Sunday, February 26, 2006
No, I haven't vanished off the face of the earth. The past seven days were hectic beyond belief, as I was involved in some extremely urgent writing assignments...unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say exactly what I was writing about yet, but that'll be revealed soon enough. Okay, I'll toss out a hint: one was a CD by the best Dutch band in the world, the other a live album by a bunch of keytar-playing Finns...
Reviews! Static has my overdue piece on the latest album by The Deadly Snakes, and yeah, it's a good one. PopMatters has my review of Origo, the new album by Sweden's Burst, an ambitious, yet accessible slice of progressive-minded metalcore. It's my favourite metal album of 2006 so far.
I want to get to Operation: Mindcrime II, but I think I'll hold off another day...I'm too drained to make a massive mega-post. I tell you, my faith in the 'Ryche has been restored after 16 long years.
So the new Liars album is getting plenty of attention these days...I have never liked anything this band has put out in the past, but I have to admit Drum's Not Dead really pulled me in. The first 40 minutes sets you up for the real shocker in "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack", which is not only an actual conventional song, but a very beautiful one at that. The album overall is more pensive, and less annoying than their older stuff. I can see this one growning on me more in the coming months.
I am loving the Sugababes' cover of the Arctic Monkeys' "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor"...someone had to retaliate after the Monkeys' fun cover of Girls Aloud's "Love Machine", and I'm glad it's the Sugababes. Watch them perform it with new member Amelie here.
You know what's really good? The new Amorphis single. "House of Sleep" has become a massive hit way over in Finland (I love their metal-centric mainstream musical tastes), and I think it's safe to say it's the band's best single to date. So good, I find it rather shocking. I like the band, but didn't exactly think they had this in them. If it was sung by a bunch of stylish metalcore/emocore children, it would be a massive hit. No youtube link yet, but you can watch the Real Video version here.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
My review of the solid debut album by The Sword appeared on Monday. Basically the same opinion as what I wrote in my column last week, but it goes into much deeper detail. If you like High on Fire, or Sleep, or just Big Loud Guitars and songs about extinct cows, this is the CD for you. It cracks me up whenever an underground metal fan calls The Sword "poseurs." Guys, lighten up!
Not much time for posts these days, what with writing assignments (this week is going to get ca-ray-zee), and Canada's increasingly nightmarish Olympic men's hockey tournament. I'm seriously lacking sleep...silly Italians, shceduling the games far too early. What, they've never heard of night hockey games over there? Sheesh.
One thing I do want to talk about is Queensryche's madly anticipated Operation: Mindcrime II, which leaked on Sunday night. The original Operation: Mindcrime is one of my favourite albums of all time, and I want to take an in-depth look at it here, first chance I get. Maybe tomorrow. As for now, let me just say that it's good. Shockingly good. Stay tuned for more.
Friday, February 17, 2006
I'm proud to be Canadian.
I'm embarrased to be Canadian.
It's been a while since I had a review up at Static (my fault), but Wednesday night, I found myself so annoyed by the new AIDS Wolf album, that I just wanted to review the thing, get it out of the way, and never listen to it again (strange, really, because I actually requested this album, and was genuinely interested in hearing it). Anyway, my rather negative (to say the least) review is now up (thanks to Brett for the speedy turnover), so read if you dare, but I warn you, stay far away from the music. Obviously, Canadians are not staying away...why, oh why on earth is this piece of crap album in the campus radio Top Ten??? Amazing. Thankfully, Pitchfork thinks as little of this band as I do. (Edit: wow, count the parentheses! I'm tired...)
Two new pieces of writin' appeared on Wednesday. First, my fifth column, which focuses on the sudden glut of doom albums that seems to be dominating metal these days. I chose to focus on four, and all are good in their own way. The new Place of Skulls album is faithful to the genre's sound, but in a good way. Cathedral's The Garden of Unearthly Delights is a gigantic mess, but an enthralling mess, the first two thirds making up for a very, erm, challenging final half hour, highlighted by the borderline ridiculous, 26 minute suite "The Garden", which completely defies description. The debut album by Austin's The Sword starts off slowly, but soon builds up to the point where it becomes a massive High on Fire-esque beast...it has really grown on me recently. Lastly, and most importantly, is Australia's Wolfmother, whose self-titled album comes out this spring, and could very well be a considerable mainstream hit. They have the massive riffs, the contagious hooks, an apparently killer live show, and touches of psychedelic rock, all the while remaining indebted to the mighty Sabbath. I could have written about other albums, but I ran out of space pretty quickly. What I do regret is the fact that the excellent new album by Katatonia arrived too late...otherwise, it would have been included for sure! Ah, well.
Also up is my review of the Can DVD. It's actually a re-release of the same Can DVD that came out two years ago (albeit without the bonus CD), and if anything, it was a good chance to see it for myself. And it's a very good two-disc set, too, highlighted by an insane 1972 live performance and two documentaries, one comprised of clips videotaped by their manager, and the other made up of old tv performances, primarily from the 1970s. It's a revealing look at a notoriously enigmatic band, and hopefully more live footage will be released in the future.
SOTU is returning...that's right, Sounds of the Underground, which I had a great time at last summer, is coming back, and the lineup is an interesting one. Confirmed are As I Lay Dying (headliner), In Flames, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, GWAR, Terror, Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth, The Chariot, and Through the Eyes of the Dead. I'm not sold on As I Lay Dying as the headliner (they're pretty much interchangeable with Black Dahlia Murder), but the fact that In Flames (!), Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, and Behemoth will be there makes it worth seeing again. The show is returning to Western Canada, and hopefully a stop in Saskatoon will be included like in 2005.
I'd be pulling my hair out, out of frustration that some extremely anticipated CDs have not arrived yet, were it not for the arrival of new album by Germany's lovable Edguy, which has totally made my week. I'm a bit late getting into this popular power metal band, having been blown away by their uproarious 2004 song "Lavatory Love Machine", but if there's one band who comes closest to catering specifically to 35 year-old ex-headbangers, it's Edguy. They walk a very thin line between sincerity and parody, crossing that line so often, you never know when they're being serious, and when they're just being silly. They have the ability to reel off some of the best epic, proggy melodic metal you'll ever hear, and then the next minute, they're singing weepy power ballads, the next, and the next, they're singing sophomoric rave-ups that smack of Manowar that are brimming with undeniably great pop hooks. The new CD, Rocket Ride (what a cover!), focuses more on the pop side of things more than before (though there are a few longer songs, in six or seven minute territory), and I'm tempted to say they're a better band for it. "Sacrifice", "Wasted Time", "Return to the Tribe" are all solid, but the last half gets more and more fun..."Save Me" is a shockingly good ballad, "Catch of the Century", "Out of Vogue", and "Superheroes" are enjoyable uptempo songs, and the insanely catchy "F**king With Fire" caps things off in supremely goofy style (I tell you, for some reason I love it when a lead singer unironically screams, "guit-tar!" before a solo...I think it's that straight-faced, unabashed dedication to Rocking Our World). Only does the calypso-tinged (yeah, that's right) "Trinidad" stumble, the band's collective poker faces disappearing in a moment of Darkness-style shtick. Nobody captures that 1985 power metal sound like Edguy, and that really resonates with me personally...bands like USA Warriror, Lizzy Borden, and Kick Axe, while not the most popular bands of the era, are near and dear to me, and I just know if Edguy were around when I was 14, I would have loved them just as much. Great retro fun...the album debuted in the top ten in both Germany in Sweden earlier this year. We should be so lucky. I wouldn't be surprised if Rocket Ride made my year-end metal albums list.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Agh, this week is going to be an absolute mess. The Olympic hockey tournament starts today, and with so many games on Canadian TV, it'll be next to impossible to tear myself away from it all. Plus I have several writing assignments on the go at the same time, and it's tough to figure out which piece to concentrate on. And not only are more CDs arriving, but the Oink is proving to be extremely addictive.
