Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Corndogs
In anticipation of the DVD version of the new Minutemen documentary We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen I googled and came across this brilliant site which has video and audio downloads of plenty of unseen and unheard Minutemen materlial. Since the only other visuals I have of this great band is from the Best of Flipside Video, vol. 2, and since i do not have a VHS player to play it, the vidoe clips on the corndogs site was like a revelation. Although the quality of the visuals are a bit dodgy, I had a ton of fun anyway. But I'm still waiting for that DVD.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
No money? No problem.
So lack of money made me miss a host of possibly good gigs during the past week. Atomic celebrated their release of the live anthology The Bikini Tapes with a gig at Blå in Oslo.
This was also the week of Oslo Jazz Festival. As usual, there weren't many interesting gigs, but I did look forward to Peter Brötzmann's Chicago Tentet, which also played at Blå. But, alas, I had no money. Reports said it was a good gig, although I failed in my efforts to find a link of the review i read. I'm not a big follower of the European improvisational scene that Brötzmann is regarded to be a part of, and I often have problems getting through his classic Machine Gun, but I just as often find it enjoyable. Still, I'd gladly pay to see him live.
One of the few other interesting artists at Oslo Jazz was Lee Konitz, whose Motion from 1961 ,with Elvin Jones on drums and the lesser known Sonny Dallas on bass, I love. In connection with his visit, my old nemesis Ole Martin Ihle wrote a pretty good article on cool jazz versus bebop and hard bop in the Norwegian daily Klassekampen (I have no link to the actual article. Try the site's search engine). He points to the apolitical and detached style of cooljazz, as opposed to the engaged and political, or at least social, implications of be bop and hard bop. His reasoning is good, as is his writing, but I can't help to argue that to label Lee Konitz as merely a cool jazz player, is to overlook large parts of his oeuvre.
So there you go. Three concerts in a weeks time, and I attended none of 'em. Damn those delayed student loans.
This was also the week of Oslo Jazz Festival. As usual, there weren't many interesting gigs, but I did look forward to Peter Brötzmann's Chicago Tentet, which also played at Blå. But, alas, I had no money. Reports said it was a good gig, although I failed in my efforts to find a link of the review i read. I'm not a big follower of the European improvisational scene that Brötzmann is regarded to be a part of, and I often have problems getting through his classic Machine Gun, but I just as often find it enjoyable. Still, I'd gladly pay to see him live.
One of the few other interesting artists at Oslo Jazz was Lee Konitz, whose Motion from 1961 ,with Elvin Jones on drums and the lesser known Sonny Dallas on bass, I love. In connection with his visit, my old nemesis Ole Martin Ihle wrote a pretty good article on cool jazz versus bebop and hard bop in the Norwegian daily Klassekampen (I have no link to the actual article. Try the site's search engine). He points to the apolitical and detached style of cooljazz, as opposed to the engaged and political, or at least social, implications of be bop and hard bop. His reasoning is good, as is his writing, but I can't help to argue that to label Lee Konitz as merely a cool jazz player, is to overlook large parts of his oeuvre.
So there you go. Three concerts in a weeks time, and I attended none of 'em. Damn those delayed student loans.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Beep beep (/mi mi/)?
Mr. Matos reckons Crazy Frog's "Axel F" is ace. He is SO wrong. You'd think it could've been catchy/annoying like, say, "The Ketchup Song". No freaking way. He's got quite a few other good points, though.
Not so Extraordinary?
The New York Times reports that Fiona Apple has rerecorded the songs on the internet leaked album Extraordiary Machine (or Fuck Sony as it was also called). As you may know, the initial album was shelved by Sony (for six years now), which spurred fans to leak the album online. I dowloaded a version myself, and thought it was pretty good. She's still bitter (clenched teeth-image) but funnier, and the music is a bit quirkier than her previous two albums. I have my doubts about the rerecording, though. Time will show, but hopefully not six more years.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
The party's over...
Oya is over for this year, which basically makes it feel like the summer is over, too.
