smezzer

if you're Dave Grohl

the standard hipster refrain is that they lost any semblance of goodness when Oliveri left. Which is a load of old cock really. The last two albums are extremely good

i might go to this gig in Manchester but, y'know, i'm lazy n ting. We'll have to see

Jo Whiley has always sucked hyperballs and will continue to do so for the rest of her life. But at least she's better than Edith

this band is a classic exmple of Radio 1 rockism. You can remember the melody/chorus, right, and it's got guitars and singing. Y'know, like real music? MINT

reforming for a lucrative concert to promote a "classic" Q magazine album. TOTALLY FUCKING PUNK

very good album this, and not a bad review. I definitely agree with the part about the music now being as compelling as the music.

but I'll Sleep When You're Dead it aint

NOBODY at a Kate Nash concert is innocent

since Kanye's personality is inseparable from the music he makes

but i think it would have been made a lot better with a more dynamic, realistic sound. Its just a relentless, overpowering noise which loses any power it holds by being so relentless, (if you follow). I find it really draining rather than joyous, particularly at any sort of high volume

you're right though, it probably is a leftover of their more abstract earlier work, and they've always loved the treble dial. And i'm sure it's at least partially self imposed. But in my opinion it doesn't work at all

the lyrics suck too ;)

its pretty patronising to suggest that i've "lost the joy of music" because i care about things other than the "songs". To me, good production is as important to music as many of its other features.

i could turn your comment on its head and say "you've lost the joy of a really good sounding record what with your myspace streaming and youtube and iTunes". But that would be SOOOOO fucking patronising

as a producer he's is often great (or at least has been in the past)

as a rapper/personality Kanye is totally fucking lame to the max

this record sounds fucking horrible. The flow and structure are superb, and the level of compositional skill on show is really quite impressive. But the production is near unlistenable at points. Its just one big trebly stonewalled mess with absolutely no subtlety or dynamism in the sound. Jacknife Lee murdering Phil Spector with a fuck off compressor. And a lot of the vocals take this even further, high pitch squeals which add to the muddiness and provide very little in terms of complimentary tone (although the growliness on tracks like Reverend Green does work much better).

As well as this, since the vocals are mixed much higher and clearer means you can really hear the general clumsiness of a lot of the lyrics. Feels was a little bit dodgy in this respect (that "sometimes i'm naked" line is one i might pick out), but Strawberry Jam just goes above and beyond. They often make sense in some sort of grand centralised scheme, and themes do show themselves throughout, but they just don't sound very pleasing or beautiful. "Cringeworthy" might be a more adequate descriptor for certain couplets

You could argue that its AC's prerogative as to their sound and production, and maybe that's what the decaying strawberry on the front represents: something sweet and fruity (the quite commercial and poppy songwriting) which has decomposed to bitterness and distaste. But whatever their intentions i think the auditory aesthetics detract massively from the album as a whole

you might have gathered that if you read the review. But you obviously love Kanye, so yr probably well thick and can't read n ting.

Great review though, sums up pretty much everything i hate about the slimy little rat fuck. Kanye is probably the lamest rapper/personality in commercial rap's recent past

oh, and congrats to DiS on the signing of the season. I'm totally gay 4 Dom

well, you do make some valid points, but it all comes off as a rather smug and superioristic exercise in hipster self fellation. This part particularly riled me:

"does this over-sentimentality get in the way of the new music and generally blunt the erratic point live music is meant to provide. It calls into question whether senses are being dulled. Are people being engaged with new music, seeking acts inspired by those with the reborn status, because of these sorts of events or do shutters close and people retreat into the cosiness of their bona fide classics?"

I read it as "new music is king, as soon as it becomes established we should stop engaging with it. Come to think of it, how do i know you like it because of what it is? You probably just read about in The Guardian. No, the only way to be a PROPER MUSIC FAN is to be there at the beginning, and preferably state your claim before anyone else has told you how good it is. Seriously, anything too old isn't worth revisiting, go and read Mojo you backwards fuck"

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

when's his new album/book/movie out then?

but the results are correct

heard about 20 seconds of his music, but i just know

ONCE?
TWICE?

i don't trust your judgement

just talkin innit.. more real music please DiS, less of this shite

i'd expect a band with their old school vinyl sound and influence to realise this

nah

but the fact is that the music industry has changed massively since even the days of Suede. 4 singles from an (admittedly well selling) album really isn't that surprising, because its no longer singles advertising the album but the singles selling themselves and being collected in one place. Like you say, gone are the days when if you liked an artist you'd go buy their album to get the couple of songs you'd heard. Now you can just buy what you like from iTumour and be done with it

Thus, an artist needs to release as many songs as they can from the same album because they need the exposure that a new single can bring about, and the more they do it the more likely that Mr. Consumer will give in and autocomplete the album via the aformentioned download service. It's sad times we live in, but i'm afraid right now the song is king and the album merely grubby underling

And at least she hasn't rereleased any singles yet. Has she?

but what exactly has Shaggy done in the past year to deserve a nomination? Same with Sway

his sampling is particularly obvious and unimaginative (the best way to get a pop hit, and Kanye knows it) as well as being quite wasteful (i.e. not taking the sample to anywhere near its potential)

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so a lack thereof can only be justified if the lack of flow fits the style of music or adds something special to it, or if many of the other cornerstones by which one can judge hip hop (e.g. lyrical content, charisma, imagination, production) are above and beyond satisfactory.

