The Penguin Guide to Jazz

When I started to really get into jazz some 10-12 years ago, I wanted to find a resource to help me in my search for great records. Now, this was before I had easy and daily access to the web, so I was by and large looking for books. I shifted through a good few, but eventually ended up using The Penguin Guide to Jazz (abbr. PGJ) as my main point of reference. The reason? Well, a few: the sheer amount of records covered, and I also thought the writing by Richard Cook and Brian Morton was crisp and funny. But more than anything it was because some of the records I already liked (e.g. The Shape of Jazz to Come and Out to Lunch) were given thumbs-up, so there was a common base to work from, and also because of their use of the "Crown" in their rating system, which was reserved for a very few records. This appealed to me because it was a sober overview of their favorite records, and because their choices did not lean too heavily on the superstars of jazz. There were, and still are, enough resources out there telling you how great and essential every Miles Davis record is. Not that I don't like Miles, but I had no need for that. Thanks to Cook and Morton, I discovered such favorites as Charles Gayle's Touchin' on Trane, Papa Celestin & Sam Morgan, Mingus' The Black Saint & the Sinner Lady, Sun Ra's Jazz in Silhouette, and many more.

As my knowledge about jazz and the confidence in my own ears grew over the years, my liking and use for the PGJ lessened. I took issue with their occasional nit-picking over packaging - while I understand it from a purely consumer point of view, my main interest is the music itself even if the record comes in a brown paper sleeve with just the name printed on the front (though I agree it is important and helpful with extensive and well written booklets and sessionography when it comes to career overviews such as collections and box sets). The fact that they only cover records that are in print was also starting to bug me, and I began to notice that my taste often differed quite a lot from theirs (as is to be expected, and that in itself is not a reason why it should not remain a good resource).

In the last few editions of the PGJ, Cook and Morton have added to their "Crowns" a Core Collection, which I guess is supposed to be a more objective collection of records to balance with their subjective "Crowns". If you're looking for a quick view into these, Tom Hull (who I nowadays trust much more in terms of taste) has a list of them here. I own and love many of the records in the Core Collection, but some of their choices seem to me to have been picked - because of their "in print only"-policy - to cover for records that are no longer in print. I mean, you want an Air record in your collection (you actually want more than one Air record in your collection), but would you really pick Air Time over Air Lore?

Reading, not writing

Apologies for the lack of updates on the blog. I've been caught up in reading, primarily Allen Lowe's That Devilin Tune (included as part of the CD-set), and I've been lacking the inspiration and motivation to comment on both mix-tapes and the fact that people elsewhere have discovered something most Norwegians have not, that Margaret Berger makes good pop music.

I have some things in the pipeline, though.

Also thanks to LeDrew of Destination: Out and Mwanji Ezana of be.jazz for linking back to my blog, more specifically my Jazz faves of 2006. (A side note: the Jazz record section has been only sporadically updated lately, but I'll try to do some work on it soon).

Finally, an interesting piece from PopMatters regarding Anthony Barxton.

This Moment in Black History

It isn't fair to try and cram the album I've been enjoying the most during the first few weeks of 2007 into my 2006 list just because that is when it came out (although it was realeased late in the year). Therefore, this terrific whirlwind of human anger and energy - as oppsed to male brutality, which took the fun out of hardcore a long time ago - sharp guitars, bashing rhythms, and smart but barely decipherable political slogans it is easy to agree with, will currently hold the top spot for favorite album of 2007.

And I'm gutted I missed them at CMJ.

Favorite Jazz Albums of 2006

I had initially planned this to be posted on the Norwegian blog as a response to the increasingly narrow scope of Norwegian Jazz critics - this year exemplified by Dagsavisens Roald Helgheim choosing to flag an all Norwegian top 10 (enough of the self-congratulations already). I guess the lack of space afforded to Jazz in the dailies, plus the few records that companies do send, limit what the critics can write about. But I would hope that love and appetite for music would make them search for new music as well, and not just sit back and take whatever is handed to them. Maybe they do search, but if so that doesn't show in their columns, reviews, or top ten lists. They are usually filled with familiar faces, not to speak of the same record labels (most notably ECM). There is nothing new about this situation, though. I had qualms last year too. Anyway, Zoilus's call for more Jazz top lists prompted me to post mine on the regular page, so here goes:

1. Ornette Coleman - Sound Grammar (Sound Grammar)

Ornette's tone and sense of melody is as strong and beautiful as ever. Coleman's themes, which sound fresh and new yet oddly familiar at the same time, are given added color by the use of two basses; Tony Falanga playing melodies with his bow, Greg Cohen providing as steady a pulse as Charlie Haden once did. Ornette's kid Denardo bangs the drums. Not only my fave jazz record, but my overall favorite of 2006.

2. Adam Lane Trio - Zero Degree Music (CIMP)

Punkish Jazz. Bassist and band leader Adam Lane has many projects going, but this trio recording is my favorite. Lane's bass lines are assertive and prodding, and he is augmented by the excellent saxophone of Vinny Golia, who goes from a whisper to a scream at the drop of a hat. Vijay Anderson is just as solid behind the drum kit (originally released in 2005).

3. Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra - New Magical Kingdom (Clean Feed)

Swings like a motherfucker. It is easy to hear Lane's debt to Charles Mingus, but where Mingus used politics to fuel the energy of his music, Lane uses his love for avant rock, hence the guitars. Powerful stuff.

4. The World Saxophone Quartet - Political Blues (Justin Time)

The Quartet is augmented by James Blood Ulmer and a backing band to help them bring the outrage, blues style-e, as they pick a fight with the current administration . But they also bring the funk, much thanks to Jamaladeen Tacuma's bass. Inspirational verse: "I've got the political blues, now we're stuck with Bush, Cheney and Rice / I've got the political blues, the Republican Party is not very nice"

5. Ben Allison - Cowboy Justice (Palmetto)

Another young bassist and leader, and yet another small big-band with guitar for added chops - and it works. Allison is Haden to Lane's Mingus, which helps explain his somewhat mellower approach both as a bassist and as a songwriter. This doesn't mean they don't "rock out" when it's called for, and Allison's not too fond of "Tricky Dick" Cheney either.

6. Odyssey the Band - Back in Time (Pi Recordings)

7. Kidd Jordan, Hamid Drake, William Parker - Palm of Soul (AUM Fidelity)

8. Bobby Previte - Coalition of the Willing (Ropeadope Music Entertainment)

9. Mario Pavone - Deez to Blues (Playscape)

10. Atomic - Happy New Ears (Jazzland)

Honorable mention:

• Adam Lane Trio - Music Degree Zero (CIMP)
• Nels Cline - New Monestary: A Journey Into the Music of Andrew Hill (Cryptogramophon)
• Jon Faddis - Terranga (Koch)
• Erik Friedlander - Prowl (Cryptogramophon)
• Sonny Rollins: Sonny Please
• Trio 3 (Lake, Workman, Cyrille) - Time Being (Intakt)
• David S. Ware: Balladware (AUM Fidelity)

For all my gripes about the Norwegian press, you'll probably be able to find patterns in my choices, too: Four of the records were led by bassist; three records were explicitly political in titles and imagery or even words; James Blood Ulmer was involved in two of the records in the top 10; nine - 9! - of the records were by American artists. Well, there you go.

