Chimpomatic

My Morning Jacket

Astoria, London

After missing them in NYC, London (twice) and then Brighton it was a relief to see My Morning Jacket finally walk onstage at the Astoria. Following much of the same vibe as Okokonos they certainly did not disapoint. It Beats 4U was fantastic, Phone Went West, Run Thru, Magheeta and more. They tick all the boxes when it comes to the one album rule, pulling from a huge range of great tracks and turning every one into an extended rock-a-thon. When they finally played my favourite, The Bear, this gig sealed it's place in ossumness. - CSF (4.5 Stars)

After a few cancellations I was highly anticipating this gig. Starting superbly with a string of tracks from the latest album followed by all time classic One Big Holiday it was living up to all my hopes. The latest album (Z) is by far the most accessible with short tracks which quickly move on. Like the back catalogue though, the gig became more sprawling as time went on. Solos and track finales were extendedly played out as the band indulged in some great moments. Unfortunately at times there was a sense that this was getting to be a little too much for much of the audience. Certainly more for the hardcore but a good show all the same. - CJ (3 Stars)

MMJ surpassed all expectations at the Astoria on Friday as they raised the roof with an awe inspiring, riff heavy, rock marathon. Front man Jim James set the pace with an inexhaustible display of energy and enthusiasm, sometimes looking as if he resented his singing duties preferring to rock out with the rest of the boys gathered, worshipingly around the alter-like drum kit as each song was stretched to breaking point. High points were Gideon, One Big Holiday and Run Thru. - BC (4.5 Stars)

As a relative newbie convert to the mighty MMJ I probably wasn't as psyched up as the rest of team chimpomatic for this gig, but I came away on a real rock high, glad that CSF had managed to get me to get over my misgivings about their name and actually get round to listening to them. Wasn't prepared for the full-on epic jam quality, the duelling guitar action or indeed the sheer volume of hair-rocking... almost made me want to grow my hair back (in a kind of bizarro universe Crosby Stills Nash & Young move). Highlights for me were probably all the Z hits - It Beats 4 U, Gideon etc - but I was still pretty much with them by the end when it seemed like they were just really enjoying themselves. And frankly, if you were in such a great band, why wouldn't you want to just keep playing? (4 Stars for me, probably would have been higher if I'd got round to getting into them earlier…) C71

See photos of the gig here.

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26th Sep 2006 - 6 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Black Dahlia

(dir. Brian De Palma)

Brian De Palma's adaptation of James Elroy's 1987 novel was a hotly anticipated affair. The story of the infamous and brutal murder of 22 year old aspiring actress, Elizabeth Short, was dubbed 'unfilmable' in 1947 - and remains so after this appalling waste of time.

The film follows two tough cops on the hunt for the killer responsible for a crime that rocked Hollywood at the time, mainly due to the gruesome state the victim was found in. Cut in half, disembowelled and sliced from the mouth to both ears, Short's murder attracted a media frenzy. In response, the police department put their most celebrated cops on the case. Nicknamed Mr. Fire and Mr. Ice after their successful careers as boxers, these two soon find the public spotlight brings with it unbearable pressure from every angle to see this case through to a conviction. Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart), the gung-ho half of the duo, becomes strangely consumed by the case - much to the worry of his troubled wife … played here by Scarlett Johansson, His partner, Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert (Josh Harnett), assumes the role of the younger, naive cop who isn't fazed by the celebrity status, but just wants to see his idealistic view of justice done.

I would be here all day if I tried to divulge how the plot progresses from here and to be honest I'm not too sure myself. The story is packed full of subplot upon subplot to the point of utter confusion. Elroy's previous screen adaptation L.A. Confidential is just as complicated, but it is written and acted with such skill that you really engage with the characters and try hard to follow them through the complex web of double-crosses and deceit. The opposite is the case here - as the acting is amateur, with each performance rarely rising above a stereotype depiction of 40's film noir cop movies. To be honest I never expected much from Hartnett but I had imagined that the presence of Oscar Winner Hilary Swank would inject a touch of quality to the proceedings, but unfortunately not. To describe Johansson's performance as wooden would be an insult to Pinocchio. The only exception here is Mia Krishner's mesmerising scenes as Betty Short, seen in flash backs and found screen tests. She is dazzlingly beautiful and her deeply innocent and desperately sad eyes give you a clue as to why so many real life detectives became obsessed with this case.

The film as a whole is visually stunning, but style is never a wise substitute for content and despite the dazzling aesthetics De Palma fails to convince his audience of the depth and seriousness of his characters or the period in which they exist. In 1982 Steve Martin did a far better job in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid and that was a spoof, not to mention Bugsy Malone.

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21st Sep 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Midlake

The Trials Of Van Occupanther

This is the second outing for the Texas based lo-fi quintet Midlake, and sees them exploring 70's influenced soft rock to beautiful effect. Perfect vocal harmonies, layered guitar, strings and organs all contribute to make this a corny and yet surprisingly appealing piece of work.

