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Experiments in LivingCulture Undermined... 22 giugno (We are) PerformanceIf you got into the Manics because of their lyrics, if you loved Miss Black America and the Virgin Suicides because of everything they stood for then read on. (We are) Performance are about to become your new favourite band. Just look at the bands that currently take up space in the music press and on “alternative” playlists. Doesn’t it depress you that bands such as the Pigeon Detectives and the Fratellis could just as easily be on the front cover of FHM as the NME? Admit it, you’re angry and pissed off. I know I am: Alternative culture has been hijacked by bands who say nothing and stand for nothing – but get away with it because no one seems to care anymore. Well I care and the reason why I am introducing you to (We are) Performance is because I know they do to. They may sound electro, but rest assured they are for real, and their ethic is punk rock. They represent us. The outsiders. Those of us who never quite fitted in: “ We wont be found on dancefloors we cant dance on / We wont be found on pavements we cant stand on ” They share your sense of alienation; and demand that you join them as they rail against popular culture. How many times have you found yourself sitting in the common room or watching TV simply unable to understand the appeal of “ Idle lives of laughter and magazines.” Sound familiar? Are you as fed up as I am of a world that constantly tries to turn you into someone you are not? Then now is the time to “ Surrender / There is no time to lose. ” (We are) Performance, believe that the only way out is to start all over again “ Lets set sail for nowhere. ” Performance are that moment of realisation “ I get up / I go out / and everything is changing ” …but more than that, they offer hope: “ The sky looks like a futuristic metal / It makes the world look rather dated ” in circumstances where no one else seems to care. They demand that your life consists of more then consumption and pseudo choice. “ Plan your life and then die in advance / Take a glance around your death bed / Confess / Confess / You want more ” and they aren’t afraid to point out the monotony of those around you: “ Thats gunfire! / Who's bleeding? / It's just this walking wounded life we're leading ” They make you see things differently: “ This aint a club it’s an abattoir. ” By believing in the transformation of everyday life they make us feel less alone. (We are) Performance believe in creativity, detailed thoughts, and fucking fun and increasingly you find yourself agreeing with them: “ I could have tried to live for longer / I want more ” Let (We are) Performance “ twist into your fate… ” As Vaniegem said: “ The only thing that is of practical importance is the resolution of our fundamental problem: our own self realisation, our escape from the system of isolation. This is the only thing that’s necessary. Nothing else ” (We are) Performance are too important a band to be indifferent towards. Don’t be afraid! It’s OK! Things have started to change already! Hear that? It’s the sound of Lost youth fading into the distance… the sound of a million brain dead indie records being shattered as people start to re-examine what alternative culture can be. (We are) Performance may be aiming high, but as Kafka wrote, it’s only by believing passionately in something that still does not exist that we create it. Rules are Rules. Our Rules are Rules. Some say the world will end in Performance……. Don’t forget to choose.
Written for Repeatfanzine and experimentsinliving.net faq: the quotes in bold are performance lyrics... Download: Rome, Vandals, Market Street (everything is changing) 05 agosto And in their world the sun fades...Experiments in living: A defeat for a generation lost in a world with no taste
Manifesto 1. The chains of money and the acceptance of dissatisfaction represent an everyday Chernobyl. Television is the new Nero. Hollywood: Prozac. Art is supposed to represent revolt against fate - not a conditioning into accepting more of the same. 2. Punk rock is our ground zero. Sites like 'Pitchfork Media' and 'Repeat' do not go far enough. The ethic of punk exists so that it can be applied to all other forms of media: " Those who make revolution half way only dig their own graves " 3. Radio stations and the 'alternative' press have let us down. We demand more choice. An end to homogenised play lists and vh2 led guitar blandness. Xfm and Steve Lamaque are just as offensive as Jim Crow. Its to late to replaster, the entire structure is rotten. 4. Newspapers patronise us. The Guardian and the Daily Mail conform to reader expectation. Down with left wing / right wing / centrist bias. Down with shallow analysis. Enter realpoltik. We won't waste words telling readers what they already know. Why read a 2000 word article if it only makes 3 points? We promise more ideas per page. More analysis. Death to pseudo debate. 5. Modern literature is boring. Produced as it is by Oxbridge graduates for consumption by the bourgeois. Words can be exciting and dangerous. The comic book is just as worthy as the novel. Boredom is counterrevolutionary. This concerns everyone. 6. Affluence breeds apathy and the belief in change only as an impossibility. Success is realising that we may fail but trying anyway: " those who fly to close to the sun sometimes get their wings burnt " The past doesn't have to be prologue. 7. We can't hide from the poverty of our daily actions any longer. Everyday life - because of its increasing triviality (work / sleep / consume / repeat / commute) is in need of supersession. Going through the motions kills the emotions. 140,000* people try and commit suicide each year. There has to be another way out: Abolish alienation. The future will only contain what we put into it now. 8. "Living" implies more then just existing. The only way to end the drudgery is through creativity. The streets are awash with destroyed dreams.. as people discover their inner artist only to be told that they aren't good enough. Experiments in living main goal is to fuel the creative urge within ALL people. To save them from life's dissatisfaction heap. There's no such thing as "good art" or " bad art." Freedom is participation. 9. Hero worship is necrophilia. Britney Spears is NOT real, no body looks like she does in the media, not even Britney looks like that. We demand REAL role models as opposed to grotesque creations moulded by men in suits to make money to buy them their big convertibles and soulless mansions.
