2004. Some reviews

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 7:40 am

Loretta Lynn´s Van Lear Rose - As far as i know this is the best thing released this year. (And she´s around for about 35 years or more. So this makes her not a new artist at all!)

M83´s Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts - A good album indeed, but nothing impresive if you already know the work of Massive Attack, Death in Vegas, My Bloody Valentine, Brian Eno or even the latest Radiohead records...

The Streets A Grand Don't Come For Free - "I'm trying to think what else I could say/ Peeling the label off, spinning the ashtray/ Yeah actually, yeah, she did look pretty neat/ Her perfume smelled expensive and sweet/ I felt like my hair looked a bit cheap/ Wished I'd had it cut back last week" Totally overrated album. Shitty band.Silly lyrics!

Junior Boys Last Exit - Depeche Mode meets Kraftwerk and you have a cheesy result.

Franz Ferdinand - An often overrated and overprased record, Franz Ferdinand is a nice album. And thats enough.

More: P J Harvey´s 'Uh Huh Her' is probably her worst record; 'To The 5 Buroughs' IS Beastie Boys wrost record!; 'A Gosht Is Born' is, no surprise, a great Wilco album; 'Retriever' is, surprise, a weak album by Sexsmith´s standarts; 'So Called Chaos' don´t deserve not even a mention; same for Velvet Revolver; 'Good News For People Who Love Bad News' by Modest Mouse is nice.

more on the way...

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:03 am

Post by **BlueChair** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:06 am

"All this.. and no surprises, for this year's Strokes"

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:37 am

Bob And Charlotte · Post by **Bob And Charlotte** » Fri Jul 23, 2004 8:37 am

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:20 am

I find Franz Ferdinand to be quite a bit better, and more interesting, then the Strokes. I find a sense of humor in their music as well as a real variety of influences. The Strokes never did anything for me.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 1:04 pm

Thanks for quoting those lyrics from The Streets. I haven't heard the band, but if they are half as entertaining as those you quoted I might just make the effort. Love that wry observational style.

Looking forward to more of your reviews. Is music reviewing your career? If not, please consider.

Otis Westinghouse · Post by **Otis Westinghouse** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 4:32 pm

The Streets have a simple and unique formula, which is to take a US-based musical genre, and, as the name implies, make it totally reflect life on the UK streets, with a complete avoidance of slavishly US-influenced language in favour of utterly English vernacular. It's almost like a sociological document. Mike Skinner is very, very good at pinpointing the exact flavours and sensations of this existence, often with poignancy, and often with ripping humour. I was a bit sceptical of the over-hype A Grand Don't Come For Free got, but I was interested enough to buy it straight off, and think it does merit it. And nice to see the gorgeous Dry Your Eyes Mate at no. 1.

What about Wilco? I've been playing A Ghost Is Born and it does seem to be very good. I love the way a lot of the songs build, which is quite Radiohead-y, think the words, singing and guitar show Jeff Tweedy is quite a big talent, and am interested as a Bowie-o-phile to find that Spiders (Kidsmoke) uses, in its second half, the riff of Width of a Circle. (Is the title Spiders in part a homage to Mick Ronson?) Also the rhythmic chug of the excellent Handshake Drugs is very reminiscent of Heroes.

What is unaccaptable is the totally pointless 11.5 minute drone at the end of Less Than You Think. Why do they think anyone would actually listen to that? I'm sure pretty well all listeners will just hit 'next track' when that starts. It's the curse of the CD age, bands just didn't insult the listener with that in the vinyl age. I know there are some big Wilco fans here. I'd love to see someone try and justify that one.

DrJ · Post by **DrJ** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:07 pm

I wont hear a word against Franz and the Strokes. You've got to see them live. They're excellent.

DrJ

wehitandrun · Post by **wehitandrun** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 7:57 pm

Sorry, The Streets = brilliant. Later man.

El Vez · Post by **El Vez** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 8:59 pm

Richard wrote:Thanks for quoting those lyrics from The Streets. I haven't heard the band, but if they are half as entertaining as those you quoted I might just make the effort. Love that wry observational style.

Looking forward to more of your reviews. Is music reviewing your career? If not, please consider.

Good to see you posting here again, Richard.

Richard · Post by **Richard** » Sun Jul 25, 2004 11:56 pm

Thanks, El Vez.

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 2:57 am

I'm off to Fuji Rock Festival with a huge bunch of mates on Friday - camping in the mountains and getting blasted for 4 nights ( there's a pre-party on Thursday plus three days and nights of bands and all night DJ's )

Great lineup, and here's the bands I'll be seeing

Friday:
Snow Patrol -> PJ Harvey -> Pixies -> Basement Jaxx (sorry Lou) -> Zero 7

Saturday:
Mooney suzuki -> Franz Ferdinand -> Yeah Yeah Yeahs (soooo 2003) -> Charlatans or Ash -> Chemical Brothers - The Streets -> Buffalo Daughter

Sunday:
Soundtrack Of Our Lives -> Libertines/Jet/Stills/Keane (haven't decided which 2 or 3 I can fit in) -> White Stripes ->T.B.A. It should have been Morrissey but he cancelled.

I'd really appreciate it if some of you young hipsters out there (Otis, Miss BA, Cope etc) could recommend any other worthwhile bands from the line-up that I might not have heard of. And yes it's true, I'm going to skip Lou Reed in favour of Basement Jaxx
http://www.fujirockfestival.com/timetable/contents.asp

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:18 am

The Fiery Furnaces get very good press, so they're probably worth checking out.
I only heard two or three songs and quite liked them.
They seem to be very eclectic as comparisons range from Captain Beefheart to White Stripes to Belle & Sebastian.

stormwarning · Post by **stormwarning** » Mon Jul 26, 2004 3:36 am

Thank you, although I'm not sure if I'll be in a fit state to watch them at 10:20 am. Any others ?

laughingcrow · Post by **laughingcrow** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 11:25 am

Stormy: British Sea Power are there, they have been knocking around the gig-circuit for a while, quite highly rated by a lot of people. They're quite good, my pal loves them...if you get the chance check em out.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Wed Jul 28, 2004 3:08 pm

The new Glenn Tilbrook album 'Transatlantic Ping Pong' is excellent if a little sugary in places. It has a number of great tracks and is probably the most consistent album by him or Squeeze since 'Play' in 91.

'Hostage', 'Ray and Me' and 'Neptune' are right up there with the great Squeeze songs and are UNBELIEVEABLY catchy.

Buy it tomorrow from Quixotic Records.