Mclusky--Where to start?

[If you shout...]

I always hear wonderful, wonderful, wonderful stuff about these guys, but I've never listened to more than a few, scattered, de-contextualized songs. Does anybody have a serviceable road map to the discography that he or she'd be willing to share? That new album by Future of the Left (to which I've not listened, for lack of familiarity with the band's antecedents), or whatever, has me re-interested in diving in, but I know not where to start or where to go, once and if I've begun.

 

[XHendrix24]

Mclusky Do Dallas is their pinnacle, so start with that. They've also got the Mcluskyism boxset which wouldn't be bad to start with, either. If you're going for a single album though, it's all about MDD. "Lightsaber Cocksucking Blues," "To Hell With Good Intentions," "World Loves Us and Is Our Bitch," "Alan is a Cowboy Killer," etc. Just straight-up ass-kicking stuff.

And the new Future of the Left isn't bad, either.

 

[If you shout...]

Thanks a million, Hendrix! I have picked up McLusky Do Dallas, and I'm happy to say that it is a tremendously catchy, fun, and exuberant record--I love it!

What do you think about their other two studio albums? And how does Future of the Left sound, relative to Dallas? Again, thanks so much for the advice. I can't wait to hear more!

 

[bollox]

oh mang, collagen rock is my jam, cracks me up every time i hear it

'one of those bands got FAKE . . . TITS . . . YEAH!!'

 

[XHendrix24]

Thanks a million, Hendrix! I have picked up McLusky Do Dallas, and I'm happy to say that it is a tremendously catchy, fun, and exuberant record--I love it!

What do you think about their other two studio albums? And how does Future of the Left sound, relative to Dallas? Again, thanks so much for the advice. I can't wait to hear more!

Their other two studio albums definitely aren't bad, either. I'd probably rank them Do Dallas, The Difference Between Me and You is That I'm Not On Fire (if only for the fantastic "She Will Only Bring You Happiness"), and then My Pain and Sadness is More Sad And Painful Than Yours. And the Future of the Left is somewhat similar to Do Dallas, if not quite as catchy all the time, but to be honest it's probably tied with Difference as my second-favorite Mclusky-related album. It's definitely worth checking out if you're interested. There's no "Lightsaber Cocksucking Blues" on it or anything, but it gets the job done for sure.

 

[If you shout...]

I want to bump this. Several reasons, for that.

1) Wales is the musical capital of the world. Check it out: SFA, Los Campesinos!, Super Furry Animals, Mclusky, The Furries, Future of the Left, Ffa Coffi Pawb, Jarcrew, The Peth, Gruff Rhys, etc. We gotta respect the Welsh bands, because they're giving us hardcore-awesome music pretty much all the time.

2) Mclusky > God. No shit. Holy fuzz, was this a ballin' band.

3) Mclusky splintered into two groups--Future of the Left (still based in Wales, and therefore still awesome) and Shooting at Unarmed Men (now based in Australia, and not any better off for it). Future of the Left released a record called Curses, in late 2007. If you like anything having anything to do with Mclusky, then you must hear that record. It is spectacular. Worth it for the drum sound and tuning, alone.

4) The best music video of all time? Right the fuck here:

Sweary Kittens - rathergood.com

 

[If you shout...]

Am I the only person to whom Interference is being a bitch, lately? Damn it. This post isn't supposed to be here. Do what you will.

 

[If you shout...]

The best album of the year (so far) emerges from Cardiff to destroy the world, on Tuesday. It is called Travels With Myself and Another. It is by Future of the Left. It will club you and eat your bones, and you will graciously thank it for having done so. Buy a copy, for fuck's sake.

Stunning.

Somehow, the lead single, "The Hope That House Built," is one of the album's weakest tracks. You won't believe me, but it's true.

YouTube - Future of the Left 'The Hope That House Built' (Official Video - 4AD)

 

[If you shout...]

Utterly furious that nobody's talking about this motherfucking record. The guitar and bass tones sound like granite strings on a cinder block body being played by asphalt picks. Totally, brutally, gorgeously ugly and mad and brilliant. Not to mention catchy as!

For context, a few relevant and at times VERY thought-provoking links...

Falco's reaction to the leak, culminating with the brilliant post-script, "Next time somebody tells me that i can't drink my rider in the building I'm playing in I'm going to fuck them with their own shoes.":

MySpace.com Blogs - future of the left MySpace Blog

A wonderful interview at DiS (they have ardently supported this record, and there are a few other excellent pieces up for perusal):

Conversing with myself and another: DiS meets Future Of The Left / In Depth // Drowned In Sound

And, actually, Wikipedia seems to be the best way to get a good idea of critical consensus:

Travels with Myself and Another - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please listen to this. Mclusky was the best band since Nero was playing the violin, back in the day. Somehow, FotL is even better. After all the shit and shit luck that these dudes have been through, they deserve at least a listen! So give them one, for fuck's sake!

Finally, make a point of hearing "Lapsed Catholics," which may very well be the best song of the year. Says DiS...

‘Lapsed Catholics’ ends the album devastatingly, starting as an acoustic spoken word piece completely at odds with everything else here, before bursting into the most anthemic thing FOTL have produced to date. Falco sounds nude by the end, screeching "Give me something I can take away!", the closest he’s come to emotional transparency on record. It's the same earnestness you see when he's belting out his songs live.

...and ClashMusic...

Album finale ‘Lapsed Catholics’ contains the few brief moments of respite on here. Over a gently plucked, near-flamenco guitar, the group intones a series of reminiscences from their favourite films. Voices intermingle, and the simple lyrics begin to creep over one another, distorting the meaning before an electric guitar rears its head and screams. “I can’t stand still for the rest of my life,” sings Falkous, and you feel that this is one of the album’s most direct moments. “Be aware, be alert!” he shouts, desperate for a life without compromise. Seemingly answering the opening track’s call to arms, the band gently speaks the final words on the album, saying “it’s part of who they are, and who they’ll be again”. The lust for purity, for something unique and distinct, runs through the record like electricity running through a guitar.