General consesus is that making Kurt Cobain branded runners is a bad thing and it’s all Courtney Love’s fault. Well she does have the ultimate say in how Cobain’s name is used but you can’t really blame her. If someone waved a load of cash in your face just to make shoes who in their right mind would say no? Especially if your not exactly prolific at the moment, or ever. I dunno. They’re not bad and I certainly wouldn’t have refused Converse for the amount of money it’s going to bring in, plus the extra attention/promotion it will garner for Nirvana.
Why, at 10:30 on a Saturday morning would I want to answer my door to a stranger and talk to him about religion? This morning, around that time the doorbell rings, I didn’t answer it but stuff through the letterbox was a leaflet entitled ‘Would you like to know more about the bible?’, with a wonderful picture of a riveting bible reading on the front (see below).
I don’t have a problem with religion in itself, if someone wants to believe in it that’s fine just don’t knock on my door on a Saturday morning trying to push your beliefs upon me. If I wated to read the bible I would read the bible. I don’t need to pestered into it with ridiculous leaflets telling me how great it is.
I’ve just noticed on the back there is an ‘Invitation to Learn’. They want to arrange bible studies. Woo. There’s also a section you can fill out to receive a bible in a language of your choice. I was going to get this in some bizarre language so as implement a monetary punishment on them for knocking at my door, but I don’t think I can… the address they give is Newcastle, Greystones. Newcastle is a town beside Greystones, maybe anyone in this town can arrange my bible. Doubt it though.
edit: I just realised that this picture would look great on a T-Shirt!
So last night I went to the above gig. I wasn’t expecting much out of Chrome Hoof and didn’t get much out of them either. Very over the top with sparkly hooded costumes, made them look like a bunch of homosexual grim reapers. Their music wasn’t as bad but I couldn’t get past the costumes.
The Redneck Manifesto however, are sublime. Since ‘I Am Brazil’ was released in 2004, I’ve had my doubts as to whether the rednecks could better it. ‘Seven Stabs’ and ‘RMNMN’ were good but not as good as ‘I Am Brazil’. Within last nights performance there was quite a big hint that they’ve gone one better.
Their set was pretty much 50/50, new/old. The old stuff was, as always, brilliantly performed. The new stuff was mind blowing at times. There’s so many new ideas, so many experiments and such excellent musicianship in this new music. It still sound like the rednecks but it’s better. It’s hard to judge on the basis of 5/6 songs but I was really impressed.
The mix of new and old was well received. The rednecks never fail to put on an enjoyable and fascinating show.
Battles on the other hand take experimentation to a new level. These guys are at the top of their game in the so called ‘math rock‘ genre. For most of the performance my jaw was on the floor in awe of how talented and tight these guys are.
Their sound is fascinating. Most of the songs start with a very basic loop and it’s processed to produce a rhythm that just builds and builds in brilliance. The drummer is extraordinary. Never misses a beat no matter how bizarre the loop he’s trying to play with is, he holds it all together. The addition then of the guitars and keyboards is actually magical. There’s two guitarists, both also play keyboards, both play guitar and keyboards at the same time. It’s incredible to watch (see video below). There’s so many times, while watching these guys, that you think you’re listening to a backing track, but you’re not, eventually you find who’s playing what you’re hearing. At times there was 6 instruments being played by 4 people plus various loops that had started the song.
The addition of the pitch shifted vocals really got the crowd going. This was a little discerning though. About halfway through the show they played ‘Atlas’, their most well known song. At the point this kicked in it suddenly seemed that everyone was there to just hear that song.
Nevertheless, it was a mind boggling gig, from Chrome Hoof through the Redneck Manifesto to Battles this wasn’t one for anybody without a passion for music but, it was so good.
This album was initially released independently in 2007 but it was re-released yesterday by a ‘proper’ label after much critical acclaim. Bon Iver is the performing persona of Justin Vernon, once of indie-rock band Eau Claire.
Straight off, the album rings a bell in the direction of Elliott Smith, it’s that kind of vibe. His voice however is more along the lines of Neil Young with a good helping of Antony and the Johnson’s thrown in for good measure. It’s a great mix. It’s a slow and gentle progression but a very enjoyable one.
