Antherius
2008-03
Decursus Media
11 song CD

Composer/musician Antherius takes a classic approach to his brand of electronica, harkening back to the days of Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Vangelis, and Jan Hammer. While Antherius' music is progressive in nature, he retains a pop sensibility that keeps his work accessible to the average listener.

He refers to his music as "Progressive New Age", and that's probably as accurate a label as you can put on it, although it does not fully do it justice. There is definitely a pop and rock undercurrent that gives everything a certain structure, and it is certainly an important part. Antherius doesn't overload his tunes with extraneous beats and instrumentation, opting for a more simple and sparse texture that has a very open feeling, relying more on melody than a wall of sound.

MISH MASH Mandate: Axel F
Antherius Website

Jet Black Crayon
In The Interim
Function 8 Records
CD & DVD set

Jet Black Crayon's In The Interim mixes the aural with the visual in this inspired dual-format release. Seven of the nine songs on the CD are represented by short films on the accompanying DVD, as produced by various independent filmmakers.

The band's instrumental music is minimalist and somewhat impressionistic, giving the listener just enough to get an emotional vibe. Nothing about it reaches out and grabs you, instead it drifts in and lingers in an atmospheric fashion, slowly creeping into your subconscious. The short films take advantage of this abstraction, with most of them avoiding a coherent narrative and depending instead on random imagery. The notable exception is the well-produced film by Dan Wolfe that is set to the song Lost In The Fog, where a repeatedly stolen bicycle is passed from thief to thief on city streets.

Taken as a whole, the album provides a multi-faceted view of Jet Black Crayon that reaches beyond the traditional approach and gives fans a complete musical experience that is rare and truly unique.

MISH MASH Mandate: The Bicycle Thieves
Function 8 Website

Skyphone
Avellaneda
Rune Grammofon
11 song CD

Skyphone's Avellaneda quietly deconstructs and re-purposes various musical ideas before pasting them back together in a strange and wonderful sound collage. It's a subtle and unassuming folksy style that uses quirky rhythmic beats that cruise gently beneath light and atmospheric melodies to create a sound that is completely their own.

It's a sound that is wide open and airy, yet at the same time produces a pointed uneasiness that never quite lets you get comfortable while listening. It's challenging instead of relaxing, even though it rarely raises above a whisper. Truly a thought-provoking and completely abstract way of looking at music, all the while remaining accessible to the listener.

MISH MASH Mandate: Undertow
Skyphone Website
Avellaneda Order Page (US)

Louis Armstrong
Live In Australia 1964
Medici Arts/EuroArts
12 song DVD

Live In Australia captures a unique moment in the long and storied career of Louis Armstrong. In 1964, at the time of this recording, Armstrong was about to make a huge resurgence with his hit, Hello, Dolly!, a song that would challenge the Beatles for the top of the charts. But in this live concert in Australia, we get to see a pre-comeback Armstrong focusing on earlier tunes that were hit-makers a decade before.

In this filmed performance, Armstrong was in his element, playing songs and having fun in the process. It is obvious that his playing live was a labor of love, and at this point in his life he had fully embraced his position as one of the forefathers of jazz. At the same time, he accepted this honor with an air of humility, as he graciously shared the stage with his All Star band mates. Shining examples of this can be found in the piano solo performance of Perdido by Billy Kyle, along with the extended bass solo How High The Moon, by bassist Arvell Shaw. It's impressive to see a band leader of Armstrong's caliber allow a backing player to simply take over and have their own showcase right in the middle of a concert.

Highlights of the DVD include the aforementioned solos, a terrific take on High Society, along with the sultry swing of Did You Hear About Jerry, with the excellent and underrated Jewel Brown on vocals. This is a must-have addition to any Armstrong collection.

MISH MASH Mandate: Now You Has Jazz
Louis Armstrong Live In Australia 1964 @ Naxos

R.E.M.
Accelerate
Warner Brothers
11 song CD

I really hate to get negative on R.E.M. After all, they're one of the few bands I have consistently kept an eye on for the past 25 years. As the elder statesmen of indie rock, they've always been one of my favorites, throughout the thick and thin of their long career.

So what's the matter here? The whole idea behind Accelerate is that R.E.M. wanted to make a rock record. It's a bold and noble attempt, and the album is probably their best effort in the past decade. But, the main problem for me is that R.E.M. seems to be trying too hard to sound like a young and angry band, and they just barely get there. They're obviously not young anymore, and apparently that kind of teen angst is hard to come by for middle-aged rock stars. They actually come very close on the last two songs of the record, Horse To Water and I'm Gonna DJ, where the band finds the right amount of vinegar and piss to make a couple of down-and-dirty, gritty rock songs. If the whole album had this vibe, then I'd be singing a different tune. With that having been said, there are other good moments in the album, just not stunningly great ones. It's frustrating, because I would love to love this album. Perhaps I'm not being fair with my high expectations. Who knows?

If anything, there's promise and potential of a true classic album in the vein of Automatic For The People, but it just falls out of reach. All the ingredients are there, except for the youth and the angst. And wouldn't we all like to be young and angry again.

MISH MASH Mandate: Rapid Eye Movement
R.E.M. Website

Dave Dill
Follow The Summer
Pickled Sun Music
11 song CD

Dave Dill has his Beatles thinking-cap on tight. And while his music comes across with a definite Fab Four influence, the overall sound is actually more reminiscent of other power pop groups that also looked to the Beatles for inspiration; like The Move, ELO, Cheap Trick, and Jellyfish, just to name a few. Throw in a little Brian Wilson for good measure, and you've got the complete idea.

One of the more impressive aspects of Dill's album is the fact that he plays all the instruments and does all the producing. Not an easy feat when you're playing music that traditionally lends itself to a group mentality. Somehow Dill pulls it off brilliantly, and it certainly helps that his songs are catchy with memorable pop hooks. Speaking of which, three tunes here are co-written by Derek Holt of the Climax Blues Band, which adds even more hit-making flavor to the mix.

MISH MASH Mandate: Endless Summer
Dave Dill Website

Ladytron
Velocifero
Nettwerk
13 song CD
MP3 DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK - BLACK CAT

Ladytron is back, and they're picking right up where they left off with 2005's Witching Hour. Their upcoming album, Velocifero, continues further down many of the same musical paths as their previous album, venturing out to explore more dark, rock-based electronica that has a distinct classic Eurotrash vibe.

The group gets down to business with the driving, sharp rhythms of Black Cat, a song that has an 80s New Wave feel with heavy, layered synths and mechanical drum sounds. The track Runaway reminds me of The Pet Shop Boys with its matter-of-fact sterile pop delivery and catchy refrain, while Burning Up rages along with a nightmarish dance floor fever that aches with unbridled angst. Predict The Day strips down their sound into pure rhythm and melody, slamming you with beat after beat and a simple and infectious chorus.

Ladytron seems much more comfortable in their skin this time around, allowing their music to breathe and grow a little more. The innovation of Witching Hour has obviously lead to a desire to reach deeper into the musical discoveries they found last time around, and they are all the better for it. While this album doesn't grab you as quickly as their previous release, it has a staying power that keeps you coming back again and again for another listen.

MISH MASH Mandate: Electronica Exploration
Ladytron Website