Monday 10 March 2003

*REVIEW*

Chicks On Speed at the Annandale Hotel, Sydney

Chicks On Speed, a Berlin-based trio consisting of one German, one American and an Aussie - all girls, all dancing, if not exactly all-singing - have been peddling their patchy wares for the last five years or so. Part band, part fashion line, part record label and part harmless art prank, they're happy to be called pretentious (inasmuch as anybody's "happy" to be called anything) and seemingly overjoyed to be onstage here at the Annandale. They shout, they bounce, they show off their fluorescent make-up and flounce around the stage, posing like the teenagers they're not and, at one especially surreal point, cleaning the stage with brooms and mops. And then they shout some more.

To be honest, Chicks On Speed's music - rudimentary electro with an accidentally vogueish synthpop trim - is hardly of any import: It's all about art and sloganeering statements and FUN, maaan, and the net result looks like a French & Saunders sketch gone horribly, horribly wrong...with special guest star, Kim Wilde. Not really, but you get the idea. With mock-provocative songs like "Procrastinator" and "We Don't Play Guitars", CoS are in their element in this roomful of irony-overdosed art school hipsters; the girlz, in particular, lap up every daft moment.

It’s all fun and games, certainly, and the late appearance of a giant, Terry Gilliam-esque inflatable four-breasted caricature laydee certainly puts the Chicks in a different league to, say, Coldplay in the race for a memorable evening. But – not unlike the infinitely superior Le Tigre, CoS labelmates in Europe – CoS’s presence ressurrects on of the Great Sad Truths of music, that no matter how much a band has to say, and no matter how valid the points being made, if the music isn’t memorable, or at least competent, nobody’ll bother listening. File under: whelming.

Saturday 8 March 2003

*REVIEW*

Various Artists – The Curtom Story (Metro)

The clues are there the moment you check the sleeve of this 38-track compilation: “Curtis Mayfield’s School of 20th Century Soul”, reads the subtitle, and if that’s not sufficient reason to blast this album from the rooftops, you’re listening with the wrong ears, baby. Curtis Mayfield was the softly smiling, stylish journeyman of ‘70s soul, rightly revered to this day for the classic Superfly soundtrack album (the title track of which, along with album highlights “Pusherman” and “Freddie’s Dead”, are included here). But what’s lesser known, is that Mayfield ran his own label and publishing house, and this compilation stands as an impressive document of the talented acts he nurtured to fame. Some names will be familiar: The Impressions step in with “First Impressions”, and Mavis Staples’ “Chocolate City” is a sound to behold. However the majority of this album is made up of lost gems by acts whose names will mean little to any but the hardiest crate-digging soul archivist. And they’re all bloody fantastic. Highlights? Jamo Thomas’s “I Spy (For The FBI)”, Jesse Anderson’s “Mighty Mighty” and Leroy Hutson’s “Blackberry Jam”, to name but three. But there’s so much more. Do yourself a favour and hear the Curtom story, as told by its stars.

Wednesday 5 March 2003

Statues, the brand spanking new album from tight sweater-wearing, not doctor-being, things making-and-doing strangepop stars Moloko is available to hear, free and legally we think, at www.molokostatues.com. End of message...