I hear about all kinds of stuff that is supposedly in some sort of 1990's "revival', and usually, it just sounds reminiscent of 1 or 2 bands, or of 1 microgenre. This new CD by the Cribs really does sound like the 1990's- I hear echoes of everything from The Pixies, Pavement, Guided By Voices, You Am I, Teenage Fanclub, Shellac, and Nirvana to The Vines, and Dinosaur. Add all that up, and try to stick with 1 or 2 years in the 1990's, I dares ya!
Of course none of that would mean much if they didn't have killer songs, but they really do- I can totally see what both Johnny Marr and Lee Ranaldo saw in these kids.
It's poppy loud alt rock, and I like it. Look, if you like about half the bands I listed above, listen to it. If you like more than half, buy it. I don't see any point is deconstructing it, it's just a really good, really smart, really catchy rock record with a slightly skewed perspective. It's wonderful.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The Whole Tom Gabel Thing
I don't really have much of a comment. If he's serious, and he wants to be a she, for sincere and honest reasons, well, then, don't let any of us stop you, go forth as you will. I still have my doubts that this is the case. Beardly Folk-punks gone pop punk married with small children don't exactly fit the demographic of the Trans folks I've known, but it's a big world, I could be wrong. I've also never known a trans who didn't "experiment" first, then make the transition quietly. Considering there are no photos I've seen where Tom is showing any feminine traits, nor is there a known history of sexual experimentation, and there's this big announcement, out of the blue, with only 1 verse in 1 song as a "sign", I really do have my doubts about the reality of this.
So, if this is some kind of stunt- maybe even well-intentioned- I'm not the biggest fan of Against Me!, so I can't say I'd care all that much. But, it would pretty much rule out your Career, as an earnest "authentic' musician.
That having said, I'm posting this more or less because of the massive reaction this announcement has created.
Everything from really extreme antipathy, to dogmatic expression of faith. What I haven't seen in all that is anything like my reaction. So I'm adding it.
I'm totally comfortable being a dude. I don't think I'm exactly a Manly man, nor am I a boy, nor am I a guy or a bro, I'm what gets called a Dude, and I'm good with that. I'm married, with a grown son, and all that, and I also know what it's like to kiss a man, and to wear a dress. I also have many family members and friends who lives totally different lives from me- and yes, that includes transgendered people. Mostly, for those who choose different paths from me, I understand at least a little bit about why they would choose differently from me. As for being judgemental, well, that's more about the individual than whatever group they might be identifying. ( This is reason #486 why I hate the whole "identity politics" thing. Just because you're a "Queer Afro-Asian Person of Colour" doesn't mean a thing about how smart, or right, or nice you are, all of which is far more important than what gender, orientation, or race you happen to be labelled) . But, the path I understand the least is the "transformer"- I don't just mean transgendered, or coming out of the closet as gay later in life, although they're part of this- I mean anyone who follows first one life then, abruptly, exchanges it for another. I'm not saying that I am judging such changes, because I've made a few changes myself, I'm saying I am mystified by them. To this day, I couldn't tell you why I gave up running a radio station, and leaving the west coast for life in the rural east. I don't fully understand it, myself. I can point to a couple of specific things, and I can give you an over generalization, like I just didn't feel like it was the life for me, but I cannot claim to understand. So much the more then, that I cannot understand why someone who's a husband and a father would want to change their gender. I just don't understand it. I could understand with someone like, say- ok, here's a scenario- Kurt Cobain. Let's say he, instead of shooting himself, came out as transgendered, at that time in his life. It would make some sense to me- the self-loathing, the identification with -ahem- "strong" women like Courtney, the obvious dissatisfaction with his own body- all of it would click into place. But, with this guy, by all accounts, he appears to be in a good place. There's no suicidal impulses, no self-destruction, and so on. This would seem like a sudden turn, and that I don't understand.
You can call me every name in the book, but that won't make me understand. So this is the comment that I'd like to see addressed in our media- Why?
