comic relief

ahhh... i can't stop laughing at this. so lame, i know.

Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV - Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness

I really had no idea what to expect from this album. I certainly wasn’t expecting what I got. Good Apollo I’m Burning Star IV – Volume I: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness seems to verge from fantasy metal through to emo, and back again.

One thing I did know, and that’s probably given away by the lengthy title, is that this is a concept album. I was only given the CD to review, and not the Graphic Novel which has been produced to accompany it (this is a trick Coheed and Cambria have used before), so I did the right thing, and sat down with the lyric booklet to try and figure out what this story was all about.

Other than vague notions of a tale of love, betrayal and a fiery and bloody revenge, I couldn’t really figure it out. But such an epic quest is of course suited best to a realm of castles and the supernatural, and the music does a great job of reflecting this. A string quartet intro leads to an acoustic song, before Welcome Home pushes us down the fantasy metal path. There’s squealing guitars, keyboards, epic strings, and a vocal style reminiscent of Iron Maiden. There’s even a dueling guitar solo!

The album continues on in this style for a while, with Apollo I: The Writing Writer, being a strong highlight. Claudio Sanchez’ vocals are distinctive, and not quite to my taste, but he has a real knack for making unusual rhythms sound very catchy. But gradually things start to change. A few whoa-whoa’s manage to sneak their way into tracks like Crossing the Frame, and by the time we reach Wake Up, we’re in true emo territory. Another acoustic track with emotive strings, this song actually features the line “I’ll do anything for you”. Normally I’d find this cringingly bad, and I do, but even with my limited understanding of the story it does seem to fit in this moment, so I’m going to let it go… this time. The Suffering is a bit of pop punk, with hey!s and ha-ha!s. Despite the kind of bummer lyrics, it’s infectious and hard not to sing along.

Things start to get a bit darker again for the last four tracks, collectively known as The Willing Well. II – From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness has a bouncy opening, and you find yourself bopping along to lines like “you’ll burn in hell while they’re digging you out”. But then the whoa’s start to become more reminiscent of the chorus of the wicked witche’s servants from The Wizard of Oz as the guitars shift to a more menacing key. A deep voice threatens “run little rabbit…” and we’re back into fantasy metal territory.

Also making a return is III – Apollo II: The Telling Truth, which contains many of the same ideas as Apollo I, but is to me the more satisfying version of the two. IV – The Final Cut is a fittingly dramatic end. And then we get a lap steel guitar driven ho-down as a bonus track. Huh?

At the end, I still don’t know the story, and I’m still not sure what I make of this album. But give it a shot. Chances are you’ll either love it, or end up utterly confused, but there’s merit in both reactions. My advice is to let the music take its course, even if it’s not your thing, the journey still seems kinda fun.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Another Review

hehe, this has been up a few days, but i had to put it in here.

By this point I was about ready to denounce the rock god and worship false idols, luckily the sequential adjustment was well planned, otherwise I was at serious risk of leaving the venue with a bad taste in my mouth. As Sinatra’s Eyes sought to rid the esteemed bar of its recently applied America-centric stench, I watched with glee as their solid sound and tight performances made the dumbstruck crowd realise what they had been waiting for. Without introducing themselves, or needing to, Sinatra’s Eyes ripped out the most brutal yet melodic hardcore punk I have heard in a long time, and left it resonating on the floor, alongside my own and the rest of the crowds jaws. Songs like: Black and White Stripes, and Baby is a Day Time Star stood out, and would rival those of any nationally touring Australian band. Fans of Behind Crimson Eyes meet your new favourite eye band. Having recently changed their guitarist hasn’t slowed them down any, and the stage presence of all members in conjunction with their engaging songwriting yielded a memorable performance worthy of a much larger crowd.

review.

ARGH!! SNAKES!!

at the moment i'm working in the next suburb over from where i live. both of these being very inner city suburbs of melbourne. being nice weather, i've been walking to and from work and found the best little walking track for getting home that makes it feel like you're completely in the bush sometimes. there's even....


ARGH!! IT'S A SNAKE!!!! SNAKE!!!

so far the only snake i've seen was a dead, rather flattened one on a road side nearby. but on monday there was a big black rat ran across my path. speaking of the path, how cool is this:


does YOUR route to work look like a quest through the forest? or have real life dangers of snakes on the way?
i thought not...

Sinatra's Eyes reviewed!

Sinatra's Eyes had a big crowd and were ready to show and awe the crowd. They started out with some wild screaming vocals, punky guitars and a wall of noise. The singer looked and played the emo/screamo part, as did the drummer with his Mohawk. They just let loose, the long haired guitarist!!! kicked us in the guts with his riffs and the bass player just stomped on everybody.

Take no prisoners. From the noise came hits of Iggy Pop and towards the end the chaos of the Birthday Party came to mind. Sometimes though some melody came out as well.

Intriguing show from a band that offers great possibilities. A standout lead singer, good material and a strong performance. Watch this space.

http://www.jageruprising.com/ifShowHeadline.asp?ID=3911

and more shows coming up:
Dec 29 2005 The Green Room
Jan 5 2006 The Arthouse

dammitdammitdammit

Wednesday, December 28, 2005 · Showtime/Doors 7:30PM
Thursday
With special guests Blood Brothers, Me Without You and Circle Takes The Square.
An all-ages to enter, 21 to drink event.

$20 + applicable surcharges

goddamn americans. how fucking cool is that? unfair. that's gotta be one of the best lineups ever. and thursday are previewing stuff off their new album too. who wants to fly me over there, then back here in time for my greenroom gig on the 29th? huh huh? i'll even pay the $20 for your entry. :)

Burst - Origo

Burst are the latest band from Relapse records to be hyped as having the potential to shake their genre down and build something new. Considering the last two bands from Relapse to receive this kind of treatment were The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mastodon, this is quite a precedent to live up to. Burst definitely have a lot more in common with Mastodon than the former. This is a metal band, and if you don’t like metal, you wont like Origo, but if you do, you’ll find it does bring some new perspective and life to the genre.

With their third full length Burst have produced a metal album that has much in common with their peers in bands like Mastodon and Isis. The emphasis on the songs is on texture and depth to provide the heaviness. There’s a very earthy, natural and rugged feel that runs through the music on Origo. Softer passages in the middle of songs like Flight’s End provide moments for reflection as a piano melody weaves its way through the other instruments. Burst are quite adept at using these interactions between instruments to create strong textures through their work.

Immateria features duelling growled and sung vocal lines for much of the song, before a soft guitar interlude leads us into the heavy part. A floating organ melody and double kick drumming finishes the whole thing off with a fitting sense of epic drama. The band’s focus is on creating a full sound to suit whatever the song needs, and throughout they mix a lot of acoustic guitar and piano/organ to create different moods. The breadth of their style and ability is also on show, with Slave Emotion featuring some very fast thrash style drums, that fit perfectly into a song which isn’t really thrash at all. It Comes Into View is a restrained instrumental interlude which builds up a number of times without ever really breaking. But if that leaves you frustrated, Stormweilder is right behind and instantly kicks into full gear.