For other lists of Jazz records from the year that went by, head over to Jazzhouse's list section here.

Jackin' Pop 2006 results

Wow that was fast, especially since the votes were due just before Christmas. But I guess they had to get it out as quickly as possible if they were to compete in any way with Village Voice's Pazz & Jop.

I'm still a bit surprised by the consensus over TV on the Radio's latest as the best album of 2006. It seems to have grown on a lot of people during the year, but I hasn't grown on mean me. I like it somewhat, but for all it's supposed smartness, I think it sounds more intelligent than it is. But we can't agree on everything.

Happy to see Ornette Coleman's Sound Grammar finish quite strongly, for a new jazz album, at no. 45. Also glad to see The Thermals' record at 27, another one that has seemingly been attracting more interest during the last few months, no doubt helped by their excellent live shows. Their record is proof, to me at least, that a seemingly direct approach can easily be combined with intelligence, even in 2006.

Special mention to Marit Larsen, whose Under the Surface clocked in at no. 113 above the likes of Guillemots, who received much love by the Norwegian press, and Bonnie "Prince" Billie, whose self-pity seemed to have lessened somewhat last year. Still don't like his yelps, tho'.

"Excuse me-but are you saying "meow"?"

Drums and guitars? Hmm, haven't I heard that before? Oh yeah, Local H! Michelle, baby.

F*cking iTunes

Ever since I downloaded the latest version of iTunes (iTunes 7), my laptop has refused to play any audiofile let alone letting me transfer them to my iPod. This means I haven't been able to listen to any new music for almost two weeks!!! Scandalous, I know. I've heard others have experienced similar problems with iTunes 7, so if you have any clue as to what I can do to fix it, please tell me.

Christmas cheers and so on

I'm off to the in-laws for Christmas. I have a few few things I want to say about the rockism vs. poptimism-quarrel which has re-surfaced yet again in the wake of Slate's year-end exchange, and continued on Zoilus' comment section. Rockism (or whatever you wanna call it; pop-bias?) was apparent in the Norwegian press' year-end lists too. It always has. So, much to be said and no time to say it, but watch this space during the next week and I may jot down a few thoughts on the subject.

Instead, let's have a few football (or soccer if you're state side) related laughs with Arseblog's truly excellent christmas tune sung by none other than Arsene Wenger Hawkins. Here you go, and merry X-mas.

PS: Maybe you'll enjoy this too - TBC Soundsystem's "Losing My Sledge"

Double Dee & Steinski

Girl Talk was responsible for one of the best live-performances of the year with his appearance at CMJ. Well, it was more like a great dj-set which acted like a gig. Anyway , his album, Night Rippper, was also quite fun to listen to, with its umpteen differnet tracks mixed into one big soup. But it suffered somewhat from not always relying upon a sustained beat, which made it difficult to shake your booty to.

No such problems with Double Dee & Steinski's 23 year-old "Lesson One" from 1983. They do share with Girl Talk having infringed numerous copyrights in order to make fun art. For a more in depth story on these pioneers click here or here, or just listen to the tracks that made them (in-)famous.

• "Lesson One - The Payoff Mix" mp3
• "Lesson Two - The James Brown Mix" mp3

Ornette Coleman - Of Human Feelings

In celebration of what may claim the top spot for my 2006-list, Ornette Coleman's Sound Grammar, the mp3 for today is "Sleep Talk" from Ornette's Of Human Feelings (Antilles, 1982).

Of Human Feelings is Ornette's harmolodic funk at its very best. Warm, bouncy, catchy, highly melodic. That last bit tend to escape many critics of Ornette's music, his attention to and skill in creating melodies. Of... was recorded in 1979 with then up-and-coming musicians such as bassist Jamaladeen Tacuma (seek out his album Show Stoppper from 1983, but beware of the cover art), and Ornette's son Denardo Coleman on the drums.

I've chosen "Sleep Talk" today for two reasons. One, like I said above, it relates to this year's Sound Grammar. It seemed to skip the attention of most critics - much due to a faulty fact sheet from Ornette's record company - but there is a beautiful reworking of "Sleep Talk", retitled "Sleep Talking", on Sound Grammar.

The second reason is to note the web-based effort to establish a post-70's jazz canon as mentioned in the New York Times. It culminated last week with the opening of behearer.com, where you can log on and enter your own suggestions to the list. Many of my favorite jazz albums were released during this "lost" era of jazz history (all three of the mp3's I've posted here so far have been lifted off records released in the 70's and 80's), and it is nice to see that other people are giving post-70's jazz some much needed attention. Read more about it here and here.

• "Sleep Talk" mp3

* I have finished my exams now, and I will devote much of my newly acquired spare time to revisit the records on my 2006-list, which hasn't seen much action since early November.

Don't Sweat the Technique!

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this:

'Ardecore

Acknowledgement of American 80's hardcore seems to be on the up of late, what with that movie and all. But hardcore, like its punk older brother, had both highs and lows. A few bands were smarter and better than most others, just like this article is smarter than most other things written about hardcore lately.

Singles

Frank Kogan has a good ear for the poptastic, as always.

You have my vote

Well, I guess someone was bound to take on the task, and I'm glad it's Matos. Wonder if I qualify?

David Murray

The Air-mp3 was a minor success, and since I still don't have much time to write longer pieces (will I ever again?), I'll give you another.

We'll keep it on the Jazz tip. Today, "B.T." from David Murray's debut as a leader, Low Class Conspiracy (Adelphi, 1976). Murray was 21 when he recorded this album, and while you can hear a bit of youthful audacity in his tone and approach, there are enough dynamics in the tunes to suggest an older sensibility. The album starts and closes with solo pieces - the first, "Extremininity", is a sax solo; the last, "Dedication To Jimmy Garrison" is a bass solo by Fred Hopkins (of Air-fame). In the three tracks in between, Murray and Hopkins are joined by drummer Phillip Wilson.

The music on Low Class... can be described as outer fringe post-bop. Murray's tone is reminiscent of Albert Ayler's at this stage, and Fred Hopkins' bouncy but solid bass keeps things moving along. Wilson's drumming is effective, and he never over elaborates. "B.T." is the shortest of the trio pieces. It is also the speediest, hence my affection for it, and should serve as a good introduction to the album.

Low Class Conspiracy is long out of print, but there are currently three copies available on vinyl through Gemm.com, prices starting at 11$.

• "B.T." mp3

If you experience any problems, please leave a comment. I may have to update the link. The track is lifted off a vinyl copy, so you may hear a hiss in the background. It will be up for a short time only. The Air-track is still available for a few days, so feel free to download.