Friday 08. 12. 2005:
Went over to see The Thing at the start of Friday, and they played a very good set. They bashed through barely recognizable cover versions of garage rock "hits" by mixing the riffage of that genre with the elasticity of free jazz and keeping the energy of both. Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten on double bass was particularly impressive, stretching and hammering his strings and creating grooves behind Gusatffson's hollering. I don't get the Ayler comparisons at all. Ayler had a knack for simple melodies to set off his wailing; Gusatffson is more of a power player akin to David S. Ware. Riffs more than melodies. But he can wail, too. Nilssen-Love was strangely subdued at the start of the set. Perhaps it was the sun. Thurston Moore was not only in the audience, but decided to join them for a jam. As fun as it was to see him on stage, he drained some of the intensity away from the group. His guitar was a bit too loud, and with him on board, the guys seemed less interested in throwing in a riff or two to shake things up.
Then I had to f**k off to work.
I came back just in time for Sonic Youth who were scheduled on stage at 21.30. Their set comprised largely of song from Sonic Nurse, which were performed exquisitely, and just a hatful of classics; "Bull in the Heather", "Catholic Block" and the closing "Expressway to Yr Skull". Mats Gustaffson added some horn on the closer, but "Catholic Block" made me punch the air. Some may have lamented the lack of "hits", but for me, omitting them made it feel more like a proper concert. Good on them. I still have a few problems with Jim O'Rourke, though.
Apparently, Saul Williams' set was pretty good.
Went home and slept.
Saturday started with more work for me, which made me miss even more music. No big deal, though, as I most likely would have sat around drinking beer and slagging off the artists anyway. Arrived around Animal Alpha's set. They are truly horrible. An energetic female singer does not make an average nu-metal band better, especially since nu-metal is pretty awful to begin with.
Nick Sylvester reckons Datarock had a good gig. I didn't get to see them.
Sons & Daughters were this year's post-punk alibi. Better than your average, if only because they remind me of the Au-Pairs, a band which none of the other post-punkers have copied yet.
Franz Ferdinand's set was slightly enjoyable. They started off with my favorite song of theirs, "Michael", and slowly went downhill from there. Their good-natured aura takes them a long way, but the new songs were very anonymous (were there any?).
Robert Post is this year's Julian Berntzen, complete with terrible English and naive song writing skills. Norwegian critics love that shit.
Roots Manuva's set was far better. I was getting drunk by that time and started to dance almost immediately. I seem to remember wanting the bass to be heavier and the vocals to be louder, but still fun.
The Subs, from China!, ended this years Oya (at least at the festival site). Rock'n'roll like only East-Asians know how to play. Part novelty and part fun.
Beers and the mandatory nachspiel ("after party" for you non-Norwegians/Germans) with my chums from Trondheim meant I only got up just in time to watch Arsenal get a win, and that there were no funds left for me to go and see the mighty Atomic at Blå on Monday.
Friday 08. 12. 2005:
Went over to see The Thing at the start of Friday, and they played a very good set. They bashed through barely recognizable cover versions of garage rock "hits" by mixing the riffage of that genre with the elasticity of free jazz and keeping the energy of both. Ingebrigt Haaker Flaten on double bass was particularly impressive, stretching and hammering his strings and creating grooves behind Gusatffson's hollering. I don't get the Ayler comparisons at all. Ayler had a knack for simple melodies to set off his wailing; Gusatffson is more of a power player akin to David S. Ware. Riffs more than melodies. But he can wail, too. Nilssen-Love was strangely subdued at the start of the set. Perhaps it was the sun. Thurston Moore was not only in the audience, but decided to join them for a jam. As fun as it was to see him on stage, he drained some of the intensity away from the group. His guitar was a bit too loud, and with him on board, the guys seemed less interested in throwing in a riff or two to shake things up.
Then I had to f**k off to work.
I came back just in time for Sonic Youth who were scheduled on stage at 21.30. Their set comprised largely of song from Sonic Nurse, which were performed exquisitely, and just a hatful of classics; "Bull in the Heather", "Catholic Block" and the closing "Expressway to Yr Skull". Mats Gustaffson added some horn on the closer, but "Catholic Block" made me punch the air. Some may have lamented the lack of "hits", but for me, omitting them made it feel more like a proper concert. Good on them. I still have a few problems with Jim O'Rourke, though.
Apparently, Saul Williams' set was pretty good.
Went home and slept.
Saturday started with more work for me, which made me miss even more music. No big deal, though, as I most likely would have sat around drinking beer and slagging off the artists anyway. Arrived around Animal Alpha's set. They are truly horrible. An energetic female singer does not make an average nu-metal band better, especially since nu-metal is pretty awful to begin with.
Nick Sylvester reckons Datarock had a good gig. I didn't get to see them.