Big new singles! The new Streets single "When You Wasn't Famous" is strange, but that's no surprise, as every pre-album Streets single has always befuddles me, from "Has it Come to This", to "Fit But You Know It", to this one. It's a wacky little tune, with a strange sing-along chorus, and Mike Skinner's apparent tale of chasing a famous UK pop singer, which many claim to be Rachel Stevens. It's not a bad song, but as I've learned in the past, it's best to hear the song along with the rest of the album before jumping to conclusions.
The new song by The Gathering, called "Shortest Day" (download here) is pretty great, but then again, I find it very difficult to dislike anything this band puts out. It's built around an effects-laden, choppy guitar riff that for some reason reminds me of Interpol, driven by an insistent drum beat, and features the usual gorgeous vocals by Anneke van Giersbergen. Those who prefer the band's old material will complain that the song's not "metal" enough, but for the rest of us, this is a lovely, accessible track that bodes well for the new album...which I'm hoping will arrive soon!
Speaking of The Gathering, I got the deluxe reissue of Mandylion, which I reviewed a short while ago. See, when I reviewed the album, I was working with CD-R's that Century Media sent me, and nice folks they are, they took the trouble to send me the real thing a bit later. It's a great little package, too...the liner notes are excellent, as Hans and Rene Rutten write about the album tracks, and Anneke contributes the notes for the bonus tracks, the three of them providing great little anecdotes. So in a way, what I already took to be a stellar re-release of a classic album, just get even better.If you don't have this album, or anything by The Gathering, you're missing out on something special. The deluxe Mandylion is the perfect place to start.
I'm really enjoying The Veronicas these days. Harmless teeny pop in the Hillary/Avril vein (I know, I know...), but these Australian twins write their own songs, employed the services of Max Martin, and recorded an ultra-catchy, surprisingly punchy, guitar-based pop album. I'm a sucker for big time hooks, and The Secret Life of The Veronicas overflows with them. Will "4Ever" be this year's "Since U Been Gone"? Probably not, but if you liked Kelly Clarkson's single, you'll like this one. Plus, they do a nifty cover of the old Tracey Bonham hit "Mother Mother". Not a contender for album of the year or anything, but a good one to have on the iRiver for those times when I need an instant pop fix.
I have to confess, I know nothing about Jay Dee, who passed away last week. In fact, the first time I'd heard of the guy was hearing a CBC radio profile of him a couple weeks ago while driving home from the Stars concert a couple weeks ago. Fact is, I have so much stuff to listen to over the course of a year, I only manage to squeeze in a small number of American hip hop albums, so while I try to keep up (I prefer the UK stuff), and try as I might to keep up with things in the hip hop department, I'm still woefully behind the real experts. And I hate to be one of those people who jumps on a new album by a dead guy, but the very well-written PopMatters review of his new album convinced me to give it a try. If there's one way to get me listening to a new hip hop record, a comparison to Howl and Guernica is the way to do it, and what an interesting CD it is, too. Deliriously extemporaneous (if that makes any sense) a wildly schizophrenic record that veers all over the place, tossing out 31 tracks in 43 minutes. I can't speak for Jay Dee's fans, but it seems it would be hard to remain sad when hearing a record that bursts with as much life as Donuts does. I don't know if the album is worthy of a 9 rating, but it is a very, very good one, and I can only see this growing on me as the year goes by.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Eek, it's been too long since I last updated. What a busy last few days...tons of review writin' as usual, and not only that, but the new albums by Calexico and The Flaming Lips both , erm, "surfaced" online over the weekend. I haven't had the chance to spend enough time with either album, but my initial reaction to the Calexico was very impressed (less Americana atmospherics, more straight-up songs), and upon the first listen, the Lips album sounded oddly fascinating. I enjoyed what I was hearing, but it was weird, Wayne Coyne doesn't sound like Wayne Coyne, and despite the cool proggy moments (early prediction: my sister will hate this one...Steve, you have been warned), I found myself missing the beutiful pop moments that dominated The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi. The reaction to that album online is completely polarized...it's a love-it-or-hate-it record. I'm going to need more time with it.
I'm slowly getting into a Swedish band called The Ark. I got their album last week, and it's slowly starting to sink in. Try to envision a cross between the Scissor Sisters, Slade, and the entirety of the Stiff Records Box Set, glammy in parts, and ultra-catchy, but not too over the top in the camp department. Right now, I can't get enough of "Trust is Shareware", which totally smacks of Nick Lowe/Elvis Costello circa 1978.
After four consecutive days of writing about stoner/doom metal, 70s progressive rock, and cutting-edge Swedish metal, I needed something simple, instantly pleasurable, not too filling, and completely familiar. In other words, the musical equivalent of Coffee Crisp. And I found it, in the form of, get this, The Very Best of Dokken. Before any of you hipster kids start laughing, I tell you, I say this (er, type this) with a totally straight face: at their peak, which tended to be accompanied by a heckuvalot of valleys, Dokken did the 80s pop metal thing better than anyone. Back in '84, I didn't like them at all, thought Don Dokken had the wussiest voice ever, but by early '86, I started to catch on to those killer George Lynch riffs and solos, and especially those melodies that no one in the genre could match. I had all their albums in the 80s (yes, it was possible to like Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, and Dokken)...well, all except Breaking the Chains, which sucked, save for two songs, and while no album was perfect by any stretch (Tooth and Nail came closest), man, could they put out the quality singles. Which is where this compilation comes in...aside from the last two tracks (one, a song from Don Dokken's first solo album, the other, a subpar track from a 90s reunion album), it's absolutely stacked, with 14 great songs from 1983 to 1989. You get melodic rockers like "Breaking the Chains", "Just Got Lucky", and "Into the Fire", some faster stuff in "Paris is Burning" and "Tooth and Nail", some ace harmonies in "In My Dreams" and "Burning Like a Flame", a couple of classy slower tracks in "Heaven Sent" and "Walk Away", the great "Dream Warriors" (their most famous song, from Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3), and of course, "Alone Again" which ranks along with the Scorpions' "Still Loving You" and Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" as one of the very best power ballads of that decade. The fanzines loved to play up the rivalry between Dokken and Lynch, and to no one's surprise, the band imploded as the 90s rolled around. I remember an MTV interview with bassist Jeff Pilson back in '96 where he was saying the band had the same management team as Metallica and Def Leppard, and that despite the repeated urges to just be themselves (which was exactly what Metallica and Def Leppard were doing), the band were more obsessed with image, how if one band had blue eyeliner, they had to have blue eyeliner, and how if Motley Crue used Aqua Net hairspray, they had to order cases of the stuff. The band, talented as they were, ultimately shot themselves in the foot too many times to continue, despite releasing three consecutive platinum albums that decade. Their albums might have been on the inconsistent side, but they were one of the finest singles bands of the 80s, and The Very Best is as good as pop metal gets.
Thursday, February 9, 2006
My review of the very good new In Flames album is up today. I liked Soundtrack to Your Escape quite a bit, but I think Come Clarity is even better, as the melodic moments are much more effective, and the band returns to their classic older sound on most of the tracks. The title track has crossover hit written all over it, and "Dead End", featuring Swedish starlet Lisa Miskovsky, is quickly becoming one of my favourite songs of the new year...it had better be the next single!
