YI And His Special Music Corner

[YI]

Colly, I know its a bit late...but if you didn't figure it out, Beatdown Records do gig tickets for all the small venues around the area, including The Other Rooms. They have a shitty base up near Haymarket, but the new store is down from Clayton Chippy, towards Central Station/The Life Centre/The Gay Area!!!!!!! (Can't remember the name of the street)

I went in to get Strung Out tickets yesterday, they had no Trillians blanks left...so feeling shit about not getting anything, I panicked, and ended up spending £6 on a Girls Against Boys CD.

Edited October 1, 2008 by YI

[YI]

Ben Folds

Regina Spektor

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eP9csWhlHWM

Tune of the moment.

[YI]

New Rise Against album is gash. Absolute fucking gash. Too many mid-tempo pile of bollocks. Tunes worth fuck all; "Collapse", "The Dirt Whispered", "Kotov Syndrome", "Entertainment" and "Saviour".

I do like the start of "The Dirt Whispered" as it's a total "The Unravelling" style. Love it.

In better news, This Town Needs Guns' album is fucking awesome.

Edited October 4, 2008 by YI

[tristy]

just downloaded all the new albums by Bob Mould, the Drones, Gemma Hayes, Mercury Rev, Spiritualized, Squarepusher and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Never heard of any of them except the last two, and only know of Bob Mould from Husker Du.

I only got most of those albums because they were on the current line-up for All Tomorrow's Parties, and Wikipedia'd the artists.

[YI]

Gemma Hayes is lovely. Just simple pop/acoustic stuff, but lovely.

Mercury Rev are pretty good, new album just out I think, haven't checked it out.

And Squarepusher has a new album out. Awesome, I had no idea.

[tristy]

"Just A Souvenir". It's not officially out yet. It leaked almost a month ago, apparently.

[ragbag]

New Rise Against album is gash. Absolute fucking gash. Too many mid-tempo pile of bollocks. Tunes worth fuck all; "Collapse", "The Dirt Whispered", "Kotov Syndrome", "Entertainment" and "Saviour".

I do like the start of "The Dirt Whispered" as it's a total "The Unravelling" style. Love it.

Yeah, it was a disappointment. It almost seemed like to me that they're almost going for like a pop-punk sound in some songs.

[YI]

One thing I do like about the Rise Against album is that they've went totally overboard on the Bad Religion style "WHOA!"'s and "OH!"'s...totally underused in punk-rock these days.

Still, not that big of a fan. It's not that they've 'lost it', as the songs that are great are FUCKING GREAT, it's just the mid-tempo shit is so fucking terrible.

Songs I like;

The Dirt Whispered

Collapse (Post Amerika)

Entertainment

Kotov Syndrome

Saviour

Growing on me a bit;

Hairline Fracture

From Heads University

A Giant Meh;

Whereabouts Unknown

Long Forgotten Sons

FUCK OFF AND DIE;

Re-Education (Through Labour)

The Strength To Go On

WHAT...WHAT...WHAT...PLEASE LET ME FUCK OFF AND DIE;

Audience Of One

Hero Of War

WOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!! Support for Strung Out at Trillians is.....Sick Humour (old school style, local hardcore punk band...never really heard) and...CHIEF!!!!! FUCKING RIGHTS!!! Chief are fucking awesome. They're also going to churn out a b-sides album. Hopefully there's some new stuff on there. But still, some of Strung Out's 'b-sides' are their best songs (Your Worst Mistake/Novacaine/Lost Motel/Barfly etc.)

Edited October 6, 2008 by YI

[YI]

Because nobody besides me posts in here anymore, seemingly...I'm going to revert back to my "Top 10 songs of the week" and "Top 10 albums of the week"...seeing as I can't sleep. I haven't particularly been listening to a lot at the minute, but, I'm giving it a shot.

