Carina Round - The First Blood Mystery (CD, 2001)

I've had this cd for a while, and paid a pittance for it, but I seem to have been lucky, given the prices on amazon.com ($75 US bucks is freaking ridiculous - I paid 10 of a much less valuable currency!). Prices on amazon.co.uk seem substancially more realistic, but still, all the copies seem to be used, maybe because I can't find any trace of the label that released it (Animal Noise).

Anyways, I like this album a lot, about as much as her second album, The Disconnection (which, being on a different label, is easy to find in most places). I'd avoid her latest album though. Too commercial. Yucky. The only flaw on this album is the arrangement of 'Let It Fall', which I have attempted to remedy by including her far superior (i.e. there's more screaming, and Pixies and Iggy Pop references) live version of the same song.  She gets compared a lot to PJ Harvey and Patti Smith, because that's who all loud female singer-songwriters are compared to, but she isn't that similar. Her vocal and lyrical theatrics are the things to watch out for here. Highly recommended.

The First Blood Mystery

Controlled Bleeding - Songs From the Grinding Wall (CD, 1989)

I sold last semester's textbooks today, hence the material for posting. This was buried beneath tons of crap in the back of the store. What little I'd heard of Controlled Bleeding before this was largely ambient, sort of a la Konstruktivits, so this caught me off guard, being much more rhythmic. More investigation of their backcatalogue is required methinks...

Grinding Wall

Various Artists - Machines and Noise - Volume Two (CD, 2002)

This is the second disc of this three part series. With any luck (i.e. me finding the 7 bucks necessary and no one else buying it before then), the third will eventually follow.  This is pretty much more of the same type of stuff that the first, fun if occasionally iffy.

Tracklisting:

Severed Heads - Jet Lag

The Shamen - You, Me and Everything

Chris & Cosey - October Love Song

Thule - Gold Old Gold Old

Swamp Terrorists - Rebuff

Cop Shoot Cop - Relief

Orbital - Open Mind

New Order - Evil Dust

God Flesh - Pure Spite

Finni Tribe - Electrolux

Pop Will Eat Itself - Menofearthereaper

Volume Two