Top 10 Albums of 2013...

1.  Deerhunter - Monomania

Deerhunter's "nocturnal garage" record has got to be my favourite release of the past year, the sound of Bradford Cox and co. just not giving a fuck and dropping the ambience that they showcased in their previous albums.  On the whole, it's straightforward, dirty rock & roll music and it provided a vastly different first listen to their previous efforts.  'Neon Junkyard', 'Dream Captain', 'Pensacola' 'Back to The Middle' and 'Leather Jacket II' all sound like Cox relishing in his frontman status, living out his Joey Ramone fantasy, his raw, distorted vocals sounding as twisted as ever.  There is still sophistication present despite the serrated feel of the album, and the closer 'Punk' is probably my favourite song of the year.  The way it grows from a calm hum to a feedback-looped and chaotic finish, it's wonderful.  I just wish it went on for longer, into a typically Deerhunter krautrock outro that goes on for ages.  Unfortunately it doesn't, but it just means the band have left me wanting more.  'For a year, I was queer, I had conquered all my fears".  Truly brilliant.


2.  The Strokes - Comedown Machine

Angles was a bit hit and miss but Comedown Machine showed that The Strokes are back on form again.  I loved the poppier direction on Angles, and it's been carried on in some ways into their latest work.  Jules's vocals are stunning, with him straining into falsetto at almost any opportunity and showing off an impressive range in the process.  There's the usual 70's and 80's rock/pop leanings and retro vibes throughout, with some futuristic surprises too, such as album highlight 'Happy Ending' and the funky opener 'Tap Out'.  It's been really great to hear one of my favourite bands delivering true quality once again, and I hope they continue in the same direction on the back of this memorable LP.


3.  Bosnian Rainbows - Bosnian Rainbows

I was anticipating this album for almost a year, having seen the band play the Deaf Institute in September of 2012 and having my face blown across the dancehall.  Teri Gender-Bender is the best frontwoman on the planet and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is, well, Omar Rodriguez-fucking-Lopez.  The album is a weird and wonderful prog-pop krautrock odyssey, driven by the rhythmic God that is Deantoni Parks, who drums whilst providing the bass via a synthesiser, and the finished result is just produced to perfection.  'Dig Right in Me' and 'Morning Sickness' are just... amazing.  Two of the best things I've heard all year.  There is a funky, robotic feel to the whole thing that is shattered by some heart-in-mouth guitar moments from Rodriguez-Lopez, and it just sounds unique, like no other band I've listened to before.  And Gender-Bender's stream of consciousness lyrics are beautiful.  She comes off like a fucked up, futuristic she-Jim Morrison.  JUST FUCKING LISTEN TO IT.


4.  Arcade Fire - Reflektor

Probably Arcade Fire's best album, from a band that are constantly changing and upping the ante with each now offering.  James Murphy's production isn't wasted, with some of the songs on the album sounding like the dance-rock stadium fillers he wrote with LCD Soundsystem.  The basslines are tight and groovy, you can almost hear Murphy shouting at the bass player "less is more!"  'Flashbulb Eyes' is perfect, like an outtake from a Talking Heads show performed for a voodoo tribe, and to be honest the first six or seven songs are masterpieces and contain such variety.  The second half of the record is great too but the first half alone is reason enough for this to be fourth on my list.  'You Already Know' is one of the best songs I've ever heard.  Bowie makes a cameo appearance on the title track but his presence is much more than his guest vocal: there are splashes of the Thin White Duke all over, with a few Scary Monsters (& Super Creeps) vibes thrown in.  Just an absolute joy of a record.


5.  Unknown Mortal Orchestra - II

II came out right at the start of the year and I instantly knew it'd be on this list.  I got into UMO about a year earlier, being a bit of a latecomer to their debut album, and totally dug their 60's psychadelia and catchy, poppy melodies.  I didn't think this album could be as good as it actually is, and must have played it 100 times during the early months of 2013.  It's funny, I don't really rate the first and last tracks ('From The Sun' and 'Secret Xtians') but everything in between is fucking amaaaaaazing.  The singles are memorable but my favourites are 'The Opposite of Afternoon' (joyous), 'No Need For a Leader' (proggy rock & roll) and 'Faded in The Morning' (dark), all truly colossal tracks, showing off Ruban Nielson's spectacular guitar chops and strung-out, at times piercing vocals.  I wish that the 'Swim & Sleep (Like a Shark) b-side 'Waves of Confidence' had made it onto the final cut, as it is an unbelievably trippy piece of krautrock mastery.  I just hope he doesn't leave it too long for another record.


6.  Kanye West - Yeezus

This album shocked and surprised me when I first heard it.  I loved the new direction though, and the boisterous but minimalistic production.  Daft Punk did the first couple of songs, and you can tell.  The best moments for me are the outlandish ones, like opener 'On Sight' and the ultra-political 'New Slaves', and I love the contrast when the calm, soulful moments come, like the emotional ending to the latter, dripping in autotune.  'Bound 2' is easily one of the greatest hip-hop moments of 2013, and the parody video by Seth Rogen and James Franco cements its legacy.  Kanye pisses me off sometimes with some of the ridiculous shit he says, but at the same time I admire him for it, because it seems he genuinely cares about music as a whole.  Lou Reed praised Yeezus, and he's one of my biggest heroes, just as passionate and self-assured during his lifetime as Kanye is now.  Arrogant, I guess ya could call it.  But when they're that fucking good, who can blame them?


7.  Daughn Gibson - Me Moan

Gibson is definitely the least known musician on my list this year, an odd country & western-meets-spooky John Maus alchemist of beautiful and haunting sounds.  I loved his debut but this one is on a par with it.  There is so much range to his sound despite the ever-present splashes of country music, and bagpipes even make it onto this record via 'Mad Ocean'.  'Phantom Rider' is my favourite song, and his baritone drawl is epitomised perfectly on it.  Other highlights are 'The Pisgee Nest' (sinister as shit) and 'You Don't Fade' (weird vocal-sampling, moody and all the better for it).  He's just a great artist and deserves to be bigger than he is.


8.  !!! - THR!!!ER

I LOVE !!!  Barely any of my friends are into them which is disappointing because I love ranting on about them at any given opportunity.  Yeah, they can be a bit corny at times, but they're just so fun and energetic and they write fantastic funk-punk numbers.  I've never had the pleasure of seeing them live, sadly, but I can't wait till I do because their gigs look insane.  They're a bunch of acid-tripping, pill-popping party animals, or maybe they WERE, as they aren't spring chickens anymore, with the enigmatic singer Nic Offer being in his early 40's now.  Their previous album Strange Weather, Isn't It? was brilliant but this one is probably even better and I'm so glad it lived up to my high expectations, as I often have a tendency to over-excite myself about these things.  Highlights are 'Even When The Water's Cold' (previously titled 'Byron' on an episode of Pitchfork's +1 series), 'Fine Fine Fine' (Human League-esque), 'Except Death' and 'Careful'.  A nice thing to know (for me) is that John Frusciante saw them live once and loved them so much that he invited them to open for the Chili Peppers.  Somebody, please embrace this band for how good they are then I can have someone to discuss them with!


9.  The Flaming Lips - The Terror

The Lips followed their epic masterpiece Embryonic (and a lot of messing about with 24 hour songs etc. in between) with the bleak, doom-filled but still scarily beautiful The Terror.  In their back catalogue we can hear happy, elated rock-pop music, but you won't find any of that here.  Apparently multi-instrumentalist Steven Drozd relapsed back into heroin use during the creation of this record, and Wayne Coyne (who also had a bad time, splitting from his wife of 25 years) says that it definitely affected the mood.  It's stark, minimalistic (at times) and tortured, but there are still some uplifting moments, just not very many of them at all.  The message is that there is love, but ultimately we are all fucked and everything will end.  Wow.  I love it personally, but if you want to tackle it make sure you're packing some Kleenex.


10.  Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap

What a weird and wonderful album.  Chance The Rapper is an odd, quirky, dynamic MC/singer and I was captivated by his unpredictable style and song-craft throughout this record.  Chance is like a cartoon character at times, making childish noises and throwing "na na na na na naaahs" in whenever he feels like it, but the best parts for me are the curveball moments, like the dark router route that 'Pusha Man' takes when it mutates into it's second half.  It becomes a lament about young life ending too quickly, a paranoid and sad tale shrouded in weed smoke.  On the flipside, we have the super feel good hit 'Juice' and the charming, sweet 'Cocoa Butter Kisses', so it's not all doom and gloom, in fact far from it.  It's a nice, steady album about reflection with some fantastic bars from Chance and his guests (Ab Soul, Action Bronson, Childish Gambino).  It got the recognition it deserved from the world press and was championed by sites like Complex, so things are looking up for Chance.

Peter Hook & The Light @ KOKO, Camden

17/01/2013

with support from Modern Blonde...


Hooky has taken his new band The Light around the world on a number of occasions to bring the seminal Joy Division albums Unknown Pleasures, Closer and Still to international audiences, to positive critical acclaim. The band decided to change the theme and ultimately the sound of their performance by progressing onto the first two New Order albums, Movement and Power, Corruption & Lies which they played in their entirety on two occasions last week (three if you include their warm-up gig in Cardiff). I went to the 2nd leg at the Manchester Cathedral but I also made the trip down South for their opening gig...


It was a freezing night in Camden but the same couldn't be said inside the majestic KOKO club, a grand ballroom draped in rich red velvet. The stage was set for the opening act, Manchester's Modern Blonde (Adam & Tom Greenhalgh & Ben Silver), with this set to be their biggest performance yet. The band introduced themselves to a totally new audience with a 6-song set mainly consisting of fresh material they had written in the past 6 months. Usually a 3-piece, they added Adam Saylaby and Sebastien Perrin to the line-up on bass and guitar duties with the intent of fleshing out their sound for the big stage. This worked a great deal, and the band showed that they don't have to be restricted to the small venues in which they'd been playing prior to these shows.

Adam and Tom G. confidently delivered their eccentric vocals to an at first bewildered, but later impressed seasoned London audience and each member looked completely at home in the impressive, respected venue. Their dark, unusual music was a perfect opening to Hooky & The Light's set, and when they announced that the merch table was decorated with their free full-length albums, they flew like hot cakes. It was lovely to see new fans embracing their eclectic sound once their set was over.
 

Then the lights dimmed and Hooky marched on stage to his loyal fans, with his band in toll (his son and bassist Jack Bates, guitarist Nat Wason, drummer Paul Kehoe and keyboardist Andy Poole) ready to launch into the haunting opener, the 'Ceremony' B-Side 'In A Lonely Place', which they did with such admirable force that anybody who has doubted Hooky's abilities or motives in bringing this music back to the live circuit should really get on YouTube. If it were simply a tribute act then yes, such negativity would be understandable, but the material belongs to Hooky as much as any of the other key players and his reworking of it really gives the songs a new lease of life. New Order are doing practically the same thing in the other camp but what they are lacking is the fierce intensity of The Light's performances.
 