10. "Bitch Went Nuts" by Ben Folds

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IsGwa-7kP5g (LIVE)

ALBUM: "Way To Normal"

More songs need "cunt" in them. Catchy, plus I love the weird vocal effects on the "Why do they all go!" bits. And the piano riff around 1:30 is awesome.

9. "The Dirt Whispered" by Rise Against

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dzUp8O4xu7o

ALBUM: "Appeal To Reason"

It's all about the chorus. But the beginning gives me flashbacks to "The Unravelling" era, which is lovely.

8. "Pig" by This Town Needs Guns

n/a

ALBUM: "Animals"

What a band, what an album, what a tune. Total erratic, but soothing guitar and drum parts with dreamy vocals floating over the top of it. I really adore these kind of 'technical', 'mathy' indie/emo style bands.

7. "Dr Yang" by Ben Folds

n/a

ALBUM: "Way To Normal"

Very much in the Ben Folds Five style. It's jazzy, it's raucous, it's bloody catchy. I fucking love it.

6. "Spaceman" by The Killers

(LIVE)

ALBUM: "Day & Age" (Forthcoming)

A bigger chorus than "Mr Brightside"? You better believe it. I adore this tune.

5. "Promise" by The Maybes?

http://www.myspace.com/themaybesliverpool

ALBUM: "Promise"

12-minutes of pure dance heaven. Even the moody bit in the middle makes you want to swing your hips like a sex convict. Awesome tune.

4. "You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds (ft. Regina Spektor)

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eP9csWhlHWM

ALBUM: "Way To Normal"

A cute little song. One I found myself skipping on my first few listens, but I soon fell in love. I love the little 'response' bit Spektor does before the last chorus, where she goes "what" and "say it"...it makes me just want to pin her down and fuck her hard.

3. "Effington" by Ben Folds

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jJr9-YTt5ss (LIVE)

ALBUM: "Way To Normal"

"IF THERE'S A GOD! HE'S LAUGHING AT US! AND OUR FOOTBALL TEAM!"...I heard this tune live back in June, and I fell in love with it then. On record, it's just as good. Pounding chorus. Just, brilliance. Not the best youtube video, as there's some tonedeaf bitch singing along...but posted because there's a fat lass doing sign language on the side of the stage...hahahahahahaa.

2. "Panda" by This Town Needs Guns

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wn9PRYeiCo

ALBUM: "Animals"

I need to get high as fuck and listen to this album. I think it might give you some form of religious experience. I've actually warmed to their more downtempo approach (in comparison to their EP's), and the record is amazing from top to bottom. This tune is a notable standout, being the single/video, or whatever. So stylish.

1. "Canoe" by Joey Cape

http://www.myspace.com/afterburnermusic

ALBUM: "Bridge"

FUCKING RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!! Okay...the GREATEST SONG OF THE DECADE!!! And I'm not even talking bullshit. Seriously.

[Mr Evil Guy]

So I just realized how much I like new TVOTR and new Of Montreal. Probably two of the years best easy.

PS New Ladyhawke, listen to My Delirium and love.

[YI]

New Keane is..........EPIC!?!?!?!!?!?!!!

In a totally different way to "Hopes & Fears". It's mostly funky and dancey and happy, it's brilliant. "Spiralling", "Lovers Are Losing", "Better Than This", "You Haven't Told Me A Thing", "Perfect Symmetry", "Again & Again", "Pretend That You're Alone" and "Love Is The End" are all fucking killer tunes.

Seriously, this is such an improvement over "Under The Iron Sea", where the only ones I liked were the quieter/moody/experimental tracks like "Hamburg Song", "Atlantic" and "Broken Toy"...actually I think those three were the only ones I liked.

