Lords
      of
      the
      Underground
     
     
      Keepers
      of
      the
      Funk
     
     
      (EMI)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Lords
      second
      album
      is
      out
      and
     
     
      they’ve
      lost
      little
      of
      the
      street
      smart
      sound
      that
     
     
      was
      so
      prevalent
      on
      their
      debut
      album
      ““Here
     
     
      Comes
      The
      Lords’’,
      but
      they
      don’t
      capture
      the
     
     
      sound
      that
      made
      them
      so
      popular
      with
      songs
     
     
      like
      ‘‘Chief
      Rocka’’,
      or
      ‘Madd
      Skillz’.
      Still,
     
     
      it’s
      a
      very
      good
      follow-up
      that
      features
      the
     
     
      production
      skills
      of
      Marley
      Marl.
      The
      single
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘Tic
      Toc’’
      could
      be
      one
      of
      the
      new
      year’s
      top
      }\i
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hip
      hop
      cuts.
     
     
      (3.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Various
     
     
      Sony
      Music
      Sampler
     
     
      (SONY)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      veritable
      cornocopia
      of
      music
      by
     
     
      some
      of
      Sony’s
      top
      artists.
      It
      moves
      along
      the
     
     
      musical
      spectrum
      ranging
      from
      the
      hip
      hop
     
     
      sounds
      of
      NAS
      (‘‘The
      World
      is
      Yours’’)
      and
     
     
      Xscape
      (‘‘Tonight’’),
      to
      the
      rock
      stylings
      of
     
     
      Jon
      Bon
      Jovi
      (‘‘Good
      Guys
      Don’t
      Always
     
     
      Wear
      White’’)
      and
      Spin
      Doctors
      (“‘Cleopat-
     
     
      ra’sCat’’).
      Anexcellentalbum,
      unfortunately
     
     
      you
      won’t
      find
      it
      in
      stores
      because
      it’s
      just
      a
     
     
      promotional
      release.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Various
     
     
      1-800-NEW-FUNK
     
     
      (ATTIC)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Prince
      has
      gathered
      together
      some
      of
     
     
      the
      newcomers
      of
      funk
      and
      some
      of
      the
      veter-
     
     
      ans
      of
      R
      &
      B
      together
      to
      put
      out
      an
      album
     
     
      showcaasing
      the
      freshest
      new
      sounds
      in
      funk.
     
     
      The
      ‘‘Atomic
      Dog”’
      himself,
      George
      Clinton,
     
     
      joins
      artists
      such
      as
      Nona
      Gaye
      (Marvin’s
     
     
      daughter)
      and
      Mavis
      Staples
      in
      this
     
     
      Minneapolis
      product.
     
    

    
     
      (3)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Various
     
     
      Shopping
      OST
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (POLYGRAM
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      soundtrack/of
      a
      movie
      that
      I’ve
      never
     
     
      heard
      of,
      featurin
      eri,
      artists
      that
      ’ve
      never
     
     
      heard
      of.
      The
      2
      cuts
      ars
      basically
      a
      fusion
      of
     
     
      techno/hip
      hop/alternative,
      but
      nothing
      really
     
     
      stands
      out.
      ’s
      single,
      ‘‘Don’t
      Look
      Back’’
     
     
      is
      blase
      at
      best,
      and
      Stereo
      MC’s
      ‘““Wake
      Up’,
     
     
      is
      basically
      boring.
      The
      one
      interesting
      track
      is
     
     
      Credit
      t6
      the
      Nation’s
      ‘‘Call
      it
      What
      You
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Warren
      G
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Regulate...g
      funk
      era
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (November
      15,
      1994
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (POLYGRAM)
     
    

    
     
      Warren
      G
      is
      quite
      heavily
      influenced
     
     
      by
      George
      Clinton’s
      P-Funky
      sounds
      on
      this
     
     
      album:
      whichis
      yet
      anotherlaid
      ba
     
    
   
   
    
     
      gangsta
      album.
      It’s
      a
      mix
      of
      melo
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      painfully
      short
      by
      most
      measures.
     
     
      be
      offended
      by
      the
      misogynist
      tone
      of
      hi
     
     
      Ho
      Draft’’,
      which
      really
      has
      no
      placg
      on
      this
     
     
      CD.
     
