Music news and discussion

And it’s the first blog post of the year.

Music Round Up. Jan & Feb 2024

The usual, shoegaze, electronica, goth, prog metal, some Midwestern Emo and a bunch of other stuff.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

oops! here

“I’ll no pollute my body with that shit”
“Why? You got some?”

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

My brother sent me a text with a link (I’ll quote him)

“a friend of a friend of a friend made this ridiculous/awesome 80s speed metal style record… About the last day of Dale Earnhardt’s life. GASOLINE is a highlight but it’s really a pretty great 30 minutes of fun.”

Then I sent it to a friend and he liked it, almost bought a vinyl copy.
We agree on the song Gasoline, but we’re not as enamored with the rest.

Give Gasoline a whirl, it’s the second song on the list (or does this link set it up? Maybe)
_______________________

https://iamtheintimidator.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-the-intimidator

This month’s blog. We’ve some post hardcore, albums that sound like techno thriller and cyberpunk soundtracks and a few other bits and bobs.
Good month. 👍🏻

April round up 2024

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

And what song can cross so many boundaries?

Like,I remember my dad saying something about that guy in Black Sabbath.
That was a real effort.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Uncle Retrospective

I do love that bit.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

So I’m writing up my 50 albums of all time for a music forum I’m on and seeing as it’s already written, I thought I’d post it here as well. This is going to take ages but I’m sure you’ll all enjoy all of my amazing picks. Or be judgy..
You to you really.

Let’s start with number 50.

The Chameleons – Script of the Bridge

I’d heard The Chameleons’ name bandied about in the music press for years, and usually in relation to Joy Division, so I’d always be on the lookout for their stuff. In second hand shops, or seeing if any of my new uni mates had any of their albums that I could tape off them, but all to no avail. I’d been burned too many times on music mag recommendations and wasn’t willing to splash my very limited cash on an unheard of band so that was it as far as I thought.
Luckily I got their Best Of CD to review at the Sunderland Uni newspaper Degrees North, (See what they did there) and was well impressed. Moody guitar music? A man with a deep voice and a general air of disillusionment? Perfect for a 20 year old me.

Script of the Bridge is the band’s debut album, and as good as the rest of their music is, they never surpassed this. The thoughtful, considered lyrics, paired with the cold, almost desolate feel to the music was something they could never quite replicate.

There really is something bleak in this early 80 Manchester sound and having songs called things like A Person Isn’t Safe Anywhere These Days isn’t really invoking halcyon days. There’s a lot of menace on this album, it’s soaked through with the sounds of those dilapidated streets and abandoned factories. You can feel the threat of violence everywhere.

This album is also interesting as it’s happening as the post punk sound is mutating into something new. The album opener, Don’t Fall is an 80’s rock song, all reverb soaked snare and driving earnestness. There’s definitely some Killing Joke, U2 and Bunnymen similarities but this is 1983, this is a sound that’s still developing.

Thankfully the album isn’t all like that or it wouldn’t be on this list. Here Today has the kind of threatening riff that endeared them to the Goths while no one else was listening. I mean, The Chams are not goth and probably would have thrown punches at the suggestion, but you can see how it crosses over. Sometimes the lyrics do have odd wince inducing profundity:

“Is my creator god or man? Yes, yours too”

But fuck it, I’d rather that than someone singing yet another love song.

I’ve no idea how the band have gone un-championed in the 20 years of post punk necrophilia we’ve lived through. Their fans include Alcest, Interpol and… Oasis, with Noel citing them as a huge influence. Which I honestly can’t hear, but I’m not going back to check that out either.

https://songwhip.com/the-chameleons/script-of-the-bridge-remastered

The American Dollar – A Memory Stream

It’s Friday night, the TV is out, so let’s open a beer and write about music!

The American Dollar are a post-rock duo from Queens in New York. I have no idea where I came across them but seeing as this album came out in the mid ‘00s, I’m guessing it was off The SIlent Ballet or After the Post Rock. They seem the most likely culprits.

The American Dollar play an electronic version of post rock, and a friend described them as Sigur Ros without the noisy bits. Which is pretty close to be honest.

This album is beautiful.

The delicate interplay between the keys and guitar carve a space to let you just relax into the music. It always sounds bright and warm and clear. It’s languid in the best way, like a lazy summer day, where the sun is going down and you’re exhausted yet happy and you feel that this is how life should be.

Wow, that got hyperbolic.

This isn’t gossamer ambient music though that description may lead you to think so. There are drums right up the mix, driving, almost break beats, pushing this along. The opening tracks, The Slow Wait pt1&2 pull you into this world slowly lulling you in with its gentle piano before those drums I was talking about come pulsing in. It takes my breath away every time.

Bump is a full on post rock masterpiece that just soars but not with the usual layers of distortion, TMD just have their mix so all the instruments just build on each other and it lets the music fly. And that’s how this album works, gliding between the dazzling peaks and the chilled troughs, all while keeping me in my happy place.

And in a perfect segue, this brings me to the album highlight.

Anything you Synthesize was my go to song when I went traveling for 16 months a very long time ago. From chilling out in Vietnam, to climbing glaciers in New Zealand, to staring out a bus window in Columbia, it was a musical comforter that helped me deal with all the strangeness and loneliness that can come with long term travel. It still can act as a comfort blanket to this day, those opening piano notes still carry me away to beautiful places where I can feel the sun on my face and not have a care in the world.

Just listen to this.

Great times and a beautiful album remember them by.

https://songwhip.com/the-american-dollar/a-memory-stream

• This reply was modified 7 months ago by Uncle Retrospective.
• This reply was modified 7 months ago by Uncle Retrospective.

1 user thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle

Another month and another blog.

Music roundup June 2024

We have the usual, post rock / metal, some sinister techno, some moody chillout and disturbingly, more prog.
I’m starting to het worried about how much prog is popping up…

2 users thanked author for this post.

Christian, Todd

https://www.rd.com/list/popular-songs-you-didnt-realize-are-racist/

1 user thanked author for this post.

njerry

JRCarter wrote:

https://www.rd.com/list/popular-songs-you-didnt-realize-are-racist/

Actually, this mainly taught me that China Girl is less racist than I thought because I’d never really looked at the lyrics and, yup, that’s actually about heroin for sure. (I assume that this is something that everybody who knows anything has known for decades, but hey, sometimes I have cultural blindspots. Don’t we all?)

3 users thanked author for this post.

JRCarter, Todd, njerry

On stage

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2024/09/16/janes-addiction-apology-perry-farrell-dave-navarro-fight/75247378007/

I used to listen to the Smiths years ago:

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Christian wrote:

God, Morrissey is such a dick.

Wasn’t sure if I should go with “Heaven knows he’s miserable now” or “The bigmouth struck again”. Either way, yeah, he’s a dick.

Maybe Marr should team up with Perry Farrell and let Morrissey reach out to Dave Navarro.

2 users thanked author for this post.

Christian, Al-x

Sounds like a great night out. Have fun, Sean!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

Christian wrote:

Sounds like a great night out. Have fun, Sean!

Yes, it was a good time. With the co-headliners Testament and Kreator, (do they alternate headline status?) it was Testament as the headliner (many a multiple show I’ve always thought second to last is prime spot…).
But wow, Kreator was awesome. Germany knows how to produce some lasting rock!
That Mosh pit hurt my back just watching.

And when he talked to the crowd (his English very good, he checked his one mistake quickly) it was two questions.
Who was born before 1989?
Who was born after 1989?
The after 1989 cheer was louder, maybe not 2/3rds, but at least 55%.
And everyone I met at the show is born before 1979, I myself am 1968, well, he could have just tweaked the question, and that percentage would change.

And yeah, a few of us spoke about the TV show Dark.
Wait a minute! I remember you years ago reciting Kreator’s lyrics before the album came out.
You must be a time traveler!
Not dissing it, it worked. But does every German… hold on, brain going places and I’m not fact checking. Scorpions would’ve been same time, before. Accept was also early 80’s

Gah! gotta wind down and go to bed.

Next concert is W.A.S.P. in late October.
Will I catch the codpiece?

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christian

Y’know, if I was ever to travel to England…

Says Bruce Dickinson, “Next year is a very special one for IRON MAIDEN and we’re going to be giving our fans a once-in-a-lifetime live experience. This is a tour that’s gonna put a smile on your face and a cheer in your throat. If you’ve seen us before, then get ready to take that experience to a whole new level. If you’ve never seen us before, then what the hell have you been waiting for? Now’s your chance to find out what you’ve been missing! IRON MAIDEN’s definitely gonna get ya!”

Manager Rod Smallwood adds, “50 years of Maiden and I have seen 46 of them! With well over 100 million albums sold and almost 2500 shows in 64 countries and counting, to countless millions of fans, we are all still loving every second and consider every tour a new challenge to bring something different and exciting to our fans. And for this very special one we’re pulling out all the stops!

We will cover classics and fan favourites from the first nine albums, from IRON MAIDEN to FEAR OF THE DARK, many of which we haven’t played in years and many we will likely never play again in the future. We have already been hard at work for months putting together an even more spectacular and elaborate new show which will bring the songs to life more than we have ever been able to do before. This is going to be a huge couple of years for IRON MAIDEN, and Eddie of course, and we are very excited about what we have up our sleeves for you fans throughout the whole of our 50th year. I promise you are all going to be very happy indeed!”

On Saturday June 28th the band will perform at the London Stadium, home of West Ham Football Club – the team that band founder Steve Harris has supported throughout his life, and with whom IRON MAIDEN have a long and storied history.

This concert in front of over 60,000 fans, will be the first time that IRON MAIDEN have performed on the club’s hallowed turf. A true homecoming show – with Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith & Nicko McBrain all born in the surrounding area – it will also be the biggest UK venue the band have ever headlined outside of their festival appearances.

Steve Harris says, “My love of football and my support of West Ham is no secret, and I know many of our fans around the world have shared that with me too. So we’re all very excited to be playing at the London Stadium as part of the RUN FOR YOUR LIVES tour. We can’t wait to see you all there!”

