I wish I could have played it.
Seriously, it's decent as a movie, but it would make a better video game. I know there was talk of Neill Blomkamp directing an adaptation of the Halo videogame as a movie.
There are other outlets that will go over the socialist perspective that the film endorses. One of the main characters is literally a lame Che Guevera clone. Ultimately, it's no more a strictly socialist statement than V for Vendetta is a strictly Anarchist one. But, in either case, it is a thread.
I don't watch enough action films released after 2000 to really comment on it as a summer action movie.
But I can tell you this- the basic storyline would make for an excellent first person shooter, with some moral choices thrown in- kind of like Halo, or Gears of War, but with just a touch of Fable thrown in.
I don't say this as a slam, mind you. I think Video games can certainly be just as valid a form of Art as Action movies. Sometimes they can get the message across better, too. Making this as a movie contains the message- making the moral choices up to the "audience"- the player- incorporates the message into the viewer/audience/player's existing worldview. That's far more effective. I hope somebody does make this a good video game, because I want to play it....
Monday, September 2, 2013
Arctic Monkeys- AM
If you're a fan, the change in direction won't surprise you, but I'm going to assume that you just think of Arctic Monkeys as that group of teenagers doing britpop influenced punk rock with almost Kinks-level of British minutiae in the lyrics. I thought that, too- then I saw them live, backing up the Black Keys ( my wife digs 'em) and live, they're like QOTSA meets the Jam. So, this record is what I think they've been shooting for since Humbug- which means Black Sabbath/Cream/Blue Cheer proto-metal guitars married to mid-1990's BritPop melodies, with Josh Homme-isms thrown in liberally, then through a hip-hop ( early 2000's OutKast style) production- drums mixed loud. I like it better than anything they've done since the first record. Yes, there even is a hint of Black Keys Glam-blues-funk in some of the mixes. Alex Turner clearly is the face of the organization, but I think Jamie Cook and Matt Helders could release good vintage-style rock lps with or without Turner. Whatever, Turner brings some charisma, and good lyrics and if he comes up with the melodies, he's earning his keep.
Going back to Josh Homme- I think he described the record in a good way: a sexy-after midnight modern dancefloor record- and I'd like to take that one step further. Let me paint a picture for you- you broke up with your girlfriend during dinner. It was a long time coming, so your friends swept in like vultures, to take you out to "celebrate"- really just an excuse to get blasted, and it's now 1 AM, and you see this girl who's been checking you out. Maybe it's beer goggles, maybe it's pent up anger over your break up, but you go for it, and have great sex that you almost immediately regret. A variety of a good and bad reasons for that regret, but it hits very hard and very fast, so you manage to extricate yourself by about 3 AM, and, to bolster your courage, you're drinking harder, but a minor miracle and tragedy happens at about 7AM- you drunk dial your girlfriend, and she wants you back. Now, of course, the relationship doesn't work out, and you end up breaking up in a screaming match three weeks later- but there's the memory of that one night, right? This record is the soundtrack to that memory.
Going back to Josh Homme- I think he described the record in a good way: a sexy-after midnight modern dancefloor record- and I'd like to take that one step further. Let me paint a picture for you- you broke up with your girlfriend during dinner. It was a long time coming, so your friends swept in like vultures, to take you out to "celebrate"- really just an excuse to get blasted, and it's now 1 AM, and you see this girl who's been checking you out. Maybe it's beer goggles, maybe it's pent up anger over your break up, but you go for it, and have great sex that you almost immediately regret. A variety of a good and bad reasons for that regret, but it hits very hard and very fast, so you manage to extricate yourself by about 3 AM, and, to bolster your courage, you're drinking harder, but a minor miracle and tragedy happens at about 7AM- you drunk dial your girlfriend, and she wants you back. Now, of course, the relationship doesn't work out, and you end up breaking up in a screaming match three weeks later- but there's the memory of that one night, right? This record is the soundtrack to that memory.
Watching and Listening to Fests.
I know it's killing music. More than file sharing, more than Spotify, failing to actually go to gigs is killing music. However, I do go to at least 10 shows a year. That's not a huge number, I know, but if you do the math- generally speaking 100 miles on my car, 20 bucks for the ticket (on average) buying 50 bucks worth of merch at the show, sometimes missing work- those 10 shows are over a thousand dollars, and I can't say that I spend over a grand a year on my own musical equipment, you know?
So, yes, I'll watch Fests that stream over the internet, rather than spending 300 bucks or more on tickets, and 500 bucks on airfare/hotels/travel. I know that most of the bands that play these fests are mid level, just trying to make enough of a living so that they can pay off their mortgage. I know that they are relying upon ticket sales on these fests to get by, because album sales are doing nothing, Itunes and Spotify don't pay hardly at all, and even Hot Topic sells more Video game themed T shirts than music-related.
