Way too much has been going on for me to find the time to write in here, so I thought I would do a 'current listening' type post.
Am still playing the Mountain Goats album extremely frequently, its still sounding amazing. Going to be album of the year I reckon and its only February. I've also been listening to something else extremely exciting, but its not out for ages yet so I will say no more at this stage.
When I haven't been listening to those two records I've been mostly enjoying the Juno soundtrack and especially the Kimya Dawson songs. Don't know how the work of Ms Dawson has escaped my attention for so long. I loved the songs in the film and love them even more on record. Great lyrics. 'Loose Lips' is my favourite, lovely melody and its impossible not to sing along. Have been trying to get hold of the LP from which it comes but it seems to be out of print pending a re-release in a couple of weeks. Record companies aren't stupid I guess.
Anyway. I'll review the new Stephen Malkmus LP in a couple of days.
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Monday, 18 February 2008
The Mountain Goats- Heretic Pride
The Mountain Goats played an amazing gig at Union Chapel last December to put in a late bid for 'gig of the year' and now they are off to a flyer with an early contender for 'album of the year'.
'Heretic Pride' sees a return to the blood, guts and passion of the early Mountain Goats albums and is a slight move away from the more subdued, albeit beautiful, 'The Sunset Tree' (2005) and 'Get Lonely' (2006). Unusually for recent TMG efforts, there is no main theme as such, although many of the songs appear to focus on monsters, but there is a consistant feeling of impending doom, disaster and of people 'on the edge' in various different ways.
As a statement of intent, opener 'Sax Rohmer #1' is stunning. The most catchy song Darnielle has written since 'No Children', its pulsating rhythm and shout-along chorus take your breath away, while the hook line ("I am coming home to you/ with my own blood in my mouth") demonstrates that Darnielle's characters are not going down without a fight this time round. 'San Bernardino', which follows, is beautiful. With a lush string arrangement and soft vocals, Darnielle tells the story of two lovers who have stayed together against the odds, and the birth of their new son.
It is tempting to continue like this and make this a track by track review because almost every song is a highlight. 'Heretic Pride' and 'In The Craters On The Moon' are similar to 'Sax Rohmer', loud and fast with catchy choruses and characters on the edge. 'Tianchi Lake', the most obviously monster-themed song, is a gorgeous mix of Darnielle's own 'Idylls of the King' and the sadness of 'Puff The Magic Dragon'. 'Autoclave' is an industrial sounding delight with a Smiths-esque lyric ("No-one in her right mind/ could make her home my home/ my heart's an autoclave").
All this and I have yet to mention arguably the album's two highlights. 'Lovecraft In Brooklyn' is a furious, paranoid burst of energy and drama. Darnielle spits out so many words per verse, it is hard to keep up and he ignores usual songwriting rules to come up with gems like "woke up afraid of my own shadow/ like genuinely afraid", all the while drums pound and guitars screech. It is hard to know how music can get more thrilling. Closing track 'Michael Myers Resplendent', which like many lyrics here had me going to Wikipedia, is a wistful, calm finish to the album but with lyrics that reflect on the destruction and danger of the previous songs ("when the house goes up in flames/ nobody emerges triumphantly from it").
I've seen some seriously bad reviews of this album. OK, I'm sure they are better written than mine, because after all I'm not a music journalist, but you think- have these people listened to the record? I will mention NME and Word Magazine for publishing trite reviews compiled mainly, it would seem, from facts from a promo sheet. No attempt to describe the heart or the passion in evidence here, because for me this is a record full of heart.
Honestly, I've been listening to this album so much and its hard to know how he could have made it any better. I guess most people will know by now if they like the sound of John Darnielle's voice and like listening to his songs and I doubt 'Heretic Pride' will change that for many people but he has made a record that is extremely literate, visual and full of passion and guts. Not many people have done that so triumphantly anytime recently.
This is really amazing songwriting.
9.9
'Heretic Pride' sees a return to the blood, guts and passion of the early Mountain Goats albums and is a slight move away from the more subdued, albeit beautiful, 'The Sunset Tree' (2005) and 'Get Lonely' (2006). Unusually for recent TMG efforts, there is no main theme as such, although many of the songs appear to focus on monsters, but there is a consistant feeling of impending doom, disaster and of people 'on the edge' in various different ways.
As a statement of intent, opener 'Sax Rohmer #1' is stunning. The most catchy song Darnielle has written since 'No Children', its pulsating rhythm and shout-along chorus take your breath away, while the hook line ("I am coming home to you/ with my own blood in my mouth") demonstrates that Darnielle's characters are not going down without a fight this time round. 'San Bernardino', which follows, is beautiful. With a lush string arrangement and soft vocals, Darnielle tells the story of two lovers who have stayed together against the odds, and the birth of their new son.
It is tempting to continue like this and make this a track by track review because almost every song is a highlight. 'Heretic Pride' and 'In The Craters On The Moon' are similar to 'Sax Rohmer', loud and fast with catchy choruses and characters on the edge. 'Tianchi Lake', the most obviously monster-themed song, is a gorgeous mix of Darnielle's own 'Idylls of the King' and the sadness of 'Puff The Magic Dragon'. 'Autoclave' is an industrial sounding delight with a Smiths-esque lyric ("No-one in her right mind/ could make her home my home/ my heart's an autoclave").
