one advantage of spending all holidays in bed (see below) was that i was able to get really excited about the new liars album out soon. from what ive heard of it, it sounds awesome. im not sure why i got so excited, since i didnt like their second album nor, until recently, their album. but whatever, their first album was awesome and their new one will be two.
but i decided to revisit drums not dead. everyone talked it up as being incredible but i think due to the lack of drugs i take, accepting and loving this album was initially quite difficult. i guess when you hear it enough, as i forced myself to do whilst sick, the pounding noise and drones sinks into the background and the haunting backing vocals and melodies really start to stick out. and now i love it. i think its amazing, and i even watched two of the full-length accompanying dvd movies (the cd comes with three accompanying movies - i didnt watch the one that just follows the snail for 70mins) (btw, the album is even better in 5.1).
since setting up my protools rig and watnot ive become overly obsessed with production techniques, and so the way this album sounds blows me away. it is surpassed only by david andrew sitek of tv on the radio (the best band ever) - who coincidentally produced liars's second and horrible album (what the hell went wrong there?!). apparently tv on the radio, liars, and yeah yeahs all shared a house in new jersey around 03, which is how sitek wound up producing all those albums. i dont know what was in the water that ran to that house but there was somethign special because they are my three favourite bands going round at the moment pretty much.
either way, now im really rambling.
get it and give it a chance. makes me happy
just a final plug for john irving. im reading 'hotel new hampshire' at the moment and im loving it. everything that i read of john irving i am addicted to within the first few pages. hes incredible, i love them all. especially garp, but hotel new hampshire is also up there as one of his best.
have fun guys. and by guys i mean anna, since shes the only one who checks this methinks. if someone else is, feel free to leave a comment and let me know. i dont know if u can do that or if i need to enable something. meh.
peace
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
hey... long time no speak
hey
shout out to all my readers/my reader (i think anna is the only one who occassionally checks this site). no posts in a while, thats coz ive been on holidays!
how were your holidays? good? coz mine sucked. i got a mole cut out of my ankle so couldnt walk for ten days, then did stuff for a week, then had an asthma attack and went to hospital and got a chest and bacterial infection so spent another couple of weeks in bed. yeah, super swell.
i managed to do some cool stuff, i didnt see a band all semester bad wilco and bluesfest i think so i was gonna go nuts on my holidays. i really wanted to see stature::statue again coz i havent seen them in a while but i didnt get round to it. i did manage to catch iron on, who ppl had been talking up for a couple of years but whom id never bothered to seek out until recently. hmm what else. i dont know, but i know im going to see belles will ring tomorrow, then splendour, then the cure, then bob dylan, then ryan adams... so itll be a good few weeks ahead.
apparently battles are coming to australia and not playing in brisbane?! GRRR! i hate it when bands i love do that. i dont actually know how battles would go down live, since most of the vocals sound piled with effects and the drums sound layered a few times, but whatever.
anyway, i think thats it from me now.
peace
shout out to all my readers/my reader (i think anna is the only one who occassionally checks this site). no posts in a while, thats coz ive been on holidays!
how were your holidays? good? coz mine sucked. i got a mole cut out of my ankle so couldnt walk for ten days, then did stuff for a week, then had an asthma attack and went to hospital and got a chest and bacterial infection so spent another couple of weeks in bed. yeah, super swell.
i managed to do some cool stuff, i didnt see a band all semester bad wilco and bluesfest i think so i was gonna go nuts on my holidays. i really wanted to see stature::statue again coz i havent seen them in a while but i didnt get round to it. i did manage to catch iron on, who ppl had been talking up for a couple of years but whom id never bothered to seek out until recently. hmm what else. i dont know, but i know im going to see belles will ring tomorrow, then splendour, then the cure, then bob dylan, then ryan adams... so itll be a good few weeks ahead.
