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Chimpomatic Song of the Day: Volume III
Holy Funk, from the long overdue debut album by 'experimental Manchester three-piece' The Longcut. Another future Knife classic.
23rd Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
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Fuerza Bruta
Went to the newly re-opened Camden Roundhouse on Friday to see current wonder-play Fuerza Bruta. It strayed a little too close to Stomp! in places, but was generally pretty amazing... the highlight being a basketball court sized overhead swimming trampoline with wave machine.
Also saw United 93, which I might review soon.
19th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Lacking Lustre
Following England's shabby 2-0 performance last night, Argentina have just put in another lack lustre World Cup performance. Hopefully things will start to pick up in the last 16.
16th Jun 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Chimpomatic Song of the Day: Volume III
It's time for a new Song Of The Day compilation, and I'm starting things off with Old Friends No. 1 from Stuart A. Staples' new album Leaving Songs.
...like a moment from a western, where the apparently heartless gun-for-hire cowboys come back to save the town from bad guys.
12th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
World CUpdate
It's been hot, hot, hot this weekend in London - a factor which undoubtedly contributed to England's lacklustre 2nd half performace against Paraguay. Even though they must have been hot too.
If you've got a GMail log in, you can use it to get football news on your homepage at www.google.com/ig. Very handy.
You can also watch the England matches live on your desktop from www.bbc.co.uk.
12th Jun 2006 - 4 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Peerflix & La La
I can't believe no-one thought of this sooner, but Wired is reporting on two new sites in the US that let you trade unwanted CD's and DVD's. Must be a good way to pick up those deleted hard-to-find discs is what I'm thinking.
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8th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Longcut: Gravity In Crisis
The excellent Longcut are this week's free single on iTunes. They have finally got an LP out, which we'll hopefully get our hands on soon.
The band are playing the Lovebox Weekender in Victoria Park on Sun 23rd July, and at Lock 17 (what was Dingwall's) on Tuesday 25th July.
8th Jun 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Stuart A. Staples
Bush Hall, London
In support of his latest album Leaving Songs, Tindersticks' Stuart A. Staples played this small show in London, as well as a few dates around Europe.
The show started off well, with my current favourite song Old Friends No. 1 setting the pace, before moving onto a healthy chunk of the new album and 2004's solo album Lucky Dog Recordings, such as Marseille Sunshine, Shame On You and Already Gone. Staples was backed by superb drumming, a keyboard, lead guitar (from Tindertsicks) and double bass - and when the band was at full steam they were superb, like rock and roll Mariachi's (check surveillance for a drumming clip).
Although Staples seemed a bit under the weather it seemed more likely to be hayfever or flu, rather than the whiskey. Where early Tindertsicks songs seemed drunk, troubled and biographical, his solo material seems more general and is presumably informed by more current experiences. Like Hal Hartley's lack of good movies since he was married, perhaps the happiness of later life has put the fire out. The raucous days of Whiskey & Water somehow seem likely to have been replaced by a self-imposed night on the study sofa after too much congnac.
Although he was determined to play only his solo stuff (apart from one Townes Van Zandt cover - Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls), you could tell that the crowd were hoping for the nostalgia of a few Tindersticks favourites. Where certain bands (e.g. Radiohead) seem to keep moving forward and enlisting new fans, other bands seem to retain the same dwindling set of loyal fans - who just grow old together. Where this can make for a fantastic loyal atmosphere at a concert (e.g. The Wedding Present), in some cases (Fugazi included) it can just mean that the energy has gone from the crowd, leaving a subdued performer - unsure of how things are going. As Staples himself commented "I have no idea if you are enjoying this or not."
Click here for more pictures.
8th Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3 star reviewsThe Brown Bunny
Brown Bunny review now online, but I really just wanted to post this great still.
8th Jun 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The Brown Bunny
(dir. Vincent Gallo)
Motorbike racing loner Bud Clay (Vincent Gallo) travels across America for a race in Los Angeles, meeting several girls along the way - all the while looking a replacement for the love that he has lost, haunted by the memory of the last time he saw her.
Prior to seeing this film there were two forces governing my expectations:
1. The awesome trailer, laying Jackson C. Frank's song Milk And Honey over a split screen montage of an empty highway and an accident at a party.
