R.I.P The Streets 2002-2011

 For the best part of a decade Mike Skinner a.k.a. The Streets has shown himself to be one of the most talented and important artists that has come out of the UK.

Arriving on the scene in 2002 with his first full length LP Original Pirate Material, Skinner gave a voice to the youth not just of London (to which he is so often attached), but to Britain's youth. Rapping about the 'same old thing' which these young, politically disenfranchised Brits encountered everyday, Skinner's poignant, but often comic lyrics, infused with garage and techno influences, was taken into the hearts of the people he was writing about, but also those of the critics. Skinner's followup, the emotional concept album A Grand Don't Come For Free, which tells the story of a doomed relationship, continued to show Skinner's artful storytelling and lyrical intricacy. It is hard to think of any two albums which so simply, but so powerfully portrayed the lives of a generation.

While the songs retained a similiar sound to those of the first two albums, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living saw a distinct change in subject matter for Skinner. After making his name with stories of the twentysomething everyman struggling to make a living in Britain at the turn of the millenium, The Streets' third LP shows Skinner coping with the fame that has come his way and dealing with the pleasures and pains that accompany it (very Thom Yorke). While the album still retains some of Skinner's ascerbic wit and melancholia as he pokes fun at the lifesyle he is immersed in, you can't help but feel that he has gotten a little too close to the consumerist society (even for his liking) as he bemoans people wearing 'fake streets hats'. Therefore while the music does not suffer, and the lyrics are still as provocative and asorbing as ever, the rawness and spirit that occupied his first two albums had undoubtedly made a departure.

There are some fans, and indeed critics, who say that he should have left it at three albums, and these claims are understandable. By Everything Is Borrowed and the final album Computers & Blues, the sound of The Streets was unrecognisable from that which emerged in 2002. The heavy dub-influenced basslines and garage beats had been replaced with piano melodies and strumming guitars, and Skinner had obviously moved his priority from penetrating and provocative lyrics to more accomplished production and a better sound. This is by no means a criticism. Both albums are highly listenable and Skinner definetly achieved his goal of producing better albums. Amongst the beats there are also some lyrical gems and songs which definetly fall under the "classic" category. Therefore any artist who undertakes such a big evolution in style over their career must be respected, especially one who thinks as much as Skinner obviously does. It cannot be argued though that by the end of his time as The Streets, the raw emotion and power of his debut had been replaced by excellent production and generally vague lyrics.

The Streets began with a D.I.Y. attitude of rapping about your life and experiences and producing these ideas yourself. This is the legacy of Mike Skinner. This attitude, combined with his potent, yet light-hearted lyrics showed a generation that they can have their voice heard no matter what their situation. Although he could not sustain this effect over all five of his albums, all remain highly enjoyable and trace his evolution from a genius lyricist to a talented producer. Mike Skinner a.k.a The Streets paved the way for the current profileration of self-produced grime artists and his influence on the British music industry as well as the British youth since 2000 remains unparalleled.

My Top 5 Essential Streets Tracks:
- Weak Become Heroes
- Blinded By The Lights
- Dry Your Eyes
- The Escapist
- Lock The Locks

Progressive Neo- what?

On an early morning of last week I was up before any of my fellow housemates in order to attend a ‘Coffee House Debate’ organised by The Guardian as one of the fringe events of the Labour Conference in Liverpool. The debate was to centre around what the Labour Party or indeed any potential Government can do to better the conditions of the British Youth today. As a student and having never seen or heard any political figure in person, aside from a Mr. Blair paying a visit to my hometown of Croydon when I was the tender age of six, I was looking forward to hearing the views and ideas of the panel. It included Lisa Nandy MP, who had worked as the Children’s Commissioner for England before becoming MP for Wigan and who had recently been named one of the New Statesman’s twenty ‘rising stars’ of British Politics under forty, as well as Westminster veteran and previous Children’s Commissioner, Sir Al Aynsley Green. Both spoke well, chastising governments past and present for not doing enough for the British Youth whilst willing future governments to do more as well as highlighting to their audience the duty they had.

It was thoroughly enjoyable way to spend the morning and at the end of it two things were unmistakeably clear to me; the first was that, while the Youth of Britain today might have an energetic curiosity for the politics of their country, the vast majority of them are unable to express this interest due to failures in education, funding of local communities, and the social construct that they are brought up in. The second point was that this problem has become intrinsic in our society and is unlikely to go away in the near future.

