Interesting, fun, meaningful music.
580737
This is a great record. I picked it up yesterday at the Virgin Megastore in NY City. I was also fortunate enough to see Strummer & the Mescaleros perform six or seven songs in the store.
Before yesterday, I was fairly ignorant as to who he was, and what this band was all about.
I was very pleasantly surprised! The show was wonderful, and the songs very grabbing. Cool'n'Out and Bummed Out City were amazing, especially the latter, it's become one of my favorite songs now. Tymon Dogg's violin playing is simply astonishing.
The CD is every bit as good as the show was, and I enjoy it from start to finish. Pick this up and you'll not be disappointed!
2684019
Quiet, interesting music - some on unusual instruments.  a real find for someone who is appreciative of "world music", whatever that is.
3767668
Interesting concept - appropriate music for the City/Area being reviewed.
No voice to interfere.
2696780
Really enjoyed the album.  Songs and music were very enjoyable, and had a unique flavor.
269827
While this may not appeal to all tastes, it is definitely worth a listen if you are interested in exploring modern music.  This is not what some people may expect when the term modern is used, although it is certainly modern.  The other reviews have gone on at depth, I just want to say that I've listened to this recording several times and each time I hear something new. A fine addition to your CD collection.
2502695
Fun, lively and very musical. Enjoyable and easy to listen.
4140186
This entire contemporary classical compilation is enjoyable and well worth exploring.  Its evident that each piece was composed and played by a different artist, yet somehow- a lovely tonality ties one track to the other.  A lonely wisp of a note here, a counterpoint there and BAM you're in the venue of amazing talent.  Want a contemporary angle on classical music?  Then, this is the collection.
4745240
The only reason I took down 1 star was because I do skip over a couple songs (not bad, but the other songs are better).
The music isn't the standard guitars/drums, but includes many different instruments that make the music more alive.
Lyrics are very thought provoking as well.
3072323
Wow, great songs. complex music for thinkers.
4749392
There is something about this music that I find mesmerizing and introspective. Not for everyone but worth a listen. Recommend.
3385120
This music is so refreshing. I agree with some of the other entries, you definately need to listen to it a few times before you make any decisions about it. Pay close attention to tracks 1, 2, 9, 10, and 14. In fact, my advice would be to play these first until you fall in love with them, then move on to the other tracks. They are definately funky. I'm always grooving my head or tapping my foot to this music, which is uncommon for me.
Anyway, highly recomended. If you have eclectic taste in music this is one you have to have.
87245
Loved it. Great listening experience. Good collaboration. Not your average music experience.
3643082
I listen to this album when I'm working on design projects at the office late into the night. Unlike some of their contemporaries, Stereolab's music  rarely leaves me with a feeling of bleakness and loneliness that I experience listening to some of their fellow retro-futurists. This album is poppy and interesting, while still being low-key and subtle in its use of generated sounds. The songs are not repetitive and montonous, each have their own sound and themes. This entire album is well worth a listen from beginning to end.
This album draws from (or has inspired) quite a few difficult genres of music but is in itself, very approachable, and very, very good.  Where some of the other purveyors of digital-age music may be a little extreme for the casual listener, this album is comfortable and inviting. Bands like Kraftwerk, Squarepusher, and Roni Size may make use of some of the same themes and styles that Stereolab uses on this album, but none of them sell the same feeling of enjoyment and inclusion. Rather than distancing the listener from humanity with a deluge of electronic noise and synthetic distractions, Stereolab keep the sound warm and upbeat. Using analog equipment and beautiful female voices reminiscent of the Velvet Underground's Nico (though quite a bit more melodic) they maintain a spacy retro-future sound that is quite a refreshing break from standard alternative radio rock.
If you are looking for something new, this album is the perfect place to start. If you are looking for a new Stereolab album to buy this should definitely top your list.
2980393
A surprising mix of cool stuff on this intriguing soundtrack.
1139216
A fun listen for those who like oboes and bassoons; there is something for everyone on this CD.
4104035
A really cool mix of music.  Actually purchased by accident.  Ended up really liking it.  There are a few songs that I adsolutely love and will be performing to.
217909
A vendor included this album as a free bonus and I am doubly glad, because it is a very interesting exploration of b flat, alto, and bass clarinets in wildly diverse musical idioms. Within 15 tracks, Beth Custer played with combinations of 32 musicians at eight studies and performance spaces. Depending on track, we hear voices, guitars, saxophones, accordion, baritone, trombone, French horn, violin, viola, cello, banjo, bass, marimba, gamelan, and various drums. Some of the eclectic sounds encountered in the hodge-podge ramble are hoedown and cowboy western, blues, Hindustani, alternative rock, East European ethnic, mysterious and cinematic atmospheres, Kurt Weill-like lieder, English folk, New Age tribal, spiritual, avant-garde classical, and a tango. This album is for the adventurous ear, but all the music is kind and welcoming. 64 minutes.