Random Music Talk CXIX: Donko Blocko

[kabigon]

I'm still not used to Pitchfork being seen as more reasoned than snarky.

 

[cobl04]

Quite surprised I'm the first with this news...

self-titled, May 5.

Slomo
Star Roving
Don’t Know Why
Sugar for the Pill
Everyone Knows
No Longer Making Times
Go Get It
Falling Ashes

 

[Axver]

"Star Roving" is unexpectedly good.

Ride also have a new album. I'm kind of pissed, actually. I just want them to come to Australia and tour the old stuff. They had a good run in the early nineties and never struck gold again. Now, if they do tour, some of the classics will inevitably have to make way for new shit.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

I'm pretty pumped for the new Ride album myself.

 

[Axver]

"Home Is a Feeling" is fine, but "Charm Assault" is a bit clunky in composition.

And as if I want to hear either of them rather than, you know, "Leave Them All Behind" or "Chelsea Girl" or "Dreams Burn Down" or "Seagull" or whatever live.

 

[Mack_Again]

I always assumed that shoegaze is all about distortion but now I know that it's also about (very) dense reverb as well. is that how this album sounds like?

 

[lazarus]

Quite surprised I'm the first with this news...

self-titled, May 5.

Slomo
Star Roving
Don’t Know Why
Sugar for the Pill
Everyone Knows
No Longer Making Times
Go Get It
Falling Ashes

I've somehow managed to never hear a single Slowdive song, even though their Souvlaki album was notably produced by Eno.

One of these days, I imagine.

 

[lazarus]

I've been spending a good amount of forum space taking the Stones down a peg, mainly because of their artistic shortcomings/complacency post-1970s, but I just want to say how much I love Goat's Head Soup. Maybe I've mentioned it before, but I each time I listen it gets better. I truly believe it belongs in the pantheon, and the famed four-album run of Beggars, Bleed, Sticky, and Exile should be extended to include it.

At times it feels more like it fits between Sticky and Exile, aside from the horn sounds on Heartbreaker.

Of course, anything is going to seem anticlimactic after Exile, but it's very consistent and has enough highlights (100 Years Ago, Coming Down Again, Winter, Can You Hear The Music) to stand tall peak-wise. And while divisive, Angie and Heartbreaker were legitimate hits that still get classic rock airplay.

 

[gareth brown]

I've somehow managed to never hear a single Slowdive song, even though their Souvlaki album was notably produced by Eno.

One of these days, I imagine.

The band produced the album, but Eno played on two tracks, one of which he co-wrote. Definitely give it a listen sometime

 

[namkcuR]

I know probably not many of you care, but I'm a bit surprised that we are ten days out from the rock HOF inductions and there's still no word about whether or not Steve Perry will perform with Journey or even be there.

I mean, even when GnR were inducted and nobody expected Axl and Slash to play together, Axl made it very clear publicly that he wouldn't be there.

But in this case, it's been radio silence from all parties.

 

[cobl04]

I can't imagine anything I could care less about than that

 

[Hewson]

I know probably not many of you care, but I'm a bit surprised that we are ten days out from the rock HOF inductions and there's still no word about whether or not Steve Perry will perform with Journey or even be there.

I mean, even when GnR were inducted and nobody expected Axl and Slash to play together, Axl made it very clear publicly that he wouldn't be there.

But in this case, it's been radio silence from all parties.

Well the real concern about the ceremony has been taken care of as Dave Abbruzzese, Jack Irons and Matt Chamberlain have all been invited.

 

[lazarus]

I know probably not many of you care, but I'm a bit surprised that we are ten days out from the rock HOF inductions and there's still no word about whether or not Steve Perry will perform with Journey or even be there.

I mean, even when GnR were inducted and nobody expected Axl and Slash to play together, Axl made it very clear publicly that he wouldn't be there.

But in this case, it's been radio silence from all parties.

It would be pretty amazing if Perry made an 11th hour appearance and killed it during the band's set.

The problem is that you imagine he would need/want to rehearse.

So it's not looking too good.

 

[PhilsFan]

I saw Beach House tonight for the second time. This show was in Delaware. Since seeing them about a year ago, I forgot how great "Elegy to the Void" is live. Victoria (I think this is only one of two songs she plays guitar on, the other being One Thing) absolutely rips through that outro guitar solo.

Both times I've seen them the sets were too short but they're really fucking good regardless.

 

[PhilsFan]

Also, I'm pretty sure she was wearing a duster, which she is not burning. That's crazy. That's insane. Why would she ever burn that? Forget it. It probably won't even burn anyway. It's not supposed to. It's flame retardant, that's like the whole point. It's like a shield of armor. So stop asking her to burn it. SHE IS NOT GONNA BURN IT.

 

[bono_212]

I know probably not many of you care, but I'm a bit surprised that we are ten days out from the rock HOF inductions and there's still no word about whether or not Steve Perry will perform with Journey or even be there.

I mean, even when GnR were inducted and nobody expected Axl and Slash to play together, Axl made it very clear publicly that he wouldn't be there.