apparently battles are coming to australia and not playing in brisbane?! GRRR! i hate it when bands i love do that. i dont actually know how battles would go down live, since most of the vocals sound piled with effects and the drums sound layered a few times, but whatever.
anyway, i think thats it from me now.
peace
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
this aint a scene?
i just finished my uni semester today. yay! my last assignment was on musical scenes. scholar will straw defines a scene as:
“that cultural space in which a range of musical practices coexist, interacting with each within a variety of processes of differentiation, and according to widely varying trajectories of change and cross-fertilization” (Straw 1991: 373).
which leads me to my nxt question: why exactly did fall out boy think they needed to clarify that at arms race was not a scene?
how could anyone get that confused?
“that cultural space in which a range of musical practices coexist, interacting with each within a variety of processes of differentiation, and according to widely varying trajectories of change and cross-fertilization” (Straw 1991: 373).
which leads me to my nxt question: why exactly did fall out boy think they needed to clarify that at arms race was not a scene?
how could anyone get that confused?
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
on another note... powderfinger and paris hilton
earlier i expressed my deep concern that powderfinger were recording with mr corporate rock producer himself rob schnapf. just an update that as it turns out, the new powderfinger album DOESN'T suck... dont be fooled by the crappy album artwork and album name that is apparently from some book but is still awkward and pretentious. it doesnt matter, dont be fooled. its actually a good album. theyre pretty famous and i doubt anyone out there wouldve not bought it after my word of warning, but now that ive fixed it up, i feel cleansed.
so there. feel free to listen to powderfinger, just as but no more polished than ever before. just how we like them
meanwhile, in hollywood, sarah silverman gave paris hilton the serving of a lifetime - right in front of her. i assume that if youre looking at a blog then youre able to look at youtube and hence have probably seen the video in question. nonetheless, its great. i dont know if sarah silverman knew paris would be attending since she was due to go into jail the next day (thats right - paris went to an award ceremony hours before being locked up) but points for not backing down. even funnier is the condescending way she addressed paris on the big screen with 'oh sweetie.'
funny shit. now all i need is for sarah silverman to make up a routine on dukes of windsor (see below).
peace out
so there. feel free to listen to powderfinger, just as but no more polished than ever before. just how we like them
meanwhile, in hollywood, sarah silverman gave paris hilton the serving of a lifetime - right in front of her. i assume that if youre looking at a blog then youre able to look at youtube and hence have probably seen the video in question. nonetheless, its great. i dont know if sarah silverman knew paris would be attending since she was due to go into jail the next day (thats right - paris went to an award ceremony hours before being locked up) but points for not backing down. even funnier is the condescending way she addressed paris on the big screen with 'oh sweetie.'
funny shit. now all i need is for sarah silverman to make up a routine on dukes of windsor (see below).
peace out
dukes of windor
i hate dukes of windsor. they are the worst band in the country currently receiving air-play. the veronicas have more street cred than you, and they rock harder too.
so you can imagine how happy it made me to read this review in 'mess and noise.' thankyou to matt giles for saying what i wanted to say but i dont write for or work in the media. if i were a journalist, or reviewer, my review of dukes of windsor would sound a lot like this one.
Dukes of WindsorAmplifier Bar, Perth, May 26 07
Tuesday, May 29 2007
An example of how abundantly bland the Dukes of Windsor can be lay in this between-song banter: “We’re going to play a new for you guys. We’ve never played it before, we just decided to do it downstairs, over some beers. Could be a disaster.” They then played the song flawlessly, as if they’d been playing it for years and had grown tired of it. The ceaseless, unexcited bounce of rugby-player-looking singer Jack Weaving, as well as his wan expression, brought this impression to life, and it continued throughout the set, one as predictable and unadventurous as the most formulaic commercial pop.
