Wednesday, 19 November 2008Kinski / Bardo Pond as Sonic Attack on Trensmat Artist: Kinski / Bardo Pond Title : Sonic Attack (Lords of Light) Label : Trensmat Catalogue No : TR015 Country of Origin : Ireland Quantity Pressed : Not Specified Posted Date: 25th Sep 2008 Release Date : 1st Nov 2008 The research I've been doing for this is blowing my mind...basically Trensmat is releasing trilogy of singles of bands covering Hawkwind...who is Hawkwind? A psyche-space rock band that collaborated with sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock...(I didn't recognize anything he'd written, but it's a huge list of work). Band members rotated around Dave Brock over the years...apparently they are stil playing shows...most recently a 30 year reunion festival of some kind, but one member a bassist named Lemmy went on to form Motorhead named after the last song he wrote for hawkwind! Crazy. So this single I chose after seeing Kinski was involved...now, Kinski has been around forever honing their giant feedback borderline experimental primarily instrumental sound since the early nineties...the whole time on Subpop records, and most definitely still with roots in Seattle. Kinski takes on the track 'Masters of the Universe' with their signature fuzzy riffs and screaming solo. They keep true to that 70's psyche feel but with more effects...it's definitely touched by Kinski and it's guitarists Chris Martin and Matthew Reid-Schwartz are masters of tone, conjuring out feedback subtelty and range. Needless to say you won't easily walk away with your hearing intact. Bardo Pond, I've never been too familiar with, but seem like another psyche rock band sympathizer, and use similar guiar drone noise to build their walls of sound....both perfect candidates for reworking Hawkwinds material. Enough so that I'm intrigued to track down some original stuff and see where it all started. I'm reminded why these little pieces of vinyl gold are so great..for splits and tributes...mini EP's. Take a chance on a new sound...maybe you just can't handle the entire release...maybe like me you have ADD and like the constant interaction with the music format itself....time to flip the 7" again. Go listen to a couple of smples from this amazing trilogy project. Bardo Pond - Lords of Light Kinski - Masters of the Universe Labels: bardo pond, kinski, trensmat records
posted by Jason @ 16:27
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Monday, 22 September 2008
Tim Ten Yen on Label Fandango
Tim Ten Yen
Label Fandango
1. Runaround Getaround
2. M.O.R.
3. Runaround Getaround (Karaoke Version)
Tim Ten Yen is not completely irony free. he's a one man performing operation complete with keyboard...singing with a serious 'pretty in pink' feeling...all those late 80's new wave singers with all the serious emotion , everything riding on their passionate vocals. The way that They Might be Giants can pull off singing about a 'triangle man'. Or can't...I guess. Imagine Jens Lekman with a different kind of sincerity...the sincerity of The Office. It's sincere in it's insincerity (?). It's also catchy as hell...Girl Number One is funny, totally put together, and driving a crappy rusted import car to work in the 3 piece suit. If it's confusing, I'm not quite sure I even have a handle on it.
MOR is a kind of loungey number with digital sax not even trying to sound anything like an instrument. He's got a real voice bordring every line on the edge of sincerity. I love that a karaoke version of the A side is part of the single..it's begging you to give it a try.
The joke isn't at your expense though, it's asking you to give in a little and just fall in love with something that you shouldn't have to think about too much. Something that is having a little fun with itself...it's a little practically twee at times. Or remember when Oranje Juice asked an audience to stop being so serious, so tragic and not necessarily dance themselves to death but remember all the reasons why music is made.
Labels: label fandango, tim ten yen
posted by Jason @ 00:51 0 Comments
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Sunday, 7 September 2008
The Kabeedies on NR One records
The Kabeedies
1. Palindromes
2. King Canute
3. Coaster Game (Acoustic)
Label: NR ONE RECORDS
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 1st Sep 2008
There are bands that try that fusion of catchy dance and indie rock, that's a feat in itself but to sound like they are genuinely having fun doing it and translate that in the studio recording is something else entirely...and The Kabeedies are doing that in spades.
