June 26th, 2009 |
Posted in Album Reviews by john
Every album has its very own time and place. For Monroe Stahr’s debut album, it really shouldn’t be very hard to deduce the right time. The first track is, “Summer Starts Here,” and that’s about right. The acoustic guitar paints a picture pretty early on of a veranda, or a nice bar/café patio in the hot summer sun, a comfortable, but somewhat restless atmosphere that carries on throughout the album. Much like other good summer albums: Sister Hazel, Phantom Planet’s the Guest, Roman Candle’s Midnite Revue, etc. Monroe Stahr walk a fine and difficult line between sounding “easy” and free without sounding “lazy” or non-committal. That easygoing quality last through the first third of the album and it’s a nice little triptych for a summer afternoon, the acoustic and electric guitars trading center stage without struggling for the spotlight or overcoming the vocals, again, a tough line to walk. And, like any good summer band, the rhythm section keeps things at a nice pop tempo. There’s not a lot of showy drumming or bass work here, which fits the atmosphere rather well, bring in too much rhythm and people will want to get up and move around, and really, this album wants you to sit and enjoy your beer (or wine, you fancy-pants, you.)
Stahr pulls a lot of influences into this debut, at times, especially on “Mantras”, sang by Nathan, they do a very good job of channeling Joy Division into something relatively optimistic, or rather, non-nihilistic, and the effect is something like meeting a bummed, yet well-adjusted Pete Doherty and the Libertines. It’s a welcome feeling, and when the album manages to pull these moments off it shows the potential for a band of musicians that, while clearly talented, don’t seem to have much of a plan right now.
But you know what? That’s OK. Bands don’t always need a plan, and most of the best debut albums lack any real thesis (I’m thinking of “Greetings” from Asbury Park, for some reason.) Stahr is really on point when conveying that warm feeling, most evident on tracks like “Summer Starts Here,” “Nescafe Years,” and “Square One,” the last of which is likely the best song of the album. It’s the song with everyone on top of his game, and every element really works. The rhythm section gets a little bit of elbow room, the vocals get a well-deserved breaking from trying to be serious, and the guitars work together perfectly.
About those vocals. Nicky Almasy clearly has a good voice for rock ‘n’ roll, but throughout most of the album, he’s simply trying too hard to affect. And that’s a shame because not only does he have a great voice, but the forced drama and “Arctic-Monkey-ness” but also because it really clashes with the atmosphere of entirely pleasant guitar work. At times it sounds like an acoustic Alice in Chains, with a vocal trying very hard to sound rock ‘n’ roll badass and instrumentals just having a good time.
Almasy makes up for it substantially by writing pretty good lyrics. “History,” in particular has the sort of simple lyrical thesis that is really easy to get behind, and like “Square One,” it’s back by an excellent accompaniment that adds just the right amount of melody to the unforced but emotive lyrics.
There’s one song that I’ve avoided ‘til now, mostly because I simply don’t know what to make of it. “Airport,” is the kind of song that will come on at a party and everyone, at the same time goes, “is that…. That’s…. wait, no, it’s not. What is this?” Essentially, it’s an acoustic rock lobster with an almost wall-of-sound style electric guitar on top, reverbed, toned down shouting underneath, and the chorus “It was you.” That last bit sounds doesn’t really sound note worthy, but it is, mostly because the opening, “Rock Lobster” riff comes back just as Almasy sings “it was,” so my brain just keeps thinking “a rock… a rock lobster” no matter how many times I listen to it.
Finally, the last two tracks may sum up everything good and bad about this debut. “That would be a No,” has trying-too-hard written all over it, from the lyrics to the vocals and the instrumentation. It really feels like a filler “sad song,” and, more importantly, the kind of thing that these guys can definitely do better (since they already have in “Square One”). But the closer, “Nescafe Years,” it’s a shining white light of hope. OK, the lyrics are a slight bit cliché, but the song itself is excellent, all of the pieces, including a few added “bee-boos” (xylophone?) fit together perfectly and it’s an altogether great way to finish a summer album.
The album cover for DaShiJie is a winding, open road, and that’s a pretty good metaphor. This is open music, summer music, maybe even road music, but there’s definitely a journey to make, and bands could do a lot worse than a first step like this one.
tags: Elbow - Emo - Joy Division - Listen to - Monroe Stahr - Pop - Racks - Rain - Rock - Void
April 15th, 2009 |
Posted in Articles, Contests by beijia becca
Re-tros 重塑雕像的权利 chóng sù diāo xiàng de quán lì Rebuilding the Rights of Statues
Note: Do you want to see these guys? You can, and for free. See the bottom of this page for details.
