Post-Hardcore Journals - Entry 2 - What Happens When Chicago Jazz Disrupts the Trajectory of a Genre? Abilene, Radio Flyer, Sweep the Leg Johnny, and Check Engine... Duh!

So it’s been a long time since there’s been an update here at art/into/pop.  February was my digital vacation month, but I’m back and have great plans for some future postings. February was a meaningful month musically speaking.  I picked up some great vinyl I plan on sharing on the site in the upcoming weeks and saw some great shows - including performances by two indie rocker legends: the-one-and-onlys Thurston Moore and Stephen Malkmus. Thurston was great in a I’m-50-but-still-rock-like-a-sardonic-hipster kind of way, and Malkmus was.... eh... well, let’s just say I heard the Jicks were having a pretty sloppy-good time backstage before going on...

Post-Hardcore's Master of Ceremonies: Ian Mackaye - There's really no reason for this pic considering I haven't dared touch upon the behemoth DC scene on the blog... I just like the pic....

F. Erskine

I want to continue my focus on the essentials of Post-Hardcore - the last such posting being on the New York rockers, Helmet and Quicksand.  This time I want to shift focus to another equally significant musical cityscape - the midwest’s windy city. Chicago post-hardcore had a distinctly jazzy take on the genre, which is no surprise I guess.  Take, for example, the shortlived project, Abilene - a band started by a Chicago non-native, Alex Dunham of Hoover and Crownhate Ruin fame. He formed the band in Chicago sometime in the late 90s and was quickly joined by former Hoover bandmate, Fred Erskine, who played trumpet for the group.  There was an earlier posting on their previous, DC-based band where I claimed Hoover to be one of the all-time best Post-Hardcore acts; their sole full length, The Lurid Traversal of Route 7 (1994 Discord Records), is an absolute essential for Rock collections - up there with the best moments of early-90s Fugazi.  

Abilene is amazing as well - one of my personal favorite listens right now, and it’s the jazziest addition to both Dunham’s and Erskine’s impressively vast discographies.  I’ve only tracked down one full length by the band, so I’m a little ignorant of the entirety of their catalogue.  They released the album, Two Guns, Twin Arrows (54-40 Or Fight! Records), in 2002, and it’s an album that will leave listeners demanding more.  Here’s the second track, “Blanc Fixe”:

That’s definitely jazzier than even June of 44!  The album showcases Erskine’s trumpet playing more than any other previous project, and that’s due to the open, experimental nature of the band’s song structures - there’s more space for soloing and developing melodies.  It’s really great material. Check out the song, “Fellini”:

Ah, there’s the post-hardcore roots!  The song’s still jazzy and improvisatory, however. “Fellini” is probably more accurately representative of the album’s avenue of sound - although their sonic roadmap does lead to auditory ventures far removed from the typically expected, DC-influenced conventions of 90s post-rock.  Abilene concludes the album with a mellower jam entitled, “Solidarity”:

I really really recommend this one! If you like the sounds of previous posts such as Hoover, June of 44, Rockets Red Glare, Sharks Keep Moving, or Half Visconte, check this out!!

Abilene's Two Guns, Twin Arrows

Now sometime before Abilene’s run, Dunham formed another short-lived, Post-Hardcore project with some Chicago cohorts called Radio Flyer.  The group released one full-length in 1997 called In Their Strange White Armor (Polyvinyl Records); it too was mellower and jazzier than typical 90s post-hardcore - although its jazz overtones remain more subtle than that of the later Abilene...  Here’s the song, “Ice Cream Cheater,” from their sole album:

It’s a solid album by an unfortunately short-lived project; definitely check them out:

Radio Flyer's In Their Strange White Armor (.rar file)

Sweep the Leg Johnny live

Now I mention Radio Flyer briefly - mainly to note that Dunham collaborated with another Chicago rocker, Kevin J. Frank (from Sky Corvair, Traluma, etc.).  More recently, Mr. Frank has played with guitarist, Chris Daly, in the post-hardcore project, Haymarket Riot - another solid, Chicago-based band that’s worth a listen.  The group, however, does not display as much jazz-infused influence, which contradicts my original thesis, and instead of adjusting my claim, I’ll opt to suppress the facts - like any good politician or pundit would do - and spend no time showcasing their music.  My purpose is to make a connection to my next band of focus - a group started by the same Chris Daly in Chicago sometime in 1996.  The guitarist met saxophonist, Steve Sostak, and they started the experimental, Post-Hardcore project, Sweep the Leg Johnny.

