Comfort and Old Videos

It was a Thursday night; I had spent a stressful day at the good ole 9-5, then drove my niece to the airport, and finally headed to my mother’s house for a late dinner. When I finally reached my home, and I inched to the door, I immediately discovered something out of the ordinary – to make a long story short, to my chagrin I walked in on a burglary. Nothing quite prepares you for knowing that your home has just been “invaded” – “violated” even – and what followed was over a week of sleeplessness. I never thought that I would be terrified to walking into my own home. But the first night alone, realizing that my door (which literally leads to the outside world) was far from functional (the burglary entry) and that the back window (the exit) was also compromised, I sat at my dining room table staring at the canary yellow wall for quite sometime. After feeling sorry for myself, I threw on some music, and as I look back at just over a week ago, I realize that during those hours I totally forgot about everything other than the music playing.

I listened to a lot of the music that filled the hours of my youth and annoyed my downstairs neighbors to no end. And as I look back at it, there are two things I realized that I don’t think I ever mentioned in this blog. The first is that our favorite music is usually not the “best” (whatever that means) music or the most popular, but rather those artists, albums, and songs we have attached memories to – that takes us back to yesteryears as if they happened yesterday. The second is sometimes music can be comforting, a source of immense alleviation and solace, as it soothes away the anxiety and brings you to a new place.

I listened to music for many hours that first night, much of which is simply not officially available on YouTube or elsewhere: Alien Sex Fiend, Aztec Camera, Clan of Xymox, The Cult, Front 242, Psychic TV, and The Wild Swans to name a few. But I set out to share at least ten of the songs I listened to that evening, and was able to accomplish that goal. It is funny how, at a pretty bleak moment, I ran directly for some of the darkest music in my collection.

The last thing I would like to say is thank you. I would like to thank my friends and family who have really helped me through this situation (including putting in a new door!), and thank you to life in general for given me another lesson in humility – though I would never wish this kind of experience on anyone or want to go through it again, it has definitely toughened me up a bit more and really given me some much needed perspective.

On that note, enjoy the videos!

Lords of the New Church’s “Dance With Me” from the emimusic YouTube Channel.



Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark’s (OMD) “Electricity” from their MySpace Video Page.


Electricity

OMD | Myspace Video

The Cure’s “Fascination Street” from their MySpace Video page.


Fascination Street

The Cure | Myspace Video

The Jesus and Mary Chain’s “Head On” from the RhinoEntertainment YouTube Channel.



Nitzer Ebb’s “Lightning Man” from their MySpace Video page.


Nitzer Ebb - Lightning Man

Nitzer Ebb | Myspace Video

Siouxsie and the Banshee’s “Peek-a-Boo” from the bansheesofficial YouTube Channel.



The B-52’s “Private Idaho” from theofficialb52s YouTube Channel.



Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” from the KateBushMusic YouTube Channel.



David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” from his MySpace Videos page.


Space Oddity

David Bowie | Myspace Video

Depeche Mode’s “Stripped” from their MySpace Videos page.


Stripped

Depeche Mode | Myspace Video Read more ...

Some New, Some Old Videos

No new review this week, but there will be more than one review next week (and keeping my fingers crossed over a few other things) … but of course I cannot let a Tuesday go by without posting something.

I have been e-mailing back and forth with a friend (we shall call him Candyman) about music; he has an extensive knowledge of music, especially (popular and obscure) new wave – he is keeping me on my toes! So, I thought that I would do something a bit different with this video post: split it between new videos and older ones.

First, the new videos, here is Orphan Boy’s new video for “Some Frontiers.” Here are some links if you missed the review of their album “Passion, Pain & Loyalty” (link) and a recent interview (link).

Orphan Boy’s “Some Frontier” from their YouTube Channel: oprhanboyuk.



Surfing around, I came across Maria Rodés – what an amazing voice! I think I am going to have to run out this weekend and buy her album.

Maria Rodés’ “Desorden” from the bcoredisc YouTube Channel.



The last two new videos are from veteran Bjork (one of those artists who always makes me scratch my head) and newcomers Dinosaur Pile-Up, which are further evidence that the 90s are definitely seeping back.

Bjork’s “The Comet Song” from her YouTube Channel: bjorkdotcom.