The album begins with its finest moment. Roscoe could be a lost Fleetwood Mac classic. The lyric "When I was a child I wondered what if my name had changed to something more productive like Roscoe, and born in 1891 waiting with my aunt Roselyn," sets the scene of this song and, in fact, the whole album. It has an 'other worldly' quality to it as if hailing from a time long ago. Bandits floats gracefully on the breeze while Head Home picks up its feet slightly and threatens to disappear off into a classic Neil Young guitar solo but sadly never does. In This Camp does a similar thing but ups the anti a bit more making these two songs some of the most interesting moments. They change pace nicely with confident guitar work blowing out the cobwebs.

This record is so effortless in terms of a listening experience that I am surprised it doesn't become too easy and therefore forgettable, especially as it sometimes treads dangerously close to Travis territory. It's akin to looking through an old family photo album, with its bleached out images of you and your brother in 70's clothing, squinting at the sun, but then you keep flicking and the photos get older and you see how your grandparents used to live. There are moments of melancholy but overall the feeling of nostalgia is a comforting one.

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7th Sep 2006 - 5 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Young Knives

Voices Of Animals & Men

This is the debut full length from Leicestershire art/punk-pop trio and it's a mixed bag, which ultimately falls short of the high praise given by many critics. They have been heralded as the new Pulp with their oh-so-English wit but they don't come close to Jarvis Cocker's originality. Their sound is basic and lead singer Henry Dartnall seems far too aware of himself. Current single Weekends & Bleak Days starts off with the classic lyric "Hot summer, what a bummer," and rarely goes much deeper than that. Whatever originality they possess seems to have been manufactured to suit a gap in the market.

But I said it was a mixed bag and with the bad stuff out of the way the second half of the album really picks up. Once they drop the bravado as on Another Hollow Line the quality starts to shine through. The vocals are toned down and sound more real while She's Attracted To tells the story of that situation we can all relate to when you punch out the father of your girlfriend and uses much chunkier instrumentation and almost Parklife spoken vocals that genuinely make you laugh. In Loughborough Suicide, the best and most resolved track on the album, we see exactly what they are capable of. All the English pathetic wit works perfectly here and brings to mind previous masters of this art form such as Morrissey. The line, "I'll never go down fighting" is repeated proudly as the song dips and rises to different tempos, it just makes me wish it wasn't the second to last track.

Although Voices Of Animals & Men is a good listen I can't give it a particularly high rating as it seems like the product of an extensive market research session with NME readers to find out just what kind of sound they want at the moment. This feeling effects every aspect of The Young Knives from their accents to their anti-indie image. Instead of the oh-am-I-having-a-photo-shoot-I-didn't-realise casual bullshit of bands like Razorlight, they adopt the slightly podgy, comfortable-living, conservative party, suit and tie look that's equally affected. But once you get past all of that they show great promise that I hope they can mature into.

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29th Aug 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Diableros

You Can't Break The Strings In Our Olympic Hearts

This is the debut full-length offering from the Toronto based sextet and it further goes to show that the mighty talent that has been flooding out of this country for years is not looking like subsiding. Their sound has been compared to the baritone seriousness of Interpol but The Diableros bring a welcome change to this style injecting furious urgency and a passion that leaves Interpol's Paul Banks' vocals sounding slightly laboured and sluggish. For me this album continues the good work already done by bands such as Interpol but take the music to places I always want Paul Banks and his merry men to go every time I listen to them.

One of the stand out tracks, Push It To Monday, saunters in with a Springsteen-esq "Born To Run" bass line and with the introduction of Pete Carmichael's vocals we soon have a true 'hands in the air' classic The Boss would be proud of. While Tropical Pets has an arrogant swagger worthy of Oasis in their Supersonic heyday.

The Diableros have more in common with The Wedding Present than any of their countrymen. As on albums like Bizarro or Seamonsters the vocals here are so under produced they are barely audible over the 'wall of sound' guitars that frequently attack your ears. At first I thought this was going to be a problem but then realised what effect this under-production had on the overall feeling of the record. It gives it a certain immediacy and rawness that is only found when a band play live and the audience is left stunned by the sheer energy of what they are seeing. You really feel exhausted at the end of each song, as so much emotional ground seems to have been covered in such a short and frantic space of time. This is quite a rare feeling with a lot of indie music these days as if the bands don't quite have it in them to grab you by the scruff of the neck and kick your arse.

I could go on and list so many instances where this is happens on this record but none so satisfying as on the album closer 'Golden Gates.' It starts off with a marching drum beat and simmering vocals then, as if shifting up to a hidden gear, it accelerates to a stomping finale that really evokes the defying sentiment of the albums title, "You Can't Break The Strings On Our Olympic Hearts," and for a glorious moment you profoundly believe this to be true.