So, if this is some kind of stunt- maybe even well-intentioned- I'm not the biggest fan of Against Me!, so I can't say I'd care all that much. But, it would pretty much rule out your Career, as an earnest "authentic' musician.
That having said, I'm posting this more or less because of the massive reaction this announcement has created.
Everything from really extreme antipathy, to dogmatic expression of faith. What I haven't seen in all that is anything like my reaction. So I'm adding it.
I'm totally comfortable being a dude. I don't think I'm exactly a Manly man, nor am I a boy, nor am I a guy or a bro, I'm what gets called a Dude, and I'm good with that. I'm married, with a grown son, and all that, and I also know what it's like to kiss a man, and to wear a dress. I also have many family members and friends who lives totally different lives from me- and yes, that includes transgendered people. Mostly, for those who choose different paths from me, I understand at least a little bit about why they would choose differently from me. As for being judgemental, well, that's more about the individual than whatever group they might be identifying. ( This is reason #486 why I hate the whole "identity politics" thing. Just because you're a "Queer Afro-Asian Person of Colour" doesn't mean a thing about how smart, or right, or nice you are, all of which is far more important than what gender, orientation, or race you happen to be labelled) . But, the path I understand the least is the "transformer"- I don't just mean transgendered, or coming out of the closet as gay later in life, although they're part of this- I mean anyone who follows first one life then, abruptly, exchanges it for another. I'm not saying that I am judging such changes, because I've made a few changes myself, I'm saying I am mystified by them. To this day, I couldn't tell you why I gave up running a radio station, and leaving the west coast for life in the rural east. I don't fully understand it, myself. I can point to a couple of specific things, and I can give you an over generalization, like I just didn't feel like it was the life for me, but I cannot claim to understand. So much the more then, that I cannot understand why someone who's a husband and a father would want to change their gender. I just don't understand it. I could understand with someone like, say- ok, here's a scenario- Kurt Cobain. Let's say he, instead of shooting himself, came out as transgendered, at that time in his life. It would make some sense to me- the self-loathing, the identification with -ahem- "strong" women like Courtney, the obvious dissatisfaction with his own body- all of it would click into place. But, with this guy, by all accounts, he appears to be in a good place. There's no suicidal impulses, no self-destruction, and so on. This would seem like a sudden turn, and that I don't understand.
You can call me every name in the book, but that won't make me understand. So this is the comment that I'd like to see addressed in our media- Why?
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Simple
I have a fairly complex brain, I think. I can handle contradictions, paradoxes, and multi facets. That's not bragging, because I bet that's true for most folks. So, why is pop culture marketed in such a linear, boxed-in fashion? It's like someone, somewhere, decided that we, as people can only handle one thing at a time. We can't like both emotionally tangled Kitchen-sink dramas and big high concept action flicks? We can't like primitive country blues and over-produced techno?
I don't believe that it's anything so conscious as that. I think there are multiple factors, both from above, and below. On the one hand, it's difficult to sell two or three thoughts at the same time, but on the other hand, people like belonging to easily identifiable tribes. Also, it's near impossible to have the obsessive levels of concentration necessary to create actual Art, and switch focus mid stream. So, while we as people are complex, our Art tends to get simplified.
Still, I really like hybrids, mash ups, crossover, and so on. That's the case with both CDs I'm listening to, today. I don't think of either one as a "must have" but there are enjoyable parts to either.
First, I just got the new Tragedy Cd, Darker Days Ahead. For a Sludge punk band, this sure is some fine Doom metal... I know, I know, obvious joke, but there's something to it: Tragedy have gone further and further into doom territory from CD to CD. This new one is actually pushing through doom, all the way over to more or less Stoner rock territory at times. The vocals are about the only thing truly in Sludge territory, the majority of the music is in melancholy Doom lands, but sometimes there's a improvisatory looseness that reminds me of Stoner rock. So, it actually reminds me of my entry point into all these microgenres: early Kylesa. I know that the influence goes the other way around, but as a listener, it sounds to me like Tragedy have been listening to "To walk a Middle Course" and are trying to bring that into their sound.
