Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: brand new eyes, hayley williams, paramore, twilight
It’s not as if Paramore haven’t been feeling the pressure after their immense success of their breakthrough album ‘RIOT!’, but ‘Brand new Eyes’ succeeds in presenting the band as a stronger, more focused and altogether more consistent band. ‘Brand new Eyes’ could be called their own ‘The Bends’. Produced by Grammy award winning Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Avril Lavigne)] the sound quality obviously remains ultra-clean, makes the listening experience relatively risk-free and also brings attention to the fact that there’s not a lot of groundbreaking or experiments being made. It could have been Flyleaf, but it still remains miles ahead of their peers. Sure, the array is still all you would expect from flame-haired frontwoman Hayley Williams’ combo as it mainly involves painting by numbers through the captivating fast paced opening track (‘Careful’), palpably blatant singalongs (‘Looking up’), heartwarming ballads ['The only Exception' (probably the best Coldplay song since 'Parachutes'), 'Misguided Ghosts' (indicating the imminent split of the band?)], the pretentious uber ‘Twilight’ soundtrack song (‘Decode’), the standard so-so single (‘Ignorance’) and some fillers (‘Feeling sorry’, ‘All I wanted’). It’s all formulaic, but I don’t think you can await any more compelling mainstream targeted pop/punk this sales period. See for how long it’ll last…
Hayley Williams, frontsinger of Paramore (click to enlarge)
Paramore – Ignorance
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: dubsided, jesse rose, made to play, playing around again, zombie disco squad
At a time house music was the hottest shit ever until it rapidly turned into crap music that whores listen to when they want to pick up a horny wog guy. Luckily a lone and unpretentious ambassador of quality house, Jesse Rose, with his label Made to Play as to be one of the labels at the forefront of the current house music scene, continues to push the boundaries with worldwide acclaim. Techy, sometimes edgy fidget house ushers in a renaissance of house music and personally I’m more than glad that it turned out that way as the latest label compilation „Playing around again“ with momentous tracks of Oliver $, Jan Driver and Idiotproof, well crafted in a captivating mix by new label recruits Zombie Disco Squad is hotter than blue blazes. Let’s hope it won’t boil for too good, otherwise the whores will come back…
Idiotproof – Gorilla
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: hemlock smith, Keep the devil out of Hillsboro
I know you think I’m just another reductivist fundie with no real grasp on the issue, but if we accept the fact that you’re reading my blog right now, I’m in the position to tell you what’s what. And I tell you to like Hemlock Smith. I don’t like americana fourth reich culture neither, it’s stale and moldy, but Hemlock knows to push the right buttons. As a singer/songwriter he must be the type of person that chooses what’s worse for his well-being. Even when better options are available, he decides on using poor options. A singer/songwriter is blind to the truth, and is as stubborn as he is stupid. Typically he also sucks at what he tries to accomplish. Also see dick. But exceptions prove the rule. Hemlock’s nice. I’m turning over favorite uncle duties to the guy who responded to ‘Have you ever heard of Nick Cave?’ with ‘You tell that queer he can suck my mom’s dick.’ Go, Hemlock, go. Safe.
Hemlock Smith – Julie
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: start it now, thirteen days
I’m sick of bashing obviously moderately talented kids doing what they like to do and smashing instruments and stuff. But sometimes I wish back the times where middle school kids only did cheap glue highs in backyards instead of trying to convince the world from their very existence. I mean, it’s pragmatic for them and their friends to eventually get laid in moldy sleeping bags, maybe it’s even encouraging for the local scene and their very limited niche, but for god’s sake, don’t bother me.
Thirteen Days – Let me go
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: celeste, free download, misanthrope(s)
†he french four-piece Celes†e ac†ually †ry †he impossible and mix up †heir old screamo/emo violence roo†s (see Mihai Edrisch) wi†h a more and more dark and morbid approach. Heavy lef† versus heavy righ†. Bu† even†ually †his is much more †han mere downpi†ched aggressive emo offshoo† or bleak black me†al, from which †hey seemingly adap†ed †he misan†hropic perspectives. Misan†hrope(s) †akes off where Nihilis†e(s) s†ar†ed †he ride. Celes†e is one of †hose bands †ha† can be almos† draining †o lis†en †o. Real noisy gui†ars, †hroa†y screaming, dissonan† riffs, and spas†ic drums pile up in each one crea†ing a demanding and really radical panoply of ex†reme me†al and -core genres. In addi†ion †o †ha† †heir records can be downloaded for free. I mean, come on, how rad is †ha†!?
