dyad

...the album is absolutely sublime, far, far better than I hoped it would be. It just sounds beautifully classic yet with all the weird atmospheres that Radiohead add to make it sound so modern. Kind of reminds me a post-modern Neil Young record in a very good way indeed. On The Beach for 2007 or something.

Case in point Videotape- to be honest, live, a bit of a shockingly coldplay-esque snoozeathon - on record - wow! make the piano sound like it is a haunted attic, add some weird percussion and it comes out as quite a different prospect entirely. See also All I Need. Faust Arp is a rare suprise that recalls Good Morning Mr Magpie in its simplicity and grace. And Arpeggi and Nude are glorious as expected. And it works so well as a whole, with a beautiful similarity of tone throughout. No complaints at all.

Regarding the 160 kbps thing, it is a little disappointing and on these speakers I can occasionally hear things go nuts when all the instruments pile in an the subtly and lushness is sadly stripped out and the cymbals sound flat. Then again, all I was thinking was "this is going to sound amazing on vinyl". I wasn't going to get the boxed set, but now maybe I will. We all know that once the boxed set comes out, the internets will be awash within hours with high bitrate files that one can "upgrade" to. And I suspect Radiohead know this too, they are in a sense "leaking" their own album. They are savvy enough to understand that people are going to get it on MP3 anyway, so they might as well offer it at "as much as you like".

You can listen to this song by the butterfly and indeed every song they have put on record (two EPs and an album and more) at http://www.thebutterfly.co.uk . Enjoy!

Nice to see him making the list...

The Butterfly have a new website up - with new tracks - see http://www.thebutterfly.co.uk

Will be missed...sniff.

Please, he's better than average, but come off it.

Alexander Lazarus - A Joke

Borrowed stylistically from their influences? Like twentysix feet borrowed from Converge, late Jeff Buckley and Aphex Twin? Or Immune borrowed from Radiohead, Tool and prog? What do you mean? Is it not legtimate to have influences and take from them? Sounds like the extremes of duckspeak to me.

As for the opening act, I can hardly comment.

"just decide not to mention them at all in your review?:

Incidently, the aggressive tone of this phrase leads me to summise that you are mainly pissed that twentysixfeet didn't get mentioned.

But making a DiS account just to slag off some band you don't like is a bit lame isn't it? Then posting said negative review twice? Reeks of effort.

Dom didn't review twentysixfeet because he thought it would be unfair to do so because their lead singer was sick. But they were indeed very good. In fact in all it is a wonderous night.

As for The Butterfly ripping good bits directly from other bands tunes, I really haven't got the foggiest idea where you are coming from on this. But each to there own its simply weird because this is the least common reaction to the band - "sounds really derivative".

As for banging on about musicianship as a source of quality, again, I don't really know what you mean. Neither twentysixfeet nor The Butterfly (or anyone that night) were reeling off flights of virtuoso playing during the night, but were rather playing songs. They certaining were good enough to play through the songs with accuracy and tightness. What do you want: a twenty minute long Vai solo?

Yes.

That is precisely it. How the hell do these songs hold your attention for this length of time? But some how they do. You wait for that particular line, or that particular turn of phrase: "come back all the poppies are in bloom". Gorgeous.

End of story.

The lyrics are fine, but the music doesn't seem to be as good. At least to my weary ears.

Their second album is pretty dull in comparison to their first.

The Butterfly were amazing, forever, the MC in question is Talk Less, Say More aka the guitarist/keyboardist Jell. Bassist MC Theodore Campbell is also, a hem, MC, and works under the name Coruschord, but he didn't do any rapping that night. http://www.myspace.com/talklesssaymore and http://www.myspace.com/coruschord for all that.

are boring, boring, boring. As hell.

magazine concurs with this review in that it seems like there is no interaction between the two musicians. Great shame really considering Hebdans love and knowledge of free jazz.

has now jumped to the top of my "to buy" list.

Another excellent and unusual review sir!

And more, what?

Its because I am rubbish. Mainly. I wasn't trying to be all confrontational there, I was just commenting. On the internet.

Patton has always been at least equally at home in the experimental side of things. If you look at his contributions to the Faith No More records or his work with John Zorn which has been going on for years and he has only recently released a new collaboration with him. Hardly just being perverse for the sake of it...

