White Rabbits - It's Frightening

(this is a spotify link, click it if you have spotify, if you don't, you can still click it but it won't work and you'll just get upset)

Most bands are Guitar-based
Some are Synth-based
If you're really lucky you might find a Vocal-based band*
White Rabbits are a Drum-based band, this is awesome.

They're not amazingly well known, they've been around a couple of years apparently but I only found out about them when they were the support for a Hockey (I think it was Hockey, I'm too lazy to check) gig. They're almost just another American Indie Band. Almost, but not quite. If you asked them, they'd say they were "Honkey Tonk Calypso" (or they used to, this album, not so much) which just adds to the list of amazing genres lately. But the kicker is that they have a drummer, a piano, two guitars, a bassist and A DRUMMER. Do not adjust your eyes, this is not a drill. They have 2 drummers.

Well, this is actually quite normal at the moment. When I went to ATP just over a year ago, I'd say 70% of the bands had 2 drummers, but they were all heavy, loud bands with more distortion than terrestrial TV and more amps than ... an amp shop.... or something....

Anyway, my point is that this is an indie band with 2 times more drum. This gives a whole new sound to things, it's mental. Or maybe it would be better to say it makes a whole plethora of new sounds available. When you've got them both going full throttle it sounds like rhythm is angry at you and is trying to destroy your mind because you stole its wife but when everything kicks back and the drums drop back and to one in each ear then its like rhythm's fine with the whole wife thing and suggests a threesome.

These 2 things make up White Rabbits' brand new album It's Frightening. 



That's the opening track and pretty obviously one of the first group, rhythm's wife must be really hot for him to be that angry.

Musically, they're really nicely balanced between the drums vocals and piano with the guitar mainly just coming in for the odd sentence here and there. When it all kicks off it really is like some sort of divine orgy inside your skull. For something so hard-edged it really is beautiful sometimes. Don't worry, I'm thinking the same: "If you love them so much, why don't you marry them", and you know what, I would happily make them my wife. Or, I would if that made any sense at all.

The album as a whole is actually pretty amazing. Sure, it could do with a few more tracks like that one there but overall it's a kind of kinky parade of mellow, sardonic joy. But maybe I just mean quirky. That's beside the point, the point is that it's great. There's a certain je ne sais quoi but I am here to sais quoi about this sort of thing so I guess it's a sort of musical wit. I suppose it actually sounds pretty English in a lot of ways. I've not gone through and listened to the lyrics properly but I guess they're pretty self-deprecating, there's nothing immodest going on here. There's flashes of introspective melancholy all through it. But I suppose you get that a lot in New York stuff don't you.

To some up that mess of a conscience stream, it's a bold, subtle, witty, introverted, clever, visceral album that's just what you need if you're feeling down, up or even sideways. So go on, go find rhythm's wife and see what he has to say about it.

I sound so sexually obsessed.

* There's quite I few nowerdays, I'd argue Mumford & Sons and people like that are.

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

I have a mate, he's called Murdoc Niccals.
He's in this band.
Lately, he wrote this album, it's called Plastic Beach.

He's imaginary and his band is called Gorillaz.

Most of the world know Gorillaz through Demon Days. The only problem is that everything else they've ever done bares little if any relation to this guitar based, mildly (strengthening to severely)* poppy album. They described the first album as ZOMBIE HIP-HOP which although not an actual genre (unlike Epic Rock or Classic Euro-pop) really suited it, dirty, dark and rap-based. Yeah, it had 2 singles on it but they made sense in the album and had the same integrity.

All of this has left Gorillaz in a bit of a pickle, Demon Days was about as popular as Buddhism (which, for an album, is impressive) and EMI would really like it if the next one would too please, but Gorillaz have let all their mainstreamablity out and are now more Zombie than ever. The result of this pickle is one hell of an advertising drive, Murdoc had his own radio show, took over several newspapers and made an adventure game. Then they released the first single, Stylo, and

it went down a storm, the general public have got love for a song that sounds like this:

(Sorry for the lack of video, we all known what EMI are like)

(Watch the video though, it's awesome)

(Bruce Willis is in it)

But anyway, this album I'm supposed to be talking about. It's sort of concept album, in as much as We Need Answers** is a quiz. I suppose you could say it was an album set in a post-climate-hell world in which the band have moved to an island made non-biodegradable rubbish. With me so far? Murdoc didn't make this album on his own though, he kidnapped various famous people to help as well as the rest of Gorillaz. You've probably lost me now so I'll switch to the real world.

