thenewno2 - You Are Here

thenewno2 are a group I have discussed frequently since early stages of A Future in Noise, shortly after their debut LP You Are Here was released digitally on iTunes in August of 2008. Months later, on March 31st, 2009, the album has been released as a physical CD at long last, after several web broadcasted Stickam concerts, a release on a new-fangled slotMusic card format, relying on mostly word-of-mouth for promotion, though there was some hubbub over Dhani Harrison (yes, son of George) in Rolling Stone, Blender, and the NME, particularly in regards to his work on the Beatles Rock Band game, and a confirmation to play Coachella on April 17th. After all of this, it is certainly time for a proper album review.

thenewno2 were originally formed by Dhani Harrison (guitar, vocals, Kaoss pads) and Oli Hecks (drums), with the addition of members Jon Sadoff (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Jeremy Faccone (guitar, vocals), and Jason Hiller (bass) in recent times, at the advent of touring. There's naturally the Beatle influence, and many an article has commented previously on the 'striking similarity' of Dhani to George vocally- all the while You Are Here stands out as one of the most unique releases of the 2000s by far, with thenewno2's original brand of 'electronic-blues'. EP001 from 2006 might make for a promising, worthwhile listen, but really it is only a taste of what was to come.

From trippy, mellow beginnings on "So Vain", and more than a little artistry with electronics, this band has a sound that is immediately refreshing. Of particular note here, and throughout the whole album in effect, is Dhani's voice, with his smooth-textured, precise tone and range. "Another John Doe" (released as a single) is a drifting, quasi-ambiguous commentary on social anonymity. "Back To You", opening with newscast samples, could very well be about one's relationship with the media or with another human being. "Give You Love" returns to the aesthetics of "So Vain", ambling along and then picking up at the least expected points, and more quirky electronic modifications. "Bluesy" and "Hiding Out" show a somber side, and still thenewno2 manage to remain cool and collected, not restrained, and more importantly, without self-indulgence.

"Yomp" (featured on Rock Band) was the first song of theirs I had heard, and remains an especial favourite. Perhaps the most modern, 'commercial' sounding of their singles, and yet sounding like nothing else around in the 2000's, or any era, "Yomp" serves as a high-powered anthem against oppression. "Crazy Tuesday" (also available on Rock Band) is a lament over a lost love interest; "Idle Lover" touches upon the same themes, with greater force and multiple layers of sound. "Shelter" begins to wind You Are Here down to a close, about a desire to escape from the confusion the world into the shelter of another, and "Wind Up Dead" a cautionary tune warning against excesses: "Better learn to slow it down now, brother...", before the album melts away.

As impressive a listen as it is, one can't help be curious to hear what sort of follow-up thenewno2 may have in store. You Are Here is an album that has to be heard- an event to observe, listen to, and experience.

thenewno2 - Official Site | on MySpace Music | on Facebook |
Absolutely Dhani Harrison

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Dead Times - Midnight Glass: Available For Free Download!

Arizona experimental duo Dead Times (Travis Bunn and Calvin Markus) have recently released their album Midnight Glass for free on-line download. Their sound resides in a spooky dreamworld- perhaps what would happen if Fever Ray, William Basinski, and Department of Eagles were rolled into one dark ball of glorious noise.

"Stellar Souls" drips darkly into "Warp Rhythm"; Dead Times at their most angular and aurally roughest. "Dried Black" and "Affair" are an eerie pair, with the former's music-box tones and effects-drenched vocals, and the latter's somber string instrumentation. "Blank Head" offers a wistful respite, with "Downpour" building upon these melancholic themes. "Mirrors in Reverse" would be a prime choice for single release, with its rallying calls ("Keep our mirrors reversed, keep our fears dispersed..."). "Orphan Blues" is a brief and, yes, bluesy interlude, while "Ghost Orgy" could be considered suitable for a ghostly slow-dance. Closer "Moonlit Lights" is a return to the initial mood of Midnight Glass, with the addition of arabesque riffs and an expansion of unearthly textures.

Download Dead Times - Midnight Glass!

Dead Times on MySpace Music | on Last.fm

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Seeland - Tomorrow Today

Comprised of Tim Felton (Broadcast) and Billy Bainbridge (Plone), Seeland is an electronic/experimental group which previously released single and EP material for Duophonic- the recent Tomorrow Today is their full-length debut. With influences including "space age pop, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, Joe Meek and eccentric 60’s library music", this is an album awash in retro chic, with expansions upon their inspirations throughout to create modern textures.

Opener "Burning Pages" serves as an excellent intro to the Seeland sound; the sweet, bubbly catchiness intermingling with spacey electronic tones. "Hang On Lucifer" ups the tempo, and the atmosphere gets a bit more crunchy here. "Colour Dream", "Goodbye", and "Station Sky" are playful sonic gems, "Turnaround" conjures 80's synth techniques, and "Captured" turns things groovy with an electro-lounge aesthetic. "Library", released as a single last year, recalls library music-elements (as does much of the album). "Static Object", my personal favourite, has a darker mood and is surrounded by lovely electronic instrumentation.

"Call The Incredible" (available via Lo Recordings for free mp3 download) sounds like nothing else in 2009, in a drifting world of its own. "5 A.M." reminds one of contemporary electronic acts, such as Röyksopp and Zero 7, while "Pretty Bird" draws the album to a pleasant, sleepy close. The exceptional quality of Seeland on Tomorrow Today, an evocative title, is a skilled blending of the past, present, and future of electronic music, prompting the hope that this is not the last release from this talented pair.

Stream Seeland - Tomorrow Today!

Seeland on MySpace Music

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Örnsberg - Redlinespotting

Örnsberg, the music of Swedish electronic artist Johan Ragnarsson, will have his debut LP Redlinespotting (named after a station in the Stockholm Metro) available through Perfectly Charming Records on April 27th. From the "Intro" into "For Me and Everyone", interspersed with skateboard-swooshes, the mood is set to conjure images of swift-moving city life through the glittering electronics through and through. Redlinespotting has a distinct feel of continuity flowing through it, each song tightly connected to the other through lyrical themes and instrumental passages.

