Music Is My Weapon
Caesar had his legions, Napoleon had his rifles, we have our music.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Punk Director Shooting Strummer Documentary
This was copied and pasted from Reuters, for anyone who is interested in taking part of the project.
NEW YORK (Jan. 31) - Director Julien Temple, best known for the Sex Pistols films "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and "The Filth & the Fury," is working on a new movie about the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
Via a slew of archival audio and video footage, interviews donated by journalists and recordings of Strummer's BBC Radio show, the Clash legend will essentially narrate the film.
Now in the very early stages of production, the project will also include new interviews with producer Rick Rubin, Clash guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon, as well as members of Strummer's pre- and post-Clash bands, the 101ers and the Mescaleros, respectively.
Temple was a longtime friend of Strummer, whom he first met during the 101ers years. He's making the film with the blessing of Strummer's widow, Lucinda.
"We didn't have a memorial concert or anything for him," Temple told Billboard.com. "So this is something that I wanted to do. Three years on, it's easier for me and all the people involved to deal with it actually."
Strummer died of a congenital heart defect in December 2002, just three months before the Clash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The following year, his third album with the Mescaleros was released.
Strummer's honesty is what makes him a great film subject, according to Temple. "He was very connected to other human beings, and he never lost that in the way some stars do," he said. "He believed that music could change people's lives, and he proved that in a way that most people don't get near. He touched all types of people all over the world, and that came from his honesty and his warmth."
North American journalists and filmmakers with audio or video footage of Strummer are being encouraged to contribute their recordings to the project. To do so, email Sam Dwyer at sam.dwyer+virgin.net.
NEW YORK (Jan. 31) - Director Julien Temple, best known for the Sex Pistols films "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle" and "The Filth & the Fury," is working on a new movie about the life and career of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer.
Via a slew of archival audio and video footage, interviews donated by journalists and recordings of Strummer's BBC Radio show, the Clash legend will essentially narrate the film.
Now in the very early stages of production, the project will also include new interviews with producer Rick Rubin, Clash guitarist Mick Jones and bassist Paul Simonon, as well as members of Strummer's pre- and post-Clash bands, the 101ers and the Mescaleros, respectively.
Temple was a longtime friend of Strummer, whom he first met during the 101ers years. He's making the film with the blessing of Strummer's widow, Lucinda.
"We didn't have a memorial concert or anything for him," Temple told Billboard.com. "So this is something that I wanted to do. Three years on, it's easier for me and all the people involved to deal with it actually."
Strummer died of a congenital heart defect in December 2002, just three months before the Clash was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The following year, his third album with the Mescaleros was released.
Strummer's honesty is what makes him a great film subject, according to Temple. "He was very connected to other human beings, and he never lost that in the way some stars do," he said. "He believed that music could change people's lives, and he proved that in a way that most people don't get near. He touched all types of people all over the world, and that came from his honesty and his warmth."
North American journalists and filmmakers with audio or video footage of Strummer are being encouraged to contribute their recordings to the project. To do so, email Sam Dwyer at sam.dwyer+virgin.net.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Internet Marketed Musicians: Imogen Heap
Imogen Heap's vocals stood out so much that it deserved attention. From her website: Part cool 'n' collected statuesque beauty, part thrilled eight year old, Imogen Heap is struggling to contain her excitement. "For the last year, I’ve had a mission to accomplish," says the former Frou Frou lass, kicking her pink stiletto-ed heels with joy. From the pride glowing from the songwriter’s grin, it’s clear "Operation Imogen" has been a resounding success. After twelve months of graft in her studio, the bubbly twenty-seven year-old is finally poised to release the glorious 'Speak For Yourself'". Filled with grace and passion, and loaded with hooks, it’s a captivating Bjork meets pop-Squarepusher gem of a record and the thoroughly deserving source of her exhilaration.Sitting among the chiffon curtains and butterfly fairy lights of her Bermondsey studio – the very same one in which Dizzee Rascal recorded ‘Showtime’, though now significantly girlied-up – Heap is the picture of satisfaction. Armed with Pro-Tools, some geeky toys and a room full of instruments ranging from a cello to carpet tubes, she wrote, recorded and produced every glistening note of her remarkable electro-poprecord herself, fulfilling a life-long dream. “I always wanted
Official Website: www.imogenheap.com
Photo by Michael Crook
Sunday, January 29, 2006
PopoZao gets shammed
I am obsesed with shaming K-Fed, so here are two videos that are pretty funny. This is my first time posting movies, so forgive me if it does not work. First off, is James Lipton reciting Kevin Federline's PopoZao.