Man, I used to think Johnny was such a badass! I bet Daly and Sostak did too.  Someone should remake Karate Kid from his perspective - about an average teen keepin' it cool as the resident karate kick-ass in a California town until the nerdy, unbecoming kid from out of town shows up to cramp his style - now that's a movie I want to see....

Like Abilene, Sweep the Leg Johnny was jazzier than their coastal contemporaries.  Unlike Abilene, they were more mathy and more frantic as well- often rocking at a faster, poppier pace.  The band consistently and frequently released records until 2002 - mostly on Southern Records.  Their first full length with Southern was released in 1999 and was entitled, Tomorrow We Will Run Faster.  Listen to the magnum opus track, “Rest Stop”:

That song demonstrates well their full range of sound, for Sweep the Leg Johnny could explore the slower, mellower spaces as well.  They were rowdy and frantic, however.  For instance, here’s the most popular track, “Bloodlines,” from their next full length with Southern Records, Sto Cazzo (2000):

Their finest, most mature recording was their last album, Going Down Swingin’ (2002 Southern Records).  Much of the album’s material was re-recorded songs from previous releases; “Rest Stop,” for example, was recorded again for the final Lp. One of the newly recorded songs was the track, “Only in a Rerun”:

That song features some of my favorite moments of Sostak’s sax work (check it out around 2min. 20sec. onwards.... awesome!!!)  Another favorite is the re-recorded gem, “Blizzard of ’99”:

That song’s on the mellower side as well for Sweep the Leg Johnny.... The band broke up sometime in 2002, but Steve Sostak teamed up with Chris Daly to continue their work in the short-lived project called Check Engine.  The band released only one self-titled album on Sickroom (Lp) and Southern Records (Cd).  I could find no samples of the band’s work on youtube or bandcamp, but if you like the more developed material by Sweep the Leg Johnny, then you NEED to hear this album; it’s must for sure.

Sweep's Tomorrow We Will Run Faster

Sweep's Sto Cazzo

Sweep's Going Down Swingin' (.rar file)

Check Engine's self-titled album

Here’s One of David Yow’s Lesser Known Projects: Los Angeles’s Qui

Qui were an experimental Noise Rock band from LA that formed in 2000; they released their first full length, Baby Kisses (Heart of a Champion Records) in 2003, and in 2006, David Yow of Scratch Acid and Jesus Lizard began performing live with the group, eventually joining the band as a permanent member. Around this time, the band joined Mike Patton’s label Ipecac Recordings to make their sophomore effort, Love’s Miracle (2007), the first release to feature Yow’s vocal work. It’s a noisy post-rock experiment that succeeds in many ways - pleasing the expectations of eager Yow enthusiasts. It’s more approachable than the more aggressive, dissonant work of J. Lizard or Scratch Acid. There’s mathy elements here as well with some stoner-like jams to top it off - just an all-around good album. Here’s the opening song, “Apartment”:

And here’s a live video of one of the album’s better, more Yow-inspired, tracks; it’s called “Belt”:

The album ends with a shortened cover of one of Pink Floyd’s greatest epic tracks, “Echoes” - an odd selection to end the Lp for a Yow-related Noise band... It’s awesome, however; check it out:

http://www.mediafire.com/?mzqmxjbdzza

The group released some 7”s with David Yow as well. The best is the 2009 release, The Little Golden Blanket (Infrasonic Records), a two song single that captures the group’s creative peak with the legendary Yow. Definitely check it out as well, if you can find it..... Enjoy!