There is a real, raw Joy Division edge to the songs that hasn't been heard before, and paired with Hooky's growling vocals it gives a new twist to the early New Order songs. Especially on tracks like 'Ceremony' which we are used to hearing Bernard Sumner sing in a higher key; Hooky snarled through them in true punk fashion. The band smashed through Movement in its entirety, Hooky showing that despite being 56 he still has that pure energy exuding from him. Hooky played more bass during these shows than on the previous Joy Division-orientated gigs - perhaps he felt more pressure standing in Ian Curtis's shoes than in Sumner's, which is understandable.
 

After a short interlude, the band returned to the stage for 'Mesh', 'Cries & Whispers' and the euphoric 'Everything's Gone Green' before launching into Power, Corruption & Lies. The sound in KOKO was truly astounding - me and my gang were on the very top level (the place is fucking massive in height from the inside) which must have been at least 50 ft high, but our view was pristine and we were stull in full force of the throbbing bass dripping from the fantastic sound system. Kehoe's drumming was captivating, switching between the primal pounding of his kit to the crystal-clear electronic set-up. There was a real variety to the show thanks to the range of songs and their different, unique vibes. Hooky even brought out the melodica for 'Age of Consent' and a couple of other tracks, which sounded awesome. Jack held the bassline fort, confidently strumming away at the iconic, groundbreaking melodies which his father is so renowned for, but every so often Hooky would burst into action, rocking out atop stack amps whilst his hungry admirers leapt at him.
 

There was an unexpected interlude in the shape of 'The Beach', the odd but infectiously funky reworking of 'Blue Monday' which gave the band a quick break before they ran back on for the encore. It was also fitting as it brought the show to a close in true electronic, New Order style. The band treated the audience to 'Hurt', 'Temptation' and the universal classic 'Blue Monday' before thanking the ecstatic crowd and slipping off-stage. Once again, Hooky held a proud V-sign to the naysayers.

Top 10 albums of 2012...

1. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Mature Themes

There's no question that I listened to this album more than any other throughout 2012, and despite the bias of me being a huge fan of all things Ariel, it genuinely stands up as a worthy victor.  It's out there, it's dark and it's goofy, but it still glows with that familiar magic we heard back on Before Today and all of his other previous releases.  'Symphony of The Nymph' and 'Baby' have taken me through the second half of the year, and so in addition to some other unique and captivating moments, the result is Mature Themes, my number 1 release for 2012.



2. Tame Impala - Lonerism

After 2 years of hammering their debut, Innerspeaker, the wait had began to take it's toll for Tame Impala's next offering.  Thankfully came an album that blew me away the first time, but then continued to bedazzle for months and months to come.  With huge Led Zep drumbeats and an ever-present haze of psychadelic prog-pop-rock madness, the album's infectious riffs and gorgeous vocals gripped me from start to finish and continue to do so.



3. Kendrick Lamar - good kid m.A.A.d city

I hadn't really heard much of Kendrick Lamar before his major label debut dropped, but like all of the albums on this list, it made an instant impact.  With a great blend of chilled out, mellow jams such as 'Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe' and 'Money Trees' and the thrilling street parable of 'The Art of Peer Pressure', Compton's Lamar has already made his footprint in modern hip-hop.  I can only say I feel a bit sorry for him - the amount of pressure he will recieve building upto his 2nd proper release is surely going to be monumental.



4. Grizzly Bear - Shields

Easily their best album in my opinion - the band just grow and grow with every release.  A nice, modest 10 songs that feels so much more in length due to the grand ambition and epic proportion it exudes as a whole, Shields could definitely wear the term "masterpiece".  Swashbuckling guitars, amazingly large drums and an unusual, medieval vibe throughout makes it sound like it was written and composed hundreds of years ago.  Lucky that Ed Droste's vocals soothe and ache on every track, taking the controlled chaos down a notch into stunningly sincere territory.  Opener 'Sleeping Ute' and the MASSIVE closer 'Sun in Your Eyes' stand out as my favourites, alongside the peculiar 'Gun Shy'.



5. Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes

One of the weirder albums on my top 10.  I only got into FlyLo a couple of months ago but he has dominated my recent musical intake in a big way.  All 4 albums are great but I think this has to the best.  Sensual, funky, a little foggy at times but always melodic, interesting and worthy of your attention.  Straight from the opener 'All In' you are guided on a cosmic journey through space with the genius that is Steven Ellison, swirling via heavy beats and slick jazz grooves.  All I can say is: listen to this album.  Embrace it.  And spread the word.



6. John Frusciante - Letur-Lefr EP

OK, so it's not strictly an album, but Frusciante's EP (that preceded his latest full-length PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone) stands up there with the best LP's of 2012.  An unpredictable (as always), twisting, turning ride through electronica, breakbeat and other experimental sounds for a renowned guitarist to explore, the EP is one of the most unusual things I have listened to all year.  With a little help from his wife Nicole Turley (of Swahili Blonde), friend RZA and a couple of Wu-Tang affiliates, Frusciante manages to delve even further into uncharted territory, which says a lot considering he has a plethora of other equally fascinating material as a solo artist.  The track 'FM' also shows that if he focused his sites more specifically towards hip-hop, there would be no reason he couldn't shape-shift once again into other genres.



7. Ty Segall - Twins

It was a struggle to choose which of Segall's 3 fantastic releases of 2012 would make my list, as all of them blew me away.  I was introduced to the music of Ty over summer by my dear friend Luke, who was new to the San Franciscan's music himself.  We we were both hooked and I went on to devour all of his material (which is a lot for a young musician), seeing him live twice in Manchester within a few months.  Twins is probably the most straightforward of the the 2012 trilogy, filled with stripped down glam rock foot-stompers and balls-out garage carnage.  But whilst it is more accessible, it's still as impressive as Hair and Slaughterhouse.



8. Paul Banks - Banks

Technically Banks' 2nd solo release, after the Julian Plenti moniker he used from 2009, Banks doesn't exactly break new ground or sound massively different to his other material, but his voice could be the main reason for this - it's hard not to associate Banks with Interpol, but for me the reason is because they are just too iconic in their sound.  Banks does step away from Interpol in his solo writing in some respects - his songs swim away from the strictly post-punk stadium atmospherics into softer, more poignant offerings.  'The Base' is huge, 'Young Again' has one of the simplest but most effective choruses of the year, 'Arise Awake' oozes charm and sex appeal, and instrumental 'Lisbon' is cold as ice.  Cannot wait for my 4th sighting of Banks in the flesh when he plays at Sound Control in January.




9. Royal Headache - Royal Headache

Sydney's Royal Headache released their first album this year, which consists of mostly short and highly melodic punk songs that possess such soul and elation that I had to include it in my top 10.  The thing that will strike you most is the singer's voice: he goes by the name of Shogun and his husky, throaty but beautiful vocals will blow your face off.  He croons in the Beatles-y 'Distant & Vague', he shouts in the urgent rocker 'Girls' and he pleads with passion in 'Never in Love'.  A truly talented singer, his lyrics are complemented by a tight band who hammer their instruments when necessary but caress them lovingly when the time arises, which can be seen in the stunning instrumental 'Wilson Street'.  12 songs long, Royal Headache's debut is instant and snappy without being stingy, and I'll be listening to it for some time to come.




10. Death Grips - The Money Store

The first of the Sacramento crew's 2 releases of 2012, The Money Store struck me as being a more interesting and exciting album than NO LOVE DEEP WEB.  Whilst it relies on more complicated and gimmicky components than NO LOVE's raw, stripped down punk output, there seems to be more layers and more reasons for repeat listens on the tracks.  The sheer euphoria of 'The Fever (Aye Aye)' alone puts it on the map, whilst the kick in the bollocks that is 'I've Seen Footage' is another contender for track of the summer.  With The Money Store we really got to see how dark Death Grips could be, their frightening punk-rap project shining brightest when covered in murk, flowing over deep basslines and shrouded in mystique despite the insistent bellows of Stefan Burnett.  And live, well, they were just fucking insane.

NO LOVE DEEP WEB...

There's been plenty of speculation on the web this past week about Death Grips' second release of 2012, NO LOVE DEEP WEB which they supposedly gave away for free in a big "fuck you" to their label, Epic, who wanted to push it back to 2013.  Is this the truth after all?  Are Death Grips really the crazy, "power to the people" punk rockers that they make out to be?  Or was it all just a big PR stunt to boost public opinion of the experimental hip-hop outfit from Sacramento?  I'm not particularly bothered, all I care about is what the album sounds like, and I have to say after my first listen I wasn't blown away.  Repeat plays have, however, changed my mind, and although it didn't initially scorch my face off like April's The Money Store did, it has made me realise how serious Death Grips are and has also made me recognise the amount of potential they possess.

Before even listening to the album, the most noticable element of discussion is the artwork.  Adorned on the cover, bold as brass, is the semi-erect penis belonging to an unknown white male, with NO LOVE DEEP WEB scribbled across it in marker pen.  The alternative cover which I came across on the web is of a man's legs, his socks protruding from underneath his jeans, adorned with the message: "SUCK MY DICK".  I think we can figure out the message Death Grips are trying to purvey...

We open with 'Come Up and Get Me', which throbs and stabs under frontman MC Ride's (real name Stefan Burnett) exhausted, urgent gasps.  We haven't really seen (or should that be heard?) him in this light before, as his vocals generally consist of overly-confident yells and screams, causing the vulnerability he shows in the album's opener to be a pleasant surprise.  I guess it turns out he is human after all and not just the insane, tatted-to-the-teeth caveman that we first thought.  Another benefit we get from this new side of MC Ride is the fact that its easier to distinguish his lyrics, which are as intelligent and poetic as ever.

In what is possibly my favourite song on the album, 'No Love', Burnett spits "never not on it, leaning so hard you're ashamed, you can't dismiss this sickness huffs your brain, exhale your will and forget I ever knew you".  Coupled with the dystopian, end-of-the-world atmosphere that we already know and love Death Grips for, it really is something special.  The walls are caving in and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it; Death Grips still sound as unsafe, unhinged and coked up as ever.  Lyrically though, Burnett isn't just offering us deep and meaningful words.  Because he isn't in a hurry to shy away from their early ghetto chants (see 'Spread Eagle Cross the Block' from their mixtape Ex-Military), as we find out when he roars: "you need a lift?  You can sit between the back seat and my dick".  And he is still as dark as ever, declaring "it's all suicide" over and over in 'World of Dogs'.

