(Originally published in Reels of Dreams Unrolled No. 2, May 15, 1997)
If not for the fact that I occasionally glanced at my friend's Modern Drummer magazines, I would have never known this album existed. Apparently, no one else did. I think I'm one of about four people who bought this album. This is a shame, because it's quite an interesting CD. Laundry was a side project of Tim "Herb" Alexander, the now ex-drummer for Primus (one of the only "alternative" bands that deserves the label - or any attention). Herb is joined by Tom Butler on guitar, Toby Hawkins on vocals and Ian Varriale on Stick. A person familiar with Herb's and Primus' influences might see the Stick, put two and two together, and assume this band was influenced by King Crimson in some way. That person would be right! It's a fairly well-known fact that the members of Primus have been influenced by the likes of Rush and King Crimson. With Laundry, Herb got to prove it to those who weren't able to see the connection before.
"Blacktongue" is from beginning to end a wonderful romp in the relatively unexplored void between current "alternative" music and progressive rock. The entire album is comprised of dark, polyrhythmic tunes that display elements of '70s and '80s King Crimson. Butler's guitar playing is often reminiscent of Robert Fripp's pointillistic guitar style that dominated albums like Discipline and Beat. Varriale's Stick playing is also quite similar to that of Tony Levin, rounding out the '80s Crim-fluence. The music itself is dark and fairly jagged, sometimes calling to mind Starless & Bible Black-Red era Crimson.
One might think from what I have said so far that Laundry is extremely derivative and unoriginal. Let me assure you that Laundry is not simply a Crimson wannabe band. They are truly much more in the "alternative" (man, I hate that word!) vein than prog rock, but Laundry is so much more than any three-chord teen-angst band you'll ever see on Mtv. The music is actually very similar to Primus, but darker and more serious. There are no silly songs about cheese, mud, fishing or any of Les Claypool's cast of thousands of wacky characters from in and around San Pablo Bay. Anyone who finds Primus interesting musically, but can't get past the silly stories and the nasally vocals should give Laundry a try. Anyone who likes Primus and/or King Crimson should have bought this great album a long time ago.
Пост N: 4136
Info: think for yourself, question authority
Откуда: мавританские конопляные заросли
Отправлено: 23.09.09 17:01. Заголовок: 2000
LAUNDRY_2000_"Motivator"
Original Release Date: March 11, 2000 Label: The Orchard
01 Intro (0:54) 02 This Time (3:39) 03 Ten Gates (4:45) 04 God's Show (5:42) 05 Day (3:41) 06 What Is Great (6:16) 07 Laundry (4:50) 08 So Mean (4:51) 09 Turd Bowlers (7:06) 10 One (1:15) 11 Motivator (5:26) 12 {untitled track} (7:10)
Laundry are proberbly best know as Tim 'Herb' Alexanders 'side project', releasing 'Blacktongue' in 1994. Since then Alexander has made it his main project and is also the lead singer in the current Laundry line up. However lets not overlook the other members of this unique trio. Ian Varriale is a facinating stick and Warr Guitar player who manages to make his stick and warr lines creep under the screaming and scathing guitar lines of Tom Butler. It should be made clear that Laundry are not another quirky Primus type band, but are more akin to friends and associates band Tool or A Perfect Circle (who Alexander drummed for live). Alexander's drumming is as always very cool regardless of how many kicks he uses. Over all this is a great band and a record well worth having a copy of.
This is a great album, worth listening to multiple times. The instrumentation isn't as quirky as on Blacktongue, but it is still atmospheric and original. Herb's drumming is, as ever, powerful, odd, and groovy, although his snare either wasn't recorded very well or he was trying to be very, very loose with the ghost notes. And for those who miss his double-bass work (and think that he didn't use it on this album), it's there. There's plenty of double-bass work on this album, it's just not all over the place like it is in him Primus work or on Blacktongue. And for those missing the 2 kick drums, well, he hasn't used them since Primus' Tales From the Punchbowl.
The guitar work is eerie and ethereal, yet melodic and rhythmic. The same goes for the Warr Guitar/Chapman stick. Great interation between the stringed instruments without getting cluttered. The parts fit together nicely creating a nice, lush overall sound without taking up too much space.
The vocals are decent, although it does sound as if Herb was digging Layne Staley a bit much. Still, not bad. You can tell the drumming was tailored to the vocal parts (which is logical... he had to sing and play both parts live). Not a bad effort, although the vocal parts are definitely not meant to be catchy. Overall, great album. Worth having, worth multiple playings.
Finally a band with some original music. This is one fabulous piece of work! Guitars on this are so erie and dark they made my speakers scared. The drum work is nothing less than spectacular because of former Primus skinsman Tim Alexander. The stick player puts out bass lines that would make ol' Les green with envy. Oh and their song writing makes other artists look like bubble gum rock. This CD puts "art" back into music.
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кто такой Тим Александер? правильно, барабанщик группы Primus. Где он ещё стучал? ну, например в Perfect Circle. Laundry - это его проект. Нынешний альбом - второй по счёту (первый был в 1994 году). на что похоже? ни на что. Замес из прога, арта, психЕдела. Ядрёный такой альбом вышел. Тим барабанит что надо + ко всему ещё здесь и сам поёт (на первом альбоме пел не он). Вокал сравнивают с Лэйном Стэйли (Alice In Chains), но мне так не показалось лично. Да и голосовые звуки тут всё равно на фоне его работы за драмами воспринимаются как нечто вторичное. Всё равно что Чембер бы запел, постукивая с свободное время для себя, друзей и души=)) Короче, голос в порядке, но первоочередная ценность данного проекта для меня именно в тимовских барабанах. Кто слышал Primus - тот поймёт. Кому нравится гранж, альтернатива, прог - качайте.
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