Listen and Learn

I'm pretty sure no-one ever reads this rubbish I sporadically spout, but I'm not really that concerned. I'm not even sure why I do it, but for anyone who stumbles upon this, I'm going to share some thoughts about Jane's Addiction.

You know that there's something tragically wrong with the general public's consciousness when a group as woefully bland as the Red Hot Chili Peppers have somehow managed to become one of the largest bands in the world, and an outfit such as Jane's Addiction couldn't quite reach those heights. There are reasons behind this of course. Jane's Addiction were a popular band in the late-80's and early-90's. They sold a few million records, toured extensively and singer Perry Farrell realised the potential and founded the massively successful US touring festival Lollapalooza. Fuck, even guitarist Dave Navarro ended up joining the aforementioned RHCP in 1995. They also sadly split up in their prime, succumbing to the usual trappings - drugs, drugs, and more drugs.

My problem with this situation is not that they didn't get the recognition that they deserved, as they have this in spades. My problem is with that of the RHCP fan. I have unfortunately met over the course of my life a few very misguided people who wholeheartedly believe that music starts and ends with the overly-macho testosterone fuelled shit-fest that is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I have had arguments/discussions with these people about the merits of bands like Jane's Addiction and Faith No More, both groundbreaking bands who I feel were unfairly lumped in with the early-90's 'funk-rap-rock' of the Chili Peppers, but for most of the RHCP fans out there seem to pale in comparison.

Whereas RHCP have songs like 'Sir Psycho Sexy' and 'Catholic Schoolgirls Rule', songs which deal with base-level degrading of women, Jane's had songs that were more heartfelt, spiritual and thought-provoking. This is not to say that they haven't had their share of frivolity either - witness 'Been Caught Stealing' and 'Idiots Rule' for example.

The first two studio albums, 'Nothing's Shocking' and 'Ritual De Lo Habitual' are essential listening for anyone with even a passing interest in alternative rock, but 'Strays', released upon their reformation in 2003, should be approached with caution. It's not a terrible album, but compared to the first two it really doesn't compare. If you've got the time, listen below to 'Three Days'.

Time For Sleep, part 1.

I like to fall asleep to music, which should come as no surprise as most of the time I tend to have some form of music playing or another. I have been known to spend upwards of half an hour in the past debating what to listen to. My current Hi-Fi set-up doesn't help much, as I have literally tens of thousands of songs at my fingertips. I have tried to compile a 'stock' list of songs I know will aid me in drifting off to the Land of Nod, but I'm so indecisive at the best of times that the list is rendered useless. I have also been known to put songs on, attempt sleep, only to get up again and change it.

The only time this ever works for me is if I am feeling particularly 'relaxed', aided by some type of alcohol or another. This is the best time, as it's not uncommon for Every Time I Die or someone of a similar ilk to scream for me a discordant lullaby. Of course, all this could be avoided by simply not listening to music in the first place, but where's the fun in that?

This song below is by Kyuss, the stoner/desert rock band featuring Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri before they went on to form Queens Of The Stone Age. This is a nice, mellow tune which evokes the Californian desert, Monument Valley, sunsets and endless stretches of highway. Not a bad image for one to drift off to. It's from their acclaimed album 'Welcome To Sky Valley'.

Crisps in Sandwiches

I want to meet whoever was the first person to come up with this concept. The person for whom this was an entirely original thought. It's so simple, yet the rewards are immeasurable. The potential so far-reaching. Think about how many possibilities there are within the realm of the sandwich, and then have that completely blown apart with the introduction of a simple thinly-sliced portion of deep fried potato.

Blast from the Past

This doesn't refer to the terrible film starring Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone, but rather a particular favourite band of mine, the Replacements.

