Personal Life.

The Thermals - Personal Life (Album)



'Personal Life' is a change of pace for the Thermals, and whilst this threw me off at first, it is a move that has produced an interesting album that is to be distinguished from their previous work. The discussions I've had about the album indicate that it is something that has been written and produced with the backdrop of potentially great heartbreak, some kind of personal tragedy or disappointment that has effected a key member of the band. This may explain the slower pace of the album.

'I Don't Believe You' is the only 'classic' Thermals song here, and its an ever assuredly catchy pop rock beat that is bound to go down as one of the great songs of the year. 'Never Listen to Me' provides a great dirty riff that grinds along for the best part of five minutes. 'Not Like Any Other Feeling' starts with a very poppy guitar melody which hints that perhaps Hutch Harris wants to break out into some mainstream success. Aside from this the song contains some thought provoking lyrics that make you wonder what that feeling is that is being discussed (Love anyone?). Indeed the lyrics here are the core to the entire album and there is meaning to be found from start to finish.

I am also obliged to mention the track 'Your Love is So Strong', where the Thermals have once again ripped themselves off with a chanting opening hauntingly reminiscent of 'Now We Can See', none the less its one of the catchier and faster songs on the record. Otherwise tracks like 'Only For You' and 'A Reflection' lack any stand out features worth mentioning, and merely feel like they are present in order to fill the record.

I've got respect for whats going on here, in this group's ambition to develop a new and more complex sound in these slightly mellowed and more slowly paced songs. Perhaps this is a stepping stone for a grand and elaborate future, but for now the change is restricting the group from producing anything as fantastic as their work on 'The Body, the Blood, the Machine'. The jury is still out on whether they have the song writing abilities to achieve true greatness in the style they are aiming for here.

7/10

PS and guys.. i do hope you can come to Aus around the new year like you promised, come to Perth? :)

'Everybody know da Hound'

Hound Dog Taylour and the Houserockers- Natural Boogie 1974

Theodore Roosevelt has six fingers on his left hand. Can you fucking believe it? Shea said it’s unfair, like handicapping Tiger Woods.

At age 20 young Theo picked up a guitar, named himself Hound Dog and proceeded to make dirty, feral blues music with his friends – The Houserockers, two guitars and a drumset. Hound Dog’s voice is kind of a cross between André 3000 and BB King, he often hits wrong notes stumbles over vocals, snarling away about girls who only want him for sex. Every album cover is a picture of him with this beaming Colgate smile, Hawaiian shirt and that menacing little midget finger doing its best to clutch against the finger board of the guitar.

Natural Boogie was released through Alligator Records a year before Hound Dog died of cancer. It is essential listening for anybody who A) Hasn’t got a bass player in their band or B) Anyone who is curious about where bands like the Black Keys and the White Stripes got their stripped back, grunge ridden sound. The only downfall of Natural Boogie as an album and you will probably come across this problem in a lot more of his albums- every song sounds the same after awhile, they sound great, but they sound the same.

Here’s some more shit to read-

http://www.thebluetrenchcoat.com/?p=124

http://www.keno.org/hound_dog_taylor/hdhomepage.htm

Ruby.

Memories

Weezer - Memories (Song)





Its funny how often your favourite band will suddenly 'sell out', or produce something that 'just ain't like their old stuff' and you will be royally peeved at them for trying to do something different and failing. The fact is every band must go through a transformation at some stage, every band must grow and mature, and develop their music accordingly. Weezer are a testament to this, and not because they have had some world conquering Kings of Leon type transformation into the biggest band in the world, but because they have failed to ever have any such transformation.

Rivers Cuomo, who is now 40, is still trying to make the same music he was 15 years ago, and 'Memories' is evidence of this. In many respects I don' blame him, Blue Album and Pinkerton were two of the greatest raw, honest to God fun rock albums ever. Unfortunately he's exhausted his reserve of such musical ideas.

'Memories' is a bland and unexciting punk tune, with the mandatory splattering of riffs, River's very punk vocals, and a chorus that as Shin aptly put it, sounds like a High School anthem. Thats not the anthem the kids came up with, but those the teachers did. Perhaps this shows River's age, is he now the daggy dad trying to be cool?

3.5/10

None the less I love you Weezer, and please come to Australia and play for me, just play the entirety of The Blue Album and Pinkerton..

oh and.. that album cover? seriously wtf? Lost didnt even have a theme song.

In the Attic of the Universe

The Antlers - In the Attic of the Universe (Album)





'Hospice' was my favourite album of the year just gone by, not only was it beautiful emotive music, but i felt like i could connect with it on a personal level. That album gained a lot of recognition and it made to a lot of 2009 top ten lists, but 'Hospice' wasn't the Antlers first album.

If you look back to 2007, you find their first offering, 'In the Attic of the Universe'. Clocking in at just under 27 minutes, and with just 8 tracks, this album was a modest offering, a 'sneak peak' at the talent that is front man Peter Siberman and his band. They create such atmospheric, mood building indie rock.

