Thursday 30 July 2009

Monolith Cocktail 004



You lucky, lucky people! We have a bursting at the seams posting for you this time round that features a new writer as well as my first part of feature on the golden period of Krautrock.
Not forgetting dear young Richie's review of the latest LP by Lets Wrestle.
We really are giving you people too much.

It's epic it's smart so what are you waiting for?

004:-

Let's welcome new contributor Marc Lawrence to the blog, below you will find his well informed and brilliant review of Regina Spektor's latest (I'm jealous).



Regina Spektor
‘Far’ (Sire)


Tiny, bosomy and mad as a brush, Russian-born émigré Regina Spektor’s sixth album, ‘Far’, released on Sire, is easily her most approachable to date. Every track works by itself, and melds together to create an easily listenable whole. Spektor’s trademarks – her left-field, abstract song writing, classically-trained background and epiglottal vocal gymnastics married to expertly structured piano arpeggios – are here in spades, but this album springs to life from the first listen, unlike a lot of her earlier offerings, which at times feel like a degree in music or some sort of endless supply of barbiturates is needed to actually enjoy them. From the jolly oomph-band rhythm of opener ‘The Calculation’, through the theological considerations of ‘Laughing With’ and former ELO-man Jeff Lynne produced album highlight ‘Human of the Year’, to the closing trembling notes of waltz-esque ‘Man of a Thousand Faces’, there’s not really a duff track here. A couple you feel could have been left off without too much damage done (‘Dance Anthem of the 80’s’ is the weakest track, and feels like the token “quirky” effort), but none of these songs are bad. With ‘Far’, you get the impression (if you’ve heard Regina’s previous offerings, particularly the moody ‘Mary Ann Meets the Gravediggers’ and earlier, even lower-fi ‘Soviet Kitsch’ and ‘11:11’) benefits enormously from the higher budget production evident here. Regina Spektor’s loyal, hardcore fans, the ones who’ve been onboard since Mary Ann… and before (like the girl stood next to me in the marquee in Hyde Park who screamed in my ear at the top of her voice, as Regina banged out the first notes of ‘Us’: “this song is about my life!!”) will love ‘Far’. Regina branches out into user-friendly pastures new, but she doesn’t make the mistake that so many others who have made the move to mainstream have, forgetting what she’s all about. Instead, she sticks to what she’s good at, but adds a little something new, all of which means ‘Far’ will appeal to fans and new recruits alike.
Marc Lawrence




'In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's' - Let's Wrestle - Stolen Recordings

I first heard 'I won't Lie To You' about 16 months ago on the radio. Soon after that, the band released their first E.P ' In Loving Memory Of...’ And now they have bestowed upon us their debut album, 'In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's' (hereby referred to as 'ITCOTWL' to save my fingers). 'ITCOTWL' continues on from the blueprint laid down by 'In Loving Memory Of...' It is musically simplistic but a joyous listen. Slices of Pavement, Blur and Punk merge with Wesley Patrick Gonzales' (aka WPG) naive lyrics about being young and having fun. The instrumentation is a glorious mix of wandering bass lines, droning guitars and punky drumming. But Let's Wrestle have stayed entirely true to their tried and tested method. They have expanded and elaborated their sound from the previous efforts. The Songs 'Tanks', 'Insects' (a rerecorded version from 'In Loving Memory Of...') and 'In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's' all feature keyboards. This new development in the sound shows a band that is willing to learn and experiment. 'Tanks' is one of the many strong tracks on 'ITCOTWL'’, t has WPG's trademark shouty howl as well as the staple wandering bass line that has become a mainstay in their sound. 'Tanks' plods along at a medium tempo whilst you fall more and more in love with the band's naivety. Other standout tracks on 'ITCOTWL' (pretty much 3/4 of the album) include: the Pavement-esque 'My Arms Don't Bend That Way, Damn It', the last single 'I'm In Fighting Mode' with its lovely bass and melodies, the last track 'In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's', a 60s psyche influenced jam and 'We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon', the strongest track on the album. 'We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon' is a song about finding a job and having fun with the money, "We're going down the job centre/ And soon, we'll come out with a job" and "We've got enough money to buy some G&T's for the girls" are examples of the tracks subject. It has a fast tempo and brilliantly shabby instruments. But it's not all blue skies and butterflies with 'ITCOTWL'. 'Diana's Hair' clogs up the middle of the album. A dead weight of a song that features many interludes, there are four of them, are startlingly unoriginal. They borrow heavily from Pavement and defeat the object a little. Also, the constant shabby and ramshackle sound of the band may tire a little. In all this album delivers. A lively effort with a wrestling pedigree about it. It is brash and punky and loud. But Let's Wrestle also have a knack of writing a catchy tune or six. It may be a little formulaic, but it’s a contender for one of the top ten albums of 2009.