Dinosaur Pile-Up’s “Mona Lisa” from their YouTube Channel: dinosaurpileup.



Now for the old videos, and I have to state again, there are so many great songs that are just not officially available by so many bands, some that I have not thought about in years till this week, that should not be forgotten: Celebrate the Nun, Dalek I Love You, The Lotus Eaters, and Sigue Sigue Sputnik to mention a few (and let’s not forget Ministry’s first album!). Unfortunately, their videos are not officially available for embeds … I have alluded to this in the past, perhaps it is time to reach out to these artists and labels to place their music out there officially …

But reconnecting with my friend, Candyman, has really got me thinking of older music, more obscure music, and the avant-garde. Though these videos below do not reflect that (to my frustration!), they are four great songs from the 80s … Enjoy!

The Psychedelic Furs’ “Heartbreak Beat” from the PsychedelicFursVEVO YouTube Channel.



Orchestral Manouvers In the Dark’s “If You Leave” from their MySpace Videos page.


If You Leave

OMD | MySpace Video

The Cure’s “Primary” from TheCureVEVO YouTube Channel.



Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Warriors of the Wasteland” from the zttrecords YouTube Channel.

Read more ...

Live Music

What can I say? I am a sucker for live music. So I decided why not say a few words on it.

For the most part, I never fall in love with a band until I see them perform their music. Now I am not a snob when it comes to this – I don’t care if you want to have twenty dancers on a mega-stage or the most sophisticated light show in town or play in a dark room with no lights that reeks of stale beer and vomit, at the end of it all, it comes down to the music. You may put on the greatest spectacle in history, louder and more obnoxious than my childhood Thanksgiving family reunions, but if you cannot deliver that actual music, it will all fall flat. When I was impressionable, I went to see a lot of bands live, but it was in 1992 that I really came to understand the power of live music. It was the Jesus and Mary Chain (with Spirtualized and Curve) at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC, and though the music was not spot on (about two or three false starts), when they got into their head space and played, it was magic. You were no longer in the Roseland Ballroom; you were transported to a world of sound and emotional power for an hour and a quarter. I realized that it is that ability to connect with your audience through the music and not the few words in between songs that generates the power; I realized that the light show (or dancers) are only secondary to the music – if even for a moment they distract from the music, instead of adding to the experience of the music and performance, it is all for naught.

There is always a few bands on my list that I know will always dish out a near perfect show: The Cure, Depeche Mode, Manic Street Preachers, Muse, and Placebo to name a few. But there are two kinds of shows, and this is an important distinction: the theatric show with dancers and the straightforward performances. Unfortunately, I was not able to find any official video clips of recent (2009) theatric performances, but I still want to say a few words on them. The show can be completely, seriously thought out and sophisticated, like Madonna’s Confessions Tour (in my opinion her best), or the show can be a campy, hilariously ingenious experience, like Erasure’s Phantasmagorical Tour. But the music never suffers. On both of these examples, electronic equipment is used to produce much, if not all, of the music. But what you do not get is an exact replica of album versions – actually, the best electronic bands update the sounds, the beats, and even the arrangements (often extending the songs) for live performances. Never does the enactment on the stage or the prancing in creative costumes distract from the music; in fact, the goal is to augment the meaning or feel of the song, and/or to bring out a never imagined new dimension of the song. Unfortunately, most “theatric” shows fall short of this, using cheap, tawdry, wannabe Burlesque to titillate the audience. So it is very easy to always see who rises to the top in this field, without argument.

Then you have the flip side of live performances – the straightforward performances. Regardless if they are done at small spot like the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ or large venues like Wembley Stadium in London, the ultimate challenge to put together that perfect set, that perfect grouping of songs that will satisfy the audience, demonstrate your artistic integrity (hint: no greatest hits shows!), and generate a feeling of bonding individually with each member of that audience, regardless if it is 10 or 100,000. For many electronic bands this is a challenge – at once most people still expect to see a “band” on stage, not electronic gizmos, but on the other hand when done right, the power that flows through is amazing.

La Roux’s “I’m Not Your Toy” (iTunes Festival) from their YouTube page: larouxofficial.



