Sous le patronyme Rain Machine se cache Kyp Malone, le guitariste (et chanteur à certaines heures bouleversantes) des essentiels TV On The Radio. “J’écris et j’enregistre des chansons tout seul depuis que je suis arrivé à New York en 2000. D’abord parce que je ne connaissais personne, puis par choix à cause de la liberté singulière que ça m'apporte”, confie l’Américain dans le dossier de presse du label Anti- qui annonce la sortie pour la fin de l'été 2009 du premier album de Rain Machine. Produit par Ian Brennan (Lucinda Williams, Jonathan Richman), le disque est décrit de la sorte par Kyp Malone (qui s'exerça d'abord en solo sous le nom de Black Lights, puis sous sa propre identité, avant d'opter pour son nom pseudo actuel) : “un spectre qui englobe presque toutes les fréquences audibles par l’oreille humaine - le reflet d'une large palette d'émotions, de situations réelles ou imaginaires, quelques rythmes et quelques rimes”.
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Kyp Malone’s much anticipated solo project Rain Machine is set to be released September 22 on Anti-records. The provocative album art, created by Malone himself, is an appropriate indicator of the unique and defiantly personal music within. Rain Machine features ten unflinchingly original and emotional songs mixing elements of modern jazz, blue-grass and blistering guitar driven rock into a refreshing new sound. As singer and guitarist for celebrated band TV on the Radio, Malone proved himself both a captivating and delightfully unpredictable musical force. On Rain Machine, he shows himself a singer and a lyricist of startling talents. Malone recently described Rain Machine as “a nearly full spectrum of frequencies audible to the human ear, a reflection of a variety of emotions and situations real and imagined - some rhythm some rhyme.” In most instances such a statement could be dismissed as nothing more than playful hyperbole. This is not one of those times. Rain Machine is the sound of an extraordinary artist emerging into his own.
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In 1996 Kenichi Asai, branched out from his main band, Blankey Jet City and formed a new band "Sherbet." This band was completed by: Qumico Fucci on Keyboards and Chorus Kenichi Nakata on Bass Kimitoshi Sotomura on Drums They released their first single Ghost on 10th July 1996, a one track single priced at just 500 yen to promote the upcoming debut album Sekilala which was unleashed upon the world just two weeks later on July 24th. This was a very nice album and showed just what sort of music they were capable of making; it was softer than the BJC sound, largely due to Qumico Fucci�s keyboard but still with Kenichi�s impeccable songwriting talents. It sounded more eclectic and dreamier than anything he had done before. However Kenichi was still in BJC at the time so it was a while before anything else was released. The next release was the High School single on 7th July 1999 by which time they were signed to Polydor and had changed their name to Sherbets. This single was a slightly harder sound than that heard on Sekilala, but very good nevertheless. The release of High School preceded the release of their second album Siberia which was issued exactly three years after the first, on 24th July 1999. Between then and the band's demise in 2001 they released a further three studio albums, a two disk live album and four singles. Their finest work was on their last studio album Vietnam 1964 which was good from the start to the last note, especially the unmissable groove of the third track "Sally." Sherbets' sound is both complex and dreamy at times, varying from 8 minute epics like the stunning "Black Jenny" to shorter, harder songs like "High School." Their live show was, in typical Kenichi style, a no frills affair, concentrating on the music with no fancy stage set or effects. One tragic thing (to me at least) is that though they released two live videos on VHS they have yet to see the light of day on DVD so not many people have had the opportunity to see them. In 2002, they disbanded with the formation of Kenichi�s next band, Jude....or did they. It would seem not, after three and a half years of hiatus they are back with a new album, Natural to be released March 9th 2005.
- Simon
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Avec ses allures de blockbusters rock aux légères teintures électroniques, pas de doute possible, Naturally est un disque qui, du moins sur le papier, en impose. Normal, Men Without Pants est un projet qui a sacrément de la gueule. Dan Nakamura aka Dan the Automator a un CV long et large comme le bras d'un rugbyman néo-zélandais - (Deltron 3000 avec Kid Koala, Gorillaz avec Damon Albarn, Head Automatica avec Daryl Palumbo de Glassjaw, Lovage avec Jennifer Charles d'Elysian Fields et Mike Patton, Peeping Tom de nouveau avec Mr.Mike P...) ; et Russel Simins n'a absolument rien d'un petit joueur puisqu'il est l'un des hommes de base de Jon Spencer Blues Explosion... Alors forcément quand les deux s'associent et s'entourent d'une belle bande de braqueurs expérimentés, ça sent le hold-up. "And the girls go" puis "Double life" débarquent sur la platine et Men Without Pants fait sauter la banque. Une énergie furieusement provocatrice, une écriture qui contamine l'auditeur en moins de temps qu'il n'en faut pour le dire, Naturally n'a pas vocation a révolutionner le petit landerneau du rock mais à lui mettre une belle claque derrière la tête. Soli de gratte efficaces, envolées mélodiques fougueuses et maîtrise absolue, le projet confirme en deux petits morceaux toutes les promesses suscitées par son line-up quatre étoiles. Les tubes s'empilent ("Superfine", "Let's met in real life"), Dan the Automator prend les commandes et mélange rock énergique, pop enfiévrée et programmations électroniques le tout étant dopé par une production de haute volée. Pop-song synthétique électrique ou petite mine électro-rock bien placée, aucun coffre-fort ne résiste bien longtemps au savoir-faire de Men Without Pants, une entité musicale qui peut quasiment tout se permettre en ayant l'assurance de taper dans le mille à coup sûr ("Rock show", "If you're thinkin' of me"...). Avec un tel casting, Men Without Pants avait tout l'air d'un joli blockbuster musical, du genre qui susciterait le dédain des critiques de magazines "hype" pour plaire au inconditionnels de rock indé qui se foutent de ce qu'en dit la presse bien pensante. Comme prévu, c'est exactement le cas. Et comme les deux têtes-pensantes du projet ne se gène pas pour oser quelques petites expérimentations avec "All you need is luck", à brouiller les pistes, quitte à parfois se rater ("The beginning"), avant de ressortir de la banque tout en douceur, par un énième tour de passe-passe sobrement baptisé "Goodbye". Classe. Et Naturally de s'imposer comme un album, imparfait certes, mais riche et soigné, inventif et ne refusant pas la prise de risques pour mieux se redéfinir encore et encore de lui-même. A vrai dire, on n'en attendait pas moins. Certainement l'un des disques les plus excitants du moment.
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It's been implied that Rusted Root is the ideal outlet for devastated Grateful Dead fans to turn to, and it is true that the band has attracted a huge group of devotees purely from the reputation of its live shows. Still, WHEN I WOKE, Rusted Root's first major label release, provides ample evidence of the group's individuality and strength. The musicians play aggressive, intense acoustic music, incorporating vocal harmonies and long, hypnotic, percussive riffs that sound nearly tribal. World music influences the entire album--hints of African, Latin American, far Eastern and Middle Eastern styles abound--contributing to WHEN I WOKE's energetic and spiritual tone. Some tracks are so emotional they approach melodrama (see "Cruel Sun"). Yet the vibrant, cohesive sound of Rusted Root's many musical collaborators and a palpable sense of sincerity hold them back, as do simple, forthright lyrics like "all I want is food/And creative love." Singer Mike Glabicki's strong, quirky voice brings to mind David Byrne, and the band's big, active, joyful sound often recalls Poi Dog Pondering, particularly on cheerful cuts such as "Send Me On My Way."
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