Almost every track on the album is a collaboration with someone, it could be Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, De La Soul, half of The Clash or even LOU BLOODY REED! LOU REED, can you believe it? All this toing and froing makes the album slightly disjointed but it's worth it.

After this brief interlude I may even talk about how the album sounds.

So, reviewing... It's a well good album yeah know.

Starting off with an orchestral intro it skids and skips though Snoop Dogg's formal introduction, and gets straight down to the trippy stuff. We are then treated by De La Soul to a piping-hot bowl of Superfast Jellyfish which just so happens to be the catchiest thing not made illegal. There's just the right mix of gritty simple stuff and some far out "Choons" to keep you happy. And then you reach Some Kind of Nature and your life is vastly improved. It's the Lou Reed track and I simply cannot describe how amazing it is. And then there's Melancholy Hill and then there's Sweepstakes and Plastic Beach and To Binge and Private Jet and... you know what. Just listen to it, literally, no matter why you haven't done so already, ignore that reason. Listen to it.

NOW.

*Is it not cool to make Shipping Forecast references any more?

**If you don't know what We Need Answers is, you can substitute Shooting Stars and the analogy still works, however We Need Answers is better so I'd prefer it is you didn't.

Aural Fixation

So I have forgotten about you guys (girl) and I feel deeply sorry about it. I want to make it up to you so I made you a present. I happen to know that the one follower I have won't be able to use it so it is of dubious worth. That being said I'm going to give it to you anyway. It's a spotify playlist. One hour of music, both that mentioned in my blog and otherwise. It's called Aural Fixation and I'll do another hour when I get round to it.

Comparison of Albums

Oh Dear, I seem to have entirely forgotten about this blog, well, I've remembered now, and I've set a reminder every Monday so I won't forget again... I probably will though, you know me.

But anyway, people (person) reading this blog, I found this post sitting in my little folder of posts so I thought I'd give it to you. It's not finished (I don't think) and I haven't read it since I wrote it and I can't be bothered to do it now. It's not even slightly relevant to music at the moment but, you know, it's all relative or something...

Here it is, forgive me for it's shoddy, unfinished ways.

I got bored of talking about things I like so I came up with the idea of reviewing 2 albums in a comparative fashion. I picked 2 albums which although they may not seem particularly similar but really are. So here we go with Day and Age and The Resistance.

Day and Age is the latest offering by the Killers, a band that I've never really had an amazing lot of time for, they're alright, they're a bit bland and they resorted to "I've got Soul but I'm not a Soldier" which is just nonsense and rubbish (see Bill Bailey for more on that).

The Resistance is the new (well, I am a bit late, I had the idea for this post in the summer) one from Muse, a band that I am actually a fan of. No one else even does Epic Rock (I made it up, live with it) do they?

So, "Why compare them!" I hear you scream. Well, the reasons are numerous.

Number One: They're both albums from established bands that are pretty far removed from their previous form.

Number Two: They're actually quite similar, the two bands have merged towards the middle. Imagine a sort of Labour/Tory relationship, two separate entities have fused into some sort of middle ground that doesn't bear much resemblance to either of the originals. Obviously Resistance is darker and Day & Age is poppier, but the point still stands.

Number Three: They were released at similar times to similar critical acclaim, their old fans saying they'd got old and sold out and proper reviewers wondering who this band were.

Number Four: They have similar covers.

So, let's get down to business, starting with the Killers. The first most of us heard of this album is when Human starting being played on the radio. At first I couldn't believe it wasn't from the 80's. Seeing as I love everything 80's at the moment I was instantly smitten. It was synthy, it was poppy but it was actually clever. Good composition, lyrics that almost made sense and introspective, I was very impressed. Starman came out and was also very good, a bit closer to their older stuff and slightly darker-sounding. I was, once again, impressed. I intended to get the album but I just sort of forgot. Months passed until I looked it up on spotify, only to find that the whole album impressed me equally. It's not very serious, it's definitely pop-based but it's lack of pretension gave it a kind of optimistic joy. If I had to criticise I'd say it's all a bit the same, but why should that be an issue if it's good?

Despite the similarities I talked about earlier The Resistance is actually the opposite of Day & Age. Muse were never a pretentious band, they were simple, solid and excellent at what they do. I heard a couple of the singles and liked them. They had different influences, they went places. I was, and it was a feeling I was getting used to, impressed. When I heard tell that the album contained classical based things, I reached new levels of impression. However, on listening to it, I found it bland. The singles I liked were still good and the 3 part syphonette on the end wasn't half bad but there was no spark and it wasn't nearly as inventive as it should have been.