Standing in the upstairs floor of the Starbucks I counted two other people who looked my age or younger, one of whom was the extremely impressive pannelist, Richard Cullen, the UK Youth Voice representative. One man when asking a question to the panel referred to the room, pointing to the glass wall that looks out onto the main shopping street in Liverpool, as a ‘bubble’, asking why members of government and the Children’s Society weren’t outside doing something about the poor state of the Youth today.  However incorporated into this ‘bubble’ was not just the few who were in that room but the entire institution of British Politics.

Despite many of the youth today taking a keen interest in the workings of their country, very few are able to ‘work’ their country. Even if you do join a Party and do get involved in your local constituency, it is hard enough to have an effect there, let alone working your way up to the House of Commons and having national influence.

Lisa Nandy, who grew up in Lancashire before attending Newcastle University, struck upon one of the most damaging facts in British Politics, when describing her life as an MP living in London. She portrayed Westminster as an intellectually exclusive club where men and women debated the pros and cons of the ‘progressive neoliberal consensus’, and other such labyrinthine terms, completely absorbed in this esoteric bubble and forgetting the concerns of their constituents at home. 

This represents what politics has become in Britain. Over the course of the 20th century a seat in parliament has just become another stop on the stately coach of the upper middle class who have already got off at Eton and Oxbridge. This may seem cynical, however consider those ‘rising stars’ of British Politics such as Lisa Nandy and Chuka Umanna. Even though they have made into parliament can they uphold the values which impressed the members of their constituency which got them elected in the first place? Or will they succumb to the jargonistic talk of those weaned on old Oxbridge conservatism, and become ineffectual, simply happy to be part of the country’s supposed intelligentsia.

With this kind of political framework what chance then, does this give the Youth of local communities who want to make a difference? Some, such as Richard Cullen, will get their voice heard, however, for the majority of the British Youth, that interest they had in wanting to change their country will fade, if it is was ever there in the first place and the Oxbridge elite will continue to run the show in their Westminster bubble.

The question was asked at the beginning of the morning; can Labour deliver for the next generation? The disparity between the attitudes and ideas of UK Youth compared with those in Westminster is so far removed that it is, and always has been, impossible to get a fully representative government. Therefore the answer is ‘No’, Labour, nor any other government, will be able to deliver what the UK Youth wants, and this will not change until that Westminster bubble is burst and it is the Youth of Britain who are given the insight and tools to make a difference.

Lifes Rich Pageant - R.E.M.

Lifes Rich Pageant is R.E.M.’s fourth album in four years, and with such a prolific output of work it is no surprise that some songs begin to sound similar however this is no bad thing, for three reasons. Firstly, because R.E.M.’s music is good, secondly because their lyrics are always provocative in different ways, but lastly because it seems that what the band are giving us on this album is a snippet of what their life is like now as they gradually make the change from college rockers to a respected and successful alternative rock band.

The song that is most important in continuing this progression is the lead single ‘Fall On Me’. With its intricate guitar opening it provides a pensive mood for a song about oppression of ideas, but also a sing-a-long chorus which new listeners could enjoy. The album also has a much more upbeat feel than previous provided by the rowdy Just A Touch and the chirpy, piano-led Hyena. Despite this, references to previous albums remain; the riff to These Days is clearly in the jangle pop style which dominated the first two albums, while the completely acoustic slow ballad Swan Swan H would not be out of place on the band’s previous album with its bucolic imagery of the American South.

However this ‘day in the life’ of R.E.M. which the album provides is not solely concerned with past experiences and feelings. With one listen it is obvious Stipe’s mumbled delivery from previous albums has completely disappeared, and for good reason as his lyrics have become more poignant and focussed. Begin The Begin is concerned with the revolutions undergone in America in recent history, but could also be a reference to the band beginning again now they have made a name for themselves, while songs like Cuyahoga and Flowers of Guatemala clearly have man’s attitude towards the environment at heart.

Lifes Rich Pageant is a different album to place. While it contains classic R.E.M. traits like Stipe and Mike Mills’ beautiful vocal harmonies found on Fall On Me, there is also the unfamiliar territory found in the anthemic chorus of What If We Gave It Away and the memorable album closer Superman, which doesn’t seem to fit into the album, despite it being a catchy song. However the album also houses the song which gives the best insight into the methods of the band. Despite beginning in classic, jangly R.E.M. style, I Believe shows the band to be one which never stops moving and always crave to do something different from what they have already done as Stipe sings ‘and change is what I believe in’ and ‘perfect is a fault, and fault lines change’.

