Gipsy Kings - Vamos A Bailer (Live)

If you haven't already, check the Gipsy Kings out. Amazing flamenco rumba music.

Book Review: "All The Madmen" by Clinton Heylin (2012)

Written by Clinton Heylin and published in November 2012, “All the Madmen: Barrett, Bowie, Drake, the Floyd, The Kinks, The Who and a Journey to the Dark Side of English Rock” puts the microscope on six of English rocks biggest stars, who in the years following the often mythicized “Summer of Love” experienced various problems with their mental wellbeing, while often battling to maintain their sanity. In this fascinating and insightful read, Heylin explores the drug problems of Syd Barrett and Peter Green, the battle David Bowie faced over his identity in the guise of Ziggy Satrdust, the depression faced by Nick Drake and Ray Davies often in response to their lack of commercial success, and the eccentricity of Pete Townshend. Heylin also looks into how these musicians were able to take their own personal experiences and use them as fuel for their work, highlighting how during this period (the early 1970s) these great musicians used their somewhat fragile state of minds to produce some of the greatest British albums of all time. He puts the spotlight on the making of albums such as Quadrophenia, Ziggy Stardust, and The Dark Side of the Moon looking into the influences behind these albums and the themes they explore, as well as how a lot of the music on these albums came about as a response to how the likes of Bowie and Townshend were feeling at the time. This book is very well researched and pays great attention to detail in its subject matter, while Heylin does a good job in presenting what can often be sensitive areas to go into including the issues of drug abuse and mental illness in a carefully considered manner. I would recommend "All the Madmen" to anyone interested in rock history, as well as those interested in the psychological side of music making. "All the Madmen" is a highly informative and interesting read that examines an area which is often overlooked in rock history, the madness and mystery of its participants, and how psychology and self-examination came to play a massive role in influencing the art that was created.   

A+

- Sam

News: Does British Pop Need Saving From X Factor Culture?

<a href = "http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/does-british-pop-still-need-saving-from-x-factor-culture?recache=1&t=1231311"> Interesting Debate...Does it need saving?</a> 

The Band- The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show- Last Waltz Unreleased Footage (1976)

The Band - The Last Waltz Box Set (2002)

2002 saw a four disc box set re-issue of the classic 1976 farewell concert by The Band, The Last Waltz, a re-issue that saw the inclusion of twenty-four previously unreleased tracks. This re-issue is far superior to the original release of this amazing moment in rock history, and is largely a complete representation of the concert with the tracks presented in the order they were originally performed barring a couple of emissions. The definite highlight of this re-release is the tracks that were emitted from the original album, a move that I find puzzling and cannot work out as the quality on some of these tracks is immense. Standouts among these extra tracks include a live version of “The Weight” which is as good as any version I have heard, Muddy Waters performing “Caldonia”, “Acadian Driftwood” featuring Joni Mitchell and Neil Young on backing vocals, and a stellar version of “W.S. Walcott’s Medicine Show” complete with horns and a brilliant sax solo by Garth Hudson. The boxed set which is nicely laid out and presented also contains a seventy-eight page booklet that does a nice job in telling the story of the concert in great detail, while at the same time giving a bit of context to the listening experience. The presence of these extra tracks definitely enhances on, and improves The Last Waltz as a listening experience, and this box set is well worth getting just to have such quality live versions of some of The Bands best tracks. A definite must have for music fans and collectors, of what was one of the greatest live music events in modern memory.

 

A+

 

- Sam

John Fogerty's 'AMA' on Reddit

John Fogerty just wrapped up an 'AMA' (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit, where he answered a range of questions to do with his musical influences, the political meanings in his songs and the history of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Worth checking out. This was also an opportunity for Fogerty to promote his new solo album Wrote a Song For Everyone, which was released yesterday.