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7th Aug 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

The Forum, Kentish Town, London

We've been loving the Clap Your Hands album this year, so were looking forward to this gig at The Forum (high on the favourite venues list). Support band The Boy Least Likely To... sucked, following the recent "branding+website+aren't-we-wacky, c'mon sing along=boy least likely to be bought by me" formula of quite a few UK bands. Once they were out of the way and most of the balloons had been popped the show really started. Clap Your Hands were kind of as expected (with the exception of the Scarecrow hat and actual country styles) - serious but not too serious, straight down to business and thoroughly holding the crowd's attention. They were soon onto the one of my favourites, In This Home On Ice - and the crowd were loving it. Almost every song seemed like your favourite, including several new songs - all sounding good. The band few us a few red herrings, starting songs with a bit of blues finger picking before rolling into Is This Love, or stretching things out. The sound didn't seem to do much to lift the muffled lyrics out of the music at first, but pretty soon everyone was picking out the zeitgeist (sub: please check my grammar) highlights, like sex, and drugs, and rock and rock and rock and rock and roll. Lead singer Alec Ounsworth didn't have much to say, but the couple of the other guys chipped in now and then with some banter and a couple of song introductions.

One thing I did overlook when anticipating this gig was my own rule of not seeing bands with less than three albums under their belt - and that's where these guys loose points. They were undoubtedly great performers, putting in amped up performances of nearly their entire album, many of which are already near classic songs.... however, take away the two skimpy ditties and the entire album clock in at barely 35 minutes. A not-enough-songs scenario ensued, with the band huddling between nearly every song to discuss how to proceed. They did everything you'd expect, and while the new songs were certainly good ("Satan Said Dance" in particular) they were still unknown, not bringing anything like the same crowd response as Details Of The War or The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth. A harsh critic may say it was like seeing Radiohead in support of Pablo Honey, where they were playing mystery songs of their forthcoming album second album. A more generous one may say it was like seeing Oasis just before Definitely Maybe.

The awesome Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood has always had the promise to be stretched out as a 10 minute Free Bird -style jam, and it looked briefly like that might close the set, however an enthusiastic stage diver managed to unplug Alec Ounsworth's guitar, bringing that dream to an somewhat abrupt conclusion.

The band came back on with a new song (or was it a cover?) and although the encore was padded out with the un-listenable Clap Your Hands even that song sounded good live, before Heavy Metal finished the set and upped it's position on the grid.

Looking forward to the "Sophomore Plus" world tour of London.

Click here for pictures.
www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com

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11th Jul 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Tapes 'n Tapes

The Loon

Every now and then comes a band who seem to be exactly what you are looking for. For the last couple of weeks, that band has been Tapes 'n Tapes (cool name too).

Coming from Minneapolis, (home of Husker Du AND Prince - both who might well have added a pinch of salt to their influences) Tapes 'n Tapes recorded a home-produced 4 track demo before The Loon and were snapped up by XL after a bidding frenzy following theis year's SXSW festival. "Nine packed-out, fun-filled gigs in four days" - and I imagine they looked like the melon-farming lounge band in Repoman for the most part of it.

Sounding like they must have listened to all my favourite records shortly before making this one, Tapes 'n Tapes bring a lot of classic elements to the party (Minutemen, Pixies, Talking heads, er... Gypsy Kings), but always keep it sounding modern (Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire, Constantines). Insistor grabbed early pole position with it's jangling Mexican guitars and seemingly ever-accelerating drums, but it's by no means the only high point of the album.

Though the playing is nothing special, the mathematical construction of the songs is tight, conscise, immediate and catchy without ever sounding conventional. Shuffling ryhthms and emotional vocals add a layer of personality to the records tracks. Just Drums is a great opener, and The Iliad is a Greek Epic, in a mini 2 minute package. As things move on the tracks become slightly less frantic. Manitoba and the excellent Omaha in particular are slightly more ambitious in scope - spelling good things for future records.

Although things are maybe slightly flatter on what would be the B-Side, it's never boring and I'm pretty sure that's just a matter of time until more gems surface and then I find it hard to believe that Insistor was the best. This is the record I'd want to make if I formed a band, so The Loon has already bagged it's place in my best-of-2006 list.

Read our interview with Tapes 'n Tapes here.

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7th Jul 2006 - 7 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

The Wedding Present

Search For Paradise

Quick on the heel's of 2005's comeback album Take Fountain comes this compilation disc from The Wedding Present. Pulling together the A and B-sides from a mere three singles racks up a total of 14 tracks and a DVD of the accompanying videos.

In an age when B-Sides seem to be rare (I'm talking about Interpol, Kings of Leon, The Strokes here... c'mon, a 2-part single with one new track?) it's refreshing to see a band still kicking out singles with 3 or 4 tracks on, especially when only the odd one is a remix or live version. The awesome Interstate 5 is is cut down to a single mix compared to the epic album version, but rather than working like the castrated single mix of I Am The Resurection, it's actually beefed up by an extra guitar, seeming more immediate. Some of the B-sides are more like Cinerama than the re-born Weddoes, and the remix of I'm Further North Than You merely adds to my unwarranted annoyance with that track (I know the album version ends in a rock-out, but it just makes my skin crawl). The frantic rock of Ringway To Seatac is followed by two more developed tracks - the creepy piano coda of break-up track Shivers, and the pumped up American Tan.

They're weren't even on the singles, but for good measure there's an acoustic version of each single. Even without amps these guys still rock. If you liked last year's angry return from The Wedding Present, then this makes an excellent companion disc. If you don't have that, then you don't have Interstate 5 - and you're missing out.