10. FHM pollutes more minds then Goebells. Lad culture is NO culture. If the pretext is irony we are NOT impressed. It's possible to be sensitive and articulate AND male. Glasnost is a metaphor. 11. We aren't interested in the creation of generation gaps. Q and the Nme artificially polarise debate. It's better that we present a united front. 12. Do not go and watch a rock band and then resent the attention they receive; you must take it and make it your own.
13. BE: obscence /crude/ intelligent/ talented/ talentless/ challenging/ daring/ ugly/ beautiful/ charming/ flawed/ flawless/ dressed up/ dressed down/ fat/ slim / yourself 14. WARNING: We will be challenged, knocked down, spat on at every point by people who see us breaking boundaries and challenging their personal comfort zones. They just can't handle our shit. BUT even those who have resigned themselves to wallowing in a mundane life, without questioning or wanting more will be effected when they see us making a stand, because it puts pressure on them to do the same. There's no looking back. Sheraz Qureshi with help from Kate Moore, Aristotle, Engels, Allison Wolfe, Christopher Gray and Raoul Vaneigem
www.experimentsinliving.net (launches September 15th!)
21 marzo Myspace / New blogI've started blogging over on myspace
I prefer the layout, and more people read it over there
I'll still update this page occasionally...
but all the band interviews / live reviews are going to be myspace only.
09 febbraio Pigeons go to work in a FactoryThere is a new staff of inspectors keeping a beady eye on things down at the ball bearing factory.
Products rolling of the assembly line are being checked by educated pigeons.
And their bosses claim that they are just as good as any humans at making sure the finished article is up to scratch.
The pigeon’s eyesight is so good that they can spot the slightest blemishes in the steel balls, which are produced in the Moscow factory.
They have been trained to peck a special plate when one bearing looks different to the others, even if it has only a fingerprint on it.
A reject sign lights up, the bearing is taken away, and the pigeon gets its ‘pay’ – a few millet seeds.
The Russians say the birds can be trained to peck out the rogue balls in three to five weeks. They can inspect between 3000 and 4000 bearings an hour, claims an article in the Soviet Weekly. And they never try to get extra wages by pecking out of turn. Any attempt to bring feathered inspectors into this country is unlikely to get off the ground.
An executive for one of Britain’s largest ball bearing manufacturers said, " It really sounds like one for the birds.
I shall be interested to read the Russian report, but in Britain we rely on electronic inspection and the trained human eye.
I would much rather depend on a competent human inspection than a bird anyday.
I know that there are a lot of pigeons flying around, but it has never occurred to us to train any for this kind of work "
But support for the Russian idea came from pigeon expert Dr Ronald Morton, of the national environmental research council.
He said " scientifically its quite possible
Pigeons, like other birds, have remarkable eyesight and they are quite easily domesticated.
The Russians have simply put them to work for economic ends. "
The pecking, of course, is a conditioned reflex, and the Russians have been very keen on conditioned reflexes ever since Pavlov and his dogs.
Daily Mirror 1974 14 dicembre Stanley "Tookie" WilliamsJust read this......