One Man’s Thoughts And Observations On Krautrock's Golden Age. By Dominic Valvona

PART 1

Introduction

Krautrock, what a term, I mean when have we ever used this suffix to denote anything other then in spite or ridicule. Lets just say its hardly a term of endearment.
No Krautrock was coined in the sneering adolescence hotbed of British music journalism back long ago when they needed to group all these interesting German chaps who were changing the very landscape of music, a pigeon holing was needed and one particular journo did just that.
Hell the Germans didn’t mind too much, they even included it in some of their song titles though I’m pretty sure it was meant in the same context that German artists would use it later in the Eighties, such as Martin Kippenberger’s legendary piss taking show titles and puns which openly ridiculed the country’s own dark past.
The trouble is any term is difficult as its impossible to lump all the many different bands and musicians who are filed under this moniker, as well as the fact that their was a big chasm in style differential, ideologies, hell even in their ages. I mean Can consisted of teachers in the mid thirties and one of their younger students, almost a generation difference in fact.
A common thread was found in the explosion of collective minds which spawned forth the first seeds of a German sounding musical phenomenon that pushed the boundaries of rock, pop, electronics, folk and World music. An unbounded energy, which was born of its time, music made for the first time inherently by Germans without having to cover or rely on the UK or US.
By 1970 these groups had ploughed their very own furrow and it was everyone else who copied and took notice.

Make no mistake these Teutonic sonic druids and cosmic composers changed the very fabric of music, they took your West coast Californians like Jefferson, Grateful Dead and your Cream, Hendrix, Mothers, Beefheart and they ran with it, ran with it till they’d had enough and so they began to sprinkle some Pink Floydd and Hawkwind into the mix. They added electronics to the equation and made themselves at home in the great classical composers of German folklore whilst taking tea with Stockhausen, in fact so many of these musicians were taught or brought up with old Stocky that he could be said to have been the chief instigator.
I mean Irmin Schmidt and Holger Czukay, both of Can, studied with him as well as its believed Kraftwerk (who evidently are not really a Krautrock group).
We can not understand enough the vast differences amongst these groups, Amon Duul II were socialist based and came from the communes of Munich whilst Can were respected music composers and teachers already in their mid thirties before they made a record in 1968.
Neu! Kept their heads down whilst Faust openly made an anarchic stand.
From manifestos to just a group of guys making some serene sublime soundtracks, I refer to Popal Vuh here, there were many reason why they shouldn’t even get on, some didn’t.

OK so what we are looking at is the golden period between 1968 to 1975, anytime after and we’re at the dog-eared end of the scene where God knows what some of them were thinking.
I also want to concentrate on seven of these groups in particular who are:-

AMON DUUL II
CAN
FAUST
GURU GURU
LA DUSSELDORF
NEU
POPAL VUH

The great Julian Cope has extensively covered most of these in part and has written the ultimate tome on the genre, The Krautrock Sampler, which had a limited couple of runs and is not to ever be reprinted again due to Cope’s own wishes. So you may have to search high and low, otherwise there are a multitude of great little sites dedicated to particular groups worth finding.

Before we go any further just a few points.

1. This is not meant to be the most comprehensive guide to either the genre or the bands themselves. In fact its more of a guide to the most accessible and enjoyable LP’s of this period and it is also a personal series of my thoughts and reviews on these very LP's which I hope you can in turn share with others. If you’re new to this then it acts as a beginners guide of sorts if not you may find it a useful reference.

2. There are bound to be people and stories missing, as I said it’s a personal set of reviews and writings on my favorite music of this genre. Cope does a sterling job of mentioning some obscure acts so if you need to delve deeper he’s your man. Though deeper and obscure is not always good, in fact when you get into people like Edgar Fosse or Cluster you start to tire. Even dedicated club nights such as Kosmiche hardly touch anything other than the main groups such as Neu! Or Can.

3. Hopefully you will be able to find these LP’s yourselves, most never sold heavily when they came out but I have been able to come across these records in second hand shops quite regularly, the only problems are usually Amon Duul II ‘Yeti’ and ‘Phallus Dei’ which really are like finding hens teeth. Spalax and Spoon do great reissues of many seminal Krautrock groups on vinyl.
On CD you should now be able to find most LP's no matter how obscure.
No matter how many people like your Kasbians or Horrors mention it they don’t actually truly reflect this music or have anything in common with it. More people are aware of Krautrock then would have been when it came out to be honest and its still not really exactly well known. So no matter how many times the likes of even Oasis or Blur talk about it take it from me its meaningless.

Basically this will be a series that is to found here on Monolith Cocktail blog.
Each issue I will feature one LP, with a piece on its content, musicians who played on it , label, track list everything in fact that is worth mentioning.