The tedium they inspire is antithetical to the tone of the music, a pumping, manic dance rock like the Killers on speed, the result of the boring efficiency of a group of musicians playing mindless, crowd-pleasing beat-heavy songs. This to me is the death knell for new-new-wave, when there are bands pilfering the other bands already pilfering the source material, resulting in a twice-removed, horrible replica. When one of your songs ends with a one minute coda that repeatedly declares “Kill yourself”, you’re sort of inviting trouble.
by Matt Giles
original review here
there you go dukes of windsor. next time youre jumping around with your dickweed little haircuts and crap crowd banter (as i was subjected to when they played at rics), just remember that time is almost up on your excersize in banality.
in the mean time, dont come back to queensland and take valuable gig time away from bands who dont suck as much as you.
peace out to the rest of world, no peace for DOW
so you can imagine how happy it made me to read this review in 'mess and noise.' thankyou to matt giles for saying what i wanted to say but i dont write for or work in the media. if i were a journalist, or reviewer, my review of dukes of windsor would sound a lot like this one.
Dukes of WindsorAmplifier Bar, Perth, May 26 07
Tuesday, May 29 2007
An example of how abundantly bland the Dukes of Windsor can be lay in this between-song banter: “We’re going to play a new for you guys. We’ve never played it before, we just decided to do it downstairs, over some beers. Could be a disaster.” They then played the song flawlessly, as if they’d been playing it for years and had grown tired of it. The ceaseless, unexcited bounce of rugby-player-looking singer Jack Weaving, as well as his wan expression, brought this impression to life, and it continued throughout the set, one as predictable and unadventurous as the most formulaic commercial pop.
The tedium they inspire is antithetical to the tone of the music, a pumping, manic dance rock like the Killers on speed, the result of the boring efficiency of a group of musicians playing mindless, crowd-pleasing beat-heavy songs. This to me is the death knell for new-new-wave, when there are bands pilfering the other bands already pilfering the source material, resulting in a twice-removed, horrible replica. When one of your songs ends with a one minute coda that repeatedly declares “Kill yourself”, you’re sort of inviting trouble.
by Matt Giles
original review here
there you go dukes of windsor. next time youre jumping around with your dickweed little haircuts and crap crowd banter (as i was subjected to when they played at rics), just remember that time is almost up on your excersize in banality.
in the mean time, dont come back to queensland and take valuable gig time away from bands who dont suck as much as you.
peace out to the rest of world, no peace for DOW
Monday, June 4, 2007
Zodiac!
i saw zodiac the other night... i think it's fantastic. this is a boring entry, not much to say.
well, i do have something to say.
i have one slight problem with the movie. if you see it then you'll know exactly which scenes im talking about: theres a couple of scenes that dont fit in with the whole movie. the narrative arc follows the attempts of journalists and policemen to catch the zodiac, and theres some gratuitous scenes that seem like an attempt to move it into 'thriller' zone away from the 'detective' genre; an attempt to measure up for all those people expecting another se7en. which is unfortunate. theyre actually quite good scenes and as a result it is probably going to be those scenes that stick with you when youre in bed at night in the dark.
my problem is that i didnt want to be walking out of the theatre thinking about those scenes, i wanted to be thinking about how much i love robert downey jr, how interesting the plot pieces were, how annoying beuracracy is. they distracted me from the more important elements. but oh well. its still a good movie, and best use of a donovan song ever.
which leads me to my next point:
robert downey jr, please marry me. im not gay but im willing to learn.
that guy is the most entertaining, charismatic person born of this earth, and if you dont agree with me i will fight you.
well, i do have something to say.
i have one slight problem with the movie. if you see it then you'll know exactly which scenes im talking about: theres a couple of scenes that dont fit in with the whole movie. the narrative arc follows the attempts of journalists and policemen to catch the zodiac, and theres some gratuitous scenes that seem like an attempt to move it into 'thriller' zone away from the 'detective' genre; an attempt to measure up for all those people expecting another se7en. which is unfortunate. theyre actually quite good scenes and as a result it is probably going to be those scenes that stick with you when youre in bed at night in the dark.
my problem is that i didnt want to be walking out of the theatre thinking about those scenes, i wanted to be thinking about how much i love robert downey jr, how interesting the plot pieces were, how annoying beuracracy is. they distracted me from the more important elements. but oh well. its still a good movie, and best use of a donovan song ever.
which leads me to my next point:
robert downey jr, please marry me. im not gay but im willing to learn.
that guy is the most entertaining, charismatic person born of this earth, and if you dont agree with me i will fight you.
