Quick First Impressions...



Mike Ladd - Nostalgialator

Mike Ladd, hip-hop's most intelligent MC/producer (he was an English Professor at some New York university) finally gets round to a solo follow up to his blinding Welcome to the Afterfuture album. I'm not sure if it's as good, but it's still welcome in my collection - alternating between punk, funk and ambient influenced styles it kind of reminds me of Outkast.



The Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine

Blimey! This is a bit FUCKING INTENSE! At there very core they are a heavy metal band I guess, but so much more complicated than anything I've heard. Occasionally they sound like the Aphex Twin, sometimes they are just a normal metal band, very occasionally there is a bit of jazz, and sometimes a hint of NIN. And they don't seem to be fans of verses or choruses. If an evil computer took over the world I'm pretty sure it would listen to this whilst enslaving us.



Mark Lanegan Band - Bubblegum

By band, what they really mean is half of Queens of the Stone Age and Polly Harvey. Knowing this you should know exactly what sort of music to expect. Good old fashioned rock music with a hint of the blues and a sprinking of punk. And his voice is something else, makes me want to get drunk and smoke lots for some reason...