Rosetta - Wake/Lift

Wake/Lift

Last.fm
Buy It

Download







1. Red In Tooth And Claw
2. Lift (Part 1 & 2a)*
3. Lift (Part 2b & 3)*
4. Wake
5. (Temet Nosce)
6. Monument


It's taken a whack of sludge post metal to kick me back into the blogging habit, I feel this needs to be shared. This album is everything you could want; it has wonderfully airy moments which make you feel like you could be floating in space, and has a suitable element of guitar sludge for the purists out there.

Red In Tooth And Claw crashes in with walls of guitars and drums. The screaming vocals are there, definetely, but barely audible. Right away you know this isn't going to be an easy listening album, this is thick stuff, drenched in sound. It's a tough album to talk about track by track, since each track lasts about 3 or 4 times as long as a normal song, so I won't.
It's no secret that I am a fan of post rock, however my dabbles into metal are normally in the shallow end of the pool. Here, Rosetta have thrown post rock towards metal and seen what happens. Apart from the vocals, Wake/Lift does tend to lean towards the latter, but still maintains a gritty edge to it. Best listened to for when you have absolutely no plans apart from kick back and relax, although it sounds wierd for a metal album, Wake/Lift's ambient moments truly are beautiful and while they may not be as soft and purdy as a band like Sigur Ros, they are something to be marvelled at (See- Temet Nosce).

There are certainly no shortage of bands out there trying to achieve this sound, and it's a shame that this band hasn't gained more of a reputation in post metal/rock circles. I would reccomend this over the new ISIS record anyday.
If Miley Cyrus is your cup of tea, best to leave it. Then again, if Miley Cyrus is your cup of tea, you......you need help.

An album that will most definetely wake, and lift.

8.4/10

Did you ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?

Born To Run, everyones favourite weekly feature......IS DEAD.
I have a load of albums I could have ranted on about....but frankly, forcing yourself to listen to something from within a certain year isn't what i'm about, ya'll. It certainly isn't within the spirit of this blog. I'll probably start some other weekly thing, just.....more enjoyable.


P.S. D'yu notice how, so far, I've basically gone against everything I said i'd do in my first post? I haven't talked about any sort of remix, no material whatsoever by Justice or Soulwax, I haven't mentionted that northern irish instrumental band, and I certainly haven't grumbled generally about lifes misgivings.

Oh well. Now's not the time to think about where you came from. It's Mother's day, after all.

Total Wipeout!!

I couldn't not blog this. Regrettably only getting into this tonight, this has to be the funniest thing i've seen on BBC1 in recent memory. (Sorry Comic Relief, I know it's a good cause n all)

A series in which contestants run, slide and bounce along impossible obstacles, featuring commentary from Richard Hammond, (No, it's actually pretty good) this is just outstanding. A shame I only realised it on the grand final. This had me in stitches, particularly the sucker punch wall. Here's a cheeky clip. Enjoy. Hahahaha.

Mastodon - Crack The Skye

Crack The Skye

Last.fm
Buy It

Download

Stream it son! (For those not on waffles)

1. Oblivion
2. Divinations
3. Quintessence
4. The Czar / (I) Usurper / (II) Escape / (III) Martyr / (IV) Spiral
5. Ghost Of Karelia
6. Crack The Skye
7. The Last Baron

The new Mastodon album is going to cleave off your head. I mentioned confidently a while back that if the new album was as strong as the best single of the year so far, it would be unstoppable. It is.
I'm not going to make any highly intellectual comments (in general) about how Crack The Skye compares to the likes of Remission or Leviathan, because I haven't heard those two albums. This review (lol?) is from a newcomer's perspective, completely. A shameless bandwagon jumper...on-er.

What I am reasonably qualified to comment on, however, is the technical prowess displayed throughout by all musicians. Both guitar parts remain intricate and mind baffling at all times, the bass is played effortlessly, and the universally accepted demi-god of a drummer lives up to expectations. But no-one cares about that, so i'll move on.

The whole album, as mentioned, maintains an incomprehensible level of technicality throughout, but yet remains consistently morish and, dare I say it, easy on the ear. The Last Baron goes a bit wobbler in places, but is still thoroughly enjoyable. For me, this album has a high level of emotion, particularly with various choruses that sound like truly frantic, heart bursting stuff.

Oblivion is a slow burner with such a chorus, with frantic drums leading up to Brent Hinds' dark and melodic vocals. If Oblivion is a Friday night in watching Jonathan Ross, Divinations is getting absolutely splattered in Laverys and still being steaming the next day. Indeed even after several listens of this, i'm still reeling, and it will definetely be in my recently played for quite some time.

Quintessence is an airy finger tapping treat, kind've like that bit going up on a rollercoaster, you know you're about to be plunged into mayhem in a few seconds, but it wouldn't be as fun without the steady ascent. Some rough and ready guitar riffs lead us into main album track, The Czar.

Starting off pretty confidently and slyly, (like a usurper would, I guess) before building into a metal frenzy. It's Crack The Skye summarised in 10:54 minutes. Listen to the rest though....it's good....I promise. Ghost of Karelia is the only song on the album I could do without. It's not bad, it's just not great, and when you've only been given a seven song album, they should all be pretty special. Perhaps they set the standard too high at the start of the album, or perhaps it's because of what's to come next. Title track Crack The Skye is primal. A seriously rough howl over some distorted guitar chunk leads into the heart wrenching chorus. This is truely end of the world stuff, and suprisingly beautiful. Not a word i'd imagine using if you told me a few years ago i'd be listening to Mastodon. Then again, I also liked Keane a few years ago.
The bridge flickers back and forth at breakneck speed, before returning to that apocalyptic chorus. Fan fucking tastic.

