Yes without both, Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, might be still Yes? The answer is “Drama”, the band’s tenth studio album released 31 years ago, on 22 August, 1980 and which introduced Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles. Horn and Downes came after the #1 hit in the UK with “Video Killed the Radio Star” and being Yes fans they landed in Yes because they were managed by the same Brian Lane. Still, hardcore Yes fans considered unacceptable the replacement of Anderson and Wakeman. Although, “Drama” fared very well in the UK charts, reaching #2 there, but in America, “Drama” became the first Yes album in years not to reach top 10 or go gold. Read more Yes – Drama (1980)
Monthly Archives: August 2011
Gravity – Syndrome (2011)
With roots back to classic and symphonic Heavy Metal, merging Death Metal with Groove and Nu Metal, Gravity are the latest promise of Montpellier Metal’s stage. Singed to M&O label last year, they released their debut full-length album entitled “Syndrom” in 2011. Emilie (vocals), Alex and Mathieu (guitars), Tim (bass) and Hugo (drums) delivered a quite unique blending of Metal sub-genres. Emilie covers a large range of singing styles from classic, clean singing to deadly howling and bloody screaming, sometimes evoking opera styles, other times – mainly – being extremely brutal and combine Death and Hardcore styles. The music is also colorful, while I’m getting bored by too many so-called whatever-core released lately, Gravity delivering quality modern Metal without repeating the trendy cliches and patterns. Read more Gravity – Syndrome (2011)
Cansei de Ser Sexy – La Liberacion (2011)
Got tired of being sexy? Free yourself and dance till the end of the world and everything further.
Scheduled to be released tomorrow – 22 August 2011 – after a three years gap, the third album by CSS – abbreviation for Cansei de Ser Sexy – “La Liberación”, is another tasty piece of groovy, extremely danceable, fresh and driving music right from São Paulo, Brazil. last time this vibe was delivered by Copacabana Club, another great Brazilian band. This mixture of Indie Pop and Rock, keyboards and guitars, it’s something extremely simple and catchy way to express yourself effortless, but without repeating yourself or following trends. And this music feels good because it comes naturally, it seems to be honest, Adriano Cintra and his band mate don’t try to sell you something else than they actually are. Read more Cansei de Ser Sexy – La Liberacion (2011)
The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash (2011)
If this isn’t a great band name – obviously quoting Biafra’s band name, I don’t know what it is! Eventually The Dead Kenny G Spots… 😆 😆 😆 Songs such as “Melvin Jones” merged explosive Noise-Metal with exotic aromas and Ethno-Jazz blowing, but one thing is absolutely sure: they are loud. Imagine a Rock-like noisy and loud Jazz band with suspicious taste for Klezmer and Metal and Hardcore, eventually like Primus. Not accidentally I mentioned Les Claypool’s “insane brigade”, they toured together last year.
Eric Walton aka Skerik (saxophones, keyboards, loops, samples, effects and guitar), Brad Houser (bass, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet and electronics) and Mike Dillon (vibraphone and percussion) – aka Critters Buggin -, are The Dead Kenny G’s! This is the highest level of musical subversion, stay tune or stay away, injuries are unavoidable! Read more The Dead Kenny G’s – Operation Long Leash (2011)
Rollins Band – Nice (2001)
“Your number is one, your mind decided, your number is one, you are undivided…”
Without MTV and generally speaking, any media support and striking favorites such as “Low Self Opinion” and “Liar”, the last two albums – at least, up to date – of Rollins made no impression outside his fan base. It’s quite unfair, the 2000’s “Get Some Go Again” and the follow-up “Nice” released next year was two quality Post-Hardcore/Modern Rock albums. Released exactly ten years ago, on 21th August 2001, “Nice” perhaps it isn’t the best Rollins Band album, but it’s a… nice one. And still, I can’t figure out what the f*ck best means?! Harder, faster, bigger, stronger, louder? Whatever!
And actually good songs were plenty on it, just to mention a few: “Up for It”, “Your Number Is One”, “I Want So Much More”, “Hangin’ Around”, “Going Out Strange”, “Let That Devil Out”, etc Read more Rollins Band – Nice (2001)
Aram Bajakian’s Kef – Aram Bajakian’s Kef (2011)
Listening to the almost raging, furious and noisy guitar hurricanes of “Sepastia” it’s obvious why Lou Reed ask guitarist Aram Bajakian to perform guitar on his summer tour. And Aram Bajakian’s Kef is electrifying. “Sumlinian” is blowing like a chainsaw from one ear to the other and will leave you breathless. Aram Bajakian – Electric And Acoustic Guitars, Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz – Acoustic Bass and Tom Swafford – Violin delivered an unique and extremely groovy mixture of traditional Klezmer music with Garage Rock resonances, merged electric explosions with sensitive acoustic braiding, combined the energy of the free Jazz improvisation with the clearness and smoothness of classic and traditional music, Aram Bajakian’s Kef puts on the same level the bursting electric guitar shredding and the joyful violin plays.