A couple of weeks ago Conan O'Brien had James Lipton on to recite the lyrics to Kevin Federline's "PopoZao." I know a lot of you don't stay up until 12:35 to catch Conan, but this is one of those gems that just can't be missed. It's not until you hear James Lipton reciting the lyrics that you really appreciate the genius that is Kevin Federline. William Shakespeare might as well have written dog shit.
Next up, what do you get when you mix a giant douchebag, a recording studio, and the worst single ever released by a human being? The funniest fucking thing you'll see today. You haven't lived until you've seen Kevin Federline bobbing his head and going apeshit over his self-appointed grandure.
A couple of weeks ago Conan O'Brien had James Lipton on to recite the lyrics to Kevin Federline's "PopoZao." I know a lot of you don't stay up until 12:35 to catch Conan, but this is one of those gems that just can't be missed. It's not until you hear James Lipton reciting the lyrics that you really appreciate the genius that is Kevin Federline. William Shakespeare might as well have written dog shit.
Next up, what do you get when you mix a giant douchebag, a recording studio, and the worst single ever released by a human being? The funniest fucking thing you'll see today. You haven't lived until you've seen Kevin Federline bobbing his head and going apeshit over his self-appointed grandure.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Quick reviews: Delta 5 and Plastic Constellations.
Two quick reviews: new records by Delta 5 and Plastic Constellations. I enjoyed them so I thought I would share their music with the world.
First, Delta 5's Singles & Sessions. As the sound of British new wave began to brighten the industrial North during the late 1970s, the city of Leeds earned a reputation as a salient point of response to the country's chronic economic recession. Tightly knit groups such as Gang of Four, the Mekons, and Delta 5 rose out of the realms of Leeds' universities and provided a social platform for its particularly politicized students. Ros Allen and Bethan Peters, both on bass and vocals, originally formed Delta 5 because they "felt left out" of the city's burgeoning music scene, although this apparent caprice quickly developed into reality with the addition of deadpan vocalist Julz Sale, guitarist Alan Riggs, and one-time Gang of Four drummer Kelvin Knight.
The purpose of Singles & Sessions is to document Delta 5's short existence in a coherent format, since most of their early vinyl is out of print. But the strength and vitality of this collection of songs is also a point of frustration. Had this been released as the group's album in 1981, instead of the over produced and comparatively weak See The Whirl?, Delta 5 would have created a debut as impressive and culturally resonant as Entertainment!. As it is however, this excellent compilation has given new life to a brief, great band almost lost within the fug of post-punk's prolific heyday.
Plastic Constellations' Crusades. I thought I needed a q-tip when I first heard Crusades' new record, as it sounded muddy. Bad rip? Speakers fucking with me? Nah. The perennially ahead-of-the-curve Plastic Constellations' third album is just their first on a cushy budget, so it's easy to confuse the beefy high-fidelity for some Frenchkiss engineer's mistake. Anyone who listened carefully to Mazatlan and Let's War-- living wage gigs for minor-league labels-- caught making-do vibrations; between guitars chugged thin, drums played loud but hit weak, parts got buried or stood out bull's-eye obvious. But here the band made like architects and turned its limitations into resources, fattening with volume and part-doubling in lieu of reverb and filters. Their effort amounts to a convincing facsimile of a high school punk show for the ages.
Rarely do albums come this taut anymore: 35 minutes, no acoustic pussyfooting or tortoise-tempo sensitive moments. Yes, Crusades is a consistent album, staggeringly so. Ha, no see that's not an inherently good thing! I'll shy from "heard it once, heard it all" derision, but Crusades corrects some of Mazatlan's most compelling failings, like its done-on-the-cheap warmth or its penchant for sloppy genre-hopping. Instead we get expertness in place of exuberance, a trade off even green-faced basement-rehearsing post-punk wunderkinds must make eventually. So how to subsume the 20-something set without estranging the kids? Learn some dynamics I guess.
First, Delta 5's Singles & Sessions. As the sound of British new wave began to brighten the industrial North during the late 1970s, the city of Leeds earned a reputation as a salient point of response to the country's chronic economic recession. Tightly knit groups such as Gang of Four, the Mekons, and Delta 5 rose out of the realms of Leeds' universities and provided a social platform for its particularly politicized students. Ros Allen and Bethan Peters, both on bass and vocals, originally formed Delta 5 because they "felt left out" of the city's burgeoning music scene, although this apparent caprice quickly developed into reality with the addition of deadpan vocalist Julz Sale, guitarist Alan Riggs, and one-time Gang of Four drummer Kelvin Knight.The purpose of Singles & Sessions is to document Delta 5's short existence in a coherent format, since most of their early vinyl is out of print. But the strength and vitality of this collection of songs is also a point of frustration. Had this been released as the group's album in 1981, instead of the over produced and comparatively weak See The Whirl?, Delta 5 would have created a debut as impressive and culturally resonant as Entertainment!. As it is however, this excellent compilation has given new life to a brief, great band almost lost within the fug of post-punk's prolific heyday.