The drums are a huge talking point throughout the whole record.  Before the release of the album, the band issued a statement by way of explaining some of NO LOVE DEEP WEB's concepts to their fans.  Part of it said: "there are no manually programmed drums on this album.  The beats are being played live on a Roland electronic v-drum set or acoustic drum set by Zach (Hill)".  This is confirmed upon hearing the album: the drums are HUGE.  The crash cymbals in 'No Love' may cause you to shit yourself, as Zach Hill absolutely hammers them during the chorus, underlining the idea that these guys are essentially a punk rock band, with hip-hop being their secondary genre.  They really do smack you square in the face on this LP.  Most of the songs keep this theme of dread and danger in full swing, making it a good record to listen to if you are planning on murdering somebody.  (MURDER IS WRONG.)

There really are moments during NO LOVE DEEP WEB when you forget that you aren't marching down the corridors of death row to your own execution.  Overall, I would say that the sound is more minimal than The Money Store, which had some really memorable moments in the raving euphoria of, say, 'The Fever (Aye Aye)' and 'I've Seen Footage'.  But this new, downbeat style doesn't necessarily mean that NO LOVE DEEP WEB is a forgettable album in the light of their former release.  There are a couple of weak moments, my main criticism being 'Stockton', which plods along whilst not being particularly inspiring in any way.  But apart from the above song, the rest of my nitpicks are very inconsiderable, the odd track maybe having a section of less-than-overwhelming music, but on the whole nothing for a listener or indeed a Death Grips fan like myself to worry about.  And any criticisms are wiped away when you hear the trippy, high-pitched rain of 'Pop' and the sprawling, ambient closer 'Artificial Death in The West'.

Death Grips are evolving with each release.  MC Ride is still as outspoken as ever: "I got some shit to say, just for the fuck of it!" he announces on 'Lock Your Doors', making sure you're listening hard to his erratic, disturbing monologues.  And trust me, you will listen.  Because these 3 men (Burnett, Hill and the groups producer/keyboardist Andy Morin) are only just getting started, and they're already upsetting people with their musical anarchy.  If Satan busted out of hell only to travel to earth to throw a huge fucking party, you can guarantee that he would employ Death Grips as his house band.  It still remains to be seen whether or not the whole dispute with Epic is 100% legit and not just some viral masterplan, but whatever the outcome, these fellas are not messing when it comes to the raw, insistent music they produce.

The wettest county in the world...

The Prohibition era is a topic very much in the public's awareness as of late, largely thanks to the incredible HBO drama "Boardwalk Empire" which has just embarked on its third season following overwhelming critical acclaim. The show has earned international praise for its ultra-violent, unflinching insight into the illegal alcohol trade in 1920's America, pinpointing Atlantic City and it's significance in the period. Which means there is no time like the present to shoot a film that borrows many of the show's themes and issues and contextualises them towards the very end of the Prohibition, in 1931, a decade after alcohol was outlawed in the United States, causing many men to take the law into their own hands and capitalise on the chance of making a quick buck. In "Boardwalk" we are taken to New Jersey, whereas "Lawless" heads to the rural marshes of Franklin County, Virginia, inhabited by our main characters, the Bondurant brothers, who make their living through the brewing of moonshine. The film is directed by John Hillcoat, famed for his gritty Aussie flick "The Proposition". Nick Cave wrote that and also wrote this, meaning they have a nice little partnership going on which could easily continue to develop of things carry on as they have been.

The backwoods of Ohio set the scene for the film's events, which are blood-soaked and brutal to the end, but not shy of true heart thanks to the surprise star of "Lawless" (for me anyway), that kid from Transformers, Shia LaBeouf. I've never been a fan of the lad, probably because Transformers and the other shitty-looking films he's been in (Disturbia etc) have been about as intriguing to me as the latest series of The X Factor. But he's just another actor in desperate need of a good role, before he can finally flourish and show us what he's made of. His performance in "Lawless" might be far from Oscar-worthy, but it can at least serve as a platform for him to stand on in order to aim for bigger and better things. He plays the lead role of Jack Bondurant with the right amount of cocksure naivety and wide-eyed innocence, constantly in the shadow of his battle-scarred older brothers Forest and Howard, played by the always brilliant Tom Hardy and the lesser known Jason Clarke.

The film largely revolves around Jack's coming-of-age story and the trials and tribulations he faces when getting mixed up in the bootlegging trade that his siblings earn their bread from. Things turn violent in their neighbourhood when a sadistic, camp tyrant appears in the form of Guy Pearce's Detective Charlie Rakes, who demands a cut from all of the brothers' profits, much to Forest's distaste. Rakes proceeds to intimidate Forest's men by using extreme violence and thus the inevitable war begins between the bootleggers and the sharply dressed sociopath, depicted with Nazi-esque precision by Pearce, who really enjoys playing with Rakes's evil, twisted psyche.

In terms of the other key actors, there isn't a bad performance in sight. Hardy is on form as the bear-like Forest, using the restricted dialogue he is given to send shivers down his enemies' spines, sharing a similarity to his portrayal of Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises", in the sense that he relies on his eyes rather than his voice. His cold, fixed stare has a tendency to shoot straight through you, making it clear that this is not a man you should possess the idiocy to fuck with. He also has a softer side though, and his stoicism is admirable, making him a slightly unhinged yet lovable protagonist. Gary Oldman appears on screen for a shorter time than I expected, but is of course absolutely superb as always. The first time we see him, he is stomping down the middle of a road wielding a Thompson gun, spraying bullets everywhere with the look of a madman. His cheeky little wink to Jack Bondurant says it all though; he might not be a big piece of this puzzle, but he's sure as hell enjoying himself. Jessica Chastain also pleases, playing the damsel in distress living in an environment not for the faint of heart, but still managing to stay strong amongst men of extreme violence.

Indeed, the violence is heavy, hence the 18 certificate, which is rarer these days as such decisions by the BBFC obviously cut down a film's target audience significantly. But when you fully realise the backdrop of the film's and it's subject, it feels wholly necessary. Though ever so slightly cheesy in small parts, the film succeeds in painting a picture of a dog eat dog world in which brute force and ambition were the only things that would carry you through a hard life in 1930's America.

I'm just a rock'n'roller from Beverly Hills, my name is Ariel, and I'm a nymph.

Ariel Pink was never supposed to be a rock star.  A seemingly eccentric, reclusive 34 year old from Hollywood, Pink (real name Ariel Rosenberg) spent the majority of his early musical career recording scuzzy, freakish bedroom tapes of lo-fi weirdness, never intending to take them out on tour to play for audiences.  Calling them his "Haunted Graffiti" Series, Pink took the listener on trips to different periods of musical history, borrowing influences from everything as varied as white funk, post-punk, dreamy pop, psychadelia, avant-garde and soft rock.  It has always been apparent that Pink can write genius pop songs, namely "Round & Round" from the Haunted Graffiti's (his live band) breakthrough album "Before Today".  Yet on a lot of his early releases, you sometimes feel like you're being led astray with mindfucks of songs that don't always feel fully-formed.  However, if you become a Pink fan (which I have, wholeheartedly) you put up with his excessive oddball tendencies and go on to embrace them.

Pink made his break into the public's consciousness in the mid noughties when members of Animal Collective took his bedroom recordings and released them on their Paw Tracks label. Years on, Pink took his music to the stage but wasn't particularly well recieved due to the outlandish, impractical nature of his material, which didn't really come to fruition in front of impatient gig-goers. Line-ups were changed, with musicians coming and going (including fellow weirdo John Maus) but it wasn't until 2008-2010 that Pink finally made any real progress, when he formed his permanent, tight live band Haunted Graffiti and released the groundbreaking "Before Today". Some devoted fans were disenfranchised with Pink's step up to the big leagues and his newly polished sound, which was a leap from his lo-fi roots. The songs became cleaner and more fulfilled, whilst still retaining Pink's zany mannerisms and circus-like vibes.

"Before Today" took us to different corners of retro, both harking back to the past whilst hinting at the possibilities of the future. I personally consider it to be a masterpiece. Songs like "Menopause Man" (which still makes me think "what the fuck?" 2 years down the line) and "Little Wig" both confuse and please in equal measure, whilst "Round & Round" and "Beverly Kills" display Pink's knack for writing great pop songs with instantly memorable choruses. This album showed Pink in a new light, with so much potential.

The album went on tour with the band, who didn't shy away from screwing around with Pink's old material just to retain that Ariel weirdness, but who also opened up the music to newer, larger audiences (thanks to events such as Coachella, where Pink shot himself in the foot by throwing a hissy fit) and gave them a crazy, unleashed Hollywood native for better or worse. There has been speculation about Pink's behaviour, which includes crying onstage, falling out with the audience and refusing to sing whilst his band plays every note. Personally I don't know whether he merely puts on the persona for his own amusement and the audiences' bewilderment, or whether he actually is a nutjob. Perhaps a bit of both, but I guess knowing the exact reason would ruin his mystique.

Now, in August 2012, Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti give us "Mature Themes", their second major-label record. I've listened to it a couple of times so far and am still in the process of getting my head around it. Ariel's ever-changing voices remain, with him trading off his Americanised cartoon characters for Bowie-esque British croons and vice-versa. You just cannot put your finger on him and I'm always in wonder as to what he'll do next. Synths and organs make their presence known and work brilliantly, especially in the choruses, the best example being "Symphony of The Nymph" (every bit as fucked up as the title suggests). Lyrically, Pink is on insanely obscure form as always: "She's a nympho, at the discoteque, yeah she's a nympho, and a lesbian", and his subject matter ranges from disturbing to hilarious. The basslines are incredible, my favourite so far being the thudding post-punk brilliance of "Driftwood", which is moody yet danceable all at the same time, and the dark, brooding creep of "Early Birds of Babylon".  Penultimate track "Nostradamus & Me" gives the impression that we're in a submarine, exploring the depths with a repetitive, up-and-down bassline while Pink mumbles about the famous philosopher and himself.

There are still those classic Pink moments of "what did I just hear?" and they bleed into the rest of the album with ease. "Schnitzel Boogie" is mental, and finds Pink on the hunt for late-night munchies in a haze of krautrock wildness. Moments such as these result in a less accessible album than "Before Today", but again, if you're a true fan you will relish them as much as the perfection of songs such as the Donnie & Joe Emerson cover of "Baby" (feat. Dam-Funk), which has literally made my year. The combination of Dam-Funk's gravelly, sexy croon and Pink's feminine, emotional wail work miracles and create such a unique atmosphere. I have literally listened to it a 100 times since I came across it a couple of months ago. Not only is it a great rendition but it's also an ideal way to end the record, calming the listener down after a bumpy ride around Ariel Pink's haunted mind.

