Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Infinity
RIP Jay Reatard.
I hope he is doing something similar to the video on this page in whatever afterlife he ended up in.
I hope he is doing something similar to the video on this page in whatever afterlife he ended up in.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
A Lot Of The Things You Don't Isn't
I have been on spotify a lot in the last few days. That Local Natives ad is rubbish. They sound like ANOTHER Fleet Foxes. One is more than enough.
That Book of Eli garbage. What? 'Hi, I'm Denzel Washington; I can't be bothered to act'. It makes me mad. Why do people just stop trying when they win an oscar (hyper-generalisation, thanks) Why are people so fucking dumb?
Gah.
That Book of Eli garbage. What? 'Hi, I'm Denzel Washington; I can't be bothered to act'. It makes me mad. Why do people just stop trying when they win an oscar (hyper-generalisation, thanks) Why are people so fucking dumb?
Gah.
Roulette Dares (The Haunt Of)
A rough guide to what I'll be subbing to True Faith this week...
Fans far and wide seem caught in a mighty head-spin about whether they can stomach boycotting merch, let alone the match itself. It can work, though…
You might have seen that Southampton FC almost went to the wall in summer ’09. The mirage of Matt Le Tissier and some bongo consortium fell through and all seemed lost until Markus Liebherr rolled in with his swiss (chocolate) coins to save the club from liquidation. So what? What does this have to do with the mental asylum on Barrack Road? It’s that word which has caused a bit of a stir ever since Special K left; boycott. It began with an FA Cup match against Franchise FC (MK Dons, not Manyoo) on Jan 7 2005 when a small group, coordinated by Nick Illingsworth, refused to attend the match as a protest against the running of the club by one of football’s favourite deluded dickheads, Rupert Lowe.
Previously dismissed as a “vocal minority” by the board, the fans shouldered arms by going to watch Eastleigh instead. This was supposed to be a one off gesture, said Illingsworth; “it’s about time that [they] realised that the fans matter and we won’t keep turning up whatever. [They’ve] had a soft ride and we want to make it a little bit bumpier”. Sound like anyone in particular? Illingsworth is editor of Saints fanzine The Ugly Inside but didn’t receive unanimous backing, others wanted “to support the new manager and the players […] it’s up to others what they do”. Again, we’ve seen this before. Even with the home match against Bolton last season, when most hacks pointed out the dwindling numbers as emblematic of a demise in the fanbase, its much clearer now that a combination of Ashley, the ‘competitive’ nature of the PL and relegation have focussed minds that match-by-match is the way forward. Would Ashley stop acting the fool if there were only 35,000 in the stadium every week, with 5-10,000 of those not buying owt? The attendances this season have been eye-watering and a reason for all exiles (hurrah!) to puff their chests out when discussing the weekend’s events on a Monday morning but, when you look at the example set by these Saints fans, staying away could be something.
Of course, this argument devolves considering the stature of the club in the city and what it means. You don’t need me to tell you what the club is to people far and wide. People don’t want to give up the match. I wouldn’t. I don’t think, in all honesty, it’s a decision anyone who loves their club, regardless of which one it is (Franchise FC exempted), might take. If Ashley sticks around past the summer, would you entertain the idea of stumping up your hard-earned for, well, what? Where does it even go? When Southampton entered administration, Lowe tried to blame the misfortunes of the club on Barclays for ‘irresponsible lending’. Sounds about right in the economic climate in 2008; it also sounds like that shite last summer about Moat being unable to guarantee the overdraft against his purchase of the club. Michael Wilde ousted Rupert Lowe from Southampton in 2006 then welcomed him back with open arms. Who says Moat wouldn’t have done the same with the FCB? We know now that Moat is a crock of shit but at the time he almost got away with it; only his gaffes since the collapse of the sale have brought the chickens home to roost.