La Roux delivers spotless pop music live, with no gimmick or tricks. She is captivating on the stage in much the same way as Annie Lennox was in the Tourist and early Eurythmics (this is one of the highest compliments I could ever give). Zoot Woman, on the other hand, use their electronic elements to generate a darker, moodier sound. Live, however, they bring an organic sound into their music that is not present in their studio recordings.

Zoot Woman’s “Nobody Knows” from the wantingforsomething YouTube Channel.



So you need a front- man/woman who can help bring that connection (check), you need to bring an element into your music that is not present in the studio recordings (check), but you also need presence on that stage. When you are on that stage, that audience needs to know who you are without doubt.

The Horrors’ “Three Decades” from their YouTube Channel: WatchTheHorrors.



Presence, check – but you need a perfect set list, from opening to close, and that can be tricky. Should you leave the big single for last? Should you play your hardest song? Should you play the least expected song? Or should you play the song that people are going to remember the most at the end? Check, White Lies already mastered this.

White Lies’ “Death” from their YouTube Channel: whiteliesofficial.



But you have to play those singles, and when you do, you have to make sure it feels like the first time the audience ever heard that song… make people fall in love with the song again. Trent Reznor has always had this effect on me; yes, I have been a NIN fan since the late 80s, but his ability to deliver a song in a consistently fresh way makes the performance all the more worth it. (Check)

Nine Inch Nails’ “Survivalism” from their YouTube Channel: ninofficial.



By the way, I have seen Trent do some very dramatic things live with his visuals. Once he was sandwiched between two screens (the back screen with images, the front screen with static hiding him from the audience) that would clear as he mimic wiping an area clear so you could see him and then he would sing a few lines and “toss” the clearing (it would glide across the screen as if tossed aside). It was a perfect moment of choreography that you would not expect at a NIN show. But what else do you need? The “cojones” to get on the stage, smash through a set that is longer than my sluttish neighbors black book, and playing every time like you have something to prove – that you are one of the best. No one does this better than Fat Boy Smith… umm Robert Smith, The Cure.

The Cure’s “It’s Over” from the NMETV YouTube Channel.



With truly legendary shows (between two and three-quarters to three full hours), the Cure has not lost their competitive edge live. Ultimately, whether a band will survive the test of time rests not only on their ability to write relevant music, but also on their ability to deliver live. Few bands are as competitive as the Cure, and fewer bands can say that their music on the stage can span from 1977 to present. The Cure has not become big because of radio or MTV; actually you can say they even became big in spite of Robert Smith not wanting the celebrity. But when you are that competitive live, when you can check that list of what makes good live music and check competitive as well – well then, you got a winning combination, no? Read more ...

Post-Punk: Part 1 of 3 - Origins

Deep down inside I still hold on to much of what I embraced in my formative years; as a young kid I was exposed to punk rock early on in the early 80s, shortly after the first wave of punk rock. I was fascinated by how it did not sound anything like my parent’s music. The screaming, the lack of finesse, and rawness of passion was something that addicted me right away. It sounded authentic, not an attempt to lull you away with sleepy, contrived lyrics and hooks. I would split my allowance between buying vinyl (ha, the good ole days) and comics. It was an addiction. But even as a young kid, I realized more and more that many of these bands sounded very similar in style and concept. But what I quickly discovered was that there was a growing number of punk rockers and new artists that took that punk rock rawness and ideology into a new direction, and I was just as quickly addicted to post-punk.

The failing of punk rock was that it became an aesthetic idea, as opposed of continuing a line of raw passion and opposing any notion of a status quo; eventually, till today, a definitive sound associated with punk rock was developed and it has been stuck on that sound now since the 70s. Though post-punk would rise up, it is smart to remember that both punk and post-punk existed simultaneously. The “post” does not refer to what comes after punk rock, as punk rock is still around, but rather what is the next step, the after, to the initial incorporation of a non-conformist idea to music.