The return of John Frusciante...

John Frusciante is back, and so am I: here to write to/for you about the assorted shit spinning around my head all over again.  It's been a while.  Anyway, yeah, Frusciante came back out of the darkness last week with his new EP, "Letur-Lefr", which will be followed by a brand new LP "PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone" later in the year. Weird titles I think you might agree.  The gent that he is, Frusciante published a post on his self-maintained official website which explains, or tries to explain in the best way possible, the meanings and reasons for the two above titles.  So for those that care, check his site out.

This is the newest Frusciante music since 2009's "The Empyrean", apart from "Here, Air", a track that he gave away for free in 2010.  In those three years, it seems that Frusciante has completely reevaluated his means of making music, and in "Letur-Lefr" he throws away the guitar (well, mostly) and sits at the computer to create a mainly electronic five-song collection, which I have to admit I have fallen in love with totally.  The synth-orientated sounds and erratic, unpredictable drum beats that he puts forward are a surprise at first, even after the electronica of "To Record Only Water for 10 Days".

In terms of style and overall vibe, elements of "Letur-Lefr" remind me of the better moments on Julian Casablancas's "Phrazes For The Young", and his introduction of hip-hop works amazingly well, drawing a similarity to the collaborative nature of Damon Albarn's Gorillaz.  The RZA gets involved on three of the tracks, his best moment being on "FM".  The two men have been well-known friends for some time now, and have worked together in the past (they did a song together on N.A.S.A.'s "The Spirit of Apollo") album.  As well as the RZA, other MC's offer their influence, Masia One and Kinetic 9 being amongst others.  It works so fucking well, whether you would expect it to or not.  John's beats are original and manage to completely draw you in, whilst occasionally throwing a curveball in the form of a tempo change or an experimental moment of clarity.  "Glowe" is a perfect example, in the form of a 1.30-length jam that rounds off several styles of music using the same melody (which fans will notice is the exact same as "Dark/Light" from "The Empyrean") and an array of different drum patterns.  Also adding vocals is Nicole Turley, Frusciante's wife and leader of the interestingly bizzare L.A. group Swahili Blonde.  Her backing vox on "In Your Eyes" are haunting and work brilliantly alongside Frusciante's wide, ever-changing range.

"Letur-Lefr" could make you believe that Frusciante has been constructing electronic music all his life.  He would probably be the first to admit that he is still learning on that front, a self-taught producer/engineer over his many years of being a musician.  But it seems he is learning fast, and I would be as excited as any other Frusciante fan if he were to continue to head in this direction with his releases in the near future.  His ability to constantly reinvent himself over his albums (PBX being his eleventh) still blows me away and probably always will.  I won't pretend that I know a lot about electronic music because the truth is I don't, I can only talk freely about my experiences with it and what I have heard. And as I always say, I was a little anxious before listening to "Letur-Lefr" purely because of my love for John's music and my longing for it to be as good as everything else he has done. Luckily for me, I can now bathe in the relief and pleasure that it has brought me. A truly wonderful 15(ish) minutes of music that I will continue to enjoy for a long time to come. Welcome back, sir.

DRIVE...

Drive is the third English-language film from the acclaimed Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising), and recently attracted plenty of attention at Cannes for its super-cool soundtrack and mish-mash of genres, whilst featuring rising star Ryan Gosling in the leading role. Alongside Gosling is our very own Carey Mulligan, and they're joined by Albert Brooks, Ron Perlman and Christina Hendricks to make up a pretty impressive cast for an independent production. The film follows a quiet, seemingly reserved Hollywood stuntman who works as a getaway driver on the side, and finds himself embroiled in an increasingly violent situation after a heist goes horribly wrong.

The most notable factor of the film is the general style and feel, which had me reminiscing of Walter Hill's iconic movie The Warriors with it's neon-soaked city views and even the main protagonist's signature silver stunt jacket (almost identical to one of the gang's jackets from the 70's cinema classic). Another key influence in my opinion was the films of Stanley Kubrick, who had a gift for holding a shot as long as possible without losing the effect, creating visual paintings with the camera. There were moments in Drive when I found myself transfixed by the cinematography and its ability to suck my eyes into the screen with little mercy, such as a moment when The Driver (Gosling's character is unnamed) is gazing out across Los Angeles's cityscape from his apartment. The camera creeps up on the characters with tight mid-shots in sometimes rather claustrophobic settings (corridors, diners) and clings to them, creating a sense of paranoia and unease and provokes a feeling of impending danger to the initial calmness of the film.

The music in the film deserves all the praise it has been given by critics and film fans alike. There are 5 original tracks (my favourite being Kavinsky's gloomy robotic electro masterpiece "Nightcall") with the score itself composed by ex-Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Cliff Martinez, who he does a fantastic job. Many of his compositions start out in a minimalistic and atmospheric fashion, beginning slowly and calmly before they build up into more frequent stabs of bass and erratic synthesisers during scenes of tension and dread.

The film explores the theme of loneliness very well, with Gosling doing a brilliant job as the mysterious and (at first) emotionless main character who cruises the streets at night as if he were a devoted superhero protecting the city from evil. The character's most interesting feature is his psychological transition: from the kind, helpful neighbour in the first half of the film during the cosy homelife scenes, into the vengeful, no-bullshit hero of it's second half. The dark ultraviolence which occurs later in the film might be exaggarated, but it still retains its shocking impact despite the B-movie/Grindhouse-feel of the picture during other segments and shows us another side to Gosling's troubled character. Refn doesn't hesitate to brandish his inspirations in this film, and in my opinion it only improves his skills as a director. The melting pot of genres (New wave film? Car movie? Horror/slasher? Romance? Crime flick?) also challenges the audience and keeps things fresh, whilst displaying Refn's love of cinema and his appreciation of the different styles and movements within the world of film.

Drive is a wonderful piece of work and should not be missed.

Velociraptor, he's gonna find ya...

Kasabian have often been tarnished with the "lad-rock" brush by snobbish music fans and critics alike, and to be fair you have to admit that they have a point. They came at a time when Oasis were still prominent in the British music scene, swilling lager and making V-signs at every passer-by, and its safe to say that this probably helped them out a great deal in appealing to a mass audience. Singer Tom Meighan's heavily pronounced Leicestershire accent and boisterous stage presence also reinforced their image as being another band for the indie branch of England's football hooligans.

Their 2004 debut was brilliant and gave the world their electronica-infused alternative rock whilst demonstrating their ability to experiment as well as maintain a concept within the record. Now at album number four, loudly titled "Velociraptor!", the band have kept their trademark sound whilst delving a little into songs with more melody and grandeur, and less of the "in your face" attitude that earned them their laddish persona in the first place. Apart from a couple of songs, such as the no-nonsense (and not very good) title track, there seems to be an understated feel to the record. I wouldn't describe it as necessarily being calmer, but its definitely less hectic than their previous 3 efforts.

The cool opening track "Let's Roll Just Like We Used To" lays down the foundations for how the album is going to sound, and keeps the band's psychadelic essence as well as the addition of some slick mariachi flavours. The horn section takes us to the centre of a Western (similar to the setting of their "Fire" video) and then twists and turns around the verses causing the song to sound like it could easily be the next Bond theme. In my opinion it's one of the stand-out highlights of "Velociraptor!" and far better than the album's lead single, "Days Are Forgotten", which is OK until it is let down by the rather weak chorus.

The first song that was revealed a couple of months ago was "Switchblade Smiles", which I didn't really rate much upon first listening. The chant that builds up to the chorus kind of ruined it for me, as I felt that it made the band come across as a charicature of themselves with the sneer of: "Can ya feel it comin'?" But after a few more spins I grew to like the eerie atmospherics and the heavy, thudding bass that slid along under the techno-inspired track. More reason for me to come to the conclusion that parts of the album are growers.

The best things about this record are definitely the subtle touches, such as the string section on "Acid Turkish Bath" (which do well to compliment Serge Pizzorno's soothing vocals) and the drum machine samples on the minimal "I Hear Voices", which harks back to their debut which was awash with computer glitches and dubbed out bass. Despite the fact that I've always liked Kasabian, I have also been well aware that they do more than borrow from Primal Scream, blending guitar rock with dance-tinged electronics.

However, this album shows Kasabian finally making their sound their own, and trying a couple of new things whilst sticking to their roots. It's tough for mainstream British indie bands to continue producing great albums these days, and many fall flat on their faces after a good debut or if they're lucky, a satisfying sophomore effort. But along with Arctic Monkeys and a handful of others, Kasabian are holding the fort and keeping up the good work. "Velociraptor!" isn't as iconic as "Kasabian" or as explosive and memorable as "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum", but its still enjoyable and creeps up on you more and more with each listen. Fans of the band will certainly appreciate it.

A lifestyle is a terrible thing to waste...

There is only one episode of HBO's Entourage to go, and I'm gutted. My best mate Adam got me into it within a few months of me starting university, as I'd never really heard of it before except when I'd flicked past it a few times on ITV2. I presumed it was just another shitty American soap/drama type of thing, but I was sorely mistaken. It has often been decribed as "Sex & The City" for men, and I think that is probably the best comparison I have heard. The basic premise revolves around Vincent Chase, a young clean-cut actor who recieves his big break in Hollywood and begins to navigate around the opportunites and pitfalls of life in Los Angeles. He is joined by his group of best friends (hence the show's title), including his brother and less successful actor Johnny "Drama" Chase, good luck charm/driver Sal "Turtle" Assante and wise advisor Eric "E" Murphy, who not only live the high-life with Vince but also try to keep him grounded and assist him as much as they can. Throughout the show they manage, or at least try to keep their Queens, NY roots dominant in their new Californian location.

The show has done brilliantly in America and the UK, and has now reached its swansong, season 8. It's been praised for its accurate, if not slightly jumped-up representations of people working within the film industry, whether it be actors, agents, producers or directors. One of the best things about the show is the way that it mixes real stars with fictional characters through the use of frequent cameos, which are woven into the script to create a busy and seamless narrative. Therefore you often get well-known and established stars playing altered versions of themselves, which is great to watch. Particular favourites of mine are washed-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay, who is guest starring in the current season, and troubled pornstar Sasha Grey who becomes a bad influence on Vince in season 7 when he becomes a cocaine-addled mess. I'm sure many TV shows borrow this format now, but apart from Entourage and Ricky Gervais's Extras, I can't think of many more that do it so stylishly and effectively.