Johan comments on "Shoegazing", a high point on Redlinespotting, as being a reference to the genre, citing the Jesus and Mary Chain and Ride as favourites, as well as Blur, Nirvana ("In Utero is magic") and "more recent bands like Swedish Silverbullit and Oasis and Glasvegas. Don't know if Oasis and Glasvegas counts for shoegaze, but its those walls of sound and dark minds in shoegaze that appeal to me." He began working with Mark O Sullivan (DK7) during the recording: "He actually knows Andy Bell from Ride and he has told me he really likes the song. That was a big day...he also knows Magnus C and he brought him down to the studio one day and that was an enormous day."

Expanding on his influences, he says: "Its hard to pick out albums and artists that had an impact on me during the recording. there are so many. But there is music you always come back too wherever you are in life. For me that means Pet Shop Boys, Oasis, Radio Dept., Beach Boys and two Swedish speaking acts called Bob Hund and Håkan Hellström (they are both genius), to mention a few."

A softer side of Örnsberg appears on "Arlanda", "Wake Up in My Dream", and "The Greatest", all lovely, drifting tracks. "Away Away" paints a vibrant picture of vibrant night-life, including memorable saxophone melodies throughout, while"Every City" and "Put Your Hands Up For Örnsberg" channel a retro vibe. Single "Weekend Lights" features Magnus Carlson (The Weeping Willows), which I described in the Örnsberg Artist Feature here last month as "a lovely, poignant slice of modern electronic pop". Appearing on the single release (officially 4/20) are the dark, cruchy, electronified b-side "She is the Weak End" and a demo of "Shoegazing". The album closes nicely with "38", ending Redlinespotting as well-rounded and thoroughly enjoyable.

Örnsberg on MySpace | Perfectly Charming Records on MySpace

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Team Teamwork - The Ocarina of Rhyme: Video Game + Rap Mash-Up!

Remix artist from Massachusetts Team Teamwork has recently released The Ocarina of Rhyme, a curious concept, and incredibly enjoyable mash-up remix album, combining songs from Koji Kondo's soundtrack to the beloved classic Nintendo 64 video game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time with tracks from notable rap artists. Highlight-moments include the opener, a mix of Clipse - "Virginia" with "Lost Woods", Jay-Z -"No Hook" with "Meeting the Owl", Aesop Rock - "No Jumpercables" with "Goron Village", and Slim Thug & Mike Jones - "Still Trippin'" with "Great Fairy's Fountain".
Have a listen below!

(Thanks to Anti-Gravity Bunny's article on this, for drawing my attention!)

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Independent Music Discoveries: Issue #3

This is the third installment of the Independent Music Discoveries series- see also Issue #1 and #2. Recommend your favourite indie artists in the comments!

Le Fils des Trois Mousquetaires - Acoustic / Alt-Folk - Belgium
This is an artist that had come across my profile on MySpace Music- he has three incredible albums, all available for free download on Last.fm: pendant ce temps-là, en 1942, les saucisses de l'amour, and il fera beau l'été passé. Upon asking him of his influences, he said: "I'd say I make a crossing between 60's and 90's pop, like the Kinks mixed with Nirvana, or Robert Wyatt with Lou Barlow, or the Zombies with Elliot Smith, or Nick Drake with Frank Black..." Le Fils des Trois Mousquetaires is a unique listening experience, with "invisible" and "black beauty" being particular favourites of mine. Curiously charming, and oddly evocative of the music, is the accompanying art, pictured at right!

The Trees - Indie / Alternative / Psychedelic - UK
Affiliates of the FreeMusic Last.fm group, British band The Trees' most recent release Things That Make You Happy offers up some excellent, Beatle-esque, psychedelic-tinged rock. "Dirty Money" and their cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence" are definite highlights on this album already a pick for my top of 2009.

Zoomonk - Rock / Electro / Experimental - Finland
(Thanks to Zetam for the suggestion!) Influenced by groups like Suicide, the Stooges, and Spacemen 3, Zoomonk is one of the most unique and enjoyable recommendations I've received in quite awhile. Milk Drops and Weekend Coctail EP are both available for free stream and download on Last.fm. Track picks: "Black Song" and "Hands Around My Throat"

Mr. Dream -Rock / Alternatve - New York, USA

With a dash of old-school punk and some insanely catchy tunes (particularly recommended: "Knick Knack" and "Fine Lines), three-piece group Mr. Dream conjure a fun, vibrant aesthetic so often missing from modern music.

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White Lies Perform "To Lose My Life" on David Letterman

UK band White Lies, offering up a fresh spin on post-punk, made their network TV debut last night on The Late Show with David Letterman performing the title track to their impressive 2009 release To Lose My Life.



White Lies - Official Site | On MySpace Music

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L'Avventura - Your Star Was Shining

L'Avventura are a rock group based in San Francisco, California made up of Jeff Davis (vocals, guitar), Fergus Griffin (vocals, guitar), Aldo Silver, (bass, vocals), Stevie Utstein (cello, keyboards vocals), Arthur McConnell III (drums), Shaina Evoniuk (violin, vocals), and Helen Aki (acoustic guitar, vocals). Members Jeff, Fergus, and Aldo had initially encountered one another busking in the London Underground, united over a common love of Roxy Music, and formed the band Niagara upon reaching San Francisco, releasing two albums, Niagara 01 in 1998 and Niagara 02 in 2000 , expanding into the 7-piece band L'Avventura in 2004.

Their debut as L'Avventura, Your Star Was Shining, is as realized as an album you would expect out of a band that had been together for decades more than they have, with a reverence towards their influences. Taking lyrical and vocal cues from the likes of Elvis Costello and T. Rex, with dashes of glam glitz and tried-and-true rock sensibility, this is clearly a bunch steeped in rock music history, keeping things current all the while with a uniquely L'Avventura spin. This is a true case of "all killer, no filler", from the thoroughly groovy ("Swandive" and "Black Venus") and somberly sweet ("Rocket Sue", "Ms. Yugoslavia", and "Queen of the Forest") to some true gems of songcraft ("Ms. Yugoslavia" and "Angela Priest"). Expect great things from L'Avventura in times to come. The band has made Your Star Was Shining available for free download until 4/30/2009- grab it now!

