The Prodigy
Invaders Must Die
Available Now
4/5
In an alternate reality, this is a greatest hits collection. From start to finish, it's full of songs that sound almost, but not quite, like a collection from The Prodigy's earlier years.
"Thunder" sounds an awful lot like "Diesel Power," and "World's on Fire" is a few notes from being a remix of "Firestarter."
However, if anyone thinks that this means Invaders Must Die is a bad album, it would be difficult to be more mistaken. "Omen" by itself is proof that The Prodigy is still relevant in the fast-paced electronic genre, no mean feat for an act whose first hit album came in 1994. After all, has Fatboy Slim done anything noteworthy since "From the Gutter to the Stars?" Everyone who was self-aware back in 2000 remembers "Weapon of Choice," but it would be a tall request to find someone who has ever heard "Slash Dot Dash" or knows what album it's on.
One thing that has to be said about Invaders Must Die is that it sounds a little dated. The Prodigy is probably not going to be picking up new fans with this album. But the old fans are loving it.
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Marianne Dissard
L'Entredeux
Available now
4/5
I have to admit, I was a bit unsure about reviewing an album in which the lyrics are entirely in French. I don't know French, first of all. And second of all, I haven't heard a lot of French music that I actually liked. Alizée is French, and even though she looks pretty good in a skimpy outfit, her music isn't exactly what I'd call a siren song.
That just goes to show that even music can have idiotic stereotypes. Marianne Dissard is pretty much the polar opposite of crappy Europop. Her music could be described as the baby of Miles Davis, Stereolab, Janis Joplin and Modest Mouse.
It's a complex album, and I get the feeling that if it were sung in English, it would fall flat on its face, probably breaking its nose in the process. However, in French, it forces the listener to concentrate on how Dissard's wonderfully husky voice blends into the instruments. The combination is musical ambrosia.
For that reason, I don't recommend L'Entredeux to anyone who can understand what the lyrics are. I get the impression that would kill the magic. Everyone else would be doing themselves a great disservice to miss this. If you want to see her play live, she's opening for Le Chat Lunatique on April 3 at the Launchpad.
Grupo Fantasma
Sonidos Gold
Available now
5/5
I'm a Norteño at heart. Growing up in Española, if I wanted to dance with a pretty girl, and not in the idiotic bump-and-grind style of hip-hop, I pretty much was forced to develop an appreciation for the kind of music Grupo Fantasma plays.
What sets this apart, besides the Latin influence, is it contains a big, fat dose of funk that George Clinton could get down to.
Making this record had to have felt like a risk to the artists. It blends so many genres that any little glitch could have brought down the whole project, turning a great album with a Grammy nod into a meandering mess. "Cumbia de los Pajaritos" has a clear reggae influence but crossbred into something that fails to sound anything like Bob Marley. "El Desconocido" has a smooth Santana-like guitar line, with a flamenco inflection that pulls it back from the edge of rock into the world of jazz.
The funk undercurrent flows throughout the entire CD, making it an album that's perfect for when the band takes a break on mambo night. The rhythm is nigh irresistible.
To be clear, if you aren't getting down to this, it's probably because you're dead. If you still number among the living, go get your groove on when they play at the Launchpad on March 11.