Well, well, what a day Wednesday was. First, my big review of the new tenth anniversary re-release of The Gathering's classic Mandylion appeared. The band might not be officially with Century Media anymore, but they and their former label have done an outstanding job lately, first with the fantastic Accessories compilation, and now this two-disc deluxe edition. It has the album on one CD, and a bunch of unreleased demos on the other, which are fun to listen to and compare to the final version. There's a really early version of "Third Chance" that's completely different from the version heard on Nighttime Birds. If you like quality, melodic metal/hard rock, this album is compulsory.
Still with The Gathering, their new album Home will be out in late April, and I should be getting it soon. I've heard a couple tracks over the phone, and they sound very, very promising. My hopes are quite high, and I cannot wait to hear it.
Out in internetland, my new Oink account was put to use immediately, as not only did the new Grandaddy album leak, but the new Drive-By Truckers disc as well. The Grandaddy album, to put it bluntly, is not in the same league as Sumday, which I loved, and is in fact a bit of a mess, but amongst the annoying tracks ("Where I'm Anymore"--stop the meowing!!!--, "50%"), there are some real beauties, like "Summer...It's Gone", "Disconnecty", and "This is How it Always Starts". If Sumday was a 9, Just Like the Fambly Cat (love the title) is a respectable 7. When the new Flaming Lips album leaks (any day now), it'll be interesting to see which I prefer.
But on to bigger things...the Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in America is back, and it pleases me to say that A Blessing and a Curse is yet another first-rate addition to the esteemed Drive-By Truckers discography. This time around, it's shorter, more focused, and strays a little bit away from the Southern Rock thing the band has perfected. "Feb. 14" is a blazingly great single, with its fun Replacements vibe, bittersweet, Westerbergian (Jen invented that word) lyrics, and am I nuts, or is that a saxophone solo at the end? It's a great way to kick off the album, as it shows Patterson Hood is in great vocal form, which is key, since he sings on seven of the CD's eleven tracks (there's no "Iwo Jima" style falsetto, nor the more subdued tones like on "Tornadoes")...it must be because he's a new dad, because there's a sense of hope in his phrasing, instead of despair. "Aftermath USA" has a Stones feel, and the way Hood describes the slovenly setting in the song makes it seem like a loose metaphor about the state of his country. "Goodbye" is a slower tune, with Isbell on electric piano, "Wednesday" is a fast chugger (that Mats vibe surfacing again) that displays Hood's storytelling skill well, and "Little Bonnie" returns to the Southern Gothic feel of The Dirty South. Cooley's two songs are great...the beautiful, acoustic "Space City" has his most tender singing to date, while "Gravity's Gone" is more upbeat, with lots of twang (think "Uncle Frank" from Pizza Deliverance), and is loaded with the dude's always-memorable lyrics: "So I'll meet you at the bottom if there really is one/They always told me when you hit it, you'll know it/But I been fallin' so long, it's like gravity's gone, and I'm floatin'." For the third consecutive album, though, Jason Isbell comes along and steals the show. "Easy on Yourself" has a really cool 80s feel, much like old Tom Petty, or to put it more accurately, The Smithereens, with a snappy riff and a catchy, sing-along chorus (and cowbell!), while on "Daylight", he showcases his smooth tenor voice, hitting the high notes in style, the strongest, boldest vocal performance on a DBT album to date. The boy is a star in the making, and it's only a matter of time before he heads off on his own. He's that good. The album closes on a sombre note, with two more Hood songs: the title track has a real SRO feel, those git-tars turned way up, as he sings to someone named Eugene, warning him of the price of success: "While dreams come true, what to do then/Confusion or glory?" Meanwhile, "A World of Hurt", with Hood's partial spoken word delivery, reads as a lesson for his little daughter ("It's a wonderful world if you can put aside the sadness, and hang on to every ounce of beauty upon you/Better take the time to know it, if you feel anything at all"), as the song is accented by lovely pedal steel and more electric piany.
The album, yet again, is very nicely produced by David Barbe, who has become the perfect producer for this band, his rough-edged tones perfectly complementing their style. I don't really know where this album ranks among the other five DBT records, but A Blessing and a Curse seems to be tighter, more ambitious, and because of its economical running time, more consistent than both The Dirty South and Decoration Day. Which, if you don't know me already, is very high praise indeed. I'll be buying this sucker on April 18th...it's sure to figure prominently on my year-end list, which goes without saying. Outstanding album!
As a result, my day turned out like the album's title. The blessing: New DBT album! The curse: I got absolutely nothing done.
So should I try to find time from my busy writing schedule to go see Gogol Bordello tonight? I really should...
Tuesday, February 7, 2006
Not much new to report right now. Just recuperating after a very busy seven days of writin' and whatnot. Well, actually, three tracks from the upcoming new album by Grandaddy have surfaced, and while they're not quite the laid-back knockouts like the tracks from Sumday, they're still promising enough. "Jeez Louise" is considerably louder than the stuff on the last record, but unlike The Flaming Lips' overblown "The Wand", this song is actually good. "Summer...It's Gone", though, is the Grandaddy we all know and love, breezy pop with a nice synth interlude stuck in the middle. The other song, "Oxygen/Aux Send", is just a little minute-long instrumental.
With so much new music, and newly-acquired music, what did I listen to last night, but the Magnolia soundtrack over and over again. I hadn't listened to it in what, nearly five years, but after watching the outstanding movie (for the first time in nearly as long), I realised I'd forgotten just how brilliant Aimee Mann's songs were, packing as much of an emotional punch as the film, which is no surprise, since the movie was written based specifically on those songs.
YouTube discovery of the day: In 21 years, I had never seen the video for W.A.S.P.'s "L.O.V.E. Machine", as it had been banned in Canada because of the clip's footage of a woman submberged (presumably against her will). As a huge W.A.S.P. fan in 1985, it was annoying how I couldn't see the video, and thankfully, through the miraclw of YouTube, I was at long last able to see it...and it's pretty darn cheesy. A classic, LA 80s metal concept for a music video (scantily clad women dancing around a camera-mugging band), but seen today, it's a bit of campy fun. They don't make videos like this anymore, which is a good thing.
Friday, February 3, 2006
New review again! So should you buy the new controller.controller album? Not really...but if you do, don't pay too much for it. X-Amounts came out in Canada back in early October, but I only managed to listen to it a few weeks ago, and while I'm really impressed with the band's improved performance on record, the songs simply don't measure up as well. It's hard to hate an album like this, and I've definitely heard worse, but they shouldn't get a free pass ...the songwriting sounds lazy and uninspired. We all have far too many musical options to give such a middling album our time. Next.
On a much brighter note, the ever-lovable Stars paid Saskatoon a visit, their third since the release of Set Yourself on Fire. They keep getting bigger and bigger, audiences growing with each visit, and a sign they're moving up in the music world is their snazzy stage lights, not to mention a swanky tour bus. Louis' was packed, sold out for quite some time, and the kids didn't go home disappointed.
Opening band Thurston Revival was an odd one, that's for sure. Two guys strode onstage, one with an acoustic guitar, the other with one of those Thomas Dolby style keytars. The keytar guy, looking like an indie Charlie Sexton, started spouting an extended spoken word piece, going all Jim Morrison on us, all but alienating the audience with his faux-Beat diatribes...and what happened next? They went on to play some surprisingly pleasant pop music (backed up by a simple drum machine), flying in the complete opposite direction of The Lizard King's ridiculous opening monologue, the complete lack of irony confounding the hipsters. It was all inoffensive enough, but I was looking forward to the changeover.