-Karl

The Moons - Forever Came Today (2012)

The Moons - Fables Of History (2012)

Led by Paul Weller’s keyboard player Andy Croft, The Moons are a 1960s influenced psychedelic pop/rock band from Northampton, and it is with their second studio release Fables Of History where the listener can clearly see where this band gets its inspiration from. Fables Of History is chock full of Beatles like melody and harmony, Kinks inspired lyrics, and Zombies influenced psychedelia, all mixed together in a contemporary manner. The band does a very good job in ensuring the songs on the album sound fresh and modern, but without losing that classic 1960s British sound which seeps through each track on the album. You can here elements of The Zombies on the opening track “Be Not Me” with an infectious psychedelic keyboard sound, as well as a slowed down dreamy sounding bridge which makes the listener feel as if they will be taken into space any minute. Beatles like psychedelic pop is heard on songs such as “Revolutionary Lovers”, “Forever Came Today”, and “The First Goodbye” songs which sound as if they could have been written in 1967 not 2012. The Kinks influence is also there to be seen on tracks like “English Summer”, and “Jennifer Sits Alone” with more intermit storybook lyrics accompanied by simpler, less busy psychadelic arrangements. The band do go down a more psychedelic route on this album compared to their heavily Beatles influenced first release, but this slight change in direction does not affect the quality of the songs in anyway, with the busy psychedelic grooves in combination with simple soothing melodies making this album a very enjoyable listen. Fables of History is well worth a listen if you are into 1960s British psychedelic pop, and may also appeal to those not familiar with that period but would like to check it out in the form of something more contemporary. Whatever your taste in music is, I thoroughly recommend this album.

A-

- Sam

Mos Def - The New Danger (2004)

More adventurous but not quite as daring as its predecessor Black on Both Sides, Mos Def’s second studio album The New Danger demonstrates the Brooklyn rapper’s eagerness to once again bring together what he defines as black music under the banner of hip hop. And for the most part, he does a pretty decent job at it.

The New Danger continues more or less with the same production aspects heard in Black on Both Sides, but not completely. Where this album departs from its predecessor is in the different musical styles produced by live instrumentation. Musicians on the album include Black Jack Johnson (Mos Def’s side project band, which comprises of Living Colour’s Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish, Bad Brains’ Dr. Know and Parliament/Funkadelic’s Bernie Worrell) and blues guitarist Shuggie Otis. “Blue Jack Black” (which features Shuggie Otis) is one of the album’s standouts, as hearing Mos Def sing and rap over a straight up blues track is not only refreshing, but pretty darn cool. Black Jack Johnson also play some really sweet rhythm & blues, soul, funk and electronica inspired tracks, but they also delve into hard rock and heavy metal on more than one occasion, where the tempo of which just seemed to jar really badly with Mos Def’s flow. Thankfully these instances occur only a few times in the album, and generally the production is pretty solid, most notably on sample-based tracks such as “The Rape Over”, “Sunshine”, “Modern Marvel” and “Life is Real” (one of my favourite cuts on the album).

Lyrically, Mos Def isn’t quite as sharp as he was in Black on Both Sides, scaling back the politically and socially conscious overtones in favour of greater subtlety, along with a few tracks projecting a more feel-good, chilled vibe. (“The Rape Over”, a scathing critique of hip hop as an industry, is one exception) Vocally, Mos Def manages to adapt to just about every style pulled in on this album (except for the aforementioned hard rock/heavy metal tracks), with his vocal work varying from track to track, even within tracks – “Modern Marvel”, a superb 9-minute tribute to Marvin Gaye, features Mos Def singing, then speaking, followed by rapping (and one of the better verses in the album, too) about and reflecting on some of the social issues raised in the classic What’s Going On. If nothing else, Mos Def’s vocal work on this album just restates his ability as a singer, which never underwhelms.

Although this album does explore some pretty interesting territory sonically (in regards to hip hop, anyway), it just lacks the thematic coherence that was really apparent in Black on Both Sides. The New Danger may have a greater scope and more ambition than Mos Def’s prior work, but the execution doesn’t quite match it.

B-

-Karl

Fleetwood Mac - Silver Springs Live 2004

A fantastic live version of a Stevie Nicks penned classic.