What I heard from this album was weak mind you.

After all, there is the US ATP for all the US malarkey. I am gutted that truck has song out incidently.

I agree. And it is a sad situation. What is more sad, is that I don't see an easy solution. But here is hoping that the internet and sites like this one might go some of the way to sorting this mess out.

I was just responding to comment about the kids getting the wrong impression. I was pretty sure you were refering to the diy thing, but my itchy messaging finger got the better of me.

Although this appears to be rather a losing battle here, for me its fine to they weren't amazing, or didn't seem that good, but they were shit ie totally without value seems a bit over the top. They do a pretty good job considering there is only three of them and a complex sound to re-create. And really, its not in the same heavy/crazed bands you mentioned. They have elements of this, sure, but there are more electronic/other sections.

Cats Cats Cats are great mind you. That Fucking Tank don't really float my boat on record.

Considering the rude health of the British music scene at the moment ie Arctic Monkeys, Franz etc (bands who I don't like admittedly), I don't think any young gig goers are forming this opinion about American bands etc...

See my comment above. Its frustrating, but its not their fault. Perhaps next time a US band hits our shores we should inform them of the situation. As I said above, the problem is often ignorance, rather than arrogance...perhaps.

I have it on pretty damned good authority that they didn't cost *this* much to play.

if any promoter sold tickets and chose a vast majority of British acts would the Festival sell like it does...

their loss eh?

The thing is here that touring the UK is not equivilent of touring the USA. Touring the USA and doing it properly means really touring, getting your back into it and travelling thousands of miles.

In addition, the US is much bigger country than the UK. They simply have more bands that are good/interesting because there are more people. Plus a US curator is pretty obviously going to choose US bands to play. Perhaps what we need is a UK curator. But considering that the big names in indie music *are* American (for better or worse) and they have to sell tickets to indie fans....you get my drift.

Sad thing is, the problem you indentified can only be solved by not letting the bands play in this country, but when is that going to happen.

At the end of the day, the situation will only be solved by better labels in the US becoming aware of the problem and trying to be more understanding.

The way you seem to be phrasing it is that bands like volcano! who are new to this (and probably more than a bit naive) are doing this out of some spite for UK acts as well as more than a large dose of American arrogance. As you say, it is often generally the promoters who ask for these prices (hardly the bands fault with small acts). If the bands themselves ask for the money, it is probably because this is the done thing. Imagine yourself in volcano!'s shoes - you have the opportunity as young guys to tour Europe, which you have never seen...etc etc.

The US economic system and the music industry therein is hardly the fault of volcano! or any band with a similar DIY ethic who want to come over here and tour. I am pretty damned sure, considering their politically charged lyrics and generally pleasant personalities that had you come down and chatted to them they would have expressed more than sympathy for the fact that UK bands can't do what they are doing. They are more likely ignorant of the situation, rather than aggressively arrogant and needlessly money-grabbing about it.

Basically, is your opinion that they are piss-poor an aesthetic judgement first, or a economic judgement based upon bands-like-these-coming-over-from-america first? I can more than understand your annoyance, but I just don't think it is volcano!'s fault. Perhaps I am the one being naive.

They rock like mothers...

Perhaps it went on a bit, but the vast majority of it was pretty incredible. They were also stunningly tight considering the complexity of their material. Perhaps a little over blown (you might argue) but I think piss poor is a bit wide of the mark.

But what about x band not deserving to tour the UK? They put out for a tour and people are more than glad to book them, mostly small promoters who really aren't in it to make the money, but rather for the joy of putting on bands they like. Actually speaking to them, it is pretty clear they aren't some awful corporate monsters trying to come over here and steal our jobs. They were three guys touring and indeed even seeing Europe for the first time, who were also pleasantly politically involved and took seriously, for example, what label they chose to sign to for the sake of artistic freedom rather than making wads of fat cash (Leaf). Even their stage manner was pleasantly self-depreciating - asking to have the echo on his voice turned down and then glancing over the banks of electronics to say "yeh we don't need any of this modern technology".

What do you think makes a band deserve to play the UK? If it is innovation, a decent live show and committment to keeping it as DIY as humanly possible despite the fact you are coming a huge distance I think volcano! tick all the boxes. I think they ended up on someones sofa at the end of the night...