Terry Gilliam’s film, “12 Monkeys” (1995) was inspired by, and takes several concepts directly from the pretty obscure French film “La jetée” made in 1962 by Chris Marker and known in English as “The Jetty” or “The Pier.” The film, by the way: black and white, runs for 28 minutes and the plot is quite simple, the main character – appears as “The Man” – is a prisoner in the aftermath of the Third World War, in a destroyed, post-apocalyptic Paris where survivors live underground in the Palais de Chaillot galleries. Scientists research time travel, hoping to send test subjects to different time periods “to call past and future to the rescue of the present”. They have difficulty finding subjects who can mentally withstand the shock of time travel, but eventually settle upon the prisoner, whose key to the past is a vague but obsessive childhood memory of a woman (who features obviously as “The Woman”) during an incident where a man was killed on the boarding platform (the jetty) at Orly Airport. Read more Amnesis – The Pier (2011)
alternative rock
The Horrors – Skying (2011)
When you’re bloody bored or just feels like you’ve got it all, you stair down to your shoes and spit off something “new”. So, what the heck is shoegaze?! Shoegazing (also known as shoegaze) is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. The name was coined in a review in Sounds of a concert by the newly-formed Moose in which singer Russell Yates read lyrics taped to the floor throughout the gig. The term was picked up by the NME and Melody Maker and they used it as a reference to the tendency of the bands’ guitarists to stare at their feet—or their effects pedals, seemingly deep in concentration, while playing. So, it’s not quite a subgenre, we’re just re-labeled something. Just like nobody’s emo anymore, everybody are metalcore, perhaps it sells better. I’m just scared to ask what the fuck is Nu gaze? 😆
Back in 2007 I kind of like “Strange House”, the debut album by The Horrors. It wasn’t about “shoegazing”, it was punk rock with horror and gothic rock shades and aromas, it was raw. I’m not gonna lie to you, I think I missed “Primary Colours” in 2009, or I just can not remember it in that mindless grinding of releases. I’m getting too old for this. Read more The Horrors – Skying (2011)
8in8 – Nighty Night (2011)
This is an ambitious project gathering together Amanda Palmer – performer, she was the lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls, Neil Gaiman – author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, etc, Ben Folds – singer, songwriter, musician and Damian Kulash – vocalist and guitarist of OK Go, for an exciting experiment. Monday, on April 25th, the four musicians joins in Boston at the Rethink Music conference to explore/re-conceptualize the entire notion of artistic creation and its mechanical dissemination and human reception in these topsy-turvy modern times of ours. The original goal was to write and record eight songs in eight hours, after then play a concert and forther release the album. The effort resulting in 6 songs in 12 hours, entitled “Nighty Night”. In addition, the entire process was streamed live on Youtube, lasting from 4 pm on April 22nd to 4 am on April 23rd. Read more 8in8 – Nighty Night (2011)
Ok Go – 180/365 (2011)
In my list of “10 best albums of 2010” one was “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” by OK Go. These guys rocks. They wrote some great songs, they are funny and full of life. Made a few killer videos. Not too many bands have now days their energy and ability to deliver quality stuffs. Actually OK Go were the exception, as I said, I’m pretty sick lately of anything labeled “indie” or “alternative”. Damian Kulash (lead vocals and guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion) and Andy Ross (guitar, keyboards and vocals) delivered a new package consist of the album and a volume of gorgeous OK Go tour photos taken by Nathaniel Wood. 180 gigs in one year, resumed in 15 great songs. Read more Ok Go – 180/365 (2011)
The Lollipops – Hold! (2011)
Available in many flavors and shapes, mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking, the lollipops are hard candies. Chosen as band name is not quite inspired, plenty of artist/bands all over the world use it in different forms. This time, this “The Lollipops” are from Olsztyn, Poland and “Hold!” is filled up with smooth, kind of retro and tasty rock with gloomy indie flavor mixed with some blues, pop and punk spices, reminds me mainly of the good-old days Blondie combined with the doo-wop taste of the song “Blue Moon” in the version of The Marcels from ’61. Kasia Staszko – vocals, Jacek Ruczko – guitar, Romek BaÅ‚tuszka – guitar, Jakub Roszkiewicz – bass and Wojtek Zamaro – drums put 12 (plus one bonus) on this “Hold!” and it’s actually a nice, extremely listenable album. Read more The Lollipops – Hold! (2011)
Peter Murphy – Ninth (2011)
Older dudes like me remember Bauhaus appeared during the opening sequences of the horror movie “The Hunger” featuring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve, performing one of their most popular songs, “Bela Lugosi’s Dead”. It was almost a lifetime ago, back in 1983…
Bauhaus were an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978, consisted of Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), Kevin Haskins (drums) and David J (bass). The band broke up in 1983 and reunited for a 1998 tour and on a more permanent basis in 2005. The group announced plans to disband again following the release of their album, “Go Away White”, in 2008. The youngest perhaps noticed Murphy while Bauhaus toured with Nine Inch Nails in 2006 and Trent Reznor, Murphy and other tour-mate musicians (TV on the Radio, Peaches, etc) were guests on several radio shows together, often performing three to four duets per radio show. Reznor – as many others – cites Bauhaus as one of his primary musical influences.
