R - Ribviews

Whether they’re straight out of the kitchen or have been sitting under a heat lamp for a minute, here is a sample of releases Ribbers decided to taste. Like other zines, we have rated them, but with our own complicated culinary system – from one rib (lowest) to five ribs (bestest).

Radium 88 Metamorphosis (Lotek). 2-1/2 ribs -Freeze-dried and tossed to the side.
The opening 130-second salvo starts things off with a sense of foreboding anticipation, kinda like boarding a space shuttle, followed by the Evanescence-on-acid cherry-coloured funk of the title track, the Air-y scary "Before It Disappears," Chemical Brothers without the big beat on "All That Shines" and closing with some Tracey Thorn/Chumbawamba goings-on, but the best thing about this ambient affair is the ultra-trippy trilogy of tracks 8 to 10. It's all quite pretty ... pretty lifeless and love-in-a-vacuum sterile, and just confirms a long-held belief that a band's suck quotient usually corresponds to the number in its name. David Thornton

Regina Spektor Soviet Kitsch (Sire). 3-1/2 ribs-Nicely packaged.
As Prince once so bitingly sang, "all the critics love U in New York." Originally self-released but picked up by Sire, the album title succinctly sums up the 25-year-old's Jewish Russian heritage. Discovered by The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, who later invited her to join the band's latest North American tour and record a B-side with them, Spektor has emerged all the way from the Big Apple's anti-folk scene to opening for Kings of Leon on their European tour. Branded as everything from the next Norah Jones to "maybe the best thing Russia has given the world since vodka" (Filter), Spektor comes across as a more cerebral and decipherible Bjork (yet just as cutely naive, and curiously, the Sugarcubes had a minor hit called "Regina" way back in '89) or Ricky Lee Jones.
Highlights include the Tori Amosh pit of "Flowers" and a nice refrain from classical jazz with the true-to-punk-rock-form two-minute "Your Honor," and run from the outrageous ("Chemo Limo") to saccharin-sweet ("Somedays"). Also includes a DVD with a short film inspired by five of the album's songs and a video for "Us." David Thornton

Rocky Votolato Makers (Barsuk). 3 ½ ribs-need plenty of napkins.
Rocky Votolato pours his heart out on the emotion-infused release Makers. The former frontman of indie group, Waxwing must be crunching on some serious downers, though the tunes are perfect for rainy day recovery. Tracks like “Uppers Aren’t Necessary,” “She Was Only In It For The Rain” and “Tennessee Train Tracks” are all very different sounds and the mood changes with each, but they all have a sense of cathartic outpouring, bent on release. Votolato seems to do it with ease on his fourth solo album, which is a testament to his honesty when music making. Will Jordan

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