Short Cuts, the extra long summer edition There's no excuse I know. But it's been a while because of personal circumstances. The world of music still goes on, although most releases still do not get the attention they should. So we at Project A keep on giving attention to things you might never hear, but should: Paloma - Harness My Zebras You will not be able to buy this, yet. It was sent to me by someone who just stumbled upon my homepage, liked it and by way of thanking me sent an CD full music played by his own band. There is no better way of thanking somebody then by sending a collection of heavenly tunes. Paloma is a threepiece band from the center of France and unlike many of their countryfellows they refuse to sing in French. So by doing no consessions their music isn't appreciated in France and they are stuck without a distribution deal, which is a god damn shame. Their music is a perfect pairing of intimate Palace-like songs with strange little electronic sounds and tinkering guitarplaying somewhat like Pram. Want to hear it? Try this, this, this and this for starters and then mail them to get your own copy. (Darjeeling Sound) [JV] Amber#2 - Dreams In Technicolor More bands from below the Dutch border keep surprising me. Music from Belgium has gotten some attention over the past five years, because of the success of Deus amongst others. But because of that success we've come expect that specific sound copied by many other bands in Belgium. It's a real surprise to now hear something completely unlike Deus. Amber#2 is a fourpiece band who obviously grew up musically in the days of shoegazing, resulting into a sound with noisy layered guitars and sugarcoated melodies and many intertwining vocal lines. The songs hint at early nineties bands like Slowdive, Adorable and sometimes even Pavement. I guess these guys should get a feature in this electronic rag. For now, buy this album and cherish it. (Atomic)[JV] Mojave 3 - Who Do You Love? It has been some time since the last release of Mojave3. The former Slowdive members suddenly traded in their guitareffects and are now making intimate country like music. This EP is their best produced to date and contains much better songs as their debut. Hopefully there will be an album soon. (4AD) [JV] Sonic Youth - A Thousand Leaves Sonic Youth have been at it for ages, since their start in the early eighties they have seen many trends and bands grow and disappear again. Sonic Youth's music itself has been somewhat consistent, although since the early nineties they had become more 'rock' and less experimental, some even considered their later albums 'commercial'. A Thousand Leaves, which is the result of the band members taking some time off to spend some time with other musicians, is a return to the form they had during Sonic Youth's prime works like 'Sister' and 'Daydream Nation' although more quiet and subtle. For people in their forties Sonic Youth sound younger than most upstarting bands. (Geffen) [JV] Mouse on Mars - Glam The mice from Germany are unlucky. Everytime they get to do something special, like making a soundtrack, the project turns out wrong. This third release on their own label is the result of the soundtrack they have done for a movie that will never be released. The director of 'Glam', which was going to be a crime fiction starring Tony Danza (the Italian in Taxi and Who is the boss), liked Mouse on Mars' music and asked them to do this, until he heared the result and first scrapt the soundtrack and then the whole project. What's left is an album of dark and sinister music, very unlike any other record by Mouse on Mars, but beautiful in it's own way. (Sonig) [JV] Pernice Brothers - Overcome By Happiness It's been some time since The Scud Mountain Boys split. Main songwriter Joe Pernice was tired of the way Scud Mountain Boys had become and they kept being compared to The Eagles. He wanted a new way of expressing himself. Together with his brother and some friends he started a new brother-collective with which he makes more happy songs. The quietness and harmonics of the Scud Mountain Boys is still there though, only the mood and the songs have changed. I won't mention the Eagles again. Oops. (Sub Pop) [JV] His Name Is Alive - Fort Lake Until now Warren Defever done most of the production in His Name Is Alive in his own basement and with his last album he seemed to be stuck in his ways. After years of quite depressive soundcollages and quirky songs his collective needed a new impulse. They got it with producer Steve King and a new voice Lovetta Pippen. Fort Lake is HNIA most ecclective and exciting album to date. The music varies from Indie rock, to gospel, swingbeat and pop. Everything song has it's own beauty and keeps the listener excited and wanting to hear more. Finally something happy to listen to! (4AD) [JV] Idaho - The Forbidden EP It's a crime nobody knows about Idaho. This band has been at it for at least seven years now and the music they put out is getting better and better. This latest EP is a piece of perfection. Perfect artwork, four perfect songs and a perfect description by themselves: TIME IS THIN, SOUNDS IS THICK LIKE COLOR. This music washes over. Not like being in the washing machine, like most guitar rock, a little unsubtle, stubby like a dead lawn.  And a perfect lyric. (Buzz Records) [JV] Mogwai - No Education = No Future (Fuck The Curfew) EP I have never liked Mogwai before. Which is strange, because most of the people I know and are into the music I listen to, do like the fourpiece from Scotland. In a way I always missed the point of Mogwai, their guitarmusic didn't have enough structure, lacked direction, a thought. This EP has it though, especially the first songs which starts out so silent and explodes halfway through and has an amazing outro with subtle violin playing by former Long Fin Killie singer Luke Sutherland, and that strange slamming door in the last few notes. Mogwai have found something that was lost the moment Psychosis split. (Chemikal Underground) [JV] Plastikman - Consumed Canadian Richie Hawtin lives close enough to Detroit to have been influenced enough by the minimalistic electronics from the motor city. For years he's done his own warped version of it and made it more minimalistic, more repetitive and subtle bleeping. This new album is minimalistic in a completely different way, the bleeps are gone and the sounds has become more rumbling and pounding, atmospheric. Plastikman is looking for and finding new ground. (Novamute) [JV]