Just because a lot of shitty rap is focussed around the flow doesn't mean that poor flow should be rejected as a topic of criticism

buh?

they need to get you in more ofen

I'm looking forward to this album BIG TIME. Believe me, its been a titanic struggle to resist the downloading urge

there's no way i'm missing the Manchester gig

but then i am a masochist

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2303740

the only similiarity i see is that Peacebone and Pavement have very silly lyrics. I doubt Malkmus & Co. would ever get involved with steel drums and psychedelic electronica

Its an ok song i guess. I like the chorusy bit and it has a nice flow n all. But its just a bit disappointing really. Like i say, the discernable lyrics are clumsy at best, irritatingly stupid at worst. Ok, the lyrics on Feels were a bit dodgy at times, but this is a constant stream of not very good stuff mixed at a high volume.

And as for the rest of the production.. its bright and poppy but in all the worst ways, leaving it muddy and undefined, and like, overpowering without being powerful. Not a patch on the last album on that front, where the enveloping sound was one of its greatest triumphs.

A lot of my criticisms can be transferred to the rest of the album as well, and although i might sound a bit negative about its just disappointment. Peacebone is still nowhere near bad

it was a bit of a twatty review

but i reckon in the not too distant future she'd struggle to make anywhere near the top spot. The backlash is already on the rise, and as soon as Edith Bowman says something negative about her or Chris Moyles does a "comedy" pisstake her entire paper thin career will come crashing down. Such is the razor's edge of hot-or-not, ludicrous/"genius" she currently skirts

she's the prime example i was trying to think of. MIA was what i settled on

is that the Robyn that Stylus and Pitchfork have been creaming themselves over for the past couple of years? The one who makes the sort of music internet nerds describe as "great pop", but which never gets anywhere near denting the mainstream (MIA, i'm looking at you).

Turn up for the books, innit?

but if Dungen had made it you would't have to put up with the terrible, terrible lyrics. Because they'd all be in Swedish

As it is, quite enjoyable in musical terms. Quite painful in lyrical terms

so i read past Hoddle and Waddle before.

"Beyond belief" is putting it lightly. "Absolutely fucking impossible" is closer.

Convincing though, huh?

that line-up is beyond belief

His forthcoming album entitled "duets" sees him collaborating with musicians as diverse as Ali Campbell from UB40, Milli Vanilli, Twin Peaks soundtrack creator Angelo Badalamenti, former Three Tenor Jose Carreras, Rick Wakeman from Yes, Michael Hossack from Doobie Brothers, former Van Halen and Extreme front man Gary Cherone, Al Di Meola, Hall and Oates, Brand X, Rainbow, Blue Öyster Cult, Meat Loaf, Fandango and Enrique Iglesias drummer Chuck Burgi, Hoddle and Waddle, Eternal collaborator BeBe Winans, former 911 member Jimmy Constable, Deep Blue Something brothers Todd Pipes and Toby Pipes and Katrina Leskanich from Katrina and the Waves.

WHAT THE FUCK is Angelo "Badass Mentality" up to?

represents everything thats wrong with modern music

What a disgusting cunt

maybe a bit too much gravy and not enough meat, but interesting nonetheless.

As a fan of his last 2 albums (Up In Flames in particular) i still hold out hope that this one could be special, and despite the average score i find your description pretty enticing. But i may wait for some more reviews before i put any cash forward

you've really got my number there

but Rap Dracula on the Lexoleum compilation is painfully bad. Strained flow, irritating lyrics and a generally dislikeable persona. Maybe he's improved now, but i'm not holding my breath.

And rap music needs bravado to survive. Take away bravado and this is what you get:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJjtEG5ARK0

IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT?

comparing the lyrics of this song to other popular indie wordsmiths is like comparing a child's fingerpainting to a big fat smear of turd in a toilet bowl. One is better than the other, but it aint the Sistine chapel..

Out of the rest of the album (which, admittedly, i've not spent much time with) this is certainly one of the best, mainly because the lyrics aren't quite head in hands embarrassing, though the sentiments contained are student polemic at its most average. Most of the album can and does suck a fat one (and no, i'm not deluded)

And as for "the most sonically remarkable band in British popular music".. well, if thats the case we're in trouble. Maybe in the indie world, but as stated above thats hardly a 'clash of the titans' situation

TIMING