However- Perry Ferrell never offered to help pay the licensing fee on my radio station. Ice T never once even tried to promote my sound system company. Yet, that's exactly what they wanted from me. I picked those two because I had to pay Perry's management company for access to Lollapalooza artists, for promo bits on my struggling radio station, and I played Ice T's Body Count record on my sound system at live shows as a promo for his management. So, having worked the business, I gotta say they can go stuff the whining. I still feel for the bands out there slogging at it for beer money- the bands playing either 100+ club dates a year, only to find that DIY pays them less than Denny's, and the bands who just don't tour, because playing 7 or 8 gigs a year, locally, is about what they can handle with their day jobs- those bands will get my understanding, and my money a lot quicker- but the bands relying upon the big festivals so's they can afford a middle class lifestyle? I know them, and their kind a little too well to have much sympathy.
So, hells to the yeah, I have watched and listened to the free live streams for both Bumbershoot and Made in America, this weekend.
Some random takeaways:
1. Bumbershoot is old school in every way that counts. The majority of what I got from it was the streaming radio from KEXP . Seattle City Limits, anyone?
2. Made in America has totally become a Budweiser brand party. Budweiser is straight up cornflake soda tasting pisswater. That's really too bad. Jay Z should exercise a bit more curatorial power, right? Ever consider that maybe he's not exactly the "boss" he claims he is? Ever consider he's probably just a figurehead? Yeah, so why do you think anybody buys that?
3. As for the bands- one line for each of these:
Bumbershoot:
FIDLAR: they are the next Offspring.
Superchunk: much better live than the last record.
Baroness: missed 'em, and I am sad.
Bob Mould: While the joy is wearing thin, I still prefer well-adjusted Bob to the Bob of 1991, and he's forever St Bob in my mind.
Gary Numan: You're only allowed so many victory laps before you've got to win a new race.
The Breeders: Charles might be a cold and distant dude, but she left the Pixies twice for this???
Heart: Holy shit, they brought it.
Kendrick Lamar: missed this set, but caught the Made in America set. Meh.
Made In America:
Mord Fustang: Really? Brooklyn Hipsters?
Public Enemy: Old, and Fat, but there's a fire still there.
Phoenix: I don't get it. Sorry.
Fitz and the Tantrums: They brought it, but I didn't want it.
Wavves: Sloppy, and not in a good way.
Kendrick Lamar: Meh.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: It was a really good single.
QOTSA: Better set than Lollapalooza, but not excellent.
NIN: Trent is on steroids.
( a few extra lines on NIN: I think Trent even knows that the new LP is just to get product out there: two drummers on stage, and heavy on the early 1990's for the set list. Trent really must be on Steroids, though- he looks like Lyle Alzado with a hair cut. I can't wait for ten years from now when Trent does a testicular atrophy themed LP between liver treatments...)
So, yes, I'll watch Fests that stream over the internet, rather than spending 300 bucks or more on tickets, and 500 bucks on airfare/hotels/travel. I know that most of the bands that play these fests are mid level, just trying to make enough of a living so that they can pay off their mortgage. I know that they are relying upon ticket sales on these fests to get by, because album sales are doing nothing, Itunes and Spotify don't pay hardly at all, and even Hot Topic sells more Video game themed T shirts than music-related.
However- Perry Ferrell never offered to help pay the licensing fee on my radio station. Ice T never once even tried to promote my sound system company. Yet, that's exactly what they wanted from me. I picked those two because I had to pay Perry's management company for access to Lollapalooza artists, for promo bits on my struggling radio station, and I played Ice T's Body Count record on my sound system at live shows as a promo for his management. So, having worked the business, I gotta say they can go stuff the whining. I still feel for the bands out there slogging at it for beer money- the bands playing either 100+ club dates a year, only to find that DIY pays them less than Denny's, and the bands who just don't tour, because playing 7 or 8 gigs a year, locally, is about what they can handle with their day jobs- those bands will get my understanding, and my money a lot quicker- but the bands relying upon the big festivals so's they can afford a middle class lifestyle? I know them, and their kind a little too well to have much sympathy.
So, hells to the yeah, I have watched and listened to the free live streams for both Bumbershoot and Made in America, this weekend.
Some random takeaways:
1. Bumbershoot is old school in every way that counts. The majority of what I got from it was the streaming radio from KEXP . Seattle City Limits, anyone?
2. Made in America has totally become a Budweiser brand party. Budweiser is straight up cornflake soda tasting pisswater. That's really too bad. Jay Z should exercise a bit more curatorial power, right? Ever consider that maybe he's not exactly the "boss" he claims he is? Ever consider he's probably just a figurehead? Yeah, so why do you think anybody buys that?
3. As for the bands- one line for each of these:
Bumbershoot:
FIDLAR: they are the next Offspring.
Superchunk: much better live than the last record.
Baroness: missed 'em, and I am sad.
