Eighties Failbox

I’m aware that is probably one of the worst titles I have ever come up with, and using the term fail should see me punished by ‘n00bs’ for all eternity. But upon hearing the previews of the new Eighties Matchbox album fail is the only term I can think of to sum up my feelings.
When bands lose a principal song writer they have a variety of options:
Disband, which each member focusing on their own projects.
Continue playing the same songs in the same style eventually fading away.
Become a parody of yourself and try and emulate earlier successes until you isolate even the most hardcore base.
Enhance your style musically and create something different/experimental enough to retain a shred of dignity.

Unfortunately for people like myself, massive Eighties Matchbox fans, they have been drinking heavily from suggestion goblet two and three. Apparently they fear suggestion goblet four and suggestion goblet one has only been tried by dipping a toe in other bands, beside Rich Fownes. The music they produce now is just sub-par garage music, sung by an Elvis impersonator doing his best Nick Cave impression. Strangely this was what endeared me to the band, but after a decade of it I can’t muster up the same enthusiasm I once had, a problem I seemingly share with the band. Maybe they’ve lost the danger they once had, maybe they shall be saved as always by their live shows or just maybe they’ll produce an album after this of reasonable quality. I however remain un-optimistic.
This may sound like the harsh ramblings of a jilted lover but that’s how I feel, spurned by one I once loved as they promise me just one more time things will be ok. And while I can still stand to see you, I will always remember the happier times as I cuddle up to my Horse of the Dog.
To hear what I speak of here’s a link: Matchbox Myspace.
Prove me wrong good sirs, prove me wrong.

Pass the parcel and returning Decembers,
Chris.

I don’t understand it

But go here and help your benevolent leader to get somewhere in the Squidoo charts. Also if you create one yourself tell them this brilliant man sent you. Ka and Ching.

Cash and Money,

Chris

Discussions

I know I’m a little late on this considering it came out last year but I’ve just found one of my new favourite singles of 2008. Discussions by Look See Proof is a jangly Indie record with a hook that has a similar level of catchyness to it as Now We Can See by the Thermals. It’s perfect for times like this when it should be sunny but isn’t. Anyway enough, talk time for action. Enjoy these summery musical meanderings.

Faces and applause,

Chris.

Enter Shikari

Click here to see the review of Enter Shikari at the Falmouth Pavilions.

Televangelists and Ducks

Christians are a mad old bunch, whether it be there choice of locations to picket or their more than slightly odd views on how we came to be. Non are more detached from reality than Pat Robertson, a man with such far right leanings I’m guessing he has opposes dressing to the left.
His latest opposition to a law preventing the persecution and abuse of people of ‘different’ sexual orientation is beyond the pale of bizarre. While this law is minorly offensive on it’s own, one that it’s only recently been passed and two that this is classed as sexual difference as if there is one overaching norm; it’s opposition is laughable. As this law has crossed the boundaries and destroyed the norm Pat, our saviour, has confusingly argued a point no one wanted to make. If men and women can no longer be persecuted for their sexual orientation can it be long before peadophiles and duck molesters are rampant in our streets?
All I know is my gut says maybe.
Anyway here is a wonderful response from folk comedy twosome (or the female Conchords) Garfunkel & Oates.

Ducks and Religion,

Chris.

P.S. Bravo to pixienymph for the comment: I’d be your duck. Lovely

In recompense for stealing words…

Fannies!

Hands up who likes Nazis?

Safe to say that I’ll probably get a poor showing on the hand stakes for that one, unless of course there are many film directors watching. The mystifying love of all that is Reich continues unabated in 2009 with people all over the world reveling in the violence meted out or meted on the Nazis, dead or alive.
I talk of course of Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming blood-fest Inglourious Basterds, taking bad spelling to an all new place and slaughtering as many jack booted storm troopers as possible.
The trailer has been circulating for a while and I must say it doesn’t fill me with excitement as much as concern. Showing as it does the weakest excuse for wartime violence ever envisaged, and claiming I have never seen war like this before. I imagine what that means is it will be wall to wall death-killing where plot takes a back seat to the slaughter. Also I disparage the claim about not seeing war like this before, as this is all I’ve been seeing with every war film made since the Second World War, the most horrendous and most subsequently re-imagined war ever. Anyway have a look and make up your own mind, but ask yourself, Tarantino or no, do we really need another World War fantasy?