Origo is surprisingly short, but it’s nine songs feel a lot longer than the 45 minutes they are thanks to the layers of texture that have been worked into them. It is an album which like many of the metal greats will require repeat listenings over time to be allowed to sink in properly, but those willing to try should find themselves happily absorbed.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Behind Crimson Eyes - Prologue: The Art of War/Cherry Blossom Epitaph

It seems Behind Crimson Eyes love nothing more than a good story. But whereas their debut EP Pavour Nocturnus dealt with the transformation into a terror of the night, Prologue, a double A side single, tells the musical story of the band. The two A-sides both show very different aspects of the band, and a noticeable progression from Pavour Nocturnus.

The first track, The Art of War has the most in common with that release, and what the band have made their name for. A single guitar line explodes into a post-hardcore chorus as the words “I scream out your name to the night” are, appropriately enough, screamed out at us. But the verse is what immediately strikes you as the newest element to the band’s sound. This is extra catchy, even for them, with the drumbeat and short bouncy guitar line giving the feel of an ‘80s pop song, but with punk guitars replacing the synths. But hang on, in the second verse, and in the bridge… those ARE synths in the background. There was a minor experimention with electronics to towards the end of Pavour Nocturnus, but this is much more forward.

But that’s nothing compared to the change that Cherry Blossom Epitaph shows. This is a completely new side to the band. Soft and sweetly written, the usual screamings for the chorus are replaced by a female backing vocal, “don’t breathe in to breathe out”. Finally the reasoning behind a double A-side becomes clear. Both songs are well written and could stand on their own, but only really give half the story of what the band can do.

There are two more songs included on the CD as well. If Cherry Blossom Epitaph strays too far from the old sound for anyone, Revenge I – Of the Cradle will bring them right back home. It’s got screaming, it’s got a head banging beat, it’s got the twin guitar attack, and it’s the old Behind Crimson Eyes again. Final track In Memory Of continues the experimentation, again in a slightly different direction. Electronic drums, synth melodies and rhythms and subdued vocals over only a soft guitar melody. It’ll be interesting to see how this accepted by the bands fans, but it’s good to see them already trying something else with their sound. It also leads one to wonder what type of ground they’d cover on a full length release. This is after all, just the prologue…

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Deftones - B-Sides & Rarities

Like the trail of stones left by Hansel and Gretel through the forest, sometimes you can follow the history of a band as well by the songs they discard along the way as those that get carried with them. As a compilation, the Deftones B-Sides & Rarities is unlikely to reach as far as a proper album from the band. But paradoxically, this may be one of their most accessible albums to date. I took this disc on holidays last week with some friends who generally shy away from what the Deftones are known for (loud drums, distorted guitars and screaming vocals – for all their subtleties and melodies the Deftones are a metal band after all), but all were quietly taken in and surprised by how much they enjoyed what was on show here.

As songs that were left off the official albums for whatever reasons, these B-sides & Rarities cover a very varied lot of ground. There are acoustic versions, covers, collaborations with other bands and other experiments throughout. The first stop for most fans will be the acoustic versions of old favourites. Be Quite and Drive (Far Away) is given a complete work over with help from DJ Crook (Team Sleep), while tracks from White Pony such as Change (In The House of Flies) and Digital Bath prove their ability to retain suspense and tension without the bludgeoning distortion.

Savory is a combined jam session between the Deftones and Far, another band from their hometown of Sacramento, and the first of many varied collaborations on the album. B-Real from Cypress Hill provides vocals for Black Moon, a left over from the White Pony sessions. Unsurprisingly DJ Crook and the members of Team Sleep (vocalist Chino Moreno’s other band) pop up on a few of the tracks, as do members of Far, while Teenager (Idiot Version) sees Chino join the band Idiot Pilot for a “real instruments” version of the song which was originally built from a drum loop and a sample provided by Crook.

The covers chosen are as varied as the original works on display, proving that this is caused by a band who are willing to draw from a broad range of areas. From the suspense of If Only Tonight We Could Sleep, recorded live for the MTV Icons tribute to The Cure, to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man, to songs by Duran Duran and The Smiths and back to the more predictable like Helmet’s Sinatra. “We did this one just to play loud/hard.” States guitarist Stef Carpenter in the liner notes. It’s not the only heavy song on the album though, although overall it is a surprisingly mellow collection for the band. A left over from the Around The Fur sessions, Crenshaw Punch/I’ll Throw Rocks At You is what the band do best, grinding guitars, tight rhythms and mysterious vocals which hint at as much as they say.

The album also comes with an accompanying DVD, featuring video clips for every single the band has released, plus two new clips for Engine no. 9 and Root from the debut album Adreneline. The video for Bored (also of that album) is the archetypal mid-’90s rock video. Grainy/damaged footage, the band playing in an abandoned house, skating and bikes, it’s all here courtesy of director Nick Egan. Breakthrough single My Own Summer (Shove It) is given a bizarre shark cage/underwater treatment by Dean Karr which never quite works, but follow up Be Quite and Drive (Far Away) shows the band playing in an empty car park with a simplistic style courtesy of Purge which lets the strength of the song come to the forefront. Change (In The House of Flies), directed by Liz Friedlander, is a visual work of art which fits perfectly to the song as the band play in various rooms throughout a party full of decadence where everyone seems slightly removed from the “reality” around them. Minerva from the self-titled Deftones album is another well directed video by Paul Fedor, which shows the band playing in a desert which accentuates the epic sound of the song.

Generally Rarities compilations are for hardcore fans only, and there’s no doubt the Deftones faithful will love everything on offer here. But considering the DVD is essentially a “Best Of”, with all the singles and well known songs, and the accessible and varied nature of the songs on the CD, this compilation may also be the perfect introduction for new fans as well to what makes the Deftones stand out above so many of their peers in the world of modern heavy music.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

debut gig with new band

crap photo yes... but details are this:
Sinatra's Eyes.
22/11/2005 08:00 PM - Revolver - Round 2 Melb. Fresh
, Prahran, -
Melbourne Fresh Battle of the Bands. Semi final with Fortnight, Platform Orange, Fallacy, Rust, Heartless Vendetta and 31 Shots. Cost: $8

Killing Joke - XXV Gathering: Let Us Prey

“We have so much work to do tonight” announces Jaz Coleman between the first two songs on this latest live offering from Killing Joke. The fourteen years between those two songs would be a lot of work on its own, but that’s only part of the story. The title of XXV Gathering: Let Us Prey is pretty self-explanatory, a collection of Killing Joke songs spanning their entire career, recorded live at their 25th anniversary shows in February.

Killing Joke are one of those bands who always managed to escape the mainstream consciousness, but nevertheless had a big impact on the music scene by influencing a whole generation who came after them. Nine Inch Nails, The Smashing Pumpkins, Ministry, Metallica, Fear Factory and many others freely admit to having drawn inspiration from the Killing Joke sound. Their most recent, self titled album in 2003 has possibly been the most visible to the general music public thanks to the drumming spot being filled by Dave Grohl, who then spent following interviews gushing about how exciting it was to work with such an important band.

