So this is the waste of space I call the Reviews section. It's a sort of way for me to unleash my vitriolic and controversial views on the world. Yet since I will only be reviewing music that I actually like, I won't be slagging off bands mercilessly, merely judging them in a balanced light. You may have noticed a distinct lack of pictures; this is due to my lack of a scanner at the moment. Oh well, it is a reviews section, not an art gallery. Moving on...
CABLE: Sub-lingual (Infectious)
THE JUDAS FACTOR: Ballads In Blue China (Revelation)
SPY VERSUS SPY: Spy Versus Spy (Subjugation)
FUGAZI: Instrument (Dischord Video)
SATISFACT: The Third Meeting At The Third Counter (K)
GAMEFACE: Every Last Time (Revelation)
MOGWAI: Come On Die Young (Chemikal Underground)
FUGAZI live at Stratford Rex, London (15th May 1999)
So I hope to have some more reviews up soon, but first I
need to get the records. Any comments - please
mail 'em to me! Bye!
SWEEP THE LEG JOHNNY: Tomorrow We Will Run Faster (Southern)
It's a while since a record has struck me as being original and totally
engaging at the same time (i.e. original=art wank), but this debut offering
from Chicago's fantastically-named Sweep The Leg Johnny is both! The addition
of a saxophone to the weird rhythms (Shellac and Slint may be the best reference points here) is really refreshing, and the vocals are often just as interesting.
Five tracks in 40 minutes may seem like a drag, but if you like challenging rock music (and I don't mean that in a bad way), this is really the only record to buy this year. It's great! 2/6/99
It's the three-count for STLJ, and a total score of 9 out of 10.
Song to be played to death: Please Give Me Roses Before I Am Dead might be a good choice.
Yay! Derby's only band of note (� part Bivouac), Cable have in the past
served up bowls of post-punk cake topped with nonchalant vocal custard
(I mean that in a good way), and sometimes sprinkled with flakes of (shock!)
melody (A laboured metaphor, I know). After hearing the sad news of the band's
break-up, it's tempting to think 'Sub-lingual' will be a flaccid effort,
the vapid last rites of a band on the brink of artistic suicide (or something).
So it's great to hear that it's, erm, not! And anyway, 'Arthur Walker' was
a good omen for this album, being Cable's most commercial effort to date.
There's almost a good-time feel about most of the songs - 'Hexagon Eye' is a
fantastic reminder of Cable's idiotic sense of humour, 'Song 1' and 'Pocket
Promise' have great singalongish choruses, and 'Brothers and Sisters' and
'Yesterday On The Horizon' showcase that lo-fi B-side post-hardcore vibe we
know and love the band for. R.I.P. Cable (1994-99) (sob). (25/5/99)
R.I.P. indeed. It's a shame they couldn't have been with us to collect
their 9 out of 10.
Song to be played to death: Hexagon Eye
It's shouty, it's hardcorey, it's metally, and it's painful. And it's not
Will Haven! Although vocalist Robert Fish sounds perpetually like he's rammed
a 10-inch spike up his rear end (just like Grady Avenell), this sometimes
wearisome noise is balanced by some interesting guitar work, on 'Beauty Mark'
and 'Essay' in particular. Elsewhere it's caustic metal riffs and business
as usual... and then we get to the experimental songs. Oh dear. 'Will You Wait
Up For Me' and '' are valiant yet boring attempts at sensitivity. More metal,
we say! And back it comes, thank God. Well, to sum up, this album's shouty
in the right places and quiet in the wrong ones. (25/5/99)
This motherfucker deserves no more than 6 out of 10.
Song to be played to death: Essay
Well I have to say I was expecting a lot more from this debut mini-album.
Comparisons to Bob Tilton are probably erroneous - this lot are not quite
as compelling, I'm afraid. It's not that it's a bad record, it's just
that I was left cold by it. 'Game Ruiner', while punchy and quirky, does
not get the circulation going, and it's a similar story throughout. Brief
passages when you think they're going to impress mutate into jangly
side-segments which make you think you're listening to the next Charlatans
rather than the next Fugazi. I'm sorry, I just don't give a shit.(25/5/99)
More than 5 out of 10? You'll be lucky, my friend...
