| | Moving Units CD Moving Units Discography of CDs
 (3 Customer Reviews)
On their self-titled debut EP, the Moving Units present four catchy, if not entirely convincing, expressions of the post-punk-disco revival. The band's influences -- which include Gang of Four, ESG, A Certain Ratio, and a hint of Wire -- are so solid that it would be difficult to create bad music inspired by them, but the Moving Units don't do much that transcends their inspirations, either. Unfortunately, the group also pales a bit in comparison to some of their contemporaries who mine the same influences and musical territory: they're not as menacing or kinetic as the Liars, as lyrical as Out Hud, as expansive as the Rapture, or as immediate and attitude-driven as Radio 4. Still, Moving Units is by no means bad; particularly on the EP's first two songs, "Between Us & Them" and "X and Y," the group brings a uniquely androgynous twist to their angular-yet-danceable sound, mixing fey, almost trilled vocals and pretty guitar tones with urgent rhythms. The oversaturated, basement-quality production on the EP also gives it an added credibility boost (and covers some weak lyrics like: "I know it's so sleazy/But you cannot resist because it's so easy" from "Melodrama"). Right now, the Moving Units are competent but not especially original within the style they've chosen to express themselves; that said, their songs work well enough in the moment so that it's hard to hold their lack of originality against them, particularly if you're partial to any of the bands -- past or present -- to which they're similar. ~ Heather Phares
Moving Units: Chris Hathwell, Blake Miller, Johan Bogeli.
Moving Units Music Review Purchase Moving Units CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Interpol Turn On The Bright Lights CD (2002)
Moving Units
 $9.95    
To make music marked distinctly of a specific period that's somehow so compelling as to be timeless is no mean feat. Interpol initially sounds as if they must have been roaming about Manchester as the 1970s screamed to a close, yet they emerged across the ocean in New York City some two decades-plus later. Combining the insistent drone of Joy Division with the dreamy melodies of the Chameleons, the fire of Mission of Burma, and an occasional jagged edge a la The Fall, the foursome inconceivably manage to defy anachronism on their debut full-length TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS. Just how they do it is indefinable, perhaps it's just a trick of the light, or the life that breathes gloomily, radiantly throughout, but it's undeniable.
Vocals which fall somewhere between Ian Curtis's plaintive, edge-of-oblivion wail and the winking, laconic drawl of James's Tim Booth, ripping uncompromisingly through unpredictable, ...
| | Yeah Yeah Yeah's Machine (2002)
Moving Units
$5.99
A quickie to tide fans over until the 2003 release of their full-length debut, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Machine is appropriately economical and efficient -- once again, the trio manages to cram more ideas and attitude into a few songs than most bands do in a full-length release. If possible, this three-track single is even more impressive than Yeah Yeah Yeahs, demonstrating both their ever-expanding range and their increasingly focused style. In the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' case, however, "focused" doesn't mean tamer -- if anything, "Machine" is even more ferocious and unhinged than the songs on their first EP, a complex and somewhat cryptic mix of anger and desperate lust that recalls the scary sexiness that PJ Harvey displayed on Rid of Me and 4-Track Demos. Nicolas Zinner's guitars and Brian Chase's drumming are still simple and streamlined, but display a new level of sophistication, while Karen O's snarling vocals span smooth, high notes and choppy growls. "Graveyard" adds a dash of shockabilly to this rougher, tougher sound, but the real deal is "Pin (Remix)," the most remarkable song of their young career, musically speaking: a spooky but beautiful mix of dreamy vocals synths and guitars looped and layered over a minimal beat, it's a ghostly expression of their punk attitude that rivals Sonic Youth's "Shadow of a Doubt" in ...
| | American Analog Set Promise Of Love CD (2003)
Moving Units
$9.49 
American Analog Set's fifth studio offering, PROMISE OF LOVE, shows remarkable range and ambition. Of course, even recording the album was no small feat, considering the band's bi-regional status, as singer-songwriter Andrew Kenny relocated to Brooklyn, leaving the rest of the band behind in Austin. On moody, contemplative numbers such as ...
| | Moving Units Dangerous Dreams CD (2003)
Moving Units
$10.75
Indie dance-rock outfit Moving Units' full-length debut, DANGEROUS DREAMS, is so full of nods to early-1980s music that it almost plays like a pop history lesson. The band draws on the rhythmic grooves of A Certain Ratio, the angular guitars of Gang of Four, the British-inflected interjections of the Fall, and the dark melodic sense of Joy Division. The listener can also discern snippets of the Cure ("Between Us and Them"), U2 ("Scars"), '80s commercial Britpop on the order of Duran Duran ("Submission"), and MORE SONGS ABOUT BUILDINGS AND FOOD-era Talking Heads ...