Spring has hit Shanghai and blowing in with those warm breezes are some bands that will spark this town up! It’s been one Saturday after another, with the Lava/Ox/Sea, AV Okubo, and Battles show, then Boys Climbing Ropes (woohoo!) and the Hard Queen EP release party, and this past Saturday a dynamic performance by Hedgehog, and this weekend there’s no letting up! Yuyintang is hosting a dulcet month with Re-tros next Saturday 4/18, The Dovetail Joints Friday 4/24, then Get in the Van Saturday 4/25 (starting off at Zhijiang Dream Factory), and sprinkles of other good stuff in between: when it comes it comes hard.
I saw Hedgehog and Re-tros play a double bill in Hong Kong in October and I must say I had a pretty darn good time. Supposedly, Re-tros (Rebuilding the Rights of Statues) are releasing a long-awaited CD. I picked up the Cut Off! EP, first released in November 2005, after the show in Hong Kong. Possibly this was half their album and they are touring now to promote the whole CD? I must admit I am very curious to hear what they have been working on all these years.
A little history: Hua Dong 华东(guitar, vocals) used to be the drummer for PK-14 and he and Liu Min 刘敏(bass, vocals) came to Bejing punk from Nanjing punk. There they met Ma Hui 马晖(drums) and in 2003 started to rebuild. They are managed by Modern Sky and released their CD on the Tag Team label.
Here’s my review of what they did with Cut Off!:
Dark.
Very Dark.
I think its safe to put this in the Gothic Rock section.
They have been compared to Bauhaus and Joy Division, and though they definitely have a sound from the dark punk years of 1978-1982, I would lean more towards Killing Joke due to the guitar twanging of Hua Dong. Perhaps a slight trace of B-52’s in the rhythm, tone, and vocals, though not sing-songy at all. Liu Min plucks her bass a bit like Les Claypool (who could have ever imagined) so the whole performance is reminiscent of the Frog Brigade. There is also a sense of Gang of Four, though how random is that? The content, English grammar and endearing accents create something a bit original out of an old feeling.
The lyrics are quite poetic but you can see a theme of sorts emerging…
1) Die in 1977 – music for a dark ritual or an Underworld soundtrack, very dramatic
2) A Death-bed Song – I see this as a morbid surf tale with Brian Eno on the (key)board
3) Boys in Cage – dance enabling pop punk (3:11)
4) If the Monkey Becomes King – dreamy groove, hint: monkey is a metaphor, or is it?
5) TV (Hang the Police) – the big hit. Very Primus and B-52’s. Liu Min’s vocals bring pleasure out of the pain
6) Laugh from the Time –the most upbeat – we’re all gonna die anyway! I remember they jammed a long time on this – quite enjoyable live
It will be interesting to see if they stay loyal to the dark side or break away at all in the new songs. I wouldn’t mind a bit of flair to balance out the heaviness of the EP, but there is definitely a place for Re-tros in the Peking order (not a typo).
[So, now that Becca has told you all about how awesome this show will be, why not try your luck at the dusty-country-wild-prose shootout? Just tell us the story of your most spectacular night at an S.T.D. live show (real or imagined) and send it to layabozi@layabozi.com. The writer of the most awesome story will receive two (2) tickets to the show at YYT. The deadline is Friday at 5pm and please include a mobile number so we can get you the tickets.]
*** Due to a sudden spring lazyness on the air, the contest has been extended until Saturday at 7 pm, and since the creativity seems to be down around town, and just because it is S.T.D.’s day, to get tickets free send an e-mail to layabozi@layabozi.com telling us why we should give you the privilege of a free entrance to Re-Tros. Include your mobile number ***
tags: AV Okubo - Boys Climbing Ropes - Dance - Dark - Dream Factory - Hard Queen - Hedgehog - Hong Kong - Joy Division - Pop - Punk - Re-tros - Rock - S.T.D. - Shanghai - The Dovetail Joints - YuYinTang
June 11th, 2008 |
Posted in Album Reviews by mache
Two weeks ago, finally, I found the DVD of “Control” the biopic about Ian Curtis, Joy Division’s leader and singer. The film premier was on October 2007,it wasn’t a huge success but it was an addition to Joy Division’s and Ian Curtis history and I was looking forward to watch it since last year when a friend told me about it.
Last May 2nd was the premier of the documentary “Joy Division” about… aha… Joy Division history.
On March 2008 was released a new compilation named “The Best of…” …. … well, guess. (I’m listening to it right now, and it’s a very good compilation actually, it includes recordings of the John Peel Sessions).
