Sam here, more cool music to check out!
Godspeed you black emperor – F# A# (infinity symbol) It’s the end of the world and they feel fine. I really can’t start how to describe this guys, except start by two quick facts: a demo version of East Hastings gives 28 days later’s first minutes of London desolation an entire identity that will never be taken away and… they got arrested in the USA, reported as terrorists! Maybe they heard the album. It starts out with a creepy voice-over, depicting apocalyptic scenes. The dialogue is peppered through out the song’s movements (all songs last more than 10 minutes). East Hastings has a street preacher who is drowned out by a bagpipe that then segues into a guitar ambient, which ends up exploding on us (and the speakers) to go into a weird radio transmission about barges with radio antenna towers on them. Finishing touches? How about a mosquito flying around? And then, the piece de resistance, Providence. A 29 minute masterpiece, starting with a conversation about the end of the world, followed by a viola solo that precedes a bit where you can feel you are running away from the music. More dialogue, akin to the childcatcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. More guitar madness, with some balalaika-like sounds. It all ends up with a voice asking “where are you going?” and some nice feedback ambient with some electronic touches. A quickie hidden song follows after some minutes of silence. The album is a quintessential column of post-rock. Highly recommendable.
Best tracks: All 3 of them. Providence if you ask me to choose just one.
Check them out if you like: Sigur Ros, Slint, Mogwai, 65 days of static.
Want a second opinion?
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:pht67ub0o0jj
http://www.canuckistanmusic.com/index.php?maid=11
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18130-faoo
Trustcompany – The lonely position of neutral I found this cd in a lonesome rack at the Virgin Megastore at Picadilly Circus. I only knew the songs Hover and Falling Apart, so I took a quick risk with them. I don’t regret it, as I don’t regret my other blind acquisition of that day (Finch’s What it is to burn). I can see the comparison to Linkin Park, since Kevin Palmer’s range is pretty much the same as Chester Bennington’s. A bit like Editors and Interpol, if you ask me. I’ll stick to Trustcompany, I liked their songs better. The lyrics are angst-ridden and the guitars do their job proper, with the little arpeggio at the beginning of Running from me my favourite piece. The track Figure 8 has a very wicked ending, and Falling Apart is a magnificent piece of loneliness. Finally is a real tearjerker, but it sadly goes a bit Hoobastank on us. The closing track Take it all sounds like a proper surrender: all emotions have overwhelmed you and you just decide to give the proverbial inch. Take the yard, fellas, you have earned it.
Best tracks: Take it all, Running from me, Falling apart, Finally.
Check them out if you like: Linkin Park (mainly the voice, no rapping, though), Helmet (they use a variation of Page Hamilton’s tunings), Full Devil Jacket, Sevendust.
Want a second opinion?
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:ejtxlfke0cqr~T1
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=14496
http://www.abc.net.au/splatt/review/music/reviews/s670911.htm
I am Kloot – I am Kloot Gotta admit that this group didn’t grab me on the first spin. This mancunian trio, who use pain as their main inspiration, are kind of famous because their song avenue of hope featured on the credits of the movie Sunshine. Good-ish movie, methinks. Whoa, back to this cd, now! We are treated to a little marimba with the opening track, untitled #1, and then a healthy mix of sad, longing ballads are interspaced nicely with a few rocking songs (cuckoo being my favourite). They decide to stop all tracks with the moving Proof, which uses some lalalala’s to lift your spirits and make you smile in a bad day. But don’t take it from me, ask Christopher Eccleston. The last tracks are good too, with not a reasonable man being like one of those drunken moments when you are confessing something to a girl. Something you shouldn’t be confessing. Anyhoo, the album ender, the same deep water as me (is it a tribute to The Cure, I wonder?) is tragic and has a quickie sax solo that adds to the depression. Check this Manic Mancunians and take a ride on their tram of sadness that goes around the city centre. I can say honestly it’s the UK’s response to American Music Club.
Best tracks: Not a reasonable man, Proof, Life in a day, The same deep water as me.
Check them out if you dig: American Music Club, Duncan Sheik’s Phantom Moon, Sparklehorse, Elbow (for the pain ridden lyrics), Grant Lee Buffalo.
Want a second opinion?
http://wm11.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jvftxqqaldte
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/18779-i-am-kloot
Thanks to Emilio Valencia, FrillyShirt for the Kloot and Godspeed records.
