rocking to another level of entertainment. Every one of these music videos is excellent, and no two are similar. “Mr. P Mosh” borders on being Dali-esque in it’s silliness.

As I understand it, this was released as a companion to the double CD collection, which explains the matching artwork. I love the pic of the guys in tuxedos inside the case. Is it me, or do those heads look pasted on National Enquirer style?

Long live Plastilina Mosh!

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis — The Proposition Original Soundtrack

• Artist: Nick Cave and Warren Ellis
• Title: The Proposition Original Soundtrack
• Year: 2005
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 2006 – Christmas gift!

I was shopping around for Mary this Christmas when I stumbled on this. I hadn’t even heard of the movie The Proposition. It turns out, not only did Nick Cave, her favorite music artist, write and perform the soundtrack music, he also wrote the script. Best of all, it seems people really like it, the movie, that is. I don’t know much about his collaborator Warren Ellis, but I do know he is not the comic book author.

This really is movie music, and I would call it a “score” rather than a soundtrack. I don’t think the “songs” here are meant to stand alone; for the most part they are more like music cues. Overall, I dig it, but I like listening to scores/soundtracks probably more than most folks. I really don’t want to use the word “ethereal”, but there, I’ve done it. Of course, it’s ethereal with a very subtle Western movie edge and a not unexpected old man Nick Cave sound. Listen for yourself.

Roots Manuva — Awfully Deep

• Artist: Roots Manuva
• Title: Awfully Deep
• Year: 2005
• Format: CD
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 2006 – Another Christmas gift!
• Keeper: Maybe

The first time I heard Roots Manuva was on Leftfield‘s 1999 album Rhythm and Stealth, one of my top 100 records. Then, he popped up again on the latest Gorillaz record, Demon Days.

It’s taken me a while to get some of his solo music. I’ve had Awfully Deep on my list since came out almost two years ago. I’m not sure what to think about it. Maybe I need to listen to it a few more times. Maybe I should have started with his earlier records. Some of it is really interesting, but some of it just doesn’t seem to flow.

Read more about Roots Manuva at Wikipedia.