Does anyone else find it strange that it was Arnold Schwarzenegger, a man who's fame money and political career can all be attributed to movies in which he you know - killed lots of people, who made the final call here ??
23 novembre More reviews....Single / fanzine reviews for repeat...
We Are Scientists: The Great Escape I hate reviewing tracks like this. It’s the Placebo factor - the guitar work is ok, and even people like John Kennedy will give it air time, but its just – there is nothing to talk about.. no attempt at making any kind of statement, the standard being aimed for is so much lower, its just about ‘sounding good’. The artwork has a monkey on the front, so I suppose that’s a little redeeming, and hearing Keith Murray repeatedly sing the phrase ‘ take it like a man ’ over and over, is kind of amusing – but no, I’m not impressed.
Battle: Demons ‘Tendency’ was fantastic and this is even better, proof, if ever you needed it, that borrowing from Joy Division IS a good thing. There is a part of me that wants to criticise this for being a bit angsty, “ Sometimes I live a lonely life / Such a pointless life ” – but then I remember that their was a time when this kind of lyric would have meant a lot to me.. So yeah – brilliant stuff! Not to sure about the killer bees reference though !
Chapter XIII: The Last time Comes across as a bit cheesy in a Halloween sense. The vocals are particularly frustrating, it's just all a bit to creepy for me. Hmmmmm – next
Performance: Surrender So long as you are able to look past the electro pop, there is a really good single on offer here. According to Joe Stretch, this song is about the “ inherent humiliation of sex and love in a world of massive problem and monumental levels of desperate dying.” - I suppose lyrically its closest cousin is love sweet exile… except for this track manages to take those same themes and construct something that isn’t quite so bad musically out of it. Impossible not to like. FACT.
The New Empire: Fahrenheit 451 Starts of all iron maiden-ish – but then the lyrics hit… and they are actually trying to say something. I don’t know really – there are lots of people who read this fanzine who will find themselves completely empathising with the reasons why ‘ the new empire ’ have decided to form a band, and that’s why I don’t want to be to critical, but at times, the lyrics do come across as a tad, erm simplistic… and the riffs (especially on the first track ‘science is everything’) do feel perhaps overly familiar… go to their website and make your mind up for yourselves.
Calvoon: Coming on strong Newcastle’s own Andrew wk ? Yes I am as confused as you are – but surprisingly this kind of works… ‘coming on strong’ makes you want to party hard and b sides such as ‘feeling the feeling’ show that they can do the whole sensitive thing to. Hmmm I really don’t want to like this, but for some bizarre reason I keep on wanting to listen it. This is probably a good sign.
Noisy Zine: Everything Rock’n’roll in the county of Essex The writing here is of a consistently high standard and the layout is good to. I liked the features on internet radio and the especially useful ‘ creating a press pack ’ guide – but, fans of repeat may find this all a bit to ‘music centred’…
Brian Eno: How many worlds The pioneer of ambient music is back, and I can’t say im that excited. This all comes across as a bit to flower powery and hippy-ish. “Our little world turning in the blue / As each day goes there's another one new… How many people will we feed today / How many lips will we kiss today ” I mean what? If you are a fan of Brian Eno though – you’ll still like this, and those of you who like string sections will probably find this appealing to – its just that the sentiment behind it all comes across as so puke worthy !
Beat Motel: The Zine full of Punks, Bands, Writers and Idiocy. Of all the fanzines that have been sent in, this is easily the best. Its got pretty much everything you would expect, reviews of bands, books and films and things… plus, and this is key, it realises that in order to be worth caring about writers should be encouraged to rant about things other then music ! So you can find rants about new labour, tescos, the internet, and even Indonesia… What most encouraging is just how many contributors the zine seems to have… steve lamaque even gave it a positive mention on his radio show, check it out, you wont regret it.
Your Loss: Veracity There’s nothing essentially wrong with this – its just for a band who insist on describing themselves as an ‘ innovative-dynamic, melodic rock band ’ there isn’t really much of the whole doing something new thing going on. That doesn’t mean that this is necessarily bad – just that in terms of reaching its target audience, fans of Emo / the whole hundred reasons sound have probably already heard this kind of thing over and over – and aren’t going to get to excited. They seem to be popular in Norwich though.
