Critique de l'Album, par Olivia Chevez de The Quietus
Imagine that there was some kind of karaoke night where all those reverent pioneers of post-punk, synthpop, new wave and coldwave could get together for a knees-up and a big old singalong. Imagine David Thomas backed by The Units giving 'Enola Gay' a going over, Wire paying homage to Bauhaus, and Bernard Sumner standing by the bar doing the white man shuffle to the cast of No New York hammering out their best Ultravox impressions. Depeche Mode performing a triumphant delivery of The Birthday Party's 'Nick The Stripper', only to be outshone by a resplendent Roxy Music serving up an incendiary rendition from Hex Enduction Hour. It would be a glorious evening; rousing, indulgent and electrifyingly unhinged.
Listening to Cold Showers' latest construction grants a taste of just such an experience. The LA post-punk acolytes have been putting out a steady stream of records ever since their inception in 2010, with releases on Mexican Summer, Art Fag, and current label Dais drawing frequent comparisons with Joy Division, Interpol and Echo and The Bunnymen. Their debut LP, Love And Regret, saw the full swell of Factory Records-influenced punk that this quintet execute so skilfully, flitting adroitly from no-wave to garage rock in a matter of bars. Follow-up albumMatter Of Choice sees the Angelenos taking a turn towards more synth-heavy productions, resulting in a systematically frenzied compendium of intense and erratic dirges borne along on a freight of bucking percussion.
Opener 'She Hangs On' treads with solemn steps through a mire of synthesised sound, the sultry menace of Jonathon Weinburg's vocals murmuring "don't fear the ledge", like the malign enticements of the Lemures. Encouraged by Brian Davila's liberated keys, Weinburg's voice has reeled into a grey area somewhere between Ian Curtis and Dave Gahan, an effect that is categorically glorious. There's an invigorating lurch as the album erupts into the gothic techno of 'Only Human', followed by a dizzying ascent into 'Plantlife', a maelstrom of skin-itchingly epicurean powerpop. The album has an undeniable darkness to it, which seeps into and saturates even its brightest moments. Whilst most tracks open on a sinister drone, they often give way to a kind of deranged elation, like the convulsive laughter of a lunatic, but it's this thrill of volatility that makes for such an engaging sonic experience.
'Crowds' and 'Ceasefire', both of which see rocketing shoegaze throw down in a barbed-wire death match against murky freakbeat, sit astride 'Whatever You Want', a song that, though utterly uplifting, feels, for the most part, like an interminable hike towards an indefinite precipice. The uniform drums and marching bass do little to keep your head straight as mounting synths threaten to derail the rise. The escarpment never appears; the music simply continues on its euphoric climb, leaving you in the mountainous heights of its final notes. 'Undone', is consequently a slight comedown by comparison. A slimmer sound at a higher tempo marks a reversion back to the more habitual style of post-punk found on their debut. Album encore, 'Crowds (Redux)', is nonetheless a much welcomed postscript, a tranquil and lethargic coda after this night of spent amongst enraptured punk and carousing synths. It's a moment of hush for an overstimulated mind, and it asks only that you bask in its echoes
Interview de The Telescopes, par When The Sun Hits
1. How were The Telescopes formed and how did the band choose that particular name?
I took inspiration to send me away.
It's infectious. I chose the name for it's meaning. "Beyond the realm of natural vision."
2. Do you consider The Telescopes to have been part of the first wave of shoegaze? I've always thought of the Telescopes as more of a psychedelia-oriented band, existing on the fringes of shoegaze. What is your take on that?
I don't have one. It's different for everyone.
3. Do you feel that your early sound changed at all, once The Telescopesmoved to Creation Records? Was there pressure to be "shoegaze" under that label? How did you like working withCreation?
Telescopes are in constant flux. Everyone has their own idea of howTelescopesshould be.
I liked working with Creation sideways.
The Telescopes. Everso.
4. I've always felt that the Telescopesexperimental use of noise and feedback in their songs was exceptionally above the rest of the pack, on both past and more recentTelescopes releases. Can you talk a little about your interest in exploring these sorts of soundscapes, and why they are important to you?
It's the most natural form of expression for me. Songs are written. Even when they seem to fall from nowhere. But I think and dream in noise.
5. I've always felt that there must be a reason psychedelia-infused soundscapes - the feedback, droning, experimental noise, etc. - started to resonate with people, and continue to do so. Sounds once considered chaos are now considered beautiful. Do you have a theory on that?
Chaos reigns.
6. In my mind, there have been several "waves" of psychedelia movements in the past 50 years or so; one seems to be happening right now, with new groups looking to the past for inspiration - re-interpreting those sounds to make something new. Do you feel the Telescopes were/are, a part of this? Why do you think these patterns emerge?