Then, I finally caved in, and got the Djerv CD. I say caved in, because there are so many things to dislike about the band- Agnete has Euro Rock Chick disease on her clean vocals ( her growls are another matter altogether), the stuff is over-produced beyond recognition ( recorded, engineered and mastered by three different guys on two different continents? really??? What next, gonna get Swizz Beatz and Diplo to do remixes?) and Death Metal pedigrees actually put me off. But, the songs are really strong, in a HIM, Tiamat, and (less) Lacuna Coil kind of "blackened Pop" kind of way. Also, Agnete's growl/scream is exactly up my alley. So, in that fashion is a hybrid of a different sort- stuff I don't like mixed with stuff I do- so yes, it took me a year to cave in and buy the CD.
Now that I have, I think it's exactly where Metal should go. See, as I keep on saying, I'm not much of a Metal head, so this would probably go down like a lead Zeppelin (hehe) but all the "extreme" stuff in Metal: the seven string guitars, the 30 minute guitar solos, the blast beats, the gargled vocals, and so on- they all seem like gimmicks to me. So, whereas most of metal is hung up on what I'd call gimmicks, so much so that there's no music left. Djerv, on the other hand, start with solid rock songs, then add those extreme metal touches exactly like I see them- as gimmicks. Still, they're Metal at heart- considering that they do a better version of "Symphony of Destruction" than Megadeth do. So, we're back to my thoughts about simplification and complexity. I think that because Djerv are making music that's real, and direct to them, they can cut through the various levels of hype and genre to communicate what I think Metal should say- this is rock music brought up to the Nth degree. If you have to simplify my tastes, I guess that's about as best as I can do...
I don't believe that it's anything so conscious as that. I think there are multiple factors, both from above, and below. On the one hand, it's difficult to sell two or three thoughts at the same time, but on the other hand, people like belonging to easily identifiable tribes. Also, it's near impossible to have the obsessive levels of concentration necessary to create actual Art, and switch focus mid stream. So, while we as people are complex, our Art tends to get simplified.
Still, I really like hybrids, mash ups, crossover, and so on. That's the case with both CDs I'm listening to, today. I don't think of either one as a "must have" but there are enjoyable parts to either.
First, I just got the new Tragedy Cd, Darker Days Ahead. For a Sludge punk band, this sure is some fine Doom metal... I know, I know, obvious joke, but there's something to it: Tragedy have gone further and further into doom territory from CD to CD. This new one is actually pushing through doom, all the way over to more or less Stoner rock territory at times. The vocals are about the only thing truly in Sludge territory, the majority of the music is in melancholy Doom lands, but sometimes there's a improvisatory looseness that reminds me of Stoner rock. So, it actually reminds me of my entry point into all these microgenres: early Kylesa. I know that the influence goes the other way around, but as a listener, it sounds to me like Tragedy have been listening to "To walk a Middle Course" and are trying to bring that into their sound.
Then, I finally caved in, and got the Djerv CD. I say caved in, because there are so many things to dislike about the band- Agnete has Euro Rock Chick disease on her clean vocals ( her growls are another matter altogether), the stuff is over-produced beyond recognition ( recorded, engineered and mastered by three different guys on two different continents? really??? What next, gonna get Swizz Beatz and Diplo to do remixes?) and Death Metal pedigrees actually put me off. But, the songs are really strong, in a HIM, Tiamat, and (less) Lacuna Coil kind of "blackened Pop" kind of way. Also, Agnete's growl/scream is exactly up my alley. So, in that fashion is a hybrid of a different sort- stuff I don't like mixed with stuff I do- so yes, it took me a year to cave in and buy the CD.