The opening track ‘Flume’, has a great melody to it. It sounds like Antony singing a Neil Young song written by Elliott Smith, if that makes sense. It’s very easy to listen to. ‘Skinny Love’ is another track in the same vein, as most of the album is, but it doesn’t bore. I can imagine listening to this on a summer evening as it gets dark but never gets cold, I’d have it on repeat all night long. The chorus is fabulous, short but sweet. Great lyrics and a great passion from the vocal performance.
‘Blindsided’ is again a very pretty track. The overdubbed vocals work a charm to create a real soft feel that sums up the album. Very simple guitar but there’s so much more going on, whether it be in the subtle background noises or just in the lyrics themselves.
In truth I haven’t got many bad things to say about this album, if any at all. It’s a really good all round effort, and thoroughly enjoyable.
The production is typical of singer/songwriters these days. Recorded in a bedroom on minimalist equipment. It really suits this style of music. It adds to the atmosphere, it gives the album an almost homely feel. There’s a lot of subtle work going on in this album though, that you don’t usually get. Some real nice, creative sounds either drenched in reverb or reversed. The vocals too are really well recorded, although his diction is highly suspect, it’s recorded almost like another instrument and adds a great deal to make this album what it is, a beauty.
Bon Iver will be on Jools Holland this week, tonight from 10pm and Friday from 11.35pm on BBC TWO.
The Gutter Twins are Mark Lanegan and Greg Dulli. Having worked together on various bits they’ve finally put an album out. Well worth a listen. The melodies and lyrics are brilliant backed by a dirty alt-rock sound. The album ‘Saturnalia‘ is out now.
I’ve been waiting for this album for awhile now and it’s just brilliant. These guys have got huge potential. Le Sac’s quite brilliant programming, that is not only rhtymically excellent it’s also beautiful at times. The lyrical content is superb. Scroobius Pip has a seriously powerful way with words. I think with another few albums under their belts these guys will be the best in their game.
‘Angles‘, although not perfect, is an astonishing debut effort. The intro of ‘The Beat That My Heart Skipped’ brings the album alive instantly, and it doesn’t stop until the beautiful, 11 minute conclusion of ‘Waiting for the Beat To Kick In’.
In between that there’s some stunning work. ‘Tommy C’ is a beautiful regale of the life and death of Tommy Cooper. That’s the second time I’ve used the word ‘beautiful’ in this review, very strange considering this is a hip hop album.
‘Fixed’ is a version of Dizzee Rascal’s ‘Fix Up, Look Sharp’. I never realised how good this song was until I heard this version. I know Dizzee’s got his style and that’s what makes him who he is but this version is so much more tolerable.
The title track is a fabulously, eye opening track. The story of a child trying to hold his family together after his mum died giving birth to him and his dad becomes an abusive alcoholic. The lyrics in this song are some of the best I have ever heard. It describes the various angles from this kid’s depressing life and the consequences of his actions and those of the people around him.
The pick of the bunch however is ‘Letter From God To Man’. Le Sac’s butchering of Radiohead’s ‘Planet Telex’ is astounding. He has created a magnificent scene and mood for Pip’s lyrics. It builds and builds and builds until it breaks out with Thom Yorke’s ‘Everything is broken’. The lyrics again tell an eye opening story. From the perspective of god writing to man to explain why the world is falling apart. It’s not his fault, it’s ours.
Of the few qualms I have with this album ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ is the biggest. This was the first song I heard from these guys and I instantly loved it. It’s one of the smartest songs around. It’s brilliant in it’s message but also humourus. Unfortunately, they decided to re-record this for the album. Although mostly the same, it’s at a slower pace (possibly to help Pip get his tongue around his words, another qualm). It just doesn’t have the same feel and grove to it as the original single. It is though, still a brilliant song.
Having waited with bated breath for this album I’m already awaiting their second effort as it’s going to be even better.
Sometimes life is just a big disappointment. I had such high hopes for this album I think maybe I thought it would be too good. It was a disappointment.
I have to remember the importance of this album and the importance of what Trent Reznor is doing, but I also have to remember that I’m reviewing the musical content of this album. The importance and signifigance of this album is higher than any other album on the market, it’s a shame the music hasn’t lived up to this.