Jake Bugg - Lightning Bolt - Official Video (2012)

Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg (2012)

Jake Bugg is not your ordinary nineteen year old musician. In a world where the likes of Justin Bieber and One Direction churn out predictably boring pop music, this guy comes on to the scene channelling Bob Dylan on his self-titled debut, and in the process goes straight to number one on the UK album chart. Influenced by the likes of Donovan and Don McLean, Jake Bugg grew up in Nottingham England on a rough council estate and took up music after hearing a Don McLean song “Vincet (Starry, Starry Night) on The Simpsons. Such influences become all too clear when the guitar chords come in on the opening track “Lightening Bolt” and you first hear his uniquely different voice. Immediately you think of that early Dylan twang, and then you remember he is only 18-19...WHAT? You say, someone of his age should not be singing in this style, right? But in reality this guy is a breath of fresh air. Even on the most pop sounding track on the record “Two Fingers” he draws on the past, you hear a skiffle beat reminiscent of early Beatles, and a melody during the chorus that could have been pulled straight off a La’s album. On the same song he sings of “skinning up a fat one, and hiding from the feds” obviously in relation to his childhood growing up on the streets of Nottingham, a theme he draws on throughout the album. The first half of the album is definitely stronger later in the album the songs tend to drift and become a bit too mellow in places, but all together this is a great first up effort from a real talent. I very much look forward to what he comes up with next.

B+

 

- Sam

The Strypes - Got Love If You Want It (Live 2013)

Check these guys out. They are a teenage group from Ireland playing 1950s-60s rhythm and blues, and have caught a lot of music peoples eyes.

Nick Drake - Poor Boy (1970)

Nick Drake - Bryter Layter (1970)

Over the years, Nick Drake has become somewhat of a cult figure in music and since his untimely death in 1974 has taken on a large following of fans. This in itself is no real surprise, as the man was an unbelievable musical talent who was taken too early. What is more confusing however is why he did not receive the amount of attention, or commercial recognition that he has subsequently gained when he was alive? But that discussion is for another day, and instead I am going to focus on the music that has given this man a cult following by looking at his second studio release Bryter Layter from 1970.   

Bryter Layter is quite different from most of his other work in particular in that it has a full backing band accompanying him, including members of seminal English folk rock group Fairport Convention, and guest appearance by among others ex-Velvet Underground member John Cale. Although Drake continues to showcase the Baroque influenced orchestral arrangements that were seen on his brilliant first album Five Leaves Left, Bryter Layter is a more eclectic album that includes jazz influences, and a notably more electric sound than its predecessor. Although his pastoral folk sound complete with acoustic guitar and airy vocals is ever present, this album is more polished and commercially sounding in nature with very good production, especially when it comes to the instrumental arrangements. It is also his most diverse album stylistically encompassing everything from the Baroque influences on “Fly”, folk rock on “Hazey Jane II”, and jazz on “The Chime of The City Clock”, “One Of These Things First”, and “Poor Boy” tracks that include wonderful flourishes of jazz piano, smooth sax parts, and even soulful female backing singers. Such elements are far removed from the dark and spacious acoustic folk sound that appeared on his final studio album Pink Moon, where notably he was only accompanied once by another musician on the opening title track.

The blending of musical styles across this album and intelligent use of backing arrangements highlights well Nick Drakes abilities as a musician, suggesting he was more than just a singer-songwriter. On Bryter Layter we see how he could take other styles of music such as jazz and make them work so well in combination with his own unique acoustic folk style, and in doing so not lose anything musically with the end result still sounding quintessentially Nick Drake.  In fact complex string and piano arrangements lend themselves very well to Drake’s reflective lyrics and soft vocal delivery, allowing his own unique finger picking guitar style and vocals to flow gently over the top of the busy instrumental arrangements without taking the limelight.

Bryter Layter sits very well alongside Nick Drakes other more intense sounding work and is very good on the ear if his more acoustic folk style does not do it for you. It is a very reflective album and one where on listening you can’t help but feel a sense of joy, hopefulness, and warmth things that you often do not feel when listening to Nick Drake’s music. Bryter Layter is a true 1970s underground masterpiece and shows there was another more playful and experimental side to this man’s music.   