Stars were as sublime as ever, and unlike many indie bands, willing to give the fans their money's worth, playing for well over an hour and a half. Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan were in fine form, the duo exchanging lead vocals, not to mention keeping up with the snappy between-song banter. Like last April, they played eleven of the 13 songs from Set Yourself on Fire, but this time, they dug a little deeper into their back catalogue, the highlights being a great version of "Death to Death", and the gorgeous "Look Up" (a personal fave), which was a nice surprise. They also played a pretty cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart", with Amy on lead vocals, as well as harmonica. Conversely, "He Lied About Death" simply roared, moreso than I'd heard before, with waves of shoegazer style drones. Of course, the staples were greeted with ecstatic applause (and sing-alongs): "Elevator Love Letter", "Heart", "Ageless Beauty", "Reunion", "You Ex-Lover is Dead". Just lovely. Stars have come a long way, slowly winning over the people over the years, and all that hard work is finally beginning to pay off. The bandwagon is getting crowded, but there's always enough room. Hop on. Oh, and here's an approximation of the setlist:
Theme from the Stars
Set Yourself on Fire
Reunion
Death to Death
Going, Going, Gone
Heart
Soft Revolution
Life Effect
Hungry Heart
What I'm Trying to Say
Look Up
One More Night
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
Ageless Beauty
The Big Fight
He Lied about Death
Encore:
The First Five Times
Elevator Love Letter
Calendar Girl
Thursday, February 2, 2006
My review of the Dimmu Borgir release is up. It's an interesting CD, where they re-recorded the 1996 album of the same name...while the original Stormblast is much-loved by black metal fans, it's quite a horrendously produced album, and I don't blame Shagrath and Silenoz one bit for going back in the studio for a do-over. With the beefed-up mix, the songs sound even better. Well worth a look-see, if you're into the more, erm, demonic side of metal.
Speaking of extreme metal, this article on Cookie Monster vocals, flaws and all, is really enjoyable. Top marks for going to Frank Oz for a quote!
So did you miss the big Broken Social Scene performance on Conan O'Brien the other night? If you did, no need to worry...YouTube to the rescue. It was a nice surprise to see Emily Haines, Feist, and Jason Collett back.
YouTube discovery of the day: Razor - "Evil Invaders"...not only is this the video for the classic Canadian thrash anthem, but it's ripped from someone's old videotape of Much Music's old Power Hour, circa 1987-88. Does that ever take me back.
Wednesday, February 1, 2006
It's that time of year again...that's right, it's Pazz & Jop time. I always say that year-end lists are so plentiful, not to mention exhausting, that the Village Voice critics' poll seems more like an afterthought these days, appearing nearly two months after most mags and websites publish theirs, but it's still a fun read, and something I've personally enjoyed thoroughly on an annual basis since 1995. And like last year, it pleases me to say that I was a contributor. Here's my ballot.
My ballot is basically the same as my 2005 list, except for one big exception...I put The Futureheads' "Hounds of Love" at number two on my P&J ballot, but not on my list here, basically because I already put it on my 2004 Best Songs list, and didn't want to repeat myself on this page after making the swith from Songs to Singles ("Hounds of Love" was released as a single in 2005). Make sense? Probably not.
Anyway, overall, it's a good albums list. I was quite surprised, not to mention impressed, that MIA placed a close second to Kanye, with Sufjan placing a distant third. Seems about right. Opeth was 79, which is good, Broken Social Scene was 71, which is surprising, though I can see how it probably just missed many top ten lists...as it did mine. If you go here, you'll see all the ballots tabulated to figure out which voter had the highest percentage of the highest vote-getters. I placed 239th out of 795...so i guess I'm not exactly indie, then. Interestingly, I'm just behind Sasha Frere-Jones, and right ahead of David Fricke. Read into that what you will...
Got my tickets for both Metric and Opeth yesterday. March and April are going to be fun. Also, Akron/Family is coming to my part of the world, and judging by how great their shows apparently are, it's one I really should not miss. People I know have been touting this band for about a year, and I'm just now beginning to finally catch on.
YouTube discovery of the day: America, 1989. Rock has been driven underground. The authorities stalk pirate broadcasters and their followers. Those who are apprehended suffer severe consequences. However, thanks to a plucky, poodle-headed kid and his headbanger buds, he lures his pursuers to a concert where the mighty KEEL shoot lightning from their guitars, incapacitating the bad guys and saving the world. That's right...it's Keel's "The Right to Rock"!!!
Man, oh man, it's been so long since I've seen that. The Right to Rock helped define my spring of 1985. It was kind of a sucky album (I learned a valuable lesson: full-page ads in Hit Parader do not mean an album is guaranteed to be good!), but I remember having just bought it, and listening to it on my cheap little Lloyds walkman while waiting two hours in line for playoff tickets during the Prince Albert Raiders' incredible Memorial Cup run that year...
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
My review of the new album by Green Carnation appeared yesterday. It's a very interesting one, as the progressive metal band from Norway have decided to put out a completely acoustic album, and while acoustic experiments by metal bands fail more often than not, I was especially struck by how well Acoustic Verses works. The key is that the band shows incredible discipline...they're fully aware that restraint works best when stripping down their sound, and it's admirable how they resist the urge to toss in big crescendoes of strings, piano, choir, and such. The end result is a record that's more folk than metal to be honest, and is a CD that people who don't normally like extreme metal will be surprised by.
Another acoustic metal CD I've come to enjoy over the last month or so is Planetary Confinement, by Anathema side project Antimatter. Very pretty stuff, especially the tracks that include guest female vocalists. They do an astonishing cover of Trouble's "Mr. White", giving it the luminous, Mazzy Star treatment. Not so coincidentally, both Green carnation and Antimatter are on The End Records, which I've quickly become a big fan of. I love progressive metal, and The End has turned me onto some phenomenal bands, like Ulver, Frantic Bleep, and Epica. And let us forget they're also the US label for The Gathering!
Today's YouTube discovery: Can rockin' shirtless on German TV in 1971. Seriously, it's a killer performance of "Paperhouse"...
You know, I never truly knew how fun it is to have an iRiver until I put the entire Iron Maiden discography on it last week (well, sans the sucky albums) and set the thing on shuffle. Bliss, I tell you.
It might be a slow week this week, as I'll be immersed in my February metal column. What's it about this month? Here's a clue: doom, doom, and more new doom...
Saturday, January 28, 2006
First of all, huge congratulations to PopMatters writer extraordinaire (and extremely helpful editor) Zeth Lundy for being chosen to write about Songs in the Key of Life for the prestigious 33 1/3 series. I look forward to reading it, and y'all should, too. Actually, I have to get that album from the library...