Now that I have, I think it's exactly where Metal should go. See, as I keep on saying, I'm not much of a Metal head, so this would probably go down like a lead Zeppelin (hehe) but all the "extreme" stuff in Metal: the seven string guitars, the 30 minute guitar solos, the blast beats, the gargled vocals, and so on- they all seem like gimmicks to me. So, whereas most of metal is hung up on what I'd call gimmicks, so much so that there's no music left. Djerv, on the other hand, start with solid rock songs, then add those extreme metal touches exactly like I see them- as gimmicks. Still, they're Metal at heart- considering that they do a better version of "Symphony of Destruction" than Megadeth do. So, we're back to my thoughts about simplification and complexity. I think that because Djerv are making music that's real, and direct to them, they can cut through the various levels of hype and genre to communicate what I think Metal should say- this is rock music brought up to the Nth degree. If you have to simplify my tastes, I guess that's about as best as I can do...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Silversun Pickups -Neck of the Woods
I just got the CD today. I've only listened to it 1 time. So, here are some thoughts, call it a review only if you're very brave.
I am a fan of Silversun Pickups, and not a fan of Smashing Pumpkins, but even I can hear the vocal similarities between Brian Aubert and Billy Corgan. That having said, I don't think there are any real parallels musically between the bands that aren't better drawn between other bands. Mostly, the past records have reminded me of The Comas. This new one is different than that. Honestly, I hear connections with another contemporary band- The Twilight Sad. Not quite caught up to the new record, but along the same melancholy atmospheric vibe. What that says is that it's darker, more moody, more minor key, with a more synthetic beat. The guitars are less of a fuzzed out blur, and more skeletal twang, with bursts of distortion, like angry fits, as opposed to the out-of- focus shoegazing comforter of sound they've done before. They keyboards are less melodic, more noisey. I like it, a lot. Maybe more than the last record. I like icy electronics, meet raw guitars. Heck, listen to old Tubeway Army records- that's the new Wave sound that half my generation fell in love with- so I don't think my aesthetics are very far removed from normal. What makes it a little more odd is the nakedness of some of the loops, the glitchiness of the noises, and the almost atonal guitars stuffed under honey sweet melodies ( as opposed to the Spun sugar melodies they've used before)
Oh, and the packaging, something I almost never mention in most CD releases, is gorgeous- wonderfully still photos, almost on the edge of offering some kind of narrative form, but still oblique- just so, so pretty.
So, on first impression, I think this may lose some of the American audience, but gain some European respect. I can see them on a bill with Twillight Sad, White Lies, Editors, dEUS, Kashmir, and Silence is Sexy. That's a much better crowd than Smashing Pumpkins, any day.
I am a fan of Silversun Pickups, and not a fan of Smashing Pumpkins, but even I can hear the vocal similarities between Brian Aubert and Billy Corgan. That having said, I don't think there are any real parallels musically between the bands that aren't better drawn between other bands. Mostly, the past records have reminded me of The Comas. This new one is different than that. Honestly, I hear connections with another contemporary band- The Twilight Sad. Not quite caught up to the new record, but along the same melancholy atmospheric vibe. What that says is that it's darker, more moody, more minor key, with a more synthetic beat. The guitars are less of a fuzzed out blur, and more skeletal twang, with bursts of distortion, like angry fits, as opposed to the out-of- focus shoegazing comforter of sound they've done before. They keyboards are less melodic, more noisey. I like it, a lot. Maybe more than the last record. I like icy electronics, meet raw guitars. Heck, listen to old Tubeway Army records- that's the new Wave sound that half my generation fell in love with- so I don't think my aesthetics are very far removed from normal. What makes it a little more odd is the nakedness of some of the loops, the glitchiness of the noises, and the almost atonal guitars stuffed under honey sweet melodies ( as opposed to the Spun sugar melodies they've used before)
Oh, and the packaging, something I almost never mention in most CD releases, is gorgeous- wonderfully still photos, almost on the edge of offering some kind of narrative form, but still oblique- just so, so pretty.
So, on first impression, I think this may lose some of the American audience, but gain some European respect. I can see them on a bill with Twillight Sad, White Lies, Editors, dEUS, Kashmir, and Silence is Sexy. That's a much better crowd than Smashing Pumpkins, any day.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
G8 in Frederick County, yeah!