A

- Sam

The Chills - Kaleidoscope World (1986)

A compilation in the truest sense, Kaleidoscope World covers everything recorded by icons of the Dunedin Sound, The Chills, up until 1986. Yes, everything. In this 18-track compilation, we have the three Chills tracks from the Dunedin Double EP, both sides of the Rolling Moon single, both sides of the Pink Frost single, The Lost EP, both sides of the Doledrums single, and both sides of the I Love My Leather Jacket single. Bizarre to think that at this point in the band’s career (six years in), they had yet to release a full-length LP – even with the likes of the single “Pink Frost” behind them. It wouldn’t be until 1987 that The Chills would actually put an album together, with the release of Brave Words.

So, we kick off with the earliest Chills recordings, found in 1981’s Dunedin Double EP, one of which is the title track of this compilation. “Kaleidoscope World” is a breezy, light and innocent enough track, positioned somewhere between sunshine pop and indie pop, featuring a modest amount of Martin Phillipps’ jangly guitar work and a nice overlay of keyboards. The lyrics seem a world away from the likes of “Pink Frost” – ‘I’d look at you, and perhaps you’ll smile at me / Loving my kaleidoscope world’, and the song continues in this vein. It’s a pleasant enough cut, but it’s plain that the band hasn’t quite found their sound yet. However, Phillipps would return to this sort of style in 1990’s Submarine Bells, albeit with greater proficiency and aided by much, much better production value. The next two tracks from this era, "Satin Doll" and "Frantic Drift" both seem to be variations on “Kaleidoscope World” with keyboards again having a large presence, and guitar taking a back seat. The tracks don’t really progress though, and just seem stuck in one gear.

Then 1982’s Rolling Moon release, first the A-side. Now this is the Dunedin Sound. Great track, the keyboards seem to have a real purpose and energy here, along with the vocals. The guitar work has come to life as well, (jangles, jangles everywhere) and by jove, the drums aren’t bad either. The outro here is a highlight, typical showcase of the Dunedin Sound. Then the two B-sides, first off is “Bite” – here’s The Chills’ dark, punk underbelly. “Bite it through / Bite it through / Get inside you / Bite, bite, bite” is repeated mercilessly, and the jangles have become absent, replaced by gnarly guitars and thudding bass. Second is “Flamethrower” – this is a live track, and I really dig the way it builds, starting with what would become the typical Chills sound, then accelerates into a suggestion of punk rock, followed up by a rollicking drum outro and messy, heavy guitar.

Then the Pink Frost single from 1984. Oh man. What an absolute knockout 45” release, even the relatively unknown (to me anyway) “Purple Girl” is a surprisingly excellent addition to the A-side. “Pink Frost” is just a flawless, captivating track. The phenomenal jangly guitar intro sets the track brilliantly, but it soon makes way for the plodding bass line, coupled with the escalating smooth guitar riff that builds into the meat of the song, meanwhile the drums are doing great, solid rhythmic work too. Enter Phillipps’ haunting vocals that float over the rest of the song, and manage to echo through your head even after the song’s conclusion. It does a masterful job at capturing the confusion and helplessness felt after the death of a loved one, through an overdose it seems - "Thought I was dreaming / So I didn't hear you screaming". Is this the best 45” release put out by a New Zealand artist? I’m starting to think so. “Purple Girl” is nearly an instrumental track that features a repetitive, heavy guitar riff, followed by some familiar-sounding jangles and a… saxophone? Handclaps? The track suddenly becomes a jam, and somehow it completely works.

Next is The Lost EP, 1985 – these tracks show Phillipps’ attempts at trying to carve out a new sound for the band, with tracks like “Bee Bah Bee Bah Bee Boe” featuring an acoustic guitar and an accordion, and functioning almost like a pub singalong. “Dream by Dream” is probably about as experimental as The Chills got, with a mess of distorted guitars crashing in towards the end of the track, concluding with the band members signing off with a “goodnight” to each other, and then a deep voice bellows “GOODNIGHT, CHILLS”. It’s the sort of offbeat thing I’d expect from Split Enz.