Well, after a month or so of hard work, my latest metal column is up. This one was a real labour of love, as I chose to focus exclusively on my favourite Dutch band, The Gathering. They're such a criminally overlooked band, yet are so accessible, and even better, so easy to like, yet aside from their small, rabid following worldwide, have yet to crack mainstream audiences. Two retrospective releases came out in late 2005, so it was a perfect chance to write a large piece on the band, talk about the new releases, and hopefully turn some folks on to the band. The rarities compilation Accessories is a wonderful two-disc collection of old B-sides and demo recordings, and A Sound Relief is a stunning concert DVD...as good as the CD is, the DVD is something else, gorgeously shot in hi-def, with incredible surround sound. It was the first time I'd ever seen The Gathering live, and the band, led by singer Anneke van Giersbergen, is entrancing. At the same time, I've been paying close attention to the band's entire discography, and out of all the albums, I cannot stop listening to their 1999 double album How to Measure a Planet?...I'd long been convinced that Nighttime Birds was their best, but I'm now starting to lean more towards its follow-up. Highly ambitious, employing more non-metal influences like krautrock, ambient, and progressive rock, it was a record that was ahead of its time, befuddling many fans, not to mention their label, who obviously wanted the band to stick to the same old formula. It was a very brave move by the band to head into that direction. Today, it sounds fresh and astonishingly beautiful...anyone who likes Radiohead, The Notwist, and the like should hear this one. The Gathering could have easily become as popular as Nightwish and Lacuna Coil by tossing out the pop metal tunes, but they chose control of their art over fame, and after some trying years, during which they left their label and started their own with their own money, they're fully in control over their music, and with a new album due out this spring, their first in three years, we all have every reason to belive it's going to be something special. So give my article a read, and if you haven't heard The Gathering before, it's never too late to try the music out. You might be pleasantly surprised.
A third Gathering collection is coming out in February...the Deluxe Edition of the 1995 album Mandylion is a two-disc set that came out last November in Europe in celebration of its tenth anniversary, and is finally getting a domestic release here. It's an excellent re-release, and I'll have a full review done in the next day or so. I'll post the link when it's published.
Well, the new Neko Case album has leaked, and what a lovely CD it is. The lady has simply outsone herself...the same stark, yet warm mood that made Blacklisted so unforgettable is still there, but Neko's songwriting continues to improve immensely, as she combines traditional balladry with more surreal, enigmatic lyrics. Her voice is as great as usual. "Star Witness", the song I posted the other day, seems to be the real standout, but "Dirty Knife" really got to me...that goes without saying, I'm such a sucker for murder ballads. "Hold On Hold On" has more of an upbeat feel (in a downbeat kind of way), sounding like The Byrds fronted by a gloomy torch singer. "John Saw That Number" is a great little cover of the old gospel spiritual (with Kelly Hogan on background vocals). "That Teenage Feeling" has a cool 50s feel. And "The Needle has Landed" is sublime...less contry than pure, unadulterated 60s folk rock (with that ever-present noir tinge). I hate to bring up year-end lists right after all the December madness both here and on every single other blog in the universe, but based on two listens, this already seems like year-end list material. It is fan-freaking-tastic. And pardon me for asking, but what's a fox confessor, anyway?
Thursday, January 26, 2006
The local spring concert season is slowly starting to take shape. In addition to Opeth in early March, Metric is returning on April 7, headlining the Odeon. The band is really starting to hit it big...opening for the Stones at MSG last week, playing bigger venues in Canada. In the wake of their insane sold-out run in Edmonton last fall, they're now playing the much bigger Shaw Conference Centre. Like I always say, this is a band not to be missed.
I'd been procrastinating getting tickets for the Feb. 2 Stars show here over the past month and a half, and despite selling out at Ticketmaster, tickets were still available at the bar, thankfully. Like I said last April, I won't make the mistake of missing out on a Stars show ever again. Love 'em.
Goldfrapp's new video for "Ride a White Horse" is probably the best vid of theirs to date. Trashy (literally), stylish, and tongue in cheek. Yet another furst-rate single from one of my favourite artists. The album has grown on me trmendously these past six months...if you don't have it yet, it's out in North America in early March.
Hoo boy, is the new Neko Case song ever good. Bodes very well for the new album. Leak, darn you!!!
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Not exactly happy with my country right now. No sir. At least it's a Conservative minority government...a majority would have been disastrous. The same right-wing goofs who represent Saskatoon all were re-elected, which is a shame. Not a fun night, I tell you...in addition to seeing my country's immediate future go down the toilet, the Habs got throttled again, and in a rather apt result on election night, the flashy, talented Oilers were thumped by the defensive, boring Flames.
My afternoon was much better. First, Opeth officially confirmed the much-rumoured March 7 show at the Odeon, which had me beaming. It's going to be the metal show of the year...tickets go on sale this coming Saturday.
Also, I got a nice surprise in the mail...the brand spankin' new album by Raising the Fawn. I've been a fan of theirs ever since they wowed me when they opened for Broken Social Scene two years ago. Their set compelled me to buy their debut The North Sea, which was one of my favourites that year, and when word got out that a new record was in the works for early 2006, it immediately shot up to the top of my Most Anticipated list. The Maginot Line is definitely an interesting disc...it's cozier than the last album, and doesn't quite have those huge epic tracks with waves of guitars. Instead, it's much more moody, without any upbeat, single-worthy tracks like "Gwendolyn". Yet at the same time, while the trio continue to take their time, there's much more variety going on, as lengthier songs like "The Maginot Line" and "Christmastime in the Fields" (written on the way to the aforementioned Saskatoon show, which is neat) drift on tangents we don't quite expect. The pretty, shoegazer-inspired "Carbon Paper" (a song I saw the band perform at their second Saskatoon show in late 2004) and "The Matador" are the two most immediately engaging tracks, while the last half of the CD takes a decidely more atmospheric turn. "Until it Starts Again", with its E-bow (I love E-bow), serves as a fitting climax, a great example of just how powerful this trio can sound live, while the mellow, contemplative "Nocturne No. 2" is a worthy denouement. Guitarist John Crossingham is still a superb vocalist, but he relies on his falsetto less on the new album, which is a good thing, since many folks -including yours truly- dragged out the Thom Yorke comparisons two years ago. There are several lo-fi interludes, and only "Gold and Red" sounds like an awkward fit, much like the lo-fi cuts Doves always stick on their albums. Other than that, though, it's a very strong album, in which we hear just how much Raising the Fawn have grown in the last couple years (remember, The North Sea sat on the shelf for more than a year). It's a grower (I've listened to it four times today, and I'm just now starting to get a grasp of it), with tendencies toward the more artsy, progressive side of rock, but it's still a warm, welcoming album, and one that was well worth the wait. It's out on March 7...don't miss it.
The more I hear "Feb. 14", the new single by the Drive-By Truckers, the more I begin to realise just how brilliant a song it is. A total Replacements vibe, done tastefully, not shamelessly (hello, Goo Goo Dolls), a fantastic, highly uncool saxophone solo, and some of Patterson Hood's best singing in ages (the bridge itself is a knockout). The new album cannot arrive soon enough.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Well, the big CD sale over at the local community radio station on Friday was a lot of hard work, but in the end, a pretty fruitful search. For some incomprehensible reason, only a third of the fluorescent lights in the big room were on, and none were over the CD tables, which meant I had to spend AN HOUR bent over at a 90 degree angle, trying to read the tiny words on the spines of the CDs. Insanity. Anyway, some interesting finds...I came out of the ordeal with the latest Brendan Benson album, a Blood Brothers disc, the deluxe edition of Kylie's Fever (anyone want my copy of the regular version?), a stack of Roadrunner releases (highlighted by the new Soulfly CD), and a few kiddie emo discs (Thrice, Silverstein, etc.). In the end, 13 CDs, 15 bucks. Not too shabby.
I have the new album by Pretty Girls Make Graves, and what I've heard so far is pretty good.
Bob Mould is coming to the Canadian prairies, but isn't coming to Saskatchewan. I want to cry.
YouTube discovery of the day: "Stars", by Hear N Aid...the full seven minute version, with the killer extended guitar solo! It might look goofy today, but it was a really good charity single in 1985, and as a kid, it was fun to identify the guest soloists by ear. It's actually pretty amazing how when we were kids, we could tell a George Lynch "widdlywiddlywiddly" from an Yngwie Malmsteen "widdlywiddlywiddly". And I didn't even play guitar.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Just a quick update here, as it's a pretty big day. Well, hopefully. More on that tomorrow.