Aesthetically post-punk rockers would use the foundation of punk rock (simple, direct, passionate music), while incorporating the use of keyboards (usually for ambience), non-rock bass playing (funk and dub), and a variety of different experimental techniques in the studio. The idea was not that they wanted to sound similar to one another, but rather that they wanted to sound as distinct as possible. Some bands continued to have a hard edge, while other became more experimental and/or ethereal. What eventually would happen is that many of these bands would develop into newer genres of music, laying the groundwork for genres such as gothic rock, industrial, and new wave. But here are five pioneers that you should look into; however, before you do that, I want to make one more comment. I did not include Siouxsie and the Banshees, as I reviewed their entire catalogue of studio albums earlier (link). The Banshees can easily be considered one of the leaders of post-punk. With albums like “The Scream,” “Join Hands,” and “Kaleidoscope,” they laid down effectively how a punk idea can be taken in a new, non-conformist direction. From singing the “Lords Prayer” to a horrifying punk background to the new wave-ish “Paradise Lost,” the Banshees continued to challenge the idea how music was supposed to be written and produced.

The Associates: “Affectionate Punch” (1980)

The Associates were a Scottish band formed by singer Billy Mackenzie (1957-1997) and guitarist Alan Rankine. Influenced by David Bowie (in fact, their first single was a Bowie cover), punk rock, and theatre, the band has inspired the likes of U2 and garnished the respect of music critics in the UK. The demise of the band started after Rankine left before touring to their third album, “The Sulk” (1982). The fourth album was considered lackluster; the record company would not be release their next recording (“Glamour Chase” 1988), and then their final proper album “Wild and Lonely” was released in 1990. But what is consistent in all of their music was this uncompromising craftsmanship – the Associates never mirrored the mainstream. Instead, they delivered music that was quirky, theatric, and definitely indefinable, turning everything they loved (from Bowie to punk rock) on its head and spinning it around a few times.

Why is a must? The title track, “Affectionate Punch,” is enough reason enough to invest in this album. Full of paradox (“The affectionate punch draws blood…”), the song is a cacophony of sound, from pianos to synths, whiny guitar, and female backing vocals. The final track, “A,” is sonically a song that U2 could point to as an influence. A funny play on the alphabet with lyrics such as “I’ve know Zed’s who only taken B's to bed, they said that G’s couldn’t scorch they’re sweaters,” the song, like many of theirs, is tongue-in-cheek that belies the reality that they speak of universal truths (abuse, sexual promiscuity, gender identity, etc…) that many artists have never had the balls to take on.



Track Listing:
1. The Affectionate Punch
2. Amused As Always
3. Logan Time
4. Paper House
5. Transport to Central
6. A Matter of Gender
7. Even Dogs in the Wild
8. Would I… Bounce Back
9. Deeply Concerned
10. A
11. You Were Young – 2005 Reissue
12. Janice – 2005 Reissue
13. Boys Keep Swinging (Mono) – 2005 Reissue
14. Mona Property Girl – 2005 Reissue

An extra note: Billy Mackenzie committed suicide in 1997. According to Fat Bob, who also made a guest appearance on the debut album, he wrote the song “Cut Here” in memory of Mackenzie. Here is the link for the video from the UniversalMusicGroup YouTube Channel.

Bauhaus: “In the Flat Field” (1980)

The band chose the name, Bauhaus, as an allusion to the style of the German school of design – functionality and simplicity. This sums up their music; like the original movement of punk rock, there was this simplicity and rawness of emotion that drove their music. Unlike the original movement of punk, Bauhaus would favor darker, textured music. Hitting the scene with their release of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead,” the follow up album has the distinct honor of being the first long play released by 4AD. They leave two marks on music, the first of which is experimental post-punk. This would influence the likes of the Cranes and Radiohead. The second, along with other post-punks, they would lay down the foundation of gothic rock.

Why is it a must? Okay, even I was disappointed that “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” was not included in the reissues, but there is plenty here for an orgasmic musical experience. “Stigmata Martyr” is an eerie proto-gothic number, which really demonstrates how to create urgency in music without a thick wall of sound. The titular track, “In the Flat Field,” would establish the classical post-punk guitar sound that gothic rock would incorporate. And of course, the ultimate fuck you song, “Crowds,” included on the reissue: “You worthless bitch, you fickle shit, you would spit on me, you would make me spit, and when the Judas hour arrives, and like the Jesus Jews you epitomize, I’ll still be here as strong as you, and I’ll walk away in spite of you.”



