The title of this post is straight from ‘Turn Up The Faders‘ which turned out to be somewhat prophetic last week. Winter has ambushed us again and it feels like, as the image suggests, London is no more. Commuting to work is just like an episode of the Twilight Zone with people coughing or dozing off as if in midst of a strange epidermic. It could be that my own cough/cold combination and subsequent assumption of all sorts of dubious remedies is having an effect on how I perceive everyone. Maybe I’m just being paranoid…
MP3’s:
Filed under: Personal touch | Tags: NYC, New York, Leonard Cohen, Big Apple, Nathan Asher & The Infantry
My time in New York ended just a little over a week ago and I miss it. London is a great city but Gotham just outdoes it
I’m slowly settling back into “normal” life is and will be back with two posts a week on Cougar Microbes. In the meantime here are two tracks that remind me of this visit.
MP3’s:
Nathan Asher & The Infantry - Turn Up The Faders
This song captures the alienation felt when travelling in any big city. There is a mix of opportunity and paranoia felt around and Nathan Asher’s lyrics describe this mixed emotion to chilling effect.
Leonard Cohen - First We Take Manhattan
For some reason I was constantly humming this Leonard Cohen tune whilst in the US. All around me the kids were spontaneously writing and directing films, holding last minute fashion shoots and generally having a care free time. I sensed camaraderie between the various New Yorkers and adopted New Yorkers which was enviable. They could easily take Manhattan (and Brooklyn) and this could be their anthem
Filed under: Indie Rock | Tags: Dear Science, mp3, Music, New York, NYC, TV On The Radio
In preparation for my trip to Big Apple this week I spun as many bands from the NYC area as i could. The one band that got more attention than any other was TV On The Radio largely due to the release of their new record ‘Dear Science,‘
I am the first to admit that i have a difficult relationship with the Brooklyn gang. In the past press for their endeavours made me to believe I would automatically enjoy their releases with little or no effort. The truth is that, as anyone who “gets” the band knows, TV On The Radio are not a band designed to be consumed rapidly and disposed of but rather one that should be slowly savoured and enjoyed over time.
Having finally come to terms with and grown to love ‘Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes‘ and ‘Return To Cookie Mountain‘ i eagerly anticipated their new release would blow my proverbial socks off. However, this wouldn’t be a TOTR review if I had been love at first spin. No ladies and gentlemen, I was in for another struggle. You see, The band appear to have ditched the elaborate multi layered instrumentalism and paranoid melodies for a more concise effort that, dare i say, could be ready for mainstream consumption.
This was not what I was expecting at all and I had to effectively force the album on my ears for a week for the pieces of the puzzle to come together but when they did it was very gratifying. All of a sudden I was recognising familiar melodies and appreciating the subtle developments that only a band like TV On The Radio could pull off. The lyrical content remains dark, and often cryptic, but this time it is all embellished by a crazy juxtaposition of new wave, funk, pop, rock and electronica and even 60s doo-wop all while maintaining that detached New York cool.
Other artists have toyed with the dangerous balancing act of trying to enhance their sound whilst increasing their audience and failed miserably. TV On The Radio differ here because the band have not compromised their instincts for a killer melody, try for yourself.
MP3’s:
Filed under: meanwhile in the real world | Tags: 2pac, barack obama, Neil Young, obama, President, Sufjan Stevens
In this historic moment in our lives I look to the next four years with a big smile on my face. 2Pac was wrong after all when he said ‘We ain’t ready, to see a black President‘. Thank you America!
MP3’s:
Sufjan Stevens - The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
“I am flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi, with America’s hottest band, and we are all about to die”
Actually, I’m on a train packed full of sweaty commuters pulling out of London Bridge Station and the fellow next to me obviously had no time for a post-corporate-workout shower. So, nausea more than death, really.