The other day, my review of the new Killing Joke DVD appeared. A very fun concert, filmed in London a year ago, with great surround sound and a brutal (in a good way) performance by the band. "Primitive" and "Love Like Blood" were the two highlights for me.
Over on the Static side of things, my review of Sevendust's recent album has popped up. A real disappointment by a band who continues to underachieve in my eyes. I expect their new best-of comp (a brilliantly evil move by their former label TVT, stealing the new album's thunder) to be much better. I'll hopefully get it soon.
And what did I tell you about Johnny Boy? Stylus printed a rave review the other day, and Flux Blog has posted the brilliantly bubblegummerific "15 Minutes". Do not miss out on this one, kids. The album's a keeper.
Eye Weekly has its annual Canadian Critics' Poll. No, I wasn't asked to contribute, nor were anyone else from Western Canada, an oddly insular electorate considering the size of this country. Big surprise, coming from the Centre of the Universe. Anyway, it's still something to look forward to every year, and this year, some predictable indie-centric results (Sufyawn, Antony, Kelly), but some decidedly Can-Con-centric choices that border on wacky. Dudes, no way is that Cons record better than Wolf Parade. And funny how it seemed that M.I.A. was going through one heckuva hipster backlash, yet she nearly topped all the year-end polls when all was said and done. Good on her.
Wanna be a music critic? Take this quiz. I've broken so many of the "rules", its ridiculous. Not to mention embarrassing. Though I haven't used "angular" nor "chanteuse" in quite a while. Same cannot be said for "ethereal", I'm afraid.
Wanna be in a death metal band? Strongbad has some advice on how to get started. "Den-tist! Jugga-jigga-wugga! Deli-style! Jugga-jigga-wugga!"
YouTube is quickly becoming the coolest thing to hit the net in ages. Today's discovery: some vintage W.A.S.P., circa 1984. And do I mean vintage.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
After Friday's megapost, things have slowed down a touch. No new writing to shamelessly plug, but that'll be short-lived, as this month's metal column is awaiting piblication.
I've heard an absolute ton of new music, but haven't really had enough time to digest it all, but I might as well jot down my initial thoughts. The new CD by Newcastle's best band, Maximo Park, called Missing Songs, is a collection of B-Sides and previously unreleased stuff, and while it's a hastily-assembled compilation, I continue to find myself smitten with this band. Even the throwaways here are terrific. Over the past twelve months or so, this band has gotten better and better the more I hear them...I think they're on the cusp of becoming the best rock band in the UK.
Another buzz band being lumped in with recent Brit heroes Arctic Monkeys and Test Icicles is The Kooks, and their debut album Inside In Inside Out is quite likeable, with a sunnier, Supergrass goes ska feel. Lots of variety on the record, highlighted by the light, acoustic "Seaside", the very catchy Jam/Specials rip-off "Eddie's Gun" (how could I have missed this song?), and, believe it or not, the country-tinged "Jackie Big Tits" which, despite its title, is actually very sweet and charming. This is going to be a grower like Maximo Park last year, and I bet I'll be nuts about this album in a few weeks.
Faded Seaside Glamour, by another UK band called The Delays, was a highly underrated album from 2004, containing three or four spectacular singles, and their late-2004 single "Lost in a Melody" was a real favourite of mine, so the prospect of a new album by these guys was very exciting. After the first couple listens to their new album, You See Colours, it feels like a slight letdown, but it might need more time to sink in. Not as many of its songs really grabbed me (other than the very lovely "Cavalry" and "Valentine"), and it was disappointing that "Lost in a Melody" wasn't included. The twee, La's kind of thing has been toned down for a slightly more dance/synthy feel (not a surprise), and singer Greg Gilbert still relies heavily on that weirdly compelling, androgynous falsetto of his. Yeah, this one needs time.
I'm about three months late getting into X-Amounts by Toronto post punk kids controller.controller, as I didn't exactly have the highest of hopes for their full-length debut after some rather middling reviews, but hearing it now, I'm quite impressed by their growth. It's an overall tighter recording than the History EP, the beats swing more, the dual guitars slice more, and singer Nirmala sounds a lot more assertive and confident as a singer. No real improvement in her range, as she tends to stick to that Slits vocal style, but there's more of a husky tone, more mood, more charisma in her overall tone. The one problem with the album is its lack of some real standout, single-worthy songs ("Poison/Safe" comes close), but for now, it's a nice progression for the band, even if they're taking baby steps.
Indie girls who sing along at live shows can be annoying sometimes, but this clip of a girl lip-synching Bloc Party's "Banquet" is pretty darn adorable, and blows away the band's actual video for the song, which I hated.
Friday, January 13, 2006
Been busy over the last few days. Re-organizing my CD storage is an annual, but necessary, headache.
My review of the fiery recent album by Wimnnipeg greats Propagandhi is up at Static. That's one album that completely surprised me, an extremely smart, politically oriented punk CD that, to my great surprise, had some mighty fine pro-Canada, anti-Bush lyrics, as well as some commentary toward my city's notoriously racist and insular police force. Also appearing a week ago, but I forgot to mention (aside from the link over there on the right), was my review of the fun debut by New York City's Morningwood. I've had the album since last June or July, but a combination of a continually pushed-back release date (it was supposed to be last August), and being buried under a growing stack of new stuff I had to write about, forced me to shelve it until right before it actually came out in North America, which was this past Tuesday. Anyway, despite what some critics say, it's a fun album. Nothing groundbreaking, just some high energy, new wavy rock 'n' roll.
Y'all are reading Stylus's Introduction to Metal, right? If not, you'd better get going. It's an exhaustive, well-written week-long feature. Cosmo Lee is an immensely talented music writer, and his blurbs are very well done, as usual.
I've been listening to an absolute ton of music this week (I love indietorrents, I tell you what). I'm quite impressed with the new album by OC metalcore band Bleeding Through...it starts off as your regular, run-of-the-mill combination of metal guitar licks and hardcore riffs, with lots of Jamey Jasta-esque hollers, but a hint of keyboards and some very crafty melodies keep The Truth from getting overly repetitive. "Kill to Believe" is a highlight.
Fort Recovery, the new one by Americana greats Centro-Matic, is a great one. Hailing from Texas, as opposed to Alabama natives Drive-By Truckers, the sound of the band is as spacious as their home, performed in a lazy, semi-drunken style (shifting from tender introspection to huge, distorted slide guitar solos), and featuring some great singing by Will Johnson. This should be a perfect cmpanion to the upcoming DBT album, which comes out in April, and which I am dying to hear. I have huge hopes for that one.
The same can't be said for the new album by New York post punks Elefant. I found their 2003 album Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid to be woefully underrated (a disappointment, considering the push the album got in 2004 when it was re-released), with some cool Bowie/Cocker posing by charismatic frontman Diego Garcia. On The Black Magic Show, though, everyone's just going through the motions, playing third-tier 80s pop. Not an original thought on the entire disc, as the band raids old albums by The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen with such blatant abandon and lack of flair (there are a few admittedly catchy moments, don't get me wrong), they wind up sounding more like Cats Can Fly (if you're Canadian and in your thirties, you remember Cats Can Fly). Oddly enough, one of the album's worst tracks, the horrible "Lolita", is the first single, and can be downloaded for free here. Ugh, this album's foul.