Original Track Listing:
1. Double Dare
2. In the Flat Field
3. God in an Alcove
4. Dive
5. Spy in the Cab
6. Small Talk Stinks
7. St. Vitus Dance
8. Stigmata Martyr
9. Nerves
1988/1998 CD Reissue Track Listing
1. Dark Entries
2. Double Dare
3. In the Flat Field
4. God in an Alcove
5. Dive
6. Spy in the Cab
7. Small Talk Stinks
8. St. Vitus Dance
9. Stigmata Martyr
10. Nerves
11. Telegram Sam
12. Rosegarden Funeral Sores
13. Terror Couple Kill Colonel
14. Scopes
15. Untitled
16. God in an Alcove
17. Crowds
18. Terror Couple Kill Colonel – remix

Keep up with Bauhaus at their homepage.

The Cure: “Three Imaginary Boys” (1979)

The boys from Crawley, and perhaps the most successful outfit out of the punk/post-punk era, the Cure has had the sustainability of career that most artists envy. And exactly how did the band manage to survive? Two reasons, the first being very strong song writing. What the Cure lacks in technical genius (not to take anything away from later members Porl Thompson and Roger O’Donnell), they quickly make up for with ingenuity, amazing lyrics, and atmospherics. The second reason would be lead man’s Robert Smith's uncompromising approach to music: my way or no way – ah, that punk ideology.

Why is it a must? First off, the original line up, of which only Robert Smith survives in the band. Secondly, this is the most stripped down Cure album of all time, with no attempt of injecting production gimmicks (as if they would even have been able to afford those) or even an obvious single. Short, punk/rock-pop songs, these tracks show that the Cure’s origin was not gothic rock, but rather punk rock. Tracks to check out include the Hendrix cover of “Foxy Lady” (sung by Dempsey, not Smith) and “It’s Not You.” The reissue/deluxe of the album would include “Killing an Arab,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” – a prophetic song about the punk scene, as Smith sings, “You have to adapt, or you’ll be out of style.” (One last thing, the “Boys Don’t Cry” album was a poppy remix of this album released in 1980 for an American audience. It was not the first album.)

I included the back cover for this one for an important reason. Originally, the songs were not listed on the album; instead each song had an image to represent the song. “Meat hook” and “Subway Song” may be obvious, but enjoy trying to figure out the rest of them.





Track Listing:
Disc 1 (1979)
1. 10:15 Saturday Night
2. Accuracy
3. Grinding Halt
4. Another Day
5. Object
6. Subway Song
7. Foxy Lady
8. Meathook
9. So What
10. Fire in Cairo
11. It’s Not You
12. Three Imaginary Boys
13. (Originally untitled) The Weedy Burton (as of the deluxe edition)
Disc 2 (2004 Deluxe Edition)
1. I Want to Be Old – demo
2. I’m Cold – demo
3. Heroin Face – live
4. I Just Need Myself – demo
5. 10:15 Saturday Night – home demo
6. The Cocktail Party – demo
7. Grinding Halt – demo
8. Boys Don’t Cry – demo
9. It’s Not You – demo
10. 10:15 Saturday Night Live – demo
11. Fire in Cairo – demo
12. Winter
13. Faded Smiles, aka I Don’t Know
14. Play with Me
15. World War
16. Boys Don’t Cry
17. Jumping Someone Else’s Train
18. Subway Song – live
19. Accuracy – live
20. 10:15 Saturday Night – live

Keep up with the Cure at their homepage, MySpace, and Facebook.

Joy Division: “Unknown Pleasures” (1979)

As one of the bands to set the ground-works of post-punk in the late 70s, Joy Division hit the airwaves with a sound that was not like punk rock, or anything else out there, and they immediately caught the attention of Factory Records in Manchester. Immediately garnishing the critical acclaim of critics (though not the mainstream), Joy Division established themselves a mainstay in the musical cult world, even twenty-nine years after the band disbanded. Ian Curtis (lead vocalist) would commit suicide in 1980; though the band would release a second album posthumously and their biggest single (“Love Will Tear Us Apart”), the band would reform into New Order.

Why is this a must? Well when all the major music news outlets, from “Rolling Stone” to “NME,” agree that this is a piece of art, then there must be something to it. And if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then listen to Ian Curtis’ voice and singing style, then go listen to this generation’s post-punk revivalists – hear where they got their style? The 2007 reissue would include a bonus disc of all live music, including “Dead Souls,” perhaps one of the most archetypal post-punk, proto-gothic rock songs of its time. This bonus disc demonstrates that Joy Division was not just a studio band, composing artsy music, but also a strong live band that could deliver their experimentations live, which many bands cannot do.