Edited October 7, 2008 by YI

[YI]

TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE WEEK

10. "Acid Tongue" by Jenny Lewis

GENRE: Indie/Country

CHECK HER OUT (not in a pervy way): http://www.myspace.com/jennylewismusic

Jenny Lewis is a filthy, filthy, musical, cockteasing whore!!! She's a cockteasing little minx. She flirts with an idea, but never really commits. She tries to cram too much into one album, and then when something's coming on too strong, she quickly runs away from it into the arms of something else. The last Rilo Kiley effort was kind of like this as well, she wants to play with too much stuff, and it really disrupts the flow. I mean, it can be exciting, as you don't know what's going to come next. But something just seems slightly off about it as a whole. Don't get me wrong, there's some fucking amazing tunes on here. Plus she's banging, so has more leeway than your average artist.

BEST SONGS: "See Fernando", "Acid Tongue", "Jack Killed Mom" and "Pretty Bird"

IF YOU LIKE: "Rilo Kiley", "St Vincent", "Neko Case", "Wilco" and "Low Skies"

9. "The Glass Passenger" by Jack's Mannequin

GENRE: Piano Rock/Alt-Rock

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/jacksmannequin

"Everything In Transit", the debut from Jack's Mannequin is an absolutely outstanding album. Perfect summer listening. I had high expectations for "The Glass Passenger" and it didn't really live up to them. I mean, it's a perfectly acceptable album with a number of really good songs, but as a whole, it doesn't feel anywhere in the level of EIT. THe summery sugaryness has gone, well that's understandable, this is the album recorded after Andrew McMahon's fight with cancer, he's matured as a musician, it just, lacks style. Another great thing about EIT was the flow, "The Glass Passenger" just seems like a collection of odd songs. That being said, the likes of "Crashing" is an absolute cracking song, and the closer "Caves" is up there with Something Corporate's "Konstantine" as the most 'epic' track McMahon has ever penned.

BEST SONGS: "Crashing", "Spinning", "Caves", "What Gets You Off" and "The Resolution"

IF YOU LIKE: "Something Corporate", "We Shot The Moon", "The Rocket Summer" and "Albion"

8. "Happy Birthday Hitler" by Asking For It

GENRE: Angry-Folk

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/chrisburrows

Here are some Angry-Folk, singing some Angry-Folk, all the way from Australia. Blunt lyrics, occasional swearing, gang vocals from time to time. Yeah, it's got all the 'cliches' of a good Angry-Folk album. Plus, it also sounds like it was recorded in a shed, which is a plus. The singer kind of reminds me of Atom & His Package as well, actually, a lot of his lyrics do too.

BEST SONGS: "This Is How I'm Gonna Live", "Sweet Home Homeless", "Methlabs & Bookstores", "Sometimes" and "I Wanna Be An Alcoholic"

IF YOU LIKE: "Andrew Jackson Jihad", "Ghost Mice", "Rosa" and "This Bike Is A Pipebomb"

7. "Bridge" by Joey Cape

GENRE: Acoustic

CHECK HIM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/afterburnermusic | http://www.myspace.com/joeycape

Joey Cape is one of my favourite, most versatile song writers and musicians, currently in their 'prime'. Whether it's his guitar work in punk-cover band, "Me First & The Gimme Gimmes"; his major project, punk-rock pioneers, "Lagwagon"; his former sideproject, the indie-prog band "Bad Astronaut"; or more recently his contributions to indie-pop/pop-rock outfit, "The Playing Favorites", I simply love everything that he does. There's been talk of Cape doing an acoustic album for a while, in fact the speculation started long before the whole crop of "punk-rock guys putting out acoustic albums" started. So it's somewhat of a shame, that it's taken Cape such a long time to get this out. But with his work with all his other bands, it's no surprise really. The great thing about Cape is, he has such a powerful voice. A voice that can be suited to so many different things. And it works, potentially at its best, in an acoustic setting. Two of the songs on this album surfaced last year, "Canoe" and "Non Sequitur". I will say this and truthfully mean it, "Canoe" is quite possibly the greatest song I have heard this decade, truly beautiful. It kind of reminds me of "Tearing In My Heart" by Sunny Day Real Estate in a way, but that may just be that they both same the noises of children. Actually, that's probably the only reason it reminds me of it. A brilliant album. Cape, unlike a lot of other punk-rock come acoustic musicians, writes acoustic tunes, whereas others seem to write punk-rock songs, and just play them on an acoustic guitar. Listen to this, or at least track down "Canoe", stunning song.