Download L'Avventura - Your Star Was Shining!

L'Avventura Official Site | On MySpace Music | On Facebook

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Starter Guide: Cornershop (with links to their first two out-of-print albums)

A few days, Marilyn took on the herculean task of writing about Mancunian post-punk legends The Fall. Now, I'm going to go a bit south and write about one of Britain's most criminally underrated bands: Leicester's Cornershop.
Cornershop are nowhere near as known and influential as Serge Gainsbourg or The Fall, but in my opinion, they fully deserve to be. In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that their three classic albums from the mid-90s resonate with me on a personal level. Written from the point-of-view of a bookish British Asian with a schizophrenic record collection making his way in post-industrial Britain, it appears, at the risk of sounding a bit precious, almost as if they were made for me. I was introduced to their music as an eight-year-old when "Brimful of Asha" went to #1 in the charts. I got When I Was Born For the 7th Time and it became one of the first records I ever owned (I started my collection the previous year with Blur's self-titled album, The Spice Girls' Spice and The Verve's Urban Hymns). In the decade since, I've discovered the rest of their discography and I must say, few bands have been as consistently rewarding to me as Cornershop.
However, they happen to be good enough to appeal to people without ridiculously convoluted ethnic and nationality issues. The first album, Hold On It Hurts, is pure amateurish pop heaven, the sound of a 60s garage-band bashing their instruments until achieving nirvana, then adding Indian touches such as sitar, dholaki and the odd Punjabi phrase to the mix for colour. Later on, the band would learn their instruments a bit better and experiment with electronic instruments but they always retained that basic child-like joy in their music. This is not gloomy grunge and it's not really in tune with the Britpop thing either, though there are a few shared influences. No, Cornershop are more of a mutt with no natural bloodline and no descendants to speak of. And with a body of work like theirs, that's really quite alright.

Videos:


"England's Dreaming" (1993 single)

Cornershop - New Music - More Music Videos

"Wog" (from 1995's Woman's Gotta Have It)




"Sleep On The Left Side" (from 1997's When I Was Born For The 7th Time)

Where to start: With the exception of When I Was Born For the 7th Time, all of the band's albums are out of print in the US, so I've ripped the band's excellent first two albums at 192kbps and posted them as zip files on Mediafire for your listening pleasure. The links precede the reviews.

Hold On It Hurts: The band's debut. It's got a charmingly amateur, ramshackle feel about it. Imagine if Pavement's Slanted and Enchanted had included Indian influences and you're not far off this album. "Kalluri's Radio" starts off with a muezzin, then goes into a melodic pop-punk song with 60s organ at the end, while "Where D'u Get Your Information?" sounds like Anoushka Shankar sat in on a Sonic Youth rehearsal. It's the definition of culture clash, really. I've ripped the US edition, which appends the Lock, Stock & Double-Barrel EP.

Woman's Gotta Have It: The band's second and best album. It includes "Wog," the best pop single ever built around a racial slur*, "6am Jullandar Shere," a solemn Punjabi hymn and a set of guitar-based tunes more fully formed than the material from Hold On. A particular highlight is "Jansimram King," which lifts into transcendence during the chorus, with some well-placed bongos. It's still very different from 7th Time, with only "Camp Orange" foreshadowing the band's future direction.

When I Was Born For the 7th Time: Or the album with "Brimful of Asha." Actually, this album had three hit singles and was a pretty solid full-length in its own right, but most people only remember "Asha," which is a shame. There are dubby instrumentals, light dance-pop, experimental hip-hop, experiments with Indian percussion and a Punjabi cover of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood." It sounds like a weed-head record, but I can't confirm that until it's legalised. Right. Anyway, my pet peeve about this record: due to his heavy Midlands accent, Tjinder bludgeons Asha's name. It's pronounced AH-shuh, not "Asher."

Handcream for a Generation: I didn't like this one at all. I actually sold my copy of it back. If you're interested in hearing it, I'm sure a quick Google search will find it. Most of the songs run overlong, but the main offence of this record is the fact that Noel Gallagher makes a cameo. That should tell you all you need to know about this record.

Also, be sure to check out the free download section of the band's website, where you can download a Cavemen remix of "Topknot," their 2004 single with Bubbley Kaur that features a cameo from M.I.A.

Associated acts: Asian Dub Foundation have a similar aesthetic and are certainly worth checking out. Stereolab may also appeal to you. If you liked the alternate version of "Topknot," then M.I.A.'s first album, Arular, is right up your alley. If you'd like to explore Punjabi music, check out Beware by Panjabi MC and the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack. If you liked the guitar-based style of the debut album, I'd point you to Unrest, as well as Blur's "Advert," which I've always thought of as a tidied-up version of "England's Dreaming."

Reading: Amardeep Singh wrote an article around the release of Handcream for a Generation called "Norwegian Lakri: Thoughts on Cornershop" that is worth reading. He discusses Cornershop's hybridity, and though he's considerably more cynical about it that I am, he is fluent in Punjabi (as opposed to knowing a few phrases of it) and certainly that provides another perspective.

* and a few years later, they did a song called "Wop The Groove." Really, I'm waiting for "Paki" to come out.

NOTE ON TRANSLITERATION: You might have noticed I used both Punjabi and Panjabi in this article. The actual sound falls somewhere between 'a' and 'u,' so it can be put into English script as either. As a rule of thumb, Panjabi is more often used in the UK, whereas Punjabi is used in the US.