David Yow says, "Enjoy the Noise!!!"

A Longwinded Post on Billy Corgan, Zwan, and the Projects of David Pajo, Matt Sweeney, and Paz Lenchantin <> Albums from Slint, Tortoise, Chavez, Bonnie Prince Billy, Brightblack Morning Light, and the Silver Jews

Smashing Pumpkin’s greatest achievement, Siamese Dream (1993 Virgin Records), was reissued on vinyl last November, presenting new liner notes and remastered recordings of the classic songs.  It sounds really great; it brought me back to the awkward days of middle school youth when I heard that thick guitar fuzz for the first time.  I was hooked then and I still am now.  Nobody’s guitar sounded that good at the time; the production on that was simply flawless.

The original recording process of the album is another one of those stories of a diligently obsessive artist who required days of arduous labor for what would often amount to a minute’s worth of final recorded material, but that grueling process and Billy Corgan’s visionary talent eventually produced one of the greatest Alternative Rock albums of the 1990s.   Aside from the drumming, Billy Corgan apparently played almost all the parts on the record; it definitely attests to his talent and ability.  All that to say, I had to buy the reissue of the record, but it pains me in some ways because Billy Corgan has got to be one of the biggest tools of the celebrity cesspool. Regardless of whether it’s ad hominem, I always feel some sense of disappointment when I discover that an artist or thinker whose work has impacted me turns out to be a total failure of a person in terms of capacity for interpersonal decency.  In Corgan’s case, he’s egomaniacal to the core, probably due to the destructive forces of fame, but I really wish Corgan hadn’t turned out to be such an utter tool in the same way I regret that great writers such as Heidegger or Celine could turn out to be fascist anti-semites as well.  Ego is a crazy crazy thing...

Case in Point: ZWAN

D. Pajo

To illustrate the point, take Corgan’s side project of the early 2000s, Zwan, a supergroup that featured David Pajo, Matt Sweeney, Jimmy Chamberlin, and Paz Lenchantin. And the word supergroup here is really an understatement.  David Pajo, for instance, is known as a former member of legendary Post-Rock groups Slint and Tortoise, and he has played guitar with artists such as Will Oldham, Stereolab, Interpol, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.  He’s also released several critically acclaimed solo albums. 

Sweeney with Will Oldham 

Matt Sweeney is no lightweight as well.  He was the frontman of the legendary Math Rock group, Chavez, during the 90s, but he’s also played with indie acts such as Guided by Voices, Cat Power, and Six Organs of Admittance. He recorded a critically acclaimed collaborative album called Superwolf (2005 Drag City) with Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Billy) as well.  In 2008, he collaborated with Neil Diamond on his album, Home Before Dark (American/Columbia), and he has worked with mainstream artists as diverse and random as Josh Groban, Kid Rock, and the Dixie Chicks.  A recent interview from the Village Voice acknowledged his tight relationship with legendary producer, Rick Rubin, calling Sweeney his “go to guitar guy.”  

P. Lenchantin

Paz Lenchantin also has quite the impressive resume.  She joined the hard rock group, A Perfect Circle; she has played with Queens of the Stone Age, the Silver Jews, Brightblack Morning Light, and David Pajo’s project, Papa M, and that’s just some of the highlights. 

Of course, Jimmy Chamberlain’s claim to fame is being the longstanding drummer of Corgan’s Smashing Pumpkins, so knowing all this, perhaps Zwan was destined for disaster; that is a lot of big careers all in the same room. (They broke up within a year, and it was an ugly departure...) The only thing is Pajo, Sweeney, and Lenchantin have proven time and again that they are cooperative, creative artists that have the capacity to work with all sorts of personalities and egos in the music world; just look at the above descriptions of their previous and ongoing work.  Corgan, however, has demonstrated again and again that cooperation, compromise, and the capacity to relate to others are incompatible with the demands of his ever-growing egotism. 