Sons & Daughters were this year's post-punk alibi. Better than your average, if only because they remind me of the Au-Pairs, a band which none of the other post-punkers have copied yet.
Franz Ferdinand's set was slightly enjoyable. They started off with my favorite song of theirs, "Michael", and slowly went downhill from there. Their good-natured aura takes them a long way, but the new songs were very anonymous (were there any?).
Robert Post is this year's Julian Berntzen, complete with terrible English and naive song writing skills. Norwegian critics love that shit.
Roots Manuva's set was far better. I was getting drunk by that time and started to dance almost immediately. I seem to remember wanting the bass to be heavier and the vocals to be louder, but still fun.
The Subs, from China!, ended this years Oya (at least at the festival site). Rock'n'roll like only East-Asians know how to play. Part novelty and part fun.
Beers and the mandatory nachspiel ("after party" for you non-Norwegians/Germans) with my chums from Trondheim meant I only got up just in time to watch Arsenal get a win, and that there were no funds left for me to go and see the mighty Atomic at Blå on Monday.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Øya 2005
So, this years Oya festival, the most rockist festival of the lot, has just started rolling. Small club gigs on Wednesday set the thing off, with my chums in Accidents Never Happen being the sole band I bothered to go and see, while Eirik is raving about The Cocktail Slippers. I obviously missed out on something.
Yesterday (Thursday) was the opening day at the festival site. With rain and a gawdawful line-up setting the mood. I was charmed by the young girls in Mary Me Young; their bubble gum-punk is not original, but it is good humored, and I can't say "no" to a song proclaiming the love for chocolate. The bar was raised considerably when the old dudes in Dinosaur Jr. entereded the stage, and rescued the day from oblivion. Their energy was contagiousus and I was left feeling sixteen again, and I wished I had a joint, ...or something. Needless to say, it was a better reunion than the Pixies one, and they also reaffirmed my love for (power-) trios.
Speaking of trios, I'm off to see the amazing Thing, the Nilssen-Love/Haaker Flaten/Gustafsson combo. Expecting powerful stuff, and possibly Thurston Moore as a member of the audience.
Yesterday (Thursday) was the opening day at the festival site. With rain and a gawdawful line-up setting the mood. I was charmed by the young girls in Mary Me Young; their bubble gum-punk is not original, but it is good humored, and I can't say "no" to a song proclaiming the love for chocolate. The bar was raised considerably when the old dudes in Dinosaur Jr. entereded the stage, and rescued the day from oblivion. Their energy was contagiousus and I was left feeling sixteen again, and I wished I had a joint, ...or something. Needless to say, it was a better reunion than the Pixies one, and they also reaffirmed my love for (power-) trios.
Speaking of trios, I'm off to see the amazing Thing, the Nilssen-Love/Haaker Flaten/Gustafsson combo. Expecting powerful stuff, and possibly Thurston Moore as a member of the audience.
Sunday, July 31, 2005
RE: Intonation
I realize that my previous post might have seemed like a defense of Pitchforkmedia's indieism (did I just coin that). If you read the Zelious piece, what I intended was to oppose Sanneh's views in his NY Times article, much the same as Carl Z did. Since we agree, I couldn't be bothered to write a long piece myself, especially since Carl did it so well himself.
In other news, Rhino's 90's box arrived this week. It's a confusing mess, collecting hits that charted on Billboard plus tracks I guess the guys at Rhino considered important. It leans heavily on alternative artists, which is fine by me, but since such nineties phenomena as dance and electronic music are barely represented, the box is not what it says on the cover. They've done a terrible job of representing rap music too. MC Hammer, Wrex-n-Effect and House of Pain may fit the bill as hits, but are they hardly good representatives of this prolific time for rap music. De La Soul is, but what about Public Enemy. Ok, they were at their peak in the late eighties, but did good music well into the nineties. Pharcyde, Outkast, Dr. Dre and the whole g-funk era? Nowhere to be seen. If Rhino had trimmed the box down to a couple of CD's, they could have had an excellent overview of alternative and indie music from the era when Nirvana and alternative entered the charts. As a guide to nineties pop culture, though, they are way off the mark.