And on a brighter but no less fascist note we have Dead Snow from director Tommy Wikola. A far more interesting premise, and a wonderful imagining of what I, and anybody else who owns CoD: World at War, has been playing and thoroughly enjoying. But I can’t actually describe the wonder of this film, so you’ll just have to watch the trailer.

Although there isn’t a release date scheduled for this country, I’m pretty sure it’ll be on DVD before too long.

Anyway that’s enough Germans for now.

Boots and Work,
Chris.W

Daylight

Before I get bogged down in work for the next few weeks I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to the wonder of Matt & Kim. They’ve recently premiered their new single Lessons Learned on MTV and it’s a brilliant stab at Alanis Morissette but without the Lady Godiva hair coverage.
There are a lot of two person bands out there that have succeeded in sounding better than most 4+ bands, Matt & Kim choosing to play kick drum heavy indie tunes with that all so important synthy twist. They also have an American Los Compesinos! vibe following them, probably because of the singers not quite singing, not quite talking monotone style of vocalization the Welsh ones love so much.
Anyway don’t take my word for it:

Coffee & Sunshine,

Chris

You could be my punk rock princess

Old rock songs are great to listen to of a boring evening, a boring evening with only cannelloni to keep you company. I could really do with some Vino (and I am aware how lame that reads).
But I advise all of you to watch Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, it’s depressingly rocktastic and has the best avid fans in the history of rabid fandom. And then to finish off your evening and complete the somber tone listen to Stay Positive. by the Streets and ignore your spellchecker when it says you should have a capital after a full stop.
I’d like to see more incorrect grammar in professional writing though, if only to make me feel better some times. Also then I could see professional writers using the word n00b, and anything that enables that is good in my eyes.
This blog has no point sorry, if you feel I have wasted your time by drawing you in with song lyric titles tell your friends and come round and break my windows. They break relatively easily.

Horse and Cake,
Chris.

A new week, a new face

I gave up drinking this week, or more accurately I gave up drinking alcohol. I always found it strange when people say they’re off the drink, I know taking it literally and trying to deride humour from it is nothing new but I still find it strange phrasing. But maybe in a few years rather than dying people will just be ‘off the oxygen’.
So wagon or nay I did at some point promise to rip into Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip at some point, so for anyone awaiting that here is part 2 of ‘bands I used to enjoy for their lyricism but are now making themselves look foolish’. Suggests for better names will be accepted trust me.

A few years ago when I first came across Thou Shalt Always Kill I dismissed it as the ramblings of a post-Nathan Barley suburbanite who was redeeming himself in the face of mankind by listing faults with the idiotic society he was so ingrained in. However, I did change my opinions and some of it’s points are made well and have that wonderful sarcastic edge I so long for in music. Then their album came out, and suffering from the same syndrome as Gallows we have a cracking album…if it finished somewhere around the first half and popped back shortly at the end. But it didn’t and his the po-faced comments on society and humanity in general seemed neither inspired or original and were bereft of the humour I’d come to expect (save for Fixed, which makes some rather good points). Then the death knell really started to sound. They had produced a new version of ‘Thou Shalt..’, and even though they poked fun at themselves mid-song, it’s never a good sign (just look at the Kaiser Chiefs if you can stand Ricky Wilson’s Face). But while that was at least forgivable for the sake of keeping the fair weather fans interested the third edition of this song, complete with new more self-important than ever lyrics, dances on imaginative lyricism’s grave and then wees on the tombstone.
For Shame.
Re-releases are a sign of desperation and record company interference for any band, which is fine if you aren’t purporting yourself to be beyond control and some new lyrical zeitgeist. When in actuality to paraphrase a Youtube comment “you are an ex-student, creating music for students to listen to at the big chill and pat themselves on the back at how cool they are”.

Except it was on Youtube so had a few more fucks and probably an insult regarding mothers. But hey, at least it was mildly original.

Fish and ducks,

Chris.

Also, if you have heard and have enjoyed/dissapproved of the Christian Bale Terminator 4 rant, then hopefully you’ll love this. The Mae Shi channeling the spirit of the backstreet boys to rip the angry American Englishman a new one.