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6th Jul 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Peeping Tom

Peeping Tom

When you read any review or press release about this album you will get the same line time after time. "This is Mike Patton's long awaited album heralding a return to his mainstream form." Well that may be so, but I am glad I wasn't holding my breath for the past 5 years. You know when you rediscover an album you used to like from your reckless heavy metal days, then while listening to it the nostalgia wears off and you realise why you stopped liking that stuff in the first place - you grew up. Peeping Tom is a similar listening experience. It sounds immature and dated, despite the guest list - which includes such visionaries as Anticon's Dose One and Odd Nosdam, plus hip hop legends Kool Keith and Dan The Automator.

I was a big fan of Faith No More and although my favourite album was "Introduce Yourself," with Chuck Moseley on vocals before Patton took over I am still so disappointed with this offering. If I had to pick some highlights then I would say 'Mojo' is one of the stronger songs although I am so bored of people like Rahzel the human beatbox, making weird sounds with your mouth, big deal, Jones from Police Academy soon killed off that little party trick. The only reason I would pick out 'Sucker' as another highlight is because it features Starbucks very own yawn-tastic Norah Jones saying Mother Fucker. Not really a good reason to like a song I know - but hey, I like Mr. Patton and am clutching at straws here.

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4th Jul 2006 - 9 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men's Chest

(dir. Gore Verbinski)

another enjoyable high seas romp for cap'n jack sparrow, keira knightley and orlando bloom. pirates of the caribbean: dead men's chest is basically one long action scene. it's relentlessly noisy, clocks in at what feels like a good 2 and a half hours, but still manages to be fun, in a proper all-round entertainment kind of way. it's not dark, or clever or twisty, just pretty unpretentious summer blockbuster fare.

the first one was a v pleasant surprise for me: as much as i love the whole aaaaaarrrr vibe of pirates, there haven't been too many great pirate films recently, so i wasn't holding out much hope for it being any good. even though it's probably my favourite disney ride. so here, i had quite high expectations, and they were mostly met. doesn't have that law of diminishing returns you get w most sequels as such, but it is more of the same, without adding too much new stuff to the mix.

in a way they're setting it up as a star wars style trilogy, yes, it's staaaaaaaarrrr wars:

first film that reinvents a genre and is surprisingly good? check

anti hero who loves his ship? han solo + millenium falcon = jack sparrow and the black pearl

second part that does more of the same, shows more cantina-style monsters and extends the mythology? check

unresolved father issues? check

love triangle featuring feisty princess, rogue don't give a shit buccanneer and a slightly wooden pretty boy who's quite handy w a sword? check

etc.

bill nighy's lots of fun as the squid-faced davy jones, there's some big monster action, sneaky pirating and general double-crossing, some fun triple-sword showdowns and more comedy sidekick moments from mackenzie "gareth in the office" crook. plus there's a bit right at the end. apparently. i left too soon… aaaarrrrrrggghhh

not a classic, but really good fun if you liked the first one. just a bit too long and noisy. part 2 is definitely happening, hope it's not too return of the jedi-like. and be great if they get keith richards to show up…

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28th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Electric Soft Parade

The Human Body EP

The Electric Soft Parade were filed in my mind alongside Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Cooper Temple Clause for some reason - which was not a good spot. I think a 2003 Q Compilation / Rant may be to blame.

I've since done some vague research, and the fact that Brakes is a side project from these guys and British Sea Power's ex-keyboardist is of mixed surprise. British Sea Power are dissapointing, Brakes are great. This EP goes some way to reposition Electric Soft Parade somewhere in between, with a great opening sound for the track A Beating Heart. Thumping drums build up nicely with mathematical sound, semi-mysterious lyrics and a nice keyboard. They can certainly play a nice bassy groove, and would probably have a good live sound... must remember to bother to see them sometime. Maybe they could support Brakes. The Captain and Kick In The Teeth also stand out, but no track quite hits the right finale... mainly as they tend to leave the rock behind and take a short cut to noodle town.

The songs all have a tendency to veer a bit to close to 70's Genesis or 10CC in places, but with a bit of self-control and a stripped down production they could certainly surprise me. In the current climate of major labels wanting 70's modish sounds from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, there's certainly some space for 70's prog sounds from the likes of these guys. Although as Jello Biafra says "I like short songs."

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15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Them / Themselves

Them

This is underground hip hop at it’s finest. One of the strongest offerings on the ever expanding and boundary breaking Anticon label, Them is Doseone of cLOUDDEAD fame and the mighty Jel on the beats. This is a faultless combination and one that has been tried and tested many times, the most recent being Subtle’s awesome album A New White.

Anticon was started by Sole (Tim Holland) and Pedestrian (James Brandon Best) in 1998 and was born out of a love of poetry and the more traditional side of Hip Hop. Since then these lonesome travellers have stopped for any hitchhiking art school dropout or beatnik poet they deemed suitable for the Anticon belief system. Two of the first to join were Jel (Jeffrey Logan) and Dose (Adam Drucker.) Their first collaboration was on the 1998 self titled album Deep Puddle Dynamics. This was basically every one from the early days of this label and this is how they intended to proceed, with every one contributing to eachothers work. And so they did and have fast become one of the most prolific producers of challenging and inspired poetry driven Hip Hop around today.