The first 6 parts will be dedicated to Amon Duul II (my particular favorites).







AMON DUUL II

Background:- Amon Duul II is said to have derived their name from the Egyptian sun god ‘Amon’ and the Turkish word for Moon ‘Duul’ though some members of the band have come up with a list of meanings and stories behind the moniker. Amon Duul II arose from the Munich communes of the Sixties and started off as one giant hippie spiritual pseudo collective before splitting into the two groups mk I and II. Apparently so the story goes some of the more with it and series musicians noticed that they had something and wanted to branch out. In fact the commune democracy spread to music allowing anyone to play in the band even the kids, which varied in degrees of success from pointless to shit. Founder member Chris Karrer and drummer supreme Peter Lepold decided to form a more structured band and had guitarist John Weinzierl join him as well as former teacher Renate Knaup, who did vocal duties. A little later artist turned organ/bass player Falk-Urich Rogner and former Kippington Lodge roadie Dave Anderson from the UK joined. Dave was later to appear in Hawkwind. In 1969 LP ‘Phallus Dei’ (see review below) was the first LP proper though most of it was made up of loose jams and edited together. With the odd extra guest such as bongo and violinist player Shrat, who is famously pictured on ‘Yeti’ cover waving a huge scythe later to become their logo, they made quite a dramatic impact on the German scene. For one thing the LP title translates as Gods Cock, so you kind of announce yourselves with some controversy straight away. The music found on this LP was progressive and even dare I say almost heavy metal, in fact a reviewer said of their live LP they shared a common sound with Led Zeppelin. They signed onto Liberty overshoot United Artists which was run by some very forward thinking young chaps who also signed Hawkwind, who very quickly made friends with their German counterparts. Big in Germany but relatively untouched in the UK, the group didn’t wait around long before going back into the studio. After this shocking debut came the most well known LP ‘Yeti’ in 1970 which followed on from some social upheaval amongst the commune with members dropping out not long after finishing recording. John Peel instantly loved it and gave it heavy radio play; it was certainly an improvement on the last with more structure and direction. Unfortunately the golden line up disintegrated with Shrat sodding off to form a bongo frenzy band called Sameti while Dave Anderson left for Hawkwind. Even dear Falk-Ulrich dropped out though strangely kept on doing the bands artwork. Something must have been going on as Renate also buggered off for a while, bad vibes indeed. The next LP ‘Dance Of The Lemmings’ (though its often referred to as Tanz Der Lemmings) was seen as a disappointment, this atmospheric double album included huge sways of ambient sound-scapes with the odd ferocious bout of drums and vocals. Derided but actually a great piece of experimental music for 1971, anyway it made few new converts and the band went back to the drawing board. 1972 brought back Renate and a more song structured set of tracks, which made up the brilliant ‘Carnival In Babylon’, unfortunately tensions remained and members left. This LP was popular in the UK and made way for a tour, which led to the legendary Greyhound in Croydon gig, much dismissed by Cope the fool. A resulting LP ‘Live In London’, with the menacing winged insect wearing a German helmet devouring London, appeared and is a very decent record capturing the guys going back to their roots and performing tracks off the first three LP's. The same year brought out the critically acclaimed ‘Wolf City’ one of their finest, again the structured songs played prominence and the band were now becoming a slick production outfit. A side project was confusingly set up and resulted in an off shoot called Utopia which is in all but name a Amon Duul II LP though I’m omitting it from my very own reviews. Next up came the so-called glam period which resulted in the sketchy but still good LP ‘Viva La Trance’, a often toe dipping Euro nonsense experience which is where they really lost their way. The next two LP’s saw them move to ATCO and an assault on the Americans. ‘Hijack’ was another inspired piece of Euro tat though I’m quite fond of it, with its illusions to Mott The Hopple and even stealing lines from Bowie this record really did it for most fans. Following on from this came the seminal though often ridiculed ‘Made In Germany’ a Teutonic rock concept opera that took in the history, folklore and myth of their homeland and spawned a double LP’s worth of what can only be described as genius. Every genre is touched on this there truly last big furrow. Unfortunately they cut it in half and repackaged it as it was thought to be too much for especially the US market. So there are two versions out there, on CD you can only get the shortened version. The original has the band line up wearing all manner of Bavarian and Kaiser inspired regalia, tongue firmly in check. Sadly this experience culminated in a fall out but we won’t go there. Amon Duul II in short were pioneers and made from the start their own brand of fantasy, folk, myth, politics and spiritualism that resulted in some of the best playing ever put on record and the most conceptual LP's. Everything to an extent was a concept to them, they didn’t care what anyone else was doing and just got on with it , sometimes they led sometimes they were out of step but always they made something worth listening to. Read on below the first in the series as we look at the debut LP ‘Phallus Dei’.