'In the Attic' sounds like it was home recorded, beginning with the sound of someone walking on a path laden with foliage, before breaking out into an earnest ballad with soft guitar melodies and all. The lyrics are haunting, as are many of Siberman's lyrics, 'Say the ghosts up in the attic tell the truth'. It makes you wonder what if going through his mind, apparently this album was recorded at a low point in his life, presumably connected to the back story to 'Hospice'. Then comes the brooding instrumental 'Look!' which eventually breaks out into an Arcade Fire type riff. 'On the Roof' sees Siberman in despair, sounding like he might break up at any moment, similar to 'Epilogue' from Hospice.

The highlight of the album however is 'The Universe is Going to Catch You' which perhaps reflects a feeling we all might have at one time or another, that overwhelming feeling that we are out of control and drowning in the tide of life. The lyrics are appropriately accompanied by a set of loose and fairly wild instrumentals including a rumbling guitar and something that i think is cymbals? The album winds down reflectively on 'In the Snow' and 'Stairs to the Attic'.

If you have never listened to the Antlers before then please give this album and/or Hospice a chance, but don't listen to it at your weekend pre drinks, or everyone must suddenly want to go home and feel rather apathetic about themselves!

8/10

The Suburbs

Arcade Fire - 'The Suburbs' (Album)




Ok. So i know i've already ready the title track from this album, and i know now that 40% of my blogs are dedicated to Arcade Fire. This IS however what i'm listening to right now, and i believe i have listened to it about 10 times in the last few days. I could have talked about Birds of Tokyo and how they are reminding me of Porcupine Tree or i could have talked about Best Coast and their catchy little garage beachy tunes. I've got a lot more to say about Arcade Fire though, so here we go again....

So this album has all the grandiosity of a theatrical production. 'The Suburbs' sets the scene in (you guessed it) suburban America. 'Ready to Start' sets mood and introduces us to a conflict in the story, and 'Month of May' is the climatic end before our heroine holidays along the Mediterranean apparently inspired by Blondie in 'Sprawl II'.

Yes Arcade Fire have all the necessary elements here for another massive scale, anthemic indie rock album. 'Modern Man' will have you up and dancing to a shuffle which you can never quite work out the rhythm to, 'Rococo' has you feeling like your in some weird baroque fantasy land, and 'Half Light II' is Win Butler's new Rebellion, a true Arcade Fire anthem.

I don't know if I'm a bias fan like some of my friends accuse me, but Arcade Fire are going from strength to strength, and they've tried something new here with a couple of sprawling pop tunes in 'Empty Room' (reminiscent of some of the best work of 'Stars') and 'Sprawl II' sounding like Blondie has gone all grand. Admittedly at 16 tracks i felt the album overstayed its welcome just a little, tracks like 'Deep Blue', and 'Wasted Hours' felt like fillers, and i think the album would have benefited from perhaps from a stricter approach to what was included. This is not to say they are bad songs, it just goes to show the strength of Arcade Fire's material.

Overall, at 60 minutes the album is a long time to get through, but it is very rewarding for existing Arcade Fire fans, as well as a few new ones with the album currently being featured on Triple J I'm sure.

9/10

Aside from this, I've been listening to 'El Scorchio' by Weezer on repeat for the last couple of weeks, oh Pinkerton was the definition of cool in the mid 90's, punk rock at its best.

I Don't Believe You.

The Thermals - 'I Don't Believe You' (Song)


The Thermals continue to make adrenaline pumping pop punk and make me wanna dance. With chants reminiscent of 'Now We Can See' and a guitar hook to rival some of the best work from career highlight 'The Body, the Blood, the Machine', I Don't Believe You is a racy little piece sure to get all Thermals fans frothing at the mouth for the upcomin album (me included).

I'm still not completely over your complete flake in regard to your Aus Tour Thermals, so make it up to me and come here soon!

Album is out in September or thereabouts

8/10

Barbara

We Are Scientists - 'Barbara' (Album)

We Are Scientists strive for mediocrity. They make up-beat pop-rock that offers nothing new or exciting, nothing particularly challenging or interesting. The tempo never drops and whilst listening to any one song can be promising, you quickly realise the album is full of songs that follow a very tight formula, rarely mixing things up or taking a step back.

Its a well produced set, but this only goes to making the album seem more like a business project as opposed to the genuine imperfect sounds of Weezer or Surfer Blood. Thats not to say music can't be highly produced and still produce something desirable. Free Energy certainly do it on 'Stuck on Nothing', but the difference is that they sound like they are doing what they want, and having a lot of fun (it probably helps thats James Murphy is involved), whereas We Are Scientists sound like they are trying to sell a product

By the time i get to 'Foreign Kicks' i'm feeling like ive heard this song 7 times already in the last half hour. The lyrics are uninspiring and i swear every chorus has the lead singer singing in harmony with the guitar for at least two beats! But then the stand out point of the album arrives on the final track 'Central AC'. Maybe i'm clutching at straws, but i think (just maybe) that this song offers an exciting guitar hook and catchy vocals that hang around for just long enough to remain in my memory for more than the 2 seconds between songs.

Overall folks i think the Scientisits forgot that music is an Art, i wouldn't prioritize this in your list of albums i must hear, but maybe if your really keen on a band like Two Door Cinema Club then it might be worth a brief period of your time.

5/10