The new Taiga Remains/RV Paintings split LP on UK label Blackest Rainbow is one of the finest drone-related records I have heard in some time. Both artists deliver dense side-long pieces that are full of tension. It's refreshing to hear a drone-based record that is miles away from the current wave of synth-obsessed borderline-New Age projects that seem to be popping up weekly (although I like some of that stuff as well...). Both of these sides present a darker and more organic approach, which is more in line with classic scrape-and-creak recordings by Organum and Andrew Chalk. The RV Paintings CD on Root Strata was excellent, and the piece featured here, "Emission Spectrum", of similar high quality. The four person group (including Brian Pyle of Starving Weirdos, whose new CD Into An Energy on Bo'Weavil is also excellent) uses all manner of acoustic instruments (cello, harmonium, percussion, etc) to create a thick, shifting, ominous cloud of drone activity. The Taiga Remains side, "Mengku From Mensa" is a gorgeous piece involving sole member Alex Cobb (who runs the excellent Students Of Decay label) playing guitars, electronics and objects. I'm not always the biggest fan of the Split LP format (where do you file them?), but when the sides are this well matched and as solid as both these projects, the format is irrelevant.

A Greater Escape

The self-titled debut LP by The Good, The Bad & The Queen, released in 2007, is a far greater achievement than might be expected, given the group's lineup. Masterminded by ex-Blur frontman Damon Albarn, the group also includes Paul Simonon (former bassist for The Clash), Simon Tong (second guitarist in The Verve), and pioneering drummer Tony Allen (Fela Kuti's saving grace). Although that does sound like a supergroup, seriously: when was the last time Simonon's name was attached to something forward-thinking (Havana 3AM anyone?)? And, sure, I liked Blur when I was in my late teens, but I haven't been able to revisit much of their output in the last 10 years. The idea, however, that Tony Allen's peerless drumming is what would give relevance to this gang of British Pop used-to-be's is entirely wide of the mark. In the footage I have seen of the group, Albarn is clearly having some "classic British bad teeth" issues. The guy is clearly a lifetime away from chasing the pop stardom he once achieved in Blur. His songwriting for The Good, The Bad & The Queen inhabits a distinctly melancholy universe, while the album somehow comes off as uplifting. It is precisely this tension that makes the LP such a success. A moody affair from start to finish, the album features many inspired textural effects from Albarn and Tong, using organ, melodica and general atmospheric sound to enhance the pop group structure. Simonon plays to his strengths, keeping a steady, dub-inspired feel throughout, reminiscent of "The Guns Of Brixton". This helps to ensure an ominous tone, and also gives Allen room to flourish. Having said that he is not the focal point of the group, Allen's effortless-sounding rhythms certainly add a unique feel to many of Albarn's strong songs. His playing has a feel that sits in a strange zone in between a shuffle and a straight four, and the complex rhythms he invents sound as if they just tumble right out of his head. Several of the songs either feature no drums at all, or include Allen only in codas. The sparse nature of the instrumentation allows for each nuance that IS added to have maximum effect. The idea that Dangermouse has done post-production sounds like a nightmare, but he also shows restraint and only adds to the affair, especially on "Herculean". It's curious that although Albarn had a hand in starting the Honest Jon's label (which co-released this LP with EMI), he doesn't merely draw on it's roster, or it's World Music leanings, for The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Although Allen is an Honest Jon's mainstay at this point, the rest of the lineup have been brought into what must have been a truly unique and challenging situation. Rather than sounding like Albarn's reflection of the Honest Jon's universe, this LP simply sounds like the product of a man who has matured, and is drawing on seemingly disparate elements to realize a unique vision. I really hope it's not a one-off.

Microcastle

Deerhunter's new album(s) Microcastle/Weird Era Continued strike just the right balance between simple pop songwriting and complex arrangements. When Microcastle was leaked on the Internet, leader Bradford Cox decided to include an entire new album as a bonus CD with physical copies of the album. Rather than just an extra CD full of outtakes, live tracks or other throwaway material, Weird Era Continued is just as solid as Microcastle itself, containing 13 tracks in 42 minutes. Cox's strength is that he adds to his already-strong songwriting by using textures from a variety of influences, while not merely reconstructing others' achievements. I was struck by the fact that on Cox's blog his downloadable mix CDs always feature a Beach Boys tune. It is only with this reference that the Beach Boys influence becomes apparent in his own arrangements, which also owe a lot to the hazy indie rock of the early to mid 90's. Clearly he uses these influences as tools in a greater whole, rather than trying to recreate Pet Sounds (or Loveless) exactly, as someone such as Sean O'Hagan has built his entire career on. The greatest modern pop music is a synthesis of many styles, but still reflects the mind of it's creator, and Cox seems to achieve this effortlessly. The "Be My Baby" drum pattern of "Vox Humana" works so well because it is only a small element of the otherwise un-Spector-like song, and the only example of such direct quoting on the entire double CD. In this era of quick duplication and oversaturation by a constant flood of CDr and cassette releases (even sometimes from "rock" bands, not just Noise artists), it's refreshing to see someone take a year or more between LPs and make them as rewarding as Microcastle/Weird Era Continued.