There’s only one way to combat the painful rush-hour crawl home. I have, jammed into my battered up Discman (that’s right, a Discman), a copy of the most hyped release since the 11th of February 1990 when Nelson Mandela walked a free man; Kings of Leon’s Only by the Night.
I’m expecting to be blown away by a group who have never been afraid to challenge themselves, or their fans, with something new. Armed with ever-maturing, ever-evolving, well crafted song writing and technical prowess, Kings of Leon have earned themselves the tag of ‘Hottest Property in Rock and Roll.’ I’m very, very excited.
The most striking first impressions of the Followill’s 2008 collection are Caleb’s vocals, which effortlessly range from slow lazy crawl to full-steam charge. For an example of this just press play and, as that disc starts whirring, check out ‘Closer’. The cocky front-man shows an ever-maturing understanding of the need for space within melody, which allows for the other three cars of this rock and roll locomotive to roll into platform one.
It’s an offer the others don’t shy away from. The ever-green chemistry between bass player Jared and drummer Nathan just keeps on blossoming. There’s so much to indulge in here for the groove lovers; ‘Crawl’, ‘Sex on Fire’, ‘Manhattan’ and ‘Notion’, to name the most blatant examples. There seems to be an attention to detail with these boys that other folks just don’t get, and it rocks.
However, let us not get carried away with ourselves. Where is the freight of raw guitars and cojones we’re used to hearing from these Tennessee bad-boys? For some reason Matt’s beautifully toned guitar is irritatingly low in the mix on just about every track. With the exception of the aformentioned ‘Crawl’ and ‘Notion’ Caleb’s dirty distortion appears to have been replaced by copied and pasted U2 guitar settings, ‘delay’ being the last word I want to hear right now. As for cojones, they appear to have been replaced by, well, ‘17′ and ‘I Want You’.
Step forward and explain yourselves, producers Jacquire King and Angelo Pietraglia. Both should know better having worked on previous albums. All we can really do is reassess the wisdom of disposing of Ethan Johns who seemed to mature with every Kings of Leon album he worked on.
There are other negatives to be taken from this hotly anticipated album. You find yourself craving the inventive song structures discovered with such delight on ‘Because of the Times‘. The age old ‘verse-chorus-verse-chorus-middle eight-chorus-chorus’ formula, also attributed to the likes of Pete Waterman, is not what I signed up for! Let’s just not get into ‘Cold Desert’ which is a disappointing mudslide to end this journey.
The suspicion that there has been an unprecedented compromise made at some point over the last two years between band and label is a hard one to shake. It wouldn’t be the first time we have seen a huge marketing budget offered in exchange for corporate-rock cleansing of the soul. It is a pop-culture tragedy as this is what won over more than just fashionistas from 2003’s explosive ‘Youth and Young Manhood‘ onwards.
On the whole the album induces a nostalgic longing for the masterful back to back ‘Aha Shake…’(2004) and ‘Because of the Times‘ (2007). These are the releases that should be celebrated more with every polished rock album that hits the shelves of a Tesco superstore. The Kings need to dedicate every last piece of their Southern souls to stun the cynics with something much more legendary. That is, if they wish to live up to their name.
As I step off the train and breathe in the comparatively fresh London air, I slip ‘Because of the Times‘ into my Discman, press play and before I know it I am home, safe and sound.
MP3’s:
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This is the first guest post on Cougar Microbes written by K. Hopefully there will be more from him
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Arctic Monkeys need no introductions on these pages unless you have been living in a cave in Afghanistan for the past few years. I must confess I was almost frightened off by all the press build up and was frankly quite sceptical before I heard them expecting another twee indie band for the NME to proclaim “Saviours Of The Universe, (and inventors of the AIDS vaccine)”.
Whilst on holiday abroad later in the year I was listening to a local radio station and a song came on unannounced and boy did it rock. The drums were thunderous and the guitars were jangly and unusual. Even better they were spiced by a chorus that sprayed melodies left right and centre. When the DJ announced this was ‘The View From The Afternoon’ my jaw dropped. It was time to give their debut a chance with no prejudices.