BEST SONGS: "Canoe", "Home", "No Little Pill", "B-Side" and "Non Sequitur"

IF YOU LIKE: "Mike Hale", "Mike Park", "Attica! Attica!", "Chuck Ragan" and "Kevin Seconds"

6. "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed" by Los Campesinos!

GENRE: Indie-Rock

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos

"You asked if I could be anyone from history/Fact or fiction/Dead or alive/I said I'd be Tony Cascarino/Circa 1995"...enough said.

BEST SONGS: "We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed", "Miserabilia", "You'll Need These Fingers For Crossing", "Ways To Make It Through The Wall" and "All Your Kayfabe Friends"

IF YOU LIKE: "DANANANANAKROYD", "A Big YES And A Small no", "Tilly & The Wall" and "Johnny Foreigner"

5. "Perfect Symmetry" by Keane

GENRE: Pop-Rock

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/keane

"Hopes & Fears" is one of my favourite ever albums. Yes, I can say that with a straight face. I absolutely adore that album. It's Keane at their simplest form. Simple piano-rock/pop tracks, big ballads and the like. It all works so brilliantly. "Under The Iron Sea" was a massive dissapointment for me. The 'exciting' tracks didn't interest me, and it was only the more 'experimental' and moody tracks like "Hamburg Song", "Broken Toy" and "Atlantic" that even caught my attention. A month or so back "Spiralling" was made available for a free download, and it came totally out of left field. 80's sound effects, funky riffs...it was a totally different Keane than we knew, and it was amazing. For the most part, the album continues in this style. Cynics of both bands (to be fair, I was a cynic of one) will say Radiohead and Keane may have both found their niche and some 'character' with their releases this year. Then again same 'old school' Coldplay is still preferable to the likes of Royworld and Scouting For Girls, who take "shit and generic" to a whole new level. But the Keane of this album, whilst the piano is still a big focal point, the way it sounds, how the songs are put together, they seem to share a lot more with The Killers and their ilk. There's also the amazingly cheesy 80's type vibe running throughout the entire thing, which I just adore. "You Haven't Told Me Anything" literally sounds like it's been lifted from someone like Soft Cell's back catalogue. Bloody good album!

BEST SONGS: "Again & Again", "Better Than This", "You Haven't Told Me Anything", "Perfect Symmetry" and "Pretend That You're Alone"

IF YOU LIKE: "The Killers", "Coldplay", "The Feeling", "Aha"...The 80's in General

4. "Animals" by This Town Needs Guns

GENRE: Indie-Prog/Math-Rock

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/thistownneedsguns

This is a release that really needs to be listened in a full album context to be truly appreciated. It's complex, it's 'weird', but at the same time it's really cute and beautiful. You've got some absolutey insane, 'twiddly' guitar bits and complex syncopation, mixed in with some crazy drum fills and rhythms. Yet it all sounds so contained and 'clean', with sweet vocals over the top, sometimes breaking into falsetto, seemingly in half time compared to the rest of the music, producing some nice little melodies. Given the album's style, and it's more 'laid back' feel in comparison to their older stuff, you don't have the tracks that jump out at you, like "26 Is Dancier Than 4" for example. This means you have to listen to it through to really appreciate it, but you do get familiar with some songs, you recognise the chord progressions, the vocal lines, and they draw you in.

BEST SONGS: "Panda", "Pig", "Chinchilla", "Gibbon" and "Crocodile".