Air Lore!

I'm extremely busy these days, so I figured I'd let the music do the talking today.

Here's "King Porter Stomp" from the absolutely fabulous Air Lore (Bluebird/RCA, 1979) by Air (no, not the French group). The album is a collection of improvisations over old-time standards by the likes of Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin. Air (Fred Hopkins (bass), Steve McCall (drums), and Henry Threadgill (reeds)) were masters of small group improvisation, and their glorious interplay is almost unrivaled. Their joyful approach to the tunes on Air Lore, their dynamism, hard swing and willingness to let things rip, makes the old favorites sparkle like new even today. 80's revivalists, eat your hearts out. (The mp3 is up for a limited time only. Check out Gemm for used copied of Air Lore).

• "King Porter Stomp"mp3

(There may be more mp3s available here in the future).

Robert Altman R.I.P

Truly saddened by this.

Watt and Kelly

You probably read Pitchfork more than you read me, but I just had to post a link to this extraordinary piece of news. "History Lesson pt. 3" perhaps?

"We'd go drink and pogo to "Since U been Gone"".

Story of my life, that.

Forster on Dylan

This is a month old now, but I just came across it: Robert Forster (Yes, that one) reviews Dylan's Modern Times, and he's less enthusiastic than many have been. A good read, but I don't wholly agree with his conclusion.

Crappy lists!

Needless to say, most of the choices here are as unoriginal as they are uninspired and utterly crap. And guess what, they have Kind of Blue in there too. Suckers!

We love you back, Buck

Buck 65 calls his fans lovers and gives them presents such as this:

(Edit 24.11.2006: Link to free download removed. Try http://myspace.com/buck65)

Only heard one track yet. Sounds good. Be back to better blogging soon.

Oh, and thanks for the "hello", Mike.

CMJ 06, sort of

Came back this weekend, but I'm not in the shape nor mood to write anything about it yet. I think I may have overdosed on these:

Blogging

"I also plan to blog more often, though lots of plans go haywire and this one might too. We shall see."

Sez Matos, along with quite a few other things. I could just as well apply it to myself, that quote, but will I be able to emulate this guy's run?

I sat down the other day and flicked through a couple of my earliest posts here. Some of them are pretty embarrassing, I must admit. But my writing has improved since, I think, so in that respect I'm pleased with the progress of the blog.

But I do regret not having enough time to write more and longer pieces. There's surely enough material and news out there to offer my view upon, but somehow finding the time to write something intelligent has become more difficult. Partly it's because I'm simply not content with just throwing down a few words anymore - one reason why my writing has improved is because I've become better at editing myself.

While some plan to write more, others are taking an hiatus, Woebot being the latest to announce one. I've recently been asked to contribute on other projects, so we'll see how that will influence Perfect Sounds in the future, but hopefully I'll be able to blog on a frequent basis. We shall see.

Proud and hurt

A proud day as Tom Hull has a link back to my blog in his recent post, and I discovered this just hours after being run over by a bicyclist (hence the "hurt" in the title. I'm fine, if you are wondering).

I didn't comment on the Xgau quote I posted the other day, partly because it was just a quote I liked as an excuse to post the link, but also because I didn't have much time.

Like Mr. Hull, it's been a while since I've read Adorno (though not thirty years, mind). My main problem with him was what I read as his underestimation of the consumer's role in the reception of popular music; in short, that they take it sans questions because it is familiar, formulaic, omnipresent etc.

His stance makes more sense to me in light of the fact that he was, as Tom Hull puts it, "profoundly disturbed by Nazism". Nazism prospered thanks to a massive propaganda machine, "mass suggestion" and nurturing mob thinking. Maybe I'm wrong, but I suppose Adorno saw similarities in what he perceived as the omnipresence of popular music at the time. I am skeptical of his view of the passive role of the consumer, though, but I totally agree with Mr. Hull's closing thoughts:

"I'm not sure that Adorno has anything useful to say about popular music in America, but mapping him onto a highbrow/lowbrow spat that these days mostly shows our age is certainly wrong. He was from another time and place, maybe another planet. Wonder what he would have made of Sun Ra."

Breaking the Silence

"I think Theodore Adorno was profoundly ignorant".

Final Curtain

So, CBGB's closed. Must admit I'm not feeling too sad about it, they've been yapping about this final day for ages. An account of what went down that night here.

Chris Cross

Big Chris (that's me) digs this song by Lil' Chris (that's him up there, sorta):

"Checking it Out" (mp3)

'member the Strokes' "Modern Times" on Rough Trade? 'member? Well this is kinda like that: Sounds like a demo with a drum machine, catchy as hell, but without the downtown NY-cool rock 'n' roll myth.

(If you're Lil' Chris, or represent him, and for whatever reason want me to remove the mp3, please let me know)

Zero + All that Jazz

Re: the zero grade, Brad Luen commented:

"(...) what good is a rating system if you don't use the whole scale? A basement grade doesn't mean there's absolutely no merit; instead, it's a statement that whatever merit exists is dwarfed by offensiveness of some kind. Only thing is: you'd better be able to bring the moral outrage, or else you'll look like you're throwing a hissy fit".

And he mentions Pitchfork's reviews of NYC Ghosts & Flowers and Liz Phair to exemplify his last point. He's right, of course, and I didn't mean to discard the zero grade altogether. But my opinion is that whenever the zero grade has been used, the writing (or lack of) has not been good enough to back it up - they haven't brought the moral outrage - and frankly "utterly generic rocked-out pop songs" doesn't cut it (nor does a Youtube-vid). It is often easier to back up a 10 grade - if you are that excited about a record, you've probably thought about why. I feel that the zero grade is too often used when people just don't like the thing (or is bitterly disappointed by a favorite's latest offering), but really haven't contemplated why they don't like it. (Xgau's review of SY's Rather Ripped has a section on taste vs. judgement which can be related to the problems of the use of the zero grade).

The difference between me and Mr. Luen is perhaps just that I reserve the zero grade for the absolute abominable - the V&V's - but I'm willing to accept his stance. I'm not a professional critic, so I don't get shitloads of records I have to listen to. I have to seek out music (and that I do a lot of), mostly, and receive only a small amount by comparison, so the chances of me stumbling upon zeroes are slimmer than for people who do this for a living.

On to things jazz. I played Ornette Coleman's "Sleep Talk" from Sound Grammar at work the other day, and got a few worried looks from my colleges in return. I discussed this with another college, and said that I thought some people make themselves think that listening to jazz is more difficult than it really is. After all, "Sleep Talk" is plain melody. His response was that he thought they perhaps missed some of the familiar structures that are more common in pop*. Reasonable point, though many do seek out experimental stuff - including structure wise - in pop, but still regard jazz with skepticism. Destination: Out have posted a beginner's guide to free jazz, where they attempt to link certain fields and artists of modern jazz with currents in modern rock, providing free mp3's for exemplification. I don't like all of their choices, but applaud their cause.