Plastic Constellations' Crusades. I thought I needed a q-tip when I first heard Crusades' new record, as it sounded muddy. Bad rip? Speakers fucking with me? Nah. The perennially ahead-of-the-curve Plastic Constellations' third album is just their first on a cushy budget, so it's easy to confuse the beefy high-fidelity for some Frenchkiss engineer's mistake. Anyone who listened carefully to Mazatlan and Let's War-- living wage gigs for minor-league labels-- caught making-do vibrations; between guitars chugged thin, drums played loud but hit weak, parts got buried or stood out bull's-eye obvious. But here the band made like architects and turned its limitations into resources, fattening with volume and part-doubling in lieu of reverb and filters. Their effort amounts to a convincing facsimile of a high school punk show for the ages.Rarely do albums come this taut anymore: 35 minutes, no acoustic pussyfooting or tortoise-tempo sensitive moments. Yes, Crusades is a consistent album, staggeringly so. Ha, no see that's not an inherently good thing! I'll shy from "heard it once, heard it all" derision, but Crusades corrects some of Mazatlan's most compelling failings, like its done-on-the-cheap warmth or its penchant for sloppy genre-hopping. Instead we get expertness in place of exuberance, a trade off even green-faced basement-rehearsing post-punk wunderkinds must make eventually. So how to subsume the 20-something set without estranging the kids? Learn some dynamics I guess.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Kevin Federline's PopoZao
They say there is no such thing as bad press, but I am going to try my hardest.PopoZao by Kevin Federline (K-Fed, to the world) isn't necessarily a bad release but it is infinitely narcissistic and absurdly pretentious. This is an artist who was a pauper several days before meeting his wife, Briteny Spears, and by all means is still a beggar. Only now he has a pretentious and narcissistic single to back him up. "PopoZao", the name of his first song, is slang for "Big ass" in Brazil.
The song starts off with a girl moaning as if she's in heat; but to the careful observer it sounds more like pig grunting. Now that the beastiality montage is done, he gives a soliloquy in Portuguese, "Gatinha sai do chao, vai descendo o popozao." Don't worry about translating this; basically he's saying "bring that fat ass of yours over here," (okay, if you don't believe me, you're allowed to translate it). Next, he brilliantly rhymes "vagina" with "breast" by using the words "kitty" and "titty."
The next line, he starts entering Nintendo konomi codes: "Up, down, all around" then asks us the pointed question "Going to see where I am going, oh?" Oh I see where you're going...straight into the 99 cent bin.
It comes down to the fact that listening to this song makes me want to stack a 9 millimeterr, and dump it in my dome. The three minute length of this song is just enough time for you to find a revolver. That is, if you don't spend your time trying to translate "Popozao"
Friday, January 13, 2006
Stone Jack Jones
Stone Jack Jones was raised in a coal miner’s company house on the banks of Buffalo Creek, WV. Behind the house rose a canopy of green forest; in the front, a red road and a black creek, winding like a shimmering blacksnake. The woods were the first seduction,and whether by foot or by horse, it was there that he roamed. In this solitude he met the Peacock Man, who would transform his notions of reality, reality at the time being Vietnam raging, no prospects of college, and a draft notice in his pocket. He was rejected from the military because of epilepsy and told to go home. His dad, a fourth generation miner, said, "Don’t be a fifth," so the young musician picked up his fiddle and began a life of wandering.Stone Jack Jones traveled the country playing fiddle and guitar, from the hills of West Virginia to Boston, Atlanta, Fort Worth, Baltimore, and New York City. Traditional Irish, medieval, punk, and country eventually merged into his dark and atmospheric American music.