‘Phallus Dei’









Year: 1969
Label: Liberty/United Artists – Sunset (uk)
Line Up: Dave Anderson - Bass
Chris Karrer - Guitar
Renate Knaup - Vocals
Peter Leopold - Drums
Falk Rogner - Keyboards
Dieter Serfas - Drums
Christian Thierfeld - Vocals, Percussion, Violin
John Weinzierl - Guitar, Vocals, Violin

Track List: 1. Kanaan (4:01)
2. Dem Gutem, Schonen Wahren (6:11)
3. Luzifer's Ghilom (8:33)
4. Henriette Krotenschwanz (2:02)
5. Phallus Dei (20:43)

Grabbing your attention with some inspired bongo and tabla enchantment, ‘Kanaan’ is halfway between the Stones ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ and George Harrison’s spiritualism left unchecked, all being demonically sowed beneath the bedrock, which will eventually form heavy metal.
The first vocals announce some almost black rites initiation ceremony before the most beautiful ascending guitar hook and accompanying bass riff seep into the following track ‘Dem Gutem, Schonen Wahren’ or for those who don’t speak the German tongue that’s ‘To The Good, Beautiful And Genuine’. This is a melodic touch of class, which stands as the first proper hint of ADII unravelling musical manifesto. Renate’s first vocal echoes can just be made out as Weinzarl’s almost hysterical and goofball outpourings burst forth like some escaped loon whose been let loose at the medicine cabinet, a cabinet that includes just as much uppers as downers.
I have no idea what they’re singing, it could be some jolly ditty on the benefits of eating yogurt or some Third Reich era workers swan song, whatever it is I’m convinced its interesting and slightly exotic (I say exotic but its actually possibly because its delivered in thick German accents almost bordering Prussian).
As soon as you get used to this vocal barrage someone steals a megaphone and this is where the rites of passage campfire ritual really kicks off as the swirling sounds of the mellotron announce an otherworldly presence with a layer of oscillating effects that are notched up to a factor of ten, a fitting end to the second track indeed.
Next up is ‘Luzifer’s Ghilom’ an amazing title if nothing else, but as you may find yourself chuckling a break beat drum intro invades your eardrums before a Turkish themed epic tome on the bongos rolls up to invade your personal space.
The backing is a full on groove that sounds almost like the first glimmers of heavy rock, this is broken by the narrated vocals, which err towards the ludicrous though this is soon brought to a halt as a second jamboree of drums descend us into the prehistoric worlds of Conan Doyle and the primordial soup at the beginning of time, too much? You check it for yourselves but I’m sticking by it.
Side one is brought to an end with the curio ‘Henriette Krotenschwanz’, a short two-minute piece for the vocals of Renate who swoons delicately over the military opening. Kind of a forgotten tune but it has some interesting aspects, which reflect the main undercurrents of the LP so far, yet it feels almost like its been shoehorned in, like an extra hidden track rather than a flowing continuation of the tracks so far.

Side two is made up entirely of the album title track ‘Gods Cock’, sorry I mean its Latin name ‘Phallus Dei’, though that’s the actual translation I’m assured.
The first murmurings and moaning bars bring us a twenty minute abstract and soundtrack like opus, which features doors creaking and band members accidentally standing, by the sounds of it! , on a cacophony of musical instruments, all before the very first beating drums of a tune appear slowly from the background. Like Beefheart jamming on Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention if they’d stole aboard a boat to Hamburg, we find ourselves hurtling towards the Californian freak-out of The Grateful Dead or even The Fugs.
I swear that there’s the merest hint of banjo that brings to mind the Monks, who spent their US air force years based in Germany. All of this takes up the first half of the epic free form jam, along the journey so far we’ve heard progressive, heavy metal, ambient and psychedelic threads and there’s more to come!
The next section has a respite with some exquisitely enchanting violins, which are fed through some reverb and echo, a harmonious delicate little 2 minutes before we are interrupted by that ever familiar drums, though this time its tribal drumming ala Adam Ant or Bow Wow Wow, though it brings to mind those corny old movies that show some white hunter type tied to posts in some far flung savages village in darkest Africa, all waiting for their fate as a boiling cauldron menacingly bubbles away in front of them. The savage’s are Amon Duul II who’ve worked themselves into a fever and have gone completely native.
Again we find the old Beefheart influence coming back in as a riff not too unfamiliar to his ‘Safe As Milk’ period rumbles along while fiddles pre-empt a brave attempt at a conventional song.
Weinzierl warbles to great effect, a precursor to his work on ‘Dance Of The Lemming’, an unsettled melodrama nonsense that could be pushing it a little too far now.
The last few minutes goes from the intricate bedrock of guitars, chimes and beats to a unsettling chord change that summons up the unholy army of the night before we are slowly left with nothing, the music is faded out and we come to the end.