I can't think of a single release not worth a listen and this semi-self-titled album released from 2000 is one of the strongest. It nods towards the more traditional hip hop more than most of the labels' albums, by this I mean it has beats. But they are intelligent and deep, organic beats that never over do it. Dose's vocals are as always pure, surreal and totally screwed-up genius. In one of the strongest tracks Death O A Thespian, Dose admits, "I don’t believe in Zeus but I’m scared stiff of clowns," and if you hadn’t seen him his voice would conjure up similar disturbing clown related images or even gnarled, jaded pixies that lurk in dark nightmarish places muttering incomprehensible words of wisdom. The clown theme is continued in another fantastic example of this partnership, Another Part Of The Clown.

The final track ends with the words, "You know when energy is flowing, teach yourself to write and let Them buy the album." This seems to be the exact thing this bunch of modern-day visionaries did, and my gratitude pours forth.

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12th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

cLOUDDEAD

cLOUDDEAD

In 2001 artsts Doseone, Odd Nosdam and Why? Put out an album that would truly erase any label or genre they and their collective had been previously assigned. cLOUDDEAD's self titled debut is a collection of 10" singles comprised of six different movements each featuring a guest vocalist. This probably sounds pretentious and it so easily could be but the group navigate the rocky ground between up-your-arse, self indulgent, clap-trap and pure genius with expert ease and always remain on the right side. It is impossible to pick out tracks as the whole thing is one big murky bog of samples, atmospheric beats and textures that see Dose and Why? emerge every now and then with vocals that defy imagination and conjure up worlds only visited in dreams or nightmares.

It is so hard to describe this piece of work. There are no comparisons that can be made. It is one of the purest things I have ever heard. More than any other album from the Anticon collective this epitomises the ethos of this group, and that is one of limitless expression and the constant commitment to genre defying art. They have never topped this album for me, but have come exhilaratingly close many times. Genius.

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12th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Morrissey

Alexandra Palace, London

I think I could see Morrissey live every time he is in town, it is such an experience. Musically it is impeccable, but half the enjoyment comes from watching the type of fans he attracts and the effect he has on them. His music has the ability to reduce hardened middle-aged men to the mushy, teary-eyed romantics and it is fascinating to watch. Queuing up outside Alexandra Palace last night you’d be hard pushed to guess the band we were all waiting to see. It was a veritable melting pot of misfits, mods, Goths, England fans, dweebs, dickheads and righteous dudes. Beer guts were proudly displayed and back pockets adorned with wilting daffodils (Gladiola’s obviously not in season just yet), a sight to behold indeed.

After waiting at the front of the massing crowd through two support acts (one being Domino’s Sons And Daughters which were very good), the time had arrived and the lights dimmed. Amid deafening “Morrissey!” chants that would put the crowd at Stamford Bridge to shame the excitement was awesome. On walks the man himself and with the words “For what you are about to receive I am truly sorry.” The band explode with The First Of The Gang To Die. This was particularly ironic as my girlfriend very nearly was. The crowd erupted and surged back and forward with such pressure from the back and sides we struggled to keep our feet. So after waiting at the front for 3 hours it took less than 1 song for us to be at the back of the hall.

But without fearing for your life you are able to appreciate the show a bit more. And what a show it was. The man is notoriously private and sedate for the press, so it really feels like a privilege and an honour to see him so animated and vocal when in front of his fans. As usual the set list was mainly comprised of his new material but he did treat us to Girlfriend In A Coma and the show highlight How Soon Is Now? The super-extended rendition of this Smiths classic was greeted with absolute euphoria and a sea of worshipping hands in the air, stuff to make your spine tingle. The other highlight was Life Is A Pigsty which, in my opinion, is the best track off the new album. It was also interesting to notice how the songs off 2004’s You Are The Quarry, especially the encore of Irish Blood English Heart, are treated by the fans as classic Morrissey now.

The combination of such a legendary personality and a truly fantastic backing band (who strangely resembled Jonathan Ross’ ‘Four Poofs And A Piano’) made this performance truly live up to one of Morrissey’s opening statements “Welcome to the lost art of live music.” I can’t give it a perfect score because my girlfriend nearly died.

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2nd May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Spank Rock

Yoyoyoyoyo

I am all about Baltimore at the moment. Granted I am three seasons late, but The Wire is rocking my world and so is this album. Baltimore’s Spank Rock are the new signing to Big Dada and they have gone and made the most exciting hip hop I have heard since the last Anticon offering. Unlike the Anticon posse it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. It sounds like a cross between Tag Team’s ‘Woop there it is’ Antipop Consortium and a fair dose of 2 Live Crew. It’s low down and it’s dirty.

MC Spank Rock’s chief concerns here range from the contents of a woman’s biker shorts to his less than admirable intentions as to what to do with said contents once he has acquired them. Song titles like 'Back Yard Betty','Coke & Wet' and 'Screwville, USA' tell the whole story yet despite this it is a very intelligent piece of work with amazing production. It is very tongue-in-cheek (which cheek? I hear you ask, and you would be right to) but not in a gimmicky Darkness way, more in a Licence to Ill kind of way.