Next up, the new one by German metal dudes The Ocean. Aeolian is an interesting album, with some progressive, Meshuggah style elements, with a decidedly American flavour, as the band brings in more expansive, Neurorsis style riffs and frenzied hardcore passages that reminds me a lot of Converge. The album has a large number of guest vocalists, and songs veer from two-minute shredders to nine-minute prog metal epics, and that variety the album brings makes it sound more fresh and vibrant than something a bit less ambitious. The album (out in March), is gorgeously packaged, like a cross between, oddly enough, Mastodon's Leviathan and Okkervill River's Black Sheep Boy. it's definitely the best metal release I've heard in 2006 so far.
I also put a gift card to good use, and completed, at long last, the series of eight Can Remasters. I had been missing their first two albums, 1969's Monster Movie and 1970's Soundtracks, so it was nice to finally pick them up. Lots of people like Monster Movie, and for good reason, as it's the band's most straightforward rock album, taking a cue from the Velvet Underground, and centering on two outstanding songs, the frantic "Father Cannot Yell", and the colossal, hypnotic, twenty minute epic "Yoo Doo Right". That said, despite that album's greatness, not to mention the unforgettable performance by Malcolm Mooney (who would have a breakdown onstage and leave the band shortly after), I think I prefer Soundtracks. Granted, it is a bit of a hodgepodge, a collection of the band's film music hastily compiled by their label to meet the unextected demand in Germany, but any sloppy feel is obliterated by what's likely my favourite all-time Can track (and the first one of theirs I heard more than three years ago), the fifteen minute "Mother Sky". It kicks into high gear immediately, with Michael Kearoli shredding away a frantic guitar solo, as Holger Czukay thrums away a melodic bassline, Jaki Liebezeit hammers away a metronomic beat (which would become a krautrock calling card), and Irmin Schmidt twiddles away on synthesizer. Two minutes in, with a bam of a tom tom, the song locks into a tight, inescapable groove, with new singer Damo Suzuki delivering eerie, barely discernable lyrics, making for one of the most thrilling extended jams ever caught on tape. The way it starts mid-stride, and then fades out, makes you wonder if they went on playing this for an hour or so, and if they did, how glorious it must have been. Pure genius, a groundbreaking song, and one that would pave the way for future epics in the coming years.
On a completely different note, the new album by the Greatest Dutch Band Ever, The Gathering, is called Home, and will be out this spring. Cannot wait for that one. Speaking of The Gathering, my rather lengthy piece on the band should be appearing sometime in the next week or so.
Lastly (whew!), I have to commend some enterprising Saskatonians for their very clever website devoted to discrediting local fundamentalist Conservative nutcase Maurice Vellacott, who, along with perennial psycho Jim Pankiw and silent arch conservative lackey Brad Trost, have become quite the trio of ultra-right wing idiots who seem bent on embarrassing their constituents with their anti-Charter of Rights and Freedoms ranting and raving. Let's hope residents of Central Saskatchewan come to their senses and vote these idiots out.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
The brilliantly titled single "You Are the Generation That Bought More Shoes and You Get What You Deserve", by London duo Johnny Boy had to be the single most played MP3 out of everything I downloaded in 2005, an exhilirating blast of pop hooks, Spector style production, and partially an ode to Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets (the band is named after the Robert De Niro character, and the opening beats pay homage to The Ronettes' "Be My Baby", which played a prominent role in the movie) as well as being a rather enigmatic form of social commentary. If it wasn't already a 2004 single, it would have been a lock for my #1 spot. It's that good, and I'm still not sick of it.
Johnny Boy's full-length debut has apparently been finished for a while, and they'd been waiting for a label to put it out, and I don't know whether they've signed with anyone in the UK yet (the single came out on Rough Trade, but I'm not sure about the album), but it is being released in Sweden, and has subsequently leaked online in recent days. It's surprisingly diverse, and pretty much in keeping with the kitchen sink-style, Wall of Sound thing they had going on on the single. "Fifteen Minutes" is an absolute avalanche of bubblegum hooks, "Livin' in the City" sounds like Phil Spector producing S Club Juniors covering Happy Mondays, "War on Want" and "Bonnie Parker's 115th Dream" have strong hip hop elements, and "All Exits Final" has a bit of a Polyphonic Spree/Sleepy Jackson feel, "Formaldehyde" is like McFly produced by Dan Snaith. It's a crazy little album, but an enormously fun one, and is probably the best of the 2006 releases I've heard so far.
Monday, January 9, 2006
My big piece on four of the recent Motorhead reissues, which I wrote a month ago, is now up at Static.The CDs arrived right on the day I was posting my top five reissues on my year-end list, so it was great timing. As solid and well-rounded the immortal Ace of Spades is, I'm starting to prefer the rougher, more blunt Overkill slightly more lately. Both CDs are essential, and these deluxe editions are great to have.
I was never much of a Cat Power fan. Chan Marshall's last album was inoffensive, but so ridiculously overrated, the fawning critical reaction actually made me dislike the album more than it deserved to be. Yeah, she has a nice voice. Yeah, she's an edgy confessional singer-songwriter...but really, I've heard better. It came as a bit of a surprise when it was revealed her new album, The Greatest, would go for a more retro, rootsier feel, recirding the album in Memphis, and smoothing off the edges with the intention of making a much more listener-friendly record. While her fans will probably be annoyed by this sudden desire to imitate Dusty Springfield and Feist, I actually find the new album quite likeable. Still, though, while her voice is often quite lovely, I find it, more often than not, lacks personality, devoid of the soulfulness of A Girl Called Eddy and the gentle exuberance of Feist. Despite that, though, the production is excellent, giving the music a lazy, relaxed, warm feel. It'd be nice to hear her wake up out of her mopey little stupor every once in a while (seriously, does she expect to get away with a line as hackneyed as "I hate myself and want to die"?), but for the most part, it's a mildly enjoyable, politely dour little disc. Listen to the downright purty "The Greatest" (legally) here.
Two albums I missed out on in 2005: Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking?, by LA all-girl band The Like, and Ruby Blue, the solo debut by Moloko singer Roisin Murphy. The Like blend powerpop with the post punk fun of Elastica, with touches of shoegazer/dreampop (a combination so killer, so up my alley, it's shocking I didn't pick up on this band six months ago), with mainstream-friendly production by Wendy Melvoin and mixed by the always-great Alan Moulder, and unlike the rank amateurs in Toronto's Magneta Lane, these ladies can play their instruments. "The One", "Mrs. Actually", and "What I Say and What I Mean" are near-perfect guitar pop, a rarity as far as American rock goes. The Roisin Murphy album, on the other hand, is the kind of classy, techno-tinged, clickety-poppety, female-sung music that I'm always such a sucker for (see Lamb, Laika, Dot Allison, Goldfrapp, etc., etc.). Produced by Matthew Herbert (who has worked with Bjork), it completely transcends the trip-hop label he former band was tagged with. "Sow Into You" and Leaving the City" are gorgeous tunes.
Thursday, January 5, 2006
My review of the new Bolt Thrower album appeared two days ago. Nothing more than some good old reliable, workmanlike death metal from the UK greats, and that's all we really ask from them, non? Solid, old school stuff. I'm really impressed by how the band writes so eloquently about warfare...instead of the usual violent lyrics most death metal bands employ for shock value, Bolt Thrower actually write intelligent lyrics. The songs on Those Once Loyal seem to focus on World War One, and the eloquence and reverence with which they write their lyrics is very impressive. They should write cenotaph inscriptions.