And that's where it ends I'm afraid. I can't be bothered to finish it so there.

Goodbye.

Spotify

As my next post may be a little while longer yet (it's a bigg'un) I'll give you this little'un.

I have a piece of advice for you, get Spotify. Most music ever with only a few mildly annoying adverts, brilliant. Anyway, here's the link.

Oops, did I accidentally post the link that bypasses the invite system? It would seem I did. What a shame.

I'll give you a chance to get used to spotify then I might even make you a playlist to enjoy.

The Promised "The Dead Weather" Post

"Hey, Jack White, I was just wondering if the reason the only you get Meg play drums in The White Stripes is that you can't play drums."

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous, I can play all instruments."

"Oh yeah, you are a musical genius, I love you."

"I love you too, do you think people will understand I can play drums but just don't?"

"Hmm, maybe not darling, why don't you start a band in which you play drums to show everyone you can."

"Wow, that's such a good idea, can I call it The Dead Weather?"

"Of course you can my dear."

And that's how I invented The Dead Weather, and I'm glad I did because they're awesome.

Jack is joined by a host of people from other bands such as Dean Fertita of Queens of The Stone Age fame, Jack Lawrence from Jack White's other non-white-stripes band, The Raconteurs, and last but not least, Allison Mossheart of The Kills finishes the whole thing off with her amazing vocals. Well, I say that Jack White plays drums and Miss Mossheart sings, but actually they all play pretty much everything, and to great effect. Anyway, enough of me, I'll let them speak for themselves.

Good, no?

Anyway, they've just released their debut album Whorehound which is basically a compendium of musical awesome (it's a noun, of course it's a noun). Jack White obviously had quite a large input in this music with the result that it actually sounds quite a lot like a White Stripes album, but let's face it, what sort of a criticism is that. If you were being critical of the album you could say it's all a little bit the same but you'd be a little bit of an idiot because there's a great mix between White's music and Mossheart's vocals, even including an instrumental.

It has the same sense of musical invention and wit as the White Stripes but even more of the darkness and grime to it. It adds to the Alternative inspirations of the aforementioned pale lines with a fair spattering of the more experimental side of things.

In conclusion, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you think you'll like it then you'll find it's 11 tracks of just what you're looking for.

DOES IT OFFEND YOU, YEAH?

So, after a delay slightly longer than the minute I promised, my review of Does It Offend You, Yeah? goes along the lines of this:

The house lights are off, the stage is empty. A synth starts playing the intro to Being Bad Feels Pretty Good*. I bid goodbye to my companions and organise where to meet up after the show. The band come on and the crowd become a single organism, an organism that lives to feel and respond to Does it Offend You, Yeah?
I was definitely impressed by the support acts but I could see instantly why these guys were top of the bill.

My poor Pizza Hut Chef Hat, already almost blasted from my head by Housse de Racket disappeared at this point, never to be seen again.

I assume you've never heard of DIOYY (as their friends call them), most people haven't. You'll have probably heard We Are Rockstars though, if only because it's at the beginning of Horne and Cordon. I'd embed it but apparently as they're signed to EMI, I can't, so I'll link you instead. LINK

The best thing you can hope to have at a gig is a crowd that loves the band, and on this front this must have been one of the all-time greats. Never before have I seen a mosh-pit that sings along. Having only heard DIOYY in passing before I found out I was going to see them I wasn't 100% on the lyrics and was therefore in a serious minority. For most songs this wasn't much of a problem though, Let's Make Out is comprised almost entirely out of the title and for the others, the right vowel sounds seemed to do. Anyway, the band.

They spent the evening cranking out blinder after blinder, if anything only getting better as the night progressed. Attack of the 60 Foot Lesbian Octopus gave us all a chance to rest our voices and have a little game of "who can jump the most". They even played us some new stuff, for example the song which could possibly have been called The Monkees are Coming which gave them an excuse to slag off the music business and support illegal downloading, which generated a large amount of love. They also gave us their phone number (07575 610169) so we could ring them up and say how much we loved them.

They finished of with a special Acoustic version of Dawn of the Dead (well worth a listen by the way, I'll link you again LINK) which segued into the grand finale of, of course, We are Rockstars.

I urge you, if you can see these guys, do. You will not regret it. If you can't, you'll just have to listen to their debut album You Have No Idea What You're Getting Yourself Into... until the next one comes out and then you can listen to that.

Next time, The Dead Weathers.

*I think, that night's a bit of a blur really.