This song shows why it is ok for some R.E.M.’s work to sound similar, as it is clear that the band are always trying to change and evolve their style lyrically, instrumentally and thematically. This is part of their “rich pageant” as a college band beginning to draw a larger crowd and more attention, and confirms the quality of what has gone before and the promise of what is to come next.

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Vanishing Point - Vanishing Existentialism

One weekday morning last week when others were probably reluctantly starting their working day, i found myself rewatching a film that i was too tired to finish the night before. The film was called Vanishing Point. I had heard about it a few months ago after it being related to another film i had watched and after seeing it in a charity shop for a meagre £2, despite the horrific front cover, i bought it.


The premise of the film, as i understood it before watching, was that a man with a nice car is chased by the police resulting in 'the ultimate car chase movie', and, as the first few minutes of the film pass by this is all the film seems to promise. However as the film moves on and begins to near the hour mark and not a lot has happened, you begin to question whether there is anything more to Vanishing Point than a fast car and Kowalski's farcical brooding stares. Of course, there is.

After his bet that he can get to 'Frisco before 3 tomorrow afternoon' and through his dangerous evasions of the police and motley crew of acquaitances and friends, it is clear that Kowalski, perfectly acted by Barry Newman, represents much more than a delivery driver on a tight schedule. Dubbed 'the last American Hero' by radio DJ Super Soul (Cleavon Little), Kowalski, in his iconic Dodge Challenger, is a symbolises the counterculture movement of the 60s as he evades any means of control by those above him, with aid from his likeminded friends. However they choose to completley remove themselves from society living in the outback away from civilisation, while Kowalski chooses to take them on - he does not want to vanish.

Vanishing Point is set in 1970 at a time when a paranoid white conservative government was trying to regulate the damage done to America by the 60s beat generation as well as restore the air of american exceptionalism to the outside world which had dimished after the Vietnam War. The film shows how the free spirits of the period who had such a significant influence on the culture of this time have been extradicted from "civilised" society and have to live in the wilderness. Kowalski's life ends in a ball of flame due to his refusal to become subservient to these new authorities and, instead of living his life as a vanishing point on the Colarado horizon, his life becomes a symbol of existentialism and is a message to all of those of the period to fight back against the rigid social parameters which they were expected to live in.

Vanishing Point is undoubtedly one of the best car chase movies of all time, but also one of the best and most inspiring adverts for existentialism in all forms of art. An obscure an overlooked film, which contains a powerful message which may make some of those "others" of today consider how they live their lives.

Fables of the Reconstruction - R.E.M.

As the ambiguous title suggests, R.E.M.’s third studio effort is difficult to place and may not make pleasant listening for fans of the band’s first two wonderful albums expecting to hear something similar. While Peter Buck’s characteristic jangly guitar is retained on songs such as Maps & Legends and Driver 8, ‘Fables’ is an album that sees the foursome experimenting both lyrically and instrumentally, containing songs with more obvious lyrics and a more layered sound.

This change can be heard immediately in the sudden opening guitar throngs of Feeling Gravity’s Pull which are then followed by the beautiful intertwining of Michael Stipe and Mike Mills’ voices – a combination which provided highlights on the band’s previous albums and continues to do so. New sounds for the band continue to manifest themselves on the album; the partnership of a jazzy guitar riff and a first use of a brass section for the band make Can’t Get There From Here one of the most impressive songs on the album and the final, banjo-led song, a slow ballad about an eccentric individual Wendell Gee provides a beautiful end to an eccentric album.

With references to both the Reconstruction period in America and the literary process of deconstruction in the title, the band’s lyrics on Fables are much more obvious influences than Murmur and Reckoning. Pastoral imagery of steam engines in Driver 8 and ‘the compass [that] points the workers home’ on arguably the best song on the album ‘Green Grow The Rushes’ show the influence of the landscape of the American South, while the slow ballads of Old Man Kensey and Wendell Gee show the band addressing the myth and legend of the period. As well as this the album also sees the band’s first song that is openly about a relationship in Kohoutek. However there are also songs focussing on old themes for the band; on Feeling Gravity’s Pull Stipe describes falling asleep while reading, reflecting on the power of art and this theme is continued on the impressive Life And How To Live It showing how art is subjective and open to different interpretations from different people.