* I use pop here in the sense "popular music" (be it pop, rock, indie, what have you), as opposed to classical and jazz, though in no way inferior to these.

Zeroing in

Now, a week has gone past since Pitchforkmedia reached a new nadir with their "review" of the latest Jet record. While you could probably guess that the "critic" didn't hold the record in very high esteem, it says, since there was no writing, nothing about why he thinks it's analogue to a chimpanzee drinking his own pee. That is not criticism. It's akin to the kind of unelaborated nonsense you spew forth at a bar at 3 in the morning after wayyy to many mojitos. What makes the thing even more strange is that it was posted on the same day as their review of Hold Steady's latest, which is one of the better pieces of writing on their part I've read in a while.

Now, the Jet record isn't very good. It's retro for the sake of retro, and perhaps also for the sake of "authenticity", which is bull, really. To continue the comparison above, the Hold Steady's retro leanings have various effects; it signals place, since the music is very much American; it signals the kind of stories we're about to hear, about seekers, which from Kerouac to ,yes, Springsteen, is an American specialty; it also has a timelessness about it. Plus, the Hold Steady play a heck of a lot better and with more chops than Jet. They could have mentioned something like that, then they would have had something aproaching a review.

In fact, the Jet "review" reminded me of the NME's review of Stereolab's Cobra and Phases Group Play Voltage in the Milky Night a few years back. At least the critic had taken time to elaborate, somewhat, but the reason why I came to think of it is this: Although it doesn't show on the web page, if I remember correctly, it was graded 0 out of 10. Zero!

I'm gonna drop a bomb now. There are no zero records. Yes, you read correctly. I know I can be a grumpy fella sometimes, but in spite of all the terrible music that has been made out there, zero records I can only find in my imagination (or nightmare, if you will). That grade would only be issued if the music was V&V; Void and vile. Void - of musicality or some form of skill, or of any value and emotion I hold dear; Vile - in the sense that it would uncritically celebrate things I vehemently oppose, such as racism, malevolence, chauvinism, etc. There are many void-records. There are many vile-records. There are very, very few void and vile records. Outside of so-called "white power" music, it's hard to find wholly V&V-records. Guns 'n' Roses came close with this, but even that has moments that aren't half bad. I'm no fan of 2 Live Crew's male chauvinism, either. I don't find their alleged humor very funny. If they'd acknowledged the fact they were "hoes" themselves, I'd be willing to meet them half way. But I do like some of their romping beats, albeit not very much. John Tesh's music can be both void and vile in some ways, but not wholly. Edit: come to think of it, most of the patriotic music recorded post 9/11, mostly by Nashville, scores high in both categories. But I still don't think they were zero records.

In conclusion, there are (hopefully) no zero records. Yet. Plenty of 1's, surely, but no records only worthy of an ape's piss. And if you thought so, I'd appreciate if you explained why.

Bring that beat back!

I didn't get much sleep last night. Why, you ask? Because I was busy messing with Beaterator, which is a real-time music sequencer and sampler unit. All you need is an internet connection and a Macromedia Flash Player (which can be downloaded via the site). You can (ab)use samples that are provided on the beaterator, or you can create your own beats and upload sounds from your hard drive. It's very addictive, and I got some serious dope grooves going. Beaterator is created and provided by the loveable Rockstar Games of Grand Theft Auto-fame. Also check out the up-coming Bully, not to forget L.A. Noire, which looks absolutely stunning. See the trailer.

In other news, I came across this interview with Norwegian bass-master Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten in the Chicago Reader. I didn't know he'd become a Chicagoan.

If You Got to Ask, You Ain't Got It!

No, I ain't got it, hence me askin': can I have one, please? All my money's been spent on this.

Regrets, I have a few... + Fucking Free Jazz!

Regrets

I re-read my Hold Steady-post below, and I must admit I’m not wholly satisfied with it, which is to be expected since I wrote and published it on the go. I’m not happy with the structure, and the initial assessment needs to be clarified. It also doesn’t say that unlike Separation Sunday, which happens to be one of my favourite records of the 2000’s, it stumbles on a couple of occasions, though its highs are as good as its predecessor’s, and it is still a damn good record. I also regret not writing more about Craig Finn’s lyrics and his delivery of them, since it’s an integral part of why I’ve been so taken by their records.

However, I won’t edit or delete the thing, partly because I don't have much time, partly because it does say that I think it’s a damn good record, and also because I think the final part of the post is pretty good.

Fucking Free Jazz!

I'm familiar with Jimmy Lyons' work with Cecil Taylor, but I don't know too much about his solo work. After reading a recent post on Destination Out!, I think I've been missing out. A qoute to illustrate:

I used to dismiss Free Jazz because it wasn’t sexy. I mean, when’s the last time you put on some free jazz to get sexed up and busy fucking? It practically feels like heresy to even write “free jazz” and “fucking” in the same sentence. Why is that?

Gotta love it. Continue reading here.

The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America

Maybe because Craig Finn is older than his characters, he's ready to agree to the assertion that boys and girls in America are having a sad time together. There's less Catholicism this time, but just as much drugs and booze as before, both as buffers and backdrops to the relationships described on the record. They've lessened the 80's indie guitar sound from Separation Sunday for a more traditional rock'n'roll crunch, plus a more prominent piano in addition to occasional balladery. The songs vary from the highs, in both senses of the word ("Massive Nights"), to the lows, and the difficulties between boys and the girls:

"How am I supposed to know that you're high if you want let me touch you" ("Chips Ahoy").

Finn's girls are often both shifty, unreliable, and restless ("You Can Make Him Like You"), and they may be damn good dancers, but not all that great girlfriends. Given this, in addition to a musically more trad-/hard rock leaning that can easily be thought of as very male, you'd perhaps think he was being apologetic on behalf of his own gender. But he portrays his characters with a sense of understanding and affection. The boys can be just as jaded. All of them, however, are what America might call losers, but I'd call them seekers. In many ways, Boys and Girls... is very American both musically and in its subject-matter, and so the Hold Steady are carrying on a tradition here. But their ability to carve out a very distinct voice in this tradition, not least through Craig Finn's writing, stories and observations, makes them unique. When two of Finn's seekers, an Izzy Stradlin look-alike and a girl, has a brief romantic encounter stoned out and coming to in the chillout tent of a festival, only to never see eachother again, we have the Hold Steady at the top of their game immortalizing their short story. It's the kind of story you wanna hear again and again.

No Fiasco

I like this

You said "Joy"?

I am not, under any circumstance, going to watch this.

Boys and Girls pt. 2

Is it just me, or is Justin bragging more on his new album than he used to? Not that he's not entitled to, but in my opinion his slick flirting ("Gentlemen, good night / Ladies? Good morning") is better than his boasting ("We're talkin' one of the greatest / who did it before"). But he still nails it when it comes to describing a purty lady's effect on him, especially the one that has him Love Stoned.