I'm sure you know about that Capital One TV commercial with that "Hand in My Pocket" jingle that's on all the time. Well, as pop (all love) mentioned the other day, the extremely catchy song was written and performed by none other than Canadian indie darling Jim Guthrie, who has posted the full song on his website. Hey, if this gets the guy some more attention, there's nothing wrong with that at all. Although, lots of people in Canada are pretty sick of the ad by now. Except for my thirteen month-old niece...she's crazy about that ad.
The new Killing Joke album has leaked, and although the leaked tracks appear to be rough mixes, and in need of some added sonic punch (mmmm, sonic punch), I like what I hear so far. On the XXV Gathering DVD, Jaz Coleman states in the interview segment that the new record is going to blow the 2003 album away, and so far, I'm tempted to say he's right. And as for that DVD, it's an excellent concert DVD, with a blistering performance by the band, captured in brutal, tribal (but more cutting-edge than primitive) 5.1 surround. It's glorious at times, with strong emphasis on the band's early material.
Devin Townsend's new album, Synchestra, on the other hand, is a weird one. It reminds me a bit of Steve Vai's wild and wacky Sex and Religion, which Mr. Townsend actually sang on, just a completely schizophrenic record. It's not as chaotic as any of his Strapping Young Lad stuff, but we still get plenty of glimpses at Maple Ridge's resident psychotic genius. "Vampolka", "Vampira", and the hair metal goofiness of "Sunshine and Happiness" are great fun, and both "Sunset" and "Notes from Africa" are instant grabbers. I don't know what to think of the rest, though.
Some cool news about the great Punk History Canada compilation I reviewed a while back...it charted at #26 on the December Canadian college radio chart, an incredible feat for such a small release. Congrats to PHC, and I urge you all, if you haven't heard the CD yet, order it at once!
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
It might be a slow period for new CD releases, but one of the year's early highlights is in stores today, that being First Impressions of Earth, the new album by The Strokes. Although it's not quite on par with Is This It and Room on Fire, it's still a good enough album to warrant a recommendation. After all the griping about how the last album sounded too much like the debut (a fact I argued endlessly more than two years ago), it's encouraging to hear the band sounding a bit more punchy on record. Fab's drums sound big, instead of that compressed sound before, and Julian Casablancas's vocals are right up front, instead of sounding as if they were piped through a transistor radio. "Juicebox" has been in peoples' heads for the past couple months, and people seem divided...myself, as I stated before, I like the song quite a bit, as it's great to hear the band sound more muscular.
In fact, the album gets off to a terrific start, first with lithe "You Only Live Once", which is highlighted by the fact that Casablancas manages to lift his dry vocal tone for once (there's a little Ric Ocasek in his phrasing). The shuffling "Heart in a Cage" features some nimble guitar licks, the terrific "Razorblade" brazenly hijacks the chorus from Barry Manilow's "Mandy" (thanks to my sister, I always think of Homer Simpson singing, "Oh Margie, you came and you brought me a turkey," when I hear the chorus), while the very underrated guitar duo of Valensi and Hammond shines on the ska-ish "On the Other Side". "Vision of Division" is one of the more outwardly aggressive songs they've ever done, while conversely, the bubbly, Stephin Merritt-esque "Ask Me Anything" is a cool departure, and "Electricityscape" trounces anything by their post punk peers, one of their richest, most nuanced songs to date. It seems, though, that the album runs just a few tracks too long, as "Fear of Sleep", the plodding "Evening Sun" (do we really need that silly Shane MacGowan imitation?), and "Ize of the World" don't live up to the first two thirds of the CD. Thankfully, the ebullient gem "Red Light" brings the record to a lively conclusion. At one point, Casablancas croons, "We could drag it out, but that's for other bands to do." They might be guilty of that, but it's a minor blip on what's a good transitional album for such a fine band.
I've been listening to the new Arctic Monkeys album a lot lately. The biggest new rock band in the UK this very minute, they don't have the versatility of The Strokes, but they're energetic enough to make for a very fun 40 minutes or so. "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and "Fake Tales of San Francisco" were two phenomenal singles (the former of which made my year-end singles list), and the new single "When the Sun Goes Down" (watch the video here) is another good one. You hear touches of The Pixies, The Jam, and The Clash (even hints of The Libertines) from time to time, but whatever the influence, the band adds a welcome swagger to the current crop of British guitar bands. The band is huge in the UK (the album's a lock to debut at #1 when it hits UK shelves on the 30th), and they just might have the goods to conquer North America in 2006. Better them than the Kaiser Chiefs.
It's time to bid a fond farewell to the original music blog, New York London Paris Munich, whose plug was pulled a couple days ago. In 2001-2003, NYLPM was a massive influence on yours truly, turning me on to some incredible music, namely of the UK/Euro pop variety from Sugababes (2001), to Girls Aloud (2002), to Scissor Sisters (2003). The page had a very talented group of writers, and not only that, but it also spawned the hipster haven that is I Love Music/I Love Everything. As a blog, it clearly had run its course, but we're all still going to miss it dearly.
Monday, January 2, 2006
No, your eyes do not deceive you, I've done the unthinkable, and (slightly) changed the look of this page. For the better, I hope.
Over the last month, it became more and more apparent I had to make some changes. First, the logos were outdated...the Kid A font just doesn't look as cool as it did in 2001. Also, this blog is going to be five years old in eleven days, so it was the perfect time. Most importantly, though, was the fact that Christmas yielded some stunning changes to my net-centric life, as the family bought me a swanky new computer, I bought myself a swanky 20 gig iRiver H10 (which I adore), and my internet speed doubled (there was a snafu with my connection I didn't know about until a few days ago). Lastly, my own writing gig has taken a turn for the better, and the details of which should be explained in a couple months. Anyway, the whole layout of the page is self-explanatory...I've moved the archive to the left margin, and have provided more space for links to my own reviews and articles, as well as the music/movies/books I'm currently into. So enjoy the new, crisp logos, the new font (easier on the eyes!), and especially whatever I wind up blathering about in the coming year.
So after an insane month of year-end blurbs back to the regular blogging. Before I get going, I should mention that my own Best of 2005 has been archived, the highly enjoyable PopMatters list is worth a peek (New Pornographers! What a nice surprise), as are the albums and singles lists over at Static. As expected, it was fun reading the various year-end polls, be it PopMatters, Stylus, or Pitchfork, just for the surprising range in preferences. I'm still not sold on Sufjan.
One of the biggest treats this past week was the special holiday download of the new Drive-By Truckers single "Feb. 14", which was made available briefly on Christmas Day and again yesterday on New Year's Day. It's a great track, a welcome return by Patterson Hood to a more upbeat, rockin' sound, and indeed bodes very well for the new album A Blessing and a Curse, which comes out in April. Fans are griping that the upcoming DBT album is getting in the way of hotly anticipated solo albums by Hood and Jason Isbell (the latter of which has been on the shelf for ages now), but really, as good as those CDs will probably be, I'll take a new album by America's Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Band in their place any time.
I've been completely immersed in the music of The Gathering recently, first with their excellent rarities compilation Accessories: B-Sides & Rarities, and then with their wonderful concert DVD A Sound Relief, not to mention their last five albums, each of which is something special in its own way. My upcoming PopMatters column will focus on the brilliance of this important band, so be on the lookout for it this month.
January is always such a dead zone for concerts out here on the snowy prairie, but the ever-lovable Stars, bless their flaming Canadian hearts, are making the journey out here in early February. I can't forget to get tickets for this...
Apparently I was quoted in Saturday's Edmonton Journal. I'll try to find out more later today, hopefully.