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Label Feature: Engine Room Recordings - Lowry, Porter Block, The Bloodsugars

Engine Room Recordings (ERR) is a record label and music distribution company based in New York City, particularly notable for releasing previously the Guilt By Association compilations ("today's most exciting Indie talent re-interpreting their favorite guilty pleasure pop songs") which included artists such as Bonnie 'Prince Billy, Devendra Banhart, Mooney Suzuki, and Luna on Vol. 1, and including Frightened Rabbit, Kaki King, and My Brightest Diamond on Vol. 2. Three Engine Room Recordings artists (who have also figured on the compilations mentioned above), all based in New York, Lowry, Porter Block, and The Bloodsugars are the subjects of today's label feature.

Lowry
Lowry is rather evocative of the album cover and title of their latest release Love is Dead: there is something soundtrack-like and storybook-esque about it all. Members Heidi, Jasper, Crash, Greg, and Alex have crafted a unique brand of folk-rock, with the drifting, beautiful "Whiskey" and the simultaneously bittersweet and anthemic "Face Behind Your Hands" being chief highlights on an altogether lovely album not to be missed.

The Cactus Moons - A Blog About Lowry | Lowry on MySpace Music

Porter Block
Emphasizing ERR-founder Peter Block's fine-tuned songcraft, Peter and members Caleb Sherma (bass, keyboards), Garrett Alarcon (guitar), and Steve Holly (drums) are Porter Block. Pueblo A-Go-Go is their 3rd Engine Room Recordings release, conjuring up desert images, namely in the title track and "Haunted", and soft introspection on highlight "Wipe It From Your Eyes". Free download from official site (from previous LP Suburban Sprawl): "Circles"

Porter Block - Official Site | Porter Block on MySpace Music

The Bloodsugars
From the hook-laden catchiness of "Bloody Mary" and "Cinderella" to poignant closer "Uh Oh", BQEP offers up the charming, synth-touched slices of indie pop of the Bloodsugars (recently appearing at SXSW), led by Jason Rabinowitz's sweet, soulful sound, Brendon O' Grady (bass), Matt Katz (synths), and Kenneth Salters (drums). Free download from official site: "Purpose Was Again"

The Bloodsugars - Official Site | The Bloodsugars on MySpace Music

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AFIN Mini-Shop Launch / Sponsorship of Stereo Zeitgeist!

Just because I think Zazzle is really cool and I wanted a chance for our readers to obtain A Future in Noise swag if they so chose, I have launched the...:
A Future in Noise Mini-Shop
...which currently has a few varieties of t-shirts, postcards, and mouse-pads, hopefully with some more nifty items to come about in the near future. Zazzle custom creates these items based on chosen designs, and will ship them off to you! Plus, if you don't dig a particular product's default design, you can choose any shirt style you like. AFIN gets 10% of the profit, which would go towards highfalutin web design and promotional materials. This is just a bit of fun, no pressure- though I would love to see someone strutting about in A Future in Noise gear of course. ;)

Another exciting piece of news- A Future in Noise is now sponsoring the Stereo Zeitgeist Forums, even with a custom layout skin (see below; Brandyn did an excellent job on the logo)! Stereo Zeitgeist is a music blog and community I heartily recommend- go check it out!

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Here's a load of MBV rarities!!!

I've been a huge fan of My Bloody Valentine for at least three years now. They are one of the most unique, transcendent, beautiful bands ever to enter a recording studio. And they only got round to releasing two albums, 1988's Isn't Anything and 1991's Loveless, before essentially vanishing right at the cusp of stardom. Needless to say, every scrap of their genius we have is worth seeking out and treasuring. To that end, I found a crapload of rare and awesome MBV stuff on another blog last week, including quite a few things I didn't have before, so I have to share it with our lovely readers. Thanks to Barfout Dolls.

These downloads are all from out-of-print EPs and singles that were never released in the US.

1987: (65.2 mb)
Includes Sunny Sundae Smile EP, Strawberry Wine, Ecstasy mini-LP: This set is quite jangly and up-sounding. It's audibly inspired by the C86 bands, but by November's Ecstasy, you can hear the beginnings of MBV's unique sound beginning to germinate on songs like "Clair."

1988: (69.6 mb)
Includes You Made Me Realise EP, Feed Me With Your Kiss EP, Peel Sessions 1988: This set is essential, full stop. I don't much care if you download the first one, but everyone should hear the songs in this ZIP file. You Made Me Realise may be the best EP ever, for reasons I've expounded upon here, and the band's Peel Session includes a deliciously heavy take on "I Can See It (But I Can't Feel It)." The Feed Me With Your Kiss EP is slightly less awesome, but it features "Emptiness Inside," which is one of the band's best pre-Loveless tracks.

The band's pre-1987 work is vastly different, to put it nicely, but I have links to that if you wish to check it out (I wouldn't). The Glider and Tremolo EPs that preceded Loveless are both in print and widely available, so you'll have to obtain those yourself. Of course, it should go without saying that you should own both of the band's full-length albums, Isn't Anything and Loveless, both of which are on the 1001 Albums list, and both of which I wholeheartedly recommend without any reservations.

The band have a few tour dates in the United States next month, including one in my city of Dallas (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), but I won't be able to go due to the sucky economy.

Here's "You Made Me Realise," which in my opinion is still the band's defining moment (and a strong contender for Best Song of the 80s, in the humble opinion of this 90s-kid):

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Starter Guide: The Fall

The Fall are a band that inexplicably escaped my attention for far too long. I only became aware after someone posted an mp3 of "Dead Beat Descendant" at the Killlers Network in spring of '05. I liked the song, it quickly became a mix CD staple, and I recalled that I had read somewhere about LCD Soundsystem having been influenced by them, but it wasn't until a year later that I went any further, when I somehow happened upon the YouTube videos for "Telephone Thing" and "Cruiser's Creek"... and was completely hooked in. The acerbic wit! Stream-of-consciousness-style, poetic lyrics! The oddly charming "-uh" suffix attached to certain words! The...oh dear, how am I supposed to decide what album to listen to, the discography is immense!

Photo Credit: © Kevin Cummins http://www.kevincummins.co.uk/

Where to begin...?
With the only constant member being frontman Mark E. Smith through the group's 27 studio albums, the first being Live at the Witch Trials (1979) and the latest Imperial Wax Solvent (one of my top album picks for 2008), and numerous changes in band members and style of music, delving into the world of the Fall could be quite a task without 50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats, my first Fall-related purchase, and stand-by recommendation for anyone's introduction to the Fall.