High Voltage High voltage have been around for a while now, and in addition to being a fanzine, they are also an independent record label and regularly put on band nights in Manchester too. Acts such as Nine Black Alps have broken though as a result of this fanzine... its influential, and easily as respected as something like repeat. Issue 12 is worth getting for the interview with Performance alone. It’s a really good read – although, the presentation is a bit too neat and tidy for my liking, but that’s just me nitpicking.
17 novembre Some say the world will end in Performance....Formed in manchester in 2003, Performance feature a line up of Joe Strech; vocals, Joe Cross; keyboards, and sisters Laura Marsden; guitar and Billie Marsden; keyboards. Inspired by boredom and a mutual love of New Order, Depeche Mode, The Velvet Underground and Abba. Performance played their first gig at Manchester's Big hands and quickly built up local admiration, including Peter Hook who likens them to early New Order... interested to see just what all the fuss was about - Repeat regular Sheraz Qureshi, decided to hunt them down, a transcript follows...
Why are you called Performance?
When we started the band we were interested in the ways in which the idea of a band could be deconstructed and reduced to its essential components. Back then we were more preoccupied with the synthetic and the inhumane and we were interested in the theory of performing, performance as logic and a process through which ideas, identities, politics and sexuality are expressed… How does that translate in terms of your lyrics and stage presence? …the process of actually being in a band can erode the theories that first underpinned the band. Increasingly, the band is more about juxtaposing the synthetic with the humane. Musically, we try to contrast the mathematics of pop with rough guitars slung round shoulders and lyrics performed as if death depended on them. So our stage presence is a little too human nowadays, I'm less taken with the idea of being explicitly jealous. I'd rather be accountable than simply austere. In terms of the point about performance being the process by which identities are expressed, this is more of a lyrical issue. Many of the songs concern the activities that, when performed, generate identity. For example, 'Dotted line' does this in relation to the activity of language, rhetoric and acquiescence. 'I Want Out' does it in relation to work/service. ' Surrender' is Romance, 'Live a Little' death etc How long have you been together? Two and half years. Although Laura and Billie are sisters and Joe and I went to school together. Any embarrassing pre performance incarnations we should know of? Lots. But none you should know of. Two words - hip hop. I've said too much. Mark my words. The past will make fools of us all. What are your main influences? I've never been massively musical. I enjoy the novels of John Banville. The poetry of Blaise Cendrars. I do like Leoanrd Cohen and Simon and Garfunkel. The others are the truly musical ones. They're into Depeche Mode, Bowie, The Slits, Prince, The Velvet Underground, Kraftwerk, Roxette among many other groups. Would you consider yourselves to be a bit pessimist? No. I barely believe in emotion. Not my own anyway, only the emotions of others… How can our readers get hold of your music, and why should they bother? Well, you ought to register on our website. Weareperformance.co.uk. We're trying to make it into an interesting forum for different forms of creativity. Films, poetry, short stories, artwork. It would be great if your readers could contribute to these things. Performance write death pop for you to dance and die hysterically to. We believe in the politics of your misery and would be happy to discuss it with you. We believe in brilliant life. In creating things in the face of this horse shit universe. Tell us about your fanzine ' To much information ' Too Much Information is meant to be a visual representation of ideas Laura has. As a band, we're fascinated by the idea that society is somehow groaning under the weight of its own informations. There is too much evidence of everything. Sex, love, government, god, happiness. Therefore none of these things exist. Is artwork important to the band? Yes. We feel that if you submit to the creepy structures of our dear leisure capitalism then you should be prepared to marshal your troops. Don't be a fucking coward and draw a line around the concept of 'a band'. Make sure you control everything from artwork to merchandise. If you don't, then a twat will. I think artwork has the power to enhance your understanding of music. What do you see yourself doing in 20 years time? I want to be a writer. I want my youth to produce evidence that I was once alive. If you can write short stories, please go to our website and write one. We believe in creativity, detailed thoughts and fucking fun. Richey or Nicky? *Sorry this is a manics inspired fanzine ! Not sure. I'm not a massive fan. Not lately anyway. I'm very interested in their earlier incarnation. A very interesting band about whom I don't know enough. I tend to quite enjoy the company of manics fans. Have you got any heroes? Yes, my hero is Arthur Rimbaud. For today, at least. Rimbaud was a poet who stopped writing when he was about twenty one. He was a communard in Paris 1870… I'd like to go back in time. I think I'd shine. What books are you reading at the moment and what records are you listening to? I'm reading a book called Athena by John Banville. Banville writes books in which little happens but each half-moment is somehow charged with mysterious activity. If I were you I'd read 'Humbolt's Gift' by Saul Bellow. He's American. And Dead. He won the Nobel Prize. I’ve become a fan of a band called ‘The Passage’. They were contemporaries of Joy Division, but felt that joining the ‘Factory’ set-up would compromise their musical and intellectual foundations. This may have been a little foolish. I’m not sure.