The financial troubles at Southampton were augmented by the boycott of around 5000 fans as things lurched from bad to worse to deep shit. A couple of colleagues boycotted and feared for the club, but ‘it was the only way to get the cancer out of the club’. Southampton Independent Supporter’s Association member, Richard Chorley, was evicted from the club AGM in December ’08 for launching thirty pieces of silver at Lowe and Wilde. Something for NUST to think about if they ever prise the keys to SJP out of the FCB’s sweaty mitts… Boycotting might seem like nonsense to some, nufc.com have said before that they won’t endorse anything they wouldn’t do themselves and fair play to them. The key to the message is that this sort of thing can work. Of course, administration is what almost took the club out of existence and allowed it to shed the numbskulls who had steered the ship on to the rocks but without the diminished crowds it would have only allowed the club and its taskmasters to tread water for even longer and to gorge the £24m owed to Norwich Union beyond any possible recoverable amount. The small scale (in stupid modern football terms) of the debt allowed Liebherr to guarantee the club’s future. What if they’d been £10m worse off?
A boycott might never become a reality but that doesn’t mean that you should rule it out, heavy heart or not.
Fans far and wide seem caught in a mighty head-spin about whether they can stomach boycotting merch, let alone the match itself. It can work, though…
You might have seen that Southampton FC almost went to the wall in summer ’09. The mirage of Matt Le Tissier and some bongo consortium fell through and all seemed lost until Markus Liebherr rolled in with his swiss (chocolate) coins to save the club from liquidation. So what? What does this have to do with the mental asylum on Barrack Road? It’s that word which has caused a bit of a stir ever since Special K left; boycott. It began with an FA Cup match against Franchise FC (MK Dons, not Manyoo) on Jan 7 2005 when a small group, coordinated by Nick Illingsworth, refused to attend the match as a protest against the running of the club by one of football’s favourite deluded dickheads, Rupert Lowe.
Previously dismissed as a “vocal minority” by the board, the fans shouldered arms by going to watch Eastleigh instead. This was supposed to be a one off gesture, said Illingsworth; “it’s about time that [they] realised that the fans matter and we won’t keep turning up whatever. [They’ve] had a soft ride and we want to make it a little bit bumpier”. Sound like anyone in particular? Illingsworth is editor of Saints fanzine The Ugly Inside but didn’t receive unanimous backing, others wanted “to support the new manager and the players […] it’s up to others what they do”. Again, we’ve seen this before. Even with the home match against Bolton last season, when most hacks pointed out the dwindling numbers as emblematic of a demise in the fanbase, its much clearer now that a combination of Ashley, the ‘competitive’ nature of the PL and relegation have focussed minds that match-by-match is the way forward. Would Ashley stop acting the fool if there were only 35,000 in the stadium every week, with 5-10,000 of those not buying owt? The attendances this season have been eye-watering and a reason for all exiles (hurrah!) to puff their chests out when discussing the weekend’s events on a Monday morning but, when you look at the example set by these Saints fans, staying away could be something.
Of course, this argument devolves considering the stature of the club in the city and what it means. You don’t need me to tell you what the club is to people far and wide. People don’t want to give up the match. I wouldn’t. I don’t think, in all honesty, it’s a decision anyone who loves their club, regardless of which one it is (Franchise FC exempted), might take. If Ashley sticks around past the summer, would you entertain the idea of stumping up your hard-earned for, well, what? Where does it even go? When Southampton entered administration, Lowe tried to blame the misfortunes of the club on Barclays for ‘irresponsible lending’. Sounds about right in the economic climate in 2008; it also sounds like that shite last summer about Moat being unable to guarantee the overdraft against his purchase of the club. Michael Wilde ousted Rupert Lowe from Southampton in 2006 then welcomed him back with open arms. Who says Moat wouldn’t have done the same with the FCB? We know now that Moat is a crock of shit but at the time he almost got away with it; only his gaffes since the collapse of the sale have brought the chickens home to roost.
The financial troubles at Southampton were augmented by the boycott of around 5000 fans as things lurched from bad to worse to deep shit. A couple of colleagues boycotted and feared for the club, but ‘it was the only way to get the cancer out of the club’. Southampton Independent Supporter’s Association member, Richard Chorley, was evicted from the club AGM in December ’08 for launching thirty pieces of silver at Lowe and Wilde. Something for NUST to think about if they ever prise the keys to SJP out of the FCB’s sweaty mitts… Boycotting might seem like nonsense to some, nufc.com have said before that they won’t endorse anything they wouldn’t do themselves and fair play to them. The key to the message is that this sort of thing can work. Of course, administration is what almost took the club out of existence and allowed it to shed the numbskulls who had steered the ship on to the rocks but without the diminished crowds it would have only allowed the club and its taskmasters to tread water for even longer and to gorge the £24m owed to Norwich Union beyond any possible recoverable amount. The small scale (in stupid modern football terms) of the debt allowed Liebherr to guarantee the club’s future. What if they’d been £10m worse off?
