Well our last post seemed to go down well with our biggest readership yet, so thanks everyone for showing an interest, lets keep the good work going.
MC 005 brings you reviews on the latest LP's from current indie darlings Slow Club and Canada's latest left field indie greats Sunset Rubdown.
Also we have part two of my major work on the German music scene between 1968 and 1975, this installment features Amon Duul II's seminal and improvised classic 'Yeti'.
This feature has even had the thumbs up from front man John Weinzierl himself who would like me to point out that they hate the term Krautrock, also he tells me that they've just been interviewed for a future BBC feature so I will keep you up to date on when its being shown.
Without further ado read on.
Sunset Rubdown – ‘Dragonslayer’
Jagjaguwar
Vinyl version reviewed
Track List: -
Silver Moons
Idiot Heart
Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna oh!
Black Swan
Paper Lace
You Go On Ahead (Trumpet Trumpet II)
Nightingale/December Song
Dragons Liar
Wolf Parade vocalist/keyboardist Spencer Krug’s sideline project Sunset Rubdown, though sideline is probably the wrong word as in fact he’s now released more LPs through this moniker then he has with Wolf Parade, is an outlet for his more experimental song writing and sounds collages.
‘Dragonslayer’ sees Spencer assembling a fuller band sound this time round with backing vocal duties by former Pony Up! Camilla Wayne Ingr.
Sounding somewhere between his more famous alter ego and at times The Walkmen and The Psychedelic Furs, this LP is full of interesting and creative moments that encapsulate a feeling of accomplishment and manages to show that he has more strings to his bow than we originally thought.
Though it features only eight tracks, each one is like a mini opera that features numerous tempo and directional changes, going from all out indie rock to polka to quirky eighties leftfield pop, a multitude of styles that never stray from being both highly engaging and entertaining.
The songs verge on the descriptive and poetic, which paint pictures of love lost and gained through a modern day style fairy tales telling that uses a plethora of different animals as analogies, such as swans, nightingales and horses. Sometimes the storytelling moves towards the ambiguous, though it’s always delivered honestly and doesn’t come across as pretentious, in fact it’s not a million miles away from ‘At Mount Zoomer’ which also featured some literately reading up skills if you wanted to get the most out of it.
Lets have a look at the tracks themselves starting with the opening track ‘Silver Moons’ which has the lush piano tones of Tori Amis and the orchestration beauty of The Dears and Final Fantasy before Spencers semi- hysterical lyrics sweep in. The familiar tempo and step change just over half way through makes it pre-empt the listener, a trick repeated on most of the album. A glorious start to proceedings and already we have one of the stand out highlights.
‘Idiot Heart’ is more like an attempt to strike a middle ground with a sound not too far from The Killers, but only if they’d come from Montreal rather then Vegas, a brave up-tempo drum rolling strike of a tune which conjures up the Editors for some reason, though in a good way.
Quirky ‘Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna oh!’ could be my favourite of all the tunes, as it has the most interesting melody and jerky chord structure like some eighties ‘Let’s Dance’ Bowie track or even Josef K.
At times it even sounds like the vocals have the hint of The Psychedelic Furs about them. Camilla offers support as this song twists into a blissful classic, the two voices often working well together. The final strains of Anna Anna Anna oh! Strike up in the songs last two-minute outré refrain.
‘Black Swan’ has a slightly disturbing edge to it that goes from sounding like Adam and the Ants to a full on maelstrom of activity which stops and starts all the way through before yet again the sea change near the end as it turns into a more interesting indie number.
Side two begins with ‘Paper Lace’ another interesting and goofier tune in which a Pavement like bass line proclaims a false start. The vocals reminded me of Gary Numan era Tubeway Army, more laid back until the tune builds to the exasperated cries of “Stupid house you made it fell away like paper lace”.
‘You Go On Ahead’ has the sound of Tapes’n’Tapes jamming over Super Mario on the SNES, those crazy tones of old school gaming underpin a slow burner of an indie track.