Fables of the Reconstruction is a tough album to get into and may take several listens to appreciate it fully. It sees the band tackle many different themes and ideas and produce changes to their sound and writing techniques, while retaining their most compelling traits – their poetic and enigmatic lyrics and the harmonies of Stipe’s voice with Mills’. The band are aware they have achieved something but just as aware that they must move on from this period to achieve greater things.

Much like the innocence of rural townships before the reconstruction of the southern states, R.E.M.’s innocence as a new band has gone, and this album says goodbye to the simple life of a college band hello to the complexities of being a full-time touring band and the challenges they face, through a series of challenging and enjoyable songs.

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Article first published as R.E.M. - Fables of the Reconstruction on Blogcritics.

The King Of Limbs - Radiohead

Any regular followers of Radiohead’s blog http://www.radiohead.com/deadairspace/ knew that this album would again be a leap away from the guitar-led anthems of The Bends and OK Computer which brought them worldwide acclaim a decade ago. Recent ‘Office Charts’ have included tracks by dubstep (N.B. I use the term loosely) prodigies Jamie Smith of (The xx) and Ramadanman as well electronic stalwarts Four Tet and Aphex Twin. The sound of the album, unlike the release, was something that could be predicted, albeit vaguely.

The album opens with Bloom, a juxtaposition of arpeggiated piano, fast drum beats and a strange bass melody which then leads to a wall of high-pitched synths in the second part of the song. As you work your way through the album this combination of fast-paced electronic drum beats and slower basslines (a method employed by The xx to great success recently) played by Colin Greenwood, dominate the album, forming the base of almost every song.

Despite a similar formula, each song is different in detail, and a captivating listen. The instrumental track Feral starts with angry drum beats punctuated with string squeals, while the slow piano melody of Codex, combined slow bass creates a standout track and rates as one of the band’s most beautiful and seductive of their entire catalogue.

However guitar is not completely absent from the album, while there is a few bends of Jonny Greenwood’s guitar on ­Little by Little, a song with Yorke’s traditional melancholy lyrics, the first and only guitar-led song comes with the light acoustic guitar on Give Up The Ghost. However the most noteworthy use of guitar comes with the final track of the album, Separator.

The song starts with bass drones, drum beats and faint guitar plucks before a beautiful guitar melody kicks in carrying you to a euphoric end of the album with the line ‘If you think this is over/ You’re wrong’. The song, as the album does as a whole, represents a moment of joy for the band. They no longer have to struggle to meet the deadlines of record labels, but can make music as they wish; comprising whatever styles and sounds they want, whether it is vintage Radiohead from the 90s, the experimental 00s, or something completely new.

The King Of Limbs represents freedom for the band and for music. Following the traditions of dubstep artists, the band urges people making music to produce and release it independently and to ‘do what you want’ (from the first single from the album, Lotus Flower). Once again Radiohead have made an intelligent, challenging album, completely in tune with the changing face of music today, and perhaps more importantly, highlighting what is to come.

As OK Computer was a zeitgeist album for 90s consumer society, The King Of Limbs is for the future of music in coming years.

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Reckoning - R.E.M.

R.E.M.’s stunning 1983 debut effort Murmur was followed quickly in the next year with their second album Reckoning and it continues largely in the same vein; Peter Buck’s guitar still jangles and Michael Stipe’s voice is still barely coherent, however it is clear that the band have evolved.

Harborcoat, the album’s upbeat opener, shows the subtle changes that Reckoning contains; Bill Berry’s drums begin the album with a ferocity not seen in Murmur while Buck’s guitar jangles with a more pronounced clarity and sound also. Although the most noticeable change is with the combination of bassist Mike Mills’ and Stipe’s vocals, with Mills providing new sounds and harmonies in almost every song on the album. However Stipe is not outshone, and in (Don’t Go Back To) Rockville, (a song written by Mills) he strikes probably the most beautiful vocal melodies he has recording thus far. Stipe’s lyrical style has also undergone a subtle change. While the trademark mumble of Murmur is still present on tracks like Letter Never Sent, he also conjures up thought-provoking images on tracks like 7 Chinese Bros. with ‘Seven thousand years the Communi did reign/Will she return?’ hinting at political motives, as well as the water imagery present on So. Central Rain and Pretty Persuasion portraying the changing life of the band as they gain fame and begin to tour.

