Cultural Pilgrim » Rock Music

Rock music in panorama: Book review of Bill Flanagan’s Evening’s Empire

Andres Kabel — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 20:00:01 +0000

As a sucker for novels set in the milieu of rock music, I was blown away by Bill Flanagan’s Evening’s Empire, partly because it is completely different to all the others I’ve read. Rather than embedding the reader in a character who is a singer or guitarist in a band, the hero of Evening’s Empire, Jack Flynn, is a band manager. Fortuitously thrust as a callow young lawyer into the epochal period of 60s British rock music, he becomes manager of the Ravons, Flanagan’s fictional band that comes across as a blend of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd. Early superstars, the Ravons fracture and its four members progressively move to America, as does manager Jack, allowing the author to track the evolution of rock music through the decades. Which he does with a marvellous combination of insight, name dropping and narrative flair. There are no gymnastic stylistics here, but Flanagan manages to imbue his uncertain hero’s retrospective story with a satisfying, idiosyncratic voice. As a fan of rock music, I can tell you his retelling of the epochs of rock is spot on. And at a more fundamental level, Evening’s Empire is a reflection on creativity, fame and its many discontents, and happiness. The novel is long but deservedly, for it’s no less than a reflection on the history of rock music from its inception in the late 60s (you can forget earlier periods in my opinion).

A grand ‘rock family’ drama that will embrace you with its sweep. 3½ stars.

Real singing: Music review of Brutalist Bricks by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Andres Kabel — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 20:00:37 +0000

The exuberance of Ted Leo on ‘The Mighty Sparrow,’ the opening track of Brutalist Bricks, the fifth album from Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, is enough to sweep away all those lingering thoughts of the death of rock. This man goes for it! His brand of punk/pop is old-fashioned, somehow a cross between XTC (in their opening punky incarnation), Green Day and Graham Parker, so the band remains a cult fave and no more. I was daunted when I first listened to Brutalist Bricks – the bass is so furious, the punkiest tracks are raw as anything, and Ted sprays his vocals with such fury! – but soon enough the underlying melodies, the nifty arrangements (especially the cutesy endings, each one a gem) and the erudite lyrics took over. I’ll go out on a limb and say this is my favourite Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ release. All the tracks are high quality but standouts include the frenetic, keening ‘Woke Up Near Chelsea’; the apocalyptic ‘Last Days’; and the drunken travelogue of ‘Bottled up in Cork’.

At last, a singer who sounds like he means it. Hail Ted Leo. 4 stars.

Genuine arty art-rock: Music review of Sisterworld by Liars

Andres Kabel — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:00:27 +0000

I bought Sisterworld, the fifth album by American three-piece art-rock band Liars, because I’d read the band proclaimed itself ‘free of influences’. And an otherworldly cocktail of rock, post-rock, jazz-rock and chamber pop Sisterworld proves to be. Never conventional, the band takes each song down odd, disjunctive roads, alternating dissonance, guitar squalls, moody melancholia and weird choruses. If that description seems forbidding, I did find that after a few spins on the turntable, the Liars present as less Beefheart than Nick Cave backing Tortoise. Some of the songs I never did fall in love with, but sufficiently many impressed to justify the original curiosity. Recommended tracks include ‘Scissors,’ which begins with with woozy acapella vocals and leaps into a noisy chorus; the Henry-Rollins-crossed-with-Peter-Gabriel noisefest ‘Scarcrows on a Killer Slant’; and the claustrophobic ‘No Barrier Fun,’ with upfront bass, clicking drums and tinkling keys.

Sisterworld isn’t for everyone but if you like your rock music to occasionally veer towards the avant-garde, you should take a listen. 2½ stars.

Brit magic: Music review of Sparkle Lane by Edward Rogers

Andres Kabel — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 20:00:58 +0000

Edward Rogers is an oddly positioned singer-songwriter of a type only Britain can produce. On Sparkle Lane, his third album, he pens imaginative, well-arranged songs that straddle folk-rock, Kinks-style pop and Bowie-style glam. One minute the listener is channelling Mott the Hoople in the wonderful title track, the next brings rolling modern folk like the pointed ‘Land of the Free’. Rogers’ vocal style varies with the songs, which is interesting in an era when distinctive voices reign. The arrangements are energetic and Rogers’ lyrics, of Costello ilk, are delightful. Additional highlights include the gentle singalong ‘Little Angel’ and the reflective ‘Last of the Artful Dodgers’.

Distinctive, mildly oddball Brit singer-songwriter magic. 3 stars.

Sublime post-rock Brit folk: Music review of Tunng’s And then We Saw Land

Andres Kabel — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:00:54 +0000

Tunng is a subtle mix of folky music allied to complex arrangements of imaginative, insistent drumming and brilliant keyboards. Their previous album Good Arrows was whimsical and pleasurable; And then We Saw Land is a step forward, adding to the mix passionate, anthemic moments that seize the listener. Both of the band’s singers, Mike Lindsay and Becky Jacobs, offer the same soft Brit-folk voicings, but both evoke the lyrical words wonderfully. At first it sounds like something you heard around a campfire; only upon extended listening does it become clear that And then We Saw Land is very much a careful studio orchestration, one of brilliance. Several tracks are corkers: ‘Don’t Look Down or Back’, with its elegiac beginnings slowing down into a near stop then bursting into dramatic chorus; bouncy ‘Hustle’; the twangy, odd ‘The Roadside’; and the crunchy blippy syncopation of ‘Sashimi’.