To put it bluntly it’s just really good fun and the beats alone will get you stripper dancing in no time. So lets all repeat after me “Tap dat ass, c’mon Tap dat ass.”

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24th Apr 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Jel

Soft Money

It’s great to see someone who is constantly helping out everyone else finally do something for themselves. And that is exactly what we have here. Having created the beats for some of the most memorable Anticon records including Subtle and Themselves, Jel now gives us his first solo LP. And it’s good.

I have read comparisons to DJ Shadow and even Massive Attack, but that is to misunderstand this album. It has a totally different agenda. At heart it is a straight up hip hop album - the beats are rich, heavy and hold your interest long after many other instrumentalists have lost it. You really come to understand just how Anticon can make such beguiling music when all the vocals have gone and the beats stand alone. And stand alone they certainly do, especially on WMD, one of the few vocal numbers. As you can guess, this is an anti-Bush barrage of abuse but the beat is so damn fine that even Dubya himself would find it hard to keep his foot from tappin'.

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24th Apr 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

The National

Alligator

Along with Arcade Fire this album was one of the highlights of 2005. I wasn’t that familiar with The National before this but soon became obsessed with Alligator. It is so infectious and unlike anything I can think of. Lyrically this album is fascinating. Curious and often beautiful poetry is delivered with deep, baritone restraint by front man Matt Berninger. The often confessional subject matter is strangely hopeful and yet tinged with melancholy

The National hail from Brooklyn (or is it Ohio - Ed.) and yet have little in common both thematically or musically with the New York house style we are used to hearing. Lyrics like “My bodyguard shows her revolver to anyone who asks and yes she comes to attention when you come up to me too fast,” and “Come be my waitress and serve me tonight, serve me the sky with a big slice of lemon,” hint at a surreal and yet romantic view of this world that thought provoking and touching. It’s hard to break this album down into standout tracks as it is such a complete work of unrivalled originality but if I had to I would say Lit Up, Friend Of Mine and Geese Of Beverly Road simply rule.

Alligator is the reason I constantly find myself trawling through the new releases, because every so often you come across something like this that moves you with its beauty, its honesty and its quality. The trouble is that everything else gets judged accordingly and I am rarely satisfied now.

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10th Apr 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Show Your Bones

Wichita

This wasn’t an album I was anticipating with baited breath, but it has slowly made its way to the top of my recent purchases pile.

Show Your Bones is the follow up to 2003’s critically acclaimed debut Fever To Tell which never seems to impress me as much as it does everyone else. It's a bit like the album equivalent of Reservoir Dogs. While I consider it a fantastic piece of art and have the utmost respect for it, it’s not something I am likely to stick on over lunch. There is only so much pummelling I can take and Show Your Bones has impressed me for this very reason (the Tarantino comparison stops here, Show Your Bones is no Pulp Fiction) It has retained the grit and muscle of its predecessor but seems to give a gracious and subtle nod towards commercialism. It is more rhythmical, more melodic and just more appealing.

This is evident from the opening track Gold Lion, with its acoustic strumming being slowly obliterated by the inevitable wave of dirty guitar. Way Out follows a similar pattern and Fancy finds us in more YYY familiar territory with the Karen O’s trademark growl/banshee wail scratching its grubby nails down the wall of guitar and percussion. But the stand out track has got to be Warrior. It starts like a song you might stumble across on some far off obscure stage at an alt folk festival but soon picks up its feet and starts running with the line “this road’s gonna end on me.’ I’m sure it will at some point, but on this evidence there seems to be a lot more road ahead.

This album smacks of a follow up that will make die hard YYY fans scoff at people like me for preferring it but as Brakes say in Heard About Your Band, “You shared a cab with Karen O, OO,OOO,” roughly translated means ‘I don’t give a shit.’

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5th Apr 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Why?

Elephant Eyelash

I wanted to review this album for a few reasons. Firstly because it’s a great album and secondly because I feel the hallowed halls of Chimp Towers needs to reprezent for the underground hip-hop.

Why?, aka Yoni Wolf is one third of the genius that was cLOUDDEAD and has put his skills to many fine releases from the ever-changing and ever-ground breaking Anticon label. Elephant Eyelash seems to have a coherency and focus that has sometimes been missing from a lot of Wolf’s many endeavours. He is a lyricist like no other who delivers playful yet dark sing/speak vocals with an awe inspiring attention to every syllable. It is a strangely uplifting experience which leaves you wondering why you were just joyously singing along to lines like “Unfold an origami death mask/ And cut my DNA with rubber traits/ Pull apart the double helix like a wishbone/ Always be working on a suicide note.”

Anything by this artist is challenging but so worth your time. This album and countless other on this label offers a rare musical experience, a chance to listen and appreciate music that is indefinable and carries with it no genre baggage. My iTunes says ‘Folk’ but I say Why? Stand out tracks include Sanddollars, Rubber Traits, Fall Saddles and Gemini (Birthday Song)

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5th Apr 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

V For Vendetta

(dir. James McTeigue)

Another film mining the genius of Alan Moore. And yet again, it misses the mark and makes you want to read the comic again (or should - if you haven't read it already, it's still worth a look).