The Atlanta shredders play us out with The Last Baron, a decidedly more calm affair. Things soon pick up though, even if by the laws of physics and musical ability, this song should not exist. A few more obvious prog rock moments before returning to the main theme, and going buck daft once more, and Crack The Skye comes to a close.

After several listens I feel I can now confidently say Crack The Skye will be one of the albums of the year. Although I don't listen to a lot of metal, (and after all, if you don't immerse yourself in a genre, you can't have an opinion on it, eh?) but you shouldn't be here if you don't want my opinion, and I genuinely believe this is great. Although for my gnat-like attention span, 10:54 and 13:01 are pushing it, both songs are great, and the album has several instantly gratifying songs to keep me happy after my large americano. (That sounded rude...maybe it's just me)

So yes, apparently great albums come around in groups, after a wee dry spell. I wasn't really expecting this to come out of no-where and for me to love it pretty much instantly. Such is life I guess.

LACK OF WITTY SIGN OFF.
...just listen.

9.3/10

New Modest Mouse- Satellite Skin

Dirty. The moose are back, minus Johnny Marr, (who seems permanently shacked up with a certain UK indie band-presumably trying to make them sound more radio friendly) and plus a whole load of pasty white guys. Satellite Skin comes from the band's forthcoming E.P. , No One's First And You're Next - comprising of b sides and leftovers from the band's last two albums. The new song is simple enough.....not that many MM songs aren't...but they usually bring it back with something wierd , or a horrible shout from Brocky Mc Brockerson. It's got an ok riff I guess....i'm sure it'll grow on me.
Another song to feature on the new E.P., King Rat, was directed by Heath Ledger and is to be released later on in the year.





Letterman chirps up at the end, "You passed the audition."
Hmmmm. We'll see.

Röyksopp - Junior

Junior

Last.fm
Buy It

Download











1. Happy Up Here
2. The Girl and the Robot
3. Vision One
4. This Must Be It
5. Röyksopp Forever
6. Miss It So Much
7. Tricky Tricky
8. You Don't Have A Clue
9. Silver Cruiser
10. True to Life
11. It's What I Want
12. Were You Ever Wanted


They take their time, these fellas. The electronic chillout legends from Norway have been tentative when it comes to releasing full length albums, but when you release records as groundbreaking and goddamn awesome as Melody A.M. , we're willing to forgive. No pressure on Junior then, 4 years after 2005's upbeat offering The Understanding.

For the band's 3rd full length, they've pulled out all the stops in assembling an all-star ass kicking team of Nordic talent, consisting of Robyn, Lykke Li, and Karin Dreijer of the Knife. Also appearing is Anneli Drecker, who appeared on 2001's Melody A.M.
The album sets the bar high, slightly too high, with first single Happy Up Here. Encapsulating the classic Röyksopp sound, blips and blops, a waxy bassline, and a touch of campness, it ensures that Junior has your attention, and is simply magnificient. This is what juicy fruit flavoured gum sounds like. As someone I know once said, however, the danger with singles being released before albums is that after repeated listens, they then become that song. The song that's a reference point for the entire album, what following songs will be judged by. Röyksopp aren't really a singles, dancefloor slaying machine. They make swathes of driven, chillout bliss, and although the album is good, the strength of the first track almost detracts from the overall listen. I'm guessing the average listener will maybe make it five tracks in before they stick on Happy Up Here again.

Enough of that, back to the driven electronica I was talking about. The Girl and the Robot, with Robyn on vocals, demonstrates this perfectly. The tune doesn't go the way you think it should....like most Röyksopp songs. It pays off however, and is another example of a Röyksopp song being highly enjoyable but also having something indistinguishably sinister about it at the same time.
Junior takes its foot off the gas slightly, (but what do I want from a chillout duo, I guess) whilst remaining no less brilliant. The wonderfully distinctive voice of Karin Dreijer bursts through on This Must Be It, a stomping electro voodoo beast, a fitting precursor to a "Let's go all quiet" moment, Röyksopp Forever. Moments like this on the album prove that these guys still know how to take it down a notch better than most. Miss It So Much is an album highlight, featuring Swedish indie pop pixie Lykke Li. Unlike the other collaborations on the album, (which are still sweet) it seems as though more thought has gone into this one. The song matches her voice perfectly, and could really be one of her own songs played on keyboards with blippity blops, a contrast to what seems to be a slightly, recordsomeelectroandthrowabignameatit attitude. Also, that which cannot pass without comment is Tricky Tricky. I quite like it, but I have to say, "Six afraid of seven, cos seven ate nine" has to be one of the campest/unsettling things i've heard this year. It's a bit like anything presented by Dale Winton. Regardless, these guys still have the tunes to pull through.

Junior is good. I was however, really, really looking forward to this. Anything that promises a mix of Melody A.M. and The Understanding, frankly, should be friggin' awesome. It's not that it's not....it's just....I dunno. It's already grown on me after several listens, and hopefully it will continue to do so. It's still one of the best releases of 2009 so far, and the best electronic album of the year so far, but I was expecting instant classic material. And even after several listens, I don't think i'm going to get that. It suffers slightly from not knowing whether it's an upbeat electronic stomper of an album or a chilled out lounge party record, and while that is a mix of the two aformentioned albums, the contrast is done with little grace, with one track being a pulsing dance tune and the next being a wistful blippy bloppy marshmallow.

It isn't quite the musical apex that Melody A.M. was, but even still. I'm happy up here.

8.6/10

Eat. Sleep. Folk.

The man with the most rockstar-ish name in Northern Ireland plays for us here an acoustic set for local station, NvTv. Featuring a very different version of LaFaro crowd pleaser Tupenny Nudger, a Bob Dylan cover, plus an amazing version of James River Blues, Jonny Black shows us there's more to him than a confused look and a few chunky power chords.

Let me see it, pls.