miscellaneous stuff

[hsu@uicsrd.CSRD.UIUC.EDU (William Tsun-Yuk Hsu)]

Just heard a side of the new Robyn Hitchcock album at a record store. Boy,
are we all getting slicked up for '86 or what. I'll receive final 
judgement till I've really listened to this one, but from what I've heard
we may have lost another one to the magic allure of "airplay" and $$$.

Also heard a few cuts off the new Shriekback album. Can't say I agree with
Joe Turner that "it kicks Oil and Gold's ass". Oil and Gold had some
gutsy subterranean funk so even noize fans like me can warm up to it,
but the new stuff doesn't sound as clever.

The new SPK is fine stuff; definitely get it if you like the In Flagrante
Delicto 12". Both cuts from the 12" are on the album, but substantially
remixed (especially Invocation, IFD has a new introduction.) Like earle
said, a lot of ethnic instruments, and just below the surface is this
industrial noise that shows a tentacle or two once in a while. A few cuts
are a little too pretty, but on the whole very well-crafted stuff. I
like it better than most of the "soft industrial" stuff I've heard
recently, such as the much touted Jeff Greinke. 

(Oh... the SPK also has a lovely cover with many quotes from the pretentious
decadent poets I "grew up" :-) on... Hof might want to black them out and
just listen to the music or sth... :-))

Any west coast lovehounds heard of Cyrnai? They have this weird EP called
Charred Blossoms which sounds better at 33 rpm than 45, but is 
interesting anyway. Kind of more traditional industrial stuff, with
chunky factory rhythms (get rid of that drum machine, guys), found noise
collages and distorted female vocals. Rather unpolished but lots of
good ideas; did they make another album? There's a neat booklet with
lyrics, xerox collages and some really nicely textured "industrial" 
drawings.

Bill Hsu