Relay. But patterns are distractions. I'm more interested when things seem to transcend them.
7. What bands or artists most influenced you in your youth and had a significant impact on your own sound, if any?
Everything, nothing and the Velvet Underground.
8. Can you tell us a little about your label,Antenna Records?
Experimental free drone noise and repetition from around the world. Listen in.
9. What do you think of modern psychedelica/shoegaze/dream pop artists, any favorites?
"Villains" by One Unique Signal. "Spacewreck" by The Fauns. The Brian Jonestown Massacre's new album is sounding pretty special...
I'm not entirely sure how to place a lot of the things I enjoy hearing.
The Telescopes. Another Sky.
10. What is the most important piece of gear for your sound? Any particular guitars/pedals/amps that you prefer to get the sounds you want?
My R1. It's a clockwork box made of tin I use on strings/ pick-ups. I can make anything sound good with that.
11. Can you tell us a little about what you are currently into (books, films, art, bands, etc)? What are you presently finding influential?
The Dead c. Georges Bataille. Lars Von Trier. Bridget Hayden. All inspire. My biggest influence at the moment however, comes from working with a group again.
12. If you had to choose one Telescopes track that was the ultimate definition of your sound, which would it be and why?
I would have to take the forfeit.
13. What's next for the Telescopes (upcoming releases/tour/etc)? Are you involved in any other musical projects you'd like to talk about?
I'm always collaborating. Hanna Tuuliki and I are working on something for a Gaelic festival at the end of the month, taking inspiration from Hanna's research into old folk songs imitating bird call. I have plans to record with Afgan this year too. And Bridget and I have recordings we aim to put out. The first is a ltd edition 7" lathe cut due for release on the Champion Versionlabel very soon.
I've just started a new vinyl imprint called Static Charge... A subsidiary ofGenepool/Universal. First up is a raw document of a show with One Unique Signaland myself revisiting songs from Taste. It hurts.
And Taste itself is being reissued on Bomp Records with The Perfect Needle EP as bonus tracks. All those songs were recorded during the same sessions, so it's good to reunite them.
The Telescopes. The Perfect Needle.
Also, work has started on a new Telescopes album. We've just recorded a few songs in a studio Anton Fjordson is building in Berlin. People should buy all his records so he can finish that. There's going to be some great music coming out of that place. I'm very excited about what the Telescopes have recorded there.
On the live front - There's a Scandinavian tour coming up in March, the Fauns are helping me out, and scattered dates all over with the Signal.
14. Through working on this blog and talking to a vast range of musicians, I hear The Telescopes brought up extremely often as highly influential to many of them. Are you aware of how influential the Telescopes have been to other bands, both in the past and presently?
Yeah, people filter things in lots of interesting ways.
15. What is your philosophy (on life), if any, that you live by?
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Line Up :
Stephen Lawrie Brian McEwan Jamie Cameron Ross Cameron Martin Kirwan Byron Jackson Nick Keech Jim Beal James Messenger Dan Davis Andrew Liszt Jeff Lee Chris Fifield Sonya Trejo Enrique Maymi John Lynch Dave Gryphon Stuart Gardham JB Attack Josh Richardson Nat Stensland Vince Caro Jon Menke
Label :
Tapete Records
Tracklist :
01 – You Know the Way 02 – Absence 03 – In Every Sense 04 – Don’t Bring Me Round 05 – The Living Things
Interview de Marriages, par Isaac Atencip de Bearded Gentlemen Music
BGM: I just finished listening to Salome in it’s entirety, and I am honestly floored. It is killer, and definitely a great progression from Kitsune. Would you please tell us a little about the creation of Salome and how the writing process may have evolved since the last album?
AC: Salome is a the culmination of over 2 years of writing, touring, rehearsing, and refining to arrive at a (hopefully) cohesive breadth of songs. Kitsunewas more of a response to the opportunity to form an new project. Kitsune happened quickly in a more stream of consciousness fashion.
This album is equal parts all of us – a fleshy patchwork quilt of our ideas and sensibilities sewn into one body kinda like Silence of the Lambs. We had to be patient and wait for quality substance to accrue and we also had to be diligent to hack away shitty ideas that just never evolved or were unmemorable.
How has the addition of Andrew changed the dynamic of Marriages’ writing process?
ERR: Andrew has brought to the table a more refined sensibility when it comes to production and aesthetic than a typical drummer’s role. He is also a guitarist so he is able to really understand the role of guitar in relation to constructing his drum parts.
Where did the recording process take place?
AC: We initially recorded a batch of demos in my Dad’s garage studio. Those became a rough model for how we wanted to lay the album out.