Bob Mould: While the joy is wearing thin, I still prefer well-adjusted Bob to the Bob of 1991, and he's forever St Bob in my mind.
Gary Numan: You're only allowed so many victory laps before you've got to win a new race.
The Breeders: Charles might be a cold and distant dude, but she left the Pixies twice for this???
Heart: Holy shit, they brought it.
Kendrick Lamar: missed this set, but caught the Made in America set. Meh.
Made In America:
Mord Fustang: Really? Brooklyn Hipsters?
Public Enemy: Old, and Fat, but there's a fire still there.
Phoenix: I don't get it. Sorry.
Fitz and the Tantrums: They brought it, but I didn't want it.
Wavves: Sloppy, and not in a good way.
Kendrick Lamar: Meh.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis: It was a really good single.
QOTSA: Better set than Lollapalooza, but not excellent.
NIN: Trent is on steroids.
( a few extra lines on NIN: I think Trent even knows that the new LP is just to get product out there: two drummers on stage, and heavy on the early 1990's for the set list. Trent really must be on Steroids, though- he looks like Lyle Alzado with a hair cut. I can't wait for ten years from now when Trent does a testicular atrophy themed LP between liver treatments...)
Friday, August 30, 2013
Antidote
Just quickly, as an antidote to that last little bit of bile- I'm really looking forward to some upcoming releases- new Bloody Beetroots, new Paul McCartney ( really, I ain't kidding, what I've heard, I like) and new Red Fang, just off the top of my head. Should be a good fall....
Nine Inch Nails- Hesitation Marks
I really don't like to go negative on things. It's not because I'm so fragile that I cannot stand debate, it's because I don't see the point. That sucks, I hate it, so what? There are hundreds of new things being released every day- new video, audio, written, and painted works- there's so much to enjoy, why spend extra time on something you don't like? You learned what you needed to learn, now move on, right?
Well, I'm going to be upfront- I've heard the new Nine Inch Nails CD, and I didn't like it. Three things ruin whatever good might be on it. First, The awful drum sound. Synthetic drums, yeah, I get it, but these are really bad- tinny, tiny fake handclaps and casio preset snares abound. It sounds so awful I can barely hear anything else. It's really a let down, as Alan Moulder is one of my favorite producers precisely for the great drum sounds he can generate- listen to Curve's "Gift" and tell me that the drums don't make the songs. Secondly, I'm just not a fan of Trent's vocals. He sounds like the worst parts of Morrisey and Billy Joel to me. Nothing he can do for me there. Just a matter of taste. But by far my biggest problem is just how cynical and contemptuous the whole affair is. Here's a guy who had money rolling in from soundtrack work, and could indulge in his Arty fantasies with his wife, no less. So, why revive Nine Inch Nails? Seriously the only reason I can think of is because he wants to be a rock star in the most sold-out, cynical audience hating way. I haven't forgotten his stance. But, seriously- think it through- why isn't this called "Trent Reznor- Hesitation Marks" ? The lyrics aren't the same, the music isn't the same, many of the musicians aren't the same. The answer comes back loud and clear- marketing. People know Nine Inch Nails. Then, you add to it that little bit of condescension about releasing an "audiophile" version, as a download, if you buy it from his website. So, you fight against loudness by releasing an MP3? Even if you have only a little understanding of audio, that's bullshit on the face of it- the problem with loudness is compression- you have to compress the lower and higher frequencies so's you can fatten up the middle, essentially. So, to combat that you'll put it out on a yet-more compressed format? Here's my "alternate take"- he knew that becoming a major label apologist would lose some core fans. So, he does this little stunt to both ghetto-ize, and appeal to his small hipster core.
So, you can go ahead, and believe the hype machine on this new record. I find it actually offensive. I'm not one to declare anyone sold out, but this enterprise is wholly soulless and yes, sold-out. I cannot let this go- I mean the freakin' Quietus compares it to Prince?!? Umm, maybe in that they're both insufferable, but musically, Prince has done everything he can to subvert the expectation that he'll release endless Purple Rains like some kind of slave to the lowest common denominator- This is Trent doing exactly that. So, feel free to indulge in it- I know I'm just a nerd, here. Fine- but I won't take that cheap trick.