The Slip reminds me of Year Zero. It’s decent but it just doesn’t suck you in. It lacks an edge that makes you want to listen to this album more than twice. It’s got that signature NIN sound but it’s almost like a poor man’s imitation. There’s nothing that makes you feel like your listening to something special, which is a shame considering it’s a major mark in the progression away from major record labels etc.
There are however a few shining lights. ‘Discipline’ is one of those. It’s got a great driving beat with a delicate mix of heavy bass and guitar with light piano, and yet there’s still a lot of room and space that gives the song a very airy, spacey feel.
Echoplex is also a shining light. Based around the same ‘template’ as ‘Discipline’, it is again a driving beat, crunchy guitars but with a light feel to it. The piano work on this album seems to be more derived from ‘Ghosts’ than any other NIN output. This is particularly highlighted on ‘Lights in the Sky’, a song that reminds me of Radiohead’s ‘Pyramid Song’. This is probably the pick of the bunch.
On the production side it’s a bit of let down. It feels rushed and Reznor’s vocals are all too often in the background. Considering the high standard he produced in 10 weeks on ‘Ghosts‘ it almost feels as if this was put out too soon. It could do with more attention, but maybe that’s what he was aiming for.
Maybe this album’s a grower but I don’t think I’ll be in a rush to listen to it again. It just doesn’t have enough quality. It’s overflowing with filler tracks and it hasn’t received the time it may have deserved before being finalised and released. But, as I’ve mentioned this album deserves a lot of public and media attention for the thump it’s given the music industry. The industry needs to change and I still think Reznor is one of the leading men to change it.
This is just brilliant. Tom Waits, in announcing his upcoming tour of America, held a press conference only with a slightly Waits spin on it. It’s worth watching the video below. Waits will play 13 shows in 12 towns across America through June and July, more details here.
From the first letters of each town he has formed an acronym, ‘the guiding word of the summer tour’, PEHDTSCKJMBA, People Envy Happiness, Dogs Though Sense Courage Knowing Jubilation Means Better Assets.
Rumour has it that the Dublin visit will consist of 2 dates in a marquee in the Phoenix Park on 30th and 31st July. The new album is also due around this time, possibly entitled ‘Glitter and Doom’…
Just saw this lady on Jools Holland, can’t help but like her voice. Real nice melody to the chorus too. Definitely got potential. Her eponymous debut is out May 12th.
He’s done it again. I mentioned in my review of ‘Ghosts‘ by Nine Inch Nails that I thought Trent Reznor would have the brains to change the music industry but now I think he’s got the balls as well.
Reznor has released another new NIN nails album this week entitled ‘The Slip‘. This time it’s all free from www.nin.com. A ‘thank you’ from him to his fans. There’s 4 choices of download, high quality MP3, FLAC lossless, M4A Apple lossless and, my favourite, High Definition WAVE 24 bit 96Khz (I really wish there was a medium commercially available for this quality). All DRM free and released under a creative commons license. There’s also a physical release on vinyl and CD due in July.
I haven’t had a chance to listen properly but I will do tomorrow. Reznor’s output however has been nothing short of phenomenal in the past 7/8 months and on first listen it sounds like a return to the more ‘traditional’ NIN sound.
Another angle being pursued by Reznor is in allowing his songs to be remixed. I had heard about this awhile back but never really looked into it. It’s so refreshing to see such a high profile artist make his music available in this way. You can basically download NIN multitracks and do whatever you want with them, then, upload them and have them rated etc. Not only is he making his music more available to people he’s also making music and music creation more accessible and intriquing to young musicians. Check out http://remix.nin.com for more info.
The Redneck Manifesto
just builds and builds in brilliance. The drummer is extraordinary. Never misses a beat no matter how bizarre the loop he’s trying to play with is, he holds it all together. The addition then of the guitars and keyboards is actually magical. There’s two guitarists, both also play keyboards, both play guitar and keyboards at the same time. It’s incredible to watch (see video below). There’s so many times, while watching these guys, that you think you’re listening to a backing track, but you’re not, eventually you find who’s playing what you’re hearing. At times there was 6 instruments being played by 4 people plus various loops that had started the song.
The Slip
Reznor has released another new NIN nails album this week entitled ‘