He ended up in Nashville, TN, and soon met Patty Griffin at the legendary Jack’s Guitar Bar, where they spent many a night honing their songs. Stone Jack Jones went on several tours with Patty early in her career, forming what has proved to be an enduring musical relationship. A chance friendship with producer Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo, Lou Reed, Sleater-Kinney) began a collaboration that shaped all these different influences and experiences into a distinctive and evocative style. Narcotic Lollipop, Stone Jack Jones' first release, laid the groundwork for his highly praised song style. His second record, bluefolk, is the middle act in a sequence of three planned releases. bluefolk integrates the wide range of his inspirations and features four songs with Patty Griffin, performing with an unusual twist on her vocal approach. It’s moody, complex and mesmerizing, from the MLK tribute "Freedom Reigns," to the subtly veiled antiwar "Bread." Balancing uplifting celebratory dirges and exultant dark songs, Stone Jack Jones unweaves his America
- From a coal mining family in West Virginia
- Homeless for large stretches of his youth
- Avowed to a life of poverty during his teens
- Former carnival and circus worker
- Wife is Hollis Hampton-Jones critically acclaimed author of Vicious Spring and former model
- The song "Vivid" is based on Vicious Spring
- Fronted three piece new wave band Kaos in the early 80's in Atlanta, where a pre-fame Michael Stipe was a fan
- Shared a girlfriend with Michael Stipe. Her claim was "I have two boyfriends neither who will fuck me. One’s queer and one’s strung out"
- Mother is a Olympic Hall of Fame Swimmer
- Friendship and professional relationship with Patty Griffin who he has toured and recorded with
- Patty Griffin has a guest appearance (vocals and guitars) on both records
- bluefolk is the middle piece of a three cycle opus
- Owned a strip club for quite a few years
- A bad drug deal led to a failed murder attempt on him
- Had a near death experience as a teenager from a car crash that left him with epilepsy, disabling him from Vietnam
- Chance friendship with producer Fictitious Records co-founder Roger Moutenot ( Yo La Tengo, Sleater Kinney, Lou Reed, Velvet Underground, John Cale, Guster, They Might Be Giants, John Zorn, Elvis Costello, Bill Frisell, Josh Rouse, Roseanne Cash, Gillian Welsh, Beulah, Freedy Johnston, Be Your Own Pet) helped transform Stone Jack Jones’ sound from a more traditional sound to complete freak-out
To our podcast listeners
To our podcast listeners, we fixed the problem that was preventing the cast from working. There was an incorrect tag that made yahoo fail to understand the site feed. But it's working now!
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Why I Detest Metallica
Reasons why I hate Metallica. Reasons why Metallica sucks. Metallica sold out. Am I missing any catch phrases? Here are the reasons for the previous three statments of anti-Metallicism. Yup.
1) Metallica is suing independant Canadian rockers Unfaith over what they call "unsanctioned usage of two chords [Metallica] have been using since 1982 : E and F." News flash: Chromatic scale has only 12 notes, and if you don't want to compose noise the odds of having E and F (even as chords) are not small.
2) Lars Ulrich, is confident that nobody sees things through their band's eyes. His continious quotes show an elitism. When record sales started to drop, his solution is to sue his fans.
3) Metallica lead the anti-napster crusade, resulting from their drop in music sales. Because of this, thousands of their fans ended up with lawsuits instead of autographs. Five years after the initial lawsuits, their record sales continue to drop.
4) The elitist feelings that Metallica conveys gives the world a notion that they feel as though they have a right to be on top, and if record sales drop, it has nothing to do with the fact that they're a twenty year old band who thinks nothing should be able to stop them. Not even ever-crappier music. Guess what guys, your best music was done before the 90's was. Stop blaming your fans. Maybe the repetitive chords, inane lyrics, and everything I've listed has something to do with the fact that you are not on top anymore.
5) There is nothing original about their music any more. There hasn't been for ten years. Their genre is dying, yet they still try to corner the contemporary market. There's little room for the good bands without the over-inflated commercial Metallica machine trying to throw their weight around.
6) Band members are in their late 40's now. In itself this isn't bad, as things need to change to attain perfection. However, they are still trying to do the same old heavy metal thing. One or the other has to happen, but you can't be a nostalgic late-80's metal band after you cut your hair and mellow out, all at the same time.
7) Bassist Jason Newsted left.
1) Metallica is suing independant Canadian rockers Unfaith over what they call "unsanctioned usage of two chords [Metallica] have been using since 1982 : E and F." News flash: Chromatic scale has only 12 notes, and if you don't want to compose noise the odds of having E and F (even as chords) are not small.
2) Lars Ulrich, is confident that nobody sees things through their band's eyes. His continious quotes show an elitism. When record sales started to drop, his solution is to sue his fans.
3) Metallica lead the anti-napster crusade, resulting from their drop in music sales. Because of this, thousands of their fans ended up with lawsuits instead of autographs. Five years after the initial lawsuits, their record sales continue to drop.