'Palindromes', the A side recklessly throws out mad basslines and guitar that, when dissected, sounds completely unrelated, but somehow is working at high speed, accompanied by feverish percussion and multiple vocals from all channels. Every member has to singing at some point, sounding like they are all battling to be heard over the ever changing beat...it's a overwhelming study in making something out of nothing, it's not rocket science, but moving bodies and at that it's an overwhelming success. Absolutely reminding me of the joyous noise of Los Campesinos or The Unicorns (R.I.P.), it's amusing and smart, the perfect combination.
Another track on the single 'King Canute' is built from more toe tapping basslines and swapping time signature drums with a vocal back and forth that defies composition. There is clearly an organization here, but it's impossible to follow or deconstruct and holds up to repeated listenings, the music complexity deceptively working against the unassuming lyrics. Sounding young enough to have just left the playground and instead focused their talents on a unique off kilter enthusiastic rock chock full of pop culture references. A winner.
Jason Dean
Labels: NR One records, The Kabeedies
posted by Jason @ 10:45 0 Comments
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Thursday, 4 September 2008
The Uh Ohs on NR One records
UH OHs
Cheat Cheater
NR ONE RECORDS
Quantity Pressed: 250
Release Date: 20th Oct 2008
Cheat Cheater opens with what sounds like everyone in the band screaming which runs right into power chords blaring and then dropping out to Naomi's bass and vocal breakdown and guess what? She's pissed at the protagonist of this track...he's cheating and she's on to it. I love the room sound of the guitars....you get sound of an entire room being bombarded by this great distorted guitar line until the track ends in a climax of the entire band yelling "Cheat Cheater!"
Sounding a lot like Karen O in that way she's getting to the point, a frontwoman who's not abstractly singing around the issue and worrying about feelings...this is the message: she can be sugar sweet, but she'll also tell you she wants your body and... oh. In a loud punk way.
The B-side starts out a little less confrontational, nothing but bass breakdown and whispered vocals but by the chorus it's all back to yelling more questions 'Will you ever fall into me?' and all kinds of requests to be dominated. It's at a rock/dance pace and is going to get you attention.
Jason Dean
posted by Jason @ 18:48 0 Comments
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Wednesday, 20 August 2008
The Nacional on art goes pop records
Artist: NACIONAL
TELEPHONE / YORKSHIRE
Label: art goes pop
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 300
Release Date: 18th Aug 2008
The Nacional are the standard 5 piece band, they're not using any gimmicks... they aren't riding on the latest combination of genres, the latest technology. But that's what makes it even harder to figure out why it's working so well. What's the difference between all the rock bands out there and bands like the Nacional. I can say it sounds classic, but they're using what's always worked, drums guitar and bass...so it's the songwriting, the lyrics and way they're delivered.
For example, the A side 'Telephone' has an urgency that is held together by this great continuous bassline with stops and starts from the guitars... they don't stick to the crafted catchy rhythms which would be too easy to just repeat, instead they change, adding or subtracting previous directions just enough to bring something new to the chorus.
'Yorkshire' opens a little quieter at first, but soon a quick strumming turns into another dance-rock number. The drums have this huge booming room sound that I love. On this side the a mother is mentioned again and that makes me think this is some kind of conceptual single about a very specific narrative...maybe we'll find out in the full length.
Both sides are catchy, optimistic and danceable, in that way that poprock like this should always be. This is just the plain good songwriting and expert instrumentation that bands like the Smiths were made of.
It's a shame there's only 300 of these being pressed....I suppose that's standard for a new band like this...but that seems awfully low on the strength of both of these sides.
Labels: art goes pop, nacional
posted by Jason @ 20:48 0 Comments
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Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Warning! Heat Ray! on Warning records
Artist: Warning !Heat Ray!
Title: Spit it out
Label: Warning Records
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 18th Aug 2008
Samples typically get used a lot just for aesthetic effect...random sounds of ministers preaching, or government speeches are typically used as atmosphere for industrial stuff in my experience....808 state, severed heads, front 242....at first just in hearing these racist samples it didn't hit me right away that was directly related to the vocals and drawing attention to the British immigration problem as directly as they are. These clips are no less disturbing now as they probably were around the time of the '58 Nottinghill Riots...or maybe Warning! is saying the feelings are still there today, but it's more hidden, people know better then to publicly say those things to a reporter. The only thing they learned is how to hide the racism.
