THE DEAD SOUTH – SERVED LIVE
Released on 01/29/21, this is the first official live album by the Canadian folk-bluegrass band from Regina, Saskatchewan. They have released 1 EP and 3 LPs prior to this. Essentially a greatest hits collection, Served Live was recorded during their Served Cold World Tour (2019/2020) and features 17 tracks and runs a solid 90 minutes long. What is unique about this release is that no 2 songs are included from the same cities/venues. The album is mixed/mastered so that all the songs sounds as if they were played at one single concert – a very difficult feat to do and have sound correct. The band sounds revved up and unstoppable! All the hits are here – and they sound amazing and crisp and leads me to believe that they planned this recording well in advance so that they could get the sound just right. Most of the set are upbeat songs that banjo fans dream of but slower pieces such as “Broken Cowboy” and “Boots” appear at perfectly timed intervals to help your heart rate subside for a bit. But once you are lulled into calm, they crank out the biggies such as “Heaven in a Wheelbarrow”, “Travelin’ Man” and of course the anthem that is “In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company”. This is 90 minutes of folk-bluegrass goodness!
I own the following version of this album:
· Double Album (2 LPs), 180g, gold metallic vinyl
Overall, I give this album 4 out of 5 stars. Review by Cris Ratkovic (DJ BKR) 05/24/21.
GORILLAZ – SONG MACHINE SEASON ONE
Released on October 23, 2020, this is the 7th full length studio album from the ever-evolving cartoon band Gorillaz. In January 2020, the Gorillaz announced that they would be releasing their next album as a series of singles and music videos, dubbed “episodes”, and although it seems like they got a bit lazy with their videos, the music did not disappoint. The 11 track album spans so many genres that it is hard to figure them all out – the genres that I picked up are pop, alternative, reggae, punk rock, hip hop, funk, soul and many more. The fact that Damon Albarn was able to get both Elton John, Robert Smith, Peter Hook and Beck to guest on the album is impressive enough – but the other surprise guests impress as well, such as Schoolboy Q, Fatoumata Diawara, Slowthai, Octavian and many more. Overall, this is a fun and catchy album – the songwriting is sharp, and the melodies are uniformly great. Albarn’s drowsy presence as lead singer 2-D shuffles through song after song like a hit off a bong as usual, but the stout melodicism makes this their best album since Plastic Beach (and IMO their 3rd best album). The standout tracks from this great album are The Valley of The Pagans (featuring Beck), Desole (featuring Fatoumata Diawara), Aries (featuring Georgia & Peter Hook), Strange Timez (featuring Robert Smith), Momentary Bliss (featuring Slaves & Slowthai), Pac-Man (featuring Schoolboy Q), and The Pink Phantom (featuring 6lack & Elton John). To be honest I have listened to this album in its entirety so many times that it is embarrassing lol.
I own many different versions of this album:
· Double Vinyl Deluxe Edition box set which includes the deluxe CD as well as a 12” hardcover art book, 3 x 12” prints, a 12” label copy sheet and a download card.
· Neon Orange vinyl edition (made in Germany)(Warner music exclusive).
· Limited Edition Blue Cassette: “Noodle Edition Slip Case” – featuring 12 tracks (including “With Love to An Ex” & “MLS” which are not available on the album)
· Limited Edition Orange Cassette: “Russel Hobbs Edition Slip Case” – featuring 11 tracks (including “MLS” which is not available on the album)
· Limited Edition Green Cassette: “Murdoc Edition Slip Case” – Featuring 11 tracks (including “Simplicity” which is not available on the album)
· Limited Edition Red Cassette: “2-D Edition Slip Case” – featuring 11 tracks (including “MLS” which is not available on the album)
Overall, I give this album 4 out of 5 stars. Review by Cris Ratkovic (DJ BKR) 05/24/21.
Music Reviews
Want us to review your latest album? Hit us up!