In other news, Rhino's 90's box arrived this week. It's a confusing mess, collecting hits that charted on Billboard plus tracks I guess the guys at Rhino considered important. It leans heavily on alternative artists, which is fine by me, but since such nineties phenomena as dance and electronic music are barely represented, the box is not what it says on the cover. They've done a terrible job of representing rap music too. MC Hammer, Wrex-n-Effect and House of Pain may fit the bill as hits, but are they hardly good representatives of this prolific time for rap music. De La Soul is, but what about Public Enemy. Ok, they were at their peak in the late eighties, but did good music well into the nineties. Pharcyde, Outkast, Dr. Dre and the whole g-funk era? Nowhere to be seen. If Rhino had trimmed the box down to a couple of CD's, they could have had an excellent overview of alternative and indie music from the era when Nirvana and alternative entered the charts. As a guide to nineties pop culture, though, they are way off the mark.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Intonation
Friday, July 22, 2005
"Jazz" in Molde, 2005
Reporting from the back of a boat at the harbor of Molde, a city which its inhabitants a more proud of than they have any reason to be.
I came down to see Anthony Braxton, one of few truly interesting jazz names in this years program. Braxton played on the 20th of July. He fronted a sextet I daresay comprised of his students, they were at least 20-30 years his juniors. Braxton on saxes: piccolo, soprano and alto. Bass, violin, percussion, trumpet and tube completes the sextet. They played one piece on the night, entirely composed, but they seemed to play around with the sections as though the piece had not been composed from A to Z. I found it very engaging and was particularly impressed with the bass player as well as Braxton himself. Many of the audience didn't know what they had gotten into, one heckler declaring "FUCK YOU" as he stumbled out. Braxton seemed unfazed.
Thursday and the main attraction of this "jazz" festival, Lauryn Hill, enters the stage. I had initially decided not to go, but persuaded myself that it was in my general interest to do so. Her band was actually surprisingly funky, and Ms. Hill herself was not as introvert as papers in Sweden had told me she would be. But she does not boast a body of song intriguing enough to sustain my interest for an hour and a half, which also confirms my belief that her Miseducation album sounds more like a classic than it actually IS, because the songs are simply not strong enough.
I have a bone to pick. The festival in Molde depends too much on non-jazz artist, mostly blues and related, to complete their program. No harm in that, but Kongsberg continues to break old and new ground with an almost entirely jazz profile, confirming my belief that Kongsberg has surpassed Molde as Norway's premier jazz festival.
Pondering whether to see Jamie Lidell tonight. Later
I came down to see Anthony Braxton, one of few truly interesting jazz names in this years program. Braxton played on the 20th of July. He fronted a sextet I daresay comprised of his students, they were at least 20-30 years his juniors. Braxton on saxes: piccolo, soprano and alto. Bass, violin, percussion, trumpet and tube completes the sextet. They played one piece on the night, entirely composed, but they seemed to play around with the sections as though the piece had not been composed from A to Z. I found it very engaging and was particularly impressed with the bass player as well as Braxton himself. Many of the audience didn't know what they had gotten into, one heckler declaring "FUCK YOU" as he stumbled out. Braxton seemed unfazed.
Thursday and the main attraction of this "jazz" festival, Lauryn Hill, enters the stage. I had initially decided not to go, but persuaded myself that it was in my general interest to do so. Her band was actually surprisingly funky, and Ms. Hill herself was not as introvert as papers in Sweden had told me she would be. But she does not boast a body of song intriguing enough to sustain my interest for an hour and a half, which also confirms my belief that her Miseducation album sounds more like a classic than it actually IS, because the songs are simply not strong enough.
I have a bone to pick. The festival in Molde depends too much on non-jazz artist, mostly blues and related, to complete their program. No harm in that, but Kongsberg continues to break old and new ground with an almost entirely jazz profile, confirming my belief that Kongsberg has surpassed Molde as Norway's premier jazz festival.
Pondering whether to see Jamie Lidell tonight. Later
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Henry Grimes Trio, Kongsberg July 8., 2005
So, how does one cope with the terrible events in London on Thursday? I suppose some would not have scrapped plans for a concert the day after, understandably, but I didn't.
On one of the hottest days so far this summer, I went to witness The Henry Grimes Trio play at Kongsberg's annual Jazz festival in a shack-like venue. I was sweatin', and could not figure out where to buy refreshments, so I just sat there waiting for about an hour amid an audience of mostly 50 + year-olds and a some of my own age. Just past 11pm, an announcer calls Henry Grimes, Hamid Drake and David Murray on stage.
Mr. Grimes' story doesn't need repetition. He looks a grandpa-like figure as he steps up to his (borrowed for the occasion) bass, wearing a green sweat band on his head and two large buttons on his t-shirt depicting his two compatriots, Darke and Murray.