Here’s a good track called “Settle Down”, the 2nd track off their only album, Mary Star of the Sea (2003 Reprise Records):

It’s a good song; the entire album is much better than any release by the Smashing Pumpkins in the last decade. (It’s much much better than the Billy Corgan solo album that flopped two years later...)  It’s too bad they broke up the same year of the album’s release....

Zwan's Mary Star of the Sea

To this day, Corgan continues to slander bitterly the other members of the project, calling them names and accusing them of irresponsible, illicit behaviors, whereas the other members have seemed simply to move on and to continue creating art with a diversity of projects.

I think the words speak for themselves; here’s everyone’s response when asked about the bitterness of the breakup of Zwan:

David Pajo: ...[T]hat's one of the reasons I initially liked the guy—[Corgan] was so arrogant, it cracked me up. He would constantly bring up the fact that he sold 25 million records, or that his hit song was played at the Super Bowl or something. It just made me laugh. You know that character Alan Partridge, the one Steve Coogan played? Billy reminds me of Alan Partridge if he'd made a hit record. But after a while, the joke wears off.

Matt Sweeney: Back in the day, I got off on a great foot with [Corgan]. I met him before he was famous then we fell out of touch. Then we did Zwan and I hate to be negative but I wish it would have turned out differently...whatever you read or hear about him, it became more like that. There was a time when Corgan was really fun to work with and open. It's not up to me...it's between him and his maker. I don't want to trash the dude although he's trashed me.

And then there’s Billy’s response...

Billy Corgan: I am not afraid of dirty, filthy people who have no self-respect or class...never have I met such creatures who feel so entitled to all yet contribute so little, not only to my life but the culture and the world in general...the world is on the brink of wars and mass terror, and their main concern is whether or not their indy friends still like them...

Hah! All they care about is their “indy friends”.... Translation: they weren’t obsessively worrying about record sales as a determinative factor for the creative process of songwriting and recording.  And calling them “people who contribute so little....??!!?” Really? Just look to the above descriptions of their work and compare it to Corgan’s recent activity. These other guys have given sooooo much more.... 

Corgan goes on to rant the following:

[They were] people who told me they were my friends but were really just there to take, take, take...time will reveal them to be the poseurs they truly are...don't let their dirty faces fool you, they painted them that way...their filth is in their larcenous hearts, if they have them at all...

Wow... What a walking cliche! And his playground, name-calling antics are laughable at best.  The only member he maintained good rapport with was his longstanding drumming partner, Jimmy Chamberlain, but that did not last long... Observe the difference in their responses when asked about their falling out:

Here’s Corgan on J. Chamberlain: Jimmy is a destructive human being, and people who are destructive break things. I don’t see me reaching the highest levels of my creativity if I’m unhealthy and if I have unhealthy people around me....

Chamberlain clearly has a slightly different perspective: In the middle of the last tour, Billy said it was the agent’s fault, then it was the band’s fault, then it was the fans’ fault... Yes, in the past, I was a destructive human being. I was a complete drug addict and a complete loose cannon, but I’ve taken responsibility for my life. In the grand scheme of things... [I]t's a few Gold records and a bunch of money... I have a wife and kids and I am completely happy.

Like I said, I think all of that speaks for itself, and the audacity of Corgan’s arrogance is too much to handle.  He released one historically important rock album, namely Siamese Dream, and the rest is a mere footnote. For him to hold that over the heads of such accomplished bandmates is egregious and groundless.  To prove my point, here’s a selection of my favorite albums that feature the work of Pajo, Sweeney, and Lenchantin:

Projects of Paz Lenchantin:

Nathan Shineywater & Rachel Hughes

Paz Lenchantin played bass on Brightblack Morning Light’s self titled 2nd album (2006 Matador Records). Hailing from Northern California, the band was formed by Nathan Shineywater and Rachel Hughes in 2005.  The duo has invited many musicians (including Paz Lenchantin, of course) to record and perform with their namesake, and much of their music has been described and grouped as part of the 60s psyche-folk revival of recent years.  In fact, Shineywater helped start the “Quiet Quiet” music festival, an event that’s featured performances by artists like Will Oldham (Bonnie Prince Billy) and Devendra Banhart. I personally think the band could just as accurately be described as mellow, jazzy post-rock. This album is killer; definitely worth a listen.