Not only are the actors in the show so brilliant, but the producers also ring some bells, namely in the form of Mark Wahlberg, who apparently had a large part in the conception of the show, along with the main creator Doug Ellin. One of the initial ideas for the show was to loosely base some of the events and scenarios on Wahlberg's experiences as an actor, and these are noticeable during some moments, however the term loosely cannot be stressed more (Wahlberg was a drug addict and criminal during his early teens, growing up in Boston) as Entourage was desired to be less gritty and more mainstream. However it works very well in merging the two.

There is still plenty foul language, sex, drugs and the like to keep fans of the more adult variety satisfied, and whilst the show glamourises life in Beverly Hills, it also explores the darker side and some of the murky scrapes that Hollywood's elite find themselves in. Wahlberg makes a handful of appearances in the show himself, occasionally popping up to play golf with the boys and take the piss out of Drama. According to something I read on the internet once, to acquaint the group of core actors with each other and welcome them into the Entourage's, well, Entourage, Wahlberg took the gang to Vegas to get them all fucked up and show them a good time.

The group's closeness really shows in the programme, and is one of the must believable (4-way) "buddy" relationships I've ever seen, which is incredibly important as the main themes of the show are friendship and loyalty. It is the best show to sit and watch with your mates, as you watch the four guys bounce off each other with their banter and their unbreakable unity. It is feel-good TV at its best, and its guaranteed to make me feel great every time I watch it. I keep saying four guys, but really there are five, and the last member of the gang is the outspoken, foul-mouthed and loveable Jewish chauvinist Ari Gold (played by the AMAZING Jeremy Piven), who is Vince's (and sometimes Drama's) agent. He is without a doubt the most applauded and memorable character in the whole saga, and has the best quotes, even if they do offend almost everybody, but the main recipient is Ari's gay assistant Lloyd (who also recieves digs for being half Chinese). However, despite the front, Ari reveals his soft spots on more than occasion, and equates to a very deep and interesting character, particularly in the current season. His fierce dedication and loyalty to his favourite client Vinny is admirable and plays out on the screen as 100% TV gold.

There are many enjoyable characters in the show, but none can really beat Ari to the top spot. The pretentious but passionate director Billy Walsh is probably the only one who is as strong-willed and full of self-belief as Ari, and he also makes for some brilliant viewing. Another character who is loosely based on a real person (Ari is largely based on a real agent called Ari Emanuel), Walsh draws influences largely from the controversial writer/director/actor Vincent Gallo, and again shows true loyalty to Vince despite being an egotistical car crash during certain periods. The best thing about Entourage is the characters, and they really are some of the best I've ever had the joy of watching and getting to know and love.

There are talks of a film in the works, which (if it comes to fruition) will be out in 2012/13, and will presumably wrap up the whole story. Obviously I'm praying it will make it to our cinemas. If not, there is literally one episode of Entourage left for me and the other die hard fans to indulge ourselves in. It's been a hell of a ride, and I have my fingers crossed for the season to end on a high and make me feel as good as it always has done for the past 3 years. So, if you haven't watched Entourage before, or if you have but haven't viewed every season, treat yourself and do it, preferably with your best buddies. Because just like one of the show's old taglines said about the subject of fame: it's more fun with your friends.

The planet does another revolution...

PLEASE NOTE: This review was actually written and published on Monday 5th September - I have no idea why it is being displayed as Monday 29th August! Stupid blogger - LA.

The 10th album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers has been floating around the internet now for almost 2 weeks, but I decided to pretend I was 12 again and wait for the CD to hit the shops before I indulged myself in my most beloved band's latest full length album, meaning I only heard "I'm With You" in full as of last Monday. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are a band that have a huge and devout international following due to their worldwide success that they have rightfully earned over the years, but they still have a lot of haters. Due to their enormous fanbase and huge, arena-filling status, a lot of people believe they have lost credibility because they manage to appeal to the masses. Well, a lot of people are fucking idiots.

Every review of this album will go on about the departure of the absolute motherfucking genius guitar prodigy enigma that is Mr. John Frusciante and the subsequent welcoming of his apprentice Josh Klinghoffer, but we already know this, so on with the verdict.

I'll be honest, despite being a RHCP fanboy, I was a little anxious in the months building up to the 29th August 2011. But this is how I feel with the new release of any band I like or love, because I don't want them to screw it all up. And I can safely say that my anxiety has diminished and left me feeling relieved and justified in why I love these guys so much. Three out of the four members are pushing 50 and yet they still have more talent and energy than pretty much any other band around. And this album displays a slight change in direction, likely thanks to the addition of Josh.

First and foremost, he is the new RHCP guitarist, but also contributes keyboards and AMAZING backing vocals to the mix. I was expecting him to merely emulate John's beautiful falsetto melodies, but he doesn't, and displays such a strong, unusual and androgynous voice of his own. In songs such as "Meet Me at The Corner" and "Dance, Dance, Dance" his voice sounds angelic and ethereal, and creates a dream-like atmosphere in an otherwise funky and poignant record. His presence is subtle at times, and at others incredibly overstated, whether by a crunchy chorus riff or a a red hot guitar jam that can appear at any moment. I've watched a couple of live videos on YouTube and his stage presence is so refreshing. He's like an excited puppy equipped with a Stratocaster and more skill than any of the "indie" wankers you'll read about in NME. And the best thing is, it looks as though he doesn't even know it. There is no pomp or arrogance about him in the press or in interviews whatsoever. Give the boy a prize.

But its not only Josh that shines, as Flea gets his mojo back in "I'm With You". Throughout "Stadium Arcadium" Flea was mostly drowned out by Frusciante's megalomaniacal guitar solos, which was a shame as he is clearly the best funk bass player in the world. In this album he displays his creativity with some of his most memorable and instantly catchy basslines in years. He, along with Chad Smith, drives the album and carries the songs with an unmatchable pace and intensity, and is given way more freedom as the songs are no longer being dominated by the almighty force that is John, and are instead being complimented and painted with Josh's textural guitar overtones. This time round, his bass parts really fuel the songs. Together, Flea and Chad are unstoppable, and show that they are one of the most powerful and locked-in rhythm sections on the planet. Add to this Flea's piano work (a result of his enrolment on a music theory course at the University of Southern California) and its clear for all to see that the man formerly known as Michael Balzary has been a busy lad.

It wouldn't be fair to talk about the album without praising the band's chief lyricist, Kiedis, and he definitely deserves a pat on the back for his vocals in this album. There are some wonderful, uplifting choruses and his voice really boasts its power, especially in songs like "Police Station" and the bittersweet "Brendan's Death Song" (about the band's close friend Brendan Mullen) which show that the Chili Peppers can still write great fucking ballads alongside their groovier offerings. His most affecting words, contextually speaking, are probably in "Ethiopia" (another great Flea moment) when he sings: "tell my boy I love him so, tell him so he knows" about his young son Everly Bear, as he has constantly expressed his life-changing experience of raising his firstborn since his birth in 2007.

Many of the songs on "I'm With You" could be great singles, but the album as a whole flows very well and doesn't really have any weak points. However I am always going to have a biased opinion of the band because I love them more than I can put into words. Gayyy. However I would love for "Look Around" to be the next single after "The Adventures of Raindance Maggie" because its extremely infectious and sounds superb live.

Overall, "I'm With You" presents a wiser, mellowed Red Hot Chili Peppers but blends that with the image of a band that can truly rock your (cock)socks off like they did in the good old days, and can continue to write great rock/funk/pop or whatever the hell you want to try and brand it with. It offers a band that have been through many of rock'n'roll's cliches only to emerge on the other side, stronger and more original than before, and looks at life, death and rebirth in a way that only they can.

In the grace of your love...

I've been pretty excited about the new release from NYC punk-funk outfit The Rapture for some time now, having ordered tickets for their Manchester gig months ago. And now here it is, thanks to the band streaming it in an unorthodox fashion the other night, in full, via the web. Part of DFA Records' "White Out" sessions, the live stream basically consisted of a camera aimed at a record player as it blasted out "In The Grace of Your Love", and featured some DFA minions dutifully flipping the LP at the necessary points as well as holding up track titles written on white paper. Unfortunately I missed the live stream but luckily it was uploaded to Vimeo and then shared around the internet for any other latecomers like myself.

The album's lead single, the aptly titled "How Deep is Your Love?", gave the world some insight into what direction The Rapture were going to take when it was revealed a few months ago. The dancefloor was definitely the intention, as the song created a nightclub vibe in the same vein that James Murphy used to do with the lengthier LCD Soundsystem tracks. The song builds upon a simple repetitive drum clap and piano loop that grows like a monster, complimented by Luke Jenner's heartfelt vocals, until it reaches its peak and the memorable saxophone freak-out during the final moments.

Upon hearing it, I knew that this album was going to be different to their previous efforts. I absolutely raved over "Pieces of The People We Love" and still listen to it now as often as I did when it came out. That followed their 2nd album "Echoes", which was equally as amazing. And so I felt some nerves, as I always do when I await an album from one of my most cherished bands (RHCP being the main culprit at this current moment). But I am happy to say that any anxiety I may have had over The Rapture's 4th long player has bowed its head and left the building.

"In The Grace of Your Love" is an unusual record stylistically, and sounds like it should be listened to in a beach house on a sunny day whilst sipping a large cocktail. "Come Back to Me" is chilled and steady at first, but then takes a dark turn and lurks over a thick bassline before introducing drums and then coming to a close. Its an example of how unpredictable and experimental The Rapture can be. The title track reminds us how well the band can do slow funk numbers, with its brooding angular bassline and raw guitar line, and further proving that the New Yorkers can do moody melancholy just as well as turbo dance-punk.

"Never Die Again" is another example of just how groovy they can be with a few bass notes and the subtle help of a brass section. It's hard to pick highlights from this album because in my opinion, every track is a joy and offers something even fresher and more different from the last. I'm just so fucking relieved and now have even more reason to look forward to their gig at the Academy on September 7th (as if I didn't have enough reason anyway!)

If you're a fan of The Rapture you will love "In The Grace of Your Love" - if you aren't, but enjoy summery indie-dance, then you should give it a try anyway. Definitely one of my picks of 2011 so far.

When you wake up, you will find me...

The Horrors have just brought out their third full-length LP, intriguingly entitled "Skying". To be honest I didn't really know what to expect with this one. I've never been a fan of their first album - I don't really think they did their garage/punk attempt much justice really. When I saw them upon their emergence back in 2006/07, I thought they looked like a bunch of twats with their uber-hipster gothic look and massive hair do's. I gave them a chance though, and listened to their album, and despite being a fan of 60's garage, I really didn't dig what they were doing.