50,000... is a compilation documenting the group's stylistic transitions, with the first disc representing the jangle-punk of late 70's tracks like "Repetition" and "Industrial Estate" to the deepening of the unique Fall sound through the 80's with the classic "Totally Wired" and "Hip Priest", and onto the introduction of Mark E. Smith's then-wife Brix Smith as guitarist for 1983 album Perverted By Language through '85 single "Cruiser's Creek", the catchiest and most borderline-commercial single the Fall had released up to that point. Disc 2 explores the late 80's and 90's Fall singles, including some curious, re-inventive covers: "Mr. Pharmacist" (originally by the Other Half), "There's a Ghost in My House" (R. Dean Taylor), and "Victoria" (the Kinks), up to "Green-Eyed Loco Man" from 2003 release The Real New Fall LP.

Key Albums:
Live at the Witch Trials (1979) Despite the title, this is a studio album, though the freewheeling delivery of Mark E. Smith and relentless pace of the band throughout gives the impression of a live set.
Hex Enduction Hour (1982) Hailed as a classic amongst a great many Fall fans, Hex is perhaps the Fall's most difficult album, leaning towards their complex, art rock side, and containing one of the longest tracks in the whole discography, "And This Day", clocking in at 10:22.
This Nation's Saving Grace (1985) My personal favourite and the first Fall LP I had heard in full, this album is one of their most simultaneously cohesive and varied, reeling from the spooky (opener "Mansion" and "I Am Damo Suzuki", tribute to the Can vocalist; it's worth noting that John Lydon, frequent point of comparison to Mark E. Smith is also a Can fan) to the simply cool ("Bombast" and "L. A.").
The Infotainment Scan (1993) The Fall's biggest foray into the electronic in their catalog, and even offering up a Sister Sledge cover ("Lost in Music"), every track is glorious, with Mark E. Smith's tone and lyrics sharper then ever, particularly on "Glam Racket" and "It's a Curse".
The Real New Fall LP (2003) Aside from the recent release Imperial Wax Solvent being such an achievement (and, indeed, one of the darkest, and strangest in the Fall's long span of output), this was the Fall's return to form in the 2000's, including the infectious stomper "Theme From Sparta F. C." and electro-drifter "Recovery Kit".

The Legacy:
Long championed by influential British DJ John Peel (who described them as "the band against which all others in our house are judged"), with the Complete Peel Sessions 1978-2004 compiles all of the Fall's 24 such sessions over six CDs, with many of the tracks rivaling their studio album versions.

A wide range of musicians have been influenced by the Fall, among them Sonic Youth (who covered four Fall songs in a 1988 Peel session), Radiohead, Elastica, Pavement, Franz Ferdinand, and Bloc Party, though the music still remains relatively unknown outside of critics and musicians (at least in America). Take this chance to dive in- your ears will be richly rewarded.

Further Reading:
The Fall Online - The most comprehensive source of Fall information on-line; the Lyrics Parade is of particular note!
The Story of The Fall - Track by track reviews and analysis from 1977's "Dresden Dolls" to 2008's "Exploding Chimney".
The Fall - Mick Middles, Mark E. Smith - In-depth journey through the Fall's inception and later years, with dialogue from Mark E. Smith throughout and thorough insights and discography.

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I Was A King - Album Review

I Was A King is a Norwegian rock band led by Frode Strømstad on vocals/songwriting, Anne Lise Frøkedal (guitar/songwriting), Håvard Krogedal (bass), Kristoffer Solvang (drums), and Kjetil Ovesen (synth). While the fuzzed-out, psychedelic elements of their 2007 release Losing Something Good for Something Better are still present, 2009's self-titled I Was A King offers up a powerful expansion upon their sound.

Anthemic opener "Still" leads smoothly into "Step Aside", sharp-edged and catchy all the while. "Golden Years" is an immediate highlight, with a memorable riff and vocals that are longing, yet tinged with wryness. Songs like "A Name That Hurts to Say" and "Breathe" show a soft, indie-pop side of the band, with touches of glam rock inspiration. "California" is short and punchy, with "Interlude" being a small, quiet piano piece. "Hard Luck Bad News" is a curious Larry Norman cover, and "Stay Warm", "Not Like This", "It's All You" serve as key examples of Strømstad and Frøkedal's quirky, bittersweet story-telling songwriting style.

Summery "Weighing Anchor" is followed swiftly by "Extra Number", a somber passage accompanied by string instruments. Album single "Norman Bleik" sums up the sound of the band: light and accessible, but crunchy enough and with enough dashes of the unexpected to be exciting and unforgettable. "Fading Summer" closes the LP with a groovy, mellow melody, ending as a well-rounded set. Highly recommended.

Pre-Order I Was A King! - US Release April 7th

I Was A King - Official Site | on MySpace Music | on Facebook

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Post 100 Extravaganza - 100 Music Websites!

*POST 100*

Yes, here it is, the 100th post at A Future in Noise! When I started it in July of 2008, I can't say that I expected to be plugging along with a music blog for more than a few weeks, but then I realized that I could make an effort to bring more exposure to independent artists and cover the music that I found interesting, with the much-appreciated, excellent contributions from people I came in contact with through Last.fm. There is still much work to be done to keep reaching for this project's true potential; I plan on sticking with it, and I hope you will too.

100 Music Websites!

To start things off, split into specific categories, I am recommending 100 music-based websites, harvested from much trawling of the web over the years and more than a little help from friends and StumbleUpon. It is likely that you will have heard of some of them before, and even more likely that you'll find some previously unseen gems in the batch through exploring the links in this list. Be sure to recommend your personal favourties in the comments! More nods to sites in the blogroll and independent artists will be being given throughout the week.

• MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS AND LISTENING
  

Last.fm - Anyone who has known me for...well, any length of time knows that I am a huge fan of Last.fm, and could not hope to speak of its wonders in a brief paragraph. Just try it, if you haven't fallen under its spell already.