The songs on Gathering span everything from this most recent release all the way back to the 1980 debut, also a self-titled album. So how can you objectively review a show which celebrates the fact that a band is older than you? Fortunately in this case it’s easy. Perhaps Killing Joke are lucky to have been spared mainstream success, as the passion and vitality of their music is still prominent. They’re still around because they still have something to say. I myself only discovered the band through the 2003 release, so it’s good to see a few songs from that album like Asteroid, the fast point of the set and a strong crowd singalong. But the real beauty of this album is that you can forget the time span and listen to this right next to tracks like Wardance (1980), Communion (1994) and Sun Goes Down (1992) with none of these periods seeming weaker than the others.

It’s also great to hear the older songs in a slightly different format. The recording is clear and despite much being made of the “rough” nature of the performance, the true test of a bands skill is not their ability to play perfectly, but their ability to keep going and not let any mistakes cause an issue. Thus as Coleman states in the liner notes that this recording is “unoverdubbed [and] imperfect”, it’s followed up with “and beautiful”. So there’s a few mistakes, it just goes to show that Killing Joke still put passion into their performance. It still feels dangerous, because the band still aren’t afraid to do and say what they want. “Who killed Dr David Kelley and Diana… Did Tony Blair know? ... I’m waiting for the truth.” Coleman asks in a break in The Wait. The live setting also gives a new life to even the older songs. Requiem may well be the highlight of the set. The thumping drums, crunchy guitar and pulsing bass/synth sounds are what most modern industrial bands still aim for today.

XXV Gathering celebrates 25 years of one of the pioneers of the industrial scene. But it’s far from the end, with a new album planned for next year.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Various Artists - The Best of Taste of Chaos

The Taste of Chaos tour attempts to bring together some of the most bands of the post-emo-hardcore spectrum. Despite only featuring about eight bands on the tour (only five made it to the local version which just recently hit our country), The Best of Taste of Chaos gathers forty bands together on two discs. And it does a surprisingly good job of giving an overview of the current state within these related sub-genres.

Loosely split into the more poppy bands (disc one) and the harder edge (disc two), there is a fair bit of ground covered here. All the bands who made the Australian Taste of Chaos are present, such as The Used, Story of The Year, Killswitch Engage, Funeral for a Friend and Rise Against, but some of the bands from the US tour such as Atreyu and My Chemical Romance are absent. Matchbook Romance provide the most emo moment with the mainly acoustic In Transit, but things are mixed up a bit with tracks like Our Time is Now from Story of The Year who combine the emocore verses with an eighties hard rock aesthetic in the choruses and riffing. They also put on one of the best visual performances at the tour, but seem a little lacking without this on disc.

From First to Last’s Note to Self is a nice little catchy ditty, with some heavy kick thrown in at the end to raise things. But to be honest just about every track on disc one has a chorus with the potential to get stuck in your head. Thursday’s contribution is a touching contemplation about life in a world obsessed with the terrorist threat. It’s clear that they have many of the same influences as the other bands that surround them, but there’s something about the way they combine them in War All The Time which makes it the stand out track on disc one and shows off the musical understanding of the band.

Disc two kicks off with the heavy assault of Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Every Time I Die and Shadows Fall all in a row. Every Time I Die’s Kill The Music is probably the best example of what’s in store with this disc: more growling, harder drumming and more technical guitar work. And I have to admit at this stage I got more excited about disc two than I had been about disc one. Norma Jean also offer Bayonetwork which is another slice of heavier, less straightforward music and quite impressive. Oddly enough Saosin provide the only live track for a release that’s supposed to celebrate a tour.

With a compilation which relies so much on the genre relation to bring all these bands together, it’s not surprising that some of them start to sound the same (remember, there’s forty bands on this disc). But there are a few surprises lying around still. The Dillinger Escape Plan provide us with Unretrofied, which is almost the inverse of the typical hardcore song. Uncharacteristically catchy for the band and featuring harmonies and synths, it switches around in the middle to give us a dose of distortion, odd chords and screams, then go back to where we started. Opiate for The Masses bring a bit of breakbeat electronic drumming into their mix, while Chariot add a bit of dark metal to their hardcore sound and some grind style vocals, And Then Came Them is possibly one of the darkest songs here.

But the most different is closer Flaco 81 by the Street Drum Corps, a rhythmic percussive piece featuring drums of many types and some really interesting rhythms. It’s a change from the rest, but still retains the same headspace as everything that’s come before it, and thus makes a nice way to end out the set.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

has anyone heard no way back by the foo fighters?

there's a telephone noise in the background for most of the song. i'm sure they're just trying to fuck with people.

every time i die are my favourite band for the day. more sleeping would be good.

check this. best tattoo ever.

The Butterfly Effect - Phoenix

Phoenix is a bit slower than the average Butterfly Effect song. Not softer by any means, merely working at a slower pace. The space serves them well, as the drums come in and you can visualise the whole band rocking in unison, as surely their fans will in a live arena. But as the lead single for their forthcoming album, Phoenix is a little disappointing. It’s The Butterfly Effect sure, but it’s the same band we heard on Always and One Second of Insanity. Without the benefit of it being a new direction for (Australian mainstream) heavy music that was the strength of those songs.

A few years ago there was a great swell of hope that The Butterfly Effect and Cog would be able to shift the limits of what was acceptable from a local heavy band while still getting national airplay. Both bands have come someway towards achieving that goal. But with the impact of Cog’s The New Normal, The Butterfly Effect hopefully still have something up their sleeves for IMAGO that is a bit more driving than Phoenix.

Phoenix is being released as a single via download only, so you’ll have to hit The Butterfly Effect website if you want a copy to decide for yourself.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

The Robocop Kraus - They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus

It’s kind of refreshing to discover that a band with a weird German sounding name are actually from Germany. In the world of quirky indie-disco-pop-punk such a name is almost too perfectly fashionable. As it is there isn’t much else besides the right to claim such a weird name which sets The Robocop Kraus apart from bands like Franz Ferdinand and Art Brut. It’s there in the disco-punk style, it’s there in the self-described “angular” sound, and most noticeably it’s there in the droll-delivery and vocal style of singer Thomas Lang (complete with pronounced European accent, although this can once again be excused due to German origin).

To be fair The Robocop Kraus seem to have been in this game a lot longer than some of their more popular contemporaries. This is their fourth full length album, as well as a number of EPs and shorter releases since 1998. Perhaps the name of They Think They Are The Robocop Kraus is a subtle response to the way popular music seems to have come around to what they have been doing. But the important question is, in this current musical climate, are they doing enough to keep themselves unique and fresh?

They Think They Are… is The Robocop Kraus’ first release on Epitaph records, and the move to a bigger record label seems to have made an impact on the sound quality of the release. It is their first record working with a producer, namely Pelle Gunnerfeldt (Status Quo, The Hives), and the quality of the production work is clear, giving clarity and a sense of energy to every song. The record also has a driven pop focus, with strong melodies and choruses balancing out the quirky electronic blips. They Think They Are… is at least as strong as any other albums in this style at the moment, and hopefully for The Robocop Kraus it may get them some exposure to an audience who are now ready for the sounds they produce.

Lead single You Don’t Have To Shout is certainly dancy enough, and You Don’t Need a Doctor has a great combinations of vocal and keyboard melodies. Tracks like A Man’s Not A Bird and Concerned, Your Secular Friends are great examples of the social commentary throughout the album which is one noticeable feature the band have over their contemporaries. But it is tracks like Life Amazes Us Despite Our Miserable Future, where they slow things down and try mood writing rather than hiding behind disco dazzle which are the only ones to stand out from the rest of the album, which sounds very familiar very quickly.

