The Scene Creamers

Ex-Nation of Ulysses front-man Ian Svenonious continues to pump out the political jams, this time preaching with a ’60s gospel choir and the entire funkadelic parliament behind him. Punky punch and surf psychedelia somehow mix in with a bass-driven, booty-shaking rally for informing the masses of carnal knowledge; try to imagine a radical socialist commune taking over Frankie and Annette’s beach party or an all-night mod soul rave. In other words, this is what the (International) Noise Conspiracy wish they could produce. Bassist Michelle Mae (also in the neo-garage outfit the Make Up with Svenonious) has got the funk, to put it mildly, while the soul revue leader channels a little Prince, a pinch of Jagger, and a smidgen of Jarvis. You can’t help feel an itch of regret while listening to this CD that it would be so good live, complete with sweat, gyrations, and vibrating cool appeal. For the most part, the pop and funk are precedent (check out Kinks offspring "Hey Lonnie”), yet at times the retro echoey reverb grows spooky ("What About Me”). But even those eerie hallucinatory effects combined with clever, subversive lyrics (see "Elfin Orphan”) can’t be a killjoy at this happening. Like Le Tigre’s roller skate jamming feminism, this isn’t party politics — this is par-taay politics. Free your mind from capitalist shackles and your ass will follow.