End 1999 - Packing up to move tunefilter HQ to San Francisco, here's what keeping us company.

  
Gay Dad
Leisure Noise		 We first heard about this band reading some British music rag we picked up for a flight home from Amsterdam... more


Moby
Play		 samples - soul, electronics - natural, black man blues, uplifting gospel inspiration, and lonely ambiance


Dubstar
Goodbye		 A solid, if not slightly confused, disc. It starts with solid alternapop tunes song over jangly guitars but gradually steps up the bmp and electronica until by song 16 they're in a full on techno dance trance.

B-Tribe
Sensual Sensual		 Our trips to Europe are becoming routine by now ... more

Brian Jonestown Massacre
Bringing It All Back Home Again		 With perhaps the coolest cover art yet, this new one by BJM is only a teaser ... more

Portishead
Dummy		 Yeah, we know, this one came out way back in 1994. But we had issues bringing ourselves to actually go out and get it after hearing Sour Times being played relentlessly on the local alternative/modern rock station. But we're over our issues (with this disc anyway) and it sounds every bit as fresh today as it did back then!

Fatboy Slim
You've Come a Long Way, Baby		 We remember exactly when Praise You hit us. We're sitting in the Neodrom, a hip bar in Amberg, Germany, (let us restate, the only hip in the Oberpfalzer region of Bavaria) when the DJ starts spinning it. A cold beer in hand, a seat at the bar, and Praise You blaring from the speakers - we couldn't think of any finer situation in which to be.

Cornelius
Fantasma		 Cornelius - what a fucking great name! ... more

Mid 1999

  
Billy Bragg
William Bloke		 We actually bought this, our first Billy Bragg disc, last winter. But after growing on us and passing a few key tests - Mom and grandma hate it so bad they still blame their poor euchre card game performance to this music playing in the background; Stacey, who sits in the cube across from me at work listening to Scandal (right.... Scandal), threw this CD back at me no more than 1 minute into the first song - we knew it had to be put on the tunefilter recommended list. Dig that Hammond B3 in the first tune!

Shreikback
Big Night Music		 Okay, okay, we realize this one goes back a decade or so, but it's 1am on another warm summer night and The Shinning Path is playing while we work on this website. We pause from our work ponder for a moment and marvel at just how well this disc sets an exotic nighttime now as it did when we were in our senior year at Michigan State.

Slim
Hang On		 Sraight from Madison Heights, Michigan, old friend of the 'filter Billy Zoyes releases a scorcher that's leaving tracks on the CD player - with Monte on the bass and Nick Moretti on vocals and violin to boot. Eighteen tunes, most with a ska bent but some very melodious sing alongs. This is local fine Detroit produce.

Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club		 We've had half an eye on this every since being pleased with Cubanismo. When the local library had a copy, we had to check it out. Good thing too, this one's a keeper. Buy a copy for yourself just like we did.

Brian Jonestown Massacre Strung Out In Heaven We're still gooving on their '97 release and along comes this, probably their best CD to date! The tunes here range from Donovan 60's style to Cowboy Junkies slow redneck all while maintaining the BJM lo-fi, lo-cost feel.

Cornershop
When I Was Born For The 7th Time		 Okay, so you know "Brim Full of Asha" - that got a lot of airplay. There's a couple of other jangly, catchy pop tunes in that vein, but then mixed in between are funky, hip-hop grooves spiced up with Indian vocals and instruments. Suprisingly it works. You don't find yourself skipping over anything on this CD when it comes up during shuffle mode on the CD player.

Belle & Sebastian
The Boy With The Arab Strap		 Okay gang, you need to get this one. This one can very likely be the tunefilter pick of the year. Out of the twelve tunes here, we got about four knock-you-out fantastic pop songs with the remaining ones being very solid. Song #1, "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" has to be one of the best songs written all year.

Elliot Smith
XO		 Okay gang, you need to get this one. This one can very likely be the tunefilter pick of the year. Out of the twelve tunes here, we got about four knock-you-out fantastic pop songs with the remaining ones being very solid. Song #1, "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" has to be one of the best songs written all year.

Saint Entienne
Good Humor		 Can't say it any better than the review on Amazon.com - "Haul this record out when you're wishing life were like a Mentos commercial". Seriously, can't say that this is an album of the decade choice, or even a best of the year selection, but it pretty much chock full of solid pop tunes that won't disappoint when it comes up on "shuffle" in your 5 disc changer.

Early 1999

  
Blur
13		 We seem to be going against the grain on recommending this one... more

Belle and Sebastian
If You're Feeling Sinister		 Here's another CD that we're getting heat for digging. "The Stars of Track and Field", "Seeing Other People" and "Judy and the Dream of Horses" are about as sublime as songs can possibly get. The beauty of B&S is their simplicity. Soft, mellow arrangements in which trumpets, piano, guitars, cellos, and drums alternate taking focus but never overpower the singing. There's a couple of lulls in this - e.g., "Me and the Major" - but overall, it's well worth it.

Hooverphonic
Blue Wonder Power Milk		 Sensuous female singer against lush synth-generated string sections and electronic experimentalism. "Club Montepulciano", "Out of Time" and "Magenta" are moving songs, beyond that though the pickings get a little slim. Not really bad mind you, just not as inspiring as you would think/hope the songs would be given the great production, mystic of being from Belgium, a beautiful female voice, and, of course, cool cover art.

Morcheeba
Big Calm		 Beautifully crafted, relaxed tunes blending the perfect mix of electronic and organic sounds including fiddle, bongos, lap steel, pedal steel, clavinet, the ubiquitous Hammond, as well as tons of other sounds. Shoulder Holster (02) is the perfect example of Morcheeba - an incredible blending of sitar over steel guitar (right ... sitar over steel guitar - the disc is worth buying just to hear how anyone can pull that off) with a punchy bass and drum beat in the back.

Moon Pix
Cat Power		 Chan Marshall sings in a lazy drawl while accompanied by some sparse guitar, perhaps a flute, or maybe some drums.

Gomez
Liquid Skin		 When we go over to hang out at our high school buddy Coonan's house, sure as shit there's going to be some late 70's or early 80's rock band jamming from his stereo... more

Massive Attack
Mezzanine		 We were hanging around Amsterdam when we wandered into a record store, put on some headphones and played Teardrop. Our jaw hit the floor. Sultry, lush, slowly taking it's time while Liz Frasier's vocals darted all over the place. We ignored the beckoning call of the coffeshops while we listened to that song over and over.