Much of Reckoning then, is expanding the methods they used so well on Murmur, which they do successfully on the first side of the album, however the band also begins to demonstrate their experimental side and willingness to change their style. Time After Time (Annelise) employs hand percussion instead of normal drums and sounds like nothing else the band has released thus far, while the slow-paced Camera is powered almost exclusively by Mills’ bass and Stipe’s vocals, while Buck’s melodic guitar lines lurk underneath.

Clearly R.E.M. are a band with a lot to give. They are not afraid to move away from the successful style that brought them fame, employing different techniques to show off the talents of their different members, in their characteristically democratic way. However as the first four songs show, an indeed the album closer Little America, the band are still mainly fuelled by Buck’s ceaselessly inventive jangly guitar, and Stipe’s continuously provocative lyrics.

R.E.M. are in the process of evolving; Murmur and Reckoning can be looked at as the first chapter in their book, and it is undoubtedly a classic. Here are 22 simple stories, beautifully written and endlessly rewarding. The future is bright, with the sum of these four men’s talents, this band can go anywhere.

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A Work of Art

The hype surrounding Black Swan was huge and while reviews had been favourable as i entered the packed cinema I could not help but wondering whether all these people would be satisfied with this arty psychological thriller that had found itself in the mainstream.

The film undoubtedly has a depth to it which people who see the film on a whim might not engage with. It is an allegory for the relationship between the artist and his or her art - the amount of physical and mental energy they give to their craft and the pain and perfection it brings. The parallels to Aronofsky are obvious and similarities can be drawn to themes he presented in his previous film, The Wrestler.

Yet what makes Black Swan special is the fact that while doing this it can still attract the mainstream audience. Aesthetically the film is amazing and the sound is used flawlessly, however Natalie Portman's performance is what will draw the biggest plaudits. She makes the audience feel the vulnerability of the white swan before shocking them with the ruthlessness and violence of the black swan, a performance surely worthy of an oscar.

Black Swan is a film that will thrill and make you think. For the majority of people who see it, Aronofsky's work will make you do at least one if not both and he can be extremley proud with the time, effort and though he has put into his art and, while not perfect, its very impressive.

N.B. As are the film posters.

Murmur - R.E.M.

Before sitting down to listen to Murmur, the debut full-length album by alternative rock band R.E.M., I read some other critic’s reviews. I was shocked that an album had gotten full marks from so many critics across the board and was interested to see how it would stand up almost 30 years after its release.

The first thing that struck was its expertise instrumentally. Bill Berry’s considered drumming, Mike Mills’ melodic bass lines, and Peter Buck’s chiming guitar chords, while fitting together similarly in each song, each time provide a layered, indie pop classic with a different feel. Pilgrimage is dominated by Mills’ prominent bass line, while Buck moves from reverberating chords on 9-9 to upbeat guitar chops on We Walk and of course his famed wide open-string guitar jangles which are prevalent on most songs. Although this is notably not the case on A Perfect Circle, a song composed entirely by Bill Berry, based around honky-tonk piano and a slow drum beat, and exemplary of the band’s variation on the album.

In the same way Michael Stipe’s vocals also undergo various guises on the album. He goes from his highest register on Radio Free Europe to lowest on Catapult, while adopting almost a yodel on Moral Kiosk. However, it is his lyrics and their delivery, which gives the album its name, which are most intriguing.

While his rambles are barely audible on 9-9 and completely obscure on songs such as Sitting Still and Shaking Through, there are tantalising hints that he is not just mindlessly rambling. The ‘empty mouths’ on Talk About The Passion suggest a hunger song, while the reference to ‘Laocoon and her sons’ in Laughing may be a reference to his own art and how people interpret it.

It is these two things which make R.E.M. and Murmur so special. Instrumentally, they are a pop band. Buck’s guitar hooks and the vocal interplay between Stipe and Mills are chart friendly, however their lyrics take them above this label. They are band for artists; they know what they are trying to say but this doesn’t matter – they allow people to interpret their songs however they want.

Approaching 30 years on this hasn’t changed. These songs are relevant to the past, the present, and the future, and still hold the same mystery and emotion that they have always held. There is only so much that can be said about music like this; people have to go out and see what it says for themselves. Maybe, like Laocoon, this is an artistic ideal.

