The Apples In Stereo - Electronic Projects for Musicians Review

Electronic Projects for Musicians is the second collection of stray tracks by the Apples in Stereo. The first, Science Faire, appeared in 1996 and covered the early days of the band before the release of Fun Trick Noisemaker. This disc rounds up songs included as bonus tracks on Japanese editions of their albums, split-single tracks, B-sides, and some previously unavailable tracks. It misses songs the band placed on compilations (""Time for Bed"" from Lemonlime, Vol. 1) and soundtracks (""Signal in the Sky (Let's Go"") on the Powerpuff Girls soundtrack), so it can't be considered a complete document of their output. One also realizes as the disc goes on that the Apples didn't save any of their best songs for bonus tracks and B-sides....full text Before you get too excited, you should know Electronic Projects For Musicians is not a sequel to the 2007 Rolling Stone top 50 album New Magnetic Wonder. If anything, it’s a follow-up to 1996’s Science Faire compilation, because this record (named after a 1980 how-to manual) is a collection of B-sides, Japanese bonus tracks, obscure CD-R rescues, and previously unreleased oddities. As such, the appeal of the CD is narrowed to longtime fans, yet, while it is doubtful to register a blip from the fickle mainstream media, picking up Electronic Projects would not disappoint unknowing newbies....full text I've always liked Apples in Stereo as an idea and as a band, an affection that stems from their status as one of the flagship bands of the 90s' Elephant Six collective and doesn't wane even when they release something of which I'm not entirely fond. In a decade full of sad sacks showcasing their pain, the Apples were a little ray through the gray, a band that actually sounded happy to be playing music. What a concept....full text