The electro continues, though this time with a much cooler sounding intro like something Warp would release, bringing in the next track ‘Nightingale/December Song’. A Levellers like folksy tune appears from the mire as the lyrics tell a story of escaping to Nashville.
Some swirling Viennese like synths come in and add some esoteric strains wonderment.
Closing epic ‘Dragons Liar’ slowly builds up over 10 minutes creating a lush sound-scape as the vocals paint a eulogy that features some of the best lyrical work yet. With lines like “I’m sorry I was late, I went blind, I got confetti in my eyes” and the chorus of “You’re not a widower yet” it can only get better, well that’s what I think I’m supposed to gain from this insight. Anyway a great track those just builds and builds ala ‘kissing The Beehive’ off WP ‘At Mount Zoomer’, a joy to behold that just sounds better and better on further plays.
A fitting end to a fine LP that leaves any Wolf Parade fans well and truly satisfied.
All in all pretty much another great set of songs from one of Canada’s finest, where he finds the time I don’t know but I’m glad he does.
Dominic Valvona
Slow Club - 'Yeah So'
Moshi Moshi
2009
Track List:-
1. When I Go
2. Giving Up On Love
3. I Was Unconscious, It Was A Dream
4. It Doesn't Have To Be Beautiful
5. There's No Good Way To Say I'm Leaving You
6. Trophy Room
7. Because We're Dead
8. Dance 'Till The Morning Light
9. Sorry About The Doom
10. Come On Youth
11. Apples and Pairs
12. Our Most Brilliant Friends
Yeah so… for those of you who don’t know, Slow Club were a two-piece from Sheffield who wrote and played gloriously twee and catchy songs and, in my view, deserved all the hype and praise that came their way.
But now they are a two-piece from Sheffield who have recorded a record so plain that even the title cannot sum it up. Yeah so, what does that even mean. Is it nonchalance, arrogance or just an acceptance of what they have become?
Slow Club have turned into a two trick pony. They can either play cutsie, 60s pop influenced up-tempo songs with an occasional rock-a-billy and surf feel to them. Or they can play stripped back, bare folk tunes reminiscent of Bright Eyes (but not as serious).
But these two styles become tiring after a couple of plays, as almost every fast song sounds similar (‘Our Most Brilliant Friends’ is the only differently faster track) and every slower song sounds similar. The songs are all anti love song rants, which also becomes a little grating.
The albums fast tracks include: ‘Giving Up On Love’ with vocals duelling (which is something Slow Club do rather well) around a 50s rock-a-billy styled melody, ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful’ with the simple and rousing folk pop chorus, ‘Trophy Room’, debut single ‘Because We’re Dead’ which is one of the few high points of the album and closing track ‘Our Most Brilliant Friends’ which ends up in a mass of shouting and chanting.
These faster tracks seem to hold up better than the slower ones do, which plod along without changing. The main offenders are: ‘I was Unconscious’, ‘It Was A Dream’, the two tracks from the debut E.P. ‘Come On Youth’ and ‘Dance To the Morning Light’, ‘Sorry About the Doom’ (which I like to think, should be an apology for including a Doom metal song on the album!) and the unfathomable inclusion of ‘Apples and Pairs’, the b-side to ‘Me and You’ (and poor relation) which would have suited the album better maybe?
Don’t get me wrong, Slow Club are capable of some truly great pop songs, ‘Me and You’, ‘Trophy Room’, and ‘Our Most Brilliant Friends’ to name a few, but nothing stands out against the insipid tracks. The band have just recycled the same ideas over and over and in the end, the ideas ran out of legs and couldn’t carry the album. Slow Club need a reminder of what made them a good band in the first place, energy and catchy songs.
I’m left with a sense of bewilderment and disappointment. But ultimately I ask myself, Yeah so… what went wrong?
R A
A German Odyssey Part 2
Amon Duul II – ‘Yeti’
Welcome back to part 2 of this ongoing epic feature on those golden years of 1968 – 75, when Krautrock (we don’t like this name but will stick with it for now) was at its epoch and the World had yet to steal all its ideas.