I've had a rare evening in by myself, accompanied by my good friends red wine, chicken and potatoes. Lately I've been revisiting the Replacements' back catalogue, particularly the song 'Left Of The Dial'. It's somewhat of a paean to the US indie scene of the mid-80's, mixed in with Paul Westerberg's trademark songs of loss and regret. The title refers to the college radio scene where the more 'alternative' stations were (hopefully still are) located in the upper register of FM frequencies, and the act of turning the tuning dial to left to reach them. The song is allegedly about a particular female from another 80's indie band that Westerberg had a 'thing' with whilst playing the college circuit, and during the long drives between shows he would often try and find stations that could have possibly been playing her songs at any given time. The final lyric from this song is particularly poignant -

'And if I don't see ya, in a long, long while

I'll try to find you
Left of the dial'

It's a song that bands like the Gaslight Anthem have admitted that had it never been committed to tape, their current existence may not be so. But anyway, I thought I'd share it as it's one of my favourite songs, possibly even in my top ten of all time. Listen and enjoy, and please excuse the visuals. Not quite sure what that's about.

Boner time part 1

Guess who's back in the motherfucking house, which a fat dick for your motherfucking mouth? Sunny Day Real Estate, that's who. It's the original line-up! That means Jeremy Enigk! Dan Hoerner! Those two dudes from the Foo Fighters!

The real good news here is that they are playing London on April 22nd, for the first teim ever. My buddy is promoting it so hopefully I can blag my way in. The next two months can't go by quick enough

Take heed, Good Sir!

A while ago, I called Chris Cornell a 'knob' and suggested that he reform Soundgarden. I guess he heard about it, as the silly fucker has only gone and done it. This is good news, as long as they don't fuck it up, and as long as they play Brixton and I get to go. A rendition of this wouldn't go amiss either

Simply incredible

Young Widows - Old Skin. This band, quite simply, RULE.

2009

It's been a funny old year, starting off with moving house, friends emigrating, more grey hairs appearing and a sleeping disorder. Album-wise, it's also been a bit hit-and-miss. I've not really heard anything outside of the 'hardcore' tag that really jumps out, but that could also mean that I've not really been looking. Within this favoured genre of mine though, there have been some real gems from both home-grown talent and from our overseas counterparts. Here we go :

Albums:

10. Thursday - 'Common Existence'

9. BATS - 'Red In Tooth & Claw'

8. Brand New - 'Daisy'

7. Every Time I Die - 'New Junk Aesthetic'

6. Pearl Jam - 'Backspacer'

5. Future Of The Left - 'Travels With Myself And Another'

4. Alexisonfire - 'Old Crows/Young Cardinals'

3. Mastodon - 'Crack The Skye'

2. The Ghost Of A Thousand - 'New Hopes, New Demonstrations'

1. Converge - 'Axe To Fall'

Future Of The Left is a surprise entry, considering I only got it last week but it's totally fucking killer. They also put on one of the best shows I have seen all year, at the Bully back at the end of November. It was a tough choice between Converge and TGOAT, but ultimately after listening to them side-by-side, you just cannot deny the brutal assault of 'Axe To Fall'.

Tracks :

10. Super Furry Animals - 'The Very Best Of Neil Diamond'

9. New Found Glory - 'Tangled Up'

8. Mariachi El Bronx - 'I Would Die 4 You'

7. These Arms Are Snakes - 'Washburn'

6. Taking Back Sunday - 'Sink Into Me'

5. Converge - 'Dark Horse'

4. Every Time I Die - 'Wanderlust'

3. Cave In - 'Retina Sees Rewind'

2. Pearl Jam - 'The Fixer'

1. Thursday - 'Circuits Of Fever' / 'Friends In The Armed Forces'

Having two choices in the number one spot may be cheating, but the two Thursday songs listed are important for different reasons. First of all, 'Circuits Of Fever' sees Thursday pushing themselves further into shoegazing territory, with one of the most epic outros they have ever written, and with 'Friends In The Armed Forces', the year's finest rock song. Add to that the presence of Walter Schreifels on backing vocals and my decision is easily swayed.