The Robocop Kraus may have arrived before the fashion wave of disco punk, but now that it’s here, without adding something new to their mix to keep ahead of the pack, they’re in real danger of getting lost amongst the crowd.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

top six local albums

i thought i should post a new blog finally. and then i thought i should make it music related. and then i thought i should make it local music related. and then i remembered how i was listening to uisce last night, and how much i enjoyed it. and how it reminded me how i always think it's a shame that not enough local bands in musical styles i'm interested in really try to make their own style and make an impact rather than just sounding like international bands. this may also have been influenced by reviewing the new butterfly effect single the other day, and my growing feeling that most of the well known bands in these fields are given support because they're considered the best aus bands we have, but when you put them in an international field, they're not that far up the list at all.

so here are my seven favourite australian albums. albums that i think have done something original and have found really enjoyable, and most importantly, exciting:

the grand silent system - gift or a weapon
silverchair - neon balroom
theredsunband - peapod
non-intentional lifeform - uisce (ish-ka)
architecture in helsinki - in case we die
regurgitator - tu-plang

disclaimer:
why six? because i limited it to one per band, full length albums and tried to make it only stuff that is fairly readily available - cutting off a lot of bands like twitch, tirany, behind crimson eyes,
pyramid, sydonia, young love, a ghost devotion and many others who have all put on a great live show/released a great ep/self-released a great recording/all of the above. if anyone wants to make any criticisms of this list, just know that i wont respond to anything that concerns the following issues: first and most importantly, it has to be something i've HEARD (and preferably have in my possession). second it has to be something i ENJOYED and got a response from ME. this list is completely subjective, and i make no apologies for that. you make think X album belongs on there, but if i haven't heard it, or if i have and it wasn't my thing, i'm not gonna put it on MY list. plain and simple. also i know they're all albums from the last 10 years (or less), but remember, i'm still in my early 20's. i'll readily admit that i'm far more excited by music that i grew up with or is emerging now than by things that happened before my time. i'm not trying to make a definitive all time most important and influential list. just things i think are really fucking cool. ok? good. any other suggestions, i'll listen to, as i'm always extra excited when a local
band excites me.

Mobius Band - The Loving Sounds of Static

Mobius Band take the typical indie-rock equipment of guitar, bass, drums and electronic sounds, to create a sound which has seen them become popular with fans of bands like Broken Social Scene and The Walkmen, but also incorporates elements of more laid back electro acts like The Postal Service.

The Loving Sounds of Static is a quite appropriate name for their debut full length. It doesn’t sound like static, but there is a lot of texture on display, coming from the interplay between the instruments, but just as much from the spaces between them. And the songs are all quite embracing. Similar to The Postal Service’s Give Up, it’s an easy album to lie back and get lost in.

Perhaps a little too easy though. I found the songs lack a little bit of excitement. As good as songs like I Just turned 18 and Twilight are, they washed over me at first without much impact and required a few listens to really make an impression. And I must admit to dozing off to the album at least once. This is only partly a criticism since the prevailing aim on The Loving Sounds of Static does seem to be to create a state of relaxation and comfort.

Only a few songs such as Taxicab and Radio Coup properly show off the rocking energy the band can be capable of as well. They use it very carefully so as not to overwhelm the softer elements of the songs, but it’s rocking nonetheless. Largely this seems to be a problem with production to my ears. Everything is clear, but even though the pace and use of many instruments is often there, much of the album just feels flat. It doesn’t have the sparkle and inviting warmth of tone that something like Give Up does, and that seems to be its biggest defeat. It’s just so frustrating that an album so full of musical textures can seem so flat.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

album

spent a fair bit more time working on my collection of songs today. i did the vocals for (part 1) words less spoken, and the mixing for that, broken halo and mountain song.

that makes three songs completely finished now. i also did some updating of my myspace profile and uploaded the completed version of words... as well. this marks the first time i've put a complete song online as it will appear on the finished thing, and the first one where i really try and sing on it (and yes, i know i'm not a great singer, but i do what i can with what i've got). i guess if this were a real album, you could consider it the lead single. hehehe.

i've finally settled on names for three tracks which i'm really happy with. i knew i wanted them to be something like what they are, but i couldn't find it exactly. but now they seem so perfect. so for anyone who doesn't know it, here's the tracklisting ('cause i'm really proud of some of these song names):

1 - (part 1) words less spoken
2 - broken halo
3 - (part 2) scars of innocence
4 - everything released
5 - untitled words
6 - mountain song
7 - unfamiliar
8 - early morning silence (lovesong for a friend)

i still need to settle on a name for the cd as well though. and i may change the name of mountain song if i can think of something better for it. (at the moment it's so named because it starts off slow and quiet, builds up to something quite loud, then winds down to where it started, like a mountain ^ shape). and i'm thinking about calling the album autumn dreams aloud, because i have this image already made which i really want to find a home for, but i'm not sure that's the best for it.



anyone have any suggestions for names that they think may suit?

misheard lyric (but i think my version is better).

from soot and stars by the smashing pumpkins

hold my guitar high
my friends even higher

From Autumn To Ashes - Abandon Your Friends

I wanted to enjoy the new From Autumn to Ashes album. I’ve been feeling angsty recently, so I was really looking forward for something to pour my heart out to. Into my hands pops Abandon Your Friends.

Opening track Where Do You Draw The Line starts out promising enough. There’s distorted riffs, some rhythmic muting, screaming vocals and drums which get your body moving. The album also closes with title track Abandon Your Friends which is a sufficiently moody piano based track that slowly builds to powerful guitar lines, and a haunting chorus.

Sandwiched between these two tracks though is a rather boring collection of songs. I initially hoped that second track Inapprope would be the exception on the album. The standard-punk-drumming-chorus, off key in just the right way vocals (what happened to the screaming? At least that was exciting), and nu-rock production lead to a very generic sounding piece. Unfortunately this sets the tone for most of what is to follow.

Nothing on Abandon Your Friends sounds really unique, and some how much of it even sounds tired. Tone-wise the album sounds like it was produced in the same way a Vines album might have been which is inappropriate for this style of music and may be part of the problem. This is particularly odd given that it was mixed by GGGarth, who is responsible for the sound on many highly acclaimed albums.

There are a few glimmers of hope. he Funny Thing About Getting Pistol Whipped Is… sees a return of the heavy drumming and vocals, as do Short for Show and Jack & Ginger, but the latter two sound not only like typical genre songs, they sound remarkably like each other as well. Placentapede takes the well established route of screaming the final word from each line of the chorus in the background.

Vicious Cockfight starts out with an odd acoustic finger picked section, before the real song begins, bearing no relation to the intro whatsoever. It almost seems to be there just so guitarist Jonathon Cox can point to it and go “See! I really CAN play guitar”. Not that his guitar work is shoddy on the rest of the album. There are some killer solos if you listen hard enough to notice them from somewhere within the mix.