I hope part one was to your satisfaction – good; let’s continue shall we…
In this instalment we cover Amon Duul II second LP ‘Yeti’, which was released upon the public in 1970. A natural progression leading on from the debut ‘Phallus Dei’ but an improvement, both in structure and musicianship.
This was a double LP bursting with ambition with one side dictated to a series of song based material whilst the other side held three improvised jams, all wrapped up in a concept of sorts.
‘Yeti’ included some of the bands best songs, and a lot of them would become staples in their live sets for years to come including the brave attempt at what appears to be dare I say a strong contender for their first single ‘Archangels Thunderbird’.
This could be said to be their magnum opus, which covers a multitude of styles including blues, rock, opera, raga, psychedelic (as ever), medieval style larking and folk. At times they sounded like an esoteric version of early Yes.
Amon Duul II dipped back and forth with this collection over time always trying to emulate it on future albums, ‘Dance Of The Lemmings’ and ‘Wolf City’ came closest.
Unfortunately sometimes the playing occasionally sways towards the noddling and can be melancholy in places, but overall this is one of the best LPs from the period and a good barometer to judge others by.
In the UK John Peel became a big fan and stirred up an underground following after playing this album relentlessly on his radio show.
Incidentally the cover star is bongos player extraordinaire Sharat who left not long after recording this LP, his serf like smock and scythe regalia would be adopted as the bands logo in the future.
‘YETI’
1. Soap Shop Rock (13:48)
2. She Came Through The Chimney (3:02)
3. Archangels Thunderbird (3:33)
4. Cerberus (4:21)
5. Flesh Coloured Anti Aircraft Alarm (6:04)
6. Return Of Ruebezahl (1:41)
7. Eye Shaking King (5:41)
8. Pale Gallery (2:17)
9. Yeti Improvisation (18:12)
10. Yeti Talks To Yogi Improvisation (6:18)
11. Sandoz In The Rain Improvisation (9:00)
Dave Anderson – Bass
Chris Karrer – Guitar
Renate Knaup – Vocals
Peter Leopold – Drums
Falk Rogner – Keyboards
Christian Thierfeld – Vocals, percussion
John Weinzierl - Guitar, vocals, violin
1970 released on Liberty Records
Opening with a salvo of rock ambitions, ‘Soap Shop Rock’ introduces us to some poor woeful account of a woman whose eyes are on fire before the ever progressive backing builds into a shocking rumbling riff by way of Cream.
A straight up rock track that has Renate enter proceedings with the merest hint of Jefferson Airplane’s ghost hanging around.
We continue to hurtle through this tune before a half time signature announces a change in direction as Weinzarl and Renate perform some Wagner theatrics as the violins ascend towards the centre stage, all the while the rhythm section keep it all tightly packed together.
Ten minutes in so far and we’ve almost rushed through more ideas then their contemporaries could muster in their entire catalogue.
‘She Came Through The Chimney’ is a welcome interlude that features tables and bongos very much in keeping with the sounds of fellow Germans Popal Vuh (more of them another day), a dreamy delicate ditty interrupted by the trapped bird like tones of Weinzierl’s violin.
This distracts us for a brief moment before the amazing and quite soaring ‘Archangels Thunderbird’ scowls its way into our affections.
A break beat classic of a drum kicks it in as the bass riff tears into the song, almost imploding on its own timing.
Renate sings her first lead, a warbling hymn to some higher plain demi- god high on some plateau or a poem that’s part of a lost piece of the Ring trilogy. She name checks both the towers of Babel and Edgar Allan Poe in the same sentence, a lost lament to the fallen and those about to die, maybe I’m being too strong here!
This version in my own opinion is slightly improved when they perform it live at a faster pace, though even at this speed it sounds like the first offerings of heavy metal.