If you do have Last.fm, I'm going to include these links (yes, they are part of the 100 tally!) to apps that can spruce up your page: LastTweet (if you also have Twitter), Your Next Favourite Band (recommends you a band that's not in your library, based on what you've listened to), Automatic Last.fm Signature Images (based on top-listened albums), LastGraph (lets you graph listening history), Last.fm Data Scripts.

Blip.fm - Allows you to stream (or 'blip', rather) your own radio station of sorts, crawling available mp3 files on the web, and check out those of other users and give props if they play a song you like. You can embed your player anywhere that allows html, as seen below:

1001 Albums / Radio3Net - Stream the majority of albums mentioned in Robert Dimery's 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die here! Be sure to check out Francisco Silva's blog with his reviews on the 1001 Albums as he listens to them.

MeeMix - Similar to Pandora, with stations based on artist or genre, but with the twist of being able to select the pulse and atmosphere of the station.

Musicovery - An inventive take on internet radio, with a lovely interface, genre, era, mood and tempo selections, this makes discovering music fun and easy.

Music Map - Type in an artist, see a map of what music people who listen to that artist also listen to; they closer the names cluster, the more likely it is. Addictive, and can lead to some curious finds.

thesixtyone - All music available here is submitted by the artists themselves, and voted on by listeners; the site has quite a lot of potential- like the others, you can also sort by mood and genre.

• SOME USUAL (MP3/STREAM) SUSPECTS

Elbows Music Blog Aggregator, The Hype Machine, Deezer, Imeem, Favtape, Project Playlist, Skreemr, Free Napster, and much of the directory at TotallyFuzzy

• MUSIC BLOGS+NEWS+AND MORE
  

MOG - You can listen to music here, but the meat of MOG is in the moggers insatiable appetite for breaking news and featuring up-and-coming artists. A Future in Noise happens to be a member of their MOG Music Network.

Stereo Zeitgeist - Commentary on current events in music, frequently witty and analytical, and encouraging activity from readers in a forum as well.

Idiomag - Digital magazine tailored to your music interests, and integrates with Last.fm nicely.

SoundWord - Excellent music blog post aggregator.

JP's Blog - This guy is good; he gets the scoop on all the stories I wish I could be the first to break!

How to Impress a Hipster - Insightful and entertaining look at what hipsters dig and how you can get in the know- musicians discussed in the past include Joy Division, Brian Eno, The Smiths, Roxy Music, and Oingo Boingo, with some non-musical subjects including Aubrey Beardsley, Roald Dahl, and Hayao Miyazaki.

Dorq - Not exclusive to, though frequently including music articles (including a few of my own contributions), and described as "Digital Opinions, Reviews and Questions"; they are on the lookout for additional contributors, so if you have something to share with the blogosphere, send it to Dorq!

A Tender Praise - The finest in music news and with some lovely feature articles; well-written, excellent design!

Song, by Toad - Oh, how I love this delightful music blog, and its accomanying podcast. There is much to be uncovered here.

Pop Music Club - Excellent "Artists Condensed" features (some past musicians: David Bowie, Kate Bush, Rufus Wainwright) and reviews.

Rave and Roll - The wonderful and obscure in 80's music recommendations.

Musebin - Music news and reviews...in one line each!

LP Cover Lover - Vintage vinyl covers daily.

Might as well mention the usual, newsy stops, too: NME, Rolling Stone, Blender, Filter, Spin, Pitchfork, and NPR Music, and these popular music/music-news blogs: Aquarium Drunkard, Brooklyn Vegan, Daytrotter, FluxBlog, Gorilla vs. Bear, I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS, i guess i'm floating, Largehearted Boy, MusicByDay.com, My Old Kentucky Blog, Said the Gramophone, Stereogum, Wired Listening Post, and You Ain't No Picasso

• MUSIC REVIEWS+DATABASES

Allmusic - This is the BIG one
Rate Your Music - Essential for rating and cataloging what you own; huge collection of user reviews for almost any album you could think of
Hot Music Releases - Only what's newly in, with super-helpful lists of what's to be released, critic's ratings, and user-submitted reviews
MusicBrainz - Open-source music database.
Pump Audio - Where advertisers and film makers look for music, and where you can submit your music for licensing while keeping your rights.
SongMeanings - Read debates on the meanings of song lyrics.
LyricWiki - One of few places you can actually find lyrics without being bombarded by pop-up ads!
The Covers Project - Track who has covered a specific song previously, or what songs an artist has covered.
Soundtrack INFO - What it says on the packet.

• MAKING MUSIC

NewGrounds - Easy way to submit and rate artists' songs, get exposure, and connect up with other artists as well as flash-animated video game designers to collaborate with.
freesound - Huge Creative Commons-licensed database of sound effects.
WolframTones - Generate a unique MIDI composition with variations, while tweaking the genre, instruments, pitch, and time.
Noise Theorem Sound Library - Quite an assortment of drum and synth sound WAVs, which are cool to experiment with (especially with software like Reason!)
Virtual Drum Machines at Audio Playground - Vintage drum machines, playable on-line with working buttons and everything. I recommend the Seeburg Rhythm Prince.
P22 Music Text Composition Generator - Type in some text and this site converts it to a MIDI!
DFA Records Remixer - Simple, but quite a bit of fun...
The Automachine - Make a French electro song!

• A FEW COMPREHENSIVE BAND, GENRES, and LABEL SITES...
  

Blurcast, Factory Records, The Fall Online, Modculture.com, Nico | Web | Site, Post-punk.com

• MUSIC TOOLS

SoundCloud - The future in uploading and sharing your music with others. Super-convinent for independent artists.
8tracks - Upload a playlist of 8 songs, quickly and painlessly; one of the easiest ways to share a few tracks with somebody.
WinFF - Convert mp3s, m4a, WAV, and wma files to each other.
mp3tag - Tag your audio files with ease!