Amon Duul II debut delivers a real classic of the genre and has been used as the stick to measure other LPs by. To be honest I think its both been heaped with too much praise and importance, the later records are an improvement as ‘Phallus Dei’ is really a cut and paste job that shows some positive seeds for future tunes but also luckily losses some of the more random noddlings that go no where.
Critics point to the vocals as a sore point, but at this point in their career its still all commune obsessed outpourings which probably felt right at the time but once recorded for posterity it sounds a little goofball and you never know if the old tongue is firmly in check.

A great LP to start your collection off with, I recommend you purchase it though be aware theirs many LP’s to come in this series so if you’re on a budget hold back a while.




Next time Part 2 brings you Amon Duul II follow up ‘Yeti’.

Sunday 5 July 2009

Monolith Cocktail 003

Monolith Cocktail 003

Dominic Valvona
Richie Ainger


White Denim’s ‘Fits’


First thing first guys whose bright idea was it to release the vinyl version in the thickest and stiffest piece of cardboard ever produced in the known World?
It was so rigid and awaked that when the shop assistant tried to put the record into the said concrete like sleeve she nearly broke it, yeah yeah so I got a free poster and all that but please next time think about the practicalities.
Oh and yes we do buy the records we review by the way, though a freebie would be nice once in a while, it gives us empty pockets but we can feel free to write how we want and with a smug impunity.

Right we got the sleeve issue out of the way so lets take an actual look at the record itself.
‘Fits’ is either the first LP proper or the follow up to the hastily assembled ‘WorkOut Holiday’ LP, depending on how you see it, from the Texas power trio. Its nice to see the guys are working to the Sixties work ethic, soon they will be releasing three singles a year that don’t appear on the album just like the bands they are obviously influenced by.
In short White Denim are a blues/garage rock/psychedelic/funk/afro beat jumble of a band that manage to straddle all the aforementioned genres whilst achieving a indescribable unique sound all of their own.

A lot of reviews have already garbled on about the disjointedness and multitude of ideas thrown into the incredible thirty-five minute record, which is all true and apparent but theirs a much more refined and melodic approach to this LP.
In fact its much more subtle and calm than ‘WorkOut Holiday’, they’ve also moved on into a late Sixties/early Seventies feel though they still rock out in the vain of Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Overall it’s more subdued and dare I say a little safer.

Come with me now as we take a more detailed look at the tracks.
Opener ‘Radio Milk’ sets us up comfortably with the familiar grooves were used to form previous records of theirs. They easily slip into Sonics, Cream and the Music Machine whilst the vocals are purely from that era, invoking the spirit of Hendrix. I think the late great Lester Bangs would have loved these guys.
‘All Consolation’ sounds like Royal Trux playing the songs off Radioheads ‘The Bends’ whilst someone treads on a whammy effects pedal and gets it stuck.
Incredibly this tune emits a real soulfulness that you really don’t expect, the kind of moments you find on The Stooges ‘Fun House’, maybe more blues but still something really moving. This is one of the many highlights found on ‘Tight Fit’.
‘Say What You Want’ ventures into some Eastern raga with front man James Petralli giving it some more of that Hendrix magic, not sure where we are going on this one as it kind of filters out as soon as it starts.
Rolling into ‘El Hard Attack DCWYN’ we treated to a heavy dose of Tex-Mex vocals and backing which arrive via those San Antonio garage bands you find on the many compilations from Sundazed and the like. Think Question Mark And The Mysterians mixing it up with Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds at their most ferocious.
It took me longer to write that sentence then the song took to start and finish,
Time for the single I believe, ah its here in the form of ‘I Start To Run’, a great little burst of chaos that seems to have a rhythm all of its own making. Strangely catchy this tune also comes across as quite ridiculous.
The first use of synthetic toms I’ve heard on a White Denim record, what next?
Infectious and very angular it’s this years ‘Lets Talk About It’.
Side A close with ‘Everybody Somebody’, be aware the download/CD have a different track list layout, a slice of Sixties classic garage rocker ‘Action Women’ by The Litter which transcends any actual age as it fidgets left and right until it finds the groove it likes.
So far we are only seventeen minutes into the record these boys don’t mess about.