Well, I'm going to be upfront- I've heard the new Nine Inch Nails CD, and I didn't like it. Three things ruin whatever good might be on it. First, The awful drum sound. Synthetic drums, yeah, I get it, but these are really bad- tinny, tiny fake handclaps and casio preset snares abound. It sounds so awful I can barely hear anything else. It's really a let down, as Alan Moulder is one of my favorite producers precisely for the great drum sounds he can generate- listen to Curve's "Gift" and tell me that the drums don't make the songs. Secondly, I'm just not a fan of Trent's vocals. He sounds like the worst parts of Morrisey and Billy Joel to me. Nothing he can do for me there. Just a matter of taste. But by far my biggest problem is just how cynical and contemptuous the whole affair is. Here's a guy who had money rolling in from soundtrack work, and could indulge in his Arty fantasies with his wife, no less. So, why revive Nine Inch Nails? Seriously the only reason I can think of is because he wants to be a rock star in the most sold-out, cynical audience hating way. I haven't forgotten his stance. But, seriously- think it through- why isn't this called "Trent Reznor- Hesitation Marks" ? The lyrics aren't the same, the music isn't the same, many of the musicians aren't the same. The answer comes back loud and clear- marketing. People know Nine Inch Nails. Then, you add to it that little bit of condescension about releasing an "audiophile" version, as a download, if you buy it from his website. So, you fight against loudness by releasing an MP3? Even if you have only a little understanding of audio, that's bullshit on the face of it- the problem with loudness is compression- you have to compress the lower and higher frequencies so's you can fatten up the middle, essentially. So, to combat that you'll put it out on a yet-more compressed format? Here's my "alternate take"- he knew that becoming a major label apologist would lose some core fans. So, he does this little stunt to both ghetto-ize, and appeal to his small hipster core.
So, you can go ahead, and believe the hype machine on this new record. I find it actually offensive. I'm not one to declare anyone sold out, but this enterprise is wholly soulless and yes, sold-out. I cannot let this go- I mean the freakin' Quietus compares it to Prince?!? Umm, maybe in that they're both insufferable, but musically, Prince has done everything he can to subvert the expectation that he'll release endless Purple Rains like some kind of slave to the lowest common denominator- This is Trent doing exactly that. So, feel free to indulge in it- I know I'm just a nerd, here. Fine- but I won't take that cheap trick.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Dead Meadow Warble Womb
I wasn't going to write about Dead Meadow. I don't hate their music, but I don't like it, either. I think True Widow do a similar sound, only better. Likewise, The Black Angels. ( Actually, a triple bill would make for a great spaghetti western title: The Black Angels: Dead Meadow, True Widow ). Basically, they do pretty generic psyche rock of the massive amounts of reverb variety. So, I was listening to this record and asking myself what the point was? Why make this music? The message seems basically to be "Hey, we did drugs, and we like them" . While I won't get into a discussion about why all drugs should be legal, just know that I think that. That's a really thin message, though. "We did illegal drugs, and we liked it" is also pretty much Miley Cyrus' message this summer. I am not moved in either event. That's the thing I want to talk about, right there, though- what's lacking is the emotional response. That's why I don't really care about your political agenda in music ( in other parts of my life, I care a lot, but musically, not at all) and I don't care about how you look, or what instrument or genre you play- I'm just looking for something that gives me an emotional response- that's the communication I look for in music. Maybe other Arts I find other things, but music has to emotionally connect with me, or I just can't care.....
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Franz Ferdinand- Right Thoughts Right Words Right Actions
So, I'm going straight from Radiant Republic to Franz Ferdinand, huh? Yup. Because it makes sense to me.
First because, Franz Ferdinand's style of pop is very math-y. You know damn-skippy these Scotsmen own metronomes, and use them. You know they mess with time signatures for dynamics, the way grunge bands messed with volume. So, yes, you can call it disco, but I hear math. Then, there's This. On top of that, they know a great musician's secret- the best place to score a musical instrument, in the entire world, is Chicago. Seriously. I am giving away a trade secret, here, but when I was touring as a sound engineer, virtually everyone, performers to lighting techs would set aside time for shopping in Chicago. I own a 1971 Ross flanger, a 1978 TS-9, and part of a 1980 American Stratocaster ( I say "part" because I bought the whole guitar, broke the neck, so I replaced that, and I re-wired it, and screwed up doing the parallel wiring, so I replaced the pick ups. The replacement parts came from elsewhere) from various trips to Chicago. So, that Nick McCarthy picked up his white SG in Chicago tells me that he's a real musician- it's better than a secret handshake. I know, most people who read this won't care, but for those select few who "get it", this is one point I've been making since I was a teenager: musical talent is an alchemy between aesthetics, technique, intelligence and luck. You can no more teach talent than you can teach sex appeal- it's a mercurial and rare gift. So, just because a band, or musician doesn't play a bunch of notes in a certain sequence, at a certain tempo has nothing to do with talent, any more than sales do. So, that Franz Ferdinand don't play avant garde Jazz, and do sell quite a few records means very little in terms of their talent as musicians. That they can write and play some musical phrases that emotionally resonate is the only part that matters. Those who want to tell you that Devin Townsend or John Fahey are more talented than say, Mick Jones are simply confusing virtuoso technique for talent. So, yes, I have no problem whatsoever between transitioning from talking about one group of talented musicians to another, if you know what I mean.