A boycott might never become a reality but that doesn’t mean that you should rule it out, heavy heart or not.
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Fucking with Pillheads
I have returned from ATP. It was pretty good, not as good as The Fans Strike Back in May (which I never wrote up on), possibly because there was a bit too much drone and I didn't go to bed on the saturday night which led to me being in splashworld at 10am, knackered, confused and wondering if I would make it through to 1230am to see Lightning Bolt in tiny, tiny Reds. I didn't; fell asleep watching Blade Runner in the chalet. So, I did manage to see the following:
Friday
Bardo Pond
Growing
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
J. Mascis & The Fog (an entire guitar solo, then I gave up)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jim Sclavunos DJ set (drummer in Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)
Múm
Fuck Buttons
Edan Dee Jay Set
Saturday
Afrirampo
Dirty Three
Battles
Melvins
Modest Mouse
Sunn O))) (about 3 minutes worth, all one note, the vibrations went through me, so I went next door)
Belle & Sebastian DJs
Justin Spear
Sunday
Josh T. Pearson
Deerhoof
Mudhoney
Explosions in the Sky
The Mars Volta (playing Inertiatic esp; can't stand them so literally saw this in passing)
Some of these clashed with each other plus weird timetabling meant I didn't see The Breeders (exact sane time as Modest Mouse) and some others I missed because I was knackered (Shellac) or watching awesome TV (Papa M) or couldn't be fussed (Sleepy Sun).
I've stated elsewhere that Sunn O))) were bad but its more just a case of I don't get drone. After watching Fuck Buttons and EITS live I can't say I get them either. EITS are just boring and Fuck Buttons are best on record when you are journeying. I can't just sit and listen to them in my house, I always turn it off. They are blaaaaaah.
Saw Afrirampo as Barry Hogan (ATP founder) claims they put on the best show at ATP ever (a direct tie with Lightning Bolt, for him) and he wasn't wrong. Mental Japanese girls. Bit like a more, er, melodic Melt Banana, I suppose. Great drumming and great audience interaction. Warren Ellis had them on to give out balloons to the crowd during Dirty Three's set. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were excellent, even though they were half an hour late. Karen O responded to the boos with a sweary riposte; "fuck you we just got here you motherfuckerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs. I love you ATP. I hate you ATP!" Then she spat water everywhere whilst the entire band proceeded to be 100% awesome for the next hour or so. Best song was either Maps or Modern Romance.
Múm were superb, seemed like they were on at the wrong time of day (10-11pm) but they were pretty soothing following on from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and coming before Fuck Buttons, who almost broke my ears. Drone dance is worse than drone, yeah?
Dirty Three and Battles were a bit up and down. Too much off Ocean Songs and not enough of Indian Love Song, which is absolutely bonkers. Battles were Battles. John Stanier has a really high cymbal and looks like Gordon Brown. The nerds done good.
Melvins are weird. Good but weird. Not sure I'd ever listen to them by choice, The Bloat aside. Four drummers made for a pretty weird experience, with two of them coming from Modest Mouse. The last ten minutes were literally just drumming with Dale Crover shouting "DEATH. PLAYS. FOR. KEEPS." Mental.
Modest Mouse were loud as crikey and played a good mix of new and old stuff as Isaac Brock drank cayenne and vinegar for a sore throat... Josh T. Pearson was a weird, great folk man and Deerhoof were as odd as you'd expect from a programme note that said:
Basket Ball Basket Ball Basket
Dribble
Pivot Pivot Pivot Pivot Escape
Dribble
Bunny Jump Bunny Jump
Bunny Bunny Bunny Jump
Go Go Champyong
Speed Speed Champyong
Rebound Rebound
Rebound Rebound Ready OK?
Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah
The only other thing to report is that you should, readers all, go on youtube, or download, Brad Neely's Wizard People, Dear Reader, which is sublime. Its the first Harry Potter film overdubbed with a narration by this Texan chap, Neely. Bizarre, hilarious and divine. "YOU WILL BE A WIZARD, IN-FUCKIN'-DEED"!
PS: It is pretty damn chilly in Minehead at this time of year. Next year's Nightmare Before Christmas headliner will have to be Pearl Jam or something for me to commit...