• WHAT?! BUY MUSIC, YOU SAY? A NOVEL IDEA!

Amie Street, Amoeba Music, CDBaby, and The Ideal Copy

• PODCASTS AND STATIONS

nextbigthing - A fantastic podcast featuring some of the best in independent music, which A Future in Noise has been proud to contribute to.
Dandelion Radio - Carrying on the John Peel tradition!
Mod Radio UK - "Music for Mods Streamed By Mods"
Tom Robinson's Introducing (BBC Radio) - The best part of the BBC radio, with new music all the time
UK and Irish Radio Stations - Directory of radio stations in the United Kingdom and Ireland that also stream on-line.

• CURIOUS+FUN

Audiosurf and Auditorium = best on-line music games ever
Songtapper - Tap out the rhythm of a song with your spacebar, SongTapper will try to guess it!
The IBM Glass Engine - Inventive and thorough navigation through the music of Philip Glass.
Karaokeparty.com - Though a bit limited in song selection and geared more towards the mainstream than otherwise, this is definitely fun to do with friends and uses a RockBand-esque gauge for judging how correct your pitch is. And hey, they have "It's No Good" - Depeche Mode!
MusicThoughts - Inspirational quotes about music from the famous to the unknown.
Oblique Strategies - There are many websites for these cards for solving dilemmas, originally developed by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt, but this Twitter-generated one happens to be one of my favourites and the most simplified.
tapedeck.org - Audio tape design nostalgia.

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100th Post Is...

...coming up. 99th post red herring, here. The 100th Post Extravaganza is going to kick off tomorrow, with A Future in Noise bringing you all kinds of specially-selected, fantastic content as a thank-you for reading, commenting, and sending your music to us! Stay tuned for the A Future in Noise YouTube channel launch, a new addition in our Starter Guide series, and some top-secret special features...

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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Discography Reissues!

Mute Records is set to re-issue (and digitally remaster, including some B-sides) the entire discography of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, beginning with From Her to Eternity, The First Born Is Dead, Kicking Against the Pricks, and Your Funeral, My Trial on 4/7/09. This first string of albums are among the very best of their output, with From Her to Eternity being one of my favourite albums of all-time, and very deserving of the re-issue treatment.

Mute.com - News - NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS

(Thanks to Jakob Battick for the tip!)

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History of Rock: 1960's Surf and Pop

Note: To expand upon what is featured in articles, I was thinking of making an A Future in Noise video channel page at YouTube- what do the readers (and contributors!) think about this?

This is the continuing ongoing History of Rock series that accompanies the workshop on the subject that I teach- previous installments: Part 1: Blues, Part 2: First Wave of Rock, Part 3: Soul/Funk

Today's theme!
1960's Surf and Pop

Topics, artists/bands, and genres discussed and played will include: teen-idol pop, New York Pop, Phil Spector's Wall-of-Sound production, the surf sound (The Ventures, Beach Boys), and pop rock of the late 60's (Neil Diamond)

Comments are much appreciated, especially to share suggestions for topics, artists to cover, and potential homework assignments!

Sample of Performances...

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Artist Feature: Neil Nathan

Neil Nathan is a singer/songwriter (or glam rock animal?, as his bio posits) from New York, New York. Sometimes folky, sometimes country-tinged, and influenced by wide range of fantastic musicians (see MySpace Music page) ranging from Neil Young and Bob Dylan to T. Rex and David Bowie and Tom Waits and Nick Cave to Creedence Clearwater Revival and Lynard Skynard.

I have recently listened to his 2008 EP Songsmiths and his forthcoming debut album The Distance Calls [release date TBA]. His reinventive, acoustic cover of Electric Light Orchestra's "Do Ya" was featured in Showtime series Californication, and Songsmiths features additional song interpretations, "Darling Friend", a take on Beethoven's "Fur Elise" with somber vocals and steel guitar, "I'm So Happy You Failed" (eoriginal by Laptop), Chris MalCarney's (of the Donuts) "Mia", and an excellent, heartfelt adaptation of the Small Faces' "All or Nothing". The closing track "Old Man Time" is an original, with collaborator Mike 'Slo-Mo' Brenner, and my favourite on the EP, adding a dash of the unexpected, with it's electro-funk rhythms and Neil Nathan's husky vocals evoking Mark Lanegan (of Screaming Trees acclaim).

The Distance Calls is where Nathan takes things a step farther and serves as a document recording an expansion of his sound, recorded in Detroit and featuring an assembly of notable musicians accompanying him [Joey Mazzola on lead/rhythm guitar (Sponge, Detroit Cobras), Dean Fertita on piano/organ (Queens of the Stone Age, the Raconteurs), Kenny Tudrick on drums and acoustic gutiar (Kid Rock, Detroit Cobras), John Krautner on bass guitar (The Go), Ross Westerbur on electric piano/organ, Danny Methric on lead guitar (the Muggs, the Paybacks), Loretta Lucas on backing vocals (Sisters Lucas)]. This time, excepting "Do Ya", all are Neil Nathan originals, and the scope of his songwriting becomes apparent, showing many various sides of emotion, from the alt-countrified storytelling anthems "California Run" and "Highways", to the softer "When The Rain Falls" and ballad-esque "So Much More". Definite stand-outs are "Better Be Goin'" the most rocking of the bunch and incredibly catchy, and "Eyes Wide Open" is the loveliest, most sentimental song here. Overall, The Distance Calls is a well-rounded album, while showing promise for his future musical output all the while.

Neil Nathan is one to watch! In the meantime, check out his four EPs The Nearest Future, Songsmiths, Motor City Recordings, and Glide, available to purchase at CDBaby.

Neil Nathan - Official Website | on MySpace Music | on Facebook

(above photo © Nicole Szalewski)

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Andrew Kendall - Music Photography in the 2000s

It would be impossible for me to mention all of my favourite pictures of musicians and music photographers in one post; this is to be a multi-part series in the long run. For now I'd like to highlight a certain modern photographer and his pictures that has greatly affected my outlook on photography and taking pictures myself. Onward!