Monday, May 14, 2007
BEST MUSIC
hey guys... i should be studying, but i have to leave for drama rehearsals in 20mins so it seems pointless getting stuck into some work (though my research blog for mstu2000 is waaay behind, damn drama subjects taking up all my time). anyway, due to my excitement about splendour in the gress (I GOT TICKETS!) i thought id make a post about the best albums of 06 and o7 (so far) fuelled by my love for TV on the Radio after last year's splendour in the grass.
2006
1. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain. not just the best album of 2006 but the best album of the last fifteen years. i dont know what else to say. i bought this album in july of 2006 and i still listen to it at least once a fortnight and i love it everytime and pick up something new every time. its unreal.
2. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love. everything you wanted out of a follow up for echoes... more diverse yet more focussed, still fresh and makes you want to dance. check it yo.
califone, alber hammond, kasabian, raconeurs, strokes, band of horses
3. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time. yeah, they're on subpop and they're a jangly indie guitar band with a good singer. say no more.
4. Califone - Roots and Crowns. if you like wilco, as i do, then you will like these guys. brilliant.
5. Albert Hammond Jr - Yours to Keep. horrible album name, bad album art, the least famous of the strokes - could this be any more of a surprise?! turns out album hammond can write good songs that fit nicely in the strokes canon and more diverse, quirky stuff. and he can actually sing too. i know, im shocked too.
special mention: to kasabian, the strokes, the raconteurs, yeah yeah yeahs (tad disappointing given the awesomeness of their debut album, still one of the best albums of recent times). im sure ive forgotten some and that ill hate this list fairly soon but until then, here it is.
2007
theres the usual suspects here. 2007 has been kind to us musically. bands we already loved produced albums up to the standard we expected (the shins, bloc party, arctic monkeys) and others smashed our expectations.
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times. who knew they had this in them? like, wow. its incredible. at 13 songs, theres a couple that i wouldve left off, but the great moments are amazing and shows real progress.
The Ponys - Turn Out the Lights. the best of 2007 so far. easily. ive listened to it more times than ive had hot meals this year (which isnt that many thanks to drama rehearsals and work... do cup-a-noodles count as a hot meal?) and its just really really good. go get it. go listen to it.
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. i love this band. i love their experimental stuff, and their laid back stuff. theres some really bad songs on here actually, but the 6 or 7 amazing ones make it worthwhile. so ge it.
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga - i wasnt one of those "oh my god, how good is 'im wake awake, its morning' oh god" people. i bought the album, and some of the songs were good. lua was amazing. train underwater was good, at the bottom of everything was good. but it wasnt that good, it certainly wasnt worth the hype. cassadega is. its fantastic and makes me believe that he is one of the best songwriters of his generation. just listen to four winds and hot knives. thats some good shit.
funnily enough, one of the safest bets of the year turned out to be the most disappointing.
im talking about ms bjork, and volta. i dunno what happened, and i wont muse on what went wrong (cough timberland) but this album pushes aside her experimentations with song structure, melody, and form, and instead focuses on experimentation with protools and with dreary collaborations. COME ON! medulla was fun and interesting but i want to be blown away again! please.
new powderfinger out soon as well. im a little worried, we all like powderfinger but we know theyve always had that tendancy to be a tad middle-of-the-road, to not 'rock' as much as we'd like them to. especially worrying is their use of rob schnapf in the production seat. now i love the vines and elliott smith, but the syrapy 'not-a-wrong-note' crystal clear production he applied to these albums (less so the vines, however, the distance between their live performances and their sound on record can, i guess, be put down to schnapfy). the finger have always had a tendancy to water down their songs to concise, pitch perfect updates of their demoes. i can only hope that schnapf has not led them further down this road into the realm of boring. i saw them live (i was at the denim venim concert!) and so i know how good some of these songs sound live... i wait with fingers crossed.