So, are you one of those who travels around to protest the various G8 summits? Well, then you probably already know that the next one is on the 18th and 19th at Camp David, and, unless you have a death wish, that means your protest will have to be in Frederick Maryland.
So, Hi! I live in Frederick County, and I'm actually sympathetic to your cause. However, that makes me a bit rare, here. This is a pretty conservative, pretty republican area. Even if Frederick, as a city, is trying to put on the appearance of a liberal, Artsy College town, the truth is- this is Tea Party country.
So, a few tips-
1. Tread lightly. You're behind enemy lines, here.
2. We've got a wannabe Joe Arpaio in Sheriff Chuck Jenkins. Don't count on Law enforcement to see things your way. You might make for a good headline.
3. That having said, there are a few places in town where they'll be a little more friendly to you-
The Common Market, MOM, The Frederick Coffee Company and Hood College but I said a "little" more friendly. Keep that in mind
4. If you're planning on camping- may I suggest Gathland State park. You should be able to find some spots here, and hey, that's Blair Witch territory.
5. and Finally- keep in mind, if you want a mass movement, you have to appeal to the masses. Keep it friendly.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
I never hated Coldplay. They seemed a bit 'chick rock'- not in a lilith fair kinda way, which would actually be halfway cool, more in a cynical Christopher Cross kind of way. But, not offensive, not evil. That changes, now. The cover of Fight for Your Right (to Party)? Loathsome. Utterly degenerate.
First of all, it's like doing a memorial to the Pope by re-enacting the Spanish Inquisition. Yes, in either case, a major event, but not exactly what either party would want to remember. Beyond that, let the guy have a moment. If you're gonna play his song, play it his way.
But, we all really know why they played that song, that way, don't we? It was the song the most audience members would know, and played in the Coldplay "formula" so that the audience could feel like Coldplay were being "heartfelt"- That's pure cynical manipulation.
On top of that, it's emphasizing the worst part of Coldplay's sound- hopelessly simplistic melodies, with narcotic overtones- like Pink Floyd at their worst. It's bad music, played for bad motives. No, thank you.
First of all, it's like doing a memorial to the Pope by re-enacting the Spanish Inquisition. Yes, in either case, a major event, but not exactly what either party would want to remember. Beyond that, let the guy have a moment. If you're gonna play his song, play it his way.
But, we all really know why they played that song, that way, don't we? It was the song the most audience members would know, and played in the Coldplay "formula" so that the audience could feel like Coldplay were being "heartfelt"- That's pure cynical manipulation.
On top of that, it's emphasizing the worst part of Coldplay's sound- hopelessly simplistic melodies, with narcotic overtones- like Pink Floyd at their worst. It's bad music, played for bad motives. No, thank you.
Friday, May 4, 2012
For Fellow Travellers
Adam Yauch. You already know why. Here's why you should spare him a moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64lWVE3Tg2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf1YF_MH1xc&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKNmLMs7ugw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfTBzgLX8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He2M9Bbp0GA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64lWVE3Tg2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf1YF_MH1xc&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5rRZdiu1UE&ob=av2e
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKNmLMs7ugw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfTBzgLX8E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He2M9Bbp0GA
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Aeges- The Bridge
You can stream the album here.
I don't know what it is with me, lately. I swear I'm not concentrating on extremely loud rock on purpose. I mean, my wife and I just bought tickets to see The Hives in June, and I really like the new Nicki Minaj track,
so it's not like I think I'm writing for The Soda Shop, or Elementary Revolt or something. It's just what's in front of me, right now. Anyway, Aeges are members of Pelican, and The Rise, both of which are awesome bands, and the music they make is what you might expect from such beginnings- it's soaring post-metal sludge riffs married to an angled post punk attack. People keep on mentioning Quicksand, and I don't hear that, but it does feature that kind of density. I'm hearing more of a desert-stoner vibe mixed with a post-hardcore dissonance, Stoner-math? Queens of the Skronk age? I don't know, but it feels uplifting at a time when it's easier to feel depressed than optimistic, so I like it.