Brightblack Morning Light s/t

Dave Berman

She also played on the Silver Jews’ album, Tanglewood Numbers (2005 Drag City).  When I first discovered Silver Jews years ago, I mistakenly thought of the group as a Pavement side project.  This is because Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich helped the Silver Jews’ frontman, Dave Berman, form the band in 1989 in NYC. The Pavement members played on the first couple albums but soon departed, so Silver Jews was always Dave Berman’s project.  The group played Pavement-esque indie rock but with a more country-oriented direction. Tanglewood Numbers, Berman’s 5th album, marked the return of Pavement players, Malkmus and Nastanovich, as well as the addition of Paz Lenchantin to the equation.  The mix made for a great Silver Jews record, the best in years for sure. Give it a listen.

Silver Jews' Tanglewood Numbers

Projects of Matt Sweeney:

Matt Sweeney was the frontman of Chavez, and Gone Glimmering (1995 Matador Records) was their debut album.  The band formed in 1993 in New York and were active most of the 90s; they’ve apparently reformed in recent years, but no new material has been released.  Their music could be compared to acts of the Louisville Math Rock scene, bands such as Slint, Rodan, or Crain.  The music is loud, angular, and rooted in the American Post-Hardcore tradition.  Check out their first and perhaps finest release.

Chavez's Gone Glimmering

In 2005, Matt Sweeney teamed up with Will Oldham, perhaps better known as Bonnie Prince Billy, to record Superwolf (Drag City), an album that received enthusiastic reviews; the rich dorks of pitchfork gave it a solid 8.4....  This is one of my favorite Bonnie Prince Billy releases, and I think Sweeney is part of the reason why.  For those that don't know, Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Billy) is a prolific singer/songwriter that has released folk, country, and rock records at an impressively swift pace over the last decade.  This is undoubtedly one of his best; it's an essential for everyone...

Matt Sweeney's & Bonnie Prince Billy's Superwolf

Projects of David Pajo:

Slint

There was an earlier post about the louisville music scene; like the previously mentioned Rodan, Slint was a legendary Math Rock group of middle America that emerged to national recognition in the late 80s.  The band was formed by former Squirrel Bait members, Brian McMahan and Britt Walford, with guitarist David Pajo, and it all started in Louisville, Kentucky.  Their second (and last) album, Spiderland (1991 Touch and Go Records), is a celebrated landmark of 90s underground music. It’s been repeatedly cited as a seminal influence on Math Rock, Post-Rock, Noise Rock, and independent music in general. This one’s definitely a must have...

Slint's Spiderland

  

After the breakup of Slint, Pajo joined Chicago’s Post-Rock masters, Tortoise, and recorded two albums with the band: Millions Now Living Will Never Die (1996 Thrill Jockey) and TNT (1998 Thrill Jockey). Tortoise is a group that defies all labels; they explore electronic minimalism, jazz, psychedelic rock, and have been hailed as one of the great forerunners of the recent Post-Rock genre. The albums with Pajo are my favorites, and I particularly like their jazziest effort, TNT.  Definitely check it out...

Tortoise's TNT

A Good One for the New Year: Crippled Black Phoenix's "Time of Ye Life/Born for Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire"

This is a nice one for the New Year. Crippled Black Phoenix was mentioned a few days ago; they're simply amazing. Their magnum opus track, "Time of Ye Life/Born for Nothing/Paranoid Arm of Narcoleptic Empire," which spans more than 18 minutes, was referenced as well. The track is worth a full listen. The first part features a spoken word track of Evel Knievel, who is giving an inspirational speech to a young crowd of listeners; CBP's musical accompaniment gives the speech a mysterious kind of aura and potency. The rest of the composition varies from loud moments of triumph to quiet points of eeriness, and yes, there is definite Floyd factor here. Give it a listen and see previous posting for further links....

