Mr. E's depression is a welcome sound

Eels have become known as the band for the clinically depressed and suicidal. It just doesn't get any bleaker than 1998's Electro-shock Blues, one of the saddest albums ever. Fortunately, it's gotten a little bit sunnier for eels, as the name of the duo's third album, Daisies of the Galaxy, indicates. But don't expect to hear anything perky or peppy.

Daisies of the Galaxy is a bit more accessible than eels' previous efforts, as singer-songwriter E smooths out the edges of eels' trademark fractured pop. He abandons the experimentation of Electro-shock Blues for more straightforward arrangements. The presence of REM guitarist Peter Buck playing piano and Grant Lee Phillips filling in on bass for most of Daisies' tracks gives the album a poppier sound.

E shows that he has a sense of humor by including the album's excellent first single, "Mr. E's Beautiful Blues," as an unlisted bonus track at the end of Daisies of the Galaxy. E even includes a pair of pseudo-love songs with "Wooden Nickels" and "Jeannie's Diary," in which he croons She's got a dark side too / Even murderous / But I love that just like I love her. Hardly the stuff of amorous love letters, but as close to a cheery love song as eels will ever get.

E also pays tribute to the ubiquitous eatery Hot Dog on a Stick and the former queen of Monaco on "Grace Kelly Blues."

The best track on Daisies of the Galaxy is the Danny Elfman-esque "Flyswatter," which uses a xylophone loop to create a creepy effect that pervades the whole song.

Eels is one of the most challenging groups to listen to, but the effort is worth it with Daisies of the Galaxy.
- Mike Dutra | Music Editor

Yup, here comes another boy band. The German foursome, First Love, looks to hop on into the American music scene with its self-titled debut album. But don't get too excited - there is nothing on this album that the listeners haven't heard before.
The album includes typical dance tracks like "Freaky" and love ballads like, "Smile." "Yippee Yi Yo" and "Perfect Boyfriend" are songs that would make even prepubescent girls laugh.
"I Just Can't Enough" and "Stay Another Day" are the only songs that are even remotely close to being likeable. Both have somewhat catchy tunes, but again, they are nothing new. In general, the songs on this album are emotionless and have no soul to them. And on some of the songs, the boys sing off key or harmonize discordantly and irritate the listeners.
First Love should at least find the decency to learn how to sing before setting out to pursue a career as musicians. Their lack of talent places them at the very bottom of the boy band hierarchy. Their debut albumneeds major repairs and overall, is just one big mess.
- Nikki Hong | Staff Writer

When an artist is made famous by a series of television commercials, in this case Levi's ads, an instant "sellout" label is usually associated with that artist.
However, in Mr. Oizo's case, who cares? Mr. Oizo, a.k.a. Quentin Dupieux, and Flat Eric, his head-banging hand puppet who was the star of the advertisements and who is featured on the video for "Flat beat," have conjured themselves an album flooded with dirty beats, funky rhythms and speaker-blowing bass. Mr. Oizo's first full-length album, Analog Worms Attack, is techno simplicity at its best. The tracks, most of which are only a few minutes long, are sparse and made up of simple synth beats over a bassline with a few samples thrown in here and there.
The track that made Mr. Oizo known to the jeans-wearing public, "Flat Beat," is the definite highlight of the album. Offbeat bass samples over a simple bass beat drive the song and one can't help but bop along. This formula is used throughout the album, and, for the most part, it works. Mr. Oizo's sense of humor spices up the mix enough to warrant more than one listen to the minimalistic songs. However, a few tracks become cumbersome and quickly, such as "Inside the Kidney Machine" and "Bobby Can't Dance." Both tracks feature slow beats and boring samples.
If it weren't for the lighthearted attitude Mr. Oizo takes with his music, Analog Worms Attack would be a total failure. Analog Worms may not be the most ingenious of albums, but if one just wants to bop along to some of the dirtiest bass beats ever put on tape, then Flat Eric is the puppet to dance along with.
- Ian Young | Diversions Editor

Copyright 2000 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 139, No. 41 (Wednesday, March 22, 2000), on page 8.