Honorable mentions:

Albums:

Coalesce - 'Ox'

Sonic Youth - 'The Eternal'

Poison The Well - 'The Tropic Rot'

Tracks:

Mastodon : 'Divinations'

Double Dagger - 'The Lie/The Truth'

Dananananakroyd - 'Black Wax'

Gigs / Shows:

5. Future Of The Left, Bullingdon Arms Oxford

4. Hundred Reasons, O2 Academy Oxford

3. Gaslight Anthem (Plus Bruce Springsteen cameo), Hyde Park Calling

2. The Bronx, Camden Electric Ballroom

1. Every Time I Die, O2 Academy Oxford

5-1

5. Glassjaw - 'Worship And Tribute'

4. Isis - 'Panopticon'

3. Rival Schools - 'United By Fate'

2. Sonic Youth - 'Sonic Nurse'

1. Cave In - 'Jupiter'

10-6

10. Every Time I Die - 'The Big Dirty'

9. Garrison - 'Be A Criminal'

8. Deftones - 'White Pony'

7. PJ Harvey - 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea'

6. The Cooper Temple Clause - 'See This Through And Leave'

16-11

15. Sun Kil Moon - 'Tiny Cities'

14. The Gaslight Anthem - 'The '59 Sound'

13. Brand New - 'Deja Entendu'

12. At The Drive-In - 'Relationship Of Command'

11. The Bronx - 'The Bronx'

20-16

20. Super Furry Animals - 'Phantom Power'

There are, understandably, a lot of these lists around at the moment and the album that pre-dates this one, 'Rings Around The World' is in quite a few of them. Released after that was this album which I feel is somewhat overlooked. 'Rings' is a strong album, don't get me wrong, but to me 'Phantom Power' is much more enjoyable due to it's more focused 'pop' approach, perhaps the most straight-forward they have been since 'Radiator'.

Listen to : 'The Piccolo Snare', 'Venus & Serena', 'Slow Life'

19. The Shins - 'Chutes Too Narrow'

I used to watch the shit out of The O.C. I couldn't get enough of it. It was funny, it had hot chicks in it, it was smart, and it had hot chicks in it. It also had a pretty decent soundtrack, title song aside. The Shins were often mentioned by name, and whilst I listened to them before I ever saw The O.C. for some reason their delightful US indie-rock always makes me think of hot chicks. I like hot chicks, so thanks goes out to The Shins.

Listen to : 'Saint Simon', 'Turn A Square'

18. Hot Hot Heat - 'Make Up The Breakdown'

Way back in 2002, I heard 'Bandages' on XFM, three months before it was released. I was somewhat impressed, so much so that I ended up buying this album on import. Everyone knows 'Bandages', it's an indie-disco staple and probably one of the best singles of the 2000's. That song aside, the rest of the album is a huge amount of fun - great melodies, it's somewhat like early Cure mixed with Gang Of Four.

Listen to : 'Bandages', 'Talk To Me, Dance With Me', 'Oh, Goddammit'

17. M83 - 'Saturdays = Youth'

Fans of John Hughes films and Slowdive stand up! Your two favourite things have been brought together! M83's brand of shoegaze electronica has been perfected here, with a healthy dose of classic 1980's synth-pop thrown in. The album as a whole plays out like a soundtrack to an unmade Hughes film. It's both beautiful and melodramatic, an ultimately affecting piece of work.

Listen to : 'Kim And Jessie', 'Graveyard Girl', 'Highway Of Endless Dreams'

16. TV On The Radio - 'Dear Science,'

TV On The Radio has focused their vision here to produce their most cohesive album to date. All elements of their previous work are still present, just more polished and this gives 'Dear Science,' a greater immediacy.



Listen to : 'Halfway Home', 'Dancing Choose', 'Stork & Owl'

Results are in, 25-21

25. Comeback Kid - 'Broadcasting'


Released in 2007, this was Comeback Kid's third album and first with guitarist Andrew Neufeld taking over on vocal duties. Hardcore 'purists' will probably tell you that this album is too 'metal', and that it's not 'Wake The Dead', but some hardcore purists are among the most stubborn, tunnel-visioned people you will ever meet. Yes, there is more of a 'metal' edge here than on previous releases, but there is also a great deal of progression from your standard 4-beat hardcore. Musicianship is tighter, the breakdowns are heavier and the songwriting is more accomplished. Hardcore purists be warned, 'Broadcasting' is Comeback Kid's finest album.