But in this case, it's been radio silence from all parties.

I'm REALLY hoping this happens. It's going to be such a let down if we don't get them OR GNR. I mean, I guess at least GNR got together *eventually*.

Journey is playing a show out here along with Fleetwood Mac and Earth Wind and Fire. Part of me is so bummed out about the idea of seeing Journey without Perry that I'm thinking of not going, even though I want to see the Mac with Christine so badly.

 

[lazarus]

No way I would see Journey without Perry, or the Doobies without McDonald (although at least Johnston and Simmons are still in the band).

 

[martha]

Is Steve Perry unwilling to show up at the RRHOF thing? I realize he's no longer with the band, but isn't he the reason they were inducted in the first place?


Sent from my iPad using U2 Interference

 

[phanan]

From what I've read, the band has always kept the door open, but nobody ever hears from him.

 

[martha]

I see. Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[lazarus]

No discussion of this yet?

The 50 Best Britpop Albums | Pitchfork

 

[Joey788]

I have yet to go through it. But considering my knowledge of Britpop is Blur, Pulp, Suede and Oasis (in order of preference), this should at least garner some albums to check out.

 

[DaveC]

No discussion of this yet?

The 50 Best Britpop Albums | Pitchfork

they pick "the drugs don't work" and "history" to represent urban hymns and a northern soul and ignore a storm in heaven entirely.

fuck right off, pitchfork.

 

[lazarus]

To be fair, that first Verve album isn't Britpop as most people seem to describe it, and would belong more on a shoegaze list. Not sure if any others are on there. I mean, one doesn't expect My Bloody Valentine on here either.

Can't argue w that Top 5, and I'm glad Pulp and Blur beat out Oasis.

Pleasantly surprised to see Sleeper's The It Girl relatively high (#35) for a not well known band. It's one of my favs of the era and I highly recommend it. It really should be as high as Elastica, IMO.

While I'm glad to see Super Furry Animals, I wish there had been some consideration for their more ambitious works like Guerilla and Rings Around The World. Unless there's some cutoff year I missed.

And also glad that Supergrass gets the double nod, though I would have placed In It For The Money higher than I Should Coco, and in the Top 10.

Space and Black Grape were welcome surprises. With the latter, I'm assuming Shaun Ryder's previous band Happy Mondays are considered pre-Britpop, otherwise Pills 'n' Thrills & Bellyaches surely would have been on here.

 

[iron yuppie]

I heard Blind Melon's "No Rain" for the first time in ages today and realized that it's a damn good song.

 

[corianderstem]

20-something years later, and I still never want to hear it again.

But it's in my head anyway.

THANKS.

 

[LemonMelon]

The order of that list is awful (Laid at #49, Fuzzy Logic above Radiator is the height of P4k contrarianism), but I'm glad that good albums are being recognized.

 

[lazarus]

20-something years later, and I still never want to hear it again.

But it's in my head anyway.

THANKS.

Same.

 

[monkeyskin]

Good walk through memory lane with that P4k Britpop list. Even if I didn't hear many of the albums at the time, the singles were inescapable on the radio from 94-97. Funnily enough, NME only has a singles list when searching for their best of Britpop. Was hoping for a local list to compare with the foreign perspective.

I'd also put a hard end date to the era with Oasis' Be Here Now. Annoying that still includes Blur in the timeframe, but I'd argue that album shouldn't count anyway due to the openly acknowledged US influences. There was such a sunny buzz in the nation throughout the early-mid 90s that hit a peak with Euro 96. England's semi final defeat to fucking Germany started a decline that I don't see summed up better than the cover to Be Here Now. The video to D'You Know What I Mean, with the excess and fur lined parka fashion led into something else.

It's hard to describe properly, but so many of my memories of Britpop were sunny and optimistic, whereas the late 90s always seem to be set at night. See the difference between the videos for Parklife and Song 2. Even every memorable football moment of the late 90s seemed to take place on a weekday evening in the winter. Seems to be a cultural thing, with the colourful Super Nintendo catalogue giving way to the 'mature' PlayStation titles such as Tomb Raider, Silent Hill and Resident Evil.

Anyway, to truly capture all of the key players of the Britpop era you need to look past the guitars. Britpop's a period, not a genre. Regardless of quality, bands and albums such as the Spice Girls debut, Prodigy's Fat of the Land, Robbie Williams' first 1, maybe 2, and the Chemical Brothers' Exit Planet Dust and especially Dig Your Own Hole need to be recognized for helping to shape the culture of the time. There's a house party scene in the Scottish film Red Road with a group of lads raving in the kitchen, only to get positively tribal when Morning Glory comes on. For better or for worse, music that a bunch of drunk northern blokes can bellow along to is an equally large part of Britpop's legacy, innit.

And Ash needs to be higher in that list for Girl on Mars alone.

 

[lazarus]

I love Blur's self-titled and it's maybe my favorite of theirs but I agree. Aside from Beetlebum (a ridiculous fake-out), it's a major left turn. I would rather have seen the underrated The Great Escape on the list.