The B side opens up with ‘Sex Player’ a jazz instrumental as performed by The Doors era ‘LA Woman’, theirs also some Sun Ra creeping in there too.
Effortlessly cool as usual we move into ‘Mirrored And Reverse’ a broody Dead Meadows stonk that’s been given a sedative or two just to calm it down.
More of those jazz grooves follow with ‘Paint Yourself’ a pleasant enough melody and again calming influence after the extreme workout we have so far had to endure. Theirs lots of space here which tends to step into meandering at times leading to a loss of direction which carries on into the next track ‘I’d Have It Just The Way We Were’.
We are now invited to a dare I say it a sweeter mood, which drops a chord every now and then just to keep us on our toes. White Denim pens a romantic lament, which seems to be a key theme, especially on this side of the LP.
‘Regina Holding Hands’ opens with an acoustic guitar that actually sounds like a radio friendly tune that has something of early Lenny Kravitz about it. The similar themes are continued as Petralli croons what could be their most commercial track yet.
The closing ‘Synch’ reminded me of Jeff Buckley, which also seemed to be influential on the last album. Also the chord sequence and feel of the track took me back to the dark old days of Nirvana, though I maybe wrong.
Another broody piece of blues tinged jazz that could be a taste of things to follow.


So we have a second extraordinary and feverish LPs from one of the most exciting and talented bands of the moment. ‘’Fits’ is not as such an improvement on ‘Workout Holiday’ but instead it is a more mature and polished record.
The space and subtlety opens a new avenue for White Denim, still edgy but a potential for crossing over into a more radio friendly proposition.
I’m a little worried but I rate this band so much that I’m assured they will sidestep the success and stay in the rougher edge territory we loved so much and which is evident in their live performances.


DV



Canadian LPs you should own

For some reason Canada have really got their act together this century. The sheer quality and amount of amazing bands coming out of our North American friends is staggering, just feast your eyes over this small quality list of bands - Arcade Fire, Besnard Lakes, Broken Social Scene, Metric, The Dears, Wolf Parade and Holy Fuck just to mention a few.
Maybe those guys have just been sitting in wait all those lost years, planning an invasion of such intensity that we poor Brits can’t actually muster a defence. I mean we have churned out some right old shit and even our top bands can’t seem to manage putting together a complete LP yet which is any good all the way through.
These Canadians make the best LPs – sorry no argument it’s a fact.
Every example below has been heaped with, which is rightly so, huge critical acclaim, though sometimes sales have not followed.

So here it is me and Richie guide to twenty Canadian bands LPs that you should rightly own, if you dare call yourself a music fan.
I have been naughty and added some extra bits but then it’s my blog so deal with it!

Just a little bit about the criteria for this list. Basically every LP had have been released in the last 9 years and had to be by Canadian bands – simple yes?

If you would like to add comments or argue the toss feel free.

Arcade Fire – ‘Funeral’ (Rough Trade 2005)

The best debut I have had the pleasure of hearing this (almost) decade. It came from nowhere and took me by surprise but the album on the first listen took me. It is just simply stunning.

RA

This really changed the music scene for the better and upped the anti, their can never be enough praise for this LP. Kids when your Dad says the bands of his era were better tell him he’s a fool.
Rarely has the immense power of their songs been rivalled, I cried when I first heard it – really that did happen.
God bless you guys.

DV


Arcade Fire – ‘Neon Bible’ (Rough Trade 2007)

The follow up to the almost unbeatable Funeral, but Win Butler his band almost do it. Amazingly upbeat songs about dark subjects, but it is let down by a weak moment or two. This doesn't stop it from being an outstanding effort.

RA

Controversial but I actually prefer this to Funeral, it has a much darker and political tones as well as being to my ears more mature.
They manage to actually get better. I’m looking forward to the third effort.

DV

Besnard Lakes – ‘Are The Dark Horse’ (Jagjaguwar 2007)

Classic underground LP from one of Canada’s quite kept secrets. Again critically acclaimed at the time but failed to make an impact which is unjustifiable.
Brian Wilson heavy vocals with songs about war, apocalypse and history all played out to the most beautiful and sensuous melodies imaginable. One of the most pleasant listens you will ever have the fortune to listen to.

DV

Broken Social Scene–‘You Forgot It In People’ (Arts and Crafts 2003)

Twee as fuck but a very good listen, a mixture of Yo La Tengo's longer rambling tracks and Belle And Sebastian makes this album one of the must have Canadian efforts.

RA

The Canadian super group of sorts, every member has played in every band that’s come out of the country. Feist maybe the biggest name so far to have come out of BSS but the rest of the band have been behind some of the best tunes this decade.
Great introduction LP that sets out their experimental stall for all to see.

DV

Clues – ‘Clues’ (Constellation Records 2009)

With the founding member of The Unicorns, Alden Penner, and a member of Arcade Fire, Brendan Reed on board, this Montreal 'super group' have made one of my favourite albums of 2009. With nods to the Fiery Furnaces and produced by Canada's own genius Efrim Menuck, Clues is a jittery album full of quality.