You'll note that I studiously avoided talking about fashion- there's that too. The fact is, I'm a sucker for the Post-punk/New Wave style. More so than Punk, and more so than Rocker styles- though I love them, too. So, in the early 2000's when that whole thing came into vogue, I was very pleased to see it come back. Bloc Party, Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs, and Franz Ferdinand. I know there were others, and they even sold more records, but these four bands connected with me. Bloc Party for the connection between agit-pop ( a pun on "Agitprop", geddit?) and confessional songwriting, Futureheads for the wonderful vocals meeting the spiky melodies, Kaiser Chiefs for basically being Blur when Blur didn't want to be Blur anymore, and Franz Ferdinand for bringing Russian Constructivism and Math-Rock down to Pulp's pub. They're like Elliot Sharp and Carlos Alomar after plastic surgery, deciding to play Burt Bacharach-influenced Rezillos tunes. Get the idea?
If not, listen to Love Illumination ( and especially this version) then Some Weird Sin , and Geometry.
And Evil Eye is a cousin of This is Radio Clash. Meanwhile, the title track sounds like dEUS at their most Beefheartian .
Just because some magazine or some corporate exec at Clearcom decided that Franz Ferdinand are a pop band, to marketed to teenagers doesn't mean there's nothing interesting going on.
Even if you totally disagree with me, I hope you take this away- whether we're talking about super obscure grindcore, or top 40 pop, music has its own value for the listener.
So, yeah, I like the new Franz Ferdinand record...
First because, Franz Ferdinand's style of pop is very math-y. You know damn-skippy these Scotsmen own metronomes, and use them. You know they mess with time signatures for dynamics, the way grunge bands messed with volume. So, yes, you can call it disco, but I hear math. Then, there's This. On top of that, they know a great musician's secret- the best place to score a musical instrument, in the entire world, is Chicago. Seriously. I am giving away a trade secret, here, but when I was touring as a sound engineer, virtually everyone, performers to lighting techs would set aside time for shopping in Chicago. I own a 1971 Ross flanger, a 1978 TS-9, and part of a 1980 American Stratocaster ( I say "part" because I bought the whole guitar, broke the neck, so I replaced that, and I re-wired it, and screwed up doing the parallel wiring, so I replaced the pick ups. The replacement parts came from elsewhere) from various trips to Chicago. So, that Nick McCarthy picked up his white SG in Chicago tells me that he's a real musician- it's better than a secret handshake. I know, most people who read this won't care, but for those select few who "get it", this is one point I've been making since I was a teenager: musical talent is an alchemy between aesthetics, technique, intelligence and luck. You can no more teach talent than you can teach sex appeal- it's a mercurial and rare gift. So, just because a band, or musician doesn't play a bunch of notes in a certain sequence, at a certain tempo has nothing to do with talent, any more than sales do. So, that Franz Ferdinand don't play avant garde Jazz, and do sell quite a few records means very little in terms of their talent as musicians. That they can write and play some musical phrases that emotionally resonate is the only part that matters. Those who want to tell you that Devin Townsend or John Fahey are more talented than say, Mick Jones are simply confusing virtuoso technique for talent. So, yes, I have no problem whatsoever between transitioning from talking about one group of talented musicians to another, if you know what I mean.
You'll note that I studiously avoided talking about fashion- there's that too. The fact is, I'm a sucker for the Post-punk/New Wave style. More so than Punk, and more so than Rocker styles- though I love them, too. So, in the early 2000's when that whole thing came into vogue, I was very pleased to see it come back. Bloc Party, Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs, and Franz Ferdinand. I know there were others, and they even sold more records, but these four bands connected with me. Bloc Party for the connection between agit-pop ( a pun on "Agitprop", geddit?) and confessional songwriting, Futureheads for the wonderful vocals meeting the spiky melodies, Kaiser Chiefs for basically being Blur when Blur didn't want to be Blur anymore, and Franz Ferdinand for bringing Russian Constructivism and Math-Rock down to Pulp's pub. They're like Elliot Sharp and Carlos Alomar after plastic surgery, deciding to play Burt Bacharach-influenced Rezillos tunes. Get the idea?
If not, listen to Love Illumination ( and especially this version) then Some Weird Sin , and Geometry.
And Evil Eye is a cousin of This is Radio Clash. Meanwhile, the title track sounds like dEUS at their most Beefheartian .
Just because some magazine or some corporate exec at Clearcom decided that Franz Ferdinand are a pop band, to marketed to teenagers doesn't mean there's nothing interesting going on.
Even if you totally disagree with me, I hope you take this away- whether we're talking about super obscure grindcore, or top 40 pop, music has its own value for the listener.
So, yeah, I like the new Franz Ferdinand record...
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Radiant Republic three against four
A warning, this might get awkward...
I wasn't aware of Radiant Republic, nor Radiant Republic of Texas, nor Brad Pennington. Evidently, they/he are somewhat related to others I do know, and that's probably how they came across this blog, and then, requested that I give their stuff a listen.