Celeste – Que des yeux vides et séchés
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews
They say it’s unfair to reduce one’s album to a single track. But in this case, this is a one in a million piece. ‘Light though the veins’ is a weightless and shimmering neoimpressionistic shoegazer Ulrich Schnaussesque artefact which carries and varies in its nine minute playtime a very simple yet compellent melodic midgetpattern in a constant cumulation without culmination. Although there ain’t no innovation in this pastoral tradition drenched in deep basses and thwarted convolution beats, the record sounds in its better moments like a postnuptial tête-à-tête of Massive Attack beatsmiths and Brian Eno – in its not so good moments rather like a mystic Moby soundscape for an Arte infotainment program on sunken Atlantis.
Jon Hopkins – Light though the veins
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: pyramid marquee, shameboy, werchter
After two full lengths and eleven singles Shameboy finally got it. With their audio and video recording of 2008 live performance at the Pyramid Marquee at the popular Werchter festival, they reached the point where they are even more boring than The Subs, 2 Many DJ’s and Goose alltogether. Speaking in mathematical terms this though is utterly impossible, but in this case it just proves that there’s no logic in belgian electro.
Shameboy – Heartcore (LIVE @ The Pyramid Marquee, Werchter’08) – taken from the DVD
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: kitsuné, maison, compilation
The Kitsuné compilations are generally cursed to be the main nourishment for the hipster folk. Jerks who listen to bands that you have never heard of. Have hairstyle that can only be described as „complicated.“ (Most likely achieved by a minimum of one week not washing it.) Probably tattooed. Maybe gay. Definitely cooler than you. Reads Adorno. Drinks triple venti Latte Macchiato. Often. Complains. Always denies being a hipster. Hates the word. Probably living off parents money – and spends a great deal of it to look like they don’t have any. Has a closet full of clothing but usually wears same three things OVER AND OVER (most likely very tight black pants, scarf, and ironic tee-shirt, sunglasses even at midnight). Chips off nail polish artfully after 50 buck manicure. Sleeps with everyone and talks about it at great volume in crowded coffee shops. Addicted to coffee (see above), cigarettes (Marlboro Lights, Gauloises Blonde, Lucky Strikes, etc.), and possibly cocaine. Claims to be in a band. Rehearsals consist of choosing outfits for next show, drinking Energy and getting horny on synthsweeping arpeggios. Always on the list. Majors or majored in art, writing, or queer studies. Name-drops.
The Kitsuné Maison compilations may be their holy grail, but in the nick of time the panoply of songs on the seventh edition of the Kitsuné maison compilation are the perfect indicator for summer, even for „normal“ people. We can count ourselves lucky to have a devil-may-care label releasing such uncompromisingly smooth soundtracks. The best compilation so far.
2 Door Cinema Club – Something good can work
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Gespeichert unter: 02. record reviews | Schlagworte: metal machine, motor, shitkatapult
Being on tour with electro grampas Depeche Mode may be a green card in music business. It nonetheless does not involve any prerogative to release uninspired and such inexpressive synth sweeping knob twisting filter madness. „Metal Machine“ eventually is predictable and astonishingly ridiculous. So prediculous that it will be featured in the most dispensable electro releases of all time. And I thought nobody could ever top Shameboy. I was mistaken. Only both the minimals „Pong“ and „Thwack“ are ok if you insist on it, and the artwork is acceptable. For real, and now totally serious, forserillious, it tries so hard to be bowlegged alpha male electro but in the end this one is just a goddam cockblocker. Avoid it at any cost – fubar.
Motor – Unhuman (released 2007)
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This record will change you. Maybe a little story will explain what effects „Ox“ can have on mentally labile people. The first time I listened to this album I was at my desk when a single sunray must have hit my eye and blinded me for an instant. I startled up and threw my coffee through the window. The second and last time I tried to struggle through the album I shouted at my mom, on the telephone. She immediately advised me to quit reviewing hardcore records. Moms always know what’s really going on. Eventually I classified „Ox“ as a personal drug I never take again. Not because it’s so bad, but because it changes you in way you can’t control. With a sheer uberagressive and dissonant yet not overevil metal or too artsy noise impact, this disturbing avant-hardcore record is not for everyone, but a helluva drug for aficionados. This record will change you.
Coalesce – live at Scion Rock Fest’09
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