There’s a link to their website on the new ‘Performance links’ section. For me, their music represents a combination of pop structure and political/sexual/social criticism that we aspire to. They did a few Peel sessions but never really received the support they deserved. I like the Anthony and the Johnsons record. (I can hear you yawning my tardy relationship with pop) My lady story is one of breast amputation, too. I like a band called the Maccabees. They're from Brighton. Where the sun often shines. What can we expect from the album? A dozen or so attempts to salvage the infectious for the caring, meaning for the right and love and sex for the loveless and sexless. I have a taste for rhetoric this morning. No. We try and write pop songs that might put an end to shit pop and explode meanings that might be important to people. Mostly about the relationship between the human subject and late capitalism. How our hearts have become amazingly cultured. Economic, in essence. How does it feel knowing that Peter Hook is a fan of the band? And are you fans of New Order? Yes, yes, we like New Order and Joy Division, too. I've never really thought about it. It feels alright. New Order are responsibe for some very good and innovative pop songs. Lovely. Name some of the bands you've played with. The Maccabees, The KBC, Brian Ferry, Pink Grease, The Bravery, The Others, Komakino. About a million others, too... Tell us about your new single. Our new single is called 'Surrender' and concerns the inherent humiliation of sex and love in a world of massive problem and monumental levels of desperate dying. It has a chorus you can dance to. What makes you cry? Television. It moves me terribly. I recently wept at X-factor as a family gathered round to console their loser daughter. Can you remember what music you liked when you were a kid? Yes, I liked Rachmaninov and Ace of Bace. " Politics and music " discuss. The meanings generated by pop music can be placed within a triangle of themes. Sex Power Death In light of this, politics can and probably should play a role in music. I enjoy writing about the politics of flesh, underwear, ditzy deaths. Talking about small politics… The politics inherent in the minutiae of each day.. Anything you wish I'd asked but haven't? No, no. I'm tired now. I wish we could have discussed things in more depth. And finally.. Chips or Cream buns?05 novembre A Historical ComparisonIn the new BBC serial "Rome", Caesar's daughter is married to Pompey, his colleague and rival. She dies in childbirth and he tries to marry off another relative to Pompey. Are any of you thinking of the 3rd Duke of Norfolk, his nieces and Henry VIII?
01 novembre Looking Good On The Dancefloor? Arctic Monkeys and the Power of HypeThe Arctic Monkeys, so we are told, are the next 'great British band', successors to the Smiths and Libertines, number one in the charts, and on track to be bigger than Oasis… Except for - and I'm sure I'm not the only one here - I'm really not buying it. Yes, 'I bet you look good on the Dancefloor' sounds alright, it's fun, it's upbeat, and the lyric is a lot darker then you might expect, but really where is this parallel with the great bands of the past? Comparing the Arctic Monkeys to the Libertines is like comparing Placebo to the Manics. Both bands may 'sound' like they are from the same genre, but that's where the similarity ends. Whereas Pete and Nicky aren't afraid to point their listeners to something more, Alex's lyrics never really move beyond observation. It's a case of style over substance. Even listening to the Arctic Monkeys is a frustrating experience, the music is from 4 years ago, and the lyrics really don't do anything other then regurgitate the same themes that 'pop' is so often criticised for obsessing with. Yet, there will be those who rush to their defence, "you don't understand, they've had this really natural Internet fuelled growth" and "Alex isn't going to fuck up on us" are the most popular claims. But all of these points fall flat.. My Chemical Romance, The Editors, and many other bands have broken through using the internet and file sharing. The Arctic Monkeys aren't unique because of it, and it's not even as if they created their own 'fan community' - most of this seems to have happened via libertines.org, and even then, no one was particularly fussed until the music industry (hello Conner McNicholas) decided to pick up on it. But still, the popular perception is that the Arctic monkeys are some kind of 'against the odds underground success story' - and I suppose you cant blame the fans for thinking this. Every aspect of the Monkeys' marketing seems geared towards creating this perception: the bootleg style video promo, the lo-fi production on the single, but its all just image. If you want an example of a band who became huge in spite of, and not because, of the music industry, listen to The Darkness! And as for the whole 'but Pete has lost it' argument, well I'm not convinced. 'The Man Who Came to Stay'? 'For Lovers'? 'Killamangiro'? You can't fault his output - and with 'Down in Albion', Pete's actually started to branch out and experiment more. It's just a shame so many of his fans don't seem to want to take that leap, and instead insist on regressing with the Monkeys... Of course it isn't all bad… The Arctic Monkeys are an example of just how much influence the NME now has, and this (believe it or not) is a good thing. It's just that, sometimes, they get it wrong too… 21 ottobre Arguing in favour of the collective, continued...But first a recap: " Suppose I live in the suburbs and work in the city. I could drive my car to work, or take the bus. I prefer not to wait around for the bus, and so I take my car. Fifty thousand other people living in the suburb face this same choice and make the same decision. The road to town is choked with cars. It takes each of us an hour to travel ten miles.