All this and I have yet to mention arguably the album's two highlights. 'Lovecraft In Brooklyn' is a furious, paranoid burst of energy and drama. Darnielle spits out so many words per verse, it is hard to keep up and he ignores usual songwriting rules to come up with gems like "woke up afraid of my own shadow/ like genuinely afraid", all the while drums pound and guitars screech. It is hard to know how music can get more thrilling. Closing track 'Michael Myers Resplendent', which like many lyrics here had me going to Wikipedia, is a wistful, calm finish to the album but with lyrics that reflect on the destruction and danger of the previous songs ("when the house goes up in flames/ nobody emerges triumphantly from it").
I've seen some seriously bad reviews of this album. OK, I'm sure they are better written than mine, because after all I'm not a music journalist, but you think- have these people listened to the record? I will mention NME and Word Magazine for publishing trite reviews compiled mainly, it would seem, from facts from a promo sheet. No attempt to describe the heart or the passion in evidence here, because for me this is a record full of heart.
Honestly, I've been listening to this album so much and its hard to know how he could have made it any better. I guess most people will know by now if they like the sound of John Darnielle's voice and like listening to his songs and I doubt 'Heretic Pride' will change that for many people but he has made a record that is extremely literate, visual and full of passion and guts. Not many people have done that so triumphantly anytime recently.
This is really amazing songwriting.
9.9
Friday, 8 February 2008
this and that
Up early on Saturday morning, listening to England lose in the cricket.
I have much to ponder. Had some bad news this week and I now have to make a big decision re: work. I have to make it by Friday. Thing is, I am seeing American Music Club on Wednesday night and that is likely to become the focus of my week to the extent that I will most likely end up making a fast decision on Thursday morning based on what Mark Eitzel's mood was the previous evening and whether or not he played 'Take Courage'.
I have seen Eitzel/AMC live three times and two of those shows would feature in my top 10 gigs of all time list. I saw Mark play live solo at Dingwalls in 2002 and it was just incredible. There were mood swings, guitar changes etc et, it frequently looked as if he could walk off at any moment but when he played and sang......well, no-one else could come close. I remember he played 'Take Courage' that night and I think he did 'Blue and Grey Shirt' and it was just spellbinding and real.
I saw AMC for the first time in 2004. I had the flu and really shouldn't have been there, but it was a great gig. Obviously very different to Mark solo, more professional and more like a 'normal' gig but I'm not saying that means I prefer it. They played 'Gary's Song' which I loved for obvious reasons and I remember realising that night what an amazing song 'Patriot's Heart' is.
So, this Wednesday I am excited to see him again and desperate to hear him play 'Sleeping Beauty' which is my song of the year so far.
On an unrelated note we saw 'Juno' yesterday. What a lovely film. If you need cheering up, go and see it, it will restore your faith in humanity. It also has a marvellous, lo-fi soundtrack and I am now going to have to check out the work of Kimya Dawson, whom spookily, my friend Amber recommended to me the day before we went to see the film.
Anyway, I suppose I should switch off the radio and start the day.
I have much to ponder. Had some bad news this week and I now have to make a big decision re: work. I have to make it by Friday. Thing is, I am seeing American Music Club on Wednesday night and that is likely to become the focus of my week to the extent that I will most likely end up making a fast decision on Thursday morning based on what Mark Eitzel's mood was the previous evening and whether or not he played 'Take Courage'.
I have seen Eitzel/AMC live three times and two of those shows would feature in my top 10 gigs of all time list. I saw Mark play live solo at Dingwalls in 2002 and it was just incredible. There were mood swings, guitar changes etc et, it frequently looked as if he could walk off at any moment but when he played and sang......well, no-one else could come close. I remember he played 'Take Courage' that night and I think he did 'Blue and Grey Shirt' and it was just spellbinding and real.
I saw AMC for the first time in 2004. I had the flu and really shouldn't have been there, but it was a great gig. Obviously very different to Mark solo, more professional and more like a 'normal' gig but I'm not saying that means I prefer it. They played 'Gary's Song' which I loved for obvious reasons and I remember realising that night what an amazing song 'Patriot's Heart' is.
So, this Wednesday I am excited to see him again and desperate to hear him play 'Sleeping Beauty' which is my song of the year so far.
On an unrelated note we saw 'Juno' yesterday. What a lovely film. If you need cheering up, go and see it, it will restore your faith in humanity. It also has a marvellous, lo-fi soundtrack and I am now going to have to check out the work of Kimya Dawson, whom spookily, my friend Amber recommended to me the day before we went to see the film.
Anyway, I suppose I should switch off the radio and start the day.
Thursday, 7 February 2008
films and tv
My habit of posting non tracks and gigs related stuff on here continues:
I have had a week off work this week and so far my girlfriend and I have been to the cinema no fewer than three times. Each of the films we have seen has been brilliant in its own way so I thought I would post about them.