The two tracks in the Doledrums release in 1984 are probably the most understated in this compilation. “Doledrums” sort of harks back to “Kaleidoscope World” and is in a way a predecessor for “Heavenly Pop Hit”, featuring a return of energetic keyboards and jangly guitar. “Hidden Bay” is far more upbeat, almost with a punk rock undertone, but also includes keyboards that guide the track along really smoothly and pleasantly.

The final two tracks, from 1986’s I Love My Leather Jacket single, aren’t too shabby either. “I Love My Leather Jacket” has more of a pure-rock base, as the guitars steadily carry the track with keyboards only making sustained appearances in the intro and outro. “The Great Escape” is one of my personal favourites from the entire compilation. It kicks off with a chilling, melodic guitar riff that slides in and drifts through the track, followed shortly by Phillipps’ vocals that just linger over the song, reminiscent of “Pink Frost”. (this track seems eerily like a sequel to it)

Overall, this compilation contains some really solid staples of the Dunedin Sound era, most of which were new to my ears. There are a few tracks which aren’t so impressive, but you take that considering the amount of time this compilation covers in the band’s life. Anyone curious as to what the Dunedin Sound was, or what The Chills actually sounded like (outside “Pink Frost” and “Heavenly Pop Hit”) should definitely start with this compilation, without a doubt.

B

-Karl

1970s "Fusion"

When I was a teenager I loved rock, and in fact looking back it seemed as if everything I listened to had to have a guitar solo in it. At the time you certainly would not have got me listening to much in the way of jazz or rhythm and blues, which in itself is surprising considering I grew up listening to a lot of jazz music. These days however, it seems that maturity has allowed me to expand my musical horizons a lot more, and it was after seeing a brilliant contemporary jazz-soul band called the Alan Brown Project one night that I began to delve into the wonderful fusion music of the 1970s, and boy oh boy what a treat I was in for.

Now when I mean fusion I’m talking about music which combines two, or more styles together to create a new style, and in the process fusing elements of the two styles together. Two examples of fusion that have appealed to me greatly have been jazz fusion in particular the work of Traffic, and Steely Dan, and fusion within R&B/soul especially the work of Stevie Wonder, and The Meters.

Jazz fusion combines together jazz and rock elements and usually includes the presence of horns, a more prominent piano sound, and highly sophisticated rhythms. Jazz fusion artists also tend to experiment more with extended jams, as well as often putting a stronger emphasis on improvisation. Two works that have captured my eye significantly from the 1970s period within this style have been Traffic’s John Barleycorn Must Die, and also Steely Dan’s Aja. John Barleycorn Must Die sees a strong emphasis placed on free jamming, and throughout the album sees appearances by the flute, saxophone, and piano/Hammond organ. The album showcases a strong jazz/blues influence on many of the tracks, with Steve Winwood’s soulful vocals almost playing second fiddle to the amazing playing and virtuosity on display. In contrast, Steely Dan’s Aja is much slicker and very well produced, and is an album I would describe as sounding like cocktail jazz. It is very “cool” sounding, and when listened to you can just picture yourself sitting in a bar somewhere in New York with the band themselves playing live in front of you. The interesting thing about “Aja” is that Walter Becker and Donald Fagen hired a full cast of talented jazz session musicians to play on it, a move that gave the tracks on the album that slick and heavily polished Jazz-Rock sound. Keyboards and horns feature prominently on this album also.

In terms of fusion within 1970s R&B/soul, two albums that I have enjoyed immensely have been Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions, and The Meters Rejuvenation. Both albums showcase a fusion of funk, soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel and in doing so do a fantastic job in blending so many different styles together without compromising the quality of the music. Innervisions is a funk album instrumentation wise, with a strong soul/gospel influence in the vocals. Stevie also places a strong emphasis on rhythmic patterns on Innervisions. This can be seen across the album as he experiments with keyboards and synth technology, something that was quite revolutionary for an African-American artist at the time. On the other hand, his socially aware lyrics fit into the gospel/soul mould which he had been a pioneer of for many years up to that point. Rejuvenation by The Meters is less experimental than Innervisions and follows a more traditional electric band model. The tracks on this album usually see soulful vocals backed by a funky beat combining drums and bass, while topped off with nice touches of electric piano, organ, and horns. The extended jam of “It Ain’t No Use” is this albums centrepiece, a song that includes a seven minute free style jam highlighting just how good funk and rhythm and blues can sound when combined together effectively.

