Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Glasvegas - band of the future?

At the moment I dig Glasvegas! And no one have written reviews about them here. (Maybe because musicmag Gaffa havn't read the new Q Magazine yet?) It's the sound of young Scotland, and the most exciting thing to come out of the scottish gutter of Dalmarnock, Glasgow, since the Jesus and Mary Chain in the 80s. Amazing, some would say.

At least that was what the scottish musicindustry mogul Alan McGee said. (Right, that's the guy who founded independent label Creation and signed Oasis). Just listen how big these guys think they can be! - Scotland's Sunday Herald made a late but patriotic challenge by proclaiming Glasvegas' eponymous debut The Best Scottish Album Ever, but Allan McGee had already hyped the band into another dimension: "Defined an entire decade of UK rock'n'roll with one tune ... change British working class culture ... easily eclipsed every modern band in the UK ..."

I've taken their debut-album for quite some spins and find it really, really interesting. But not groundbreaking nor a miracle. But hey, I'm not from Scotland. Maybe that's why I can hear some prentiousness in their tunes, like Starsailor debut with Phil Spector behind the knobs.

Glasvegas has a huge sound, which can make you feel like you step into some really important meeting without being the least prepared. Insted you just got annoyed. But when you are over it or really ready for it, there are moments which are reaaaaaly good. The band have a drummer who plays standing up, a love for 60s girl groups and a guitar-wall that produces an expansive, echoing shimmer.

When this works, it really works. Frontman James Allan writed wonderful, socialrealistic lyrics, which mirrors all the problems in the crime-ridden city of Glasgow. Daddy's Gone is a divorce saga, Flowers and Football Tops is powerful and melodic sweet, in deep contrast to the lyrics about the murder of Glaswegian teenager Kriss Donald. Geraldine sounds like a love song until its protagonist is revealed to be a social worker and so on.

Metallica had a global release plan for their new album Death Magnetic. The only country where Metallica postponed the release were in England. Why? Glasvegas album.

I'm not sure Glasvegas will create revolution like Oasis did, but at least they have the drive and the sound to do it. At least in United Kingdom. I'm exited about Glasvegas, so give them a spin!

  • Glasvegas - Geraldine
  • Glasvegas - It's my own cheating heart...


  • Friday, September 19, 2008

    MTV Pool Party Crosby Stills, Nash & Young

    Big Sur in California is a legendary place. For hippies and poets, and tourists. In 1969 Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young decided to wear some wicked ponchos and grow some crazy sideburns. Just look at Neil!

    I tried to work it out and my research says this recording is from Big Sur Folk Festival, California. A festival where some of the finest folk singers and musicians in the world positioned themselves on the edge of some of America's most glorious scenery for a farewell to summer. And of course as a celebration of nonviolence in mid-September of 1969. It was the sixth annual Big Sur Folk Festival, one of the season's smallest (in attendance) and loveliest (in mood). It's said.

    Regardless, this video shows you those dancing hippies that kind of freaks me out and makes me kind of nervous, but the music is magic. I guess this is the MTV Pool Party Generation of 1969 with more drugs less money. Joan Baez and some sister is there too.

    Peace.




    New Ryan Ada.. sorry CARDINALS album

    Finally, it is official. Here's what the Mecca of Ryan Adams fans - a.k.a. The Ryan Adams Archive - reports:

    a new Cardinals record titled Cardinology is to be released on October 27th in UK/Europe and 28th October in the USA 
    recorded at Electric Lady Studios in NYC 
    produced by the Cardinals and Tom Schick tracklisting is :

    1. Born Into A Light
    2. Go Easy
    3. Fix It
    4. Magick
    5. Cobwebs
    6. Let Us Down Easy
    7. Crossed Out Name
    8. Natural Ghost
    9. Sink Ships
    10. Evergreen
    11. Like Yesterday
    12. Stop

    Preceding the album will be the first single, ‘Fix It’, which will be released digitally on September 23.

    The band will celebrate the release with a performance on The Late Show With David Letterman on October 29.


    Here is a live version of 'Magick' - my favorite of the three songs, I have heard from the album. The 'Halloween Head' of Cardinology, I suspect. Sound is lousy, so are the lyrics but it still rocks as f***!


    Thursday, September 18, 2008

    Metallica sounds better in Guitar Hero

    We who love old school Metallica - both the music and the real logo with sharp lightning edges - AND Guitar Hero are jeopardized by tthe news that the album Death Magnetic sounds way better in Guitar Hero than on cd.

    I have yet to buy this album - maybe I never will - but if I should there's now a reason to buy it via Playstation Gameshop.

    You can now go sign a pertition and send a message to the music industry that enough is enough, and we want decent-sounding records again!

    Thursday, September 11, 2008

    Cocksucker Blues - The Stones - Youtube

    In 1972, Robert Frank followed The Rolling Stones on their tour of North America and made a film called Cocksucker Blues. The title referenced a song written by the band as a fuck-you to their outgoing record label. The film was never released but bootleg copies exist...and a copy has inevitably found it's way onto YouTube in nine parts (93 minutes total).

    Part one, part two, part three, part four, part five, part six, part seven, part eight, and part nine.

    The quality is not very good but for hardcore Stones and music fans, it's probably worth a look if you haven't seen it.

    Monday, September 08, 2008

    Vintage Oasis / Pre-Nirvana

    The Guardian compiled a very nice list of fifty great arts video available on YouTube, including Joy Division playing on Granada Television in 1978, Jack Kerouac reads On the Road in 1959, and Jackson Pollock making one of his drip paintings in 1951.

    Nirvana - Love Buzz/Scoff/About a Girl - live


    Oasis - tv debut - 18. march 1994

    The Eternal Children by David Kleijwegt

    It's not new, but I havn't seen it before. It's the documentary 'The Eternal Children' by David Kleijwegt (2006) for viewing on YouTube. You should really see this.

    It'a an unique and interesting documentary about the the freak-folk artist such Antony & The Johnstons, CocoRosie, Vashti Bunyan, Devendra Banhart and so on. These folks are so individual and different. It's ever-interessting to listen to the Casady twins tell about their unusual childhood on the outside of what we perceive as a normal society or hear Devendra talk about the voice of his heart and about his dual mind.

    Well, admitted, Devendra is a bit too much for me at times, so much form, but respect to him anyways for making music that are full of wellmeant feeling. The documentary is about that generation of musicians which share a common spirituality and certain lyrical understanding of the world. As a review puts it: it's people ‘with their eyes wde-open’, but not naive, but with hope; a young generation that shifts away from the rage and depression of early 90s.

    C.S Lewis once said: "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - This is a good quote for this beautiful little documentary. As well for all the rest of us.

    All six parts below!

    Part 1:


    Part 2:


    Part 3:


    Part 4:


    Part 5:


    Part 6: