Noel Gallagher's new solo stuff may sound a bit like Oasis 2.0, but having been in such a successful and influential band it's not entirely surprising to see. What is noticeable here though is, shockingly, a touch of class; something virtually non-existent in Noel's previous incarnation. I'm certainly intrigued by Noel's upcoming solo stuff, it's already sounding a thousand times better than anything Beady Eye have done thus far.
Monday, 25 July 2011
Sunday, 24 July 2011
I think we can all agree that the past week or so has been difficult to stomach. After a couple of days of 24 hour news coverage and watching everything seemingly implode, I'm about ready to crawl inside a cave and stay there until the alien invasion, or at least until things calm down a bit. One of the two.
It's so easy to lose faith in the world when you see what some people are capable of, but it's worth remembering that for every barbaric Nazi twat there's a calm stoic Norwegian there to remind us just how strong the human condition really is. And for every moment of desperation and Justin Bieber there's a band that can elevate your soul to an entirely different dimension and make even the darkest day that little bit brighter.
So make a cup of tea, play this song and hope for a better week. It's about all you can do really.
My heart goes out to all those who have been affected by the atrocities in Norway, the famine in Africa and the train crash in China. You can donate to the disaster relief fund for Africa here. The world is a scary place, thank God we've got music there to soften the blow.
Saturday, 23 July 2011
Friday, 22 July 2011
Not Standing Still
If you haven't heard the new album from The Horrors yet then you're missing out. Having not been tremendously impressed with Primary Colours, I was a bit unsure whether to give the band a second chance. However, after one listen to Skying I'm firmly back in the fan club. As difficult as it was to accept the new dreamy style the band have adopted since the days of Strange House, it seems to work well here. Each song is distinctive in its own way, making something much more memorable than anything on their last album. There's more than a touch of The Stone Roses here as well, a factor which certainly works in their favour. The combination of synth and reverse guitar work manages to create a trippy yet optimistic atmosphere which, unlike their previous work, leaves one feeling happily dazed rather than seasick.
The Horrors are a band who have been constantly evolving since their conception. It's clear that after a few initial teething pains, the band have grown up to become one of the post punk scene's strongest players.
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Happiness- 0 Sadness- 1
To celebrate the release of eagerly anticipated fourth album Happiness V Sadness, Robots in Disguise were due to throw yet another raucous electro riot down in good old Brizzle this evening. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, the venue cancelled the gig at the last minute, leaving one very disappointed music blogger in our midst.
One is not amused..
You can't help but really feel for these guys, they seem to be constantly fighting an uphill path. Despite this being their fourth album, the band have never quite achieved the levels of success they deserve. With tracks more energised than a toddler on crack, Sue and Dee have managed to capture the essence of what it is to be young and carefree, making them the perfect soundtrack to teenage debauchery and house parties gone wrong. And yet I'm still met with a resounding 'who?' when I mention them. Honestly, some people!
But despite their underground status and the difficulties they've faced in terms of funding the new album, what's really great to see is that after all this time and effort they're still just as wired as ever. Robots in Disguise are a band that works hard and parties harder, check them out if you want to join the fun.
Tickets for the gig at Start The Bus are refundable if you contact the venue. At this time there is no news of rescheduling the date.
Day One- A Matter of Life & Death
Already being a fan of Iron Maiden I realise this is a bit of a cop out. But hey, I'm in for a long, loud month so just give me this one, ok? Truth be told, I haven't had a good listen to Brucey and co for far too long. I remember being given Somewhere Back in Time by my dad when I'd just started getting into music and playing it constantly; so much so that years later, after not listening to it since then, I still remember pretty much every word. Thinking about it, Iron Maiden was always going to be the perfect place to start my metallic escapade really, it just feels like coming home.
In order to widen my palette which is, afterall, the entire point of this, I opted for an album of theirs I wasn't too familiar with: A Matter of Life and Death. I'd say that for anyone wanting to get into this genre of music, AMOLAD is a fine place to start. It's clearly a well constructed album that seems to just flow from one song to the next without becoming too heavy. The contrast in dynamics throughout the album really help to draw you into the music and Dickinson's vocals just glue the whole thing together perfectly. For someone who's had no professional vocal training, his range is insane. There's also plenty of hooks here to keep those with even the shortest of attention spans entertained. Infact, the entire thing just comes across as incredibly polished. Whether this is actuality a good thing or not is up to interpretation, but for me personally, it works.
A Matter of Life and Death is an album that completely shatters any preconceptions you may have had about metal. Contrary to popular (ignorant) belief, it's not all angry shouting and insane amounts of distortion, metal can be as riveting and finely crafted as any other artform. This is pretty much everything I love about rock, so if my experiment yields no other benefit, at least I'll have rekindled an old flame.
10/10
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