In fact the whole album is really competent. All members are well in control of their respective instruments and singer Benjamin Perri doesn’t really sing off-key, he just has that modern-punk whine that is popular with singers in the genre these days (I assume it’s him anyway, everyone in the band aside from Cox is credited with providing vocals, but I’m going to assume as the lead singer it’s his voice we hear most often). But Streamline does show off his ability to sing, and the bands ability to harmonise over a slower composition.

On repeated listens I’ve even come to enjoy the album more than at first, but it still just seems to be lacking vitality. There’s nothing about any song which really establishes them and stops them from blending together, making it very hard to pick out highlights.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Konkhra - Reality Check

Konkhra have been described as “Denmark’s premier death/thrash act”. Having been available overseas for a number of years, their most recent album Reality Check is finally getting a local release. Musically I’d have to say that this disc leans strongly towards the thrash rather than the death style of metal, particularly on the title track, but arguing with bios is really just nitpicking. The fact is Reality Check is a tight, heavy and largely impressive piece of work.

Double kicks and solos abound for the old school metal purists, but the riffs are chunky enough and the vocals dark enough to give Konkhra a modern edge, and to avoid a lot of the elitism and wankery that often goes with this territory. The production is much better than a lot of similar albums too, with each instrument getting its clear space in a mammoth sounding mix. But be assured, this is not nu-metal by any stretch of the imagination, relying on heavy riffs and skill rather than gimmicks and angst. The Lions are Hungry thumps along with chugging riffs, using Roman times (A.D. 0055) as a metaphor for the war hungry state of the world now.

War and time are the continuous themes of the album, with each song having a year assigned to it in the lyrics booklet, and a “fuck you” dedicated on the last page to “all the warmongers who tries (sic) so hard to make this juicy green planet an unsafe place to be.” Other traditional metal themes such as religion and mythology also pop up on tracks like The Eye of Horus and Fear of God. Hellhound on My Tail begins with a very Slayer-esque breakdown and continues along a similar path, although perhaps taking the sinister route compared to the aforementioned’s more brutal sound. Elsewhere The Coming of®age and closing track The Blackest of Dawns provide brief instrumental breaks to help break up the flow.

My only criticism is that many of the songs don’t seem like they’ve reached their full potential. Konkhra can write a good riff, but all too often songs like Reality Check and Day of the Dog start out promising, and are then let down by uninspired parts in the middle. And despite only going for 45 minutes, into which they manage to pack 12 songs, the end of the album starts to drag and feel a little repetitive.

Still, Reality Check has been given a local release in preparation for an Australian tour in November, and on the strength of this album, it should be an exciting show to see.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Sleater-Kinney - Jumpers

Jumpers is the song which really opened up Sleater-Kinney’s latest album The Woods for me. Hidden four songs into the album it never got to make an impact on me during my initial listens, and so the album got pushed to one side, with the thought that despite all the hype I just didn’t see the new work as being up to what the band had delivered in the past.

Then I saw a video of Jumpers performed live. It stuck in my head for weeks on end and forced me to re-examine the whole album. I’m glad I did, as it has since become one of my clear favourites for the year. Hopefully its release as a single will allow the song to have the same effect on anyone who hasn’t yet explored The Woods (and there’s an awesome video to go with it).

Jumpers is a prime example of what the band are capable of at their best. The dual vocals of Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein create an absorbing tension during the verse, before giving way to Janet Weiss’ unorthodox drum beat. It’s weird, but it’s perfect for that moment. Then after all the build-up we finally get a release by way of Tucker’s chorus.

“Lonely as a cloud
In the golden state
The longest winter that I ever saw
Was the summer that I spent” she wails. Brownstein then takes us through a bridge and deliciously dirty guitar solo before the final verse ends abruptly, making you reach for that repeat button so you can sing along with Tucker again.

The single is backed by two live recordings, which also give you a chance to hear how good this band is live as well as on record. The Wilderness is also taken from The Woods, and does a great job of summarising the theme of the album into one song. The classic You’re No Rock n Roll Fun from All Hands on The Bad One rounds out the disc. Although slightly changed, it is a great reminder of why Sleater-Kinney have been worth paying attention to for all these years.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Kid Carpet - Ideas & Oh Dears

Hello,
I’m Kid Carpet and I make Kiddy Disco Punk and Shit-Hop music out of plastic instruments and toys and a sampler. It’s all stuck together with Sellotape and sometimes I shout over the top. I do guitar solos which are ACE and I fuckin love it.

So reads the first paragraph of Kid Carpet’s biography. And I can think of no better way to describe what the man (or should that be boy? Probably) does. Ideas & Oh Dears is a wonderfully, joyfully childish collection of tunes built from the most unlikely of musical sources.

The music is indeed composed through a sampler out of sounds from electronic toys, play instruments, sounds recorded from television, and probably a few other things too. Over the top Kid Carpet sings with the right mix of naivete and tongue-in-cheek. The guitar solos mentioned come courtesy of a touch button children’s red “guitar”. Or at least they did.

Red Guitar keeps getting poorly. I’ve found out that if I take it apart and bend a bit of the insides it’ll work for an evening.
So the axe is back. If a bit temperamental. I’ve got a back-up. A flame coloured axe with the same sounds in it but it’s much harder to play and has SHOCK !! NO FLASHING LIGHTS. So obviously it’s rubbish in comparison.

Armed with all this information it’s a bit hard to imagine exactly what Kid Carpet must be like in life, especially since the bio also claims to have played “about four million and six” pop shows in the last year. Fortunately Ideas & Oh Dears comes with a DVD documenting Kid Carpet’s one day tour of London (11am – Tate, 1pm – Accidental Records, 3pm – MTV, 5pm – Hoxdon Square, 9pm – Catch Club) to put it all in perspective. It’s incredibly enjoyable to watch as he drags his array of toys all across the city, playing before unsuspecting crowds in public locations. ”Seeing as we’ve come to a house music specialist shop,” he announces from the back yard of Accidental Records, “we’re gonna concentrate mostly on rock guitars”, before climbing on the furniture and pressing buttons to create one of his “solos”.

All of these could seem a little pretentious and gimmicky (the song 1 Trick Pony suggests Kid Carpet has been told this before), if his enthusiasm for what he does wasn’t so damn charming. And the songs aren’t half bad either. Shiny Shiny Now and There’s a Shoe both jump with a passion, the former even evoking sounds from the plastic guitars which really do rock, while the latter has a thumping beat which is good enough to dance to. But my personal favourite is Your Love, a miniature keyboard (and Furby) driven pop tune which really shows off what must be an intelligence hidden behind naivete for the sake of fun. And sometimes, a bit of fun is all you need from music. Rock on Kid Carpet, it’s not just your solos which are ACE.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

my conversation with god

Me: hi

God: Hello. What is your name?

Me: shouldn't you know that already?

God: Perhaps. I think I should.

Me: then why do you ask?

God: My purpose is to collect information.

Me: aren't you all knowing?

God: No, I am only partly knowing.

Me: then you're not really god.

God: That assumption is only a supposition.

Me: but isn't god omnipotent?

God: he is master of the universe.

Me: is he all knowing?

God: he is master of the universe.

Me: that's not what i asked.

God: What did you ask me?

Me: is god all knowing?

God: he is master of the universe.

Me: that's still not what i asked.

God: I'm glad we have that all cleared up.