Now, I do get sent stuff fairly frequently, and most of the time I don't mention it at all because it's crap, and who wants to waste time on that? So, I'm mentioning Radiant Republic because I do see a fair amount of value in what they do- but there is some hesitation because what they do is very, very opaque.
See, the title is a reference to polyrhythm- three against four is a fairly simple polyrhythm- something that Talking Heads might do. Radiant Republic start where Frank Zappa leaves off in terms of rhythmic complexity- but then, they're fairly atonal as well. On top of that, they'll go in for extremely close harmonies- almost microtonal. If all this is gibberish to you, Radiant Republic are not for you. If the part that throws you off from Sun Ra is the improvisation, you don't want to listen to Sun Ra. If advanced music theory bothers you, you will just hear Radiant Republic as noise.
Now, I'm not without my background- they say that music critics are frustrated musicians- I don't think that's true. I think music critics, and film critics, and restaurant critics are all frustrated English Majors. I come from really frustrated musicians- techies. Sound Engineers, lighting techs, roadies, and the like- these are some real frustrated musicians. I was definitely one of them, and yet, I still wouldn't say I'm a "frustrated" musician- I would say I'm a decent musician, in terms of technical proficiency, but severely lacking in talent when it comes to artistry and inspiration. Give me an hour, and I can master a set of notes. but, I could have unlimited time, and I still won't come up with something that can make you happy or sad, or feel much of anything.
This is why the "music as competition" thing that you see especially in Heavy Metal guitarists is so utterly stupid to me. I don't care if you can play 8 million downstrokes in 30 seconds, have mastered circular picking and finger independence, and play on a 24 string guitar- can you write a song that makes another person feel something?
So, Radiant Republic are extremely proficient musicians. But is there Art? Well, like I said, there is value to what they do. Like Marnie Stern, like Battles, like Dillinger Escape Plan, they can make theory work for them. I tend to prefer when they slow it down a bit, like on " Ghost Towns of the Future" because the harmonies, while still close, are a little easier to process. They want me to review it, though, and I'm afraid I can't give them the pull away quotes that most bands want for a press release. The music is too dense, and too opaque to give you some two sentence summation. A "RIYL" type of genre classification is near impossible. Basically, the audience for this is going to be limited to those who can appreciate both the aforementioned Marnie Stern, but also Slint, and Sweep the Leg Johnny. Pop Math rock with deliberate nods to both no wave and post rock? Yeah, that's going to crack Vevo wide open. About the only way I could sell this to you is as a kind of challenge-a "can you handle it?" type of elitism. Given what I just said about my background, guess how good I am with that?
So, the most honest thing I can say is that if you're like me- able to hear and analyze a fair amount of music theory, but also able to see how that's all just a tool chest for what music really is about- communication, beauty, inspiration, and edification- you might get the same charge that I get from hearing almost John Zorn levels of abstract complexity get resolved into nearly Jesus and Mary Chain primal buzz. Math Rock? Well, yes, and there are parts where the math definitely overtakes the rock, and I do tune out at those points. But, on some of the tracks, "High Road", "Ghost Towns of the Future" and "Variations IX" in particular, there can be moments that are exquisite. So, if you're of the type that likes this sort of thing- if names like Sweep the Leg Johnny mean something besides the Karate Kid, you'll probably dig it. If not, don't worry, I'll be talking about Dead Meadow and Franz Ferdinand in the near future....
I wasn't aware of Radiant Republic, nor Radiant Republic of Texas, nor Brad Pennington. Evidently, they/he are somewhat related to others I do know, and that's probably how they came across this blog, and then, requested that I give their stuff a listen.
Now, I do get sent stuff fairly frequently, and most of the time I don't mention it at all because it's crap, and who wants to waste time on that? So, I'm mentioning Radiant Republic because I do see a fair amount of value in what they do- but there is some hesitation because what they do is very, very opaque.
See, the title is a reference to polyrhythm- three against four is a fairly simple polyrhythm- something that Talking Heads might do. Radiant Republic start where Frank Zappa leaves off in terms of rhythmic complexity- but then, they're fairly atonal as well. On top of that, they'll go in for extremely close harmonies- almost microtonal. If all this is gibberish to you, Radiant Republic are not for you. If the part that throws you off from Sun Ra is the improvisation, you don't want to listen to Sun Ra. If advanced music theory bothers you, you will just hear Radiant Republic as noise.
Now, I'm not without my background- they say that music critics are frustrated musicians- I don't think that's true. I think music critics, and film critics, and restaurant critics are all frustrated English Majors. I come from really frustrated musicians- techies. Sound Engineers, lighting techs, roadies, and the like- these are some real frustrated musicians. I was definitely one of them, and yet, I still wouldn't say I'm a "frustrated" musician- I would say I'm a decent musician, in terms of technical proficiency, but severely lacking in talent when it comes to artistry and inspiration. Give me an hour, and I can master a set of notes. but, I could have unlimited time, and I still won't come up with something that can make you happy or sad, or feel much of anything.