In this situation, according to the liberal conception of freedom, we have all chosen freely. No one deliberatly interfered with our choices. Yet the outcome is something none of us want. If we all went by bus, the roads would be empty and we would cover the distance in twenty minutes. Even with the inconvenience of waiting at the bus stop, we would all prefer that. We are, of course, free to alter our choice of transportation, but what can we do? While so many cars slow the bus down, why should any individual choose differently?
The liberal concept of freedom has led to a paradox: we have chosen in our own interests, but the result is in no one's interest. Individual rationality, collective irrationality.
The solution, obviously, is for us to get together and make a collective decision. As individuals we are unable to bring about the situation we desire. Together we can achieve what we want, subject only to the physical limits of our resources and technology. In this example we can alll agree to take the bus. "
And now for a rebuttal (thank you Charlie) " Two words Sheraz: Bus lanes !!! " *sigh
Still I was never serious about the whole Socialist thing anyway = P 14 ottobre Russia's New RasputinThe idea of someone claiming to be Jesus is a little bit odd..... but that he can also muster enough support to run for president of Russia in 2008 ? thats just a little bit bizarre.
For more info click here: http://www.times.spb.ru/story/15668
He claims to be able to bring people back from the dead. and apparently on the 17th of October he is going to be resurrecting ' the lost children ' of the Belsan massacre. Whats stranger is that its not just the vulnerable who believe in him... apparently he is being employed by the Russain government to use his extra-sensory skills to make sure the Presidential plane stays safe on trips.. I'm going to see if I can dig anything else out on him later, but for now - that will do.
02 ottobre Single ReviewsEmpty Vessels: If it came down to it Art Zoo noise? No I did not just make a genre up – that’s how empty vessels describe their sound! I suppose I understand to an extent. Words aren’t really the focus here, what you get are lots of la la’s, shrieks, and yes – animal style noises! There is of course the occasional sound bite thrown in – but its what it all adds up to that makes it so impressive. Throw away the lyrics… and suddenly indie isn’t left bare – but with a more diverse range of vocal sounds to experiment with, and for daring to embrace that, empty vessels are to be applauded. http://www.emptyvessels.net
My Visor: Sickroom Remixes EP Kathryn Mac’s vocals are definitely of the PJ Harvey mould, but it’s what she finds herself singing over that’s the problem. There is potential here for sure – but its just frustrating listening to songs that sound like they could have been so much more. If you want to delve further, download ‘ think of you. ’ Its relegated to b side status here, but its their best moment so far. Not any easy band to like, but definitely one to watch. http://www.myvisor.co.uk
Icecream Headache: Not Indestructible Bands like this aren’t supposed to exist anymore. Think the fast and the furious, a band somewhere between the politics of sham 69 and the diy of art brute. They can’t play and they don’t care. I don’t even mind that this doesn’t sound particularly original – in fact, that’s part of the appeal: “ our aim is to make music redundant ” remember? Of course you can only get away with that if you have something to say, and they do: “ The world is not a playground it’s a building site ” – It’s Debord distilled all over again... http://www.freewebs.com/ichead
Stillman: The Weightless EP
Hmmm lets see:
q Boys with guitars? q Angst / Self hate? q Where’s the X factor? q Acoustic-ish? q “Sensitive” lyrics? q Verse / Chorus… Verse? q Impossible for girls to dance to?
