I recently experienced a quiet night at Hippo Bar where an acoustic two-piece played lilting tunes which kept everyone firmly in their seats. This was disappointing, as our group happened to include several beautiful females, and some solid beat-action from the sound system would have helped things along nicely.
In fact, this collection of deliciously infectious Afrobeat would have had people scrambling over each other to bring about sweet sensual stuff on the dance floor. This music often features strong political content attached to highly desirable arrangements, and there is something joyous about the coming together of voices, horns and guitar under the starry night of soul enriching rhythms, that will make listeners feel better about the world and all the unfortunate things that happen in it. This compilation of Fela Kuti inspired African funk focuses on the mid to late 1970s which turned out to be a particularly fertile period. It is, in fact, a re-issue of a Korma Records compilation from 2001 on the always dependable Strut label, and originally appeared at a time when compilations of this nature were few and far between. And in terms of geography, much ground is covered including places like Kenya and Zaire, where the Afro funk influence from Nigeria - the mother lode state - had spread with great success. All 12 tracks are winners with killer rhythms that get those juices flowing right over.
Jaytech & James Grant - Anjunadeep:02 [Anjunadeep / Onelove:
Trance trio Above & Beyond were recently in Australia headlining their very own stage at Future Music Festival, and over the past decade they’ve changed the face of trance with their winning Anjunabeats label. Lately though, attention has been turning to its house-based offshoot Anjunadeep – which has been responsible for some of the most sublime dance music you’re likely to hear. Deep, progressive grooves laced with gorgeous trancey melodies are the order of the day and for those already acquainted with the label’s output, the idea of a new double-disc compilation of mostly fresh material is almost too good to be true.
Above & Beyond took the reigns on last year’s debut compilation, but this time they’ve handed them over to A&R head James Grant along with Canberra wonderboy Jaytech. The duo’s own fine work features heavily here, but they’re joined by an all-star cast of progressive house talent that includes Jodi Wisternoff, Oliver Smith, Paul Keeley and 16 Bit Lolitas.
While the original basically tied together the label’s existing back catalogue in a package that was wanting for flow, the sequel lives up to the stunning standard of the label itself. James Grant’s deeper selections have the edge over Jaytech’s more euphoric and tranced-up offerings; overall though there’s an outstanding collection of tunes across the two discs. It’s brimming over with warmth, melody and sophistication, meaning Anjunadeep:02 is about as close to electronic perfection as you can get.
It may have been because they were supporting masters of tedium Cog when I saw them live, but I really had CAC down as being something a little more unusual than the usual workaday modern Australian rock outfit.
In the live arena they make a hell of a lot of racket for a ‘mere’ three-piece, and their dynamism made them a far more compelling proposition than the headliners that night at the Hellenic Club... all of which makes Hold, Hold, Fire something of a disappointment.
It’s not bad, but the transition from all guns blazing live outrage to the more polite, measured confines of the recording studio has left the band at something of a disadvantage.
Opener Disconnect suggests we may be in for a ride of exciting proportions, but the band can’t quite back up this early promise and in fact it’s not until final track Little Red Hands that you really get a glimpse of what this mob are actually capable of.
In between those twin peaks it’s all a little safe, all a little samey and all a bit commercial radio friendly. The title track blusters a bit but never quite breaks the shackles, This Ship Will Sail Without You almost makes the grade but doesn’t quite... are you getting the picture? Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to like about CAC - so maybe next time?
a band from New York, consisting of (according to Wikipedia philipino born, but he’s actually from Australia) Angus Andrew, Aaron Hemphill and Julian Gross.
...and continuing from that a band who have released some of the greatest tracks over the past decade. However, for every brilliant song they have created have written three fold the amount of utter tripe. I can happily listen to Drums Not Dead until the cows come home. But there comes a point in anyone’s life where you need to draw a line.
This band strives on being left to their element and struggling on their own intrapersonal issues. Their self titled album was half decent but suffered the regular mainstream production values that you see from most bands. “Hey guys, you’re really different and real. We want you to sign to a four album record deal and in the process make money from you and drag you away from the art you choose to make”.