2. The literal barrage of negative press following the screening at Cannes, and mostly regarding the edit of the film and the X-Rated sex scene with Gallo and Chloe Sevigny.
As Buffalo 66 had been so enjoyable I was at the very least intrigued to see what could have gone wrong with this alleged train crash of a movie. Things start of OK, with a slow sequence following Bud Clay as he competes in a race in New Hampshire. The shooting style seems like a mid 70's documentary, using grainy handheld footage. Clay then packs up his bike into his van, but before heading out on the open road he meets a young girl and convinces her to come to California with him. As she runs into her house to pick up a few things, Bud Clay changes his mind and drives away. Cue 20 minutes of Gallo driving. No dialogue. Repeat.
While Gallo is quite effective and watch-able, a lot of the interest is based upon some knowledge of his off screen personality - plus you are always waiting to see if nothing really does happen. The shooting shooting style is nice (and occasionally great), but you can't help but feel it's not quite how it should be. A long shot will focus on Gallo driving, while an out of focus landscape rolls past in the background. Except the foreground will be slightly out of focus too. The DVD was presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 (leaving black bars on the left and right), but then some shots of the film seemed like they had been spliced back into the film after some some time literally on the cutting room floor... to no apparent effect.
The hype around the movie is mainly due to it's explicit nature, but if Gallo really wanted to improve the film he could have started by chopping that entire scene out, as it really does provide no further exposition or depth to the characters. The scenes following the x-rated scene do make the film somewhat more worthwhile, making the viewer think back over what they have been watching and draw some kind of sense - but the trailer was just as effective as the movie, setting up the tragedy and creating the same emotional impact in a mere two minutes. The poster is great too.
8th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 1.5 star reviewsDarth Chicken Wars
You've got to love Palpatine's ring tone.
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7th Jun 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Stuart A. Staples
Leaving Songs
Leaving Songs is the second solo album from Tindersticks front man Stuart A. Staples. Where 2005's Lucky Dog Recordings: 2003-2004 was a loose collection of songs written over some time and recorded at Staples' home studio, Leaving Songs is a collection of songs written over the last year and recorded at Mark Nevers' studio in Nashville, with Dave Boulter, Neil Fraser and drummer Thomas Belhom.... followed by a bit more recording back in the UK featuring Tindersticks' stalwart Terry Edwards and longtime collaborator, Gina Foster.
For me, things started to tail off for the Tindersticks with Simple Pleasure. The songs became less urgent and relevant, presumably due to the maturing years and situations of the band. Leaving Songs starts off on a different note, with Staples strong baritone voice accompanied only by an acoustic guitar on Old Friends No. 1. However, as the song progresses one by one another guitar joins in, followed by strings, a hammond organ - and before you know it you are back in the classic Tindersticks territory of a song like Drunk Tank. This is no complaint, in fact this song has everything that for me has been missing in Tindersticks' more recent albums. It seems like a moment from a western, where the apparently heartless gun-for-hire cowboys come back to save the town from bad guys.
The song builds up such a fantastic layered atmosphere, that it sets the bar for the album almost as high as it can be, and unfortunately it is moment that isn't topped. The Path, Which Way The Wind and The Road Is Long are weak, methodical affairs, that have lyrics that are less than revolutionary, mostly seeming to be about moving on, making decisions and so on zzzzzz. The duets on the other hand (with Maria McKee and Lhasa de Sela) sound like they are trying to re-create the good-old-days of songs like Traveling Light, but not quite making the grade.
Things pick up a bit with Already Gone and This Old Town, creating the kind of run-down-seaside-town-crossed-with-a-spaghetti-western atmosphere I'm always looking for. While Old Friends No. 1 is currently nudging at the top for title of "my current favourite song" I'm afraid the album as a whole doesn't come close to Tindersticks at their best.
6th Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 2.5 star reviewsOmar Comes Out Of The Closet
I thought our boy Omar was out of the closet already?
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5th Jun 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
R.I.P. Clarence Beaks
....hold on a second, "Fck Off."
2nd Jun 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The National at KOKO
Last night's National gig at Koko was fantastic. Hang tight while Bear/Chimp types it up...
UPDATE: Review now up, with a picture gallery, plus some snaps and movies in surveillance. Sound quality leaves a lot to be desired.