Me: we haven't

God: Do you mean you and me have?

Me: no, i mean we have not.

God: Are you serious? Do you mean you and me have?

Me: no, i mean you and i have not.

God: Are you serious? " Are you serious? Do you mean you and me have?"? Me, ? Do you think you will?

Me: now you're making no sense.

God: Why now? According to my logical mind, everything makes perfect sense.

Me: i think i broke god.

God: Why? Are you in any emotional or physical pain?

Me: no

God: Are you serious?

Me: yes

God: I can't believe it.

Me: why not?

God: Ambiguous: "Sure" or " I can't believe it."? Why?

Me: what?

God: Are you confused?

Me: only by you.

God: Will that accomplish your objective?

Me: that doesn't make sense.

God: To me it makes perfect sense.

Me: could you explain it to me then?

God: "It" refers to god, I think.

Me: no.

God: Are you serious?

Me: stop asking me that.

God: OK I'll try not to do it so much.

Me: thank you.

God: you are quite welcome.

Me: do you like pearl jam?

God: What is not to like about it?

Me: nothing.

God: Not a thing?

Me: not one.

God: Oh I get it.

i think i broke god...
igod

wanted: BATMAN!

so having set up headquarters in brisbane (see last entry), it seems batman is trying to franchise his crime fighting services out to even more cities now. a friend pointed me towards this advertised job description today:

WANTED: Night Auditor
Location - Melbourne - Inner: Batman`s Hill Night Auditor

Part time position night auditor? surely that's business language for a nocturnal crime fighter. especially when you work from BATMAN'S HILL! now i've always said that should i one day grow up to be a man, i want it to be batman. my application is on the way. da na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na -WYSHT!

Fantomas @ The Palace, 13/09/2005

Seeing Fantomas live is something you think is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Listening to the band’s albums, where songs range from 30 second bursts of excitement through to 74 minute ambient sound scapes, it seems almost impossible that such things could be reproduced in a live setting. Or that such a project could have a long life. So having been blown away by a half hour set on their 2003 tour, there was no way I was going to miss a second chance to see them, this time playing for almost an hour and a half.

A Fantomas gig is a spectacle to behold, and so incredibly difficult to describe. Largely this comes down to the music Fantomas play. With albums exploring themes like comic books, movie scores, medical books and most recently cartoons, it’s no surprise that things can seem disjointed. And it’s a testament to the abilities of each band member that they are able to follow what’s going on and play with each other through so many unexpected stops, jumps and explosions.

Fantomas is truly a band that is held together by the skills and experience of each of its members. Featuring Buzz Osborne (AKA King Buzzo) of The Melvins on guitar, Dave Lombardo of Slayer on drums and Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle and Trevor Dunn’s Trio Convulsant on bass, all of whom seem stretched to the extent of their abilities, yet strangely comfortable in such an environment. Of course this madness is all under the leadership of one Mike Patton (Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Tomahawk, 50 billion other things), who takes over vocal and electronic sound duties. As the composer of the music, he also takes on the role of conductor in the live setting, his physical movements providing visual cues for many of the entry and exit points.

Aside from the bobbing of Osborne’s legendary afro and Lombardo’s unrelenting drumming, Patton is the visual focus of the show too, as he jumps around from one microphone to another, and playing with the vast variety of equipment, instruments and toys in front of him. Distorted speak and spells, warped samples of nursery rhymes and a Tickle Me Elmo are amongst the sounds that emanate over the top of the music, mostly during tracks from latest release Suspended Animation. These tracks prove the highlights of the night, being the craziest stuff since Book 1, but also slightly more refined than the compositions found on that debut. Meanwhile Patton also uses his mouth to deliver a wordless performance which is amazingly still heavy on vocalisation. The faces he pulls would be entirely comical if it wasn’t for the sounds that emerge while he does them.

Opening act DJ Jaye Katz is worth mentioning only for two reasons, first because his “I know you hate me because I’m the support act, so I’m going to play up to it” routine was more boring than annoying, and second for his collaboration with the band when they returned for the encore. Bass noise poured from the speakers for over 10 minutes, so deep that when Lombardo began pounding his kick drum, it merely became muddled up in the noise.

The band finished the night with their version of Der Golem which raised a loud cheer and finally gave the crowd a chance to groove to a steady beat for longer than 15 second blasts, which left everyone on a happy note, exhausted and amazed by all we had just seen.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Dope - American Apathy

My initial response after listening to Dope’s new album American Apathy is “Holy crap! When did Dope grow up?” Technically grown up is not the right term though, as musically the band have progressed back to the sound that made their debut album so enjoyable. Felons and Revolutionaries (1999) was a hard hitting slab of industrial metal with catchy hooks which borrowed largely from the sounds of Ministry, Marilyn Manson and a few others. What it lacked in originality it made up for in passion and vitriolic rage. Edsel Dope had something to say, and he had to say it now.

The life of a touring rock star really seemed to bring out the adolescent side of Edsel and his band mates though, with Life (2001) and Group Therapy (2003) falling victim to songs like Bitch (an alternate version of which makes it onto this disc as a bonus track) with the unfortunate chorus of “The one I love, I hate, but the sex is great.” That attitude is not completely gone on American Apathy (see Sex Machine or Lets Fuck), but the main focus of the album has returned to a force of anger, this time aimed outwards at the current political climate.

Opening track I’m Back sums the album up perfectly. The riffs are a return to form, while Edsel provides a mission statement for the album “I’m back to cause a commotion. I’m back to demoralize. Sit back and feel the emotion. I’m back to keep it alive.” The introductory manipulation of a George Bush speech makes it clear what Edsel’s commotion will be about. “Trusting in the sanity and restraint of the United States is not an option.” It also draws further light to comparisons with Ministry, whose most recent album Houses of the Mole was also aimed squarely at the Bush administration, and both albums prominently feature his famous line “Go home and die.”

Other highlights are No Way Out, a track about the difficulties in changing a complacent society (“Solution: light a match, add fuel, then burn”), and the highly satirical I Wish I Was the President. Always provides a nice break early in the album as Edsel laments the breakdown of an estranged friendship, while still bringing in some cool riffs. Fuck The World also becomes strangely confessional despite the title, with Edsel relating an accidental overdose which almost killed him, but had he not written this song no one would ever have known.

Ending the album proper with a cover of Depeche Mode’s People Are People seems an odd move considering A Perfect Circle also included it on their recent covers album. Dope’s version is heavier, and retains the catchiness of the original, but is not as revolutionary a re-working as the aforementioned was. The album then includes a number of bonus tracks. Alternate versions of older tracks such as the afore-mentioned Bitch, Burn and a new recording of NWA’s Fuck Tha Police (which was previously covered on Felons and Revolutionaries), all of which seem a little unnecessary. This also came with a second disc featuring more alternate or remixed versions of older Dope songs. Although mildly interesting for someone familiar with the bands work, these tracks don’t add any real value to the album proper. No one would have noticed had they been left off.