So I surprised myself when I listened to their second album, "Primary Colours" in 2009, and surprised myself even more when I found that I really enjoyed it. They'd changed direction and broadened their horizons, expanding their pretty simple guitar/organ-based sound into a mash of shoegaze/krautrock, awash in wall-of-sound noise and boasting some anthemic choruses. My Bloody Valentine and Ride sprang to mind, which was not only interesting but pretty fresh at the time, and I certainly didn't expect The Horrors of all people to adopt that type of sound.

A mixed bag thus far then, until now with "Skying", which I have to say is another rewarding departure for the band. There are way more synths in this record than in "Primary Colours" and less guitars, although there are still some tasty and memorable riffs in there. The bass sounds excellent (again), and proves that simplicity can sometimes be better than complexity, just as the Pixies did back in the day. Faris Badwan's vocals haven't changed an awful lot since the second album, and still rides along the music very well.

I've heard the album three times now and can't make up my mind in deciding which songs are my personal highlights, as they seem to creep up on you as you listen more. It was good the first time round, but its definitely a grower, which can only be good news. The first half of the album is probably stronger than the second, setting up a curious and infectious atmosphere for the second half and flaunting some uplifting basslines. "You Said", "Endless Blue" and "Dive In" are all magnificent, and Badwan's vocals can only be described as sexy as they strain with passion over the rising crescendos. This album is definitely a good choice for shagging your partner to.

I had a lot of confidence in the record as soon as I heard the brilliant single "Still Life" (minimalist, dreamy pop) and it has thoroughly impressed me. They've eased into some unfamiliar territory and can now safely say that they have incorporated pop music into their sound, and have definitely kept me guessing as to where they might go next. "Skying" is one of the stronger albums of summer 2011, so far anyway, and I'm looking forward to playing it more often in the coming months. And finally, the artwork is bloody lovely, a proper treat for the eyes.

Porno...

As a massive Irvine Welsh fan, I found it almost criminal that I hadn't read his sequel to "Trainspotting", poignantly entitled "Porno". So I dug it out just over a week ago and got straight into it. I'm almost near the end of the book now and I have to say I prefer it to the former. It's not for the fainthearted: if you thought "Trainspotting" was vile, read this. The main plotline revolves around Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson's mission to make something of himself after fucking up a marriage and a fatherhood and occupations as a pimp and hustler. I'm not gonna ruin it with any details but he ends up making, you guessed it, an "erotic adult fantasy" with a motley crew of various characters, and events occur which at some points are enough to make your stomach turn.

Sick Boy's kicked heroin and instead indulges in cocaine, alcohol and the odd hit of a crack pipe, but we get to meet a few old faces from "Trainspotting" that still go back to the needle, nameley the loveable loser Danny "Spud" Murphy. The mentally unhinged sociopath Francis Begbie makes a return, along with the "thieving cunt" Mark Renton, who screwed over his pals in the previous novel (except Spud), and so things are scarily tense at times during "Porno".

It wouldn't be an Irvine Welsh novel without plenty of graphic sexual scenarios, and "Porno" takes the biscuit from anything I've read before, except of course Brett Easton Ellis's "American Psycho", which is by far the most shocking thing I've ever read and possibly ever will. Still, I found myself laughing out very loudly during "Porno", due to Welsh's unmatchable ability to give social commentary on very awkward and pitiful people and situations. It's absolutely hilarious getting inside Sick Boy's head, and his observations are comedy gold for the most part. So far, so good. I'll have finished it within the next couple of days, and its proving to be as disturbing as I'd hoped. If you haven't picked up any of Welsh's books in the past, do yourself a favour and sort it out.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers: 27 years of blood sugar sex magik…

A piece I wrote for John Robb's "Louder Than War" website...

I was 12 years old when I bought the 8th album by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I’d been hearing a great song on the radio called “By The Way”, and was fascinated by the video which featured the singer Anthony Kiedis being kidnapped by a crazed stalker in a Los Angeles taxi. Not only did the video display an excellent sense of narrative and humour, this song was fucking incredible. Not long after it I heard another slice of gold from this band, still relatively unknown to me, called “Can‘t Stop”, which again came with an exciting and entertaining video. I’d heard “Under The Bridge” and “Californication” of course, but at this point I hadn’t made the connection to these crazy LA punks that had been on one of the most colourful and at times harrowing journeys in the history of rock music. I grew up on David Bowie, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, Oasis, Joy Division etc thanks to my musically switched-on parents, but I’d missed these guys along the way and was starting to notice, big time.

So, confident that I was gonna love this record, I went to Woolworth’s and bought “By The Way”. It was, and still is probably one of the best ten pounds that I’ve ever spent. I went home and instantly listened to it cover to cover, embracing the rich textures of John Frusciante’s seductive guitar licks and Kiedis’s brilliant hybrid of tender vocals and tongue-twisting rap. Flea’s basslines ebbed with blistering funk and Chad Smith’s powerful drumming filled my ears and ultimately blew me away. All these elements came together to create something that I’d never heard or experienced before in my 12 years of being on this earth. I knew there and then that this was my favourite band in the world. And so began the journey for me; the research, the biographies, and the obsessive collecting of the band’s seven previous albums.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers met in Los Angeles, California in 1983, after 4 bright, outgoing and lively characters happened upon each other at Fairfax High School and decided to become a gang. Kiedis, the self-proclaimed leader of the group, Michael Balzary aka Flea (a talented trumpet player who was raised in a jazz-loving household), Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons spent their time at school skateboarding, getting into trouble and chasing girls. The kids shared a love of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and other legendary rock music of the time, and bonded through pot-smoking and general misbehaviour. Flea, Slovak and Irons already played in a band called What is This? (previously called Anthym) and Kiedis would occasionally jump on stage and introduce the guys before they kicked into their set. Known for his popularity and wild behaviour, Kiedis was regarded by his buddies as a born entertainer and so would invent wacky poems and opening lines to get the crowd going before the show.

None of the boys thought anything of it, until one night the gang supported a band at the Kit Kat Lounge in LA purely just for fun. Under the moniker “Tony Flow and the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem”, the boys rocked the shit out of the club and got more than they bargained for. Flea, Slovak and Irons jammed an improvised piece of funk music whilst Kiedis spat out a rhyme he’d written earlier called “Out in LA”, which would be the first Red Hot Chili Peppers song. The band received a pleasant surprise: the club’s owner and the audience loved them so much that they were invited to play again the week after. So more gigs were played and the young people of LA were embracing the group and their fun-loving mentality. The young men decided they needed a new name, something that people would remember, and came up with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Months later the band were spotted by EMI/Capitol, who wanted to sign them. A problem arose: What is This? had already been scouted and offered a deal by MCA, and due to Slovak and Irons only regarding the Chilis as a bit of fooling around with friends, the duo decided to stick with their original band and record an album. Kiedis and Flea were undeterred and so found two replacements, in the form of Cliff Martinez and Jack Sherman. Their first album was self-titled and produced by ex-Gang of Four guitarist Andy Gill, who had little in common with the crazy, casual drug-consuming freaks (namely Flea and Kiedis) and pushed the band to make a radio-friendly, polished album that would threaten the charts. Despite getting to the end of his tether with the band and their practical jokes (the guys once took a shit in a pizza box and delivered it to him), Gill successfully completed the album and it did relatively well in the United States. The album still displayed the funky nature and rock spirit of the Red Hot’s songs, but not in the raw form that Flea and Kiedis intended, and didn’t sell very well at all in the US.

Tensions in the band between Kiedis and Sherman due to lifestyle and artistic issues led to Sherman being sacked. Sherman was out, and Slovak was in. This was a good thing in several ways, as Kiedis, Flea and Slovak were soul mates and were destined to play together, and were also on the same level musically speaking. The band continued writing songs and went on to record their second album, “Freaky Styley”, produced by the funk pioneer George Clinton of Parliament/Funkadelic fame. The album is without a doubt the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ funkiest album to date, faithfully tapping into the true essence of funk. It’s the sound of 4 white men making the blackest music to come out of 1985, and brings to mind one of Kiedis’s most memorable quotes, when he once said “I want to be the James Brown of the 80’s”.

One of the other great things about the band was their eclectic fashion sense. Instead of being super-serious like many groups in the LA scene at that time, who went for pretentious clothes and stylish haircuts, the Chilis showed everyone that they really didn’t give a fuck. They would bound onstage with daft, theatrical costumes and accessories, maintaining the obvious fact that they had a sense of humour and also portraying a team spirit within their brotherhood. A great example of this is when the whole band got mohican haircuts, giving an almost tribal edge to their image, which suited them well (think back to “Fight Like a Brave”). Highlights from “Freaky Styley” include “Hollywood (Africa)”, “The Brothers Cup” and the jaw dropping Sly & The Family Stone cover “If You Want Me To Stay”.

The band’s party ethics shone through in this record, and they were gaining an increasing fan base in LA. Clinton would often join the band onstage and although their drug consumption was growing, the gang were enjoying themselves and making the music that they had always wanted to. They were just 4 young guys living the dream and having the time of their lives. However, Martinez didn’t share the intense interest in drug use as much as the other 3 members, and so Kiedis, sensing a change, decided to fire their drummer. Irons rejoined the line-up and they toured “Freaky Styley”. Unfortunately, Kiedis and Slovak had developed extremely heavy heroin addictions, but Kiedis’s was so bad that it took a large toll on his contributions to the band. He would often miss rehearsals and disappear for days on end without any contact, causing the band to temporarily boot him out whilst he cleaned up his act. They gave him a month to get back on track, and he did so before returning to start work on the group’s third album, “The Uplift Mofo Party Plan”.

This album featured an edgier, more punk-rock sound than the previous two efforts (see “Me & My Friends” and “No Chump Love Sucker”) but still contained the Chili Pepper’s zany lyrics and sense of humour that had shaped them thus far. Despite still dabbling in drugs and making the odd fuck up, Kiedis was (just about) putting the music before his chemical dependency and showing his worth in the band once again. The album was completed and the band were delighted with what they had achieved, feeling that along with “Freaky Styley”, they were starting to make their music like they wanted to, without a kill-joy, domineering producer such as Gill.

But tragedy was about to befall the band. Kiedis and Slovak, the likely lads, had slipped back into crippling drug addiction and on the 25th of June, 1988, heroin took Hillel Slovak’s life. Kiedis couldn’t deal with the news, describing the experience as dream-like and otherworldly, and missing the funeral, decided to get out of town to mourn his soul brother. Many would have thought that the death of their insanely talented guitar player would result in the end of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But this was just one of the huge knocks that was to strike the band in their eventful career.