Can you count AND dance, btw? These girls can, but I'm still not convinced by their Romantics cover. I mean, you can't top the original, can you?

The new Hold Steady sounds great. A bit more trad song structures and singing, less 80's guitar crunch. But the story telling and the solid rock beat is still intact.

Boys and Girls

I received this today:

Nostalgia

Steve Albini and Ian Svenonious getting mushy.

I insist!

One of my favorite records of all time, Max Roach's We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, seems to be back in print/circulation. Get it here, or here, or try one of your local well-stocked boutiques. I'll certainly try to make sure that it's available in Oslo.

Currently playing: Trio 3's Time Being (Intakt); Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive); The Rapture's Pieces of the People We Love (Universal); The Thermals' The Body, the Blood, the Machine (Sub Pop), all of which has promising moments.

Dewey Redman

I was listening to WKCR last night, and they said that tenor saxophonist Dewey Redman passed away this Saturday. However, I can't find anything on the web to confirm this, so either they were pulling my leg, in which case I put a curse on their houses, or journos across the world have been too damn slow to write about it. With reservations, R.I.P.

update:

From what I've gathered, Mr. Redman did indeed pass away on Saturday, September 2 from liver failure. He'd also battled prostate cancer in recent years. Thanks to the kind people at Jazzcorner's Speakeasy for the info.

New York Times piece.

Robert Zimmerman

Because I'm a grumpy guy, and because Norwegian music journalists can't write to save their lives, I was skeptical to Bob Dylan's new album (reminder to self: do not read Norwegian music reviews). Luckily, It is easy to get past that skepticism when I listen to the album , and I've been taken by the album's shuffling rhythms and Dylan's wit.

"I got troubles so hard, I can't stand the strain / I got troubles so hard, I can't stand the strain / Some young lazy slut has charmed away my brains"

Heh! And I thought it would get easier to ignore young sluts once you got older. Wonder if the slut in question is Scarlett.

Pere Ubu hates women (not really: fiction, remember?) and makes a very good album. Due out September 19.

Å bæsje på leggen

The powers that be at the Village Voice have messed up again. I was forwarded this e-mail earlier today:

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

If this comes completely out of the blue, I apologize.

It is now official--Village Voice Media fired me today, "for taste," which means (among other things) slightly sweeter severance. This despite the support of new music editor Rob Harvilla, who I like as a person and a writer. We both believed I had won myself some kind of niche as gray eminence. So I was surprised Tuesday when I was among the eight Voice employees(five editorial, three art) who were instructed to bring their union reps to a meeting with upper management today. But I certainly wasn't shocked--my approach to music coverage has never been much like that of the New Times papers,

Bless the union, my severance is substantial enough to give me time to figure out what I'm doing next. In fact, having finished all my freelance reviews yesterday, I don't have a single assignment pending. So, since I have no intention of giving up rock criticism, all reasonable offers entertained; my phonenumber is in the book, as they used to say when there were books. What I don't need is a vacation--the three of us just had a great two and a half weeks, and Nina matriculated at BMCC yesterday.

No need to respond. Forward to whoever you will.

Love, Bob Christgau

Firing one of the most distinct voices in rock critisism must surely be the last nail in the Voice's coffin.

Adam Lane Trio

Zero Degree Music and Music Degree Zero (CIMP Records), both by the Adam Lane Trio, have become two of my favorite albums so far this year. I've stated a fondness for bass/drum/reed-trios before, and Adam Lane's is just the way I like them; fresh, gutsy and fiery.Adam Lane himself is a young bassist and orchestra leader with an astonishing output, having made records with among others John Tchicai ( Dos and Fo(u)r Being(s)) and Julian Priestler (The Music), as well as leading larger ensemble such as Full Throttle Orchestra and Supercharger Jazz Orchestra. Don't know about you, but I get certain connotations from those names leading me to think that they don't play lounge jazz. Anyway, Mr. Lane sites Ellington, Stockhausen, and Melt Banana as influences, but I can hear some Mingus and early 60's Ornette as well. His playing style reminds me of Dave Holland, though. He is very assertive in his playing, and has a knack for both rapid walks and low-end strumming.
Indeed, parts of the two trio records are reminiscent of Dave Holland's great Conference of the Birds. I say this not only because of Lane's playing, but also because when I first heard the record, I thought about Robert Christgau's review of Conference...:

"This is what I believed Ornette Coleman meant by free jazz (...) free as loose (...)".

And this looseness is combined with both tremendous dynamism and awesome punch. Drummer Vijay Anderson is great at changing tempos, while Lane's bass lines bounce around and Vinny Golia's saxophone goes from a hush to a scream and back again. I love that they are not afraid to let it rip, after all speed thrills, but their quieter moments are equally good. It's bop, post-bop, new thing, but most important of all, they rock.

The records were recorded during a two day session in February 24 and 25, 2005. Zero... was released last year, but sadly escaped under most people's radar, and Music... came out earlier this year. Three selections are on both records: " On Avenue X", "Spin With EARth" and "Dance". But there are some differences in the arrangements and playing of the selections.

"On Avenue X" is a key composition, and different versions bookends the two records. On the version on Zero..., the group shoot out of the blocks. Giola plays soprano, and the track has a quick and urgent feel. On Music..., Giola pulls out his tenor, and the track also has a long intro. "Spin With EARth" compares similarly. On the Zero-version, Giola plays an octave above what he plays on Music, and again the Zero-version is more of a romp than on the other record. For now, I prefer Zero Degree Music's urgency too Music...'s more relaxed feel.

"Running Upsidedown" on Music... has a urgency about it similar to "On Avenue X" and "Spin..." on Zero, and has become a favorite. Lane plays a running bass line over Anderson's skittering drumming, while Giola lays out long tones that eventually excels into a scream. Lovely.

If you have trouble finding the records at your local, try Jazz Loft, an excellent on-line store.

Final thoughts on Oya 2006

An enjoyable weekend, which ended on a high despite occasional rain and headaches. Still feeling a bit tired, but here goes.

Highlights:

Like I said, it ended on a high. Love is All played for and charmed the few that had made their way from the festival camp down to John Dee on Saturday. Their live versions of the songs from "Nine Times that Same Song" were even better than on the record. They seemed surprised at the positive reaction from the audience, who danced throughout the set, as did Tim Harrongton from Les Savy Fav.

The Wrens were even better. Such energy. Such passion. As far as I can remember, they played the whole of the excellent "Meadowland", and even got a bunch of kids (including the seemingly omnipresent guy from Les Savy Fav) to provide extra ...erm...percussion. If you didn't get there, you missed out. Best gig of the weekend.

But earlier in the week...

...I saw the Brakes, who rocked despite some technical problems, and the charming but clichèd Shit City on the club gigs on Wednesday.