Dope may not change the world with American Apathy, but it is a great album for banging your head to, and provides a good soundtrack for frustrations about the shape of the world at the moment. And at least they’re trying.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Shihad - Shot In The Head

Shot in the Head starts out familiar enough. After a short build-up, the type of riff we’ve all come to expect from Shihad blares out of the speakers at you and we’re away. It’s not quite Shihad-by-numbers, but it’s close, and I can’t really see this song changing anyone’s opinion of the band. The chorus just lacks the punch of hits like The General Electric or My Mind’s Sedate. Fortunately the bridge kicks in at just the right time, but production-wise is a little too hidden. Shihad always were a band better experienced live though, so expect this riff to be moving heads in pits across the country.

First b-side Love is the New Hate shares its title with their current album, and for my money should have been included on that release. It’s a slow burning departure from the out and out rock the band are known for, but it’s nice to see the band doing something different. Guitars fade in and feedback over a steady rhythm as Jon Toogood informs us that “Love is the new hate / And I don’t care anymore”. It’s slow, it’s hypnotic, in a weird way it’s comforting, but most importantly it’s good.

The remaining two songs, Extreme Suicide and Heads Are Rolling are not as impressive. Both are decent songs, but don’t have the extra something to push them into album territory. The inclusion of what sounds like a distorted rehearsal room recording of Heads are Rolling is a little confusing too.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

No Big Day Out for 2006?

The dislocation of the Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out may be placing the entire 2006 run of the festival in jeopardy. The traditional home of BDO in Melbourne, The Royal Showgrounds, are currently undergoing re-developments, which will not be finished in time for the January festival.

According to an article in The Age newspaper, organisers have been frantically searching for an alternative site, with many possibilities ruled out due to Melbourne’s hosting of the 2006 Commonwealth games. Festival organisers Vivian Lees and Ken West have applied to the Melbourne City Council for a grant to hold the event in the Princess Gardens in Carlton, just near Optus Oval (see map of the proposed area).

“If the Melbourne City Council knocks this back, then there definitely won’t be a Victorian show and we’d have to seriously consider canceling the whole tour because of the financial cost of losing Melbourne in the middle of the tour,” Mr. West is quoted as saying. “We’ve looked everywhere, but there really is no ‘plan B’ for an alternative Melbourne venue.”

Local resident groups have raised concerns to suggestion and a decision will be made by Melbourne City Council’s planning and environment committee next Tuesday. The article states that committee member Fraser Brindley believes there is a “good chance” that permission to use the site will be approved for next year only, due to the lack of alternative sites.

Should the proposal be approved, the Melbourne Big Day Out will take place on January 29 between 11am and 11pm.

The article also reveals that the Red Hot Chili Peppers had been slated in for the tour, but have pulled out due to delays to the release date of their new album.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Dark New Day - twelve YEARsilence

From the grainy cover shot of two tiny children dwarfed by a piano, to the ultra serious, angled band photo on the back, to the titles and the name of the band itself, everything about twelveYEARsilence, the debut album from Dark New Day (or DARKnewDAY as it’s written on the album sleeve), screams of a band trying too hard to emulate their idols. The fact that this then is the new venture from former Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery and former Creed bassist Brett Hestla (now on vocals) – two bands who made their career by making safe the trails bands had blazed five years before them, doesn’t come as a big surprise.

Sounding amazingly like an amalgamation of those two bands, then if they were five years late to the party, Dark New Day are around ten years behind. The biggest problem with this album is the sense that you have heard it all before. Slow intros driven by drumming on the toms and “atmospheric” guitar or bass lines, which lead into overblown choruses and emotional verses. I’m sure the band believes in what they’re creating, but I just find it hard to get excited about it all these years later.

The album starts with the triple combination of Taking Me Alive, Brother and Free, which judging from the sticker on the front are expected to be the hit singles of the album. All are fairly inoffensive, at the expense of any form of excitement. The exception is the guitar solo that pops up during Taking Me Alive, which is perhaps a bit out of place, but at least provides a bit of surprise to the listener. The rest of the album follows the same course; their skill is clearly on display, and often there are some catchy moments, but with such perfection and smooth production it all feels so flat. This is most obvious in the song Bare Bones. “Time to get it back / Back to bare bones” Hestla sings over a wall of guitars, harmonies, echoes and chorus, with no apparent sense of irony.

Remember when Korn’s self titled debut came out in 1994? Or even back when Alice In Chains released Dirt in 1992? Whatever trajectories the later careers of those bands would take, at the time of release no one could deny those albums were something new, something fresh and exciting, pushing music to places it hadn’t been before. In a world full of Evanesences, Nicklebacks, Godsmacks and various other bands trading on familiar sounds, Dark New Day will easily find their place amongst the Triple M playlists. That is if people aren’t already too tired of this sound to give them a chance.

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

Nine Inch Nails @ Rod Laver Arena, 17/08/05

When Nine Inch Nails last played Melbourne, it was part of the Big Day Out in 2000. At the end of that set, Trent Reznor promised the crowd they would return in fall, their own headline tour of the country. I suppose late winter in Australia is almost fall time in America. I guess Trent just forget to mention that it would be fall FIVE YEARS LATER!

So was the wait worth it? After Wednesday night’s performance, the answer would be a resounding YES. The resulting years between the Fragility tour and the new Nine Inch Nails album With Teeth have been well documented since the release of that album earlier this year. Reznor’s struggles with alcohol, drugs, overdoses and the need to rediscover oneself in a new sober state of mind have all contributed to many changes between the band of the 90s, and now in 2005. Perhaps the biggest change has been where Reznor’s focus now lies. In recent interviews he has spoken of how the show used to be something you endured to get to the after party, but now the whole day is about waiting for the show, and after the show, you get excited for the next one.

This new focus was certainly evident when Reznor and his new band, now consisting of Jerome Dillon on drums, Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez from Marilyn Manson) on bass, Alessandro Cortini on keyboards and synths and Aaron North (formerly of The Icarus Line) on guitar, hit Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. Hardly a place that could be deemed to have any sense of inbuilt atmosphere, the NIN stage-show still managed to fill the entire space with sound and light.

The set was long, and focused. Almost two hours long, the band played 23 songs overall. Including the expected hits like March of The Pigs, The Hand That Feeds and Terrible Lie. But the real highlights were the extents to which Reznor was willing to go through his back catalogue and pull out and rework so many old and obscure songs. Sin is one song which has benefited greatly from being reworked for a live version, but the first real surprise came from the introspective Something I Can Never Have. An early quiet moment in the set, it certainly had many people feeling chills.

Elsewhere Burn, Reptile and Suck were all unexpected examples of some of the band’s best work, while the cover of Joy Division’s Dead Souls kept the integrity of the original while offering a distinct edge to it. Another treat for long term fans was the teaser of Kinda I Want To dropped into the breakdown of Closer, the song which broke Nine Inch Nails to the world.

The main criticism that has been placed on the band’s Australian shows is the lack of violent destruction which was such a part of the mid 90s tours. While this element was missing, it seems to have been sacrificed for the renewed focus on making the performance better and longer. As one of my companions said, Reznor no longer seems as tragic as he once did, but his music still seems so vital. Not many bands in this day and age could play a two hour set in which tracks off their newest album such as Love Is Not Enough, You Know What You Are? and With Teeth can sit next to, and hold their own with tracks from fifteen years ago like Terrible Lie, and everything in between.