RA

Dears, The – ‘Gang Of Losers’ (Bella Union 2006)

One of the most underrated bands of recent years that release seminal LP after LP, if there were truly any justice these guys would be huge. Indie anthems, which use startling melodies and multi layers of such exquisite lushness that you, find yourself welling up.
You almost forget how actually poignant the lyrics are as homelessness, suicide, lost love and the government putting us down.
From start to finish this is one of the greatest LPs ever.

DV

Death From Above 1979- ‘You're A Woman, I'm A Machine’ (Last Gang 2005)

A wonderfully dirty, brutal album., two guys, a drummer and a bassist, making music about sex and doing it very well. A very good album if you want to get a party started or vented some frustrations. Very fun indeed!

RA

Heavy as hell, electro played out as hard as can get. This disco metal LP will kick start any party or riot off. Who’d have thought that just a drum kit and a bass guitar could make such great tunes, though it only lasted this one LP and the guys went off to form Masterkraft.
‘Pull Out’ and ‘Turn It Out’ are examples of turning metal into dance floor fillers.

DV

Godspeed You! Black Emperor -‘Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven’ - (Kranky 2000)

If you don't know about GY!BE then this is the place to start. Truly amazing, this record is both uplifting and heavy in the same chord. The album is untouchable. Everything about it is well thought out, Coney Island quotes et al. GY!BE had no peers but post rock will never reach the same heights again without this band.

RA

Experimental sounds capes and snippets of media played out to the merest hint of a tune, like Clouddead without the vocals. Less is indeed more with GSYBE.
Great LP to lose yourselves in, soundtrack to a movie never conceived.

DV

Godspeed You! Black Emperor – ‘Yanqui U.X.O.’ (Constellation 2002)

The final album released by this Montreal outfit before they went on hiatus. An album filled with angst at the world around them (major record companies monopolising the market and the illegal wars America was fighting at the time). Not a patch on earlier efforts but still very good.

RA

Like Aphrodite’s Child’s seminal 666 but without any tunes this LP certainly pushes the listener. Like the music Eno should be making instead of pissing around with MOR rock bands, GSYBE manage to craft a slice of post rock excellence worth every second of your precise time.

DV

Holy Fuck – ‘Holy Fuck’ (Young Turks 2007)

A relentless, unforgiving and mad brilliant indie-electro album that will have you moving your feet in no time. Check these guys out live if you ever get the chance. Even better!

RA

A worthy take on the krautrock genre played to a modern electro sensibility. Canada do dance music just as well as they do indie and post rock.
Awesome heavy beats and twiddle twitchy sounds overlaid to the coolest baselines.

DV

Metric- ‘Live It Out’ (Last Gang Records 2005)

With sultry female vocals courtesy of Emily Haines and outstanding songs (Monster Hospital and Glass Ceiling), this band have made a 'controversial' album in Live It Out, Pitchfork gave it 4.2/10. But I love it so there!

RA

New Pornographers, The – ‘Twin Cinema’ (Mint Records/Matador Records 2005)

Critically acclaimed and one of Canada’s most popular bands, The New Pornographers haven’t quite made the impact that Arcade Fire achieved.
This third of their four LPs so far, it features complex chord structures and melodies it even features on the Rock Band game.
Search these guys out as they are truly a visionary band.

DV



Ohbijou- ‘Beacons’ (Bella Union records 2009)

Too soon to fully take stock of the impact this album may have. But on first impressions, this band has a good future in front of them. Influences include fellow Canadians Arcade Fire.

RA

Stars – ‘In Our Bedroom After The War’ (Arts & Crafts records 2007)

Now this is a grower. Initially, it comes across as too polished and bland to listen too. But on further investigation, it is a quite sumptuous album with lovely duets and harmonies, mixed with spacey synths.

RA

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra And Tra La La Band- ‘Born Into Trouble As The Sparks Fly Upwards’ (Constellation)

And the award for the most pretentious band and album name to come out of Canada is….. but joking aside, what an album. Efrim Menuck and co carry on where GY!BE left off, plenty of epic instrumentation and original ideas, which leave the listener wanting more.

RA

Tokyo Police Club- ‘A Lesson In Crime’ (Paper Bag records 2006)

Ok, so this is technically an EP or mini album depending on your point of view. But it is stuffed full of good indie pop songs, Nature Of The Experiment and Shoulders & Arms (this track borrows the Bloc Party blueprint). It is a shame they couldn't follow this up with their album 'Elephant Shell'.
RA

Yes yes The Strokes whatever! They actually manage to surpass them on this record, heavy distortion and vocals through a megaphone may not be on first listen highly original but take time to listen and you find it’s a very infectious.
Not bad for a set of young rascals debut, though as Richie says they couldn’t quite follow it up on their anticipated next LP.