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Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-rem-murmur1/#ixzz163UpzByn

Recent acquisitions...

Are You Experienced? - Jimi Hendrix


For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver


Rumours - Fleetwood Mac



xx - The xx




...classic albums, old and new.

DRAW!

I first played Metal Gear Solid when I was about 9 years old and have recently started playing it again. I did not remember much of the game, however what did stick in my mind, and what came rushing back when I started playing again, was the first boss battle against Revolver Ocelot.

He was everything a boss should be; mysterious, sinister and iconic and as he began his dialogue I began to remember the shudders I got as a child when, at the beginning of the gunfight, he suddenly and venomously yelled 'Draw!'.

Stanley Donwood

Stanley Donwood, the man behind all of Radiohead's album covers from The Bends onwards, plus the Radiohead Bear, above, has just had his work put on show in the U.S. for the first time, in the San Francisco gallery FIFTY24SF. The exhibition entitled Over Normal is one I would love to have the chance to go and see and is sure to be enjoyable, interesting and provocative.

Desire Enlargement

This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem

This Is Happening is purportedly the last album LCD Soundsystem will make. It was always going to be a hard for a band whose first single, Losing My Edge released in 2002, was an era-defining electro masterpiece, however James Murphy and Co. only went on to bigger and better things, releasing two full length albums of intelligent, unique dance music. This Is Happening is no different.



The album starts with Dance Yrself Clean, a nearly-nine minute long collation of electronic sounds which leads into a pumping bass beat. The song highlights Murphy’s evolution into a talented lyricist; lines like ‘talking like a jerk except you are an actual jerk’ intrigue and amuse, and the album is full of lines that revolve in your mind after a listen. The following song Drunk Girls is seemingly the one and only radio-friendly song (the other eight tracks all run over five minutes, some almost double that) with its thumping refrain, and again showcases Murphy’s astute and humorous lyrics: ‘drunk boys keeping pace with the paedophiles’.

Like previous LCD albums, a lot of the best music comes from when Murphy works by himself. Both One Touch and I Can Change are done completely by Murphy (except for some yells by Nancy Whang in the One Touch refrain) and can both be considered as classic LCD tracks, building from minimal beats and glitches into an amazing mixture of sounds and rhythms which only get better with repeated listens. Sandwiched between these two tracks is perhaps the most interesting and best song of the album.

All I Want starts with a simple drum beat before a shameless rip of David Bowie’s Heroes guitar riff. Many critics may discount this song for the guitar alone; however Murphy uses it as a fan of music, rather than someone looking to make money from it. The guitar combined with a light piano chord progression and the perfectly delivered lyrics make for a beautiful song, and it continues to build with miscellaneous blips before closing with Murphy’s desperate cry of ‘take me home’.

The feeling of the band being at the end of an era and moving onto new paths resonates throughout the album, and is perhaps most obvious in the next track You Wanted A Hit which chronicles Murphy’s desire for a hit single, amidst oriental electro twangs, and how he deals with the pressures of tours, interviews and fame after the hit comes.

The next two songs are arguably the weakest on the album, but still demand a listen. The ambiguous lyrics of Pow Pow and comic refrain make for a unique song while the slow, jazzy piano chords on Somebody’s Calling Me punctuated with its long synth drones also is an interesting listen. The album (and possibly career?) closer is Home and the song, just like the album, does not disappoint. It begins with gurgling electro melodies before Murphy’s lyrics perfectly slot in and continue the message begun in You Wanted A Hit; he has lived his dream, and now its time to move on and go home as ‘it won’t get any better so goodnight’.

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If this is to be the band's last album it will be a great shame, not only for electronic music, but also for the industry as a whole. Not only did LCD Soundsystem make intelligent electro music that you could be moved by, as well as dance to, they also made music in the right way, for the right reasons. A truly great band that should be appreciated by all lovers of music.
My Top 5 Essential LCD tracks:
- "Losing My Edge"
- "Great Release"
- "Someone Great"
- "All My Friends"
- "All I Want"

Article first published as Music Review: LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening on Blogcritics.

Spike Jonze

The first time I came across Spike Jonze's work I didn't realise it. I was probably about twelve and I was watching Jackass: The Movie with some friends at a sleep over. I don't really remember what I thought of the film except that it was fucking funny and I wanted those guys' jobs.