Immediately, they break into the first of four songs. The sounds bounce between the close walls, and I'm pretty sure some of my fellow listeners got a bit of a shock. I'm amazed by the velocity of the piece. Murray blows his horn like only he can, shifting between melodic parts and bops'n'pops. He twists and turns on stage, and on one occasion, stands with his legs spread with his horn straight in front of him as if preparing to fire a gun into the audience. Drake floats all over his drum set without being excessive, providing a funky beat. He is terrific to watch as well as listen to, and he is probably one of the best drummers in the game. Mr. Grimes is at first the least impressive of the three, but gradually, as his left hand decides to keep up with his right, he starts to find his feet. After a ferocious starts they slow down a bit, and Murray takes out his bass clarinet. He lays down a deep melodic line, and eventually starts to play long notes backing Grimes up for a solo which he plays interchangeably with a bow and finger picking. The song ends.
The next tune starts with Murray, playing a simple melodic blues on his tenor. The piece is more traditional than the first, but they still toss in elements of "free" and improvised structures. Drake continues to bang and stroke. Fantastic. Grimes takes a walk on his bass. They seem equally comfortable with the two slower pieces that close the nearly 100 minute long set.
Although I looked forward to the gig, and especially witnessing David Murray for the first time, I was a bit skeptical of how the main attraction, Henry Grimes, would hold up. Given the time he has been away from jazz, coupled with his age, his playing was more than apt to keep up with Drake and Murray, two of the best jazz musicians in recent years. There was no weak link between them, and I will try to pick up their release on Ayler Records from last year.
At the start of the gig, I noticed Ken Vandermark and several of Norway's finest (Nielsen-Love, Haaker Flaaten) in the audience. A bit later, I turned around again, and they all had grins on their faces. Just like myself. Very enjoyable.
On one of the hottest days so far this summer, I went to witness The Henry Grimes Trio play at Kongsberg's annual Jazz festival in a shack-like venue. I was sweatin', and could not figure out where to buy refreshments, so I just sat there waiting for about an hour amid an audience of mostly 50 + year-olds and a some of my own age. Just past 11pm, an announcer calls Henry Grimes, Hamid Drake and David Murray on stage.
Mr. Grimes' story doesn't need repetition. He looks a grandpa-like figure as he steps up to his (borrowed for the occasion) bass, wearing a green sweat band on his head and two large buttons on his t-shirt depicting his two compatriots, Darke and Murray.
Immediately, they break into the first of four songs. The sounds bounce between the close walls, and I'm pretty sure some of my fellow listeners got a bit of a shock. I'm amazed by the velocity of the piece. Murray blows his horn like only he can, shifting between melodic parts and bops'n'pops. He twists and turns on stage, and on one occasion, stands with his legs spread with his horn straight in front of him as if preparing to fire a gun into the audience. Drake floats all over his drum set without being excessive, providing a funky beat. He is terrific to watch as well as listen to, and he is probably one of the best drummers in the game. Mr. Grimes is at first the least impressive of the three, but gradually, as his left hand decides to keep up with his right, he starts to find his feet. After a ferocious starts they slow down a bit, and Murray takes out his bass clarinet. He lays down a deep melodic line, and eventually starts to play long notes backing Grimes up for a solo which he plays interchangeably with a bow and finger picking. The song ends.
The next tune starts with Murray, playing a simple melodic blues on his tenor. The piece is more traditional than the first, but they still toss in elements of "free" and improvised structures. Drake continues to bang and stroke. Fantastic. Grimes takes a walk on his bass. They seem equally comfortable with the two slower pieces that close the nearly 100 minute long set.
Although I looked forward to the gig, and especially witnessing David Murray for the first time, I was a bit skeptical of how the main attraction, Henry Grimes, would hold up. Given the time he has been away from jazz, coupled with his age, his playing was more than apt to keep up with Drake and Murray, two of the best jazz musicians in recent years. There was no weak link between them, and I will try to pick up their release on Ayler Records from last year.
At the start of the gig, I noticed Ken Vandermark and several of Norway's finest (Nielsen-Love, Haaker Flaaten) in the audience. A bit later, I turned around again, and they all had grins on their faces. Just like myself. Very enjoyable.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
I'm so movin' on!