In February of 2014 we spent two weeks tracking the bulk of the record in a studio in Highland Park, CA called The Hobby Shop. What followed was a slew of overdubs, vocal sessions, and critical refinement in various home studios from LA to PDX.
Any guest contributions on the new songs?
AC: Yes! Our dear friend Fred Sablan contributed his awesome guitar textures, solos, and feedback on a few songs.
Is there a concept or overall theme to Salome? Who or what, were some of your influences this time around?
AC: As a band we have always been interested in various mythologies and religious iconography. Salome, the daughter of King Herod II is the archetypal femme fatale; an icon of seduction. We found the imagery to be compelling and powerful and appropriately encompassing Emma’s lyrical motifs and the musical ebbs and flows we play with. The title track “Salome” has a break down section in it that I feel serves a sonic illustration of the dance Salome performs before Herod Antipas.
With Kitsune, all six of the tracks are blended together into one giant piece of music, was there any temptation to blend/transition together all the songs for the new album?
AC: Kitsune has that seamless transitional nature because the songs were initially written as a live set. It was captured in the recording process the same way. Because the new album was written over such a wide span of time, each song was just treated as it’s own individual piece and not necessarily in direct relation to what came before or after it. We wanted to write songs that could stand alone. The “blending” element came through an aesthetic and stylistic thread that is the sum of its parts.
I saw that there is a bonus edition of Salome with two additional tracks, the nine track version of the album seems like a complete concept / journey. How do the other two songs fit in?
AC: Those 2 songs in particular are the oldest songs on the record and were more or less conceived before I joined the band. One was a demo Emma had written back when she was playing with The Nocturnes and the other was something Emma and Greg had concocted as just a guitar and bass duo before adding drums. They didn’t make the record for a couple reasons, but in relation to your question, I would say that they weren’t necessarily within the bookends of this album’s “journey”.
When listening to a new album, I have a ritual of listening to it with headphones and trying to see if I am able to just lose myself in what I am listening to. I was absolutely able to do that with Salome. What is your ideal situation for listening to new music?
AC: Any situation where the music is not coming out of your laptop, iPhone, or television speakers. Headphones are great. I love listening in the car and watching how music can change my interpretation of physical space outside the vehicle; a moving soundtrack.
Speaking of, listening to anything that we should be checking out?
AC: Listening to Tubeway Army as I write this. Our friends from Deafheaven have a band calledCreepers, and they rule. Them Are Us Too is a new shoegaze band on Dais Records. They are brilliant songwriters and musicians. Highly recommend their new album Remain.
Also, our labelmate Mylets has a new album out that is nuts. He’s a prodigal guitar virtuoso that will make anyone wanna burn their instrument after hearing him play.
If you each had to pick one musician that influenced your playing the most who would it be?
AC: Emma – Billy Corgan. Me – Jimmy Chamberlin Greg – Simon Gallup
You guys played an outstanding show last year here at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City. It was easily one of the best concerts I had seen all year. Ethereal really. How has your live show progressed over the past couple of years?
AC: We’ve gotten more comfortable with calling open ended improvisational sections and have probably dialed up the angst a bit more. We’ve definitely made an attempt to revert back to that seamless transitional nature of Kitsune when it comes to constructing a live set list. Song key and tempo are definitely factors that are considered when building a song order.
You played new material at that show, and have been including more and more of the songs from Salome in your sets recently. Do you have any personal favorites to play live at this point?
AC: “Salome” is a fun one because its such an incremental build. It’s fun to start tempered and subdued and end loud as fuck. I especially enjoy playing it on drums because it’s open to numerous improvisational possibilities.
What are the top 3 choices for food while Marriages is on the road?
AC: Greg is vegan. I eat gluten-free and Emma loves Coke Zero.
We always try and yelp the healthier options to counter whatever damage we’ve done to our bodies the previous night. Greg has a vegan restaurant finder app on his phone. If you follow in Greg’s footsteps you will most likely be lead to a land of replenishing rations.
You have had the chance to tour with a number of great bands recently. Any tour-mates that you would say made a serious impression on you, whether as musicians or just personally?
AC: Touring with Master Musicians of Bukkake was a remarkable experience. That entire band as a whole are such world-class musicians and people, however their music has impacted all of us long before we got the opportunity to tour with them.
What was the most moving experience you have had personally with live music?
AC: I can’t speak for the whole, but watching MMOB organize and assemble on stage and carry out their mesmerizing visual and sonic rituals is quite a spectacle and transcendent experience. I highly recommend seeking them out in person.
Any U.S. tour dates coming up?
AC: Yes. We are looking to do the U.S. in July, but we are leaving for a month to tour Europe in April supporting Wovenhand.
RA is a band from Malmö, Sweden. It is Simon Minó, Erik Blondell, Felix Mårtensson and Martin Nilsson. Their music sounds dark and noisy with a lot of influence from punk and post-punk.