4) The elitist feelings that Metallica conveys gives the world a notion that they feel as though they have a right to be on top, and if record sales drop, it has nothing to do with the fact that they're a twenty year old band who thinks nothing should be able to stop them. Not even ever-crappier music. Guess what guys, your best music was done before the 90's was. Stop blaming your fans. Maybe the repetitive chords, inane lyrics, and everything I've listed has something to do with the fact that you are not on top anymore.
5) There is nothing original about their music any more. There hasn't been for ten years. Their genre is dying, yet they still try to corner the contemporary market. There's little room for the good bands without the over-inflated commercial Metallica machine trying to throw their weight around.
6) Band members are in their late 40's now. In itself this isn't bad, as things need to change to attain perfection. However, they are still trying to do the same old heavy metal thing. One or the other has to happen, but you can't be a nostalgic late-80's metal band after you cut your hair and mellow out, all at the same time.
7) Bassist Jason Newsted left.
Tom Vek
Tom Vek is a man obsessed with his own mortality. This 24 year old Londoner is a multi-instrumentalist, an incisive lyricist, and a musician with raw but differing aesthetics. His debu album, We Have Sound buzzes with a raw garage rock energy, driven a long by subtle electronic touches and a backbone od rigid, angular funk.From the battle-wounded soldier he plays in the video for "C-C (You Set the Fire In Me)" to the lyrics in "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" ("There is still so much to do / I can't be more than halfway through"), Vek seems fixated on making a mark before his time on this planet is up. If the 24-year old Londoner's debut album - We Have Sound - is any indication, he's got nothing to worry about.
At a time when everybody and their hip uncle has a dance-punk band, Sound shows why Vek towers above his peers: the guy's got soul. To this end, his music's got a sheen of relentless optimism. Funny that a guy so keen on death could create music to make you feel so alive.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Two reviews on Bands Starting with Z
Nick Reynolds from the BBC gives the world insite on Zero 7's Simple Things:
The Gang of Four's debut, the Damaged Goods EP, was one of the best records of 1978. They took the dynamics of a rock band and turned them inside out. They added ideas from dub and reggae and a big dollop of social realism, sexual anxiety and Marxism. Andy Gill's guitar spluttered and crackled, exploding into violent jagged chords. Jon King ranted and yelped.
But Solid Gold comes from 1981. We are in difficult second album territory. I saw them live around this time: they were very loud and pretty exciting. Solid Gold captures none of that. The two extra live tracks included with this reissue give you a better taste of their power. But for the first five tracks of Sold Gold they trudge lumpily through different versions of the same lacklustre idea. The production is really dull.
''Paralyzed'' paints an accurate picture of early eighties Britain: tense, gray, downtrodden and miserable. But it's not much fun to listen to. The album only takes off more than half way through with ''In The Ditch''. This boasts a memorable hook, clever ideas and some real funk.
Much better is the EP Another Day, Another Dollar, also included here. ''To Hell With Poverty'' is a nervy yet toe-tapping slice of white funk. ''Capital (It Fails Us Now)'' is a great song title, and a phrase I still find myself muttering when watching some new fiasco on the evening news.
Bands like Fugazi owe the Gang of Four a big debt for both their music and their attitude. But when Fugazi rage against the system it feels empowered and inspiring. Solid Gold feels like being lectured by a Guardian reader about other people's oppression.
Ironically, the Gang Of Four were more musically advanced than contemporaries like Joy Division or The Fall. But Solid Gold lacks that touch of visionary madness; that lust for extremes that marks a truly great band. Interesting, but not essential.
Martin Longley, also writing on the BBC, tells the world about Zuco 103's One Down, One Up:
This 2CD set combines three aspects of Zuco 103. The One Down disc is devoted to unplugged material, while the One Up spinner divides time between live numbers and remix jobs.
The trio was formed when German keyboardist Stefan Schmid and Amsterdam drummer Stefan Kruger met Lilian Vieira at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Given that these two were already running a Brazilian jazz combo, it seemed wise to induct a singer from Rio, thereby making up a fresh band. Disc 1's supposedly unplugged material still sounds fairly electric, with its Fender Rhodes piano and fulsome basslines. What Zuco really mean is that the songs are slower, more reclined in nature, and that all that blinking-light programming junk has been jettisoned!