!!! (pronounce it how you will) played a groovy set, but I wish they'd have more songs of the same calibere as "Me and Giuliani Down By the Schoolyard", which they performed to excellence at Oya.

Mark E. Smith, Mr. Grumpy himself, was highly enjoyable. His umpteenth edition of the Fall provided more than enough umph to complement the songs, mostly from Fall Heads Roll plus a classic in the form of "Mr. Pharmacist". Mr. Smith himself stumbled around turning the amps up, and on one occasion turned off the guitarist's. Plus he kicked out at a camera man.

Les Savy Fav gave an inspired performance, even if Tim Harrington's on-and-off-stage antics initially meant he was too short of breath to sing. But the band had a solid groove and Harrington calmed down enough to augment them with his singing.

Marit Larsen is the best song writer in Norway right now, and her show was terrific. She played a blue-grassish version of the M2M classic "Don't Say You Love Me", and a charming cover of the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back". Her topic of choice is falling in-and-out of love, and she treats it better than most.

What they lack in originality, the School more than makes up for with energy, humor and a few potential hits.

Morrissey was Morrissey, for better or worse. No banana this time, though.

Beck's puppets.

Disappointments:

The lack of quality urban (for lack of a better collective term) music. Last year they had Saul Williams and Roots Manuva on the bill. This year... Spank Rock doesn't rock me. And for all their admirable wishes to promote local artists, Norwegian rap has never been any good. Too hung up on Hip Hop's clichès, and no Norwegian rapper I've heard has the vocal skills nor writing skills to be of any interest to me.

Amadou & Maraim had to cancel their appearance due to sickness. Hope all is well, but a big disappointment. Could have been a highlight.

I didn't get in to see the Pipettes due to chaos in front of the venue.

Kieran Hebden and Steve Reid's set. Not bad, mostly uninterestingng. Could have been better.

The Knife. Had hopes, but they failed to be met. Ok-ish, nothing more.

Band of Horses. Their Ok songs drowned in the sunshine, and their not so ok songs barely
reached the front row.

The Cramps were a cartoon-version of their cartoon self. "TV Set" one of very few highlights of
their set.

Hot Chip. Not what their cracked up to be. Not on stage, not on record. Ok, nothing more.

Beck's puppets.

The Liars, Midlake, and Black Mountain. Yawn.

Enough already...

Ornette's grammar

Yes, the waiting period is almost over. On September 12 Ornette Coleman will release Sound Grammar on his own label, also called Sound Grammar. The record was recorded live in Germany in 2005 with his current band whom he has been touring and gigging with for quite some time. I saw them at Kongsberg Jazz in 2004 and thought they were excellent. The band was and is Ornette Coleman on saxophone, trumpet & violin, his son Denardo Coleman on drums, and acoustic bassists Tony Falanga and Greg Cohen. Cohen in particular impressed me at Kongsberg. I'd only heard him on Tom Waits recordings prior to that, where his role had been more restrained.

The title, Sound Grammar, suggests to be yet another one of Ornette's theories on music. Remember, this was the guy who released jazz from a more constricted state in the late 50's, thus creating the rather mis-used term "free jazz" (which was an imperative sentence in 1960). Ornette says about Sound Grammar: "Sound grammar is to music what letters are to language. Music is a language of sounds that transforms all human languages." (Quote taken from Big Hassle) Classic Ornette. The record is also rumored to be one of his most melodic and accessible to date, but that makes me think when has an Ornette Coleman record not been melodic? Melody is what the guy is about. Oh, well. September 12 it is.

Meat Loaf and Marion: Like a Raven out of Hell

What an utterly charming trio. Desmond Child on Marion: "We had been looking for a duet partner, and there was something about Marion...she's mystical, she's dark...eh...she's icy but she's warm. She's fun but she's also really deep. It seemed like a natural fit, it just...everything fell into place. She was meant to do it".

If you say so, Desmond. You should see his eyebrows lift when he says "icy" aprox 5.39 into this short documentary. He gets the chills, I tell ya.

Someone said that the new Killers song "When You Were Young" sounds a bit like old Meat Loaf. Not completely off the mark, especially the bridge and the lift-up towards the end. Could this be the old Loaf's year?

(Photo nicked from S-FJ's site. Hope you don't mind)

Arthur Lee: R.I.P.

Arthur Lee has passed away having suffered from illness for quite some time. There's a lot to be said about the man, but I'm not in the mood for that now. Pitchfork has a little piece on him here.

...One year older

I usually don't link to Robert Christgau, but I'll make an exception for this brilliant piece, in which he chronicles a 30 day journey in search of good live music in New York. It's a hilarious and engaging read. Say what you will about the old grump, but the fact that a man of 65 still holds rock'n'roll so dearly that he is willing to go out on a month's search for the live kick is admirable by any standards. And just so that I've said it, it wasn't on the blogosphere that I discovered Toronto's Tokyo Police Club (TPC), this week's "most played" on my iPod, but through Christgau's monthly Consumer Guide. The old man still has good ears on him.

TPC play wonderful, woozy punk. The drums are assertive yet playful, the bass firmly states the riffs, while the guitars swirl around only occasionally joining in to produce more riffing power. The vocals remind me of Clem Snide, but lyrically they're more non-specific but still apt, even if my fave line so far may not read (as opposed to sound) like poetry: "You, you're so young, I don't care what you've done wrong". The Ep's called A Lesson in Crime. Sells for $9.99 at InSound.

Why, oh why hadn't I heard Rich Halley Trio's Mountains and Plains until just recently. I've got a thing for trios, especially jazz trios, and this is one of the best trio recordings I've heard in a long time, topped only by the two brilliant Adam Lane Trio albums (more on those later). Mountains... was released last year, but I don't know if I can be bothered to fit it into my 2005-list. But in case you're wondering, it may have cracked top 20.

Peace

You bore me to death

This is one shitty list, and it gets a deserved bashing by Woebot. And why, oh why must they feel the need to have Miles Davis' Kind of Blue in every single top-whaterver list they produce? I's mostly the Brits who do this. It's as if they feel the need to atone for something, like "oh, we must recognize Jazz too", and seeing as Miles is (most likely) the best known Jazz artist, they put him in. And because Kind... is his best seller, they choose that one. What an utterly uninspiring choice. It's not even Miles' best album!

If you know me or have read my blog, you'll know that I love Jazz. I'd have plenty of Jazz records in my top-whatever list, and not because I feel guilty or obliged to recognize the genre either. But you wouldn't see Kind... anywhere near the top of that list. It's a nice album. Occasionally beautiful, even. But not that great. Broaden your horizons, please.

F*cking-money-grabbing-p*ssy-ass-advertisers!!!

Jeff Chang quoted Davey D in yesterday's blog:

"According to Black radio programmers they avoided playing rap, because it was affecting their advertising".

