Death in Vegas - The Contino Sessions

Been a long time

Wow. It's been five years since the last review of this album.

This should not have happened. This album should have gone down as an all-time classic. Music like this comes along rarely and for you to miss it is just a shame.

I won't review the basics but just encourage you to read the 5 and 4 star reviews, should you somehow stumble upon this CD. All these others have done it better than I hope to do.

I had to leave this album behind when I moved back to the states from England, bringing with me only a MP3 copy of "Aisha" to remind me of it's presence. I had forgotten how great this thing was. Recently I was able to acquire a copy of it and it just blew me away.

Get it. Any way you can.
July 1, 2008

Dark Without the Death

This album is a rare example of that music which manages to be dark and moody without causing involuntary wrist slitting or head-bang whiplash. The opening track, "Dirge", is representative of everything that is great about modern American rock music. The track contains simple, effective riffs obscured by gritty overdrives and thundering bass beats that are utterly addictive. The track also reveals the band's knack for increasing the tension and power in a song without advertising the fact. The result is a song which swells and pumps along, carrying the listener on a musical waterslide until the instruments seem to crash into the pool at the bottom leaving said listener both exhilarated and exhausted.
Try not to feel like a member of the trenchcoat mafia as the album's pivotal track 'Aisha' proclaims: "I think there's something you aughta know. I'm a murderer." The agressive rhythm combines with the sinister lyrics to provoke a sense of latent 'cool' in the listener.
Not all the tracks are stand out. Neither are they all heavy and dark. 'Flying' is one of the best tracks on the album but contains only feelings of airy joy as the various electronic rhythms swoop and, well, fly.
Death in Vegas are a rare breed of artist. They belong to a movement arguably started by the Velvet Underground but now frequented by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, and others. These are the bands that will save the world from hyper-conformist pop. Vive le Death. April 1, 2003

dark , luscious and fun

This one sounds a lot better to me than what I've heard of the dubby DEAD ELVIS. Richer. Darker. A good mix of instruments and trippy electronics. Most of the tracks here are instrumental, "Death Threat" being the trippiest of them - a real head spinner. Most of the instrumentals actually display a more positive mood than the oneÂ's with featured vocalists.

"Dirge" is a slow build with a haunting quality (an overused term but it's true) - layers of guitar, then "la la la" little girl style vocals (actually, it's not a turn-off), then drums, then bass is added until the whole thing builds up to a screeching frenzy.

"Aisha" is a twisted little nugget featuring Iggy Pop playing a sicko to a groovy beat. My favorite track is "Broken Little Sister" with Jim Reid of Jesus and Mary Chain. It actually sounds quite a bit like that group - same kind of darkness and distortion - very luscious and gloomy. Then the final instrumental finishes the set with a more hopeful tone. A worthy vacation for the brain. September 21, 2002

One Of A Kind

There's a reason why Ed Simons of the Chemical Brothers is such a huge fan of this disc (besides the obvious one that Richard Fearless is a pal of theirs). It is quite simply one of the most creative and endearing discs to be released in the past few years.

I will admit that it took me some time to come around to it. Its dark, at times disturbing... if you are looking for pop-friendly hooks or accesable melodies, this is not the place to go. But if you are in the mood for a richly dense album that will yield great rewards for repeat listenings, this is for you.

There are a few stand-out tracks: Dirge is a comparitively quiet intro to the album, a slow-building jazz stomper that acts as a kind of thesis statemtn for the album as a whole. Lever Street is a simple tune, consisting primarily of what sounds to be a Hammond organ - one of the saddest songs I can remember, supremely evocative of heartbreak and despair. Neptune City closes the album - it's one of my very favorite songs, a euphoric capstone to an emotionally draining experience.

All in all, I consider this an essential album. It takes your preconceived notions of what electronic dance music can or should be and stretches them like taffy. October 28, 2001

Ok. I wanna talk about Aisha only........

The whole cd is clas, but Aisha stands head and shoulders above everything.

My first hearing was soley for the music. I didnt pay too much attention to the lyrics. I love their blend of funky beats and the journey it takes your body.

Last night i lay and listened to the lyrics. Of course i was still 'bopping' but MAN.....the sound of the voice is PERFECT.....the analogy hes using i think ive figured out, but the simple use of very poignant one-line lyrics kicks. i mean, when he says 'HE GOT OUT'.....sent shivers down my spine. I heard myself loudly uttering 'This is GENIUS' over and over again......

I defy you to hear this song, to not feel the power, to not hear the ingenuity, to not want to go and buy every cd theyve done just in the off chance that they might have gotten close to this again somewhere else. September 28, 2001

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