Vieira sounds mellowed-out against Schmid's trinkling keys, unwinding a slinky, sloping funk motion. "Mo" has a chamber jazz sophistication, and "Eu Nasci No Brasil" deepens the reflective pool. By this time, Schmid has turned to acoustic piano, then "Q Baiano" makes a sudden move up to a springy, taut gracefulness, with Vieira spilling Portuguese phonetics in staccato couplets. "Voltando" is nowhere near unplugged, stuffed with samples to aid its drum 'n' bass propulsion.
This is all attractive enough, but the real substance is to be found on Disc 2's live set, recorded in Belgium. Here, the trio are operating at a frenetic pace, with Vieira audibly jumping around on stage, her vocals lusty and loud. The core trio is augmented by bass, percussion and the braying electro-skids of Sjam Sjamsjoedin's turntables. The slogging samba rhythms of "Peregrino" rush towards the accumulating breakbeat tension of "Humana", then Zuco shift into an oscillating techno vibe for "To Life", its pounding, monomaniac bass drum being relieved by pattering congas.
The remix tracks offer up a more mainstream experience, with "Treasure" and "Get Urself 2gether" approaching conventional soulfulness, although the latter is livened up by a guesting rapper Tara Chase, sparring with Vieira. It's the remix of "Peregrino" that satisfies the most, dominated by a ratcheting samba beat.
These kind of collections can often be seen as cynical record company-generated fillers between studio albums. But there's sufficient power here to the live cuts and a pleasingly seductive mood to the unplugged material that makes this a well worthwhile progress report for these prime proponents of Brazilian dancefloor fusion.
The Gang of Four's debut, the Damaged Goods EP, was one of the best records of 1978. They took the dynamics of a rock band and turned them inside out. They added ideas from dub and reggae and a big dollop of social realism, sexual anxiety and Marxism. Andy Gill's guitar spluttered and crackled, exploding into violent jagged chords. Jon King ranted and yelped.
But Solid Gold comes from 1981. We are in difficult second album territory. I saw them live around this time: they were very loud and pretty exciting. Solid Gold captures none of that. The two extra live tracks included with this reissue give you a better taste of their power. But for the first five tracks of Sold Gold they trudge lumpily through different versions of the same lacklustre idea. The production is really dull.
''Paralyzed'' paints an accurate picture of early eighties Britain: tense, gray, downtrodden and miserable. But it's not much fun to listen to. The album only takes off more than half way through with ''In The Ditch''. This boasts a memorable hook, clever ideas and some real funk.
Much better is the EP Another Day, Another Dollar, also included here. ''To Hell With Poverty'' is a nervy yet toe-tapping slice of white funk. ''Capital (It Fails Us Now)'' is a great song title, and a phrase I still find myself muttering when watching some new fiasco on the evening news.
Bands like Fugazi owe the Gang of Four a big debt for both their music and their attitude. But when Fugazi rage against the system it feels empowered and inspiring. Solid Gold feels like being lectured by a Guardian reader about other people's oppression.
Ironically, the Gang Of Four were more musically advanced than contemporaries like Joy Division or The Fall. But Solid Gold lacks that touch of visionary madness; that lust for extremes that marks a truly great band. Interesting, but not essential.
Martin Longley, also writing on the BBC, tells the world about Zuco 103's One Down, One Up:
This 2CD set combines three aspects of Zuco 103. The One Down disc is devoted to unplugged material, while the One Up spinner divides time between live numbers and remix jobs.
The trio was formed when German keyboardist Stefan Schmid and Amsterdam drummer Stefan Kruger met Lilian Vieira at the Rotterdam Conservatory. Given that these two were already running a Brazilian jazz combo, it seemed wise to induct a singer from Rio, thereby making up a fresh band. Disc 1's supposedly unplugged material still sounds fairly electric, with its Fender Rhodes piano and fulsome basslines. What Zuco really mean is that the songs are slower, more reclined in nature, and that all that blinking-light programming junk has been jettisoned!
Vieira sounds mellowed-out against Schmid's trinkling keys, unwinding a slinky, sloping funk motion. "Mo" has a chamber jazz sophistication, and "Eu Nasci No Brasil" deepens the reflective pool. By this time, Schmid has turned to acoustic piano, then "Q Baiano" makes a sudden move up to a springy, taut gracefulness, with Vieira spilling Portuguese phonetics in staccato couplets. "Voltando" is nowhere near unplugged, stuffed with samples to aid its drum 'n' bass propulsion.
