SoundArchive

T

6 - Volcanic
5 - Blistering
4 - Hot
3 - Smoldering
2 - Room Temp.
1 - Fizzled
0 - Extinguished

A: Multiple Listening
B: Deserves Another Spin
C: Once Should Suffice

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TEDDY THOMPSON
It is far too often that new, young performers (talented or not) have to pump up the sex-appeal card, often to disastrous effect. "My manager made me do it!" Whatever! Occasionally a young artist comes along who concentrates on the music. Teddy plays guitar, harmonium and sings on all the tracks, without the necessity of a fashion statement, strut or pose. His plain boy-next-door look is definitely a statement within itself, but his voice, passion and conviction within the songs place him in a more credible (though accessible) spectrum of the male vocal genre. His voice has a
Neil Finn (ex-Crowded House) quality to it, soothing but not without an edge. Teddy touches on acoustic rock, folk and country elements without getting trapped in its shortcomings - rather taking its best aspects and making it his own without being lumped in its category.
- PB
4 / C

TEDDY THOMPSON
At first glance Teddy looks like some kind of brit-popper but his fragile country influenced pop-rock (and a voice that sounds so much like something I know very well but just can’t put my finger on) is unusual enough to have many ears prick up. He could well be the
Chris Isaac for this decade with heart squashed injustice in his voice and lyrics (without sounding like a whining twit, that is). Let’s just hope Teddy doesn’t lose his edge like the great Isaac when success (and with it, comfort) comes rolling in, sending artistic outpour of true suffering out the window.
- PB
4 / C

THERION - Vovin (Nuclear Blast)
The future of metal might just belong to
Therion. Including a vast range of influences and styles, they gently pull you into their world which is that of an epic, operatic apocalypse. Never too subtle and also not over-emphasising, these musical geniuses add the most angelic and powerful of operatic voices to heavy guitars and an atmosphere both forboding and comforting. Not much more can be said about his beside bloody brilliant! This could actually convert many who thought metal was dead and a mere noise.
- PB
6 / A

TIFFANY - The Color Of Silence
Well look what crawled out from the bottom shelf of the dusty 80's cabinet. After taking the teenage market by storm with her "daring" smash, I Think We're Alone Now, the ginger moppet seemed to have disappeared into obscurity. Thoughts of millions wasted on an early adulthood, rehab and mismanagement always loom on the horizon, but the fact that she's trying a comeback over a decade later is just too fascinating to wish wrong on the poor girl (no matter how much she annoyed you back then). "So why isn't he talking about the music?", I hear you cry. There are very little distinguishing "Tiffany" characteristics (her being grown up & all - looking a bit haggard for hardly being in her 30's). She has the name and now need to prove that she can still sing, regardless of thanking her pastor and God in the sleeve notes. It's all very passable but it is still basically female pop with not too much fizz. I guess it's not long before
Debbie Gibson and Mandy Smith will follow suite. You gotta' pay the bills…
- PB
3 / C

TITAN A.E. - Motion Picture Soundtrack
The soundtrack to this highly anticipated animated sci-fi feature reflects its energetic thrust. You get good doses of
Lit’s sing-along rock, Powerman 5000s crunching hyper-rock has a remix sound built into it while Jay Kay and Jamiroquai’s funk-e-fied trademark gets a futuristic disco taste. The unmistakable vocal beauty of Texas seems out of place (but remember, movies need valleys as much as peaks). Fun Lovin’ Criminals adds a heavy, fuzzy guitar riff tucked under their particular Hip-Hop / Rap brand while Luscious Jackson does nothing unexpected. Several lesser-known bands get a shot here. The Urge has a hard pop edge with a soaring chorus. Electrasy’s guitar backed sound hs many electro-drenched melodic pop-rock elements while the idea of Rastamen in space is a provocative one, though Wailing Souls has very few computerized influences, opting for the traditional irie-style. Splashdown has a very intriguing, Middle-Eastern feel to it, making it a very memorable atmospheric track. With the catchy modern rock sound of Bliss making another one of the cool tracks (most not too forgettable), the Titan A.E. soundtrack packs more of a punch than most animated film soundtracks (South Park excluded, of course).
- PB
4 / B