On Saturday we saw Sweeney Todd. Being a big Johnny Depp and Tim Burton fan, I had high hopes for this. I was aware that it was a musical and that I don't like musicals but I had been led to believe that "there isn't that much singing". Well, there's loads. Most of the interaction between the characters is in the form of song, dialogue only really serves to build up to the next song, but to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this. The songs and the singing were entertaining, often funny and always effective. In particular I thought Helena Bonham Carter was absolutely superb at this. Also, as you would expect from Tim Burton the visuals are stunning and the film is a real treat for the eyes as well as the ears. I left the cinema really happy to have seen such an enjoyable, well made film and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you think you "don't like musicals". 9/10
On Monday, we took advantage of the cheap prices for the 'Monday Classic' slot at our local cinema and went to see Atonement for £2.50 each. We were joined by a large number of pensioners who were also happy to take advantage of the free cup of tea that was provided for everyone! I had no expectations for this film really and for the first half an hour, I was really bored. I don't especially like Keira Knightley and I don't like costume dramas full of large families with lots of running around meadows etc etc. About halfway through though, this became a fascinating film about war and about redemption and I found myself gripped. Without giving too much away though, things got a little contrived towards the end and literally, lost the plot somewhat. It is well worth seeing for the striking wartime imagery though. 7/10
And then on Tuesday we saw Cloverfield. We entered the cinema clutching our smelling salts and Anadin after some over-zealous warnings from Cineworld about motion sickness and nausea. This film was a kind of mix of Blair Witch Project and a 9/11 movie. Set in New York, it followed a group of partygoers who are suddenly caught up in a disaster movie when a huge monster attacks the City, destroying everything and everyone in its path. We see the action through the videotape recorded on camcorder by one of the group, he admirably keeps filming even when most people would have dropped the camera long ago. Some of the decisions made by the group are debatable to say the least, but which of us have any experience of being faced by a huge monster, so I guess we can't criticise too much. The film is hugely exciting and the 84 minutes goes incredibly quickly. With a film like this you just have to abandon disbelief and enjoy the ride and I thought this was a brilliantly made, innovative film that is pure enjoyment. 9/10
We're off to see Juno tomorrow so I will probably blog about that. Also I should mention a documentary shown on BBC1 last night about the Munich air disaster, following Harry Gregg as he returned to Munich to visit the scene of the crash. It was amazing, one of the most poignant TV films I have seen in a long time.
Incidentally, we now have our laptop and broadband internet access so posts here will now be much more regular!
I have had a week off work this week and so far my girlfriend and I have been to the cinema no fewer than three times. Each of the films we have seen has been brilliant in its own way so I thought I would post about them.
On Saturday we saw Sweeney Todd. Being a big Johnny Depp and Tim Burton fan, I had high hopes for this. I was aware that it was a musical and that I don't like musicals but I had been led to believe that "there isn't that much singing". Well, there's loads. Most of the interaction between the characters is in the form of song, dialogue only really serves to build up to the next song, but to my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed this. The songs and the singing were entertaining, often funny and always effective. In particular I thought Helena Bonham Carter was absolutely superb at this. Also, as you would expect from Tim Burton the visuals are stunning and the film is a real treat for the eyes as well as the ears. I left the cinema really happy to have seen such an enjoyable, well made film and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you think you "don't like musicals". 9/10
On Monday, we took advantage of the cheap prices for the 'Monday Classic' slot at our local cinema and went to see Atonement for £2.50 each. We were joined by a large number of pensioners who were also happy to take advantage of the free cup of tea that was provided for everyone! I had no expectations for this film really and for the first half an hour, I was really bored. I don't especially like Keira Knightley and I don't like costume dramas full of large families with lots of running around meadows etc etc. About halfway through though, this became a fascinating film about war and about redemption and I found myself gripped. Without giving too much away though, things got a little contrived towards the end and literally, lost the plot somewhat. It is well worth seeing for the striking wartime imagery though. 7/10
And then on Tuesday we saw Cloverfield. We entered the cinema clutching our smelling salts and Anadin after some over-zealous warnings from Cineworld about motion sickness and nausea. This film was a kind of mix of Blair Witch Project and a 9/11 movie. Set in New York, it followed a group of partygoers who are suddenly caught up in a disaster movie when a huge monster attacks the City, destroying everything and everyone in its path. We see the action through the videotape recorded on camcorder by one of the group, he admirably keeps filming even when most people would have dropped the camera long ago. Some of the decisions made by the group are debatable to say the least, but which of us have any experience of being faced by a huge monster, so I guess we can't criticise too much. The film is hugely exciting and the 84 minutes goes incredibly quickly. With a film like this you just have to abandon disbelief and enjoy the ride and I thought this was a brilliantly made, innovative film that is pure enjoyment. 9/10
We're off to see Juno tomorrow so I will probably blog about that. Also I should mention a documentary shown on BBC1 last night about the Munich air disaster, following Harry Gregg as he returned to Munich to visit the scene of the crash. It was amazing, one of the most poignant TV films I have seen in a long time.
Incidentally, we now have our laptop and broadband internet access so posts here will now be much more regular!
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