This is all attractive enough, but the real substance is to be found on Disc 2's live set, recorded in Belgium. Here, the trio are operating at a frenetic pace, with Vieira audibly jumping around on stage, her vocals lusty and loud. The core trio is augmented by bass, percussion and the braying electro-skids of Sjam Sjamsjoedin's turntables. The slogging samba rhythms of "Peregrino" rush towards the accumulating breakbeat tension of "Humana", then Zuco shift into an oscillating techno vibe for "To Life", its pounding, monomaniac bass drum being relieved by pattering congas.
The remix tracks offer up a more mainstream experience, with "Treasure" and "Get Urself 2gether" approaching conventional soulfulness, although the latter is livened up by a guesting rapper Tara Chase, sparring with Vieira. It's the remix of "Peregrino" that satisfies the most, dominated by a ratcheting samba beat.
These kind of collections can often be seen as cynical record company-generated fillers between studio albums. But there's sufficient power here to the live cuts and a pleasingly seductive mood to the unplugged material that makes this a well worthwhile progress report for these prime proponents of Brazilian dancefloor fusion.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Stone Jack Jones
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http://www.myspace.com/stonejackjones http://www.fictitiousrecords.com/ |
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Barneys's Jive Band
In 1996, guitarists Paul Loiodice (Somers, NY) and Adam Way (Asheville, NC) met as sophomores at Spring Valley high school. Paul later played on the Varsity Soccer team, where he met Kit Richardson (bass, Columbia, SC), who later became a Sig Ep, little brother to drummer Craig Crosby (Greenville, SC). The four knew eachother while attending Clemson, but the project did't get kicked off until 2001. Craig Crosby, Kit Richardson, and Paul Loiodice began the project in a basement, rehearsing various blues tunes, as well as others from moe. and Grateful Dead. Adam Way later joined the band, adding vocals and another guitar to the mix. Together the four worked hard several times a week with aspiriations of doing a show at Backstreets in Clemson, SC.Adam McFarlane (Greenville, SC) joined the group in fall of 2002 to officially get the ball rolling. The band has changed formations several times, experimenting with percussionists and trombone players, and now has an additional full-kit drummer (Lindsey Bounds, New Orleans, LA) to add an Allman Brothers sound. We've now taken on a more progressive sounds, attitude, and style with the addition of Jonathan Hunt on drums.
Not two years later, having realized their initial dreams, the band has left their nest in Clemson to explore the Southeast. They now tour with shows 2-3 times a week, from Raleigh to Atlanta, and as far west as Columbia, MO.
The band has experienced everything from clubs to large festivals (Fall for Greenville, 3 Rivers), music conferences (Altantis Music Conference), and studio recording time. Their main focus now is to grow along the Eastern seaboard spreading their take on modern music.
The pride ourselves on being the hardest working band in Upstate South Carolina, and it shows in our four-part harmonies, dueling guitar leads, and rock solid rhythm.
http://www.myspace.com/barneysjiveband
Give in and Get on Your Knees
What's your scope of German music? For many, full stop comes after Rammstein. But not all German music - that is, music sung in German, by Germans (hey, the distinction needs to be made) - sounds like your worst nightmare gone acoustic. Wir Sind Helden bring something for everyone to the table: sweet melancholic melodies, 20s dancehall jives, loud guitar rock, persuasive electronic beats, and enough humor to win you over. Their latest album release, Von Hier An Blind, attempts a more analog approach, a more mature mix of rock than synth.Wir Sind Helden is: Pola Roy (drums; Monk), Judith Holofernes (vocals, guitar; spaghetti with ketchup), Jean-Michel Tourette (guitar; King Football), and Mark Tavassol (bass; Doc). After a smashing debut (Die Reklamation), Wir Sind Helden machten weiter - this time with an album so beautiful, so catchy, so unbelievably sing-a-long even if you can't understand a word. Although they aren't well-known outside of Germany, the buzz is already catching on. They're Germany's darlings, and for good reason; they're no stranger to touring. They're the cutest band you've never heard. They've got impeccable music taste (Feist, Karate, Nada Surf, Sigur Ros, to name a few). And Judith's delightful singing brings warmth and beauty to the most melancholy of songs.
They're also multi-talented: their hit single "Von Hier An Blind" can be heard in Japanese, French, and English. Their website includes translations in English complete with videos, tour diary, streamed audio, and cartoons and pictures galore. Wir Sind Helden is one German band that is wirklich gekommen, um zu bleiben.
