Archive for April, 2005
firstly, i could fart all over the web design for the a sides win site. but it did give me the opportunity for my first listen (and look) at ‘all used up’. a very nazz-like riff running through the song, it seems to have shaken off the self-conscious rock of the last few radio singles.’if it feels good do it’ had of all things, uncharacteristic “scratching” in the background, the presence of an actual producer an attempt to give the long deserving band their major label hit. but on the accompanying album ‘action pact’, they seemed like they were almost straining to carry on with the hard rock, to counter imaginary accusations of getting soft in their older age. while still capable of writing hooks, patrick pentland’s predilection for bar chords and repetition walks all over the finished product, while chris murphy’s less pensive moments come across as boorish. the real saving grace of the album is jay ferguson’s development as a songwriter, his love of the smiths and morissey clearly showing.
‘all used up’ at least brings back some of the grit found in 1998’s ‘navy blues’. the opener ’she says what she means’ is a far better cousin to ‘iifgdi’, and one has to wonder where the surprises, song splicing and playfulness has gone.
watching tapes borrowed from the library of the west wing, and i’m slowly getting throught the first season (up to ep 12 right now). the small portions that tv offers really aren’t satisfying enough, having to wait another week for the next episode of a series, hence dvd sets and the like nowadays are a godsend.
things you may already know about the west wing: the show is undeniably stars and stripes from the opening trailer, but yet it does not make me gag. despite its parallels to real life, it deals with politics in a idealistic and human manner. So idealistic and morally well executed that it makes me want to pledge allegiance to this mythic nation and its president.
also, seen on the news last night, a protester with a banner reading ‘deccite’ (sic).
s-k have a new album coming out may 24, this time on sub pop. when i bought their last record from kill rock stars in both cd and lp format (limited edition stuff supposedly), the staff (was it tobi vail who signed the customs sticker on my package?) slipped in all this extra stuff, old press photos of krs artists including s-k and band stickers. stuff that made me want to write an email to them to say thank you (i should have, but i didn’t). my question is, will i recieve the same attention from sub pop?
and maybe only i care about this kind of thing, but the wording of the western australian government’s multicultural charter is almost revolutionary. it includes the acknowledgement of previous multicultural policy as restrictive; of internal and individual differences, not just ‘us and them’; of things being pushed aside as ‘multicultural issues’ in the past.
the australian government’s is just a load of bloody lipservice to the prevailing attitudes. be like us. or else. (grow up, society!)
it’s all in the wording - subtle, but it means two different things. also, is it any surprise these are coming from different political parties? (this is why i voted latham last election)
Posted in listening | Comments (0)