And on June 17th, it will go on sale a collectors limited edition – only 500 units – of the Microsoft’s portable music player Zune of Joy Division.
Suddenly, after buying the DVD and watching the movie, I was surrounded by a Joy Division’s fever. And to complete the invasion, last event was last night; Ian Curtis dropped in on my dreams. He crossed me by and I shortly could ask him: what do you think about all this talking and rolling about you and Joy Division’s?, Curtis frowned, kind of doubting, so I rephrased: How do you feel knowing the post punk – pre gothic – underground statement of Joy Division is turning into a pop icon? He looked down at me (he was a tall guy), light a smoke, and in bloody Mancunian he said: “ I don’t give a fuck about it”. Then, he moved on. I woke up ashamed of my silliness, I was very stupid. I realized I must train my skills as interviewer, I just lost THE minute I had to talk with Ian Curtis soul and I asked the most dumb question. Of course he doesn’t give a fuck about this and anyway, he is dead. (… right?…)
Ian Curtis was an underground legend, and he remains a legend of the underground movement. The legacy of Joy Division is the innocence of a soul discomforted with reality, surrendered to sadness because of the frustration of an unstoppable truth. When punk became gothic.
They formed the band right after “the gig that changed the world”, as it’s known in punk history. The band was the Six Pistols, they played in front of an audience of 30-40 people. Seems the Six Pistols blew up the brains of these people, and that was the minute marked as the boom of punk. For mysterious reasons many people among the audience became a major figure on music history, some of those were Joy Division, The Smiths and also Tony Wilson, the founder of Factory Records, among others, as the legend goes on. That’s the point in time when universal forces collided to produce the beginning of post-punk, new wave, gothic and the Manchester movement of independent music, the first “indie” bands. From these time grew up later The Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, The Stone Roses, and so on.
The band, originally named Warsaw, formed on 1976, they played their first gig on 1977. On 1978 they changed their name to Joy Division, which is originally the name of the groups of Jewish woman kept on concentration camps as sexual slaves for the Nazis during World War II, as described on the book House of Dolls by Ka-tzetnik. 1978 was the year Joy Division made it; they signed with Factory Records, then their first TV appearance, and almost immediately the recording of their first studio album on June 1978. From there they went fast in the rush of success, touring around England, and Europe. On 1980, with one more studio album already released, they were ready to go to their first tour to United States. One month before leaving, Ian Curtis killed himself. There are many theories to explain why he killed himself; very possible the truth includes the sum of all of them.
Ian Curtis is remembered as the deep calling voice of Joy Division, the poetic alienated writer loved by his followers and the spasmodic freak dancer stored in the memory of the early 80s. His epileptic attacks and his suicide are the discussion corner for those believing the legend is only the result of the tragedy and not the greatness of their music. However, Joy Division’s sound still alive, and a lot during these days.
New Order, the band formed by the surviving members of Joy Division continued their work until now . They stayed as the leading band of Factory Records after Curtis death, they are recognized as the band that joined punk and electronic dance music during the 80s, although their success has always been under the shadow of Joy Division’s conquers.
Joy Division’s music style was a tired punk spirit impersonated by Ian Curtis voice, guided by melodies coming out of Peter Hook’s bass, followed by the stress drums of Steve Morris and the blurry guitar of Bernard Sumner. This tight sound added to the gray subjects on Curtis lyrics created the deep and overwhelmed atmosphere that later became the base for gothic bands like Bauhaus and The Cure.
Joy Division existed for only five years: 1976 – 1980 and they recorded only two studio albums. This was twenty eight years ago, since then, twelve more albums have been released: compilations, early recordings, lost and found recordings, rare recordings and live performances. Three films had been done talking about the legend: 24 Hour Party People, Control and Joy Division. Of course, some books had been written about them and well, lets not forget the gadgets, but luckily, only produced on a limited edition of only 500 units.
This is Joy Division’s land, the gray land of frustration, the post punk, the pre gothic. The second right before punk met dance music to become new wave and then the pop of the 80s. The children of the Six Pistols who produced the ground for the indie rock. And no matter what arguments are there saying their success is the result of Ian Curtis suicide, the fact is Joy Division’s music is still played around the world, in radios, parties, speakers and headphones, and new bands are still playing and recording covers of their songs. Joy Division transcended.
[youtube width="425" height="355"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=6ZwMs2fLoVE[/youtube]
Links to more about Joy Division:
Video – About Factory Records – Ian Curtis daughter talk about “Control”
tags: Indie - Joy Division - Manchester - Punk - UK