After Bauhaus disbanded in 1983, Murphy worked with Mick Karn of Japan (bassist, keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist) and Paul Vincent Lawford (rhythm construction) in the band Dali’s Car and released one album in 1984 “The Waking Hour” before going solo and releasing several albums: “Should the World Fail to Fall Apart” (1986), “Love Hysteria” (1988), “Deep”(1990), “Holy Smoke” (1992), “Cascade” (1995), “Dust” (2002) and “Unshattered” (2004). Read more Peter Murphy – Ninth (2011)
Company of Thieves – Running From a Gamble (2011)
Musicians have their entire lives to write their debut, and a year to complete the followup. I guess this is the result of industrializing the music and turn it from art into business. Company Of Thieves take their time with the second album while “Ordinary Riches”, originally was independently issued in 2007 and came out in February 2009 and their second album, “Running from a Gamble”, was released on May 17, 2011. And the waiting for it’s worth. The 13 new songs keeps that friendly, warm, familiar, close and tight feeling which makes Company Of Thieves so bright and special and bring them a feverish fanbase which extended lately.
While Genevieve Schatz reminds me sometimes of Bjork, their music is a nice blending of indie/alternative rock with roots back to The Beatles and soft shades of blues with the gloomy texture of Portishead and the explosion of 12 Rounds (an awesome and unfairly forgotten band). Read more Company of Thieves – Running From a Gamble (2011)
She Wants Revenge – Valleyheart (2011)
Having a deep and dark Depeche Mode after-taste, the Americans from She Wants Revenge are back with their third studio album after a four years gap. “Valleyheart” with its ten brand new songs holds the same Depeche Mode marks, it’s a gloomy, minimalist, but vibrating material with a typical/traditional British taste. “Must Be the One”, the leading single it’s available for free download on the band’s Facebook page. Justin Warfield – vocals, guitar, keyboards and Adam Bravin (aka Adam 12) – bass guitar, keyboards, guitar, drum machine, percussion, programming, vocals get their musical roots and inspiration in bands such Joy Division, but also Depeche Mode, New Order, Bauhaus, Danse Society and the darker areas explored by The Sisters of Mercy. They have been compared to Interpol and My Bloody Valentine. Read more She Wants Revenge – Valleyheart (2011)
Ben Harper – Give Till Its Gone (2011)
Rock N’ Roll Is Free? Well, according to Ben Harper it is or at least, it should be. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live performances, activism, actually at the age of 12, Harper played his first gig and since 1992 he released a couple of quality records, shifting his style and approach between different sounds and genres.
His father, Leonard, was of African-American and Cherokee ancestry, and his mother, Ellen Chase-Verdries, is Jewish. His maternal great-grandmother was a Russian-Lithuanian Jew, so being multi-colored, shifting styles and merging genres it’s not quite surprising. But actually beyond his talent, this mixture of colors, shades and musical perfumes make his music so charming. Read more Ben Harper – Give Till Its Gone (2011)
Urge Overkill – Rock & Roll Submarine (2011)
The term “one-hit wonder” is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single. “Kung Fu Fighting” by Carl Douglas, “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies, “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell,”Turning Japanese” by The Vapors, “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield, ” In the Summertime” by Mungo Jerry, “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes, “Breakfast At Tiffanys” by Deep Blue Something and “Who Let the Dogs Out?” by Baha Men are just one of the few songs and artists “honored with this distinction”. On the other hand, some lists also included songs and artist such as “Epic” by Faith No More, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly, “All Right Now” by Free, “Cars” by Gary Numan or “”Take On Me” by A-Ha, so, it’s not a that dishonorable classification after all. I wonder who would heard about Urge Overkill if Quentin Tarantino wouldn’t release “Pulp Fiction” and on its soundtrack they wouldn’t included the cover version of the Neil Diamond song, “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” performed by them? Read more Urge Overkill – Rock & Roll Submarine (2011)