I am now a huge fan of the fusion music from this period, and through my listening experiences have come to appreciate more the skill that is involved in combining such distinctive elements from different styles into one. Artists had been combining and mixing styles of music for years prior to the 1970s, and have continued to do so since. But on the back of work from people like Herbie Hancock, and Miles Davis, the early to mid seventies period showcased some amazing efforts in fusing different music styles together, and experimenting with different sounds on records. Artists were more open to ideas and trying new things on records, and whether or not you were primarily a rock musician, or a soul musician did not stop artists from looking at how they could incorporate elements of other styles into their own. All rules were off and anything was possible, with the results speaking for themselves.

- Sam

Gil Scott-Heron - When You Are Who You Are (1971)

A track from Scott-Heron's 1971 classic release Peices of a Man.

Chance The Rapper - Cocoa Butter Kisses (feat. Vic Mensa and Twista)

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap (2013)

Raps just make me anxious and acid makes me crazy

Acid Rap is the second mixtape release by Chicago-based Chance the Rapper. Even on the first listen, I was puzzled as to why this wasn’t pushed as an LP, as it definitely flows like one. Also, as somewhat of a rarity for a mixtape like this, just about every featured artist shines – they complement each track without overdoing it.

Chance spreads his lyrical capabilities as an MC quite nicely throughout the mixtape. He dabbles here and there with some socio-political commentary, pop culture references, and as the title would suggest, various drug allusions. But he doesn’t really linger on one or the other and somehow manages to blend most of these together seamlessly and cleverly.

The production is definitely the highlight on Acid Rap, and the influences here are easy to pick out, from 70s soul to 90s r&b and East Coast hip hop, and with just a tinge of psychedelia – it could’ve easily been named Acid Jazz Rap. Whoever handled the beats here knew what they were doing, because they mostly carry this mixtape. Thanks to the beats, Chance gets to display his vocal flexibility, with understated braggadocio in Good Ass Intro, to a gospel-infused slow jam about the value of love in Interlude, and the drawling, druggy delivery in NaNa. Chance lets everyone know he’s a man for all occasions.

What particularly struck me though is the accessibility of Acid Rap. The beats aren’t abrasive at all, and Chance’s flow pulls you along at about the right pace, even from the first listen. Hip hop aficionados and newcomers alike should get a kick out of this release - it pretty much covers all the bases and showcases some of hip hop’s best features. Definitely one of 2013’s stronger efforts, and my personal favourite so far.

B+

-Karl 

You can download and stream Acid Rap on Chance's website.

"Heroes" - David Bowie + Queen [Feat. Mick Ronson on guitar] (Live 1992)

Here is a wicked live version of Heroes, performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, and what about that jacket Bowie is wearing?

She & Him- I Could've Been Your Girl (2013)

She & Him - Volume 3

After two highly infectious albums of sweet country, ‘Brill Building’ pop, and folk ditties the highly workable sounding duo of She & Him featuring actor Zooey Deschanel on vocals have done it again, with their third studio release of original material Volume 3. On this new release the duo have gone even further in the pop direction than previously with a strong Brill Building girl group influence on songs such as “I’ve Got Your Number, Son” and “Somebody Sweet To Talk To”, and beautiful flowing melodies as seen on the gorgeous “Turn to White”. The standout for me on this album is undoubtedly Zooey’s vocals, which sound as good as ever whether it be in the form of her singing solo, harmonising, or assisted with her own overdubbed backing vocals. M. Ward is featured less on this album vocals wise, but his melodic guitar playing is as present as ever, with his less is more guitar style fitting nicely in the background and just doing enough to contribute to what are simple but effective songs. Even though this album is the most poppy of their releases so far, it definitely does not lack in quality songs and singing, and in my opinion holds up well alongside Volume’s 1, and 2. This album is perfect to be listened to on a winter’s day, or evening and my advice for listening would be to sit back and enjoy with a glass of red by a warm fire.