Listen to : 'Hailing On Me', 'The Blackstone', 'Industry Standards'


24. Russian Circles - 'Station'


'Station' saw the arrival of new bassist Brian Cook (he of Botch and These Arms Are Snakes fame) and resulting from this a much tighter, more focused approach. The six tracks here constantly evolve, seamlessly flowing together in and out of blissful atmospherics and crushing metal riffs. Unlike some other post-rock/post-metal/post-whatever bands, Russian Circles seem to know when to change gears and as a result delivered in my opinion the finest instrumental album of the past ten years.

Listen to : 'Youngblood', 'Verses'



23. Red Animal War - 'Black Phantom Crusades'


I'll hazard a guess that not many people have ever heard of this band. I certainly hadn't until this arrived as a 'freebie' a few years ago. Released in 2002 on Deep Elm records, this album is an angular post-hardcore triumph. Reminiscent of Jawbox (particularly where vocals are concerned) and other taut and disciplined DC hardcore, but also adding elements of jazz and shoegazing it's definitely worth tracking down.

Listen to : 'Still', 'The Day After Yesterday', 'When I Get The Feelin' (Back In My Hands)'



22. These Arms Are Snakes - 'Easter'


Not since discovering Cave In way back in 2002 has a band knocked me out so immediately. 'Easter' is the second full-length album from Seattle's TAAS and in my opinion their best. Picking up from where 'Oxeneers' left off , this record adds more discordant melody and off-kilter rhythm with a more 'proggy' direction. It's not a comfortable listen and probably not recommended for dinner parties/social gatherings, but listen to it by yourself from start to finish and it will make sense. It also contains one of the finest closing sequences on any album I have ever heard.

Listen to : 'Subtle Body', 'Lady North', 'Crazy Woman, Dirty Train'



21. Primal Scream - 'XTRMNTR'


Nearly ten years on, this still remains the best album Primal Scream have ever made. It's filthy, nasty, and seethes with anger and at times seems as though it could fall apart any second. Released at the beginning of the millennium, 'XTRMNTR' is a punk/techno/rock and roll fuckfest. As ever with this being a Primal Scream album the influences are quite easy to spot, but at no point does it seem like a pastiche in the same vein as 'Give Out But Don't Give Up' did of the Stones in 1972.

Listen to : 'Kill All Hippies', 'Accelerator', 'Exterminator', 'Shoot Speed/Kill Light'

Careful Consideration

This is it. After wasting a large amount of mental energy over the past few weeks and doing a lot of listening, I have come to my final decision. In my opinion, the best album of the last ten years is 'Jupiter' by Cave In. This album is important for many, many reasons. Firstly, it's the way in which it manages to mix perhaps my two favourite sub-genres of rock music, shoegazing and hardcore, almost perfectly. I first saw them live, at the Astoria in 2002, supporting Hundred Reasons and to this day I have still not been that 'blown away' by a previously unknown support band. I literally could not believe what I was hearing. It was everything that I'd ever wanted to do in music myself, and more. 'Jupiter' was the album they were currently touring, so I went out and bought it. I'm not sure how long it remained on constant rotation for, but it was probably a good month or two.

The main reason why this album is so important to me is what it eventually led to. Through this I began to check out similar artists, artists on the same label and every single band listed in the sleeve notes. The label, Hydra Head, is/was home to some of the more avant-garde heavy music around and is run by Aaron Turner, vocalist and guitarist for Isis. Bands thanked in the sleeve notes include contemporaries such as Converge, Coalesce, Garrison, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch.

Jupiter's real triumph of course is the music. There's everything from dirty, slow, almost doom-metal (the aptly named 'Big Riff'), 3-minute pop-hardcore ('Brain Candle'), neo-prog epics and acoustic balladry all bound together by a strong sense of melody that runs through this album's very core. It is without a doubt Cave In's finest body of work. Following this, they were picked up by RCA records and went on to gain some moderate success with 2003's 'Antenna' before parting company with them and eventually going on hiatus in 2006. Good news though, they re-appeared this summer with the 'Planets Of Old' EP, released on Hydra Head and have begun touring again.