Wow... That's beautiful. Have great year everyone. Peace.

A Quiet Holiday with Duluth, Minnesota's Low

Low is an Indie Rock band from Duluth, Minnesota that formed in 1993 and remain active to this day.  In 1999, Low released a Christmas Ep on Kranky Records, a small album they described as a gift for fans.  The album mixes classic holiday songs with original compositions and does a good job of capturing the spirit of the season in a way that’s true to Low’s minimalist, melancholic sound.  The first classic song on the record is “The Little Drummer Boy”:

What a haunting version of a classic Christmas carol - so tranquil and trance-inducing.  The group also channels the King on their Christmas tribute album by playing one of country’s favorite holiday classics, “Blue Christmas”:

When Low plays country music, they really capture the quieter side of sadness and do so beautifully.  Their version of the song recalls a diversity of country acts, resembling artists like Mojave 3 or Cowboy Junkies as much as say Patsy Cline.  As mentioned before, Low recorded some original holiday songs as well.  Their song, “Take the Long Way Around the Sea,” tells in poetic fragments the story of the Biblical wise men; it’s a quiet song with minimalist arrangements and beautiful vocal harmonies that are so characteristic of the band's established sound.  Here's the track:

My favorite of the original compositions is the very Low-sounding slow-core track, “If You were Born Today (Song for Baby Jesus),” another melancholic song of sweet quietude. The song seems to lament the death of Christmas innocence, and I’m guessing the perpetrator here is the modern world: its commercialization of cultural ritual, its wars, its media.  The song sadly muses, If you were born today / We’d kill you by age eight / Never get the chance to say / Joy to the world...

The album is a beautiful holiday tribute - its mood is melancholic but poignant and poetic.  Most importantly, Low’s music captures the spirit of Christmas in a way that most water-downed, commercialized Christmas albums simply can’t.  To prove the point, listen to one of the more moving renditions of the classic “Silent night”:

Happy Holidays everyone!  And Peace on earth!!

Low's Gift to You is Right Here!

Selections of Shoegaze: Neil Halstead & Rachel Goswell - Slowdive and Mojave 3

After spending a week in the seclusion of nature and having opportunity to gaze at the stars of the evening’s canopy, I figured I’d come home and post on the ever-Spacey “dream pop” of Halstead & Goswell’s Slowdive & later Mojave 3.

Slowdive featuring Rachel Goswell & Neil Halstead

One of the most prolific Shoegazing careers of the music industry would be that of both Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell.  Their continued stay in the music world is no thanks to the industry or its critics, however.  Only recently have the artists began to receive the praise and credit that their legacies deserve.  They started in England in the late 80s as the band Slowdive during a period of uncertain transition for the music world.  Very quickly they were classified with bands like My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins for their use of dreamy-like vocals over loud, reverby guitars with heavy-slow, pulsing rhythms of the drums.  Despite their talent, by the time they released their debut, Just for a Day (1991 Creation Records), the critics had become impatient with the “Dream Pop” sound and were looking to the west with interest in the new Seattle scene called “grunge.”  To make it worse, British audiences were becoming more and more taken by the emerging “Britpop” sound of bands like Blur.  Consequently, their album was met with lukewarm reviews at best, which apparently affected the band deeply.  Their 2nd album, Souvlaki (1993 Creation Records), enlisted the help of coproducer and musical contributor, Brian Eno, and being an Eno fan, it’s one of my favorite albums by Halstead & Goswell.  The critics, however, reacted negatively, once again.  Here’s the video of the opening track, “Allison”:

Man, Mtv used to be cool, videos by Slowdive and such... Not the Mtv that kids know today.  The group also made a video for “When the Sun Hits”:

