Feature & Reviews – Vol.6
Grandmadness – Trouble in the House
Once upon a time there was Small World and then there was Black Bikini Alpha who supported the likes of Fun Lov’n Criminals, Feeder, Bad Manners and wrote songs about the world’s cynics. A reformation eventually shook their ground and this is where Grandmadness all started, one step at a time. They once were a five piece band and are now a extraordinary trio.
Led by Eoin Dilworth, Grandmadness are from London in the United Kingdom and are influenced by Muse, U2, and Jeff Buckley. Although, they have yet to receive their award winning grammy, they take great pride in having recorded 100 songs and have played over 400 live shows. This is contrary to a historic belief that these, “clowns couldn’t possibly organise a trip to the toilet”, explains Dilworth. Times have changed and upon the advice of Sir Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Records) himself after having received a personally delivered copy of their demo by Mike the drummer, the band has never given up.
With much inspiration, regrouping never seemed like trouble at all. After all, the music and it’s message is what counted the most. Their latest self titled EP released on RWS Records features ‘Kicking and Screaming’, ‘Let Me In’ and ‘Good Bye to all the Cynics’, three songs uniquely their own with an amplification suitable for stadiums. Their future is just as bright as their colourful past, one filled with dodgy van purchases, sleeping on kitchen counter tops, accidental fire extinguishing and being prone to bad luck as a result. Dilworth claims that, “all of this is with in the context of good fun”. We have to agree and are looking forward to their full length album in the future.
ALBUM REVIEWS
Used Alien Mind —— “The Placement Aside” (2007)
We have been told that Used Alien Mind has a distaste for all that is mainstream and thank the gods that this album reached our office. Now we have something to review. Cheeky as that sounds, I did kick back and listen with my hearts content. ‘Your Sad Eyes’ sucked me in as once did Daniel Ash from Love and Rockets. It is no surprise that you wouldn’t get down to this single just as you would with ‘Soul Hit One Time’. For cardiac control I preferred ‘People of the Earth’ and ‘Translucent Kate Pill’. We must thank Zonked Records for this album because Mike Leporte’s spacial journey has definitely left me zonked similarly with Primal Scream and Spiritualized.
Truckee Brothers —— “Double Happiness” (2007)
Truckee Brothers bring us “Double Happiness”, a Stones’ish sounding record full of harmony, which is their undeniable strength. There exists a significant blues influence and an almost glam rock presence. Strangely though, one is caught off guard with track three sounding like a diabolical rendition of ‘Parklife’ from Blur. It seems that Virgin might want the Truckee Brother’s to kiss their Komodo. However, ‘Double Happiness’, the strongest song on the album has significant single potential and ‘BonVoyeurage’, a slower ballad dedicated to the tremors of the heart is right up there too. ‘Royale Finale’ tops the cake although a longer version is on our request list… dig the drumming.
The Unicorns —— ”Who Will Cut Our Hair When” (2003)
Released on Rough Trade, The Unicorns who are from Montreal bring us a fantastic album called “Who Will Cut our Hair When”. This album is an indie avant-garde style. Some find hints of electronic sounds, quarks and others find bits of shoegazer qualities minus all the fuzzy guitar effects. Keyboards are on the forefront with a sometimes incomprehensible vocalist churning out the melody. It’s all good though. I like it. The best songs are: ‘Sea Ghost’, ‘Jellybones’, ‘Child Star’, ‘Let’s Get Known’, and finally, ‘I Was Born (A Unicorn)’. There is a rumour that this band is no longer together and we were just starting to get interested. Isn’t that always the way.
www.cs.mcgill.ca/~abatko/unicorns
Chainsmoker —— “Stations” (2003)
The contrast between night and day or rather, the midnight sun and the drudgery of winter darkness can be found on “Stations”, a ten track album from Chainsmoker who both hail from the capital of Finland, Helsinki and are currently signed to VB2. This album follows the release of their first album called “Guarana Planet” in 2001 which, is also on VB2. As their second release in 2003, Stations is full of essential elements to both open and close any midsummer fest. In fact, it is a fantastic pick-me-up for the long walk home after any watering hole session and moreover, it adds to a refreshing emergence of alternative artists recently coming out of Scandinavia or more specifically, Finland.