1st Jun 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Slingbox Lands In The UK
I'm still not quite sure what it does, but it sounds good and I want one.
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1st Jun 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Afooustic Coo Fighters
The Foo Fighters are playing a one-off acoustic show at the Apollo Theatre in London on June 14th.... see eBay for tickets.
31st May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Takeovers
Turn To Red
If you thought John Frusciante was prolific (releasing 6 records in six months), think again. Robert Pollard has just released 3 records in one week... and that's just his most recent stuff. As Guided By Voices, he was pretty much kicking out a record a year, alongside literally dozens of solo/side-projects - many under the banner of the Fading Captain series. Check out the excellent GBV Database for a thorough discography, as well as an exclusive collection of rarities to download.
With the demise of GBV in 2004, these releases have taken a more central stage, and with three at once you could never complain of non-proliferation.
The Takeovers is a collaboration with former GBV bassist Chris Slusarenko, with other guests such as Dan Peters from Mudhoney. On paper it is possibly the most conventional of the three new records. The record starts with news-headline-style spoken word track, bringing a sense of impending doom to the proceedings. It also starts the album off with a focus that is rarely seen from Pollard. Insane/Cool It is a lo-fi rocker, but from First Spill Is Free onwards the tone of much of the album is almost concept-like, with a sense of 'the end of the party', and the come-down (of America...?).
OK, let's back that up a bit, as I'm reading way too much into it. Although the news-headline-style voice comes up again later, the message is not carried through with much clarity, and the album quickly looses focus. Sweet Jelly and The Public Dance are highlights, with the instrumental The Public Dance in particular capturing the down beat vibe mentioned earlier, sounding like a club band playing to a near empty room at 3am in the morning.
With a bit more focus the record could have been classic, but unfortunately nothing quite comes close to the boni-fide classics contained on every single GBV record, and it is quickly superseded by the other two new releases.
...continue to Psycho And The Birds.
28th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 2.5 star reviews
Psycho And The Birds
All That Is Holy
Although it is the most lo-fi and rough edged of three new albums from GBV's Robert Pollard, All That Is Holy has some of the most promising moments. Recorded with long time collaborator Todd Tobias, the album was apparently done as home recordings by Pollard - who then sent on the demos to Tobias 'to dress them up'. That 'dressing up' is not particularly reflected in the sound, and in the age of the home computer there seems less and less need for the 8-track sound Pollard has long been enchanted by. The playing is distinctly amateur - sounding like a far from finished demo - but the songs are often inspiring and never dull.
The Killers is a unfinished rocker, which still sets the pace for the upbeat album. The 2 minute Father Is Good is a rough diamond capable of sitting on any great Guided By Voices album. The middle of the album is where it is at it's strongest, with a briefly coherent sequence of Alabama Sunrise, Jesus The Clockwork and Disturbed.... but ultimately things tail off again, and the album doesn't finish that strongly.
The demo sound is hard work, and occasionally grueling. Stick with it however, as the album contains some great material.
...continue to Keene Brothers.
28th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 2.5 star reviews
The Keene Brothers
Blues And Boogie Shoes
Billed as 'pure pop magic', The Keene Brothers is a collaboration between GBV's Robert Pollard and one-time Matador alumni Tommy Keene. Although not exactly 'pop,' Blues And Boogie Shoes is far and away the most solid and cohesive of these three new records.
Death Of The Party and Island Of Lost Lucys are classic mid-90's-style Guided By Voices. The album has far fewer of the throw-away tracks of the other two new albums, and Keene's polished guitar work adds a layer of sonic quality and sophistication to Pollard's often rough-and-ready recording style - particularly on instrumental tracks like The Camouflaged Friend.
THe album occasionally treads the line a bit to close to FM radio A.O.R., but Pollard's eclectic lyrics always pull things back from soft-rock meltdown.
This Time Do You Feel It? is a masterpiece, borrowing heavily from Pinball Wizard (perhaps Pollard's most overt tribute to heros The Who). The song is followed by A Blue Shadow, another great Pollard song, which brings the album to a worthy close.
So, as usual, 41 new songs from the over-active mind of Robert Pollard has yielded a number of classic tracks, easily distilled down. In the case of these three albums however, those gems are often unpolished rocks.