Indie by numbers? No – never! PS: If you are going to try and present a skewed version of your history to your fans, then you know – go for it, but at least don’t leave a trail of evidence on your website that undoes it all! “ I wasn’t born for show / no labels on my soul “ yeah right…. http://www.stillman.org.uk
Ricky: High Speed Silence The problem when bands try and emulate Britpop is that the end result ends up more ‘the man who’ then ‘definitely maybe,’ and I don’t think ‘new acoustic’ ever really did it for anyone. Yet there are some tracks that really stand out. “ That Extra Mile” reminds me of early Travis (but complete with a feel good brass section). “Running,” sounds like the Coral at their best and in ‘ I can lead you to war ’ the band even find time to comment on the dangers of mixing religion with politics… The verdict then? Feel good indie in the vein of the magic numbers, although slightly weighed down by JJ72 esq. vocals BUT give it a few listens and you will be won over to. http://www.rickyonline.co.uk
Toupe: Burgers The album is called burgers because..... " Burgers symbolise everything that is bad for you! Instantly satisfying; not good for you in anyway, except to stop you feeling hungry and packaged to appeal to kids. Now place that on pop music." Interesting… and the entire album is packaged to read like a restaurant menu, with each song being compared to a meal description. I don’t know what to make of this to be fair. Anything with kazoos in is always going to get a sort of thumbs up, and I like the fact that even though they are trying to say something they realise the importance of humour in trying to get through to people. But ultimately the album is to long (1 hour 20 minutes) and lacks the flair of say a Tenacious D that would make this all work. Bonus points for effort mind. http://www.toupe.co.uk
Casual Saints: Bones in the Sun The opening sounds a bit like we are scientists... its fun and upbeat – and on the b sides they show they can do slower stuff to. At first I worried that they sounded to similar to everything else to really get noticed – but then I heard their cover of East 17’s ‘ Stay another day ’ and suddenly wasn’t anywhere near as sceptical! A good band then, just don’t expect any riots… http://www.manillapr.com/ Influx: I Got Held Up I’m sure that with the right producer these songs could come across better, but as it is – I find this hard to recommend. “This is messy and ramshackle, with guitars that sound on the verge of collapse ” – yeah but that’s not a good thing is it? I’m reminded of a less accomplished At the Drive in… maybe I need to see them live before passing judgement? http://www.influx-music.co.uk
Sidearm: Don’t cry until you are dead. I like the presentation, whether that’s the artwork on the cd – or the website’s design. Plus if you see them live they start their shows with pretentious poetry readings and weird backdrop screen projections! Great stuff! Listen to this if you like Mogwai / Godspeed your emperor… it’s a demo – so don’t expect it to sound ‘ fully there ’ just yet, but considering the budget this was done on it's as fine a piece of angst fuelled rock as any. http://www.sidearm.tk/
23 settembre Playing Cricket for AustraliaA highlight from today's BBC Newsnight mail out
* and no where near as dull as that makes it sound = D
>>> And finally, my thanks to Newsnight viewer Laurence for this obviously true story from Australia: " Ten year old Billy was at school in the outback when the teacher asked all the children what there fathers did for a living. All the typical answers came out, Fireman, Policeman, Salesman, Carpenter, Shopkeeper etc, but Billy was being uncharacteristically quiet and so the teacher asked him directly about his father. "Well," Billy said hesitantly, "it's a bit embarrassing." "Come, come, Billy," remonstrated the teacher. "You are among friends here." "Okay," said the boy. "My father is an exotic dancer in a gay club and takes off all his clothes in front of other men. They pay him by putting money in his underwear." The teacher quickly set the other children some work and took little Billy aside to ask him if that was really true. "No" said Billy, "He plays cricket for Australia but I was just too embarrassed to say." Newsnight is at 10.30pm on BBC Two. Gavin 21 settembre Do Your Balls Hang Low ?I was flicking through some old World War One poetry and came across this gem; and alright its not quite ' Suicide in the Trenches ' but its got a bit more of a sense of humour to it.
