Get Your Fix: Album Reviews by the CoolJunkie Staff

December 17, 2008 4:35 PM
by The CoolJunkie Staff

Lou Cowell - I...Um...
by: Damon Dewitt Boardman

Say hello to Lou Cowell, a published author and boxer, a singer and songwriter and the face behind I…Um…, her debut album under Akashic Records. The background on this non-conformist, country grown, pretty, self-taught piano playing, blonde boxer is very interesting. Sadly it does not transfer over to her debut album. Now, not to say Lou is bad, a developed pianist, a decent voice; she’s just not for me. Her music is reminiscent of a cross between a Little Mermaid musical lead by Ariel, or background music to possibly each and every scene in a Life Time made for TV melodrama.

The first 15 seconds of Lonely Little Hurricane are enjoyable, but then the mind gets back in check. By track nine appropriately titled Could We Just Kiss, the last thing a guy wants to hear after 40 minutes of mood development with a female, it was just to tough to wrap up the rest.

But, just like Lifetime and Disney draw in a serious following, the same might be true for newcomer Lou Cowell. I…UM, is perfect for popping into the CD player and settling into an intimate candle lit potpourri sprinkled bubble bath. Definitely not the case for me though.

Click here to hear more from Lou Cowell.

Special Track Reviews by Michael Maryanoff

Gold Fish - Soundtracks & Come Backs Remixed by DJ Eako, Carlos Lamar, Craig Massiv
by: Michael Maryanoff

Upon receiving a copy of Gold Fish’s single Soundtracks & Come Backs I was surprised to discover that Pacha was releasing the record. While I thought Gold Fish might share the same label as Umphrey’s McGee or Widespread Panic, I would have never guessed that they would have a single on Pacha Recordings, a label run by the same people who own one of the biggest nightclubs in the world.

The track seems more at home amongst dancing hippies at Bonaroo, not sharing the same crate as electro house hits. But to be fair, the duo has forgone instruments in the place of synthesizers. The sound of the track is part funky jam band and part jackin’ house track. The DJ Eako remix would fit in well at Pacha, the DJ Carlos Lamar remix sounds like it came off an 808 and the Craig Massiv’s mix has a very old school feel to it, complete with vocoders and a melody reminiscent of old analog synthesizers.

Click here to hear more from Gold Fish.

Presslaboys - Unnopiuvoglia Remixed by Anthony Attalla
by: Michael Maryanoff

Anthony Attalla is one of the DJs climbing the final rungs to international ubiquity as of late, and he’s well aware that that isn’t going to happen without a bevy of productions under his belt. This latest remix of his is one of the higher-profile ones that he’s done recently and he displays a good sampling of his production
chops. The original mix is a bit minimalist in its construction, but Attalla’s version beefs it up with a steady, heavy bassline with a bit more of a swing.

Click here to hear more from Anthony Attalla.

Skank Sinatra - Auto Remixed by Shur I Kan, Blynky
by: Marcos Colón

This is another track out of the batch that seems a bit out of place with the people remixing them. Even though a remix from deep-house producer Shur I Kan is that far removed from the already dark and down tempo original mix, it is reaching across genres, from bedroom friendly electronica, to dance floor friendly deep house. The Shur I Kahn remix is the best out of the bunch, a solid 10PM deep house groove. The Blynky remix is the lightest of the three with a more up-
tempo beat and heavier bassline. The two remixes are much different than the original version, which is more for fans of the Postal Service than dance music.

Click here to hear more from Skank Sinatra.