‘Redeyeliner’, the opening track from Stations is an inquisitive melodic pop piece with a crisp nonchalant bite and leads into ‘Aluminum’, a straightforward dance track full of star wars effects, jazzy saxophone and lounge groove. This song eventually wind’s down into ‘Baby Moonshine’, a piano based track which, is engulfed by a blues driven vocalist and is equally danceable. One cannot help but visualize a circus in slow motion or that ironic jack-in-the-box. This is the juxtaposition presented by the band who force us to choose between having fun and being realistic . However, the majority of the album is dance driven for the exception of ‘Devil’s Hammond’, ‘Kongo’ and ‘Leave Tunis Now’, which provide the album’s overall ambiance and mystique. Apart from the 60’s retro vibe, Stations offers an eclectic collage of jazz, electro minimalism, blues and hypnotic sense appeal often sharing the same dark creative force as Gary Numan, Primal Scream, Dada Pogrom, Japan and Portishead. In sum, I would call this album from Chainsmoker an upbeat Spiritualized worthy of the main stage at Finland’s only electronic festival called Koneisto and more importantly, when I think of the band’s place of origin I think of not only this album but I also think of their respective genre.
Historically, when it comes to music from Finland I think of rock, especially the malaise often associated with Finnish popular music. This seems to be changing as time moves forward. Rock artists that spontaneously come to mind are: HIM, Apulanta, Hanoi Rocks, Apocalyptica, Slipping Stitches, and Nightwish to name a few. Their songs tend to discuss and dwell upon drunken escapades, womanizing, self-pity and tend to embody all things masculine. Although, the melancholic discourse still seems to prevail, the shift from rock to a variety of other genres is very enlightening to an international audience and might I add, terribly exciting. For example, Chainsmoker (electro) along with Jimi Tenor (avant electro-jazz), The Crash (indie), Darude (techno) Flannelmouth (melodrama), The Rasmus (pop), and Cats on Fire (retro) have a provocative flare and offer an alternative mood, scene and feeling extending beyond the historical trend synonymous with the white snowy beaches of Scandinavia. Perhaps global warming is to blame but what ever it is, it is not only new but it is something to keep your eye on. Is this the new Montreal?
www.badvugum.com/bv2/csmoker.html
Alpha —— “Impossible Thrill” (2001)
From Bristol in the United Kingdom, Alpha are an electronic slash trip hop band composed of Corin Dingley and Andy Jenks. They have five releases to date and were once signed to a record label founded by Massive Attack called Melancholik. They hail from the scene of Massive Attack, Trickey, Portished and Boards of Canada. Beats and drum machines are present in their sounds although they create on real instruments and as a result, their music is less complicated that appears to the ears. In other words, sampling is not an issue. Songs of interest from the album are: ‘Eon’, ‘South’, ‘Wise’, ‘Wishes’, and ‘Clear Sky’. These songs embody an atmospheric ambiance that is not only unique but it is also rather hypnotizing to the listener. Their sounds build on one another and systematically rule each other out in the process. Some times the sounds are immense and at times they are minimal. This ingenious sound is melodic in scope.
Belasco —— “Technique” (2002)
This band comes from London in the United Kingdom and cites The Smashing Pumpkins as an influential source along with Afgan Wigs and The Pixies. The truth of the matter is that they sound like a cross between Radiohead and a soft stripped down Muse. Their songs are somber, they wallow, and they drift. The vocals are enchanting yet swift. The key songs on “Technique” are: ‘15 Seconds’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Plague’. This seven track cd is an into to the band although they did release a self financed EP called “Simplicity” a few years back. This band from the Uk is magnificent live and “Knowing Everyone is Okay” is also an excellent album released after “Technique”.
Royal City —— “Alone at the Microphone” (2001)
Royal City are from Guelph, Ontario in Canada and compose a rock folk music that is both charming and very spontaneous. As their EP. “Alone at the Microphone” is sweet and sensible. There are bluesy harmonics, freaked out guitars, and the wind blows wildly or at least it sounds that way on many songs. The tunes I like the best are: ‘Under a Hollow Tree’, ‘Spacey Basement’, ‘Dank Is the Air of Death and Loathing’, ‘Don’t You’, ‘Daisies’, and the infamous ‘Rum Tobacco’. The vocals are flat sounding in a strange and twisted way like the vocalist from the Dears. It is all perspective though. The band has toured from East to West and are developing quite the following.