Do your balls hang low? Do they dangle to and fro? Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow? Do they rattle when you walk? Do they jingle when you talk? Do they itch when its hot? Do you rest them in a pot? Can you sling them on your shoulder? Like a lousy soldier ?
Do your balls hang low ?
Anonymous
PS: Bonus points to anyone who can offer a credible explaination of the thing ! 16 settembre Soviet PropagandaI found this whilst googling for Soviet Propaganda...
Anyone have any idea what its saying ???
 09 settembre Kele (again)Just thought I'd highlight some quotes from the following interview: http://pitchforkmedia.com/interviews/b/bloc-party-05/
Sounds' fine in theory - but then you look at the lyrics:
How is that leaving people space to form their own conclusions ? And this bit:
So, if Helicopter isnt about bush, then what (if anything) is it about? Any takers ? 06 settembre Anarchy / Apartied / Morality as an Aphrodisiac
Anti Rape Devises: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050831/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_safrica_rape *not a hoax, this is a genuine product that is about to be trailed in South Africa. I can see why there is a demand for it, but it just comes across as so barbaric. The devise is worn like a tampon, and when the female is attacked, it hooks onto the male penis using sharp barbs – and can then only be removed by surgery.... Have a read.
An Anarchist's Perspective on Porn: http://www.etext.org/Politics/BAD.brigade/BAD-Broadside-%235 *is it worrying that an anarchist website comes across as more balanced and less extreme then I do?
The Pure Motive: http://www.radicalphilosophy.com/default.asp?channel_id=2187&editorial_id=17648 *Charity and apartied? What is it about ex patriots...
Forum Posts: As a general rule, I tend to win when it comes to debating… this post however (made in response to my pornography article on the REPEAT message board) has me stumped: >> But by defending it, you have in effect taken all of the fun out of it! Have you read straw dogs by John Gray: " Morality as an aphrodisiac: A sense of guilt may add spice to otherwise unremarkable vices. There are undoubtedly those who have converted to Christianity because they seek an excitement that mere pleasure can no longer supply. Think of Graham Greene, who used the sense of sin he acquired through converting to Catholicism as an aphrodisiac. Morality has hardly made people better; but it has certainly enriched our vices. Post Christians deny themselves the pleasures of guilt. They blush at using a queasy conscience to flavour their stale pleasures. As a result, they are notably lacking in joie de vivre. Among those who have once been Christian, pleasure can be intense only if it is mixed with the sensation of acting immorally. " Any ideas for a rebuttal ?
PS: New lists added: 5 year plan, Love, Hate, Quotes.... 31 agosto Lazy post.....Links for Sheraz's REPEAT stuff:
Rants:
Reviews:
Future posts to include:
Articles: Sex Pistols Revisted, Suicide Tourism, Popetown,
Reviews: The Torture Garden, Outfoxed, Public Enemy Greatest Hits
Rants: Medics, Why People who dislike Sports are Wrong...
Fiction: The International Qureshi Awards (extended version) GuestbookWhat people are saying:
" A defeat for a generation lost in a world with no taste "
" Perfect for those mind bending moments when time appears to stand still "
" Essentially Meaningless "
" The Spectacle in all its glory... "
Feel free to let me know what you think of the site, what you want more of, what you want less of... Or even just to say hi.
26 agosto Arguing in favour of the Collective" Suppose I live in the suburbs and work in the city. I could drive my car to work, or take the bus. I prefer not to wait around for the bus, and so I take my car. Fifty thousand other people living in the suburb face this same choice and make the same decision. The road to town is choked with cars. It takes each of us an hour to travel ten miles.
In this situation, according to the liberal conception of freedom, we have all chosen freely. No one deliberatly interfered with our choices. Yet the outcome is something none of us want. If we all went by bus, the roads would be empty and we would cover the distance in twenty minutes. Even with the inconvenience of waiting at the bus stop, we would all prefer that. We are, of course, free to alter our choice of transportation, but what can we do? While so many cars slow the bus down, why should any individual choose differently?
The liberal concept of freedom has led to a paradox: we have chosen in our own interests, but the result is in no one's interest. Individual rationality, collective irrationality.
The solution, obviously, is for us to get together and make a collective decision. As individuals we are unable to bring about the situation we desire. Together we can achieve what we want, subject only to the physical limits of our resources and technology. In this example we can alll agree to take the bus. "
Part two to follow....
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