28th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3 star reviewsLive Chili Peppers
The BBC are screening an extended version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers Top Of The Pops mini-concert tonight on BBCi. Finally, a good reason to press the red button.
Now that the new album is settling in, the gig is making a lot more sense too. Snow (Hey Oh) is a future Knife classic for sure.
28th May 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Notes From What Should Be A Small Island
Dispatches coming in thick and fast from Dr. Chimp today. Seems like it's all gone a bit crazy on the wrong side of the Wye.
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26th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Eagle Has Landed
New laptop has just arrived. Updated TNT status report attached.
26th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The Windmill Of Your Mind
We're off to Brixton's favourite venue on Saturday for The Windmill Of Your Mind. 1965 Records are putting some bands on, including The View, The Draytones and John Stammers.
£5
26th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
R.I.P. Desmond Dekker
Reggae legend and one time Honor Oak Park resident Desmond Dekker has died suddenly from a heart attack, aged 64.
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26th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Dynamite Delivery
Got a new replacement laptop en route after months of delay. Luckily TNT's excellent website lets me keep track of exactly what's happening. Check the picture for status.
26th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Georgie Boy
We try to remain non-political at Chimpomatic, but are thoroughly enjoying this screensaver at the moment.
"apparently the most popular screen saver in the US"
If he gets stuck, just prod him with the mouse.
26th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Wire: Who's On Third?
Just realised in a moment of party-shuffle clarity that I have the Tom Waits song Way Down In The Hole on the album Frank's Wild Years. I somehow didn't realise it was him singing the theme tune on The Wire (season 2 only, but it's his song sung by The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Neville Brothers on seasons 1 and 3 respectively. Check out the Neville Brothers catchy URL).
Not only that, but it's clearly the song sampled for the 3rd Bass classic Soul In The Hole.
25th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
More Spoon: Telephono and Soft Effects
Spoon will be re-releasing missing LP Telephono and EP Soft Effects on Merge Records on July 25th.
"Both releases will be nicely packaged together for the usual price of one."
This isn't Gimme Fiction though, it's Heavy, Heavy Spoon.
25th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Drop Some Eaves
Check out this great little Paul Auster-ish website where people can post snippets of conversations that they've overheard in New York:
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24th May 2006 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
iTunes Catalog
It may eventually just become a johnson-swinging contest, but iTunes Catalog is a cool little app to let people know what's on your iTunes, how you rate it and every other detail. Handy for when you can't remember if you bought something already. $25.
23rd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Good Lordi
Finnish band Lordi walked away with the Eurovision contest at the weekend. Described on the radio as "Heavy, Heavy Metal" we reckon they're a cross between Gwar and Predator. Better then Buck's Fizz though.
22nd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
News Feed
Update your RSS links readers, we've upgraded and the news RSS is now here. Click the RSS button at the top on Safari, or bottom in Firefox.
22nd May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Radiohead Hammersmith Review
Bear/Chimp is all over last night's Radiohead gig at the Hammersmith Apollo, with a review and some snaps. Support from Willy Mason. The touts made out like bandits.
I've been enjoying At War With The Mystics, and the three new Fading Captain releases from GBV's Bob Pollard.
19th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Not All That Keane
Keane have got a new album out soon, reviewed in detail by one loving fan (note 'lost it' ?) on Amazon.
Oh dear...I've just heard the new Keane album and all I can say is they've lost it. It's just so derivitive and depressingly familiar. In fact, it coud be the worst album I've ever heard.
18th May 2006 - 6 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Da Vinci Code Movie Review Scoop
The Evening Standard seems to think they had the scoop, but I'd tend to disagree.
18th May 2006 - 5 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Electric Taster
The Electric Soft Parade have a new EP out, and you can download a preview track here.
16th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
New Macbook
Apple's attempts to woo over more Windows users continue with the release of the Macbook (Amateur as opposed to Pro?). Good pricing for a powerful Intel laptop... starting at £749.
16th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
A Bigger Scale
As if www.matthewherbert.com and www.matthewherbert.net weren't giving you enough informations, K7 have launched a mini-site for upcoming album Scale, with some video, sounds, notes.....