I can't get miss Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" out of my head! Damn. I've added it to my beloved 'pod, and it'll play on repeat untill i get sick of it. Hope it's not too soon.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Never too much...
So, the Live 8 hoolabaloo went well, according to sources. My friend at http://eirikblegeberg.blogspot.com/ did a piece on it before the weekend, and I have little to add to this. For non-norwegian users, I refer you to his links in the piece for other essays on the subject.
One big news item this weekend was the passing away of the great Luther Vandross. In the early eighties he was one of the best voices in contemporary soul, and his first albums are pretty good. Although his career went downhill from there as far as I'm concerned, he retained a strong fanbase and will be remebered as a big soul star. Nelson George has written a few lines on his website http://www.nelsongeorge.com/blog/.
On another subject: since I started my Jazz section (see sidebar) a while ago, I've been trying to listen to as many of my jazz albums as possible in order to reasses how I would rate them. I'll post more records and grades during the next few weeks.
Later
One big news item this weekend was the passing away of the great Luther Vandross. In the early eighties he was one of the best voices in contemporary soul, and his first albums are pretty good. Although his career went downhill from there as far as I'm concerned, he retained a strong fanbase and will be remebered as a big soul star. Nelson George has written a few lines on his website http://www.nelsongeorge.com/blog/.
On another subject: since I started my Jazz section (see sidebar) a while ago, I've been trying to listen to as many of my jazz albums as possible in order to reasses how I would rate them. I'll post more records and grades during the next few weeks.
Later
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Banned...
The other day, I was searching for a downloadable version of Diplo's mixtape/mash-up Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1, and i came across this site: http://www.bannedmusic.org/. Have a look/listen.
Later
Later
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Oh, well.
My first list. Current 2005 faves. YEAH! (not that one):
1. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday
2. M.I.A.: Arular
3. William Parker Quartet: Sound Unity
4. Edan: Beauty and the Beat
5. Sleater Kinney: The Woods
6. The Mountain Goats: The Sunset Tree
7. Clem Snide: The End of Love
8. The Ponys: Celebration Castle
9. Blueprint: 1988
10. The Go-Betweens: Oceans Apart
11. Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock & Roll
12. The Thunderbirds are Now: Justamoustache
13. Count Base-D: Begborrowsteal
14. Spoon: Gimme Fiction
15. The Perceptionists: Black Dialogue
More later.
1. The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday
2. M.I.A.: Arular
3. William Parker Quartet: Sound Unity
4. Edan: Beauty and the Beat
5. Sleater Kinney: The Woods
6. The Mountain Goats: The Sunset Tree
7. Clem Snide: The End of Love
8. The Ponys: Celebration Castle
9. Blueprint: 1988
10. The Go-Betweens: Oceans Apart
11. Art Brut: Bang Bang Rock & Roll
12. The Thunderbirds are Now: Justamoustache
13. Count Base-D: Begborrowsteal
14. Spoon: Gimme Fiction
15. The Perceptionists: Black Dialogue
More later.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
i, Pod
So I'm slower than most people, but I recently acquired this amazing new thing called iPod. My scepticism about such mediums had to do with how I am (we are?) used to listen to music, that is with a sleeve in my hand and what not. Thing is, this won't stop me from buying records, which is what the biz fears, it just gets me around to listen to more music, hence I might end up buying even more records than before. The other pro is that I have been downloading deleted titles (latest: Gil Scott-Heron, 1980); where I before had to trust the recommendations before spendin 20$++ on gemm.com for a vinyl issue, I can now get a listen before I go on a spending spree. No biggie, but It's good to get a taster anyway. My mate at pazzandjunk (see sidebar link) has been posting his faves so far this year, as does Mr. Matos and Tom Hull. I have promised many lists on the few posts I've written, so for now all I can say is that I have time off. Don't hold your breath, though.
Current faves (songs):
Hold Steady "Stevie Nix"
Clem Snide "Fill Me With Your Light"
Cobra Verde "I Feel Love"
Edan "Fumbeling Over Words That Rhyme"
Thunderbirds Are Now "Eat This City"
Love As Laughter "Coast To Coast"
Current faves (songs):
Hold Steady "Stevie Nix"
Clem Snide "Fill Me With Your Light"
Cobra Verde "I Feel Love"
Edan "Fumbeling Over Words That Rhyme"
Thunderbirds Are Now "Eat This City"
Love As Laughter "Coast To Coast"
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Further Adventures of...