One can tell immediately that Souvlaki is the most commercial effort of the Slowdive discography, and many argue that is is their best musically. They went on to record one more full length album, Pygmalion (1995 Creation Records/EMI), which departed dramatically from their previous efforts.  It was more minimal, quieter, sparser in its distribution of sound.  At times, I find myself claiming Pygmalion to be my favorite Slowdive release, depending on my mood it seems.  It kind of reminds me of the recently posted work of Mark Hollis.  Check out the opening track, “Retti”:

Here’s one of the later songs on the album, “Blue Skied an’ Clear”:

Much like the late work of Hollis, critics have labelled (in hindsight) Pygmalion as an early example of Post-Rock.  Ironically, critics dismissed the work of Slowdive as regressive and “a product of a previous decade,” but perhaps time has proved the opposite.  More and more, bands have cited Slowdive as an influence and inspiration, especially with the popular explosion of Post-Rock acts. Halstead and Goswell did not stop here, however.  After much commercial frustration, Slowdive split, and in its ashes, Halstead and Goswell formed the spacey alt-country act, Mojave 3.  What happens when Shoegazers take up the tradition of country songwriting?  Something akin to the sounds of a group like Cowboy Junkies; or at least that’s what I thought of when I first heard Mojave 3’s debut full-length, Ask Me Tomorrow (1996 4AD).  Here’s the video for the opening track of the album, “Love Songs on the Radio”:

Much of the album follows the same vibe of the above song.  Like stated before, if you like the mellow, dreamy take on country explored by acts like Cowboy Junkies, this entire release is a must listen.  It will not disappoint.  Later albums of Mojave 3, however, have moved towards more general indie rock.  The influence of country is still there, but it does not seem to be the primary focus.  I really like the later song, “She’s All Up Above,” from the album Spoon and Rafter (2003 4AD):

Overall, Mojave 3 has released 5 albums, all on 4 AD between the years 1996-2006, and they are currently on hiatus.  Both Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell have continued to pursue solo careers as songwriters, and both are worth a listen.  I believe Goswell has released one solo full-length, Waves are Universal (2004 4AD), and Halstead has now put out two solo albums, Sleeping on Roads (2002 4AD) and Oh! Mighty Engine (2008 Brushfire).

Check em’ out and enjoy the music!!

Slowdive - Just For a Day - http://www.mediafire.com/?mmvmj1wzztm

Slowdive - Souvlaki - http://www.mediafire.com/?xxjkznotyyl

Slowdive - Pygmalion - http://www.mediafire.com/?gzyknf2nmjy

Mojave 3 - Ask Me Tomorrow - http://www.mediafire.com/?lnjkemdpzok

Mojave 3 - Spoon and Rafter - http://www.mediafire.com/?2zlxewm4gw0

What I Got in the Mail Today: Ba Da Bing Records’ Vinyl Reissue of Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock

Ba Da Bing Records announced this year their plans to reissue both Talk Talk’s final (and perhaps finest) album, Laughing Stock, and Mark Hollis’s self-titled solo release.  One immediately asks the question: “Why no reissue of Talk Talk’s other magnum opus, Spirit of Eden?” So that got me reading.  Being a recent fan of Mark Hollis’s later work - my brother-in-law introduced me to the later albums a couple years back - I was unaware of their tragic story. It’s definitely a recurring one: the conflict between artistic vision and capitalist commodification.  Johnny Rotten screamed it best:

There’s unlimited supply

And there is no reason why

I tell you it was all a frame

They only did ‘cause of fame

Who?

E.M.I!  E.M.I.!  E.M.I.!