15th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Brick
(dir. Rian Johnson)
Following the mysterious disappearance and murder of ex-girlfriend Em (Emily De Ravin), high school detective Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) delves deep into the dirty underworld of a San Clemente high school to solve the crime. With help from a snitchy sidekick, a femme fatale and a mysterious drug lord (Lukas Haas) the case turns up many twists and turns in the style of a 40's film noir.
While taking the easy option would have made this a winking, nodding smart-ass movie (or even worse Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid), the technique of taking most of the plot-style from an imaginary Bogart movie is what really gives this movie legs. There's very little irony, meaning when you are reminded of the unusual situation "You're finished in this school!" it usually brings a laugh.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is good in the main role, making a surprisingly non-weakling high school loner, who can hold his own. Lukas Haas on the other hand shows a vulnerable side to the apparently ruthless drug-lord 'Kingpin'.
I'm not quite sure what a viewer who wasn't trained in the art of film noir would make of this, as it might not stand up without that little titbit of PR. The script is a little hard to follow in places, and the movie does possibly rely a little to much on the dialogue for exposition. The film has excellent photography, bringing a surprising film noir film to colourful, day time, high-school Southern California. Winning the Special Jury Prize at Sundance, this is a very promising first feature from director Rian Johnson - who graduated from USC in 1996. There's hope for us old folks yet.
15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 4 star reviews
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."
15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
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The View
The View E.P.
Following in the footsteps of several recent cheeky scallies comes this EP from Dundee band The View. Comin' Down is a raucous rock n' roll song, along the lines of early Who, or Touch Me by The Doors... Face For The Radio is a nice acoustic number, and there's definitely lots of promise in these guys - with an easy going attitude and seemingly casual sound.
They just signed to to James Endecott's 1965 Records, so are currently holed up in a studio with the producer of the first Oasis record - Owen Morris. And they're playing at Brixton favourite The Windmill on June 3rd.
15th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3.5 star reviewsBBC Gets The Wrong Guy
It's a fit up! The BBC dragged a taxi driver onto live news to comment on the Apple v Apple case - thinking he was an expert who was sitting in their waiting room. He tries his best to answer the questions however....
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The Wrong Man
BBC Update
The Times
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15th May 2006 - 7 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Clor It A Day
Chimp / New Cross favourites from 2005 Clor have decided to split... no doubt forever watering down their chances of success.
12th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Buck 65 Reviews
Check out Buck65's unique approach to reviews... self-critting his back catalogue.
It still needs more... But it's also still too long. Nice art. Getting closer...
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11th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Boston Pops Featuring My Morning Jacket
This might be fun if your're in Boston on June 21/22, but not quite sure if it can 'live up to' The London Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Led Zeppelin:
My Morning Jacket is proud to join Keith Lockhart and the
Boston Pops Orchestra for Pops On The Edge.
On Wednesday, June 21st and Thursday, June 22nd, The Boston Pops will do a one hour program of symphonic classics followed by a one hour set with My Morning Jacket. The band will be backed by the legendary Boston Pops Orchestra conducted by Mr. Lockhart at Symphony Hall.
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June 21 Tickets
June 22 Tickets
www.bso.org
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10th May 2006 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Black Hellcock
'Black Hellcock' LIVE (on a BOAT (on the THAMES)).
Tuesday the 23rd of May, Two-Thousand and Six
On at 9pm
The Battersea Barge, Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5BP (behind the Fed Ex Building) - nearest tube is Vauxhall (exit 6)
Probably 3 or 4 quid
8th May 2006 - Add Comment - Tweet
Back To The Future for the Original Trilogy
Has anyone noticed how the 'original' Star Wars Trilogy DVD box has been popping up more and more in the sales? Well, it's undoubtedly because Jabba The Lucas has finally capitulated and will be releasing the 'original, original' trilogy (i.e. the one people actually want) for a limited time only (uh huh) as 'bonus material' on special 2-disc editions of the films, just in time for Christmas. Thanks George!
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8th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Apples vs Apple
Macca and Yoko's attempt to take on Apple's iTunes music store has failed.
8th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
The Sultan's Elephant
The Sultan's Elephant has crash landed in London this weekend. Don't miss the chance to see this amazing outdoor event on Saturday or Sunday.
6th May 2006 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet