Tag: Mp3s
Got a new track today from Norway's My Midnight Creeps and I'm handing it over to Nancy Baym to talk about it:
My Midnight Creeps is the side project of guitarists from Madrugada and The Ricochets, apparently formed as an outlet for all the rocking they suppress in those bands. They've got a Rolling Stones meet The Cramps and Gun Club in Detroit sound and an over-the-top dramatic sweep. This first single from their second record refines and amplifies what was best about their first. The song starts with almost 90 seconds of buildup worthy of a Hitchcock film - cinematic as all get out - but when it finally bursts into that heavy wall of full-out guitar bombast, it's undeniably affecting in the knock-you-over way that only guitar-heavy rock and roll melody can be. You know you're being manipulated, but there's no denying the raw lure of the sonic environments they build. If it were 5 minutes instead of 7, it'd be perfect.
The band's new album "Histamin" comes out on March 5.
My Midnight Creeps - Don't let 'em bring you down
Of all the Norwegian pop I've subjected myself to the past couple months, Norwegian Idol runner-up Margaret Berger is by far the best. Other promising Norwegian artists such as Marit Larsen have one or two great singles, but Berger's record "Pretty scary silver fairly" is all-killer, no filler. I'd say it's the catchiest pop album I've heard since Robyn's latest. There's plenty of songs worth posting, but I've decided to go with "Naive (16)" since that "Gentle on my mind" (John Hartford) loop gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Lyrically, there's nothing special going on, but it's simplicity is also its strength. See if the "I should've known better" refrain doesn't get permanently imprinted into your brain. I dare you! And besides, I don't need pop music to be deep - there's plenty of other artists who've got that angle covered. They can't all be Hello Saferide, y'know?
Margaret Berger - Naive (16)
1997's "Moby Dick" is considered by many to be The Bear Quartet's finest moment. It was certainly their most commercially successful, not to mention the most straightforward and rock'n'roll. As if it wasn't obvious from the Led Zeppelin homage of the title! It's not my own personal favorite, but it certainly ranks near the top. I like loud guitars, what can I say? Just listen to that opening drumfill! "Moby Dick" was Jejo Perkovic's debut with the band and he wastes no time proving his place. As evidenced with yesterday's Brick post, it's obvious that the man knows what he's doing.
I'm short on time and energy this week, so I'll have to let the music speak for itself beyond what I've just said. I really need more people to contribute to these weekly Bear Quartet tribute posts, so please please please email me if you're interested!
The Bear Quartet - Before the trenches
I've done a Friday post on Brick before, but it's been about two years, so I think they're due for revisiting. They also work well as a precursor to our weekly Bear Quartet post as drummer Jejo Perkovic played with Brick before he joined BQ. Some folks might recognize frontman Patrik Instedt's maniacal vocals from the final Breach album "Kollapse", one of my all-time favorites. Patrik was also the man behind the camera for Logh's "A sunset panorama" DVD. However, before all that, he led Brick - Sweden's leading Jesus Lizard imitators. It pains me to say it as I love both bands, but the influence is obvious. Things is, many have attempted the same and failed, but Brick somehow pulls it off. The jagged rhythms, the jabbering, unintelligible vocals, even the slide guitar riff on the track I've posted today - all totally derivative, but done incredibly well. Too close for comfort for you? Just remember that a 1st rate Jesus Lizard clone is still about 1000x better than most of what Touch & Go puts out today.
Brick - Hole digger
I keep listening to Sophie Zelmani's new album "Memory loves you" hoping for that moment of connection, but it has yet to occur. I've loved her previous records dearly so it's doubly disappointing that I am unable to get into this one. I'm not sure what's wrong either. Her voice sounds just as beautiful and understated as always. The recording is as close to perfect as one could hope for. It must be the songs. Or perhaps the lack of progression from 2003's "Love affair" to now. I don't mean to disregard the importance of consistency, but I waited over three years for this? ("Love affair" was released in late 2003 - I can do math just fine, don't worry) While it all sounds very pleasant on the surface, there's nothing memorable about "Memory loves you", no put intended. Maybe I expected too much?
Sophie Zelmani - Memory loves you
Howabout a little taste of Halloween in February? No one is going to accuse The Defectors of being original, but that's not really the point. Their schlocky b-movie horror-themed garage rock has been done many times before (The Cramps and Deadbolt, to name just two), but they do a good job with it and that's all that really matters as far as I'm concerned. This particular song actually owes more to The Mummies (who weren't actually a horror-rock band, they just dressed the part) with it's cheeseball organ, heavy fuzz guitar and double-time stomping chorus, 'cept of course the fact that it's very well recorded. This is good stupid fun and that's really all there is to it. As the tag on the promo CD says: "Excellent music for driving". I have to say though, I'm still iffy on some of the band's misogynistic lyrical content. I understand that it's often par for the course in the world of psychobilly, but that doesn't make it okay.