Take the time to watch this live performance of album highlight 'In The Stream Of Commerce', and do yourself a favour and get hold of this album.

In the next few days, once I've worked everything out I'll put up the rest of the list.

Someone needs to give this motherfucker a medal!

This is probably my favourite photograph of all time. This plucky fellow attempted to cross the US border from Mexico disguised as a car seat. You've really got to admire his balls. If I were an Immigration official I'd let him in, just down to the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. In retrospect the execution of his 'outfit' could have been slightly better, particularly where the face is involved, but it is impressive nonetheless.

Slacking

I've just noticed that 10 days have passed since I last mentioned an emo/post-hardcore band from the late-90's/early-2000's. I'm not sure anyone cares about that apart from myself, but here we go. Pay attention to Garrison.

Formed in 1996 in Boston, they are another one of those bands that no-one has ever heard of apart from those who tend to delve a little too deep into a scene, under the impression that that somehow makes them seem 'cool'. At least that's the perception, it's actually stereotypical geeky behaviour. That's why you'll never see 'cool' people listening to bands like Garrison, and typically why 90's 'Emo' as a whole was a genre populated entirely by geeks who can't even get laid. I could go on about this, but I think I'll save it for another time - there's far more to talk about there but this for now is all about Garrison. They signed to the legendary New York hardcore label Revelation (home to Gorilla Biscuits, Judge, Quicksand, many more) in the late 90's and released two albums plus a number of singles and EP's. The one to check out is Be a Criminal, released in 2001.

Ten songs of angular post-hardcore expertly produced by J. Robbins of Jawbox fame, this album is a perfectly executed body of work. The track listing reads like the description of a crime - 'Recognize an Opportunity', 'Know The Locale', 'Dump The Body', and the final track 'Accept What You've Done, Accept Who You Are' and makes for a concept album of sorts. Influences from a wide range of Rock/Indie history can be found here, from Drive Like Jehu style noise, shimmering Shoegaze to Smiths-y guitar jangle. This album contains pretty much everything I love about rock music, and I would even go as far as to include it in my list of the finest albums released in the last ten years. Unfortunately there is not much available online and it took me quite some time to track this album down, but it's worth searching out. Watch this video below

Retail Hell

The Westgate Centre. There's a lot of weird shit that goes on in there. It's like a haven for bargain-hungry freaks. Everything in there is either discounted, minus that horrid 'upmarket' streetwear shop John Anthony (or as I like to call it, 'Cunt's Paradise'), or just cheap to begin with. I must say that I have never been in to Cunt's Paradise, just one look at the staff puts me right off, but my friend Matt quite enjoys going in there just to look at the customers. He plays a little game where he tries to guess who can actually afford to shop there, and who has saved up money for weeks on end. I think it's mostly the latter.

Recently they have started putting small stands set up along the centre of the main 'strip', offering sweets, calendars, Sky TV and other generally pointless toss. One stand of particular note is a hair styling company called 'Herstyler'. If I were in charge of this venture, I'd like to make sure that the people running it had made some sort of effort themselves. You really should go and have a look as this disheveled bunch of clowns. A girl who appears not only to have not brushed her hair, but the thought has clearly never crossed her mind? Check! Two effeminate 'dudes' with plasters on their faces? Check! A whole gaggle of gimps, standing to attention with hair straighteners in hand, ready to pounce on some unsuspecting chump? Check! If I was the sort of person interested in that sort of thing I'd at least expect the staff to look as if they knew what they were doing. You wouldn't trust a spotty dermatologist, would you?

Just last week, as reported in the Oxford Mail it seems as though the re-development plans have been shelved until at least 2014, as no-one has any money. This really is a massive shame as I was looking forward to this shitty monstrosity of discount tat get razed like a Vegas casino.

Back to school with you, Sonny!

'Numpty', that's a good word. It's fun to say, and it's a rather inoffensive way of calling someone a fucking moron. It's almost affectionate. It's a shame it can't be applied here though, I'm afraid something I witnessed earlier today requires a word with far more weight, disdain and cruelty.