Twelve years of existence hasn't dimmed the power of Fugazi. Last year's
'End Hits' (hopefully not a prophetic title) was probably the DC band's
strongest effort in terms of melody and variety, and mixed extremely
subdued moments like 'Pink Frosty' with melodic fury like 'Caustic Acrostic'.
'Instrument' follows on its coattails, and contains live footage, interviews,
and the members of Fugazi just mulling around. Though the band sometimes plays
up to the camera to excruciating levels, the film gives us a tiny glimpse of
what Fugazi are really like, and (almost) manages to dispel the myth
that they are puritan, grey and boring people. The live stuff is also pretty
damn good, especially the early footage. Guy Picciotto in particular is a
presence onstage, often eschewing his guitar in favour of being able to go
completely mad. In spite of this, we frequently see Ian Mackaye reprimanding
members of the audience for being too violent, and wonder why! Anyway,
'Instrument' is a welcome addition to the Fugazi legend. Fugazi fans must
have it or be slain.
It's difficult to give this less than 8 out of 10, so I won't.
The 'K Records' logo is pretty much a seal of quality, and Satisfact's 2nd
(I think) album is indeed of quality. It puts an original slant on the
standard Dischord post-hardcore sound, adding weird electronica and pop-ish
tunes. 'I'm In A Bad Way' is the star track, transporting you back 20 years
to new-wave-land. While much of the rest is more experimental and vocal-less,
it doesn't detract one bit from the overall quality. In an age where
originality is extremely hard to come by in new music, this is refreshing.
Forgive me, but I was indeed Satisfacted by this album.
Oh go on then, have 8 out of 10 of my very finest points.
Song to be played to death: I'm In A Bad Way
Revelation Records started out as a label for straight-edge metally hardcore.
In recent years, they've branched out majorly, especially towards emo-core.
This record is emo, but it's even poppier. For that reason, I found it a bit
disconcerting, as it sometimes heads towards chart-land (I think it's the
constantly harmonised vocals). But the important thing is of course the songs,
and here they're as strong as anywhere. Just don't expect beefy hardcore in
the traditional Revelation style, or you will be disappointed. Next...
5 out of 10 - what a waste of chops
Song to be played to death: not entirely sure
Hmmm... Much is made of Mogwai and their supposed combining of Slint and
Black Sabbath into a free-flowing musical experience or whatever. While I
thought 'Young Team' was a good record, it still didn't live up to that
promise. It was sometimes endlessly repetitive, not in a Slint-like way, just
self-indulgently, and although it was heavy, Black Sabbath didn't really get
a look-in. So it's even more of a surprise that 'CODY' is practically a
quiet-guitar-fest all the way through, with the odd twinkle here and trumpet
there. So you see, it's all rather boring, and while many sections are
very inspired, these sections tend to get repeated to eternity. Perhaps I
need to listen to it again, but it is NOT a contender for record of the year.
No indeed, so just 6 points out of 10 for you, my lad.
Song to be played to death: dunno really
This is the last date of a gruelling slog across the UK for Fugazi - the
world's biggest and best 'post-hardcore' band. To my eternal regret I missed
openers Shellac and Marine Research, but Fugazi's set was (almost) intense
enough to make me forget that. "Enjoy the music, jump up and down, but not
into each other!" begs Ian Mackaye at the start. Apart from a series of
disapproving glances at certain moshing members of the capacity audience,
this is the last mention of violence from him. He and co-partner-in-shouting
Guy Picciotto look totally focused, yet are sweating like pigs, in contrast
to serene bassist Joe Lally, who sings on 'Recap Modotti', the most accessible
song played tonight. Other crowd favourites like 'Waiting Room', 'Margin
Walker' and 'Facet Squared' are punched out anthemically, while noise-fests
like 'Smallpox Champion' destroy all in their path (eardrums included).
But it's the semi-heavy rhythmic tension-builders like 'Break' and 'Place
Position' which work best, proving both tuneful and moshworthy. The fantastic,
no-nonsense set and the pleasant atmosphere here make this a fitting final
date here (hopefully not forever).