DV

Unicorns, The – ‘Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone’ (Alien8 Recordings 2003)

Odd and strange in equal measures, this Canadian underground three piece write campfire tunes to cut your wrists by. This shouldn’t put you off just look at the track list ‘I Don't Wanna Die’ and ‘Inoculate the Innocuous’ for fun.
They even manage to reference fellow peers Arcade Fire by featuring a sample of their song ‘Headlights Look Like Diamonds’ reversed in the track ‘Tuff Luff’.

DV


Woodpigeon- ‘Treasury Library Canada’ (End Of The Road records 2009)

Sounding like the child of Grizzly Bear, Camera Obscura and belle and Sebastian, this Canadian outfit are in the same predicament as Ohbijou. But as The 405 (a well respected online music site) gave this 9/10, expect more from these guys.

RA


Wolf Parade- ‘Apologies To Queen Mary’ (Sub Pop 2005)

The second best debut I have had the pleasure of hearing this (almost) decade. Plenty of evidence of sublime song writing and odd melody structures. Listen to 'I'll Believe In Anything' and you'll understand. Amazing album by an amazing
band!

RA

Quite possibly the greatest debut LP of the last decade, even surpassing Arcade Fire – what do you think about that!
Every track is instantly a classic, believe me when I say this is a must have LP.
Elegant, melodies a plenty, interesting chord changes and a vocal style you either love or hate. Jesus please just get a copy, I can’t possibly do this record justice.

DV

Wolf Parade – ‘At Mount Zoomer’ (Sub Pop 2008)

Almost impossibility, At Mount Zoomer comes close to bettering Apologies To Queen Mary. Full of quirky numbers and catchy insightful songs, but it doesn't have the impact of the debut, which is shame really because many bands wish that they could record an album as good as this one.

RA

I have already written a pretty compressive piece for FAULT on this LP but I will just say it’s a worthy follow up to one of the most seminal debuts ever made.
Great playing and great tunes culminate in a future lost classic.
The opening salvo of ‘Soldiers Grin’ and ‘Call It A Ritual’ represent one of the highlights of last year, worth the three-year wait.






Caught Live

Manic Street Preachers w/ The Answering Machine - Brighton Dome - 2nd June 2009

This is the fifth time I have seen the Manics in two years and every time they have seemed to be a vibrant and refreshing live band, until this evening. They seemed to be flat onstage. Granted, Nicky Wire was suffering from a slipped disc and couldn't prowl the stage in his usual manner, but something about their performance was different. This feeling wasn't aided by their choice of support act, The Answering Machine. No slight on these guys, but they didn't seem to fill the stage (which is quite a size at the Dome). They tried to interest the crowd, but their style of music, a blend of indie pop and Franz Ferdinand, isn't something that the middle aged Manics fan (who is still wishing that it was 1994, that The Holy Bible had just been released and that the Manic Street Preachers were at their creative peak) would go for. They tried 'interesting' and pretentious stage moves but it just wouldn't work for them. Maybe playing to a more musically receptive audience in a smaller venue would suit these guys.

This evening, the Manics played two sets. The first was Journal For Plagued Lovers in full, whilst the second was a greatest hits set. I hadn't had time to familiarise myself with the new album, but on first impressions I wasn't taken by it. I was hoping a live rendition would help sway me. But it didn't. I struggle to see why the Manics thought it was relevant to release this. Lyrically, it is of a high standard as you'd expect from Mr Edwards, but musically the Manics have tried to reach the heights of The Holy Bible and failed quite dismally. It sounds bloated and almost Foo Fighters-esque, hollow guitars with no depth behind them. I got restless during JFPL as parts of it were embarrassing to watch. The set started strongly with 'Peeled Apples' and 'Jackie Collins Existential Question Time', but it soon faded with 'She Bathed Herself In A Bath Of Bleach'. The set never picked again after this song and it seemed to be lifeless, as if the Manics were just going through the motions.

The greatest hits set injected a little life into floundering gig, unfortunately some of the song selections baffled me. JFPL is the 'follow up' to The Holy Bible. I expected there to a Bible heavy set, but only Faster got an airing. 'All Surface, No Feeling', 'Ocean Spray' and 'Tsunami' could have been replaced for stronger songs. The set grew stronger after this but the damage had already been done with the lacklustre Journal For Plagued Lovers set. 'Stop In The Name Of Love' into 'Motown Junk' got the crowd moving for the finale of 'You Love Us' and finally 'A Design For Life'.

During the whole evening, I couldn't help but feel that the Manic Street Preachers were 'cashing' in on Richy. They have had this material a long time and choosing a more suitable time (maybe the tenth anniversary of The Bible?) to release it may have been appropriate. But to tour it badly, whilst that Jennie Saville painting stared out at the doting crowd who have moved on with the band over the last 15 years, disappointed me a lot. Relying on lyrics from a man who has been missing for the best part of 15 years to get an ailing band restarted should tell the Manics something about their situation now.

RA