‘Cerberus’ brings us a very different version of the three-headed mythical beast, in fact rather Spanish flamingo than Greek. An ensuing battle of the rhythm guitars is gate crashed by the court musicians of Henry II. A breather of sorts this instrumental features some deft finger work and more of those tables/bongos we so adore before plunging into some more prog rock grooves. A cacophony of oscillating guitars and keyboards do their best before the tune ends.
‘Flesh Coloured Anti- Aircraft Alarm’ may have a long title but its 1970 so we can forgive them. Featuring some storytelling vocals and distanced sighs, Anderson and Leopold deliver some effortlessly smart backing whilst the violin takes on the lead, a rallying call of arms before we find ourselves facing the short instrumental ‘The Return To Ruebezahl’. This short little ditty features some reverent drumming on the snare and cymbals as the guitar and bass play some proto Deep Purple like riff, it could actually be a Sabbath debut track.
Right here it comes, huge drum crescendo’s and rolls we must be ready for ‘Eye Shaking King’ the slow menacing and heavy as hell favorite of fans, a mainstay in the live sets. Distorted vocals both irrational and hysterical border on the comical and insane, the warbling falsetto is back through a myriad of effects.
All this transcends a free form jazz hook that scatters the bones of Hendrix across the wastes of Munich; I could imagine Clapton from his Cream days guesting on this, this all builds us up into the outré that forms the next track ‘Pale Gallery’, a Leopold strong lead of continuous drum rolls accompanied by some erratic ambient guitars before proclaiming an end to the first side of the album.
Side two is all about the improvisation. ‘Yeti’ echoes the later work on ‘Dance Of The Lemmings’ as a drum kicks off the first few bars before rolling off in and out of the distance pushed through a number of reverb effects. Everyone else lines up to take a go and we are treated to a mixed result of gestures and riffs before Leopold breaks the party up and Anderson can only try and keep in the running.
Karrer does his best on guitar, he leads the direction but is not entirely convincing as the improvised playing hurtles towards some good old rock out only to be eclipsed by an amazing section that sounds like its been planned from the start.
Renate and Karrer share vocals as a Led Zeppelin like backdrop soars towards one of the best moments found on this entire record.
The west coast of America meets Baader Meinoff in a sprawling epoch to the free spirit.
It has everything that a quality piece of the genre should include, pretensions aside and everything this kind of gets you going, in fact makes you want to join a band yourself.
Back to the track as 14 minutes in we are introduced to some high-octane raga played by a Hammond sounding keyboard that culminates in a dreamy pillow to rest you weary head on.
The second improvisation ‘Yeti Talks To Yogi’, I think we can guess where this is going, continues on similar lines to ‘Yeti’ but features an heroic thunder of kettle drums drowned out by Leopold’s erratic drumming rolls. An entire two minutes elapse before he gives in, the reverbed up guitar and Anderson’s bass jockey back in for a neat positioning before Renate’s siren like vocals sweep in again.
Awash with dramatics and mystery it soon fazes out to make room for ‘Sandoz In The Rain’ a Muslim occupied southern Spain backdrop as the jamming knocks up a trusty trestle to hang all its proceeding influences from.
The lyrics conjure up some lost tale of love and woe; an ultimatum that has passed yet there is hope. Whatever their singing about the bass line feels it needs to delicately watch where it’s laying down it’s notes as it tiptoes round the rest of the cast.
The heavy mists arise and we are lost but for the vocals that navigate us through this loose shifting improvised tale, the opening riff beckons back and we are once more stood on a shore waiting to be introduced.
And like that its gone, finished, the last faded out tones being taken by the tide.
Our trans Middle Eastern ride is over and it’s a bit of a wait before ‘Dance Of The Lemmings’ is released, but we can wait.
Join us for part three as we follow up with the much criticized ‘Dance Of The Lemmings’, the ambitious second double album which saw the move towards a slower building sound, often ambient and soundtrack inspired, this LP suffered turmoil and in house fighting.
Hope you can make it.
Dominic Valvona
