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5januaty[31]1997 +ean d *< * lA~^ JS !g?wfr? setting sun (ep) astralwerks records notes: ...the chemical brothers use a carefully beaten sample of the beatles' "tomorrow never knows," mix it with the chanting vocals of drinking buddy noel gallagher to finish off this brithoppy, "royal family on acid" taste test... jamiroquai traveling without mo\ sony records Imarcus ar The recent popularity of hip-hc bands can only help the British ba nearly four years they have combi and funk in a way that resembles : Earth, Wind and Fire. With the re album, Traveling Without Moving combine the brilliance of early Stc aaJ-a. can/fv? ssorted musical snacks S . Ijason The 1960s' dope smoking, psychedelic acid dropping and bra less bonhre revolution created an 1 whole new era in American culture, c while setting the stage for the trippy 1 funk, heavy rock and freedom- t minded music of the time. What we t know now as classic rock came about as both a reflection of and a r reason for this alternative culture. b But here in Generation X Land, c where labels are strapped on in a I kinky-like fashion, we are again in 1 the midst of a revolution. The c children of the bra-burning hippies b and Beatle-ized youth of the 1960s, c we now are the threshold of a c complete music revolution. More than just flannelized rock or heavier a metal, this new brand of music takes on a faster, digitalized feel to it, C reflecting our computerized society, b Saturating this extreme revolu- a tion are a pack of bass-heavy s techno-rockers -- led by the now p mainstream Chemical Brothers. c Their new single, "Setting Sun," ii may very well be a theme song for ti today's cyber-rock culture. ti Thp Rrnt"hpr<:' tvniral cmind ri combines a ultra-fast, raving beat b with acidicly mind bending samples s and sickly electronic wailing. r improvisation o puted leaders in Like 1994's i Wig is d( >p inspired nd Jamiroquai. For H^^Jam ned acid jazz, disco H ban< some of the best wqrk.tif Along" lease of their third Jamirc j, Jay Kay and company*' V^p Travelin, :vie Wonder with the not onl lynes| Confused? Imagine U2 with rrent Reznor, Junior Vasquez and DJ Jazzy Jeff each simultaniously :ontributing their respective styles. rhe result is the brit-hoppy, echrto-surged remixed flavor of he Chemical Brothers. Known for promiscuous emixes of Prodigy and Method v4an, the Chemical Brothers use a :arefully beaten sample of the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never and mix it isychedelic jgf hanting, mixed rito a hard core rock 'n' roll beat, o create this brain bending cyber heme song. Picked up by local ock radio and MTV, the Brothers iave gone mainstream to set the un on the gaping hole between ock and dance music. f 1970s soul to become one of the undis. britpop's second revolution, jnderrated Return of the Space Cowbo) ;ep in danceable and catchy grooves, is a love story from outer space, and ay" is the R&B the way it was meant tc rtual Insanity" and "Alright" are retro ft that will inspire a casual listener to talk : the second coming of disco, ot everything on Traveling is your typica iroquai song. It's refreshing to hear the d experiment with reggae on "Drifting and guitar on "You Are My Love." quai are superstars in their homeland, a g Without Moving sell millions of record y overseas, but here in the states. i J ' ' mk ' s? > I * _ t H I I ?(D?0 <=r I cilkgh-is for <=i|ohe oh ?ih isf'sM Ujf+Ji I sparky wi The story is a familiar one. A song 01 ear. You hastily buy the CD and play the wake up one day and it sounds as worn ( sneakers. Ben Folds Five's self titled debi this cherished trait -- the fact that you c hesitation - that has earned Ben Folds 1 albums of all time, not to mention an al my CD-changer. So what is Ben Folds Five? Critics ck punk (whatever that means), but to me, The trio (they just thought five sounded Folds on lead vocals and piano, Robert J, and bass, and Darren Jesse on backing X who can be seen slam dancing while J* music as "Punk rock for sissies." Fold frequently harmonized with the equal Folds' piano playing ranges from classica over loud and fuzzy bass and a fast and e Pensive and often humorous, the lyri energy to the songs asthe instruments, v slams on political movements. This albu yours (well... his, but it's easy to relate). Folds waking to realize that he dragged 1 Axl Rose; as he puts it, "Being awake ne "Sports and Wine," which pokes fun at spouting sports fan, quipps "The girls do think is art, my oh my, we're all impress The combination of this unusual ban and energy sets Ben Folds Five in a class KJlI ink ml B^WmnSHwffHliW^WnWj s iHllHBHillliHHilHliiH garnet&black .. of? tAA /ori-fes otily 01 c<i player experience fS's i folds five 1 folds five enger records tte | n the radio catches your : hell out of it, but then aut as an old pair of ut is NOT that CD. It is :an play it enlessly without :ive a place in my top ten most permanent place in issify them as post- pop , they defy classification. 1 better) consists of Ben Sledge on backing vocals vocals and drums. Folds, on piano, describes their 's strong vocals are ly strong Sledge and Jesse. 1 to banging chords, topled merge tic drum pace, cs contribute as much /ithout any social satire or m is about life, mine and "Jullianne" begins with iome a girl that resembles :ver felt like this before." the number crunching, stat n't understand it, what you ed, how sensitive you are." d's mix of wit, harmony, of it's own. aj