And then We Saw Land is intelligent folk-oriented music with a post-rock slant. 3½ stars.

Heavenly electronica: Music Review of Four Tet’s There Is Love in You

Andres Kabel — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:00:36 +0000

Electronica and I have had a love/hate relationship, tilted more towards the latter, ever since I saw Tangerine Dream in concert in the 70s. I shun the vapidity of club music and therefore rarely buy electronic artists, but every few months I’m drawn to try my luck once more. I was told Radiohead cited Four Tet – the bank moniker of Kieran Hebden – as an influence, and I’d listened to an older release, so the rave reviews for this artist’s seventh album unlocked my wallet.

There Is Love in You is tinkly, syncopated, almost ambient music that could be found in a club lounge but is also more interesting than that. Like my heroes Tangerine Dream and Can, Four Tet builds up slowly varying tapestries of rhythm and melody. Tracks that I keep playing while working include the loping, eclectic drum-anchored ‘This Unfolds’; ‘Circling’, which does just that with a simple piano melody; ‘Plastic People’ which layers lovely snippets over a pleasing beat and quiet melody; and the treated female vocals holding up ‘Angel Echoes’.

Imaginative and sonically lovely. 3 stars.

A dose of punk: Music review of The Soft Pack

Andres Kabel — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:00:17 +0000

Punk was the shout, the sneer (Johnny Rotten!), the rattling beat, the chorus. Punk is still all of those aspects, but I left it behind after a 70s love affair. Rarely does modern punk call to me, and if it does, the key has to be the melodic content. Melodic choruses drew me to the Soft Pack’s self-titled debut. Four blokes from California, their songs snap and kick, the lyrics cry rebel, and singer Matt Lamkin’s voice captures punk’s heyday. I wish they hadn’t needed to follow Green Day and include obligatory ballads but even these are listenable. Big tracks include the call-to-action, riffy ‘C’mon’; the fierce, chugging ‘Pull Out’; and the propulsive, soaring ‘Answer to Yourself’.

Modern, basic punk. 3 stars.

Frothy 60s pop: Music review of Volume Two by She & Him

Andres Kabel — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:00:35 +0000

Most forays by actors into music are not worth listening to, but the first album from She & Him – actress Zooey Deschanel teamed up with beguiling singer-songwriter M. Ward – was spirited and atmospheric. She & Him are back with Volume Two, with eleven original Deschanel songs and two covers. The sophomore release is as fresh and listenable as the debut. Deschanel’s voice is waifish candy in 60s style and the songs echo that ambience – throwaway but like a cool breeze. M. Ward adds clever arrangements and rootsy guitar and is a splendid backup vocalist. Highlights of Volume Two include the Nancy-Sinatra-like bubbly pop of ‘In the Sun’; the plaintive ‘Thieves’; and the bouncy ‘Over It Over Again’.

Perfect for a road trip with the windows open. 2½ stars.

The alt-pop voice from heaven: Music review of Broken Bells

Andres Kabel — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:00:46 +0000

The end of the Shins felt premature, so when its pivotal member, James Mercer was announced to be working with producer/musician Danger Mouse, loud cheers could be heard. And the fruit of that collaboration, the self-titled release of Broken Bells, has been worth waiting for.

Mercer writes nifty, slightly askew alt-pop songs with Stipe-ish, involving lyrics. His clear, high singing has the expressive quality of the voice of Tim Booth (of James fame). The Broken Bells release is relatively short at ten tracks, but each one is polished, rhythmic, melodic and expressive. Much of it could have come from a Shins release, albeit with a keyboards orientation, but he does branch out into some more funky or dubby songs. In all senses of the word, this is a collaboration: the keyboards of Danger Mouse range from burbling synths to roaring organs to tinkling keys, he contributes all the drums, and he and Mercer share bass duties. Top track picks include ‘The High Road,’ which kicks off with bubbling synth percolation and settles into a lovely repeated coda; the delightful keyboard intro and high vocals of ‘October’; and ‘Sailing to Nowhere’, with its acoustic guitar and keys intro overlaid by falsetto, morphing into Mercer’s lovely chorus backed by organ, finalized by an extended musical finale. But the truth is, this album is very much a unified pleasure.

Buy anything James Mercer puts out! 3½ stars.

A ripper: Music review of The Night Before by James

Andres Kabel — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:00:06 +0000

Nineties band James achieved stadium status in their British homelands but are not well-known elsewhere. They disbanded in 2001 and their key member, singer/lyricist Tim Booth put out a memorable solo release. They reformed in 2007 with the fine Hey Ma and have now adopted a calculated approach of releasing over 2010 two mini LPs.

The first of the two, The Night Before, is a revelation, seven familiar yet adventurous tracks of varied, upbeat, full-band rock, underpinned by Booth’s pristine, expressive vocals. The band has lost none of its imaginative arrangement skills, and each song ebbs and flows in classic James style, complete with full-on choruses. Standout tracks include ‘Porcupine’, with its slide guitar and ambience wonderfully reminiscent of the classic Laid album; the driving ‘Crazy’; and singalong ‘Dr Hellier’, with wonderfully obscure lyrics that seem to conflate Iraq and psychoanalysis.

A pity The Night Before is not a full-length album, but it’s not far off one and it’s a ripper. 4 stars