SOE - Rising Stars 2

(Various Artists)

www.stateofemergency.net

To be a new band or struggling artist in this millennium’s music crazed world is a hard, hard thing indeed! I don’t mean to sound condescending, but the desperate pleadings; in forwards to anyone who’ll listen or on a million flyers just floating around this countries atmosphere, weighted to the ground by the populations general indifference, for their music just to be heard, not even appreciated, weighs heavy on my conscience. I love music. It dilutes itself into almost every aspect of my life… I know the passion, the addiction, the all consuming power that music possesses. It’s a hard thing to control when you’ve let it absorb you deep into it’s world, you can’t understand why others aren’t as passionate as you about it, and it hurts you when someone says they don’t like something you love with every ounce of your soul. When I hear a song that speaks to me, that connects, I want everyone to know about it. I burn it onto compilation CD’s for my friends (please don‘t inform the police!), talk about it to anyone who’ll listen (most have stopped unfortunately)… I even turn my walkman up on public transport hoping the fluid grooves will seep into someone’s subconscious and brighten their life in some way that would stop them from throwing themselves in front of the next train after the brutal realisation that life sucks! That's the joy of taking a chance sometimes, the results can be life-changing, and with this smart collection of little known bands from all over the world, it really truly is!

I may not have the power to turn these bands into million sellers, I may not even have the influence to make you go out and seek this album, but even if my words fall onto deaf ears, I still have that glowing feeling of discovering something new, something alien, and letting it absorb me into it’s world, even if it’s only for the briefest of moments. You’d be a fool to have come this far into the review and not visit the website and not order a free copy (you only have to pay for postage and packaging).

I don’t wish to blur your vision with my own personal fav’s (although I give special mention to The Mediam, Dead 50’s and D-Sailors) as this will have something for everyone, I guarantee it! The all encompassing strength of this compilation lies not only in the astute pickings of the curator/s, but also in the sheer variety of styles on display throughout. Not a single rock is left unturned, and hopefully for the lucky people who actually seek out this release, this will be their introduction to some music that will really mean something to them…

By Jeremy Chick

Www.subba-cultcha.com