So I went out and bought ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not‘ and caught them live in Italy and soon enough tracks like ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’ were regular fixutres on my car CD mixes. Yet again the band were able to blend their quiet-loud approach to perfection whilst managing to slip in an occasional shout-along.
I have never been to Sheffield but somehow I can completely associate with the band both musically and lyrically drawing parallels to my own life (how presumptuous). I think it’s a testament to the strength of this album that the media that year all named different tracks from the album as their “Best Of Year” lists. Simply, there are a load of standout tracks that any budding songwriter would love to call their own.
The scary thing is these boys are in their early 20s and just getting started.
MP3’s:
Arctic Monkeys - The View From The Afternoon
Filed under: Personal touch | Tags: Alcohol, Music, night bus, NoFX, Snuff
Sometimes you plan on going for “just a quick one” and end up staying out until 10am. When these things are completely spontaneous you may end visiting several bars, downing many cocktails, drinking sweet Argentinean beer in a sweet Portuguese couples basement flat, sit in a park at dusk admiring the cloud shapes and finally trekking across the city on a night bus back home.
Here are 2 of my favourite “I just partied hard‘ tracks for that journey home:
MP3’s:
Filed under: British, Indie Rock | Tags: British, I am not lefthanded, mp3, Music
After stumbling across the superb ‘Long Goodbyes‘ and expressing my appreciation for the track I received a nice email from I Am Not Lefthanded with a copy of their latest EP. With Cougar Microbes only in its infancy I hadn’t expected to receive pre-releases from label and bands just yet so this was a sweet gesture from the band.
‘Yes Means No: 6 & 1/6th songs that don’t always give a straight answer‘ is that release and it sounds like Suzanne Vega fronting Snow Patrol. Intimate guitar structures layer the vulnerable vocals to create an atmospheric setting that doesn’t lack in melodies.
Yes Means No is available now through Letterbox Records and I am really lefthanded!
MP3’s:
Filed under: Album spotlight | Tags: mp3, Music, Reunion, Something To Write Home About, The Get Up Kids
When I was at university, and in between houses, I temporarily shared a room with one of my best friends. For 3 months straight he played The Get Up Kids‘ Something To Write Home About first thing when he woke up and last thing before he went to bed. Had it been any other album i would have long since strangled him but their infectious synth heavy indie rock was (and is) exactly the kind of music you could hear millions of times without ever getting bored. In my mind each track was a gem in its own way.
I saw TGUK live twice in rapid succession and was always impressed by how the songs always took on a new life in a gig situation. It is rumoured that there is an imminent reunion planned in 2009 and of course I would be the first to rejoice at this news but until I don’t see it with my own eyes…
Fortunately we will always have their great releases to remind of of their genius. Something To Write Home About still remains one of my favourite albums and it should be one of yours!
MP3’s:
The Get Up Kids - Out Of Reach
Filed under: meanwhile in the real world | Tags: ABBA, AC/DC, Bedouin Soundclash, Capitalism, Economic Crisis, John McCain, mp3, Music, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Wu-Tang Clan
Everywhere you turn the talk is about the growing global economic crisis. There are people, far more educated in the matter than I am, writing kilometres of pages about the causes, the consequences and possible solutions of this situation. Its strange that when things were going real good no one thought of planning in case things went REALLY bad and we will probably be paying the consequences for a while.
The title of this post is not a call to arms but rather a brilliant song by The (International) Noise Conspiracy which I have been humming to myself all week and so I post an assortment of money related tracks for your pleasure this week. I was tempted to add ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’ to the mix but with John McCain selecting two of their songs as his all time favourites just a few weeks ago i figured the Swedes have had all the exposure they need.
In the midst of all the doom and gloom hopefully these sweet melodies will distract you all a little bit.
MP3’s:
The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virginity
