Kevin
Mathews:
June,
2005
So Much Music, So
Little Time
Time for something new I guess. I ran out of clever ways to
blurb through a thousand words for a column that was really
about being superficial, about skimming the surface, the tip
of the proverbial iceberg. So to speak.
Not much of a challenge, too easy.
If this is supposed to be a column, I guess
I should really speak my mind and share my heart about the
music that comes through my mailbox each day rather than capsulate
the work that passes through my synapses in a given period
of time. The risk, perhaps, is not being able to cover every
single CD that I get hold of.
Well, maybe then, it's not about the quantity
(and hey why should it be?) but rather about the quality.
And that takes some convincing, some persuasion…even
some um, labor!
I returned from a 5-day trip from Sydney
with four cheap CDs in my luggage. None of them current. Sometimes,
these things are launching pads for greater discovery. Sometimes
not. Is there a method in this madness? I'm not convinced.
I walked into Red Eye Records in Sydney and
was struck by Robyn Hitchcock's Eye - I've never heard
that in a record store before! (Certainly not in Singapore)
So that was a treat. Someone else actually shares my obscure
musical tastes. Michael, the bloke at the counter declared
that they played whatever they wanted to play. Great! So I
will write about what I want to and see where this goes -
stream of consciousness and all that. Will we get music reviews
this month round? Wait and see…
My short attention span is focused on the
new Griddle. Well, with a provocative cover like that, that's
not surprising. I loved the Bay Area band's debut for its
dizzying grasp of eclectic mixes of genres and styles. Man,
I love rock music that can still surprise. Turning Violet
is the sophomore effort that justifies my belief and my interest.
High on melodies and riffs and even more so with inventive
structures and rhythms, this is progressive pop and then some!
I mean any band that can blend the influences of Yes, Be Bop
Deluxe, King Crimson, 10cc, Kansas, Sparks, Todd Rundgren,
Jellyfish, The Beatles, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Hendrix (to
name but a few) deserves the attention (that word again!)
of every intelligent, discerning rock listener out there.
That means you! Consider this a teaser and a fuller analysis
should see light of day over at the Power of Pop.
Yup, that hits the spot. One of the discs
I picked up for cheap was Forever Now the third release
from those 80s wonders, The Psychedelic Furs. Considering
how the hip bands in 2005 all sound like the warmed up leftovers
of what was painfully called "the new wave," it's
instructional to listen to the true blue legend of that much
maligned epoch. Ironically, this was the one LP that was missing
from my Furs collection. Don't ask why I waited 23 long years.
With Rundgren on the boards, Forever Now strikes the
perfect balance between synth pop and guitar rock and sounds
tailor made for these times. With that sweet larynx, Richard
Butler stood head and shoulders above the Bowie-Ferry emulators
(well, maybe on equal terms with Ian McCulloch and David Sylvain)
and whilst the following Mirror Moves remains my definitive
Furs album, Forever Now is a essential collection for
anyone interested in what made the early 80s pop-rock music
unique.
Which segues nicely into The Concretes. A Swedish octet formed
around the nucleus of Lisa Milberg (drums), Maria Eriksson
(guitar), and Victoria Bergsman (vocals) merrily churning
out decidedly 80s pop, founded on the energy of girl punk
(think: Go-Gos, Blondie); the groove of Motown-infused girl
groups (think: Bananarama, Swing Out Sister) and the sweetness
of twee pop (think: The Pastels, Beat Happening). This eponymous
full-length debut is everything you ever looked for in pop
music - three minutes of bliss that touches your heart and
moves your feet, the awkward sweep and the uncertain glory
that giggles and blushes with embarrassment rather than swaggers
with conceit. The obligatory toy piano notwithstanding, The
Concretes are a treasure.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
Swagger that is. Take The Capitol Years. As the guitars tumble
and fall, and the insistent drums take hold, you won't resist
the passion and the verve that literally jumps at you with
tracks like "Juicers," "Mounds of Money"
and "Solid Gold." Yeah, it's the Who, Pink Floyd,
Neil Young and the template for thousands of guitar bands
before and after but if it works, you never question it, let
alone doubt. Let Them Drink perhaps suggests a too
comfortable affinity for the now-defunct Guided By Voices
but if that can produce high moments like "Giant Drunks"
and the title track, then more power! And any band that can
pull off a better Stones impression than the modern day Stones
themselves ("Stones (Watch It Not End)") is just
asking for critical acclaim!