Track Listing
1. Disorder
2. Days of the Lords
3. Candidate
4. Insight
5. New Dawn Fades
6. She’s Lost Control
7. Shadowplay
8. Wilderness
9. Interzone
10. I Remember Nothing
Track Listing 2007 Reissue Bonus Disc
1. Dead Souls
2. The Only Mistake
3. Insight
4. Candidate
5. Wilderness
6. She’s Lost Control
7. Shadowplay
8. Disorder
9. Interzone
10. Atrocity Exhibition
11. Novelty
12. Transmission

Killing Joke: “Killing Joke” (1980)

Hailing from Notting Hill, Killing Joke continues to produce music till today. They have left their mark on gothic and industrial rocks, as well as new wave, and even have some DJs and dance oriented musicians citing them as influences. Though they may not have had the success on the pop charts as the Cure, a not so modest list of acts point to them as an influence, including Foo Fighters, Jane’s Addiction, Korn, Metallica, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, and Tool. Bringing electronic sounds early on to a punk rock foundation, Killing Joke delivers music that is aggressive, often angry, and yet digestible by a wider range of listeners than standard punk.

Why is this a must? Simple: this is a fun album. Don’t get me wrong, it is full of angst, anger, and the darker things in life, but musically the sound is never obtuse, opaque, or oppressive. Opening with the single “Requiem,” the groovey music, the ambient keys, the driving base all manage to suck you into the most disturbing world of them all: “Not watching pretty girls, the clock keeps ticking; he doesn’t know why he’s just cattle for the slaughter… Death – requiem!” Then there is the instrumental “Bloodsport,” sporting straight out rock and roll, with the inclusion of ostianto (the repetitive synth sound in the background). Of course, one of my favorite songs is on this album as well, “The Wait.” A precursor to the stream of consciousness that gothic rockers would incorporate, but with more punk rock elements than most of the post-punk rockers, Jaz Coleman sings, “After awakening, the silence grows, the screams subside, distortion show mutant thoughts of bad mouthed news, it’s just another birth of distorted views.” Ask me, those words are as relevant today as when they were first written.

Track Listing:
1. Requiem
2. Wardance
3. Tomorrow’s World
4. Bloodsport
5. The Wait
6. Complications
7. S.O.36
8. Primitive
9. Change – 2005 CD reissue
10. Requiem, single version – 2005 CD reissue
11. Change, dub – 2005 CD reissue
12. Primitive, rough mix – 2005 CD reissue
13. Bloodsport, rough mix – 2005 CD reissue
* “Change” was included in the American release between “Complications” and “S.O.36”

Keep up with Killing Joke on their homepage and MySpace. Read more ...

NME Shockwave Awards and Tribute Album

If you have not purchased this months issue of NME, you need to get to your local magazine shop and pick it up… immediately.



First off, here are this year’s winners at the NME Awards (videos from the NME Youtube Channel - check it out):

Godlike Genius: The Cure



Best British Band: Oasis

Best International Band: The Killers



Best Solo Artist: Pete Doherty



Best New Band: MGMT



Best Live Band: Muse



Best Album: Kings Of Leon “Only By The Night”

Outstanding Contribution To British Music: Elbow



Best Track: MGMT “Time To Pretend”

Best Video: Last Shadow Puppets “My Mistakes Were Made For You”



Best Live Event: Glastonbury 2008

Best TV: "The Mighty Boosh"

Phillip Hall Radar Award: The Big Pink

Best Dancefloor Filler: Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome – "Dance Wiv Me"



Best DVD: Arctic Monkeys – "Live At The Apollo"

Best Band Blog: Oasis' Noel Gallagher

Best Venue: London Astoria

Best Album Artwork Muse "HAARP"

Hero Of The Year: Barack Obama

Villain Of The Year: George W Bush

Best Dressed: Alexa Chung

Worst Dressed: Amy Winehouse

Worst Album: The Jonas Brothers – "A Little Bit Longer"

Worst Band: the Jonas Brothers

Sexiest Male: Muse's Matt Bellamy

Sexiest Female: Paramore's Hayley Williams

Best Website: YouTube

Here are the set lists played by White Lies, Crystal Castles, Franz Ferdinand, and the Cure at this years NME Big Gig held on 26 February 2009, at London’s O2 Arena.