ill post more later
thats it for now
peace out
matt xo
2006
1. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain. not just the best album of 2006 but the best album of the last fifteen years. i dont know what else to say. i bought this album in july of 2006 and i still listen to it at least once a fortnight and i love it everytime and pick up something new every time. its unreal.
2. The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love. everything you wanted out of a follow up for echoes... more diverse yet more focussed, still fresh and makes you want to dance. check it yo.
califone, alber hammond, kasabian, raconeurs, strokes, band of horses
3. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time. yeah, they're on subpop and they're a jangly indie guitar band with a good singer. say no more.
4. Califone - Roots and Crowns. if you like wilco, as i do, then you will like these guys. brilliant.
5. Albert Hammond Jr - Yours to Keep. horrible album name, bad album art, the least famous of the strokes - could this be any more of a surprise?! turns out album hammond can write good songs that fit nicely in the strokes canon and more diverse, quirky stuff. and he can actually sing too. i know, im shocked too.
special mention: to kasabian, the strokes, the raconteurs, yeah yeah yeahs (tad disappointing given the awesomeness of their debut album, still one of the best albums of recent times). im sure ive forgotten some and that ill hate this list fairly soon but until then, here it is.
2007
theres the usual suspects here. 2007 has been kind to us musically. bands we already loved produced albums up to the standard we expected (the shins, bloc party, arctic monkeys) and others smashed our expectations.
Kings of Leon - Because of the Times. who knew they had this in them? like, wow. its incredible. at 13 songs, theres a couple that i wouldve left off, but the great moments are amazing and shows real progress.
The Ponys - Turn Out the Lights. the best of 2007 so far. easily. ive listened to it more times than ive had hot meals this year (which isnt that many thanks to drama rehearsals and work... do cup-a-noodles count as a hot meal?) and its just really really good. go get it. go listen to it.
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky. i love this band. i love their experimental stuff, and their laid back stuff. theres some really bad songs on here actually, but the 6 or 7 amazing ones make it worthwhile. so ge it.
Bright Eyes - Cassadaga - i wasnt one of those "oh my god, how good is 'im wake awake, its morning' oh god" people. i bought the album, and some of the songs were good. lua was amazing. train underwater was good, at the bottom of everything was good. but it wasnt that good, it certainly wasnt worth the hype. cassadega is. its fantastic and makes me believe that he is one of the best songwriters of his generation. just listen to four winds and hot knives. thats some good shit.
funnily enough, one of the safest bets of the year turned out to be the most disappointing.
im talking about ms bjork, and volta. i dunno what happened, and i wont muse on what went wrong (cough timberland) but this album pushes aside her experimentations with song structure, melody, and form, and instead focuses on experimentation with protools and with dreary collaborations. COME ON! medulla was fun and interesting but i want to be blown away again! please.
new powderfinger out soon as well. im a little worried, we all like powderfinger but we know theyve always had that tendancy to be a tad middle-of-the-road, to not 'rock' as much as we'd like them to. especially worrying is their use of rob schnapf in the production seat. now i love the vines and elliott smith, but the syrapy 'not-a-wrong-note' crystal clear production he applied to these albums (less so the vines, however, the distance between their live performances and their sound on record can, i guess, be put down to schnapfy). the finger have always had a tendancy to water down their songs to concise, pitch perfect updates of their demoes. i can only hope that schnapf has not led them further down this road into the realm of boring. i saw them live (i was at the denim venim concert!) and so i know how good some of these songs sound live... i wait with fingers crossed.
ill post more later
thats it for now
peace out
matt xo
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