It’s sadly a common event. Artistic merit is only made up by the soul-less bastards who exploits you. But I digress...
Sisterworld resonates much in the same way that self-titled does. The band has experimented and is going to use that as an advantage. Hmm, two minute psuedo-pop songs deciphered in the Liars way.
Well who is lying to who? Liars have had their fun and now have a recipe.
British India’s identification and frustration with disaffected youth comes through loud and true in Avalanche. A call to arms – scattering riffs and vocals listless then urgent – you’ve no option but to raise your ears at this reflection of modern alienation and disgruntled ambivalence. These are songs of love unattainable beyond windshields of muted uncertainty, yet they reveal the cage of social construct suffocating a wasteland of youth. Frontman Declan Melia urges expression of desire with proverbial brick, yet he’s afflicted with the same disease – an enraged empathy pervades.
Vanilla licks with violent jealousy of unrequited love, screaming in the anguish of discarded hope. Beneath the Satellites aches for an escape to a new experience, and recognises the transience and inherent futility in the attempt. Reminded how amazing an age it is, Melia’s response – “then why do I feel like I’m missing out” – really says it all. Ironically, such an accurate expression of a generation in isolated turmoil actually stands in solidarity and sounds a cry to the confused and aggravated at an inexplicable existence. Avalanche pleads with us to not let a maze of cold pavements steal away our hope and passion.
The cover artwork for Shout Out Louds’ previous albums Howl Howl Gaff Gaff, and Our Ill Wills, although poles apart in style, were immersive and contemplative, nodding suggestively at the sugar-sweet, yet often complex indie-pop gems that were contained therein. The cover artwork for Work, however, shows the group in black and white, instruments in hand, staring deadly at the camera. A touch narcissistic, it also creates a moment of awkward tension for the listener, who wanders who has stolen the warmth from the eyes of these gorgeous Swedish folk.
And that’s how much of Work feels compared to their previous…um, work. It’s recognisable as Shout Out Louds and, even for a group of such slender age plugging away at their third release, shows them confident and uncannily able to evoke in the listener, at points, the angst of the depths of their heart. Their penchant for Cure-like refrains and ‘80s post-punk structures is as strong and polished as ever, but Adam Olenius’ vocals sound hollow and vacant. Even the title, Work, hints at the banality of routine, as though the group is going through the motions, rather than (ironically enough), working hard to dig deep and really exhume the feelings and emotions which gave their pop licks such heart and soul. The album is certainly no back-step, but for those who saw in them greater potential, will be a little disappointing.
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps Tradixionales [Constellation] :
Surely one of the most unsafe MS Word spell check bands in existence, Silver Mt. Zion continue to confound, frustrate, delight and amaze in equal measure. For every passage of visceral, eye-popping, locked-in groove volcanic momentum there’s another of middling, directionless distraction. Never a band to structure ‘songs’ in the traditional sense, the Montreal based collective have pushed their sonic palate immeasurably towards the exhilarative ‘angry-crunch’ idiom since their quasi found-sound beginnings as a Godspeed You Black Emperor side project.
Always an acquired taste, Efrim Memuck’s vocals have found a natural cadence vacillating between agit-prop chant, aggravated sneer and disillusioned waft. As usual it’s the longer pieces that reward the most; There Is A Light is one of the band’s finest, a slow-grinding organ and viola gypsy dirge gradually giving in to a cataclysmic sub-terrarium fireball of crunching hard-rock intensity. As is normally the case, Sophie Trudeau’s violin colours every key passage with understated tenderness or vicious, vibrato-laden fury. Silver Mt. Zion have yet to make their unified masterpiece, and Kollaps falls over (oh dear) in places struggling to find a memorable melody or rhythm, but really that’s an uncharitable complaint; they’re not a pop band and those moments are rare and pass easily. Screw it – Album of the Year.