Friday
Bardo Pond
Growing
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
J. Mascis & The Fog (an entire guitar solo, then I gave up)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jim Sclavunos DJ set (drummer in Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)
Múm
Fuck Buttons
Edan Dee Jay Set
Saturday
Afrirampo
Dirty Three
Battles
Melvins
Modest Mouse
Sunn O))) (about 3 minutes worth, all one note, the vibrations went through me, so I went next door)
Belle & Sebastian DJs
Justin Spear
Sunday
Josh T. Pearson
Deerhoof
Mudhoney
Explosions in the Sky
The Mars Volta (playing Inertiatic esp; can't stand them so literally saw this in passing)
Some of these clashed with each other plus weird timetabling meant I didn't see The Breeders (exact sane time as Modest Mouse) and some others I missed because I was knackered (Shellac) or watching awesome TV (Papa M) or couldn't be fussed (Sleepy Sun).
I've stated elsewhere that Sunn O))) were bad but its more just a case of I don't get drone. After watching Fuck Buttons and EITS live I can't say I get them either. EITS are just boring and Fuck Buttons are best on record when you are journeying. I can't just sit and listen to them in my house, I always turn it off. They are blaaaaaah.
Saw Afrirampo as Barry Hogan (ATP founder) claims they put on the best show at ATP ever (a direct tie with Lightning Bolt, for him) and he wasn't wrong. Mental Japanese girls. Bit like a more, er, melodic Melt Banana, I suppose. Great drumming and great audience interaction. Warren Ellis had them on to give out balloons to the crowd during Dirty Three's set. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were excellent, even though they were half an hour late. Karen O responded to the boos with a sweary riposte; "fuck you we just got here you motherfuckerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs. I love you ATP. I hate you ATP!" Then she spat water everywhere whilst the entire band proceeded to be 100% awesome for the next hour or so. Best song was either Maps or Modern Romance.
Múm were superb, seemed like they were on at the wrong time of day (10-11pm) but they were pretty soothing following on from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and coming before Fuck Buttons, who almost broke my ears. Drone dance is worse than drone, yeah?
Dirty Three and Battles were a bit up and down. Too much off Ocean Songs and not enough of Indian Love Song, which is absolutely bonkers. Battles were Battles. John Stanier has a really high cymbal and looks like Gordon Brown. The nerds done good.
Melvins are weird. Good but weird. Not sure I'd ever listen to them by choice, The Bloat aside. Four drummers made for a pretty weird experience, with two of them coming from Modest Mouse. The last ten minutes were literally just drumming with Dale Crover shouting "DEATH. PLAYS. FOR. KEEPS." Mental.
Modest Mouse were loud as crikey and played a good mix of new and old stuff as Isaac Brock drank cayenne and vinegar for a sore throat... Josh T. Pearson was a weird, great folk man and Deerhoof were as odd as you'd expect from a programme note that said:
Basket Ball Basket Ball Basket
Dribble
Pivot Pivot Pivot Pivot Escape
Dribble
Bunny Jump Bunny Jump
Bunny Bunny Bunny Jump
Go Go Champyong
Speed Speed Champyong
Rebound Rebound
Rebound Rebound Ready OK?
Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah
The only other thing to report is that you should, readers all, go on youtube, or download, Brad Neely's Wizard People, Dear Reader, which is sublime. Its the first Harry Potter film overdubbed with a narration by this Texan chap, Neely. Bizarre, hilarious and divine. "YOU WILL BE A WIZARD, IN-FUCKIN'-DEED"!
PS: It is pretty damn chilly in Minehead at this time of year. Next year's Nightmare Before Christmas headliner will have to be Pearl Jam or something for me to commit...
We Call Upon The Author
The rest of them albums of the decade that I can't be bothered to write about as the whole process has become a bit boring all over the net and telly.
In no particular order, the other 8 were/are:
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
My Morning Jacket - Z (Fuck Fleet Foxes)
No Age - Nouns
The National - Alligator
Perhaps!
In no particular order, the other 8 were/are:
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
My Morning Jacket - Z (Fuck Fleet Foxes)
No Age - Nouns
The National - Alligator
Perhaps!
Sunday, 22 November 2009
History of a Boring Town
If the last one was somewhat obvious, then this shouldn't be too much of a surprise either. The second in the tedious series of my ten favourite albums of the decade is...