| | Mates Of State Team Boo CD (2003)
Moving Units
$10.15
Mates of State are the husband-wife duo of Kori Gardner on keys of various types and Jason Hammel on drums and occasional keys as well. They both sing with innocent gusto, and their charming voices remind one of wonderful indie pop bands like Papas Fritas and Butterglory in the way they intertwine and twist with naïve fervor. They sound like real people singing about real things, and that is kind of exciting. And they don't use guitars of any kind. And you don't miss them either! Team Boo is the band's fullest sounding, most energy-filled record yet. The duo called in Jim Eno of Spoon and John Croslin, who has worked with Spoon also as well as Beulah and the Mates on their first disc, to produce. Together they have concocted a record that leaps out of the speakers with a feeling of manic joy and excitement. Songs like "Fluke," "Ha Ha," and "Gotta Get a Problem" dance with the energy of kids and reel with the flush of first love. Every now and then the record slows down the pace and deals with heavier issues like on the stately "Parachutes (Funeral Song)" or "An Experiment," but even these songs are blessed with killer hooks and Gardner's and Hammel's angelic vocals. Team Boo is a record that will make even the staunchest nonbelievers believe in the power of simply played, honest, and energetic pop music ...
| | Futureheads CD (2004)
Moving Units
$11.85
At first listen, the Futureheads recall other early-2000s post-punk revivalists. But while the band take notable cues from icons like XTC (particularly in their heavy, biting British accents) and Gang of Four (the revered group's Andy Gill produces numerous tracks here), they also display a penchant for unique, memorable songcraft that sets them apart from their peers. Particularly notable is the ensemble's use of complex, layered vocals (note the a cappella tune "Danger of the Water"), with harmonies and choral parts ringing out among the thunderous assault of guitars, bass, and drums. Pound for pound, THE FUTUREHEADS is tremendous ...
| | Duotang Cons & The Pros CD (1998)
Moving Units
$13.49
Duotang's first album, 1996's Smash the Ships and Raise the Beams, was a fairly drab affair, as the duo's insistence on sticking to its two-piece, bass-and-drums-only formula made for a rumbling, monotonous listen -- the record sounded grumpy, which put it at odds with Duotang's penchant for punk-poppy songwriting and catchy melodies. They still haven't added a six-string guitar, but the judicious use of a horn section, a newfound emphasis on vocal harmonies, and the inclusion of Rod Slaughter's organ does wonders for Smash the Ships' follow-up, the bright, infectiously energetic The Cons & the Pros. Delegating the melodic and harmonic duties to the horns and the organ frees Slaughter's bass to explore propulsive rhythmic grooves, which lock perfectly in place beneath up-tempo numbers such as "Call Your Side" and drive the songs forward. Duotang's songwriting has improved as well, especially on numbers such as "Don't Give Up" and "Broken Rule," which inject witty, instantly memorable ...
| | Love, Peace & Poetry: Latin American Psychedelic Music CD (1999) (Import) Germany
Moving Units
$15.15
Rock music fans often forget (or never imagine), that there's more to the world of music than English-speaking/singing bands. That's where this enlightening collection comes in. This volume of the LOVE, PEACE & POETRY series concentrates on psychedelic-era (1966-1970) bands from Spanish-speaking nations, singing in Spanish and/or English.
The mind-melting ...
| | Baby AKA The 1 Stunna Birdman CD (2002)
Moving Units
$12.65 
While Brian "Baby" Williams, co-founder of Dirty South pioneers Cash Money Records, obviously has the confidence to make a grab for the mic, he has no illusions about his abilities. By his own admission more a talker than a rapper, Baby has smartly selected the crucial talents of such R&B luminaries as Toni Braxton, Jermaine Dupri, Mannie Fresh, and Cam'ron to assist him on his debut BIRDMAN. The combination of these stars and production skills from Timbaland and the Neptunes is more than enough to pick up any slack, of which there's surprisingly little.
Braxton's contribution, the plangent "Baby You Can Do It," is typical in its smooth blend of breathy R&B with Williams's nasal rappadocio, while the breezy ...
| | Channel 3 Fear Of Life CD (1982)
Moving Units
$15.89
| | Todd Solomon Feel It In Your Lymph Nodes CD (2003)
Moving Units
$6.69
| | Judith Lynne Becoming A Woman Again CD (2007)
Moving Units
$14.79
| | Kiss Paul Stanley CD (2008) (Import) Japan
Moving Units
$44.69
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