White Lies: Fairwell to the Fairground, To Lose My Life, A Place to Hide, Unfinished Business, Fifty on our Foreheads, The Price of Love, and Death.

Crystal Castles: Atlantis, Baptism, Courtship Dating, Crimewave, Alice Practise, and Yes No

Franz Ferdinand: The Dark of the Matinee, No You Girls, Do You Want To, Michael, Turn It On, Walk Away, Bite Hard, Take Me Out, Ulysses, What She Came For, Outsiders, and This Fire

The Cure: Underneath the Stars, From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea, The Perfect Boy, The End of the World, Sleep When I’m Dead, A Forest, Three Imaginary Boys, Shake Dog Shake, Maybe Someday, The Only One, Inbetween Days, Just Like Heaven, Primary, Want, The Hungary Ghost, Disintegration, One Hundred Years, and It’s Over. Encore: Boys Don’t Cry, Jumping Someone Else’s Train, Grinding Halt, 10:15 Saturday Night, and Killing an Arab.

Last bit of information – the new NME issue has a free copy of “Pictures of You – A Tribute to the Cure.”

Not all of the covers are brand spanking new (for instance, Dinosaur Jr.’s “Just Like Heaven”), but this compliation might go down as the best tribute to the Cure. The Editors are amazing at “Lullaby” and Alkaline Trio does “Cut Here,” a tribute to Billy MacKenzie of the Associates. This was the most unlikely song to be covered, and perhaps the biggest surprise to be put on the album. But there are more surprises, like Metronomy “rapping” to “Fascination Street” and Mystery Jets and Esser’s cover of “In Between Days.” Get the magazine now; this tribute album is worth the investment!

Track Listing:
1. Robert Smith of the Cure gives an introduction about covering music.
2. Mystery Jets and Esser: In Between Days
3. Lostprophets: Boys Don’t Cry
4. Marmaduke Dude: Friday I’m in Love
5. Dinosaur Jr.: Just Like Heaven
6. The Big Pink: Love Song
7. Editors: Lullaby
8. British Sea Power: A Forest
9. The Dandy Warhols: Primary
10. The Get Up Kids: Close to Me
11. The Futureheads: The Lovecats
12. Art Brut: Catch
13. Metronomy: Fascination Street
14. Alkaline Trio: Cut Here
15. Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly: In Between Days Read more ...

The Cure: Retrospective on “Disintegration”

This was the most unlikely album to have mainstream success, yet “Disintegration” (1989) truly paved the way for the Cure to go from cult band to musical icons. Twelve years into Robert Smith’s career, this album surpassed all expectations, saw the Cure to the top of the singles and album charts, and playing stadiums.



A band that starting writing numbers such as “Need Myself,” “It’s Not You,” and “Boys Don’t Cry,” I personally cannot understand when people say that “Disintegration” is a return to their gothic roots. The reality is that the Cure started as a punk influenced rock trio, which eventually evolved into a more ambient, gothic sound. But the evolution did not stop there. By late 1982, the Cure was writing poppy, new wave numbers, like “The Walk” and “Love Cats,” and continue to mature and evolve. The ability of this band to jump from one genre or style to another, quite often on one album, is a key factor in their longevity. From new wave, to pop-rock of the mid and late 80s, the Cure had grown into critical acclaim in the UK and the Continent. They had traveled the world over, from Japan to New Zealand, from Canada to Argentina. And then 1989 rolled around, and the obvious thing for the Cure to do was to write another album along the lines of “Head on the Door” (1985) or “Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me” (1987), playing it safe and capitalizing on their momentum. Instead, Robert Smith (vocalist, guitarist, lyricist) led his band into the moodiest, broodiest downward spiral to date. “Disintegration” was everything that one should not expect from a band on the verge of international breakthrough. Yet, it broke through!