Of course it's always tricky to combine politics and music, it's hard enough to create something that's new and interesting, and catchy to listen to everyday, but to then attach a political belief to the track...well you're alienating huge groups of people right away. Or the other problem
like the US hardcore groups of the 80's is they're subjects are easy targets....the Reagan administration, nuclear war etc, there's nothing enlightening about the subject matter, you're preaching to the choir.
Warning! Heat Ray! bringing this sampling back is new, and completely appropriate given the subject. It fits the moody looped electronics, and vocals by Robert (Bob) Curbishley underscore the history of the ignorance and misunderstanding of the situation, that unfortunately, 50 years later, may never change.
The B-side 'Life less ordinary' completely changes gears with acoustic guitar strumming and is much more folk singer here with Bob doing a lot of harmonizing with himself and providing a harmonica solo for good measure. Not that it's really related to Dylan or that tradition of protest music...it's just done in a nice storytelling way...a somewhat lighter song about breakup that's coming from a coffee house open mic character.
Just as a side note, I've been enjoying the 7" guitar mashup available from their myspace...go check that out as well...
Jason Dean
Labels: warning heat ray, warning records
posted by Jason @ 22:51 1 Comments
1 Comments:
Jason, thanks for these comments. I really appreciate the time you've taken to listen to the songs - and I'm glad you're enjoying the mashup. I'm going to start work on another one soon.
Best wishes,
Ash
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Saturday, 9 August 2008
Magic Arm on Switchflicker records
Artist: Magic Arm
Title: Widths and heights / Ballad of Melody Nelson
Label: Switchflicker
Country of Origin: United Kingdom (UK)
Quantity Pressed: 500
Release Date: 14th Jul 2008
Mechanical Arm is Marc Rigelsford, hailed as 'Master of the loop pedal' is taking a variety of influences and sounds and creating masterful pop experiments along the lines of Beck's Odelay.
What is it about being able to put all these varied influences together? Is that where this music is headed? This appropriation of influences... well it's actually already there the initial novelty is long gone. Mechanical Arm is making the case for where it will go.
What is it about a blip or snare sound that is so much better than another? That's where the DJ/Engineer can be invaluable, to sort through the mountainous material that's been created up until this point. Girl Talk's Greg Gillis distilled the last decade into a bite size piece on Night Ripper for the short attention span set. The greatest moments of a dance/hip hop culture held together by a common BPM and pitch controlled all together.
Mechanical Arm is doing what Beck started with Odelay and Paul's Boutique before it. Bring the sample to rock music, using existing elements of prerecorded material to move forward. It's gone from a substitute for a sound to becoming it's own tool. Something with it's own right with it's own inherent set of rules.
The difference between Mechanical Arm and anyone with a laptop and garageband is the impeccable production and the crystal separation of sound. It's clear he knows exactly what he's setting to hard drive. You can hear the deliberation, the care in every sound. They are manipulated to the edge of recognizability and organized to surprise with headphones. There's nothing muddy or haphazard in any measure.
It sounds like it took months, which it did, after his successful EP, Marc Rigelsford, spent 10 months locked away in various studios finalizing these rest of these tracks, and it shows.
Mechanical arm demands attention to the ornate details.
Meanwhile there is a sing-a-long deliberate pop song working on top of this reduction with a verse and chorus of substance. It's one of those great new worlds still being charted, the combination of created and found sounds in cleanly exciting pop.
Widths and Heights takes you everywhere from industrial rave to folky twee, surrounded by a web of electronic instrumentation and layered vocals.
from his myspace:
The b-side to ‘Widths and Heights’, ‘Ballad of Melody Nelson’, is a cover of the Serge Gainsbourg classic which has now become a regular in his live show. Marc was invited to perform a song at an evening celebrating the French singer, and he proceeded to leave his unmistakeable stamp all over the classic, to a fantastic response.
Jason Dean
Labels: magic arm, switchflicker records
posted by Jason @ 10:28 0 Comments
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