IF YOU LIKE: "American Football", "Maps & Atlases", "Algernon Cadwallader", "Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start" and "Instruments"

3. "Way To Normal" by Ben Folds

GENRE: Piano Rock

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/benfolds

I absolutely adore Ben Folds. From his Ben Folds Five material to his more recent stuff. All top notch. I admit, I wasn't big on his b-sides release he put out last year, but then again, it's b-sides isn't it. But still, that had me a little worried that he may have lost it. However, after seeing him live in June, my worries were soon taken away. All the tracks he played that night were brilliant. First off was "Hiroshima" which is a 'simple' tune with a pounding beat, clunky piano chords and "OH"'s. It doesn't really make the leap into the studio as well as I hoped, but it is a powerful live track. Then there was "Free Coffee", which utilises the "Put shit into the piano technique" (I believe that's the technical term). On record it has like tape his and distortion added, which took a while for me to get used to, but it's a catchy little song. It is one of the occasions on this record where Ben tries to 'push the boat' a bit more. Try new things, be a bit more experimental, with drums breaks and weird effects and the like. And it works. "Kylie From Connecticut" is a slow number, and closes off the album. It's cute, it's nice. However, it was "Effington" that stole the show live, and does so on the record. From the opening of "If there's a God/He is laughing at us/And out football team", you just knew it was going to be an amazing song. It doesn't dissapoint. The album as a whole is really good. Personally I find it picks up towards the end with "Free Coffee" -> "Bitch Went Nuts" -> "Brainwashed" -> "Effington" -> "Kylie From Connecticut". But there's some really good tunes early on, like the jazzy and erratic "Dr Yang", the cute little duet with Regina Spektor, "You Don't Know Me" (A song about couples not really knowing each other, if anyone knows it's Ben Folds...what's he...pushing half a dozen wives now?) and another quiet "Landed"/"Still Fighting It" style number in "Cologne". It's growing on me, and I'm hoping it still does. As there's a couple of tunes I honestly don't care for, but the rest more than makes up for that.

BEST SONGS: "Effington", "You Don't Know Me" (ft. Regina Spektor), "Dr Yang", "Bitch Went Nuts" and "Cologne"

IF YOU LIKE: "Ben Folds Five", "Paddy Milner", "Jack's Mannequin", "Albion" and "Guster"

2. "Take Flight" by Pedals On Our Pirate Ships (EP)

GENRE: Folk-Punk

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/pedalsonourpirateships

FUCKING AWESOME! Seriously, it is honestly like taking my two favourite, emerging bands of the last two years (Andrew Jackson Jihad and The Gaslight Anthem), tossing them in a blender, and coming out than this. Absolutely amazing band name too. Only 8-tracks on here, but each and everyone of them is top notch stuff. So many quotable bits too. Great mix of the angstiness of AJJ and the bar-band/brotherhood aspect of TGA. I love the lyrics, brilliant for quoting, from; "..and now I'm gonna grow my beard/Until my face just dissapears/Cos I'm feeling ugly/And you're so beautifully sincere" ("Reinventing Bryan Adams") to "If it's 10 against 2/And it's just me and you/There's be 12 of us in the emergency room" ("Pony Express"), to the amazing "This sadness fits so exquisitely perfect/Just like a noose that was custom made for my neck/I will be swinging at that party down the line..." ("Goodbye Optimism") and of course the bloody random "Here I am, your fucked up Peter Pan/In never, say never, neverland/Will you be my Wendy/Will you be my Tinkerbell/Don't be silly, you can be my Tiger Lily still" ("Peter Pan Syndrome"...there's also a great bit of "Secretly we all miss our mothers/We seek security in the arms of lovers/Underneath the covers/We'll turn this fort into a home..."). LOVE IT!