This isn't as bad as the League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen or Hellblazer (haven't got round to From Hell yet). Despite a wandering Brit accent, Natalie Portman is basically ok throughout, and Hugo Weaving does a pretty interesting job behind V's mask - thankfully they resist the urge to take it off, Judge Dredd style. As it's copied from a drawing, this is actually one of the better things about the adaptation - it really looks like him.

The main problem is the muddled updating of what was basically a very time-specific attack on Thatcher's Britain. Ian Hurt works as a ranting British fascist, but it somehow seems too easy in a pantomime villain way - the evil dictators we've ended up with in real life smile a lot more.

Having a terrorist as the hero of a mainstream film is obviously going to be "shocking" for the Fox-watching demographic in the states, but the morality is still fairly clear-cut here - he's fighting an evil totalitarian Britain that's anti-gay, anti-Muslim, even anti-film, so it's not too much of a stretch to get us on his side.

The trailer makes it look like it's going to ramp up the Wachiowski-style action, but there's actually not that much - it's a much more static outing than the Matrix (although the philosphy floats closely to that level of debate at times).

Having had a quick scan of the comic again, I'm not sure it's one of my favourite Moore works any more - loved it at the time, but was never that into the art for some reason, and he's done so much that's better since - and admits as much in the accompanying essay. Watchmen's still the obvious work of unparalleled class, but his recent stuff for ABC has been great too - Top Ten, Promethea and Tom Strong especially.

It's also worth noting that Moore's been hardcore about his insistence that his name isn't anywhere on the film. Check his wiki entry for a lowdown on the on-going feud. He doesn't even get paid for having his work bastardised.

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8th Mar 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Sala Heineken - Madrid

Halfway through their set, support band Dr. Dog announce that this is the last date of their European tour with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and give thanks for the opportunity of getting overseas and on the road with the lengthily titled headliners. And then it makes sense. They must be knackered. Having been pretty much blown away the last time I saw Dr. Dog, I couldn’t figure out why this show seemed so flat. The audience were smiling along, clearly amused by the idiot antics of the goofy frontmen kitted out in shades and woolly hats. But there was something missing, this was a performance that suggested ‘Just one more, then we’re out of here’.

The same could apply to the hugely anticipated CYHSY. Desperate punters, begging for tickets outside in the rain, hinted that the levels of hype already witnessed in their native New York and more recently London had spread to Spain. Opening with the first ’song’ on the album (not the eponymous vaudevillian number) and finishing with its closer and highlight Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood, with a few new tracks in between, they put on a solid show. But that was it: solid. A large part of the album’s appeal is the sense of character and fun running through it and I imagined the live show would capture this. But a largely static backing band flanked tired/shy singer Alec Ounsworth, as they worked through the numbers. This is not to say it was disappointing; the songs themselves are strong enough to grab and hold the attention, his unique vocals certainly captivate and being joined onstage by Dr. Dog and friends for the encore was definately a high point (quite literally as a Dog guitarist performed an exemplary solo from the shoulders of a burly roadie). Overall, would be worth checking out again - just to see how they operate with a full tank of gas.

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28th Feb 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

Syriana

(dir. Stephen Gaghan)

A beefed-up George Clooney plays a CIA agent worrying his bosses back in Washington with his rogue memo action. Matt Damon's a clean-cut oil consultant slowly getting his hands dirty out in the field. Jeffrey Wright's chasing a paper trail filled with dodgy Texan oil barons all wanting to keep controlling the oil and make sure the petrodollars are coming back to them and not floating off to China or the middle east.

Like Traffic (some of the same team worked on this), Crash, Magnolia etc, this is a film that jumps from one set of characters to another, building a global picture of an amoral industry. It works best as a mood piece, but it's pretty slow, and doesn't quite kick into the level of other studies of corporate corruption like The Insider for example. Still, it's good to see a film actually discussing the oil problem, and getting angry about the madness. Clooney's solid as ever, and the Texan oil cabal guys get some suitably pal-of-Bush style rants.

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20th Feb 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet

CocoRosie

Scala, London

After the tragic let down (and probably the best sleep I’ve had in a long time) of the recent Bob Dylan concert I really needed Coco Rosie to restore my faith in live music. I was not disappointed. This was one of the most creative live performances I have ever seen. Sneaking on quietly amid a barrage of French rappers in tutu’s, the sisters captivated the audience from the first note. The music was totally live with classical piano and harp accompanying human beatbox, animal noises, delicate acoustic guitar and strange childlike vocals that sounded like a cross between Billie Holliday, Bjork and that freaky exorcist in Poltergeist. One of the sisters (Sierra) is a trained opera singer and it sure made for a refreshing contrast to hear such an enchantingly powerful voice booming out of a girl dressed in baseball cap and general hip hop gear, while her sister looked like she had just got out of bed and threw on her boyfriends oversized Tupac t-shirt. The stage seemed packed with lots of strangely dressed people doing their own thing around these utterly engaging sisters while a huge back projection played lo-fi images of Care Bears, Unicorns, Rainbows and all the other regulars from your average dream/nightmare scenario.