Yo,
Buzy exam period, but some news. A trip to Bergen last weekend to witnes what may be the worlds greatest existing rock band, Sleater Kinney. I am yet to hear their album in another setting than at the record store, so I'll save a review 'til it get a copy home, but the gig was excellent, albeit not of the historic proportions as the famed "twofer" at Irving Plaza, NY in May of 2000. Their uniqe two-guitar attack is like no other sound out there, and they have the greatest drummer to boot. Also, two more gigs with the Drive-By Truckers, adding to the Oslo-gig on Thursday. All good, the Oslo one great. New records: Quasimoto The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. Highly anticipated by me and others. I have managed just four listens, and it has not let me down yet. It sound more bass-heavy than The Unseen, and still witty with more camoes. Others of note: The Thunderbirds are Now's Justamustache sounds terrific and may just be the post-punk album of the year, and it is different because it doesn't sound retro. It is bouncy and diverse, and the echoes of late '70s early '80s are only seasoning to a primaliry modern (in the most positive sense of the phrase) rock sound. The new Hold Steady is also out this week. Have not heard much yet, but I truly enjoyed thier previos effort. Watch this space for more. Later
Buzy exam period, but some news. A trip to Bergen last weekend to witnes what may be the worlds greatest existing rock band, Sleater Kinney. I am yet to hear their album in another setting than at the record store, so I'll save a review 'til it get a copy home, but the gig was excellent, albeit not of the historic proportions as the famed "twofer" at Irving Plaza, NY in May of 2000. Their uniqe two-guitar attack is like no other sound out there, and they have the greatest drummer to boot. Also, two more gigs with the Drive-By Truckers, adding to the Oslo-gig on Thursday. All good, the Oslo one great. New records: Quasimoto The Further Adventures of Lord Quas. Highly anticipated by me and others. I have managed just four listens, and it has not let me down yet. It sound more bass-heavy than The Unseen, and still witty with more camoes. Others of note: The Thunderbirds are Now's Justamustache sounds terrific and may just be the post-punk album of the year, and it is different because it doesn't sound retro. It is bouncy and diverse, and the echoes of late '70s early '80s are only seasoning to a primaliry modern (in the most positive sense of the phrase) rock sound. The new Hold Steady is also out this week. Have not heard much yet, but I truly enjoyed thier previos effort. Watch this space for more. Later
Thursday, April 21, 2005
All quiet on the...
Little action on my part of late, partly due to my forgetting the password plus increasing pressure on school work. Just a few things to say. I'm planning a list of compilations of popular musical history, to introduce my other year-by-year lists. Other things to note is the newly aquired Beauty and the Beat by the lovely Edan. Neat nerd core if I ever heard it, cultured retro-beats and fancy word-play, with cameos by Mr. Lif among others. Also bought Duke Ellingtons Bubber Miley Era: 1924-1929, which has many of the same tracks collected on the fine double Okeh Ellington, among them "Black and Tan Fantasy" and "East St. Louis Toodle-O", albeit in different tapings and nearly every selection is superior on the Bubber-disc. Also of note, the fine Landslide by The Curtis Counce Group from 1956. Premium hard bop at cut-down price. Next weekend sees both Drive-By Truckers and Sleater Kinney gigs. Later.
Friday, April 01, 2005
Late night jam
I got bored, so I figured I'd report from the latest news on the net. The guys'n'gals at Pitchforkmedia reckons the new Out Hud record is good for an 8.0 rating. I haven't heard it yet, so I won't argue, but their previous offering, S.T.R.E.E.T.D.A.D., was a bit flat, though the title "The L Train Is a Swell Train and I Don't Want to Hear You Indies Complain" is still good for a laugh. Our own Jaga Jazzist gets some props too. I don't give a toss, though. Metacritic.com has M.I.A's Arular as the current highest scorer. (If you are not familiar with their rating system, you can find out about it here: http://www.metacritic.com/about/scoring.shtml). I just bought it while in New York, and have given it quite a few spins. She is articulate, hard-hitting and soft at once. The beats are mostly heavy and hardly let go, which can prove to be a problem. For now though, it's a rumpshaker of a record, and I hope it holds up. A more elaborate review on my part may come later. Also, trying to get a hold of Count Base-D's new album Begborrowsteel. I heard soundbits on the 'net, and it sounded pretty good. Alt-rap with MF Doom-leeanings. Also, the guy is based in Nashville!!! Tired now, more later.
Chris
Chris
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