And advertisers have always had a hand in hampering the exposure of African-American culture in the American media, from radio to movies and through to television. They've been afraid to alienate certain groups in America, in the early days, racist and biased Southerners for the most part. "No balls, mo' money" must've been their motto. They never learn, though, the f*ckers.

The Crazy Diamond

Syd Barrett passed away this weekend. I've never been a fan, but he's meant a lot to several people I admire, and it's interesting to note that Pink Floyd really became shit only after he left the band, as well as that the only album worth while post-Barrett was by and large a tribute to him. Shine on!

I bet you rock good on the dancefloor

I was wondering if Erase Errata could step it up after two promising records. It seems they can. Their new record Night Life (to be released on July 25 on Kill Rock Stars) has enjoyed heavy rotation on my iPod lately, and right now I can think of few bands that have rocked with as much conviction so far this year. They are incredibly precise, yet maintain just the right amount of bouncy looseness (for lack of a better phrase) and experimental glee. They emphasize instrumental interplay over lead-plus-comp; The guitars switch between chk-chk and melody, the bass between boom-boom and melody, and they do so without creating any mess. This kind of politics-in-instrumentation sets them neatly together with free jazz and post-punk, both of which influences can be heard in Erase's music. Still, they also churn out danceable grooves, as on the cowbell-ridden (!!!) and current fave track "Tax Dollar" (mp3 courtesy of Kill Rock Stars). I've danced to politics before, I can do it again. (Picture copied from their Myspace-site).

No stupid answers, only stupid questions

An acquaintance of mine, who writes for the Norwegian daily Dagbladet is covering this years Quart festival in Kristiansand. Yesterday, she wrote a short commentary after a pre-show press conference with the White/Benson colab the Raconteurs. You see, the Raconteurs had been rumored to have made a music video in Oslo before they headed down south. This had of course alerted the journalists, who were eager to ask the boys whether or not this was true. You see, Norwegians are very patriotic. Any form of flattery thrown our way is wholly swallowed, blown out of proportions in the press, and we can nod and pat ourselves on the back and say "I knew it! We're the best". So, if the Raconteurs had in fact recorded a video in Oslo, that would mean we rule.

Ok, back to the conference, which apparently started with the band confirming the rumors to be true before any of the press corps had been able to ask the question. "No sweat", you'd think, "there are plenty other questions we could ask". But that was the only question the journos had jotted down. The above-mentioned writer seems to be at a loss as to what to ask these visiting artist now, and so may resort to stupidities such as "How do you like Norway" and "What do you think of the Norwegian girls".

I must say, although Dagladet is a tabloid, it is also one of Norway's biggest newspapers and therefore one of Norway's most important conveyor of news about culture. But if the writers really have such difficulties finding good questions to ask bands and artists, we really have to consider whether or not it's worth sending them to cover these events in the first place. A press conference might not be an ideal place for in-depth questions and exchange of ideas about readings of their music, but puh-lease!!!

History Lesson pt.1/...Then we take Berlin

I got my copy of We Jam Econo last week. It is low-key, warm, heartfelt, made econo. Many, many people, fellow musicians, writers, fans, show their respects. But we're mainly being guided by Mike Watt, who comes across as an utterly nice, contemplative guy. I had the luxury of speaking with him for about half an hour back in 2001 when he was visiting Oslo with J. Mascis. Back then he was almost childishly eager to discuss Ibsen, of which topic I could contribute, and Japanese punk rock, of which he did most of the talking. He seems calmer on camera. Maybe it's just that he has D. Boon at the back of his mind throughout the interviews.

The film may be most interesting to those who are already familiar with the Minutemen and their fabulous music. But if it has one thing to offer others as well, it's the story of how this group of people fought the established codes and biases of a counter culture they believed, and hoped, to be without such evils. Plus, the live shows on the bonus disk are amazing, even if the sound could be a whole lot better.

Off to Berlin for a short week. It will be würst and weissbier. Or perhaps coke and ...er coke. It will definitely be fussball. Vive le France.

It's not the band I hate, it's their fans

What the fuck was Tom Breihan on about in his review of the new Dr. Octagon album? He's entitled to not like the album, but the reasons he gives for not doing so have little to do with criticism:

• Kool Keith's main audience is white - Come on! Does his audience dictate the quality of his records?
• It is not a rap album - Slating music because it doesn't belong in a genre is as narrow minded as it gets. An album should be evaluated for its music (and words/lyrics), not whether the music belongs in a genre or not. You won't hear me crack down on, say, Ziggy Stardust for the reason that it's not a jazz album.
• It is not a Kool Keith album - Why does that matter? Only in so far as Kool Keith should be given credit for the album, but your task is to review the music, not to hand out credit points.

At least I have an ally in my liking of the album, and he's got a bone to pick with the "review" as well.

The End of You? Say it ain't so

Jeez! I go away for a few days, and get home to the news that Sleater-Kinney has decided to call it quits!!! The thought of never having a chance to hear another new 'Kinney record is too much to bear right now. If you really want it this way, then thanks for all the great music and the memories.

Briefly Noted

A quick round-up of recent records. Grades may change.




Dr. Octagon: The Return of Dr. Octagon (OCD)

Read my review: 7/10

Mario Pavone Sextet: Deez to Blues (Playscape Recordings)

Veteran bassist plays New York loft-like swing: 7/10

Zu & Geoff Farina: Ardecore (Il Manifesto)

Roman "murder ballads", apparently. One reason to cheer for the Italians this year: 7/10

Benardo Sassetti Trio: Ascent (Clean Feed, 2005)

Piano trio. Quietude: 6/10

Mission of Burma: The Obliterati (Matador)

On Off On: 6/10

Burial: Burial (Hyperdub)

Producer with secret identity. Big Dissensus hype. Dubstep? A 2006 take on Timeless: 6/10

Nelly Furtado: Loose (Geffen)

Timbaaa! Promiscuous maneater: 6/10

Six Organs of Admittance: The Sun Awakens (Drag City)

And I fall asleep. Instrumental nu-folk, schmolk: 4/10

I Love this Game

In between watching the World Championship of the best sport in the world (sorry NBA), I have tons of new records to listen too. One of the best so far: Sonic Youth's Rather Ripped; a sharp, concise, rocking record. Guitars ablaze, bass thudding firmly, and Shelley keeps pounding the drums with the now familiar authority. Current fave: "Sleeping Around":

"Sleeping around / Sleeping Around / What will the neighbors say (...) / What you did was wrong (...) / Always ends up in a fight"

Somehow I suspect it's not about just any old love.

I'm not just a doctor, I AM A MAN

"Don't worry Mz. Pop music, your son's going to be alright"

So says Kool Keith in the guise of Dr. Octagon on his new album The Return of Dr. Octagon. Kool Keith may not be best known for his willingness to play the pop game. Whether spitting rhymes with The Ultramagnetic MC's or putting on one of his many personas, he has always preferred a dark and eerie soundtrack to his warped, dense, and crazy lyrical universe. Nor is he known for consistency, but when he's been good, as on the now classic Dr. Octagonecologyst and as Dr. Dooom in First Come, First Served, I've found his musical and lyrical humor highly entertaining, no matter how disturbing. But this time, he's funky too.