From the ethereal opening, “Plainsong,” to the almost nautical ending, “Untitled,” this album takes the listener through a journey of life and death, love and suicide, final dances and being eaten alive by spiders. “Plainsong” is best described as one long sigh. Orchestrated keyboards, wind chimes, and echoing, harrowing vocals (“It’s so cold, it’s like the cold if you were dead”) – this song starts the journey gently but in grandiose fashion. Followed by “Pictures of You,” a single off of the album, arranged with an ambient keyboard and a six-string bass played as a guitar, the song brings the tempo up some, while pondering loose of love. Other key moments in the album include “Lullaby” – a song verging on pop tempos and arrangements, describing the nightmare of being eaten alive by a spider. Or maybe it is about being raped – “Be still, be calm, be quiet now my precious little boy, don’t struggle like that or I will only love you more.” Regardless of your take, the lyrics are disturbing, yet the music draws you in. The smash hit “Lovesong” is on the album, which was originally written as a wedding present for Robert Smith’s then fiancée, now wife.

True to Cure fashion, the titular track is of epic proportions. The song “Disintegration” muses about suicide – “I never said I would stay to the end, I knew I would leave you with babies and everything, screaming like this in the hole of sincerity, screaming me over and over and over. I leave you with photographs, pictures of trickery, stains on the carpet and stains on the memory, songs about happiness murmured in dreams when we both of knew how the end always is.” Stains on the carpet? Robert Smith is a descriptive genius! The album closes with “Untitled.” Why untitled? Smith sings, “Never quite said what I wanted to say to you, never quite managed the words to explain to you, never quite knew how to make it believable…” But it is the closing line, “never dream of you again,” that haunts you during the three minute musical exodus.

Though it would be unfair to say that the Cure has not written great songs after “Disintegration” – just to name a few: “From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea,” “Mint Car,” “Out of this World,” “Lost,” “The Perfect Boy” – what the Cure has never done again was compose an album that works so well together, it is often difficult to think of these songs as anything other than an album. In fact, it is rare that an album by any artist ever congeals the way “Disintegration” did. Why is it a must? Because years before Nirvana and Pearl Jam, a generation before emo kids and goth kids mocked on South Park, this album defied the music industry's predictions, this album rose above all expectations, and this album blew the door open for bands to follow that would not conform to static notions of giddy-pop music or formulated angst. If there was a cure to the mundanities of late 80s music, it was “Disintegration.”



Track Listing:

1. Plainsong
2. Pictures of You
3. Closedown
4. Lovesong
5. Last Dance
6. Lullaby
7. Fascination Street
8. Prayers for Rain
9. The Same Deep Water as You
10. Disintegration
11. Homesick
12. Untitled

Check out “Entreat.” The Cure recorded eight tracks from “Disintegration” live, and though the Cure rarely reworks music extensively between studio recordings and live renditions, this live album displays the urgency felt when the Cure plays live.



Track Listing:

1. Pictures of You
2. Closedown
3. Last Dance
4. Fascination Street
5. Prayers for Rain
6. Disintegration
7. Homesick
8. Untitled

Follow the Cure at their homepage. You can find them at the Polydor Classic YouTube Channel and Universal Music Group. Here are the videos (Polydor) or links (Lovesong, from Universal) for the four singles from “Disintegration.”

"Lullaby"



"Fascination Street"



The official Universal Music Group link for "Lovesong"

"Pictures of You"



One final note, even Kyle of South Park hails this album; he did say, “Disintegration is the best album ever.” Read more ...

Just Like Heaven - A Tribute to the Cure

Another tribute to the Cure, but this one has the promise of being worth the excitement.

With a release date of 27 January 2009 (Label: American Laundromat), the tracklisting includes (not in order):



Brunettes: "Love Song"
Cassettes Won't Listen: "Lets Go to Bed"
Dean and Britta: "Friday I'm in Love"
Devics: "Catch"
Elizabeth Harper and the Matinee: "Pictures of You"
Elk City: "Close to Me"
Grand Duchy (Violet Clark and Black Francis): "A Strange Day"
Kitty Karyle: "In Between Days"
Luff: "Jumping Someone Else's Train"
Julie Peel: "A Night Like This"
The Poems: "10:15 Saturday Night"
The Rosebuds: "The Walk"
The Submarines: "Boys Don't Cry"
Tonya Donelly and Dylan in the Movies: "The Love Cats"
The Wedding Present: "High"
Joy Zipper: "Just LIke Heaven" Read more ...