Drugs were a massive part of the band, for better or worse. For Kiedis, it was practically unavoidable. He was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1962, but moved away to Los Angeles when he was 11 to live with his father, the charismatic actor/drug dealer/socialite John Kiedis, better known by his stage name Blackie Dammett. Without wasting any time, Kiedis smoked his first joint with his dad and quickly learned how to roll his own, picking up the skill with precision. He wallowed in the hippy spirit and vibes of free love that floated around his dad’s home, which was always filled with vibrant characters and friends of his father. Dammett was a familiar face around the legendary Rainbow Club on the LA strip, and he would take his son along when he went to party and deal cocaine to the likes of Zeppelin, The Who and Alice Cooper.

Dammett was a celebrity and would show young Anthony the ropes in terms of narcotics, giving him quaaludes and beer to reach the right buzz before he delved into his father’s world. Kiedis was already learning fast. He lost his virginity at the age of 12, in possibly the oddest way you could imagine. Whilst they were out one night, a rather drunk Kiedis slipped his father a note, saying that he fancied his old man’s latest squeeze (aged 18), and proposed that a situation was set up in which he would have sex with her that very night. Dammett agreed straight away, and the event took place when they got home. So, at 12 years old, Kiedis was equipped with sexual knowledge and an interest in drugs. It was always pretty certain that he would end up being a rock star.

Slovak’s death had hit the Red Hot Chili Peppers hard. Kiedis fled, Flea wept and Irons decided that this was the last straw for him, and quit the band. They were now two members down. Despite this, Kiedis and Flea got together and came to the decision that they would pick up the pieces and do Slovak proud by continuing what they had started back in ‘83. They employed drummer Dead Kennedys’ D.H. Peligro and ex-P-Funk guitarist DeWayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight, but the new line-up was short-lived as neither of the new members gelled with Kiedis and Flea. Things seemed marred, but then Peligro introduced the band to John Frusciante, a young guitar prodigy who was obsessed with the Chilis and a massive fan of their music. At only 18, Frusciante auditioned and was accepted into the band. He became close friends with Kiedis and Flea, sharing the same musical tastes and a penchant for hot young girls. He and Flea were punk enthusiasts, both huge fans of Black Flag, Fugazi and the Germs. John said that when he was a kid, he learned the whole of the Sex Pistols’ “Nevermind the Bollocks…” album to prove to his father that he was serious about taking up the guitar.

The Chili Peppers were armed with their sensationally talented new guitar player and were ready to take on the world, but they still needed a drummer. With another stroke of luck, the band were introduced to Chad Smith, after one of their friends had told them that he “eats drums for breakfast”. He turned up to the audition resembling something out of a 1980’s hair-metal band, clad in denim and leather, topped off with a bandana. The Chili Peppers were punk skinheads and didn’t quite know if they could tolerate Smith’s attire, but after he showed his skills behind the drums they were totally silenced. The band told Smith that he was in the band and invited him to their rehearsal the next day, provided he shaved his long hair off that night. He turned up the following day still donning his shoulder-length hair and bandana, but still remained a Chili Pepper as the rest of the band admired his “fuck you” attitude.

The band went on a short tour across the states to allow Frusciante and Smith to settle and get into their groove. The next album the band were to record was entitled “Mother’s Milk”, which saw the band incorporate some elements of metal and heavy rock, whilst still retaining the trademark funk and punk core of their musical style. Frusciante and Kiedis fell out with the producer, Michael Beinhorn, claiming that he was trying to steer the band towards achieving hits and mainstream acceptance rather than the hard-edged funk-punk that they were aiming for. Beinhorn was like Gill all over again, only in this case he was trying to direct most of his attention towards beefing up Frusciante’s guitar into macho, hair-metal squeals, which the rest of the band opposed as they wanted their music to be slinky, sexy and funky as hell. Despite the disagreements, the album went on to garner worldwide success due to hits such as the Stevie Wonder cover “Higher Ground”, the ode to Slovak “Knock Me Down” and the dark rocker “Taste The Pain”. It was the Chili Pepper’s first gold record. The band’s live performances were electric at this point, and Kiedis was using his role as front man to its greatest effect, bounding around the stage shirtless and possessed, reminiscent of one of his idols, the god-like Iggy Pop.

Relatively clean from drug use, (Kiedis had stopped using heroin, which was working wonders for the band as their creativity was sky-high) the Chili Peppers were glowing with positive and artistic energy when they recruited Rick Rubin as the producer for their next album, the groundbreaking “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, in 1991. Rubin was already well-respected due to his work with the Beastie Boys, Run DMC and his position as the co-founder of Def Jam Records. As an alternative to recording in a stereotypical studio, Rubin and the band came to the decision that they would instead record the album in a mansion in LA, which was pretty famous in the music world as it had been host to Hendrix, Bowie, Jagger and other stars in the past. Once home to Harry Houdini, the mansion was reportedly haunted. Frusciante and Smith both claimed they had witnessed ghostly happenings, and Smith was so unnerved by this that he chose to ride his motorcycle to the house each day instead of lodging there, which the rest of the band did during the entire recording process. Now legendary, the mansion has been the chosen recording spot for bands such as the Mars Volta, Slipknot and LCD Soundsystem.

The idea of staying at the mansion couldn’t have gone any better for the band. The album was released to global acclaim and shot the Chili Peppers to superstardom. “Give it Away” and “Under The Bridge” became the band’s biggest and most successful singles, and the album later went to number 3 in the US charts. Everyone dealt with this well, except Frusciante. He couldn’t come to terms with how big the band had become in the few years that he had been part of it, telling the rest of the group that he would be satisfied with still playing in the small clubs that they used to inhabit. Mass fame wasn’t what Frusciante wanted, and so he departed the band in May 1992 whilst they were on tour in Japan, jumping on a plane home hours before they were set to go on stage.

Arik Marshall was brought into the band to finish the BSSM tour, and despite cleaning up at the Grammy’s that year, the band asked Marshall to leave before they began work on their new album as they didn’t feel that they were connecting with him during song writing.

Meanwhile, in his LA home, John Frusciante had begun his descent into hell. For the next 5 years Frusciante would be a drug-addled recluse, taking cocaine, heroin and crack daily. During this time he would write and record 2 solo albums, dark masterpieces called “Niandra LaDes & Usually Just a T-Shirt” and “Smile From The Streets You Hold”, the latter featuring contributions from River Pheonix, who died from speedballing whilst he was at Johnny Depp’s club, The Viper Room in October 1993. Frusciante didn’t want to release his music, but with the urging of friends including Flea (who still visited Frusciante despite his lifestyle) and Depp, he went ahead and did so.

As one can imagine, the sales were poor, and people were very worried about the once happy and vibrant young guitarist. His appearance was rapidly deteriorating: his skin was paper-thin, stretching over his skeletal face, and his teeth were rotting and falling out. Also, because he hadn’t properly learned how to administer needles in which to inject heroin (unlike Kiedis who was so methodical that he may as well have been a nurse), his arms were getting more and more infected which was potentially life-threatening. Frusciante claimed that he took so many drugs because the world was a cruel and horrible place, and that he was only truly happy when under the influence of cocaine and heroin.

Whilst Frusciante was holed away in LA, the band recruited Jane’s Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro for their next effort, “One Hot Minute”. The new line-up’s first gig together was at Woodstock ‘94, which was famous for the band’s ridiculous costumes, consisting of metallic silver suits complete with massive light bulbs on the tops of their heads. It didn’t take long for the band to become unsettled with their new member. Songwriting wasn’t flowing like it used to do with Frusciante, and to add to their problems, Kiedis had relapsed into heroin abuse once again (this was due to a dental procedure in which the dentist gave Kiedis an addictive sedative as a painkiller, unaware of his heavy drug history.) Things weren’t looking good.

“One Hot Minute” did rather well upon its release, with the band achieving its second number one single, “My Friends”. It didn’t come close to the insane success of BSSM, but it could have been a lot, lot worse. However, inside the camp, it was clear that Navarro’s stay was coming to an end. According to Kiedis, the decision for Navarro to go was mutual, and in early 1998 the Chilis were once again without a guitar player.

Somehow, John Frusciante was still alive. After barely escaping a fire which burned down his house and destroyed all of his guitars, Frusciante was persuaded to check into a rehabilitation centre by his friends and after a lot of persistence, beat his addictions to cocaine and heroin. The years of constant hard drug abuse had damaged Frusciante in a big way. His arms were a complete mess, and still show signs of scarring today due to poorly executed heroin taking, and his nose had to be surgically restructured as a result of the amount of cocaine he took. Finally, he needed a new set of teeth as his others were removed because of the risk of fatal infection.

Kiedis and Flea agreed that the only way the Chili Peppers could possibly continue was if they were reunited with Frusciante, and that they had taken his genius and song writing contribution for granted. The true chemistry of the Red Hot Chili Peppers could only be retained with this man. And so, whilst visiting Frusciante at his home in April ‘98, Flea asked him if he would like to return to the band. Overwhelmed by the proposition, Frusciante sobbed and told Flea that nothing in the world would make him happier. The funky monks were back.

Although it took a little while for Frusciante to settle back into the band due to the mental and physical trauma he had suffered from so much drug-taking, he eventually got back into his groove and displayed more talent than ever before. A year was spent on writing, rehearsing, recording and production, and the end product was their seventh album, “Californication”. The album contained less rap and was a departure from anything the Chili Peppers had recorded before, filled with layered vocals, and more consistent, memorable basslines. It appealed to a larger audience but by no means did it subtract any of the funk spirit that the Chili Peppers had previously exhaled. All of the album’s singles were successes (“Scar Tissue”, “Around The World”, “Otherside”, “Road Trippin”, “Parallel Universe” and the title track) and the Chilis were back on top once again.

Kiedis was weaning himself off heroin, and although the rest of the band didn’t know it, he was still quietly using during the Californication era. Luckily in time for the band’s next album, 2002’s “By The Way”, the entire band were clean and focussed, finally free of all drugs and substances. Another album with Rubin, and another success, as all of the album’s singles again succeeded in the charts. Kiedis and Frusciante bonded a lot over the recording process, which left Flea feeling like a bit of an outsider. He wanted to continue the band’s funk-driven style whilst Frusciante and Kiedis were opting for slower, more melodic songs, which was a great thing for the band as it showed development and another departure for the Chilis.

By doing this, they were evolving even further and displaying that they could dip their toes into other genres by expanding their range and sound. Despite this minor upset, all was resolved and the band embarked on an 18 month world tour. A particularly fond memory for me was the release of their incredible single “Universally Speaking”. I remember listening to it on the radio and it being stuck in my head for days, running around the school playground singing it at the top of my lungs. It contained so much positive energy, so much optimism. I fell in love with it. During this time they released their first live album, recorded during their three Hyde Park shows in London in 2004.

