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Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Bavarian Fruit Bread

pauldetox — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:08:26 GMT

Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions - Bavarian Fruit Bread
FLAC -> 250 MB | MP3 320k -> 115 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue+log | RS
Original release: 2001

Hope Sandoval is best known as the vocalist and figurehead of Mazzy Star. The alternative rock act issued three albums in the '90s, butnevertheless disbanded following the release of 1996's Among my Swan. Sandoval then mysteriously disappeared from the music world for nearly five years. The sultry chanteuse's first full-length solo effort Bavarian Fruit Bread served as her comeback. Although a band dubbed the Warm Inventions - a conglomeration of 10 studio musicians - it is Sandoval who is really the focal point. The somber singer plays the majority of the instruments and it is her breathy, laconic voice that carries each tune.

Fila Brazillia - A Touch of Cloth

pauldetox — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 15:01:49 GMT

Fila Brazillia - A Touch of Cloth
FLAC -> 316 MB | MP3 320k -> 121 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue+log | RS
Original release: 1999

Fila Brazillia have been honing their art for over 10 years, and this seventh studio album bears the mark of that experience. More uptempo than many of their previous outings, Touch of Cloth still carries that trademark quirkiness that the Hull-based funkateers have come to represent over the years. As usual with Fila albums, a definite style is difficult to ascertain, as their sounds range from funk to dub to soul to hip hop to broken beat to ambient - usually all in the same track. What makes Fila stand out is their knowledge of all kinds of music styles and their ability to weave it all into a cohesive whole.

Fila Brazillia - Brazilification (Remixes 95-99)

pauldetox — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:18:20 GMT

All lovers of great music - dance or otherwise - should be well acquainted with Fila Brazillia's incredible catalogue of leftfield dance albums. Yet that's merely half of the Fila saga. Steve Cobby and Dave McSherry are also ace remixologists. The double-disc Brazilification collects the cream of the Fila remixes that have graced elusive singles over the years. Brazilification's lineup reveals an all-star affair: Radiohead, U.N.K.L.E., Simple Minds, The Orb, Moloko, DJ Food, Black Uhuru, and Freakpower (otherwise known as Fatboy Slim) are among the lucky recipients of fabulous, Fila-style makeovers.

Fila Brazillia - Power Clown

pauldetox — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:17:49 GMT

Fila Brazillia - Power Clown
FLAC -> 379 MB | MP3 320k -> 153 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue+log | RS
Original release: 1998

The eclecticism and the organic warmth of Fila Brazillia's electronica continue to amaze on Power Clown, one of their finest efforts to date. Laid-back jazz-funk grooves straight out of the '70s are the foundation of the record, but hints of Stevie Wonder-esque soul, hip-hop, bossa nova, ambient, spacey techno, house, minimalist electro, big-beat, and trip-hop all pop up here and there, as do touches of ethnic percussion, acoustic guitar, saxophone solos, new age-y synth flourishes, and the occasional odd vocal sample or sound effect. One of the finest and most overlooked electronic-dance releases of 1998.

Fila Brazillia - Black Market Gardening

pauldetox — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:43:52 GMT

Fila Brazillia - Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight

pauldetox — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 18:43:33 GMT

Even more experimentally hyper than on previous LPs, Fila Brazillia cross-fertilize styles with abandon on Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight, resulting in such genre-bending as prog-blaxploitation and space-disco, as well as more straight-ahead fusions like lounge-disco.

Fila Brazillia - Maim That Tune

pauldetox — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:05:19 GMT

Fila Brazillia - Maim That Tune
FLAC -> 380 MB | MP3 320k -> 172 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1995

Experimental technoheads Fila Brazillia really mix it up on Maim That Tune, constructing various takes on techno, including elements of spaghetti Western, hip-hop, house and African music.

Fila Brazillia - Old Codes, New Chaos

pauldetox — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:04:32 GMT

Fila Brazillia - Old Codes, New Chaos
FLAC -> 448 MB | MP3 320k -> 175 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1994

Hull-based duo Fila Brazillia is the most popular and acclaimed of the noted Pork Recordings stable. Formed in 1990 by producers Steve Cobby and Dave McSherry, the group's first 12", "The Mermaid," was released that same year on Pork's, gaining instant acclaim among DJs and headphonauts alike for its innovative fusion of funk, dub, house, hip-hop, and acid jazz. The group followed their debut single with a string of full-length releases (Old Codes, New Chaos, Maim That Tune, and Black Market Gardening among them), which were instrumental in building Pork's reputation as one of the most consistent and respected of England's vast ocean of underground breakbeat/trip-hop labels.

Art of Noise - The Ambient Collection

pauldetox — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:45:57 GMT

Art of Noise - The Ambient Collection
FLAC -> 277 MB | MP3 320k -> 118 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1990

Art of Noise began in the mid-'80s and is now a touchstone to which all electronic music should be compared. Ambient Collection had long been a jewel in many vinyl collections. These Art of Noise catalog remixes by Youth, bassist for Killing Joke, remain a classic of compositional ambient electronica.

Art of Noise - The Best of (Art Works 12")

pauldetox — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:45:48 GMT

Art of Noise - The Best of (Art Works 12")
FLAC -> 380 MB | MP3 320k -> 146 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1988

Anne Dudley, Gary Langan, and Paul Morley were members of producer Trevor Horn's in-house studio band in the early '80s before they formed the Art of Noise, a techno-pop group whose music was an amalgam of studio gimmickry, tape splicing, and synthesized beats. The Art of Noise took material from a variety of sources: hip-hop, rock, jazz, R&B, traditional pop, found sounds, and noise all worked their way into the group's distinctly postmodern soundscapes.