A-

- Sam

Dr. Feelgood "Walking The Dog" Live 1976

Dr. Feelgood were one of the pioneers of 1970s Pub Rock in England, and were also a significant influence on Punk. Their no frills rhythm and blues style sounded amazing live, and here is a track off their 1976 live album Stupidity.

Daft Punk - Discovery / Insterstella 5555 (2001)

If you've ever stumbled across any of Daft Punk's music videos from their 2001 release Discovery and felt as though they were simply pieces in a larger story, you'd be right. The larger story is in fact a full-length feature anime film named Interstella 5555, written in part by Leiji Matsumoto, director of the legendary anime series Space Battleship Yamato, and the French House duo themselves.

Often this type of a project tends to hurt the original work rather than add to it. In this case, Daft Punk definitely hit the mark. Interstella 5555 is a sci-fi adventure featuring four alien band members that are kidnapped and taken from their home planet and eventually sent to Earth only to become musical slaves. It basically serves as a visual representation of the album, accompanying each track in Discovery - yes, every scene in the film starts and finishes with a cut from the album, the whole way through. But remarkably, the film features zero dialogue, narration or even annotations. Save for a few sound effects here and there, we are left with visuals and music to piece the story together. And although the film and the album aren't technically groundbreaking, both provide an experience that is rich, and at times, immersive. 

I personally think every pressing of Discovery should feature a digital copy of Interstella 5555, because without each other, they fall flat. Watching the film without audio practically removes most of its appeal, and listening to Discovery without seeing the film is definitely an incomplete experience. Beyond the first four, well-known hits on the album, the rest of Discovery moves through and invokes various themes and emotions while rolling out space-age, synth-heavy melodies that are fully realised in the film, but are tough to get a feel for without.

Anyone unfamiliar with this film, or Daft Punk in general, should definitely give Interstella 5555 and Discovery a try. It's definitely their most coherent, conceptualised work (although their recent release, Random Access Memories, isn't far off) and is a treat to watch & listen.

B+ (for both)

-Karl

"Message to Love: The Isle of White Festival 1970" directed by Murray Lerner

If you are looking for a good “rockumentary” to watch, then “Message to Love: The Isle of White Festival 1970” could be for you. It covers the 1970 Isle of White music festival and in particular the chaos that went with it when around 600,000 people converged on this tiny island to witness performances from Jimi Hendrix and Miles Davis among others. The film does a good job in highlighting the many problems and incidents the festival faced including performers getting booed, stage invasions, and raucous youth attempting to break into the festival by tearing down the perimeter fence that was built to keep those without tickets out. Apart from some very good performances, the ultimate highlight of the film for me was head promoter Rikki Farr’s rants against the audience, which only got more vocal as the situation involving the people outside the fence worsened. This film is a highly enjoyable watch which delves into one of the climatic moments of the late-60s period, and is made even more interesting considering there would not be another festival held on the Isle of White until 2002.

A-

- Sam

The Kinks - "The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society" (1968)

Although it did not sell in high numbers when it was released in 1968, time has done “The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society” the world of good, with this fantastic album of steam trains, village greens, and playing cricket in the rain now seen by many as Ray Davies greatest lyrical achievement, and one of the greatest albums of that era. It is an album that anyone can enjoy because of the vivid imagery the songs portray, with the strong theme of Britain and all its great past times running throughout the album. As an album it is an easy listen because the songs allow you to close your eyes and picture the lyrics as they are sung to you, with the songs in many ways being mini stories individually focusing on something uniquely British that links back to the overall concept of the album . There are a couple of weaker tracks here musically, but all in all it is a fun listen, and one cannot but help feel happy when listening to it.