For Fans Of: 2raumwohnung, Tomte, Kettcar, Juli.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The White Stripe's Get Behind Me Satan
Mike McGonigal gives us the low down on The White Stripe's new album Get Behind Me Satan:Their fifth album is the strangest and least focused effort by these unlikely garage rock superstars to date. It's also their finest, an Exile on Main Street-ish mish-mash where the sum is greater than the parts. In a market increasingly driven by singles and downloads, it's nice to be reminded how exciting an album can be, especially one where you really don't know what to expect next. There are a lot fewer pounding guitars on this album. They've largely been replaced by pounding pianos. Most songs sound like rough mixes at first; almost every song has something exceptionally loud in the mix--the guitar solo in "The Nurse," the drums in "Doorbell," everything in "Blue Orchid." After a few listens, however, it becomes clear that the group is not using the studio as an instrument so much as exposing the nuts and bolts in the process along the way.
There are some duds; the wanky blooze-rawk number "Instinct Blues" goes on way too long and it would be nice if "The Nurse" had a real chorus. Whether "Passive Manipulation" is about the wife-or-sister schtick, if the cover artwork indeed has Jack and Meg calling each other devils, and which scripture is referred to by the album's title (Matthew, Mark or Luke?): none of that matters so much as the fact that this album is strangely sprawling and obliquely ass-kicking at the same time. "Orchid" is a rockdisko sonic smash that shows how to really get rock kids on the dancefloor. Meanwhile, "Doorbell" sounds enough like the Jackson Five to totally rule, and "Forever for Her" is the best ballad Jack's written in years. The fact that some marimbas provide the driving force to "Forever" makes it all the better.
So what does a true fan think? Alan Pounds gives his oppinion:
This album will make or break a "true" White Stripes fan. The change is HUGE, and I'm certainly not complaining. I'm happy that The White Stripes have the balls to constantly experiment and bring something new to the table, time and time again. Most notably, casual fans are going to miss Jack's wailing guitar solos and time signatures. His artistic vision is channeled through piano, marimba, tambourine, and acoustic guitar (although their is some electric guitar lurking around in the mix). While other bands try to replicate the magic of their freshman debut, The White Stripes are busy honing their skill, creating music that has soul, feeling, and ideas (all executed within a 2 week recording session). This subsequently feels like a retreat to their "little room" from the staggering success of "Elephant". They've locked the door and threw away the key to make whatever they see fit, which merits even more respect. Screw the bigwigs, the "true" fans want to hear a intimate recording by these two creative forces, which is exactly what they brought us.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Meet the authors of MusicIsMyWeapon!
No one phrase can describe Brad. He started this website at the end of the Summer of 2005. Brad is a paradox of humanity. He loves and hates just about everything. He's great to be around, but if he's gone a week being sober, watch out! Also, don't get him started on Bush. Bush is the antichrist to Brad. Additionally, Brad is everyone's loudest friend. Ask anyway. Unless of course he's sober, in which case he chills in front of his computer. Brad knows just about any music fact (go ahead and try him). Though he does not play any instruments, he is the perfect music theorist, which lead him to create this website.
Ama's favorite books are Lolita, You Shall Know Our Velocity, A Short History of Nearly Everything, Das Schloss, and Training For Utopia. Hopefully that tells you a little about her. Otherwise, she loves meeting strangers, and challenging herself in new places. She's the kind of person who'd get lost just to have an adventure. Ama is an experience radio DJ, who has NPR in her cross hairs. She would love to work for a large radio station, and is on the quick path to doing so. Her current project takes her to Germany, where she is analyzing the effect of the digital lifestyle on musicians. Are you crazy for the flava? Then Gimme more Ama! Ama is a contributing writer.
Not much to say about WallyJ. Backing Brad's desire to make a website, he edited the layout of Music Is My Weapon. He's ueber, and that's all there is to it. Wally has crazy notions about being the baddest in the valley. But, need a suntan? Bask in his imola fire. Need more info on this guy? Then Gimme more WallyJ! Wally is an editor, and contributing writer.
Mattin is 21 years old. He digs computers, trance music, and scary movies. He loves getting scared and thus loves games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. If anything gets a rise out of him, it's the feeling of being in mortal danger. He loves rain, snow, floods, and the triumph of disaster. He's written several pieces for Music Is My Weapon, and we can all only hope that he finds the time to write more! I have no idea what instruments Mattin plays because he's such an enigma, but I can say that he's a master at FruityLoops. Mattin is a contributing writer.
Katie has a bird named Stubbie who likes to hump ceiling fans (no joke). She loves Nine Inch Nails, who serves as her musical insperation. Katie is the ultimate in laid-backness. If you ask her what she wants to do, her responce is "I'm good with anything." This makes her one of the easiest people to get along with! Want more Katie but can't find enough about her? Then Myspace her! Katie is a contributing writer.