At this point the Red Hot Chili Peppers were the biggest band in the world without a shadow of a doubt. Their album and concert ticket sales were breaking world records, and despite the fact that they were filling arenas, they were still making incredible, diverse music that offered their fans something new each time. They garnered more fame and popularity but didn’t sell out and produce shit like, say, Kings of Leon did.

In October of 2004 I bought Kiedis’s autobiography, “Scar Tissue”, a deeply honest, shocking and beautifully written book that gave a “warts and all” account of his both his personal life and his adventures with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This was the first time that I became fully aware of the extent that drugs had effected the band over the years. At this point I was obsessed with the band, and so read the book in less than a week, savouring every sentence. This newfound knowledge and ocean of information that I had gained from Kiedis’s memoirs made the 2 year wait for their next LP almost unbearable. And then it came.

At the peaks of their career, the Chilis went on to record their next album in 2005, with its release in the summer of 2006. “Stadium Arcadium” saw the band return to Rubin’s haunted mansion, and it was every bit as colossal and grandiose as its title suggested. These songs sounded like they could be played in space to martians on another planet, adding even more to the spacey theme. Some critics called it self-indulgent and over-produced, but to me it sounded like a band having fun and enjoying their talent and chemistry every bit as much as its fans were. Featuring 28 songs, the double-album clocked in at over two hours, so time and attention was required, but the rewards were endless. I’m still listening to it now in 2011 and rediscovering things I hadn’t heard before. Most notable is Frusciante’s epic guitar work, and almost every song contains a face-melting solo, further pressing the fact that this album should only be listened to at maximum volume. Despite the naysayers, “Stadium Arcadium” continued the Chilis’ succession of critically acclaimed records, and led to them going on a long world tour to showcase the album.

Exhausted at the end of the tour, the band played the Leeds Festival in 2007 and despite still playing a great show, it was clear that they needed a rest so that they could recuperate, both physically and mentally. The band announced shortly after that they were going to go on a 12 month hiatus, which eventually became two years, so that they could spend time with their families and have some personal experiences of their own. Kiedis had his first son, Everly Bear, in October of ‘07 with model/journalist Heather Christie, whom he is now separated from. Flea enrolled at the University of Southern California to take music theory classes. Frusciante recorded his tenth solo album, “The Empyrean”, a spiritual masterpiece that features contributions from Flea, Johnny Marr and long-time friend and collaborator Josh Klinghoffer. And Chad Smith went on tour with rock super group Chickenfoot. Since then, Frusciante announced to the world that he was leaving the Chili Peppers for the second time, stating that he wanted to follow his own path and make his own music without being part of a touring rock machine. The Chilis didn’t know who to recruit, and questioned whether it was time to call it a day, but Flea said that he and Kiedis had poured their heart and soul into this band for the past 27 years and that it would be an awful shame to end things just yet.

So Josh Klinghoffer was in. An insanely talented young multi-instrumentalist who has worked with the likes of Beck, Gnarls Barkley, Vincent Gallo, The Butthole Surfers, Warpaint, PJ Harvey, Thelonious Monster and more, Klinghoffer was the obvious choice as had been a close friend of the band for years, with Kiedis saying that they had found someone “right in their own back yard”. It only made sense, as Klinghoffer had joined the band’s line-up during their “Stadium Arcadium” tour as a second guitarist and keyboard player, to help beef up the sound that the album had introduced.

And so here we are, 27 eventful years later, in 2011. I am excited beyond belief for the August 30th release of “I’m With You”, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ tenth full-length album. I’ve scanned through the publicity shots, read all the articles I can muster and checked online daily for any news that I might have missed on the topic of the Chili Peppers. Nine years later and these guys are still my favourites. I have every faith in them and cannot wait to go and purchase the album in 8 weeks time, just like I did back in 2002 and in 2006 with their last two efforts, fidgeting and buzzing on the bus ride home in eagerness of the unique funk-punk-rock-pop hybrid that only they can pull off. And to all the critics, the people who try to piss on their parade, I say “fuck you.” I am an avid music fan and adore hundreds of solo musicians and groups, but no other band makes me feel the way that the Chili Peppers do. And for that I thank them and salute them, and wish them only the best, in their lives with the Chilis and their personal lives at home. I just hope that those weather-beaten, revitalised and indestructible forces of nature can carry on blowing my mind and holding dear my faith in the power of music. Amen.

A Brief Musical History of The Strokes: “Is This It” - “Angles”

Despite being formed in New York City in 1998, The Strokes didn’t explode into the public’s view until 2001. Having just released their now-legendary “The Modern Age” EP, The Strokes were heralded by the British Press as the saviours of Rock’n’Roll, which resulted in a tonne of hype being generated both in the UK and across the pond where the band had previously been as good as ignored. Thanks to appearing on the cover of NME several times in a matter of months, the UK shows sold out straight away and made The Strokes instant stars. Julian Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr, Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture and Fab Moretti were thrust straight into the public’s view.

Thanks to their successful mainstream hits such as “Last Nite” and “Reptilia”, I feel that The Strokes have been given a false image that many people have accepted. Yes, they are a massive international rock band and yes, their photo shoots look almost too perfectly choreographed, and yes, their hits have been played on the radio countless times over the last 10 years. But the whole fandom thing that Julian Casablancas and the gang have inherited doesn’t quite clarify what the band are really capable of. Julian, or “Jules” as his close companions call him, is a genius in my honest opinion. Many people think he is merely a singer and the front man of the band. But in actual fact, he probably has more similarities to Burt Bacarach than he does to Joey Ramone (excusing the whole leather jacket and converse image that The Strokes reinvigorated upon their arrival!) After all, Casablancas wrote all the music and lyrics to the first two Strokes albums on a piano, then transcribed them with the rest of the band to fit their instruments, and ultimately their initial 1970‘s fuzzy rock‘n‘roll sound.

Many people said that The Strokes were just recycling the sounds of Television and The Velvet Underground, but they were missing the point. Here was a band (as of 2001) that brought guitar music back into the mainstream with a bang, amongst a crop of fantastic groups such as Interpol, The Hives and Kings of Leon (they might be shit now but when they first arrived, I was impressed). They changed the face of Indie music. All of a sudden, kids were wearing drainpipes and leather jackets again (except the punks who obviously already rocked that look anyway!) I don’t think The Strokes anticipated the effect they were to have on music. One year after “Is This It” came “Up The Bracket” by The Libertines, which contained clear Strokes influences but with a punk undercurrent, brandishing rough and sporadic guitar and probably (definitely) a lot more drugs than Casablancas and the gang were taking. Just another example of the wind change that was taking place in indie music at the beginning of the 21st century, when The Strokes were presented to the world which they would then go on to conquer.

The second album, “Room On Fire”, was definitely a bit more grown up. Songs such as “Under Control” and “Automatic Stop” showcased a slower pace that still embraced simplicity as the songs from “Is This It” did, but with more maturity, as if the band was reflecting on its success and accepting their position in the big leagues. In some ways “Room On Fire” is a continuation of “Is This It”; the filtered fuzz box vocals from Jules are still there, but the album has a different feel than its older brother. The more you listen to it, the better it gets.

After the success of their second album, The Strokes came back in 2006 with a fresh sound and a new album, entitled “First Impressions of Earth”. The first three songs were released as singles and showed the general public the band’s bigger, cleaner sound. Whilst the songs all sounded like they could destroy stadiums, with epic guitar solos and huge drums at every turn, they still encapsulated the tenderness and passion that we loved The Strokes for. Every song sounds different to the last, and there are so many textures in the record that it really does feel like a journey through the minds of the 5 New Yorkers and all their colourful ideas. I still listen to the album today and find myself in awe of the beautiful poetry that Casablancas croons (minus the distorted vocal effects this time) whilst his band play songs that are a mixture of intricacy and purity. It’s the sound of The Strokes becoming more than just a rock’n’roll band, and stepping it up once again to show what they’re capable of. Something that still surprises me about this album is the amount of people I speak to that are indifferent to it. Whenever I discuss The Strokes with someone, the topic of “First Impressions of Earth” is usually met with an underwhelming: “Erm, it’s ok” or something along those lines. Ridiculous, it’s amazing! Each to their own I guess.

It would take 4 years for The Strokes to bring out another album. And on March 22nd 2011 we got it. The title, “Angles”, was apparently so because of the method in which the band recorded the LP. Rather than Casablancas taking the helm and writing the whole thing, each member contributed their own songs that would be narrowed down to a snappy 10 track release. Sources say that Valensi hated the system used to make “Angles”, and that Casablancas was barely present in the studio, instead opting to send his vocals to the rest of the band via email. Straight away one questions the bond that the band once shared after hearing such information. But the album is what counts. And “Angles” is a good album. It explores new territory for The Strokes, with an overly 80’s feel as opposed to their usual tendency to lean towards 70’s rock. Initially, opener “Machu Picchu” sounds like it would fit comfortably in an episode of Miami Vice with its funky bassline awash with tropical, sun-kissed imagery. It makes me want to rent a red hot rod and cruise down an L.A. highway, if that helps. Nothing the band has ever recorded sounds like “Machu Picchu”. Other personal highlights include “Two Kinds of Happiness”, which is the closest The Strokes have ever got to sounding like Journey. Casablancas’ vocals are absolutely top notch, stretching from a deep croon to high pitched cries that really make me wonder, how does he have such range? Its an epic song, finishing in a typical Nick Valensi finger-bleedingly-fast fashion.

The other two songs that really stand out to me are “Taken For a Fool” and “Gratisfaction”. The first is the most Strokes-sounding song on the record, harking back to the days of “Room On Fire” with its steady, basic drumbeat and “12:51”-esque guitar line. The chorus is effortless, “You’re so gullible but I don’t mind, that’s not the problem” and makes you remember why Julian Casablancas has one of the coolest fucking voices in the history of rock music. “Gratisfaction” is ultra-cool and upbeat, probably the happiest song on “Angles” and hopefully a future single. The chorus is bittersweet (“Cos you’re never gonna get my love”) but has all the qualities of a pissed-up sing-along.

Deep down I know that I still need to listen to “Angles” more before it really sinks in, but whilst it doesn’t touch any of the previous 3 albums in terms of impact or quality, its still a Strokes record at the end of the day and therefore still has some gems. Whilst not as consistent as the first 3 efforts, it still offers something new for die-hard Strokes fans and will give them a chance to mix up the genres in their live sets. It really is an album that you need to listen to and decide for yourself.

Personally I hope The Strokes carry on and make more legendary albums such as “Is This It”, but I don’t know if I’m confident enough at the moment to say they will, and I doubt they are either. I really mean it when I say that I sure hope so, but I guess time will tell…