The second time I saw Jonze's work was a similiar situation. I was aboout the same age and I had been playing Tony Hawks Underground on my Playstation 2. After reaching a certain point I unlocked a teaser trailer of a skate video directed by Jonze for the skate company he co-owns, Girl. I didn't really know what I was watching and didn't think much of the video.

However after the release of a trio sucessful mainstream films it is interesting to look back at where Spike Jonze came from, and how good some of his early work is.

Jackass has always been one of my favourite shows and I await anything new they do, as a crew or individually, with eager anticipation. While some people will say that the TV show and the films produced are a horrifying commentary on the atavistic nature of modern culture, there is a reason why the first two films have a combined worlwide gross of $163 million. Jonze, co-creator of the franchise, is clearly an innovator and not afraid to operate outside the normal parameters perceived by most film directors. People enjoy seeing things they haven't seen before, things they haven't had the courage to do, or things they are unable to do. Although critics might not be able to see it, there is a method in the madness of the Jackass crew.

Jonze's innovative nature is shown in much of his work, some may point to Being John Malkovich, others to the video he did for Fatboy Slim's Weapon of Choice, however it is perhaps best shown in the video I saw on the Tony Hawks game all those years ago entitled Yeah Right!.

The title says it all. In the video Jonze explores the limits of what can be done through editing, employing slo-mo cameras and clever camera tricks on a skate film which leave you wondering how he did that. True Jonze style.



Jonze has done many music videos and although he has done some famous ones such as Weapon of Choice, he also, especially in his early days, did some obscure ones. One such video is for Fatlip's single What's Up Fatlip. Again some of Jonze's best traits as a director are shown here; the video matches Fatlip's unconventional style and lyrics perfectly. A truly unique video for a hip hop song, full of Jonze's quirkiness and stupidity (sorry for poor quality).



What prompted me to write this piece on Spike Jonze was when I saw the last music video he had directed, a song by LCD Soundsystem, a band who I am listening to a lot at the moment, called Drunk Girls. On first watch it may seem like utter stupidity and an excuse to beat up a good band, however once again with Jonze's work there is method in the madness. The egging, setting off of fire extinguishers, the implied gang rape - all of these things seem digusting and wrong to the sober band and viewer, however after a few drinks the feeling changes completley, and things that seemed wrong beforehand might seem ok now, and this is what the pandas act out.

Obviously Spike Jonze is unconventional, and this may cause man to disregard him as an immature director who got lucky. I do not think this is case. He is daring, innovative, imaginative and unique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xT6cdfP_cM

One of the best films that no-one saw...

I don't know what made me go and see Danny Boyle's Sunshine in the first place, but I am glad I did. It seemed to have been overlooked by the majority of cinema-goers when it came out in 2007, but to this day it is one of the best cinema experiences I have had.

For just over an hour and a half I sat muscles clenched, teeth gritted and slack-jawed. The vastness of the scene, the enormity of the crew's task and the use of chiascuro on such a large scale all make for a film that is both scary and awe-inspiring. However what really effected me, and the reason for this post, was the music, in particular one piece by English composer John Murphy, Adagio in D Minor.

I have often wondered what the most powerful form of art is; a picture, a photo, words, a film, a song...I suppose it is a silly question to try an answer because the answer will probably be different for everyone at different times, however Murphy's piece certainly makes a strong case for music. The song perfectly communicates Boyle's message of the magnitude of the universe compared with humanity and how great an effect one man can have on so many.



Everytime I watch Sunshine or listen to the song it always has a profound effect on me. To describe the song as epic would be understatement, and it is no surprise that it also makes an appearance, very slightly altered, in another film Murphy arranged music for; Kick Ass.

Bravo John Murphy. Bravo Danny Boyle.

'This is how we chill...'

One of my favourite hip hop songs from the genres golden era of the early nineties, this four piece was unconcerned about proclaiming their gangster grit, preferring instead to 'up you on how we just chill'. A truly relaxing and enjoyable song seventeen years on, the lyrics are delivered with an ease and a flow which, combined with rural locations in the song's video, take you far away from the hustle of a big city or place of work.

Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem

James Murphy makes good music; it’s as simple as that. His eponymous debut album, (I say ‘his’, because you get the impression that the rest of the people named on the album simply do as he tells them) was a refreshingly mature electronic album to be treasured, and his (their?) follow up does not disappoint, in fact, it thrills.