Toploader - onka’s big moka (Sony)
On viewing the very late 60’s/70’s style cover photography, you get some knid of idea of what to expect.
Toploader lands somewhere between Kula Shaker, Oasis, The Verve and Black Crowes, a teeny bit of each to be heard in their music (deliberate or not). Happy songs with a retro touch and finger popping tunes of comfy, safe warmth. Mostly straight pop with a bit of rock thrown in for good measure, the Hammond organ sound very rarely discarded. Pensive moods do arise with reflective inflections of bitter-sweet feelings, but the tone is mostly that of a positive optimism. Toploader is a mellow, good-times band that will have to avoid the same old recipe next time around.
- PB
4 / C

TRAINSPOTTING & TRAINSPOTTING #2 - Rolprent Klankbane (EMI)
Hierdie uiters vermaaklike en suksesvolle Skotse rolprent oor dwelmslawe het net soveel populariteit met die klankbaan losgeslaan. Met 'n wye verskeidenheid kunstenaars, soos
Underworld se alombekende Born Slippy tot Pulp se Mile End, het die fliek se klankbaan net so bekend soos die fliek self geword. Ander kunstenaars hierop te vind is Primal Scream, Brian Eno, Leftfield en 'n aantal ander. Maar nou is daar 'n tweede CD van Trainspotting beskikbaar ! Baie van die liedjies is wat die vervaardigers wou gebruik maar nie plek voor gehad het nie. Daar is die legendariese Iggy Pop wat op albei klankbane sy verskyning maak. Behalwe Dark and Long se hipnotiese toon, is daar 'n herverwerkte snit van Underworld se Born Slippy/NUXX. Ekstrakte van hoof akteur Ewan McGregor se eind monoloog verskyn saam met PF Project se elektroniese trans klanke. David Bowie is teenwoordig met sy bekende Golden Years. Ander '80's pop liedjies hierop te vind is Heaven 17 se treffer Temptation asook Fun Boy Three. Die alternatiewe gode Joy Division lewer Atmosphere op hul unieke manier. Behalwe verdere treffers van Primal Scream, Goldie en Leftfield, is daar selfs 'n opera snit, Habanera, uit Carmen. Hierdie twee klankbane kan nie misgeloop word nie, spesifiek om rede dit musiek vasvang wat relevant is in die rolprent en nie net om die top 10 te haal nie.
- PB
5 / A

200 CIGARETTES - Motion Picture Soundtrack (Universal)
Although no incidental music from a composer is included, the tracks are none the less great to listen to. Like, for instance, there’s
Blondie’s In The Flesh, Roxy Music’s More Than This and The Cars’s Just What I Needed. The Go-Go’s give us Our Lips are Sealed, Bow Wow Wow’s wonderful I Want Candy will be remembered by many while The Ramones’s attitude drenched I don’t Care is still cool. Joe Jackson does It’s Different for Girls, while Kool & The Gang rips with their classic, Ladies Night. And then there’s ol’ Elvis Costello. So, it’s everything from old and classic pop & rock to soulful disco & smooth tunes. More modern tracks include Harvey Danger and Girls Against Boys as opposed to the majority of 70’s & ‘80’s tracks. A Blondie medley with a No Exit remix featuring Coolio & The Loud All Stars, members of Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan make for a real interesting finale’. Cool movie as well, by the way.
- PB
4 / B

2 STEP SOKKIE STOMP - Various (BMG)
This 20 tracker will definitely appeal to a certain chunk of the SA populace. Mixing some foreign country stars with local manne and poppies is actually not a bad idea. From abroad there are the likes of Randy Travis, Leann Rimes, The Judds, The Mavericks and Dwight Yoakam, while the locals include everything from Patricia Lewis and Steve Hofmeyr to Bobby Angel and Christo & Cobus. For the sokkie fans out there, this is not to be missed. I’m sure it’ll sell like hotcakes.
- PB
3 / C