Their energy was electrifying. You really felt like you were witnessing something totally live and that anything could happen. When someone called out a request from the crowd they just said ‘OK’ and played it. During the encore people were pulled up on stage from the crowd and encouraged to join the free-for-all-sing-along finale that never seemed to end.

Despite the opinion of one guy in the crowd who shouted out ‘you’re a fucking sham’ this was a refreshing, unpretentious and totally unique display of creativity that respectfully nodded to it’s various influences but took the music and performance to places I have never seen before.

The following review of the new album Noah’s Ark on Spin.com just about sums it up: “Sierra and Bianca sound like humping unicorns spewing rainbows in a muddled watercolor field: fantastical and childlike and strangely pretty all at once.”

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2nd Dec 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet

CSI: Grave Danger

(dir. Quentin Tarantino)

While investigating a bogus crime scene, one of Las Vegas’ Crime Scene Investigators is kidnapped by a bad guy with a grudge and buried alive. Using what scraps of evidence they have, the rest of the team race against time to recover their colleague.

Since it first started, the original CSI series has been consistently good, slowly building up a loyal following. Five seasons in, and it’s really starting to reward the viewer - with strong characters that your feel like you know becoming more and more fleshed out.

The ratings are obviously paying-off too, as for this season finale the producer’s managed to draft in celebrity fan Quentin Tarantino – who came up with the story and directed this final episode. While that might seem like a dangerous move, Tarantino manages to direct the episode without stepping too hard on the established formula of the series. There are a couple of his trademark pop-culture snippets (such as two of the lab rats playing a Dukes of Hazzard board game), but generally he sticks to the program and uses the existing visual style - largely established by early director Danny Cannon.

The weight of having Tarantino on board injects an extra zap into the story, and the extended length of a double episode gives more room to build up the tension, suspense and sympathy - building up to a genuinely thrilling end.

Even Eckley comes out well in this one.

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6th Jul 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet

The Magic Numbers

The Magic Numbers

in a world of skinny tie angular rock, it's a weird state of affairs when people singing nice songs with some cute harmonies seems like a "fresh new sound". but that's basically what seems to have happened with the magic numbers. mind you, it's catchy stuff, and you can imagine wanting to listen to this more in years to come than most of the other stuff that's around at the moment. personally i think it sounds a lot like martin stephenson and the daintees, but no-one remembers them, so hey! it is a fresh new sound. going to give it a 4 because it has on the whole lived up to most of the hype, with a proviso to maybe downgrade it in a year or so if we're not actually listening to it anymore...

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16th Jun 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet

Basic

(dir. John McTiernan)

I had pretty low hopes for this, but the fact that John McTiernan was at the helm (Die Hard fans - you know who you are) swayed me into watching it. It actually started off pretty intriguingly, with a Agatha Christie style whodunnit set-up after drill Sergeant Samual Jackson is killed in the Panamanian jungle. As the story unfolds from different perspectives it is left to investigators John Travolta and Connie Nielsen to unravel who's telling the truth.

The bigest problem with the movie was that John Travolta was his typical over-acting-annoying self that he's been ever since Tarantino gave him the false belief that he wasn't just another David Hasselhoff. While I admit that the movie was slightly more twisty than I guessed, Travolta's manner just telegraphed from the start that there was going to be a big twist... meaning it's all no surprise.

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16th May 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet

Kings Of Leon

Youth And Young Manhood

3 brothers and a cousin - sons of a preacher man (Leon) who spent their formative years living in the back of a car as Leon spread the word of the Lord around the southern states - or so the story goes.... whether the story goes true or not is of minor importance - what is of major importance is that this is a great great rock and roll album, as if the Strokes stole the White Stripes instruments and took a road trip down to Dazed and Confused (film, not style mag). This is a record of good times and wanting to do what you want to do, wanting to get loaded.

It kicks off with Red Morning Light - a perfect singalong tune, in that the lyrics are hell catchy yet completely indecipherable. The album continues in the same vein throughout as Caleb (Followill - vocals/guitars) screams and yelps his way across tight and crisp seventies riffs - with some sweet licks for axe fanatics. Standout tracks (that is: really fucking good) have to be: Joeís Head, California Waiting and Mollyís Chamber - about some accommodating gal, whoíll take your voice and leave you howling at the moon. Amen. Maybe the power behind this record comes from a Samson style rock 'n' roll strength emanating from four sets of very big hair. Watch the streets this summer, as Fashionistas hurry to grow huge head and facial hair combos. Thank god such cuts canít be ordered on demand - or weíd surely have a wave of stylish casualties in this heatwave, passed out from exhaustion under a Nashville Thatch.

Dream scenario aside, this is a rocking good album, which will sound as fresh in a decade as it would have done 30 years ago. Kings of Leon thank God on their liner notes, I'd like to thank Him too - if He keeps inspiring 40 minutes of sounds like this, then the fight is well and truly on for the best tunes. Watch your back Satan!!!!

Alternatively:
Crazed drummer Animal emerges from years of therapy - folowing the success and excess of the Muppets - to produce a Lynyrd Skynyrd tinged masterpiece.

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29th Sep 2003 - Add Comment - Tweet