A

- Sam

Clash to get remastered treatment

Fat Freddy's Drop appear as puppets in awesome new video

Book Review: "You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle For The Soul Of The Beatles" by Peter Doggett

“You Never Give Me Your Money” takes apart bit by bit the breakup of one of the biggest bands that has ever been, and then puts the microscope on the relationships and squabbles that ensued between the band member and those close to them in the following decades. What this book highlights is that grown men do not always grow up, and that lawyers and managers in the music industry a lot of the time cannot be trusted when it comes to money. The book written by Peter Doggett also does a very good job in dispelling the myth that Yoko broke up The Beatles, emphasising strongly that tired friendships and the desire to develop as artists were more compelling reasons for this “inevitable” result. Although Doggett spends a lot of time looking into the bands legal issues using very big words which make no sense to me, the book is extremely well researched and does a good job examining the lives of The Beatles post-The Beatles right up to today. A truly insightful read for any music fan.

A-

- Sam

Black Skinheads & New Slaves? Has to be Kanye West.

In other news, Kanye West recently premiered two new tracks on SNL this weekend, from his upcoming album titled... wait for it... Yeezus. Not kidding. The first track, titled Black Skinhead, features a stripped-down, dirty beat (reminiscent of parts of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy) that works brilliantly with the animosity felt in the lyrics. Kanye basically screams the bridge & hook, accompanied initially by a Cerberus (really dig the 'barking' beat), which is just badass. Among the projected visuals during his performance are... black KKK masks? Interesting. According to rapgenius, the track samples "Rock and Roll" by Gary Glitter and "Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson. This track will be one to look out for when the album drops, because the production on this is seriously impressive, even through a live performance.

 

  The other track, New Slaves, was shown off a little earlier through projection across 66 cities around the world. Only this guy. Can't say I'm feeling the beat in this track as much, at least from the raw video of the initial unveiling & the performance on SNL. Once again, Kanye vents his frustration through this track, particularly regarding his status as a celebrity and how it has changed his perspective on materialism. The title serves more as a question than a statement, and is bound to provoke some backlash. But that's what he does. Worth checking out the breakdown of the lyrics on rapgenius as well. Features vocals by Frank Ocean.

 -Karl

Tom Waits - "New Coat of Paint" from 1974's The Heart of Saturday Night

Rediscovering Tom Waits

I recently rediscovered (listening wise) Tom Waits, a musician who had been out of my life since my childhood. When I was growing up, one of the albums from my parent’s record collection that I used to listen to was the soundtrack of the film “One from the Heart” featuring Tom Waits. At the time I remember being intrigued by this man’s husky vocal qualities, which sat nicely alongside the jazz arrangements on the record. Now, all these years later I am getting back into this man’s music after an extended break (why the break I do not know). So far I have listened to two albums, the experimental and quirky “Rain Dogs”, and his second studio album “The Heart of Saturday Night” with its strong jazz influences. What I love about this musician is his ability to write songs in so many different styles on one album alone, as evidenced on Rain Dogs and yet still sound like Tom Waits. His unique vocals fit well alongside styles ranging from jazz, soul, and folk, while his lyrics range from the obscure to the beautiful. I am so glad I went back to Tom Waits as musically he had a lasting impression on me from my childhood. The man is a creative genius all be it often overlooked musically, or at least standing in the shadows alongside other great musical poets such as Dylan, and Cohen. Therefore it was fitting that he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Now that I have got another taste of his music, I look forward to exploring his diverse back catalogue more.   

- Sam

The Doors - (You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further [Feat. Ray Manzarek on vocals]

In tribute to Ray manzarek

Sad news today

We are sorry to hear today of the death of Ray Manzarek, founding  member of The Doors, and one of the greatest keyboard players that has ever lived. His unique sound will forever be remembered and it is fair to say that The Doors sound would not be the same without his playing. Rest in peace.

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Welcome to Nowhere Bros, a blog where you will find all sorts of odds & sods from music, to satire, to the latest interesting news from around planet earth. We at Nowhere Bros hope you tune in daily to get your fix, as we attempt to make your day that slightly more interesting. So turn on your mind(s) and enjoy.

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