germs

I've been catching up on listening to/learning about L.A. punk lately. I saw The Germs movie with a friend who was actually there at the time. This was a fortunate thing, because I got asides like "No one would have been singing along at their shows" and "that club had NO lights or curtains". It's frustrating that the film makes Darby out to be a triumphant rock star, at least at times, in full control of his faculties on stage, captivating the audience. Watching the actual footage of the band from The Decline Of Western Civilization shows that this was clearly not the case. Although the biopic was a polished let down in many ways, it sparked my interest in the actual group, and I am now reading the book "Lexicon Devil" about Darby Crash and The Germs, with the L.A. Punk overview "We Got The Neutron Bomb" next in the pile. Listening to the Germs (G I) LP, the thing I find most striking is that Crash is at once barely coherent/the weak link, AND the focal point/strength of the group. Without such a solid band behind him he surely would have appeared more wasteoid than visionary. Pat Smear must be one of the most underrated guitarists of the original punk era, and Don Bolles is a solid and inventive drummer. Lorna Doom certainly got by, having never picked up a bass before their first shambolic gig. Although there is so much music out there today that's exciting, it's frustrating that 1977 is something that will never happen again. Any number of bands can recreate the sound and look of times gone by, but there's something magical about the first time someone took a musical style to the next level. Sure, Crash and friends were influenced by Bowie and Iggy, but the heights they took that influence to provoked an excitement I can never truly experience. It's promising, though, to still find large areas of music history that I somehow missed.

hobble nong

I twisted my ankle in the 1st half of tonight's basketball game but we won 100-87 so it's OK. When I got home I hobbled into the other room and got out Tarkus by ELP. I don't think I'd give this record so much leeway if I wasn't a drummer. Carl Palmer's got it...

honest

The Honest Jon's label of the UK is really on a roll right now. In the last 6 months they have released a fantastic Algerian traditional music CD, several amazing Tony Allen remix/rework 12"s (highlights from the series are collected on a recent CD/2LP), a CD/2LP of West African music in the UK from the late 20's, and the lush debut CD by chanteuse Simone White. Their forthcoming titles are just as exciting. These include the imminent release of a collection of early 78s from the EMI Archives and a collection of music from Baghdad from the late 20's, and later an album by The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (all 7 are sons of Sun Ra trumpeter Phil Cohran). Last night at The Lincoln Center in New York City label co-founder Damon Albarn pulled together the various interests of the label and presented a fantastic 2 hour performance under the banner "Damon Albarn's Honest Jon's Revue". It's remarkable how well the 20-odd performers from various countries and musical styles worked together. They were all on stage for the duration of the single long set, and performed in different combinations, some also solo. Present were Damon Albarn, Tony Allen, Afel Bocoum, Kokanko Sata, Lobi Traore, Simone White, Candi Staton and band, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, guitarist Simon Tong and, oddly, Victoria Williams. The Revue format worked extremely well for the Honest Jon's stable. Southern Soul singer Candi Staton, who has released new material through the label, as well a compliation of her late 60's/70's work, seemed especially at home in the Revue context. A highlight of the set was hearing The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble perform "Sankofa" (a standout track on the recent Allen remix/rework comp) with Tony Allen on live drums. The seven horn players have a generally bad-ass vibe about them and proved that they are a devastating unit, capable of playing in a classic Afrobeat style on Tony Allen's numbers, while also making Victoria Williams's caterwauling almost bearable by providing a tasteful backdrop. The night succeeded in presenting an overview of the label's far-reaching diversity. As the crowd was being seated, the late Moondog was being played over the sound system, from a compilation of his work released on Honest Jon's. Sure enough, during the show Albarn, Staton's drummer and the Hypnotic Brass performed a version of his "Rabbit Hop", after which Albarn announced that it was a Moondog tune and that he had "lived just up the road". Newcomer Simone White dazzled the audience with 2 solo numbers, one from her solo debut CD I Am The Man and one I did not recognize. Kokanko Sata, Lobi Traore and Afel Bocoum all appeared on Albarn's Mali Music album, which launched the label in 2002. Sata plays a traditional eight-stringed lute, and is said to be the only woman who is capable of playing this difficult instrument. Bocoum had the appearance of a Malian John Lee Hooker. Damon's contribution, aside from the obvious organizational duties, was understated. He mostly provided organ and melodica accompaniment, and danced a lot. The closing number was the only one he sang on, and it tied the evening together with a big blowout at the end. No encore, no intermission. Everyone seemed pleased, as well they should have.

Heavy jams

My life is a complicated web of amplifier moving.