Courtesy otGetten Records
NYC Ghosts & Howei
Sonic Youth. Gotten Records
By Rory Carroll
Oregon Daily Emerald
When Sonic Youth’s equip
ment was stolen along with then
tour van outside a downtown Los
Angeles club last summer, they
had to rebuild.
This is a band that is just as tied
to the tone of their notes as to the
actual notes themselves. And, giv
en their remarkably long and pro
lific career, they are tied to their
instruments to achieve their
unique brand of sprawling, high
voltage rock. With their equip
ment gone, it was as if someone
cut their anchor. Anyone who has
heard SY, even just once, can usu
mains unmistakably Sonic Youth.
But what becomes of a group of
aging musical experimentalists?
Some would predict that time
makes one more conservative,
more polished, refined and exact.
In short — dull. Others would say
that true artists continue to spread
their wings even if they have
peaked in one area. But when
you’re talking about experimental
art, it means the norms have been
thrown out the window, render
ing criticism a precarious act. You
can’t compare it with a standard
because it wasn’t created with a
standard in mind. That leaves
their former work as the only
available device for comparison.
So where is Sonic Youth in all
this, you ask. Exactly where they
left off with 1998’s “A Thousand
Leaves,” pushing their attitudes
jamming. The lyrics are even print
ed in the jacket, truly a rare thing
coming from a band that almost
never prints its words.
There is also an unprecedented
directness about this record, be
ginning with its title, “nyc ghosts
& flowers,” which, like 1994’s
“Experimental Jet Set, Trash and
No Star,” could be a cryptic de
scription of the band itself. First,
it has been the voice of New York
City's liipper-than-thou under
ground since Lou Reed gave the
job up in the late 70s. The band
took over with its formation in
1981. Also, the members’ com
bined voices have always had a
haunting, ghostly vocal reverb
that punctuates meditative lyrics.
And their tunes have always been,
Turn to Sonic Youth, page 6B
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Courtesy of Sire Records
vol. one
■ An new collection of
DJ club tunes offers an
accessible smorgasbord
for dance music fans
i
X
MUSIC
Essential Selection Vol. 1
Various Artists. Sire Records
★★★★☆
By Mason West
Oregon Daily Emerald
For music aficionados, compi
lation CDs are like a Vegas buffet:
you can get lots of different stuff,
and it’s all good. But the “essen
tial selection vol. one” takes a dif
ferent approach to compilation
CDs. Instead of having a montage
of different performers, it devotes
an entire CD to a DJ to remix pop
ular songs of their choice.
This two-CD album is mixed by
two of the biggest name DJs in the
world today, Fatboy Slim and
Paul Oakenfold. Each DJ has their
own disk with over 70 minutes of
music. The CDs’ tracks are mixed
together to create a continuous
flow of music simulating a live
performance by the DJs, making it
the perfect CD set for a long road
trip.
Fatboy Slim, a.k.a. Norman
Cook, has made a name for him
self as a DJ in the pop music
scene. His songs “Rockafeller
Skank” and “Praise You” were
heard all over television and radio
last year. His sound is easily dis
tinguishable from most other DJs
and can be labeled almost comic.
His songs are very upbeat and
make you want to get up and
jump around. Just by listening to
his music, you can tell that he is
loving his job.
However, his lighthearted mu
sic doesn’t take away from his
professionalism. Fatboy Slim has
been intensely involved in the
world of music since the mid
‘80s. He has undergone many mu
tations since that time but always
seems to end up on top.
Oakenfold is another survivor
in a constantly changing industry.
While his name may not be as
well known in the world of pop
music, it is assigned almost god
like status among electronica
fans. He's so cool that in the mil
lennium edition of the Guinness
Book of Records he was given the
title of “the biggest DJ in the
world.”
Oakenfold’s mix is more trance
based than Fatboy Slim’s, but it
also brings in some house and
other beat styles. However, Oak
enfold is always so close to the
edge of music trends, one should
be careful defining just what it is
he’s doing. It might be something
you have never heard of before.
Aside from being a great DJ,
Oakenfold is a very successful
producer and has been responsi
ble for bringing many great artists
into the public eye. As a matter of
fact, he helped launch the career
of Mr. Will Smith himself back in
the ‘80s. Betcha didn’t know that.
In a market where there are so
many DJs with albums available,
a consumer must be choosy if
they are going to get good music.
Luckily there are artists such as
Turn to Dance, page 7B
Avant’s album steeped in ‘Thoughts’ of love
Courtesy of MCA Records
■ The rapper offers songs
about love, lust and
everything in between
My Thoughts
Avant. MCA Records
By Jessica Blanchard
Oregon Daily Emerald
If his lyrics are even the slight
est bit autobiographical, R&B
singer Avant needs a shoulder to
cry on, a good dating service to get
the hook-up, and someone to tell
him that women no longer are
solely responsible for running a
household.
That said, let me add that he
will definitely not need help sell
ing copies of “My Thoughts," his
debut album on Magic Johnson’s
new label with MCA Records,
once these tracks move into the
regular rotation at radio stations.
On “My Thoughts," Avant tack
les the ever-complex subject of
love and lovers — finding them
(My First Love), winning them
over (Reaction), dealing with jeal
ous lovers (Serious), leaving them
and whining about it (Separated),
losing them (Get Away), and deal
ing with being heartbroken (This
Time).
Avant’s voice sounds a little
like fellow R&B artist Ginuwine
— they both have similar voices
and rhymes, and use the same
slow, mellow tempos. Avant lays
down 12 tracks on this album,
which is a must for anyone who
loves R&B — trust me, these slow
jams are so mellow that you won’t
really care what Avant’s singing
about, just how soon you can use
his tracks for background music
for a serious make-out session.
He has major-hit potential with
his track “Reaction,” a pop/rap
flavored tune with the requisites:
naughty sex references, a catchy
beat, and two guest raps (both of
which almost steal his thunder).
This was my personal favorite
track, one I still can’t seem to stop
playing. Even though I know the
beat was borrowed from some
where (it sounds an awful lot like
one Brandy used for her hit single
“Sittin’ On Top Of The World” a
few years ago), I still like the fla
vor of the song.
His track “Happy” has a differ
ent tone, but with all the same at
titude. The musbv Juries say
things like:TT wffiyou to be hap
py in love with me,” but Avant’s
provocative delivery and the
thumping chords in the back
ground make it sound more like a
cheap attempt to get a woman
into bed.
For balance, he has songs that
speak about the downsides of los
ing or falling out of love, with
tracks such as “Separated” and
“Get Away.”
“If I never see you again I won’t
be mad at all/ because I believe
that you’re my downfall,” he
sings in “Separated,” in which he
plays the wronged lover well, wa
vering between being bitter and
wistful over a separation with a
girlfriend.
In “Get Away,” a great song to
play to yourself when you’re pin
ing after an ex, or need a good cry,
Turn to Avant, page 7B