Peter Murphy - Deep

pauldetox — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:40:15 GMT

Peter Murphy - Deep
FLAC -> 350 MB | MP3 320k -> 123 MB | Full scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1990

Peter Murphy simply sounds like he's having the time of his life, singing both for the sheer joy of it and for the dramatic power of his commanding voice. Quite why nothing else on the album connected with the public as strongly as "Cuts You Up" is a mystery; its follow-up single, "A Strange Kind of Love," was a striking love song, with acoustic guitar and plaintive Statham keyboards supporting one of Murphy's strongest lyrics and performances. Regardless, Deep showed Murphy balancing mass appeal and his own distinct art with perfection.

Laurie Anderson - Big Science [25th Anniversary Edition]

pauldetox — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:01:55 GMT

Laurie Anderson - Big Science [25th Anniversary Edition]
CD Image (BIN+CUE) -> 474 MB | MP3 320k -> 87 MB | Full scans | RS
2007 Remastered | Original release: 1982

There was a backlash against Laurie Anderson in "serious" musical and artistic circles after the completely unexpected mainstream commercial success of her debut album. A fair listen to Big Science leaves the impression that jealousy must have been at the root of the reception because this album is in no way a commercial sellout. Big Science is a landmark release in the New York art scene of the '80s, and quite possibly the best art rock album of the decade.

Suicide [First Album Expanded]

pauldetox — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:16:41 GMT

Proof that punk was more about attitude than a raw, guitar-driven sound, Suicide's self-titled debut set the duo apart from the rest of the style's self-proclaimed outsiders. Although they barely receive credit, Suicide (singer Alan Vega and keyboardist Martin Rev) is the source point for virtually every synth pop duo that glutted the pop marketplace in the early '80s. Without the trailblazing Rev and Vega, there would have been no Soft Cell, Erasure, Bronski Beat, Yaz, you name 'em, and while many would tell you that that's nothing to crow about, the aforementioned synth-poppers merely appropriated Suicide's keyboards/singer look and none of Rev and Vega's extremely confrontational performance style and love of dissonance.

Joy Division - Closer [Collector's Edition]

pauldetox — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 20:53:29 GMT

Formed in the wake of the punk explosion in England, Joy Division became the first band in the post-punk movement by later emphasizing not anger and energy but mood and expression, pointing ahead to the rise of melancholy alternative music in the '80s. Though the group's raw initial sides fit the bill for any punk band, Joy Division later incorporated synthesizers (taboo in the low-tech world of '70s punk) and more haunting melodies, emphasized by the isolated, tortured lyrics of its lead vocalist, Ian Curtis. While the British punk movement shocked the world during the late '70s, Joy Division's quiet storm of musical restraint and emotive power proved to be just as important to independent music in the 1980s.

The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus

pauldetox — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:06:47 GMT

The Stranglers' early work is most properly described as stripped-down pop played with a hardcore sensibility; fairly lengthy songs with frequent solo breaks, prominent keyboard usage, and occasional employment of vocal harmony sets them apart from their peers. But snarling lead singing that puts forth macho/critical/distasteful lyrics predominates here, clearly showing the group's punk affinity. This release is solid and worthwhile, a rewarding listen.

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp!

pauldetox — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:39:43 GMT

Joe Jackson - Look Sharp!
FLAC -> 234 MB | MP3 320k -> 85 MB | Complete scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1979

A brilliant, accomplished debut, Look Sharp! established Joe Jackson as part of that camp of angry, intelligent young new wavers who approached pop music with the sardonic attitude and tense, aggressive energy of punk and delivers a set of bristling, insanely catchy pop songs that seethe with energy and frustration. Look Sharp! is the sound of a young man searching for substance in a superficial world -- and it also happens to rock like hell.

Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Do It Yourself [Deluxe 2CD Edition]

pauldetox — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:03:58 GMT

Ian Dury's music always bordered on the functional, since it was used as a backdrop for his wry vignettes and stories, but on his second album that aspect came to the fore. Do It Yourself remains one of Dury's very best records, since his lyrical facility throughout the album is simply amazing.

Ian Dury - New Boots and Panties!! [Deluxe 2CD Edition]

pauldetox — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:51:14 GMT

Ian Dury's primary appeal lies in his lyrics, which are remarkably clever sketches of British life delivered with a wry wit. Since Dury's accent is thick and his language dense with local slang, much of these pleasures aren't discernible to casual listeners, leaving the music to stand on its own merits. On his debut album, New Boots and Panties!!, Dury's music is at its best, and even that is a bizarrely uneven fusion of pub rock, punk rock, and disco.

Simply Red - Picture Book [Collectors Edition]

pauldetox — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:50:47 GMT

Collector's Edition of Mick Hucknall and the gang's debut album featuring five bonus remixes on the CD plus a DVD that contains a Montreux Jazz Festival 1986 concert, filmed at the time of the album. Picture Book was originally released in 1985 and spawned two hit singles 'Holding Back The Years' and 'Money's too Tight To Mention' which are still popular favorites for many fans. The extended 16 page booklet includes extra pictures and brand new notes.

UB40 - Signing Off

pauldetox — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:37:26 GMT

UB40 - Signing Off
FLAC -> 409 MB | MP3 320k -> 154 MB | Complete scans | Easy CD-DA, no cue, no log | RS
Original release: 1980

So ubiquitous is UB40's grip on the pop-reggae market today, that it will be difficult for younger fans to comprehend just how their arrival shook up the British musical scene. Their rhythms may have been reggae based, their music Jamaican inspired, but UB40 had such an original take on the genre that all comparisons were moot. Their fire was dampened quickly, but on Signing Off it blazed high. Still accessible to the pop market, but so edgy, that even those that are sure there's nothing about the group to admire will change their tune instantly. A timeless masterpiece.