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christian

Two recent flops:

Jennifer Lopez latest album (in which she put 20M of her own) had bad sales. She had to rename and after a while cancel her tour due to poor ticket sales. Then her Netflix movie was bad. Not a good year for her.

Katy Perry’s “143” album has bad reviews and poor sales. It was supposed to be this comeback album, but what worked in the 2010’s isn’t working now because times have changed.

• This reply was modified 3 months, 2 weeks ago by Al-x.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Ian Smith wrote:

The Katy Perry album was a PR disaster. Not only were the songs a bit shit, but making a “female empowerment album” produced by a guy thats been accused of rape, is a crazy thing to think people won’t pull you up on in 2024.

Working with producer Dr. Luke will not go over well in 2024. Also, back in the 2010s, her pop stuff of California Girls/Teenage Dream material caught on with everyone at the right time. Back then, she was in her mid 20s and her whole pop motif worked. But now, her audience got older, times have changed, she is almost 40 now,  and bringing back this happy go lucky theme isn’t working these days.

As for JLo, she may have overestimated her show at the SuperBowl. Her tour got to the point where it was re themed as a greatest hits concert and it still didn’t work. She might have thought she was up there with her peers like Swift and Beyonce but she is not. Her divorce didn’t help either.

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by Al-x.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend, I can be forgiven for “having a couple” on a Sunday night.

Anyways I put on one of those music channels I get on cable.
The “now” hours of the “Loud” channel has me wondering of Country and Metal is having a bit of a crossover.

Type something into Google and what a fucking Reddit Rabbit hole you can fall down into.
I don’t do that sober, so walking away after beer number four.

Think I was onto something though.
______________________

Random thoughts:

’80’s music lyrics is peppered with rapey rapey shit.
Wouldn’t think of Def Leppard like that, but 1981’s “Let it Go” from “High N’ Dry” has:
“So get down
On your knees
Let me know
You’re eager to please”
_________________________

Can I get Minstry, or a Ministry style band to cover some ’80’s shit in a heavy way?
– I Think We’re Alone Now (Tiffany)
-We Didn’t Start The Fire (Billy Joel)

I honestly think that could work.
Amyone that could bring their Heavy A-game to “Total Eclipse of The Heart” would be considered gods!

Or is it just time to go to hed?

2 users thanked author for this post.

njerry, lorcan_nagle

Happy Thanksgiving, Sean.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson

You know Marc Heal’s been releasing solo stuff recently that’s very much in the Cubanate wheelhouse?

• This reply was modified 3 months ago by lorcan_nagle.
• This reply was modified 3 months ago by lorcan_nagle.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Uncle Retrospective

The first of the Irish bands that are going to feature on this list. One of the best post rock albums of all time.

No. 38 – God is an Astronaut –  All is Violent, All is Bright

• This reply was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by Uncle Retrospective.
• This reply was modified 2 months, 3 weeks ago by Uncle Retrospective.

2 users thanked author for this post.

njerry, lorcan_nagle

Next band!

A band heavily influenced by the Cure and Smashing Pumpkins. They should have been huge.

No. 37 – Puressence – Puressence

Leaving the house and seeing an ’80’s metal show again.

W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint tonight (Death Angel left the tour).
W.A.S.P. is playing their first album in entirety (from beginning to end)

Hope it’s a good time!

4 users thanked author for this post.

Uncle Retrospective, Todd, njerry, Christian

Stop Doomscrolling and chec out some new music instead!

Music Roundup September – October 2024

We, got an honest to god straight up prog album! We have indie, goth, shoegaze, metal, dance music. We got the lot!

1 user thanked author for this post.

Christian

Fuck yeah, Killing Joke

1 user thanked author for this post.

Uncle Retrospective

Anyone in the mood for blackened, folk, prog post metal?
Yea? Cool. Here you go my friends.

No.34 – Dawnwalker – Ages

2 users thanked author for this post.

Sean Robinson, Christian

November blog.

Lot’s of Irish acts this month.
Post rock, dance music, sludge and stoner rock and some very sad songs.

Music Round up November 2024

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Armand Van Helden’s “Koochey” uses the hell out of Gary Numan’s “Cars”

1 user thanked author for this post.

Uncle Retrospective

I wonder why the wordpress embedding stopped working?

Spotify continues to be the worst.

https://www.honest-broker.com/p/the-ugly-truth-about-spotify-is-finally?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=18b3d&triedRedirect=true

Just pay artists, you scumbags.

• This reply was modified 4 days, 19 hours ago by Uncle Retrospective.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Todd

Dave wrote:

Spotify has always been a racket. It’s why I’ve always avoided using it – I still buy CDs or pay for downloads of artists I like, so that I know they’ll benefit directly.

But enough people are in the Spotify ecosystem now that it’s going to be very hard to change habits.

Yeah, I have to admit to using Spotify. I do try to spend money on artists I really like as well, though, whether it’s by seeing them in concert, or buying a record.

More bangers on the 50 best albums.

No.33 – Pitchshifter – http://www.pitchshifter.com

lorcan_nagle wrote:

I saw Pitchshifter on that tour and they were amazing

I’ve been lucky to see them a few times and they’ve always been brilliant.

1 user thanked author for this post.

lorcan_nagle