I'm not sure whether it's a sign of a more sensitive Kool Keith, but titles like "Trees" and "Perfect World" from The Return does have a different ring to them than does "I'm Destructive" and "Halfsharkalligatorhalfman". Musically this is probably his strongest album; plenty of funky electro beasts, with synth riffs, Latin trumpets ("Aliens") and elements of Eastern music ("Ants") for added spice. His darker sides are shown on the bass-heavy "A Gorilla Driving a Pick-Up Truck", which has Kool Keith doing Buck 65. But more startlingly, tracks like "Perfect World" and the highly infectious "Al Green", with it's sampled guitar riff, should get even the stiffest booty shaking. And if there's one thing that Kool Keith still knows, it's booty.

The Return of Dr. Octagon is due out on June 27.

Over there

I used to get asked, mostly by English mates, if I had a theory as to why quality (they meant "alternative", which by no means equals quality) music charts in Britain, but barely makes a splash in the American charts. Their aim was often to point out how they thought Americans were "stoopid", and couldn't tell a good piece of music from their what-you-call-it. They're still a bit jealous, aren't they.

There are many stupid Americans, but there are plenty of stupid Brits, too. Still, my answers tended to point to the fact that the American market is much more varied than the British; The country is after all a mixture of people and cultures that differ in several respects. American culture is not a mono-culture, but rather a heterogeneous culture. Furthermore, the market is much bigger than in Britain, and I also think the British music press is better (or worse) at hyping new artists than they are in America.

Why this? Well, there is a mildly interesting article and Q & A by/with Sasha Frere-Jones in the latest edition of The New Yorker, in which he takes up the issue of why certain British and overseas artists simply don't make it in the United States. In the Q & A-bit in particular, he has some good points.

His final words cracked me up, though. Asked if he thinks Lordi will ever make it in the States, he says:

"Do not speak of Lordi. Lordi rules us all."

Desmond Dekker, 1941 - 2006

Desmond Dekker R.I.P. A handsome man with an even more beautiful voice. When he hits the high note on "be" in the line "so that every mouth can be fed" in "The Israelites", Man!, it gets to me every time. Anybody who complains, unjustly, that Jamaican music is all about rasta and ganja should at least give a listen to that song a couple of times. An extended tribute by Tom Breihan here.

Sex with the Au Pairs

It can perhaps be argued that punk's "anything is possible"-attitude really didn't come to life 'til after punk was dead. Most punk bands were getting increasingly reactionary in terms of their music and image, not to speak of lyrics, as 1977 drew towards 1978. But soon a good few bands came through, inspired by the movement but eager to take things further. Granted, many of these bands started with the original punkers, but it wasn't just the music that was fast in '77. Movements happened fast too. Post-punk it is, then.

I'm not going to write yet another history of punk. During the past few years, Mojo, Uncut, and countless other, mostly British, publications have been churning out one punk special issue after another. Much of this has been made relevant due to the rise of several punk and post punk-inspired bands recently. This has also resulted in a host compilations of music from the post punk era, plus re-issues of more or less classic albums. For which I am glad, of course. Among other things, I was finally able to get Television's fabulous "Little Johnny Jewel" on CD. I also discovered Medium Medium, whose "Hungry So Angry" always makes me want to shake the booty. Then there's been Liquid Liquid, DNA, ESG, Delta 5... the list goes on.

Strangely, though, there has been no sign of any re-issues by the Au Pairs. That is until now. Castle Music has released Stepping Out Of Line: The Anthology which collects their two albums Playing with a Different Sex and Sense and Sensuality, plus plus. As the titles of the two albums suggest, one of their main topics was sex: the lure of it, the danger of it, the guilt, the pressure, how to live up to expectations, how to perform. Their two girls + two guys line-up meant that their topic could be presented from both of the sex' view, and indeed many of their songs are built around the interchanging vocals of Lesley Woods and Paul Foad performing the lyrics almost like a conversation. The staccato guitars signal the anxiety while Jane Munro's bass and Pete Hammond's drums pump out danceable rhythms that take the role of temptation. "Come Again" from Playing... is their shining moment, a view into a relationship strained by the expectations of sex.

Yes thank you, I got one
Yes it was nice, yes we should go to sleep now
Yes, yes it was fine
We must, we must do it again sometime
We must - yes, but I'm tired
Cum again, wot, I need to
shit, I forgot to put my cap in...

(Mp3 courtesy of Rockin Rina'sWomen of 1970's Punk ).

True

"Christ but that guitar breakdown in "Floating Boy" is sweet."

And so is the new Dixie Chicks.

Is you is or is you ain't a racist/rockist

I'm very busy these days, so I don't have time to pitch in with my view on whether Stephen Merrit is a racist or not for not liking rap. (But I may have a say soon).

Nor do I have any time to comment on the ever-returning theme of rockism v. popism, other than to say that this article by Jody Rosen is one of the more insightful views on the topic I've read.

And speaking of rockism, Scott Walker is a rockist hero, his new album receiving praise from all over the place. Except for Mike Powell here. Thing is, Scott Walker looks cool, he wears sunglasses, sings in a deep voice, and surrounds himself with an aura of mystique. As well as he writes (most of) his own songs. For some critics, this seems to be enogh to signify that he is more eh...valuable than, say, Frank Sinatra. Old Blue Eyes rarely shunned the limelight, nor did he write his own songs, but I'll play "Strangers in the Night" over most of Scott Walker's output anytime.

Tired of Being Sexy

Had they arrived a year or two ago, Brazilian seven-piece Cansei de Ser Sexy would probably have been labeled as dance-punk, but they're only "punk" in-so-far as their music is jumpy. Their myspace-site maintains that they sound like "a band". But, yes, they are dance in their use of synthesizers for beats, melody and texture, and also because their music is, you know, danceable. The other elements are closer to guitar-pop (or 90's"indie"). At any rate they are FUN. And although their English occasionally leaves something to be desired, it's more than efficient enough to have a dig at pretentious artists ("lick lick lick my art-tit, suck suck suck my art hole"), as well as nailing Paris Hilton's lingo ("do you like the beach, bitch?"). And when they ask me "do you wanna drink some alcohol?", my answer is most certainly "YES". They may be tired of being sexy, but they're not tired of having fun.

(The album, Cansei de Ser Sexy, is to be released on July 12 by Sub Pop Records).

Grant McLennan, 1958-2006

This is just too sad. Grant McLennan, co-founder of that utterly terrific group the Go-Betweens, sadly passed away in his sleep on Saturday 6th of May, 2006. There is a nice obituary on the band's official web site. The Go-Betweens have been one of the most astonishingly consistent purveyors of sophisticated and intelligent pop since the early eighties. Grant will be greatly missed.