I was at the middle of the 5th track, “Wroclaw”, when I noticed there’s no drums or percussion in this… Holy Moses! Read more Aram Bajakian’s Kef – Aram Bajakian’s Kef (2011)
Primus – Green Naugahyde (2011)
12 years are more than a lifetime in nowadays music industry. Bass player Les Claypool was considered by many a weirdo even back in the 80s, beginning of the 90s, nowadays with the more uniformed, pattern-driven music, with all those self-proclaimed “whatever-core” stuffs pretending to be “alternatives” and post-everything we might think or dream of, the Primus project seems much more off-beat. I’m quite curious what the media will write about this and how the ex-emo kids, now sport-ware and iPhone fan teenagers will receive it. Things that don’t fit in the boxes, labels don’t stick to them and aren’t easy to chew and swallow are not so welcome nowadays. If you want to be appreciated, you must stay in line. Odd… isn’t it? While everybody struggling to sound the same, Primus comes back and sounds just like they did two decades ago. Like nothing else and like… Primus. Bloody bastards! Read more Primus – Green Naugahyde (2011)
Bob Dylan – Slow Train Coming (1979)
We’ve gotta serve somebody? In one way or another, definitively yes. “Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, But you’re gonna have to serve somebody”.
It’s pretty odd, I think Christianity is just another kind of mind-poison as any other organized religion and I have my doubts about the so-called “born-again thing”, but still, everybody have to do as he/she please. I’m not even what might be called a huge Dylan fan, and once again, still, I love “Slow Train Coming”. My mom had it in her record collection – obviously talking bout the good old vinyl’s – back in the 80s and somehow it felt alright to listen it. It has magic. Released on 20th August, 1979, 32 years ago, “Slow Train Coming” still is one of my favorite records.
In the late 1970s, Dylan became a born-again Christian and released two albums of Christian gospel music: “Slow Train Coming” in 1979 and “Saved” one year later.
American author, music journalist and cultural critic, Greil Marcus wrote “Dylan selling a prepackaged doctrine he’s received from someone else” – but I actually took Jesus out of this, I was listen to the music and I “translated” the lyrics out of any Christian and religious context and prejudices.
Dylan took five months off at the beginning of 1979 to attend Bible classes. His subsequent album “Slow Train Coming” reached No.3 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and included the Grammy-winning song “Gotta Serve Somebody”. In response to Dylan’s song, shortly before his murder, John Lennon wrote and recorded “Serve Yourself”… Dylan is 70 years old, Lennon were gunned down at age of 40… Still, if there’s a God, something is very wrong with him, with us and generally speaking with our communication and relation with others and ourselves. Read more Bob Dylan – Slow Train Coming (1979)
Eskeype – Legacy of Truth (2010)
Delivering classy Thrash and Death grindings and butcheries, juggling between Progressive Metal and Metalcore, Eskeype’s full-length album seems to be a promise kept, the perfect follow-up of their debut 2008’s EP “First Process”.
Melodic and Progressive Metal elements are merged with powerful and brutal Metalcore, technical and aggressive themes are merged into their dark, dynamic, but colorful Metal.
Nico M – Vocals & Violin, Djoule and Valentin – Guitars, Nico C – Bass and Dario – Drums & Samples managed to combine classy and modern Metal, brutalities and harmonies into their own taste-like music.
Read more Eskeype – Legacy of Truth (2010)
Antenna Trash – Ded Comes for Ded (2011)
Free stuffs are good stuffs. Worth to give a try, listen to, download for free from their Bandcamp page.
Antenna Trash merged Glitch-Wave with Post Punk, noisy garage Rock guitars with electronic layers and textures, Punk energy with Disco beats and the result is something between Devo and Joy Division, eventually between TV On The Radio and Victorian Halls.
Named themselves after a song of the German experimental electropop band Lali Puna, Sebastiano Meneghini – vocals, guitar, percussion; Marco Menegazzi – bass, vocals; Alessandro Monaco – synthesizer, groovebox, vocals, noises and Alberto Casagrande – drums, percussion, vocals introduce themselves and their music with this four track release. Enjoy it!
Read more Antenna Trash – Ded Comes for Ded (2011)