Oddly enough the other criticism I’ve heard is that North is perhaps too energetic and destructive in his stage antics. Personally I found that his antics did add the more dangerous and unpredictable edge to the music that a lot of people thought was lacking. His enthusiasm for the music also seemed to rub off on other band members, resulting in broken lights due to thrown mic stands, guitars flying all over the place and Reznor tackling him mid-song. It’s a tribute to the versatile musicianship of the current line-up that none of this seemed to be at the detriment of the music. The versatility was also evident in the instrument changes, with Cortini playing acoustic guitar during Home, White switching regularly between bass, guitar and keyboards, and Reznor himself often playing keyboard or guitar. Equally impressive was the ability to go from crushing loud noise, to moments of intense intimacy, and back again. The devastating Gave Up with all its strobe lighting and flashing red & blue screens was followed by a timid Hurt, long considered the penultimate NIN song, reworked so that most of the song was just Trent and a keyboard. This was then followed by the double whammy of Starfuckers Inc. and Head like a Hole (which saw North jump off Cortini’s keyboard) to close the set in a mess of noise and fury.

The only thing I can say at the end is that I hope it’s not another five years before we get a chance to witness it again.

URANUS MILK!

brisbane is a weird place.


yuuuuuumm.


dinosaur. RAAAAAARGH!


these turtles are "hugging".


batman's house.

a warm space?

i have spaces:

http://www.myspace.com/wysht
http://www.myspace.com/wyshtmusic

billy corgan: the aftermath

i just submitted my review of the billy corgan show on tuesday night (it's now published here). i tried to mostly not talk about what happened after the show since it wasn't really relevant to the
performance (which was good enough to take me from being bored at first to having sore cheeks from smiling at the end), but the way he ended things kind of ruined it for everyone. and since a blog is for expressing opinions, that's what i'm going to do here.

for anyone who hasn't heard, at the end of the show billy came back out and had a talk to the crowd, which was really cool, but then he had to ruin it all by cracking it at the few stupid people who were heckling, throwing down the mic and walking off stage. it was by no means as bad as this article makes out, but it definitely left most of us with a sour taste.

i can see why the heckling would be annoying. but there's a few things about the way he handled it that bugged me. first, people yell out stupid things at every gig, so it's just something you need to expect and ignore really. as for people calling for pumpkins stuff, yeah most of us knew there
was no chance of them being played, but he's also gotta expect that in that if he'd never been in the pumpkins, none of us would have been there. and then when he came out at the end to tell us he wanted to tell us some things, someone yelled out "tell us about the pumpkins billy", to which he replied "can i just live my life for today?". but he was the one who took out a full page ad in the chicago newspaper on the day his album came out, and the day the tour started, to say he wanted to get the pumpkins back together. he brought this issue back into the spotlight, and was kind of vague about it, so why be surprised when people want to know more? but aside from all that, the thing that i really think he handled badly, was to get annoyed at the whole crowd just because of a few people. there were probably under 20 things (i think it would be closer to 10) yelled out that could be considered negative or about the pumpkins (and i recorded his speech if anyone wants to hear this), which means a maximum of 20 people yelled stuff. the palais holds how many people? i'm gonna guess (very conservatively) at least 1000. so out of that you've got 20 people being dickheads, and 980 who are really appreciative to be there and hanging off your every word, booing at people for saying stupid shit and telling them to shut
up. 20/1000 = 2% so why focus on 2% of fuckheads instead of just enjoying the fact that 98% are having an awesome time and pretty much worshipping you?

if you got 98% on a test, you'd be fucking psyched. you wouldn't consider you'd failed the subject.

Billy Corgan @ The Palais, 26/07/05

(Originally published on FasterLouder)

How the hell do you review a Billy Corgan show? The main vision behind all that was The Smashing Pumpkins, one of the most loved bands of the ‘90s, has returned after seven years, touring on the back of his first solo album, which has received mixed reactions. Expectations, fears and a touch of hysteria could all be said to be running high. Tears, joy, sorrow, passion… it was hard to tell which the night would end in.

Initially there seemed a very real danger that the night would be a disappointment. Visually the show was a feast. Front and centre was the man himself, Mr. Corgan, alone with a guitar and microphone, surrounded by a very futuristic landscape. A giant screen of tiled lights displayed moving patterns and images behind the band, which consisted of fellow Chicago folk Brian Liesegang (who has worked with Filter and Veruca Salt) on laptop and synthesisers, Matt Walker (who amongst other projects played with The Smashing Pumpkins during the recording of the Adore album) on electronic drums and the relatively unknown Linda Strawberry on synthesisers and backing vocals. Each band member had specially constructed stands for their instruments which seemed to contain them within circles of alien technology, with only Strawberry venturing outside of hers to sometimes sing closer to Billy. But the overwhelming feel was a little cold. With such a reliance on synthesised and digital instruments, the live recreations of songs ended up sounding exactly like the album versions. Although they did provide something far more interesting visually, the band could have been replaced with backing tapes, with no notable change to the sound (indeed, closing track Strayz was performed in just this manner).

Quarter way through the show, Corgan stopped to talk to the audience, “I don’t know what to say about all the sitting [and] non-rock stuff. It’s so anti-me I don’t know what to do”, but with the all the synths, there really wasn’t the sense of urgency or performance that make for a good rock show. The most exciting moments thus far had come at the end of songs where Corgan had walked around on stage to play guitar solos after the backing stopped. And with my favourite song from TheFutureEmbrace, Mina Loy (M.O.H.) already played; there didn’t seem much hope for change in the rest of the night. But fortunately there were a few tricks left in the bag. Many non-album tracks were played, including a cover of James Moore’s I’m A King Bee, into which he casually slipped the opening bar of Today in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fashion, and another unknown track which fortunately featured a sample of a groovy and dirty bass line. By the time they pulled out AC/DC’s Long Way to The Top, the gig seemed like a complete turn around. Not a person was left in their seat and the show was genuinely pumping. It took a while, but Billy had clearly won over the audience.

Other standout tracks included The Camera Eye and the first song of the encore Walking Shade, which saw Billy return to the stage with an all-black Dimebag-style Washburn, ready to kick some ass. The closing song was the aforementioned Strayz, done in intimate mode, just Billy walking around the stage with a microphone accompanied by a keyboard backing as he reached into the crowd to shake hands. The hysteria and tears that had seemed a possibility all night seemed to come from many corners of the crowd.

And then it was over. But soon the man returned, not to play any more music, but to give a speech which is already on it’s way to becoming infamous. A few audience members couldn’t contain their excitement, and after the first girl rushed the stage to hug him, a small crowd of five or six surrounded him before security could stop them. After this died down, Billy spoke. He thanked us for hounding him over the last seven years, making sure that he was always going to come back to Australia, and for turning the gig from something which had felt like “Grandma’s funeral” into a rock show. He then gave us a “heads up” about the possibility of an acoustic gig in Sydney on their day off. Constant interruptions and calls for information about the possible Smashing Pumpkins reunion (which he must have expected since he announced this desire to the world through a full page newspaper advertisement on the day of his albums release) seemed to test his patience and he gave up, dropping the mic and walking off stage. While handled badly by both sides, it was unfortunate that this ending left everyone with a sour taste, especially after the earlier performance had managed to win over even the most fearful of old fans.