     
      (3)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Public
      Enemy
     
     
      Muse
      Sick-N-Hour
      Mess
      |Age
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (POLYGRAM)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Enemy
      is
      back,
      following
     
     
      ‘*Greatest
      Misses’’
      CD,
      with
      some
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Black
      pride
      and
      history.
      The
      lyrics
      ar¢
      rugged
     
     
      and
      intelligent,
      and
      the
      beats
      hard
      and
      pump-
     
     
      ing.
      Good,
      but
      not
      up
      to
      the
      past
      stan
      ds
      of
     
     
      excellenceof
      the
      lyrical
      terrorist
      Chugk
      D.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (3.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      The
     
     
      Solitude
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Sony)
     
     
      This
      is
      one
      of
      the
      bands
      we
      all
      grew
      up
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      and
      promptly
      forgot.
      Hearing
      this
      CD
     
     
      brought
      back
      all
      the
      memories.
      Ypu
      may
     
     
      recognise
      some
      of
      the
      songs
      from
      old
      The
      The
     
     
      recordings,
      or
      fromthe
      soundtrack
      of
      ‘/Three-
     
     
      some’’.
      ‘‘That
      Was
      the
      Day’’
      was
      revamped
     
     
      from
      the
      original
      ‘‘This
      is
      The
      Day’’.
      I
     
     
      strongly
      encourage
      you
      to
      check
      this
      out,
      if
     
     
      only
      for
      one
      song:
      ‘Dogs
      of
      Lust’’.
      Once
      you
     
     
      get
      past
      the
      scary
      album
      cover,
      you’
      Il
      discover
     
     
      a
      CD
      with
      just
      plain
      music.
      No
      real
      message-
     
     
      -and
      that’s
      why
      I
      like
      it.
      Lots
      of
      guitar,
      but
      no
     
     
      annoying
      feedback.
      Rock
      without
      grunge...
      3
     
     
      hard
      combination
      to
      find
      these
      days.
     
     
      (4)
     
     
      --Aldera
      Chisholm
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Voice
      of
      the
      Voyager
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
     
        
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
        
     
     
        
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bodycount
     
     
      Born
      Dead
     
     
      (EMI)
     
     
      _
      Ice-T’s
      band
      does
      their
      best
      imp
     
     
      sion
      at
      hard
      core
      heavy
      metal.
      Too
      m
     
    
   
   
    
     
      yelling
      and
      swearing,
      and
      not
      enough
      musi
     
     
      ability
      or
      thought
      went
      into
      this
      album.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      qi)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      clawid
      sereda
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pago
      ie
      tg
      et
      =
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
       
     
     
          
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
          
     
     
         
     
     
       
        
     
     
       
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
         
     
     
       
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      David
      Serads
     
     
      The
      Blue
      Guide
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (RWRD)
     
    

    
     
      The
      promo
      for
      this
      album
      calls
      D:
     
     
      Serada
      the
      next
      Leonard
      Cohen...
      |
     
     
      differ.
      This
      guy
      sounds
      like
      your
      typi
     
     
      poppish,
      overly
      commercial,
      unoriginal,
     
     
      ing-to-cater-to-the-mainstream-market
     
     
      comer.
      I
      admit
      that
      the
      guy
      does\have
     
     
      musical
      ability,
      and
      a
      very
      clear
      tone
      of
      vo
     
     
      but
      you’d
      think
      that
      he’d
      put
      it
      to
      better
     
     
      then
      sappy
      love
      songs.
      Don’t
      let\the
     
     
      deceive
      you,
      this
      stuff
      is
      not
      blues.
      Dept
     
     
      ing,
      yes,
      but
      not
      blues.
      I
      wish]
      could
      say
     
     
      nicethings
      about
      this
      album,
      seeing
      ashe’
     
     
      independent
      Canadian
      artist
      and
      all,
      bul
     
     
      fact
      remains
      .
      .
      .
      he’s
      a
      cheap
      Michael
      Bo
     
     
      rip-off.
      Mind
      you,
      if
      you
      like
      that
      in
     
     
      stuff,
      this
      is
      definitely
      for
      you.
     
     
      (2.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Cate
      Hanus
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Uisce
      Beatha
      (pronoynced:
     
     
      ka
      baha)
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Festival
      Records)
     
     
      Uisce
      Beath/is
      a
      traditional
      '
     
     
      band
      from
      Halifax’
      No,
      they
      are
      not
      ”
     
     
      Rankin
      Family/they’re
      MUCH
      bet
     
     
      that.
      They
      us¢traditional
      instruments°
     
     
      the
      Irish
      whistle,
      bagpipes,
      harp
      and®
     
     
      lin.
      They
      are
      gifted
      musicians
      who?
     
     
      mefsed
      in
      their
      specific
      style.
      Mai™
     
     
      Celtic
      music
      pales
      when
      compared
      '
     
     
      mastery
      of
      Uisce
      Beatha.
      They
     
     
      definitely
      worth
      listening
      to
      over
      ae
     
     
      again.
     
     
      (4.5)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      --
      Cate
      Hanus