The Defectors - Love is evol
Conceptionally, this sounds like a terrible idea. Kristin Asbjørnsen is a Norwegian singer/songwriter whose debut solo album "Wayfaring stranger - A spiritual songbook" is a collection African-American spirituals she learned from Ruth Reese, a Chicago native who emigrated to Norway in 1960 (and passed in 1990). It would be very easy to dismiss it outright, but truthfully, it's not that bad. Kristin has a delicate, scratchy voice that fits the songs and her spacious, subdued arrangements suit the material well. Listen to the song I've posted today and two things should be readily apparent. Firstly, the percussion is nothing but hand-drums. Second, the backing chorus is very small, small enough that you can pick out the individual voices. In less talented hands we'd be hearing a full gospel choir and church band. The concept itself remains problematic, but seeing as how the project was treated with such reverence, it's harder to write it off. Nomatter what, it's impossible to deny that the artists are passionate about the music. Now I'm just waiting for an American gospel artist to record an album of Norwegian folk tunes.
Kristin Asbjørnsen - Ride up in the chariot
My recurring complaint about post-rock: it's almost never heavy enough. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem for a genre whose entire raison d'etre is based upon epic build-ups, but it's the sad ugly truth. I've heard way too many pieces that fall just short of awesomeness and it drives me crazy. Just when you think they'll kick it up that extra notch, they wimp out. So anticlimatic! Thankfully Scraps of Tape, young upstarts that they are, are not afraid of wielding such power. This is the opening track from "This is a copy is this a copy" (due out tomorrow and available in the webstore) and there's no mistaking that they mean business from the get-go. There's plenty of introspective parts with beautiful melodies elsewhere on the record, but I'm all about the loud bludgeoning parts today. The end, when they take it up to an even higher notch that you didn't think was possible, totally gives me a Beevis & Butthead "Yes!" moment every time I hear it. I may not be a teenage metalhead anymore, but I can't disregard my past.
Scraps of Tape - Death as it should be
I hate irony in music. Hate it with passion. That's one of the reasons that Scandinavian music is appealing to me - it's so refreshingly irony-free. Bands like The Hellacopters play ridiculous, over-the-top arena rock, but there's no "ha-ha, we're only joking" wink-wink/nudge-nudge to it. They play it like that's what they were meant to do and they do it well. There's nothing half-ass about it and that's why it's awesome.
So why does The Bear Quartet's "Fuck your slow songs" appeal to me? It's approach is so blatant, but that too, is the point. The lyrics:
"Your criticism has been noticed
and we plead guilty to a major part
but nothing's easier or more fun
than annoying young punks
so we slowed it down
and added strings and a steel guitar
we wrote song words
about how misunderstood we are"
It's entrapment! If you're annoyed, it means they've won. It's true - nothing is easier than annoying young punks and I know that first-hand. The song itself isn't exceptional, but it serves as a fine anthem for the band's dissatisfaction with the musical norms of the day and proves to be prognostic with regards to their future path. That's more than enough to make it Important with a capital i.
2001's "Gay icon" was the first BQ album I bought. Despite my horror at the gatefold image, I found it to be a great introduction to the band as I immediately set off to devour their vast back catalogue. The music tends to be a bit too typical slacker/indierock for my tastes, but that's okay - there's plenty of highlights to make up for it.
The Bear Quartet - Fuck your slow songs
Weeping Willows have a new album out, but I haven't heard it yet so I figure it's a good excuse to visit some of the band's early material. It is Friday, after all. And what could be better for the Friday after Valentine's Day than a grand ol' heartbreaker like the title track to 1997's "Broken promise land". Each and every line drips with over-the-top melodrama. Take it to the bridge: "You made me cry / You make me want to die / Why, baby why? / Why did you lie?" and then driving it home with a final anguished sigh. It's so grandiose, it's almost comical. But that's the beauty of WW and a big part of what makes them so good. There are no feeble gestures here, only broad brushstrokes. It's bigger than life and a Swedish melancholy rock classic.
As for the new album "Fear & love"? They're trying to sell it as a return to form. I enjoy later-era WW, but I also agree with AMG's assertion that the more they tried to discover their own identity and change their sound, the less unique they became. Regardless of whether or not they've successfully regressed, I'm still looking forward to hearing it.
Weeping Willows - Broken promise land
Depressive Art is a misleading band name. A few of the songs are imbued with your standard lovelorn melancholy, but depressive art? C'mon now - get a grip! This is rock'n'roll, not mopey goths dressed in black. The crooning vocals and abundance of organ immediately bring to mind The Doors (as do songtitles such as "Psychedelic ghostride"), but it's not all a flashback trip. In a lot of ways, Depressive Art remind me a lot of what I like about Mando Diao. They've got the same retro/garage vibe, but lack the squeaky vocals and overbearing attitude. "How to breathe", the song I've posted today, is by far the hottest track on the album "Bye bye dear everything". I love those silly falsetto backing vocals and the pounding beat. The extended pickslide into the chorus is pretty great too. Definitely not what you'd expect from a band with this name.
Depressive Art - How to breathe
Does anyone really like Valentine's Day? I love my wife, but you won't see me rushing out to buy her flowers today simply because Hallmark told me to. I can't help but be suspicious of people who revel in celebrating this 'holiday'. In that spirit, I've decided to preempt the song I was originally going to post today in favor of doing something completely anti-Valentines. I've been listening to Coldworker a lot recently, so I would've gotten around to posting about them eventually, but who can resist a song called "Heart shaped violence" on a day like today? It's too perfect. As mentioned in pretty much every damn Coldworker review, the band was founded by ex-Nasum drummer Anders Jakobsson, but don't listen to this expecting all-out grindcore. Nope, the blastbeats are just as raging, but the music is way more steeped in classic death-metal. And we're not talking typical weak-ass, played-out melodic Swedish metal either - this is pure, no-frills brutality. Deep guttural vocals, fierce atonal riff after riff and even a few tasty pinch-harmonics. The guitars break into harmony every once in a while, but it's the exception - not the rule. In a word: siiiiiick, with six i's.
Coldworker - Heart shaped violence
On one hand, you really gotta admire someone like Mira Craig. There aren't that many aspiring pop/R&B divas out there with the kind of DIY attitude she has. She writes her own material, does her own production, puts out her own records and so on and so forth. Sure, there's artists like Robyn who have their own labels, but she didn't build her career from the ground up like Mira did.
On the other hand, Mira's music is incredibly fucking weird. It does not sound at all like anything you'd expect from a Norwegian pop princess. She draws a lot from her family's Louisiana roots, but I knew nothing about that the first time I put this on and heard all of her voodoo roo roo ranting. She's got a really gruff voice and puts it to good use to sound as intimidating as possible. Pair it with the video treatment and the whole thing is even more bizarre and confusing. She's from Norway, I swear! Other popstars such as Elvira Nikolaisen probably sell more records, but Mira Craig is far more interesting. Maybe not exactly 'good', but I'll leave that up to you to decide for yourself.
Mira Craig - Boogeyman
Blackstrap are a band I'm sure we'll be hearing a lot about in the future as the powers-that-be are pushing them hard. They've got that fresh nü-gaze sound - not too dissimilar from Norwegian acts 120 Days or Serena Maneesh, but will less of the Krautrock drone and more melody. They've also got a much more pronounced rock'n'roll flair ala BRMC, but their Swedish flavor probably leans 'em more towards The Soundtrack of Our Lives. I like it, but there's a distinct lack of personality. It's hard not to listen to everything they do without comparing it to some other band, just as I've done. And I still think Silverbullit is the best band of this style - something that is all too apparent considering that this album starts out exactly the same as Silverbullit's "Arclight". Go find yourself an mp3 of "Run" and compare it to "Winning speech" on Blackstrap's myspace profile. It's ridiculous.
Blackstrap - To far gone
Our guestposter for this week's Bear Quartet post is Martin Lundmark of Tenderversion Recording. Not only is he responsible for many of my favorite recent releases, he's also one of the guys responsible for the "Money talks" BQ tribute compilation, so you know the subject is near and dear for him.
Ok, I'm not sure where to begin. There are thousands of beginnings to this story. This love affair, of sorts. I guess we're divorced now, me and The Bear Quartet. But we used to be very much in love, married. That passionate kind of love, the one you only experience if it hits you while you're still in your teens.
I saw a CD at my local record store once. This was 12 years ago, or something. It had a picture of a worn-down kitchen or bathroom wall on the front cover. Who the fuck puts something like that on the front sleeve? The aesthetic used, the portrait of something gloomy - even though I didn't recognize at the time - was very much BQ. I bought the CD thanks to the artwork, which didn't look like anything else. "Everybody else" would become my favorite album for the remainder of that year.
Two years later, BQ released "Moby Dick". I think I didn't listen to anything else for months. I saw them live for the first time at Arvikafestivalen that year. Me and 23 others. The festival was crowded, but somehow everybody else missed this show. Like always. And that chubby guy who sung didn't fit with the beautiful voice heard on "Everybody else", that tiny guy who kept beating his guitar with a drumstick couldn't be the same guy creating the most mesmerizing hooks on "Moby Dick". It just didn't seem right. This was before you could Google for bandpics. This was before shitbands with a shitload of energy could make themselves famous on MySpace.
I ran into drummer Jejo Perkovic at Debaser in Stockholm in 2004. I'd just put together a tribute album with 16 artists covering BQ songs. We got to talk, I bought him a glass of white wine and soda. I don't remember that much of our conversation, but one thing stuck in my mind. He told me that he considered "My war" to be their "White album", their masterpiece. I guess he was right.
Lately, or for a long time, I haven't been listening to The Bear Quartet. I've missed out on their two last albums. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that The Bear Quartet used to be the best band in the world. And still is.
The Bear Quartet - Everybody gets to play