I don't know what it is with me, lately. I swear I'm not concentrating on extremely loud rock on purpose. I mean, my wife and I just bought tickets to see The Hives in June, and I really like the new Nicki Minaj track,
so it's not like I think I'm writing for The Soda Shop, or Elementary Revolt or something. It's just what's in front of me, right now. Anyway, Aeges are members of Pelican, and The Rise, both of which are awesome bands, and the music they make is what you might expect from such beginnings- it's soaring post-metal sludge riffs married to an angled post punk attack. People keep on mentioning Quicksand, and I don't hear that, but it does feature that kind of density. I'm hearing more of a desert-stoner vibe mixed with a post-hardcore dissonance, Stoner-math? Queens of the Skronk age? I don't know, but it feels uplifting at a time when it's easier to feel depressed than optimistic, so I like it.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Prong- Carved into Stone
Frustratingly good.
Victor can play his ass off. That's why he shows up on everything from Danzig to Ministry records. So, it's a given that the guitars are stunning. Furthermore, the guy is a pro sound engineer. So, the sound is great. While he doesn't have Ted Parsons , nor Raven, he does have Tony Campos, and Alexei Rodriguez.The songs are crunchy, thrashy, and melodic. The problem is that he doesn't have what he had in 1996- But the strength is that he still remembers what he had in 1996- an incredible right hand- seriously, there's no guitarist, metal or otherwise with a better control of his picking hand. So, it's frustratingly decent. You know it could be incredible, but Raven is dead, Parsons is in England, Terry Date isn't exactly on the same level with Victor. If this set got the same presentation as Rude Awakening, it would blow that record away, but as is, it's merely good.
Victor can play his ass off. That's why he shows up on everything from Danzig to Ministry records. So, it's a given that the guitars are stunning. Furthermore, the guy is a pro sound engineer. So, the sound is great. While he doesn't have Ted Parsons , nor Raven, he does have Tony Campos, and Alexei Rodriguez.The songs are crunchy, thrashy, and melodic. The problem is that he doesn't have what he had in 1996- But the strength is that he still remembers what he had in 1996- an incredible right hand- seriously, there's no guitarist, metal or otherwise with a better control of his picking hand. So, it's frustratingly decent. You know it could be incredible, but Raven is dead, Parsons is in England, Terry Date isn't exactly on the same level with Victor. If this set got the same presentation as Rude Awakening, it would blow that record away, but as is, it's merely good.
Torche- Harmonicraft part 2
OK, like I said, I'm coming back to it, now that it's been released. I sincerely hope you've listened to it, and bought it, because it's definitely more than worthwhile.
So, what do I think of it? Well, the first thing that's overwhelming about it is the sense of joy. Seriously, joy. It's not really a "funny" record, it's not comedy, although some things may strike you as funny. But, I think the thing that makes it seem so much more inviting and fun is the obvious relish, and yes, sheer joy these guys seem to have for playing music. It makes me think about how a sense of joy is missing in otherwise great music. Like the stoner-sludge-doom background for these guys- how many of those bands convey joy? Maybe humour, maybe satisfaction, but so rarely is it joy.
The other thing that dovetails with that, is how beautiful some of the playing is. For example, the title track is an instrumental echo-pedal workout that manages to both be crushingly heavy, and delicately pretty in a way that I haven't heard too often- the only two examples that come to mind are Dave Navarro's early Jane's Addiction work, and Tom Morello's work in Audioslave.
I realize that I do the Generation X comparison/analogy thing to utter death, but just as a reference for you, bands that I hear echoes of in the music- the guitars remind me of God Machine, Workers, U2, Melvins and Low Pop Suicide, and Jane's Addiction. The song writing, again, Jane's Addiction, but also Husker Du, Superchunk, Heatmiser, and Neurosis. The singing reminds me of Ozzy, and Helmet , Dinosaur Jr and God Machine. The beats range from Husker Du to Rush to Black Sabbath. Yes, those are a lot of bands, but not many of them suck, now do they? The point is that this is really heavy Alt-rock- not so very different from the pre- Nirvana "Alternative Nation" stuff, but modernized with a greater range in both harmony and sheer sonics. Hell, there is a bit in "Solitary Traveller" that reminds me of My Bloody Valentine and just a few minutes later, there's a bit in "Looking On" that's not so different from Floor- thus bridging the gap between unrepentant sludge and dream pop.