Sound of Silver begins in the same vein as the last album, with many tracks displaying Murphy’s appreciation for other bands and artists. Opener Get Innocuous! is very Bowie-esque in terms of vocals and the same can be said of eight minute long electronic opera Us V Them. Other tracks like Watch the Tapes and Time to Get Away have more in common with the new wave funky guitar styles of which Murphy is so fond.

It may seem as if LCD Soundsystem simply create music in the style of their favourite bands, put it all on an album and expect to get lauded for it, however there is more to it than this. All their songs contain something which makes the song specifically ‘LCD’, whether it be the simple repetition of drums and a bass line (as many of their tracks do) or spurts of noise from obscure instruments mid-track (cowbells on Time to Get Away or kalimbas on Us V Them). These are all things we have seen on the band’s previous album, however on Sound of Silver there are two tracks which jump up above anything they have done before.

Someone Great is the fourth track of the album. A story builds up over undulating electro whirls and rhythmic synth chords about an unspecified tragedy with Murphy’s tantalizingly ambiguous lyrics leading you on. You find yourself getting emotionally attached to the narrator and lyrics like ‘the worst is all the lovely weather/ I’m stunned it’s not raining’ stick in your head hours after listening. Many critics I have read who have reviewed the album say this is the favourite track on it, however for this listener, the next track All My Friends is really something special. Murphy narrates feelings about a life without regrets and growing up over repeating piano, bass and drums. The lyrics are poignant and precise ‘I wouldn’t change one stupid decision for another five years of life’ and the closing refrain ‘if I could see all my friends tonight’ is both euphoric and haunting.

There are other tracks on the album. North American Scum was the first single released from the album and while Murphy screeching the punky refrain is a far cry from the lyrics of the previous two tracks I described, it is an exceedingly catchy song about the Atlantic divide and also showcases evidence of LCD ‘the band’ with Nancy Whang’s very effective backing vocals.

Sound of Silver is a dance album with meaning, and although all the tracks can not live up to the two that make up the middle of the album, there is not a weak track on the album. It is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, as well as thought provoking, and while it is not a masterpiece, it certainly contains a couple.

James Murphy makes good music and he will never disappoint.

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Article first published as Music Review: LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver on Blogcritics.

Anachronism

Born on a different cloud
I wish I was.

The gleaming suits
phonetically pleasing
hat covered hair
blue eyes.

Blue Eyes
ritualized.
Running, writing, singing,
never stopping.

Stagnating
fifty years on.

Science Fiction today is written in the past...

Over the past couple of months I have read alot of science fiction novels, more than I have done in the past. Although it was not a genre I considered to be one of my favourites, I was always interested by it. I remember going through the sci-fi section in the library and being fascinated by these bulky volumes with strange, obscure images on the front cover, although I never bothered to delve into one.

The first novels I read were arguably the first science fiction novels ever written; The War of the Worlds and The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. My first and overriding feeling after reading both these books was one of pure admiration for Wells' vivid imagination. How one man has created so many staple ideas of science fiction in one lifetime is astounding. Indeed in just these two short novels Wells' explores the themes of alien invasions, earth being taken over by martians, humanity being destroyed and humanity destroying and human experimentation.

It seems to me that science fiction has not moved very far since the 1890s when these two books were published and I would suggest that the vast majority of sci-fi novels written since have simply been an expansion or a different take on the ideas presented by Wells.

Something similiar can be said of another novel I read, I Am Legend. I Am Legend is a psychological examination of the last man on earth (or so he thinks) and his struggle to survive against hoarding sub-humans, something between a vampire and a zombie, who try to kill him. I am aware that Richard Matheson (author of I Am Legend) did not invent vampires or zombies however he was the first to put them into a dystopian earth where the majority of humanity has been wiped out. It is this idea which has been replicated in books and films countless times, and while the tune may be slightly different, the song is always the same.

Authors like H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and Richard Matheson seem to have taken all the fundamental science fiction ideas and used them first. Now what science fiction authors write are just imitations of these ideas. However this is not just the case in sci-fi, but seemingly in all literature. There seems to be very little that has not been done, very few new ideas, and it is rare to come across something that is completley original.

NB. I want to make it clear that just because something is not completley original, does not mean it can not be enjoyed. I am not that pretentious.

The Best Of British

Akala raps over a sample of Reckoner by Radiohead. Best British hip hop artist combines with the best British rock band. Enjoy.