Arcade Fire - Funeral
"There's something wrong; in the heart of man."
Arcade Fire came out of nowhere. Funeral was released in the U.S. as 2004 was petering out and hit the UK in early 2005. They might not be the same band in 2009 (take Lenin from this year's Dark was the Night compilation for Red Hot) but their place in the musical landscape of this decade is assured.
The story behind Funeral is well-versed now. Named so because of the deaths of family members in the recording process, the record takes a long look at life, death and the altogether. How else do you end up with songs like Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)? A blissful look at relationships in towns: "And if my parents are crying, then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours." As Funeral moves up and down between emotional turbulence and excessive introspection, it climbs from wall to another, with sweet, pensive missives in Une Année Sans Lumière and Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) to the madness of Neighborhood #3 (Power Out). As the emotion starts to drag you down the pit, a burst of life breaks out from somewhere in this discord of instruments and sets you straight again.
The spiralling angst of Crown of Love and Wake Up remain the peak of the album and the band itself. A right kicking to death on several adverts hasn't diluted the potency of the latter, which remains the best song in an Arcade Fire live set. The chugging guitar motors through the song like a tug boat, people scream and wail for some unknown loss, summer disappears... A shout of discord; "I guess we'll just have to adjust!" Whereas Crown of Love wallows in guilt and self-pity before a controlled explosion of violin takes it off the meds, Wake Up bursts forth straight after, a release of pent up hurt and woe.
The Regine-led tracks seems to get a buffeting in some circles but they are a perfect back-end road block to separate Wake Up from Rebellion (Lies)'s rallying call, "sleepin' in is givin' in, so lift those heavy eyelids." Rebellion (Lies), as with Funeral on the whole, is so intense that it seems to pass in a flash, a spark. This is dispelled byIn The Backseat which moves from a tense build of strings and piano and becomes an absolute shitstorm of noise, akin to something from Björk's Post.
What should be a mess is a swirling love letter to the people and places that inspired it. Funeral sounds like nothing else and expels years of universal anguish in less than 45 minutes. There have been imitators since, but they'll never achieve that.
Arcade Fire - Funeral
"There's something wrong; in the heart of man."
Arcade Fire came out of nowhere. Funeral was released in the U.S. as 2004 was petering out and hit the UK in early 2005. They might not be the same band in 2009 (take Lenin from this year's Dark was the Night compilation for Red Hot) but their place in the musical landscape of this decade is assured.
The story behind Funeral is well-versed now. Named so because of the deaths of family members in the recording process, the record takes a long look at life, death and the altogether. How else do you end up with songs like Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)? A blissful look at relationships in towns: "And if my parents are crying, then I'll dig a tunnel from my window to yours." As Funeral moves up and down between emotional turbulence and excessive introspection, it climbs from wall to another, with sweet, pensive missives in Une Année Sans Lumière and Neighborhood #4 (7 Kettles) to the madness of Neighborhood #3 (Power Out). As the emotion starts to drag you down the pit, a burst of life breaks out from somewhere in this discord of instruments and sets you straight again.
The spiralling angst of Crown of Love and Wake Up remain the peak of the album and the band itself. A right kicking to death on several adverts hasn't diluted the potency of the latter, which remains the best song in an Arcade Fire live set. The chugging guitar motors through the song like a tug boat, people scream and wail for some unknown loss, summer disappears... A shout of discord; "I guess we'll just have to adjust!" Whereas Crown of Love wallows in guilt and self-pity before a controlled explosion of violin takes it off the meds, Wake Up bursts forth straight after, a release of pent up hurt and woe.
The Regine-led tracks seems to get a buffeting in some circles but they are a perfect back-end road block to separate Wake Up from Rebellion (Lies)'s rallying call, "sleepin' in is givin' in, so lift those heavy eyelids." Rebellion (Lies), as with Funeral on the whole, is so intense that it seems to pass in a flash, a spark. This is dispelled byIn The Backseat which moves from a tense build of strings and piano and becomes an absolute shitstorm of noise, akin to something from Björk's Post.
What should be a mess is a swirling love letter to the people and places that inspired it. Funeral sounds like nothing else and expels years of universal anguish in less than 45 minutes. There have been imitators since, but they'll never achieve that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