BEST SONGS: "Ballad Of Jonny Z", "Goodbye Optimism", "Night Of The Living Wage" and "Reinventing Bryan Adams"

IF YOU LIKE: "Andrew Jackson Jihad", "The Gaslight Anthem", "This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb", "Brian Fallon & The CRT", "Against Me!" and "Rain Over Battle"

1. "In Flesh Tones" by Azeda Booth

GENRE: Lo-Fi Electro-Pop

CHECK THEM OUT: http://www.myspace.com/azedabooth

The first thing you notice about Azeda Booth is the fact the 'underneath' doesn't seem to match the top. In the pener "Ran", you've got sweeping, weird synth patterns, mixed with some banging tribal drums, somewhat similar to "Gobbledigook" by Sigur Ros. And airy, breathy, female vocals. But oh no, they aren't female vocals! Yes, the singer is a man, yet sounds like a woman. And it's not in a Mika kind of way, in that it's camp, and just because it's high. It actually does sound like female vocals. Not a man singing in falsetto (Which it is), but a woman! The pattern of sweeping synth patterns and 'weird' underneath programming and percussion continues throughout. "John Cleese" is a prime example of this, where there's a full on Drum N' Bass percussion part going on underneath the song. Incredibly beautiful album, and I'm sure it's one of those where you're going to find something new everytime you listen. Breathtaking stuff, I could see it being one of my favourites at close of play.

BEST SONGS: "Big Fists", "In Red", "John Cleese", "Lobster Quadrille" and "First Little Britches"

IF YOU LIKE: (early) "DnTel", "Boards Of Canada", "Epic45", (early) "Styrofoam" and "Kyte"

[Turbo Yannis]

Good god, the new CSS single is just too fucking catchy.

[Cactus Drags]

Got a link?

[YI]

"Move"? If so, yeah, it's a fucking TUUUUNE!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5LlKPVYkk

Outside of maybe "Jager Yoga" it's my favourite tune on the new album.

Please forgive me EWB, I am going to see Zebrahead. Paige are supporting though. :D :D

OH FUCK OFF!!! FAILSAFE!!! Failsafe are the other support. I'm going to heckle the fat bassist for stealing my standing place at A Wilhelm Scream.

If it wasn't so bloody expensive (for who it is...£9!!), I'd fuck off after Paige.

Edited October 9, 2008 by YI

[ROC]

Zebrahead's got a shitty wrestling theme link I can't think of right now but I'm sure I'll find on my copy of WWE: Wreckless Intent...

Yup...her legs go on and on for days.

Edited October 9, 2008 by ROC

[Cactus Drags]

"Move"? If so, yeah, it's a fucking TUUUUNE!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BF5LlKPVYkk

Outside of maybe "Jager Yoga" it's my favourite tune on the new album.

Please forgive me EWB, I am going to see Zebrahead. Paige are supporting though. :D :D

OH FUCK OFF!!! FAILSAFE!!! Failsafe are the other support. I'm going to heckle the fat bassist for stealing my standing place at A Wilhelm Scream.

If it wasn't so bloody expensive (for who it is...£9!!), I'd fuck off after Paige.

They were alright at Download last year...or the year before, can't remember. Not the best material by any means, but a good party vibe.

[YI]

Back to Gaslight Anthem...apparently they're MASSIVE Christians. Weird. I guess there's strong spiritual themes in lots of their stuff (especially on the new album), but still, kind of surprised me. Then again, this could just be another one of those "punk-rock rumours" like Tom Gabel (Against Me!) hating Jewish people.

Also, "Salt, Peppa and Spinderella" by Johnny Foreigner is a fucking tune. I'd sex the girl all over too.

And Zebrahead remind me of a poor man's Sum 41 (well not the last album, that was fucking terrible, harder to be worse than that)...doing 'what was cool' 6 years ago. I mean, they're not 'that' offensive. They're just a band I couldn't see myself listening to more than 3/4 songs by, without getting bored. But, I want to see Paige. And heckle Failsafe.

Edited October 10, 2008 by YI

[tristy]

do people actually like jack's mannequin?

[YI]

errrrr...yeah. His new album to be fair isn't that great, there's only a handful of songs that are up to the standard of the first album, but "Everything In Transit" was amazing.