Music : Wild Animals |
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Rating: - * A Fine Album! ... I'm not sure where or how I became aware of The Pinker Tones and their most recent album, "Wild Animals." I think it probably appeared on my recommended list as I enjoy a lot of electronica music and I've bought some Mexican Techno as of recent. I buy some things at random without ever having heard of them just to see what they are. Well, I scored on this one. It's an excellent album. Very enjoyable music. The Pinker Tones are an electronica duo operating our of Barcelona, Spain, as Mister Furia and Professor Manso, plus DJ Nino. It's electronica, but they don't sound so obvious about it. As you listen, it's easy to imagine them as a six- to eight-piece stage band rather than a recording studio phenomenon. The use of whistling and a harmonica here and there gives them a more human touch also. The two male vocalists are quite good and could harmonize with the Beach Boys. Most of the tracks have vocals and most of the vocals are in English, but there's one spanish track and a French track. In addition, there's a variety of strange electronic noises and some of the vocals are in computersppeak distortion mode. It's a fun mix. It's a very upbeat album and presents fun listening. The Pinker Tones are very versatile. Every song on the CD seems quite different from the rest. As I was listening, my wife remarked that the assortment of songs was more like listening to the iPod on shuffle mode rather than listening to a CD. All of the songs are rather good. If pressed for a favorite, my choices would be "S.E.X.R.O.B.O.T," "Electro Tumbao" and "Working Bees." "Fugaz" is my least favorite, but it's OK. All the rest would receive honorable mention for being of high quality and very enjoyable. This is quite a good act and they have a fine album. Gary Peterson. Rating: - * Excellent Electro-Pop from Barcelona! ... I loved the first Pinker Tones album 'Million Colour Revolution,' but the new record Wild Animals is even stronger. Fans of groups like Air and Daft Punk will find something to love with this record, as well fans of Latin electronic acts like Nortec Collective and Kinky. My favorite tracks are "Electrotumbao", "Whistling Song" and "Working Bees." Well worth picking this record up! |

Where the NBA Dynasty series (the other initial entry is the slightly meatier Los Angeles Lakers: The Complete History) outdoes Ultimate Jordan is in the six playoff games--one for each year--as they were originally broadcast, minus halftime and commercials. Having the nearly complete game (usually running 90-100 minutes, from the TV introductions to post-game interviews) means you can skip straight to John Paxson's clutch basket or what was expected to be the final shot of Jordan's career. Or you can savor each game in its entirety, all the better to appreciate the artistry of Jordan in his three-pointer barrage against Portland or his "flu game" against Utah. You can see other great players too, of course, including Jordan's teammates--Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman--and those opponents unfortunate enough to face the Bulls--Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, John Stockton, Karl Malone, and others. Because these are all NBA Finals games, you won't see Jordan's shot over Craig Ehlo or his 63-point coming-out party against Boston, but the 1990s Chicago Bulls were a team for the ages, and merely having their games--some of them all-time classics--available for home viewing is a major milestone in archived sports. --David Horiuchi

While last-minute heroics tend to be the standard by which we define excellence, there are many other moments that have left an indelible impression, many of them highlighted here. The video clips fall into 10 categories: Dunks, Alley-oops, Assists, Steals, Blocks, Teamwork, the Clutch Shot, Moves, Hustle, and Buzzer-Beaters. At the beginning of each section is a brief introduction. Before showing the top 10 dunks of all time, for example, we learn about the evolution of the dunk--from the first slam to the man who could fly, Michael Jordan--and we hear background commentary from NBA legends such as Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Dr. J, and Bill Russell. This video recalls familiar moments of NBA lore that you will want to own for countless repeat viewings. --Jeremy Storey