Did I mention that I managed to get in touch
with The Capitol Years though its page at myspace.com? Well,
this has been a great platform to connect and communicate
with like-minded (and talented) artists and bands and hopefully
I gain the privilege of 'promoting' good stuff to the rest
of the world. So it brings me to The Starr Saunders Project
with her Intro album with its understated sophistication,
jazz-folk inflections and infectious charm. With significant
contribution from co-writer, co-producer and guitarist Sandy
Small, Intro is a strong collection of smart songs.
Starr easily raises comparisons to Joni Mitchell, Aimee Mann,
Shawn Colvin and Suzanne Vega but stands on her own merit.
Recently saw an intriguing video clip where
Jon Brion performed solo and with the aid of electronic devices
(not pre-recorded tapes, mind), gave a performance that gives
new meaning to the term "one-man band." Which gave
me pause to re-listen to the likes of Jason Falkner, Brendan
Benson and Colin Macintyre (picked up my first Mull Historical
Society disc - in Sydney natch!) and marveled with awe (and
bristled with envy) at the sheer dexterity of it all. Add
Patrik Tanner to the list. On Soft, the fact that Tanner
plays everything is the least amazing thing. That a singer-songwriter
with such ability and gifts should remain so far under the
radar (even for the pop underground) is short of criminal!
Well, yeah, Tanner has produced the likes of Martin Zellar,
Sire artists Tina & the B-Side Movement and fronted the
Faraway Men, but Soft really came out of the blue for
yours truly. Effectively channeling John Lennon, Roy Orbison,
George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Neil Finn and Robyn Hitchcock,
Soft is a veritable pop-rock tour-de-force which deserves
much more attention (are you paying any, my friends?) than
it has received. From the raucous "Enter" to the
folky "The Kindest Person I Ever Knew," Soft
is an album that no self-respecting member of the pop underground
can afford to ignore.
So did I deliver on my promise? Has this
been a different experience? Does it matter? Or more of the
same? One last matter…
Last week, I said goodbye to the Star
Wars saga. I was sixteen when my jaw first dropped at
the sight of the Imperial Battle Cruiser closing in on Captain
Antilles' ship. Unlike many others, I did not take umbrage
at the prequels but merely took it at face value - new Star
Wars movies I could share with my boys. Even as the curtain
closed on Revenge of the Sith I was glad that George
Lucas ended the saga on a strong note. Never mind about the
plot holes and discrepancies (get a life, people!), Star
Wars has always been a heady ride and meant for all ages
to enjoy and savor. Nothing more. And certainly, Sith
is the best of the prequels and maybe as good as The Empire
Strikes Back. I am listening to the Original Motion
Picture Soundtrack even as I type and the bonus DVD that
comes with it is probably worth the price of admission. The
music of John Williams has been an integral part of every
moviegoer's life - Indiana Jones, Superman, E.T.
and so on - but he will always be known for Star Wars.
The grandeur, the passion, the danger, the fear and the romance
of the six movies have been brilliantly captured; one cannot
imagine space opera without its Wagnerian scope. I hope that
one day I can write music this affecting.
So was it good for you too? Drop me a line
to let me know what you think of the new direction - I await
your feedback.
Contact me at kevin_mathews@fufkin.com
Adios, amigos!
Featured artists this month -
Griddle http://griddle.cc
The Concretes www.theconcretes.com
The Capitol Years www.capitolyears.com
The Starr Saunders Project www.starrsaundersproject.com
Patrik Tanner www.patriktanner.com
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