The band was formed in autumn 2012 and have released one 4-track EP, one single and one remix album with remixes from Trentemoller, Bam spacey, Noe spagato and Myth. A full-length album will be released early spring 2015.
Bloodline EP 10”These days / Prism 7”RA Remixes 12”Scandinavia 12”
Line Up :
vocals/drums: simon minó guitar: felix mårtensson bass: erik blondell guitar: martin nilsson
Label :
Adrian Recordings
Tracklist :
01 – These Days 02 – In My Veins 03 – The Void 04 – Be My Lover 05 – Scandinavia 06 – Bloodline 07 – Broken Bottles 08 – Prism 09 – The South 10 – Winter 2012
FUTURE is a three-piece band from Paris, identified by Reverberation Appreciation Society and The Black Angels' leader Christian Bland, as one of the most interesting upcoming psych band via their latest compilation.
Taken in the marble, the body on the cover, designed by upcoming artist Marion Costantin, greatly expresses the music of FUTURE. Horizons is a sensual, cold and gloomy record, sounding like the sequel of The Cure's Pornography (1982) but made in 2015. Sure, it's shoegaze but it's also much more, it's catchy, fierce and bright in its own darkness.
Their live shows are raw, dark and intense, a perfect soundtrack of our times.
For fans of : A Place To Burry Strangers, Soft Moon, Spacemen 3, The Cure, The Black Angels
"Quand on s’enquiert du passé, notamment dans un pays qui s’est violemment épris de Trisomie 21, Front 242 ou Kas Product, autant le faire avec doigté, le regard vers l’ailleurs, l’Angleterre et pourquoi pas le shoegaze. Et autant se baptiser Future. " (Hartzine)
Interview de Thee Oh Sees, par Dana Sagona de New York Public Library
Has any one book in particular had a lasting effect on you?
That's a tough one, but I'd have to say Flannery O'Connor's collected short stories. I waited 'til I was in my 30s to read her and I'm not sure why but I felt like a fool for putting her off til then. But really, so, so many writers have had lasting impressions it's not really a true answer.
What is a classic that you've never gotten around to reading but would like to one day?
Faulkner's work in general. I've been told countless times I would love it. I tried when I was younger but didn't slip into it.
What genre do you prefer?
I've been a classic sci-fi freak as of the past couple years. I'm almost through all of Philip K. Dick's work (which I'm sure you know is an army of stories). But, I'll read anything really. I'm a fan of fiction but I have dabbled in non-fiction. Mostly biographies- Miles Davis, Moondog, even Benny Hill.
What are you currently reading? If nothing at the moment, what was the last book you read?
Are you looking forward to any books to be released soon?
As much as I read I don't really keep up with current authors or their releases. I've always liked how books tend to just fall into your life whether by recommendation or lending or even trash picking. I do occasionally go out of my way to find new releases like the Alex Chilton [lead singer of Big Star and The Box Tops] book that came out not long ago called A Man Called Destruction. I haven't gotten around to it yet. A huge pile of books await.
While on tour, are you able to get much reading done?
I read almost every night. Short stories mostly on tour. Exhaustion lends itself well to a brief tale.
Do you have any tour memories involving books or libraries?
Honestly, we used to always go to libraries on the road because they were first to have free internet, so we would do all our routing and advancing for shows there as often as possible. Also, free newspaper reading!
Do you do any other writing aside from songwriting?
Not really. I wish. I would imagine to get skills as a writer, you'd have to be pretty dedicated to it, and music takes up most of my time.
Have any specific authors, books, and/or poems influenced your songwriting in any way?
Absolutely. I am constantly inspired by a line or image in writing. I have a book I keep next to the bed full of seeds for ideas; many are inspired by settings conjured by authors.
"E-books gives me the creeps. I have to look at a screen enough as it is. A book is a break from that side of life."
"The Miles Davis autobiography is pretty off the chain."
100% physical books. I'll go to my grave smelling a page and falling asleep with one over my face. E-books give me the creeps. I have to look at a screen enough as it is. A book is a break from that side of life.
Do you have a library card? If so, which library system are you a member of?
Now you know what John Dwyer of Thee Oh Sees reads, but do you know what the band sounds like? NYPL currently circulates two albums byThee Oh Sees. Place a hold today!
Line Up :
John Dwyer Timothy Hellman Ryan Moutinho Dan Rincon
Label :
Castle Face Records
Tracklist :
01 – Web 02 – Withered Hand 03 – Poor Queen 04 – Turned Out Light 05 – Lupine Ossuary 06 – Sticky Hulks 07 – Holy Smoke 08 – Rogue Planet 09 – Palace Doctor