This is why the "music as competition" thing that you see especially in Heavy Metal guitarists is so utterly stupid to me. I don't care if you can play 8 million downstrokes in 30 seconds, have mastered circular picking and finger independence, and play on a 24 string guitar- can you write a song that makes another person feel something?
So, Radiant Republic are extremely proficient musicians. But is there Art? Well, like I said, there is value to what they do. Like Marnie Stern, like Battles, like Dillinger Escape Plan, they can make theory work for them. I tend to prefer when they slow it down a bit, like on " Ghost Towns of the Future" because the harmonies, while still close, are a little easier to process. They want me to review it, though, and I'm afraid I can't give them the pull away quotes that most bands want for a press release. The music is too dense, and too opaque to give you some two sentence summation. A "RIYL" type of genre classification is near impossible. Basically, the audience for this is going to be limited to those who can appreciate both the aforementioned Marnie Stern, but also Slint, and Sweep the Leg Johnny. Pop Math rock with deliberate nods to both no wave and post rock? Yeah, that's going to crack Vevo wide open. About the only way I could sell this to you is as a kind of challenge-a "can you handle it?" type of elitism. Given what I just said about my background, guess how good I am with that?
So, the most honest thing I can say is that if you're like me- able to hear and analyze a fair amount of music theory, but also able to see how that's all just a tool chest for what music really is about- communication, beauty, inspiration, and edification- you might get the same charge that I get from hearing almost John Zorn levels of abstract complexity get resolved into nearly Jesus and Mary Chain primal buzz. Math Rock? Well, yes, and there are parts where the math definitely overtakes the rock, and I do tune out at those points. But, on some of the tracks, "High Road", "Ghost Towns of the Future" and "Variations IX" in particular, there can be moments that are exquisite. So, if you're of the type that likes this sort of thing- if names like Sweep the Leg Johnny mean something besides the Karate Kid, you'll probably dig it. If not, don't worry, I'll be talking about Dead Meadow and Franz Ferdinand in the near future....
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Methodology part 486
Just a note for them wot might not know-
This here blog is just my random pop culture thoughts. I do have a larger agenda, and I'm not coy about it: I believe that culture as we know it, is shifting in an overall good way. We're moving away from the Tentpole, blockbuster, mass culture model towards something more a la carte, more idiosyncratic, more free, and more authentic, ultimately. I'm good with that, and if I thought I could help it along, I would, but I think it's such a massive, tectonic shift that all I can do is surf the lip of this earthquake. So, that's all I'm doing here. I am, however, dodging my mis-steps. That is to say, I'm not spending a whole lot of time on negative reviews. If I write about something, I like it. I don't think anyone really benefits from me dissing the new Gogol Bordello cd, or me whinging on about being forced to watch the pilot episode of the Originals, a crap offshoot of a crap TV show. I can learn from my mistakes, but part of the beauty of this new, emerging tribal culture is that our mistakes of choice are easily remedied, and no one else really has much of a chance of making them. There is no real method beyond that. I'm documenting, that's about it.
So, why get all meta about this? Because I can demonstrate that I have gone up in readership again since the last time I got all meta. I just wanted folks to be aware, before they started viewing this as some kind of "official" thing- that's about as far away as it gets. I am a former music professional, and Cameraman, and general-all-around-Audiovisual professional. I know the business from the inside, and that's no boast. I didn't ever really find happiness on that side of the fence, even if I was decent at it, and I got paid decently. No, I prefer just being another punter in the crowd. So, if you detect some professionalism, it's a vestige from 20 some years in the "biz". Now, I do concierge/consulting/fixer type work, and live out in the hinterlands. It's better, really. So, nope, I'm just a geek who really, really gets involved in culture...
This here blog is just my random pop culture thoughts. I do have a larger agenda, and I'm not coy about it: I believe that culture as we know it, is shifting in an overall good way. We're moving away from the Tentpole, blockbuster, mass culture model towards something more a la carte, more idiosyncratic, more free, and more authentic, ultimately. I'm good with that, and if I thought I could help it along, I would, but I think it's such a massive, tectonic shift that all I can do is surf the lip of this earthquake. So, that's all I'm doing here. I am, however, dodging my mis-steps. That is to say, I'm not spending a whole lot of time on negative reviews. If I write about something, I like it. I don't think anyone really benefits from me dissing the new Gogol Bordello cd, or me whinging on about being forced to watch the pilot episode of the Originals, a crap offshoot of a crap TV show. I can learn from my mistakes, but part of the beauty of this new, emerging tribal culture is that our mistakes of choice are easily remedied, and no one else really has much of a chance of making them. There is no real method beyond that. I'm documenting, that's about it.