The lyrics are more impressions than anything coherent but if you're looking for poetry, seriously, crank up the guitars.
The folks at Pitchfork hate it, and most others love it. I think that says a lot, right there- I think you'd have to be a contrarian asshole to not find something at least likeable. Still, I have two complaints- first that they seem to have done away with the Bomb string. Yes, it was a gimmick, but I liked it. The other complaint is that they mastered it a bit "hot"- there's some distortion in the recording, itself- but not so extreme as to sound intentional, like Milligram. It's more like a minor nuisance that sometimes, the bass distorts out, so you hear mush, not sludge.
Still, a near-perfect record. But, believe it or not, despite all the massive hooks and bombastic solos- it's actually a subtle album filled with not-so subtle joy- the subtlety lies in the marriage of extreme metal trappings to early 1990's alt-rock pop- drawing out alternative ways of hearing seminal music, and a new barometer for music yet to be made.
So, what do I think of it? Well, the first thing that's overwhelming about it is the sense of joy. Seriously, joy. It's not really a "funny" record, it's not comedy, although some things may strike you as funny. But, I think the thing that makes it seem so much more inviting and fun is the obvious relish, and yes, sheer joy these guys seem to have for playing music. It makes me think about how a sense of joy is missing in otherwise great music. Like the stoner-sludge-doom background for these guys- how many of those bands convey joy? Maybe humour, maybe satisfaction, but so rarely is it joy.
The other thing that dovetails with that, is how beautiful some of the playing is. For example, the title track is an instrumental echo-pedal workout that manages to both be crushingly heavy, and delicately pretty in a way that I haven't heard too often- the only two examples that come to mind are Dave Navarro's early Jane's Addiction work, and Tom Morello's work in Audioslave.
I realize that I do the Generation X comparison/analogy thing to utter death, but just as a reference for you, bands that I hear echoes of in the music- the guitars remind me of God Machine, Workers, U2, Melvins and Low Pop Suicide, and Jane's Addiction. The song writing, again, Jane's Addiction, but also Husker Du, Superchunk, Heatmiser, and Neurosis. The singing reminds me of Ozzy, and Helmet , Dinosaur Jr and God Machine. The beats range from Husker Du to Rush to Black Sabbath. Yes, those are a lot of bands, but not many of them suck, now do they? The point is that this is really heavy Alt-rock- not so very different from the pre- Nirvana "Alternative Nation" stuff, but modernized with a greater range in both harmony and sheer sonics. Hell, there is a bit in "Solitary Traveller" that reminds me of My Bloody Valentine and just a few minutes later, there's a bit in "Looking On" that's not so different from Floor- thus bridging the gap between unrepentant sludge and dream pop.
The lyrics are more impressions than anything coherent but if you're looking for poetry, seriously, crank up the guitars.
The folks at Pitchfork hate it, and most others love it. I think that says a lot, right there- I think you'd have to be a contrarian asshole to not find something at least likeable. Still, I have two complaints- first that they seem to have done away with the Bomb string. Yes, it was a gimmick, but I liked it. The other complaint is that they mastered it a bit "hot"- there's some distortion in the recording, itself- but not so extreme as to sound intentional, like Milligram. It's more like a minor nuisance that sometimes, the bass distorts out, so you hear mush, not sludge.
Still, a near-perfect record. But, believe it or not, despite all the massive hooks and bombastic solos- it's actually a subtle album filled with not-so subtle joy- the subtlety lies in the marriage of extreme metal trappings to early 1990's alt-rock pop- drawing out alternative ways of hearing seminal music, and a new barometer for music yet to be made.
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