Whilst walking through the delight that is Oxford's Westgate Centre* this morning, en route to Sainsbury's, I caught a glimpse of a particularly simple-looking man. His first mistake was wearing just a T-Shirt. It's November, it's cold, and it has also been raining. Put a fucking coat on. I think the reason behind it was probably so he could show off his shitty tribal tattoos. As our paths drew nearer, I noticed the words 'Lesbians' in large type on this T-Shirt, and naturally my interest was piqued. Above said word was written the phrase 'Dip Me In Chocolate And Feed Me To The'. This statement annoys me for a number of reasons :

1. It's not funny

2. I don't really know what he is trying to achieve by wearing it. Is it that people will read it and think 'Haha! That's pretty funny. I bet that guy's a real fucking character!', or worse still, does he think that someone will read it AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN?

3. It's a bit arrogant to think that he, as a man, once dipped in chocolate will suddenly become desirable to 'The Lesbians' as an entire group of people, that just because he is covered in chocolate, suddenly every one of 'The Lesbians' fancies a bit of cock.

4. It's not funny.

I've never been a big fan of 'slogan' T-Shirts (apart from my own one - wait for the public airing of that) at all. They appeal to the exact sort of people I dislike. There's quite a wide group of people I dislike by the way, and no rules as to categorize them, it's almost autocratic. Stupid shit like 'You're Just Jealous Because The Voices Aren't Talking To You', and my favourite of all time 'You Laugh At Me Because I'm Different, I Laugh at You Because You're All The Same'. I have seen at least 5 Goths wearing that T-shirt in the past 2 years, mostly when they are in a group, all dressed the same. I don't think they quite got the irony.

So, I'm still trying to come up with a word to describe this douchebag. Or I could just let it go. He's done me no harm, apart from causing me to think about something so trivial for far too long. But that's my problem, not his. If I ever see him again, I'm sure I won't recognise him. Unless he's wearing that fucking T-Shirt.

*Does anyone remember when the Westgate Centre used to be the 'nice' one, and the Clarendon Centre was the shit one? My, how times have changed. That Westgate Centre needs to step up it's game. It's all budget retailing. I'm surprised there are not more empty shops in there. One particular phenomenon I have noticed recently is the closure of one cheap bookshop, and the immediate opening of another one. They co-existed for roughly a week. Maybe it had something to do with the lighting. The original shitty bookshop was illuminated like a cave. It was horrible, dank, nasty, and the sight of a staff member sat by the door picking his nose is not very inviting. The newer one is brightly lit, and has a really, really hot girl working there. Next time you go to Sainbury's, have a look. She's not there every day so if you happen to chance upon an ugly skank, that's not her!

BIG THINGS!

Small Brown Bike are working on new material. This is extremely good news, as Small Brown Bike are fucking excellent. One of the more forward-thinking post-hardcore/emocore bands of the early 2000's, they were often mentioned alongside Hot Water Music, but whereas HWM where more straight-ahead punk Small Brown Bike had a more expansive vision. The musical progression from their early 7" releases to final album "The River Bed" is evidence of this. They sadly split at the end of 2003 at the height of their success, after receiving glowing reviews, regular rotation on MTV2 and increasingly successful tours. The last two releases, the 'Nail Yourself to the Ground' EP and 'The River Bed' are among the finest post-hardcore releases this decade, somewhat ahead of their time. Listening to 'Table For Four', there are shades of what Thrice have been trying to achieve since 2005's 'Vheissu' onwards. Check out this video

Fuck a Duck!

Holy balls. This slice of pure tight-banging gold is probably the most underrated 90's Hip-Hop tune apart from Souls of Mischief's '93 'Til Infinity'. I first heard it on a Scratch Perverts radio session in 1998, then it turned up on a Hip-Hop Don't Stop compilation. I tried to track it down for years (11 to be exact), and finally found a rapidshare link a few months ago. To say I got a boner would be somewhat of an understatement. This tune is so huge it's unbelievable. I have only managed to find this one link, which features the 'A' side to this single first. That has a pretty good beat, but the DJ Spinna mix of 'Verbalise' is the real prize. It starts at 3:36, so please listen and enjoy. It's marvellous.