Talk Talk were one of the more promising acts of the “New Romantic” synthpop movement of the early 80s.  They were grouped with other successful artists of the “2nd British Pop Invasion,” acts such as Duran Duran and Culture Club.  Unlike these groups, Talk Talk were developing musically in a direction that would take them far, far away from the realm of popular, commercial tastes of 80s mainstream music culture.  After much success on EMI, they were finally offered “unlimited supply,” but like many musicians, they did not realize “...it was all a frame / They only did ‘cause of fame.”  Another online article expresses the next part of the story better than I could:

“With... [an] unlimited studio budget, Hollis proceeded to record his masterpiece, Spirit of Eden. Released in 1988, it was purely improvised and took a year and a half to record. Musicians would come in and jam for hours at a time in a darkened studio lit with incense and candles..... Spirit of Eden has not dated; it's remarkable how contemporary it sounds, anticipating post-rock, the Verve and Radiohead. It's the sound of an artist being given the keys to the kingdom and returning with art. Yet upon completion it was seen as utter commercial suicide, as if Duran Duran had released a krautrock, free jazz, gospel album after Notorious. EMI responded by suing Hollis for being willfully obscure and un-commercial, much as when David Geffen sued Neil Young for not sounding Neil Young enough. This ridiculous case was eventually thrown out of court, yet it had a long lasting impact on the music industry. The lawsuit set the precedent for the clause that a band's recordings have to be of a commercially satisfactory nature....

....I find the whole story of one man against the system in a bid to maintain creative control incredibly heartening. After the EMI debacle, Talk Talk took up with Polydor who revived the jazz label Verve to put out Laughing Stock, which was even more loose and experimental than Spirit of Eden. Yet the band ceased soon after its release. No particularly reason was given for the split.”

The album can be described, without hyperbole, as a masterpiece.  It’s beautiful, and it does anticipate post-rock sensibilities that have only recently caught on in terms of mainstream musical culture.  Here’s the music video of the track, “I Believe in You”:

And that was the more marketable song of the album.  I apologize for the sound quality of that video.  You would think that, if we were going to be advertised to by Vevo, they could at least provide a file of acceptable sound quality.

Sadly, the run-ins with record company bulldozing does not end here for Mark Hollis and Talk Talk.  After litigation and law suits, they leave EMI and sign to Polydor’s imprint, Verve Records, to record their greatest accomplishment yet, Laughing Stock (1991 Polydor/Verve Records).  The record explores more deeply the artistic directions displayed in their previous project, Spirit of Eden (1988 EMI).  There’s lots of improvisation, multi-layers of diverse instrumentation, and a distinct lack of compression, giving space for both tranquility and loudness.  Here’s one of my favorite tracks “Ascension Day”:

–

Once again, they created a musical masterpiece, and nobody noticed.  EMI simultaneously released a remix of their previous greatest hits to steal their thunder, and they did so without the artists’ permission.  Lawsuits were declared, and that’s all the press cared about.  Interviews focused less on their new artistic effort (which they poured their heart and soul into... the sessions were notoriously long, arduous, and obsessive according to many sources...), and instead, interviewers simply wanted the latest scoop on the current legal drama.  It was around this time the band disintegrated, which is tragic.  If profit margins, marketing strategies, and legal disputes had not been the obstacles they were, would Hollis still be recording music that proves consistently ahead of its time?  Who knows?  But reasons for his premature silence seem obvious, and that’s why one can’t help but hate corporate record companies.  When it comes to art, they can be toxic. 

All that to say, I just received the newly reissued vinyl of Talk Talk’s last album, and it sounds amazing.  There are so many layers and so many spaces in this album, and the purity of vinyl sound makes it all the more crisp and distinguishable. I believe this is the first time the album was released in the vinyl format for American markets.  Why it took this long, I have no idea, but I do know one thing.  Tragically, we won’t be seeing a reissue of Spirit of Eden anytime soon.  On that note, I leave you with this:

What a great video!!! And it’s in Dallas!  Also, check out Hollis’s later solo album as well, Mark Hollis (1998 Polydor/Verve Records).  It too was rereleased by Ba Da Bing Records on Vinyl.  In honor of EMI, I am leaving you with only one link to the album, Spirit of Eden.

http://www.mediafire.com/?jamm0dzzm02