So, why get all meta about this? Because I can demonstrate that I have gone up in readership again since the last time I got all meta. I just wanted folks to be aware, before they started viewing this as some kind of "official" thing- that's about as far away as it gets. I am a former music professional, and Cameraman, and general-all-around-Audiovisual professional. I know the business from the inside, and that's no boast. I didn't ever really find happiness on that side of the fence, even if I was decent at it, and I got paid decently. No, I prefer just being another punter in the crowd. So, if you detect some professionalism, it's a vestige from 20 some years in the "biz". Now, I do concierge/consulting/fixer type work, and live out in the hinterlands. It's better, really. So, nope, I'm just a geek who really, really gets involved in culture...
Saturday, August 17, 2013
more randomness
So, I still have some music to discuss, and maybe I'll get to that, this week-end,but I've got some other entertainments, and arts to discuss.
As for Television- I've been watching a fair amount of Netflix- mostly House of Cards, which is absolutely fantastic, and well worth a subscription, in and of itself. Sure, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright- but moreso, the writing which is tough and smart- there's a slight dip about two-thirds through, however, they stick the landing. It's like "This Town" as a TV show. Absolutely top notch political thrills with David Fincher adding really artistic touches- if I sound general and vague, it's because I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say that it's about the machinations of a political operative who seems like the inevitable result of our current political structure.
I also watched part of "Red State" which is Kevin Smith's attempt at a slasher/exploitation flick, and ye gads did it suck. It sucked so hard that I didn't finish it. So, I really can't spoil it. I can tell you that it's typical Kevin Smith over-articulate slacker protagonists meet Westboro baptist antagonists. Which almost sounds promising, except, well, it has no real excitement.
On Hulu, I've been keeping up with the Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and watching the odd episode of Drunk History, and i finished watching Moone Boy which was great fun. Now, I'm mostly watching Long Way Down, the season 2 of Long Way Around, the Ewan Mcgregor/ Charley Boorman travel show. I'm also watching season 7 of Burn Notice, but that's mostly for completion's sake.
Books, just one- the aforementioned "This Town" which is basically about how fucked up my government is. I may end up an Anarchist, at this rate.
I don't talk about food very much, but I do eat- On my recent trip, I ate at The Brown Hotel, and Toast on Market and at Crane's . All were excellent- in different ways. The Brown Hotel was excellent in old-fashioned "high dining"- like fine dining from the 1940's. Toast on Market was very much modern "Foodie" kind of restaurant, that got skewered so well on Portlandia. Crane's is the kind of super- authentic roadside mom-n-pop dining lauded by the likes of Alton Brown. Did I have a favorite? Yup. I am a cliche, give me the Toast on Market style, any day. I'm a sucker for the (pseudo?) artisanal style all day long. But I'm totally down for it all. I'll eat at the fine places, the diners, you name it. I think each has its merits, but I am still a creature of my time and place, and I have to own up to having all the typical vanities of your modern hipster foodie...
As for Television- I've been watching a fair amount of Netflix- mostly House of Cards, which is absolutely fantastic, and well worth a subscription, in and of itself. Sure, Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright- but moreso, the writing which is tough and smart- there's a slight dip about two-thirds through, however, they stick the landing. It's like "This Town" as a TV show. Absolutely top notch political thrills with David Fincher adding really artistic touches- if I sound general and vague, it's because I don't want to give anything away. I'll just say that it's about the machinations of a political operative who seems like the inevitable result of our current political structure.
I also watched part of "Red State" which is Kevin Smith's attempt at a slasher/exploitation flick, and ye gads did it suck. It sucked so hard that I didn't finish it. So, I really can't spoil it. I can tell you that it's typical Kevin Smith over-articulate slacker protagonists meet Westboro baptist antagonists. Which almost sounds promising, except, well, it has no real excitement.
On Hulu, I've been keeping up with the Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and watching the odd episode of Drunk History, and i finished watching Moone Boy which was great fun. Now, I'm mostly watching Long Way Down, the season 2 of Long Way Around, the Ewan Mcgregor/ Charley Boorman travel show. I'm also watching season 7 of Burn Notice, but that's mostly for completion's sake.
Books, just one- the aforementioned "This Town" which is basically about how fucked up my government is. I may end up an Anarchist, at this rate.
I don't talk about food very much, but I do eat- On my recent trip, I ate at The Brown Hotel, and Toast on Market and at Crane's . All were excellent- in different ways. The Brown Hotel was excellent in old-fashioned "high dining"- like fine dining from the 1940's. Toast on Market was very much modern "Foodie" kind of restaurant, that got skewered so well on Portlandia. Crane's is the kind of super- authentic roadside mom-n-pop dining lauded by the likes of Alton Brown. Did I have a favorite? Yup. I am a cliche, give me the Toast on Market style, any day. I'm a sucker for the (pseudo?) artisanal style all day long. But I'm totally down for it all. I'll eat at the fine places, the diners, you name it. I think each has its merits, but I am still a creature of my time and place, and I have to own up to having all the typical vanities of your modern hipster foodie...
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