ANDREW KENDALL

As many pictures of the musicians I admire that have long been getting saved on my computer, it was Mr. Kendall that made me consider not only what great photos of musicians should look like, but the music photographers themselves. I think I remember spotting some of his photos of The Libertines in late 2004 at The Killers Network in several users' forum avatars and signatures. Though I had not heard The Libertines' music at the time...I knew I just had to. I was hooked from 30-second RealPlayer snippets I found, and subsequently went out and bought Up the Bracket (still my #1 album) and The Libertines.

The best photography in the music realm is not just about having interesting, obscure, or popular (and beautiful, in the case of Pete and Carl...but I digress) subjects to capture, and further still, it is more than having some fancy equipment. There is the prime importance of capturing those truly musical moments, that ability to encapsulate the atmosphere of the performance and to show a flash in time that might have been lost to others; hard to explain, easy to see!

Andrew Kendall is currently 28 and resides in the UK, an affiliate of the NME.

Andrew Kendall on Flickr | Official Andrew Kendall Website

(pictures licensed and re-posted under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License)

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3rd Album Leaks

Yeah Yeah Yeahs don't exactly move at a fast clip, do they? After becoming the toast of the NYC underground in 2001 with their first EP, particularly the song "Art Star," they wait two years to issue a debut album. Thankfully, 2003's Fever To Tell was an instant classic. Comprised of equal parts raunchy punk noise, art-school experimentalism and pure pop, it managed to go platinum and, unlike their peers The Strokes or Interpol, produce a US radio hit with "Maps." How did they capitalise on this momentum?

Three years later, the band dropped Show Your Bones, which with hindsight, we can safely call a textbook case of sophomore slump. "Gold Lion" rightfully became a pop hit, but much of the rest of the album fell flat. The group seemed restrained, either unable or unwilling to tap into the in-the-red quality of "Art Star," "Date With The Night" and "Pin."

Now, at the onset of 2009, Y3 return into a vastly different pop landscape than that of Fever To Tell. Karen O is no longer the first lady of indie-rock. Her throne has been taken by BFFs M.I.A. and Santogold, two ladies who combine rock's aggression with world rhythms, electronic beats, the depth of dub, a unique fashion sense and a confrontational outlook. The most recent albums by both ladies, Kala and Santogold, have produced hit singles ("Paper Planes" and "L.E.S. Artistes," respectively) while retaining indie cred and massive critical acclaim. In other words, both ladies are in Karen O's position circa 2004. So this album finds Ms Orzolek and Messrs Zinner and Chase playing catch-up, so to speak.

The first single "Zero," "Heads Will Roll," and "Dull Life," which have been bopping around the internet for the last month or so, are all included. The former two are decent electro-pop. Not bad, but nothing to write home about either, though I'm judging this through the lens of Lily Allen's "The Fear," which was so thumping good that it'll likely colour my perception of all electro-pop released this year. But I digress. "Dull Life" is decent. It's a bit darker-sounding, with a Western chorus and a flash of classic Y3 at the end. A bit strange, but it works.

Here's a rundown of the previously-unleaked tracks:

"Soft Shock" is a softer, gentler piece than the two that precede it. First really good song on the record, and thus a good lead-in to the next one.

"Skeletons" is the first truly great song on the album. I'm calling it now: it will be a classic Y3 ballad in the tradition of "Maps" and "Turn Into." Ethereal keyboards and flutes + a martial beat that somehow reminds me of the American Revolution = pure aural heaven.

"Shame and Fortune" sounds like the band trying to do the new sound with attitude. Not bad, not great. At this point, I'm rather alarmed, because I've never felt this degree of ambivalence about a Y3 record.

"Runaway" is startling. It's a sparse piano ballad. It's about as far from "Tick" as a song can get, especially once the ethereal cello/guitar/keyboard bit comes in (the production on this record is so intricate that it's difficult to tell). Some drums come in unnecessarily about halfway through and muck it up. I can live with it though.

"Dragon Queen" is kind of like whatever. I mean, I'd dance to it, sure, but actually listen to it? Uh, no.

"Hysteric" is a soaring power ballad. Up there with anything Blondie ever did, who are, by the way, another obvious reference point - especially for a female-fronted punk act expanding into pop. I was too thick to mention it earlier. I want this to be a radio hit, but it won't happen (at least not in the States).

"Little Shadow" is, again, nothing special. Just sort of... there, innit? This is the band that ended their first two albums with "Modern Romance" and "Turn Into," so I was rather expecting to go out on a high note. Maybe they should have saved "Skeletons" for last?

Ultimately, this album is on a par with Show Your Bones. The good songs are much better than anything on that record, but the bad ones are among the worst they've ever done. However, it's still not as good as Fever To Tell. I don't see myself listening to this regularly six years from now, like I do Fever To Tell. I admire them for trying to expand their range and sound, but Y3 will likely never record an album as visceral (or as good) as their first. Of course, in 2015, I might eat these words.

SCORE: 5/10 - needless to say this ain't gonna hold a candle to Kala (10/10) and Santogold (9/10).

The record isn't due out until March 9 in the U.K. and March 10 in the U.S. (digitally) and March 31 in the U.S. and April 6 everywhere else (physically) but you can find it online. Alternatively, just shoot me an email at iankemp90@gmail.com if you'd like me to send you a link.

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Interview with Me at Smashingpumpkins. com

The article Last.fm: A site for music lovers everywhere, also appearing on the front page of the official Smashing Pumpkins site includes some remarks from me on how unsigned artists can benefit from using Last.fm- special thanks to saeed1985 for making this happen!

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Serge Gainsbourg's Histoire de Melody Nelson To Be Reissued

On 24 March, Serge Gainsbourg's 1971 magnum opus, Histoire de Nelody Nelson, is set to be reissued. This will be the first time the record is properly released in the United States. It's been remastered and will be available on CD and - begin drooling - limited-edition, hand-numbered 180-gram vinyl. No bonus tracks, but there will be a 40-page booklet with an interview and liner notes.

In completely unrelated news, I have a birthday next month...

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