Cougar Microbes

We are a bit impartial to a bit of The Doors on this blog and someone must have spotted it when sending this in. The independent video  for this dubbish remix of ‘People Are Strange‘ is fantastically shot and very entertaining.

TRACKS:

Spanish new comers Corinthians were frustrated with the new new wave and 3 minute formulas. Instead they’re taking newspaper cut-outs, weird dreams and urban legends and turning them into timeless stories.

From the man who fakes his own death to move to Panama in ‘Take the Money and Run’ to ‘Bokonon’; a tale of a drug infused night with the hedonistic God from Kurt Vonnegut‘s novel Cats Cradle, to ‘Ademir’; a song about a man who went out on the piss only to discover his family had buried a man that morning who they mistakenly thought was himself.

From start to finish these tracks add some much needed intelligence and authenticity to indie pop. The references that Corinthians bring up are varied but always executed to perfection. The aforementioned ‘Ademir’ has a definite Doors feel to it and a vocal delivery akin to that of ‘Richard Ashcroft’ which is fleeting yet strangely effective. Whereas, ‘Space and Time’ and ‘Same As I’ have a more sinister sound to them with pronounced keys providing structure and an eerie definition which could be likened to ‘Cold War Kids‘. In contrast, ‘Take The Money and Run’ is less structured and with its soft textured the track is so elegant and understated, it’s verging on stunning.

Despite their cohesive sound the current Corinthians line-up has only been going for the best part of a year. They’re already starting to make some serious noise in Madrid playing in some of the cities largest venues and in March they will be grace the UK with their presence.

TRACKS:

Corinthians – Ademir

Corinthians – Minnows

Corinthians – Mojave

This weekend Cougar Microbes attended ‘People Are Strange‘ at Ideas Generation Gallery. The exhibition showcases images of The Doors taken back in their 60′s and 70′s heyday.

What is wonderful is that the infamous shots that have characterised both the band and Jim Morrison‘s public personas sit side by side with rare images that caught the band relaxed and with their guard down.

Watch this candid interview with Henry Diltz who captured some Of the bands most iconic images and witnessed some of the madness. Additionally, if you have a few thousand pounds lying about you ought to check out the exhibition catalogue where many of the photos on display will be sold.

Idea Generation have done a good deed in bringing these photos to London. Hopefully they have reminding people not only of what a fantastic band The Doors were but also how their images helped define what we now consider rock photography.

The exhibition is on until the 5th of September so make sure you catch it.

TRACKS:

The Doors – People Are Strange

This blog’s full name is pinched almost word for word from the excellent Tom Wolfe book ‘The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test‘. In it (if I recall correctly) Ken Kesey urges his gang of Merry Pranksters to descend on towns and infiltrate their mentality like ‘Cougar microbes marching in like army ants...’

It feels like for the past few weeks I have joined my own cult group devoted to producing heartfelt psychedelic pop music. It all started when I was sent Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros‘ debut album ‘Up From Below‘…

Initially I was suspicious of how close the band came to capturing Kesey and co.’s aura. Everything from the bohemian clothes, the commune mentality and the dated album cover could be dismissed as part of some new ‘hippie-ster’ fad. The band even travel on a converted silver bus! Ultimately I kept retuning to the sheer magnetism of the songs and that is all that mattered.

The album is an epic journey emphasising love, peace and a sense of community whilst introducing an array of instruments including trumpets, xylophones, harmonicas, accordions, pianos and tons of percussions and whistles. Elements of The Mamas & The Papas, Buffalo Springfield, some Johny Cash and June Carter as well as recent releases by the likes of Elvis Perkins, The Arcade Fire and successive Conor Oberst projects spring to mind . In the hands of a lesser band this 60s and 70s influenced music could be perceived as insincere but with The Magnetic Zeros it remains genuine and fresh.

From the opening claps and stomps of first single ‘40 Day Dream‘ I know I had stumbled over something quite special. Indeed, the first half of the album is crammed with single material ranging from the fairytail-esque ‘Janglin‘ to the euphoric title track ‘Up From Below’ right through to the uplifting gospel tinged ‘Carries On‘.

The name Jade is referenced throughout the album as she represents a muse of sorts for the ensemble. Her vocals and subtle melodic emphasis provide many of the best moments so it is a pity that the track bearing her name is the weakest on the album. This is rectified very quickly as Jade herself  goes on to lead the standout track, ‘Home‘, . Its tongue-in-cheek delivery and deliberately syrupy lyrics can’t camouflage the breathtaking melody and genuine sense of the protagonists’ love.

After the emotional and musical peak of ‘Home‘ the band reveal a reflective side in the second half of the album. There is still room for ‘I Come In Please’ with its rolling daydream melody and trippy qualities but the likes of ‘Desert Song’, ‘Black Water’, ‘Simplest Love’, ‘Brother‘ and ‘Kisses Over Babylon’ (sung in Spanish) aim to be both brooding and epic. The sparse arrangements of these tracks and their cinematic delivery further highlight how talented this ensemble really are.

Album closer ‘Om Nashi Me’ is the perfect footnote for this adventure. The track reiterates many of the underlying themes that appear throughout the album and its amazing trumpet lead and mass chants will remain with you hours after its last note has rung.

Top notch musicianship, stellar songwriting and heartfelt singing make this a truly amazing aural experience and in my books ‘Up From Below‘ is already a nominee for album of the year.

Now to see them live…

‘Up From Below’ is released on Community Music / Fairfax Recordings and Rough Trade in the UK

TRACKS:

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Black Water

There is hype and then there is H-Y-P-E!!! It is safe to say Vampire Weekend enjoyed a fair bit of the first and a shit load of the latter. Before they even had a release under their belt they had connoisseurs and scenesters alike salivating at the prospect. Fortunately when they released their self titled album it did not disappoint. I don’t completely buy the Afro-pop tag that has been used to label them but there is an individualistic streak to the boys music that sounds like few other bands about. Its this laid back vibe and cultivated lyrics that meant pretty much any track from this album could have been released as a single. Vampire Weekend succeeded in releasing an instant classic that will be eternally linked to the sound of 2008 and honestly “why would you lie about how much coke you had, why would you lie about something dumb like that?”

—————————————

One of the few benefits of my daily commute to and from work is that I have been reading loads on the way. One of the books I enjoyed the most last year was the Jim Morrison/Doors biography ‘No One Here Gets Out Alive’. The book details Jim Morrison‘s life commencing with his childhood, going on to the formation of The Doors and his subsequent rise to legendary status (both musically and intellectually). The book doesn’t shy from recounting every detail of Morrison‘s life including his tangles with the law and his untimely death. The writers self confessed fan boy approach often raises Morrison to mythical proportion digging deep into his infamous “Jimbo” persona and romanticising the alcohol abuse and of course the drugs, sex and rock n roll. However, there is suitable coverage of “James” the intellectual, poet and the sensitive soul. Ultimately this was a great introduction to one of the great bands of the last century. After reading this rock n roll roller coaster I had the entire Doors discography on repeat on a daily basis with Five To One becoming my raison d’être; its familiar bass refrain ringing through my head night and day.

If you can make your own opinions without being influenced by the authors’ veneration yet manage to capture their enthusiasm you will enjoy this tale on one of rocks last true greats.