I’ve been reserving this rant for long enough – it is time for some unleashing! Upon close listening and consideration on the Stone Roses‘ eponymous debut, I’ve realized that there are, perhaps, a few tracks that both versions (UK and US) could have done without and that, with the power of song deletion after ripping, you can practically remove from the record’s playlist. Beyond are a complete list and the reasons why I picked these songs.

Just so that you have some perspective, here’s the playlist in its entirety (in bold are the songs I would remove):

I Wanna Be Adored

She Bangs the Drums

Elephant Stone (US)

Waterfall

Don’t Stop

Bye Bye Badman

Elizabeth My Dear

(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister

Made of Stone

Shoot You Down

This is the One

I Am The Resurrection

Fool’s Gold (US)

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And now onto the bashing:

Elephant Stone

Great, amazing track. Very upbeat, very energetic – great. The word I am mostly looking for here, however, is redundancy. She Bangs the Drums, the song immediately preceding it, does the exact same thing that this song does, though Elephant removes the catchy chorus and turns the volume up quite a bit. In terms of keeping with the overall vibe of the record, She Bangs the Drums just fits better, and so the distributors in charge of the UK playlist knew better than to include Elephant Stone from the release they were responsible for.

Don’t Stop

Don’t Stop is a song that takes Waterfall’s rhythm and climaxes and backtracks, twists and re-arranges it in a fantastically awful but faintly structured manner, resulting in a song with its own lyrics and pacing and such, but also takes the entire philosophy of the album and completely discards it. You cannot dance to it, you do not feel like singing it, and it is 5 minutes too long. This is what you call a B-Side, and as such it breaks the pace of the album. Why this song is part of the record just boggles my understanding of life entirely.

Fool’s Gold

Now here’s a great track. Just great. It’s funky, it’s catchy, it’s danceable – it’s perfect. However, and this song has the same problem that Elephant Stone has. The song that precedes it, in this case I Am the Resurrection, is the be all and end all of a song allotted to the spot it is specifically designated for (album closer). Resurrection closes the album perfectly, and it does so in 8 minutes already, so to sit through another ten of Fool’s Gold certainly takes away from Resurrection’s effect. While the song is great, it isn’t the epic album closer that Resurrection is, and that is its problem.

If you are more of a whole album kind of listener, then I think you get where I’m coming from in terms of flow, redundancy and so on. If you are, however, spinning The Stone Roses at a party, nobody’s going to care about Elephant Stone and Fool’s Gold being missplaced. The only thing that everyone should universally agree on is that Don’t Stop just does not belong on this record, in no order.

Have a last.fm account? Wonder what your top, most listened to albums are? Too lazy to make your own list? Am I asking too many questions?

Well, in my defense you didn’t have to read any of that.

Travel over to the top albums generator and see just how many “guilty pleasures” make it into your top ten.

The term “shoegaze” is controversial amongst fans and artists alike. There was a period more than fifteen years ago when the term was derogative, for it assumed that all the artists adopting the sound played their instruments with their focus on their effect pedals. You might be saying, well, if that’s what they did, then the term is only fitting. To that I rebut with, well, does the term “gay” not carry derogative implications? But this list is not about the is and is nots of shoegaze, just the songs that remind us of that other prominent 90s genre (alongside grunge and boy/girlband pop) that, for each fan, exist twice the detractors.

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Aboard ho!

10 - Lush – Hypocrite

Lush is not a shoegaze band as much as they are a pop/rock band that subtly adopts the genre’s motifs. For a band with a name like Lush, you would expect them to sound a lot more like Slowdive and less like Garbage.

9 – The Magnetic Fields – California Girls

The Magnetic Fields are great theme based band, and one of their most affecting efforts, after the overwhelming epic 69 Love Songs, is Distortion. In 2008, they wrote a love letter to all shoegaze and dream pop fans, and we love the Fields for it.

8 - The Jesus and Mary Chain – Just Like Honey

The band’s most recognizable single may not be their most dream-like, but if shoegaze is synonymous with the term “dream-pop,” then Just like Honey fits the mantle perfectly. Its cameo at the end of Lost in Translation is perfect, and it reminds us why the genre exists in the first place.

7 - M83 – Kim & Jessie

Where Graveyard Girl is too loud wrap its listeners in a warm blanket of sound, Kim & Jessie is just perfect. The looping chorus in the song’s last moments, coupled with Gonzales’ perfectly composed soundscapes, give birth to a song that is almost impossible to dislike.

6 – Sigur Rós – Sæglópur

Sæglópur isn’t exactly shoegaze until it bursts two minutes in, but it is dream-pop at its flawless. A lot has been said about Jonsi’s falsetto, but one thing that is often universally agreed upon is its ability to take the listener away from their immediate setting and into somewhere ethereal and magical.

5 - A Sunny Day in Glasgow – 5:15 Train

Reminiscing on the days before shoegaze had been properly termed, A Sunny Day in Glasgow are a throwback to dream music before My Bloody Valentine made it pop. 5:15 Train is at once disorienting, frustrating, and haunting, but for people with a keen ear, it is a gem among the genre.

4 – Cocteau Twins – Lorelei

Very much in the same vein as A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Cocteau Twin’s Lorelei is not immediately captivating, but perfectly mood setting. The entire record from which it originates is a very strong effort, and Lorelei is the track that stands out.

3 - Stars - Ageless Beauty

Stars dwell prominently in pop-orchestra, focusing on story driven lyrics, strings, and pop music outside shoegaze. In Ageless Beauty, they let go to wrap their listeners in a frantic blanket that at once smothers them while setting them free. It sounds like the effort of numerous angels as they accompany you to a sublime land.

2 - Slowdive – Alison

What is shoegaze without Slowdive, and what is Slowdive without Alison? The opening track of their most affecting record, Souvlaki, Alison is a song we all deserve.

1 - My Bloody Valentine – Only Shallow

I almost considered giving up on this list when I realized just how hard it was to select one song from My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless to be number one. At last I decided on the song that any uninitiated listener is often subject to when the genre is introduced. Only Shallow is a song that you can listen to and say “I get it!” in regards to the genre as a whole, and as such it is number one. Really, could you have expected anything else?

You can listen to any of the above songs on Mixturtle: Just the most amazing website of the 21st century.

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It is likely too early to understand the full impact of the Internet on the music industry and the artists within it. Though music downloading via P2P software threatened the industry and caused general uproar among both executives and artists alike, it is becoming obvious that these issues were only the beginning.  While Napster may have dominated the realm of music downloading at one point, such file-sharing services are already largely obsolete and have evolved into more efficient technologies. Furthermore, the frustration from most artists towards file sharing has mostly dissolved into either support or apathy. This leaves only the record executives scrambling to continue generating high economic returns in order to maintain their once-prominent businesses.

When Radiohead released In Rainbows last fall I was certain a giant cultural shift in the music industry would finally take place. I figured that this was the culminating moment in which everything would make sense. All those artists supporting the Internet would become victorious and big record companies would crumble to their inevitable defeat. Okay, so this never really happened. However, it signified the legitimate possibility of releasing music without the assistance of a label. When Radiohead actually pulled the trigger on their online release of In Rainbows, it legitimized all those empty threats of artists before them, threatening to just pack up and do it themselves. Pearl Jam, for instance, flirted with this idea in 2006 after demonstrating tremendous disdain towards the industry throughout their career. Unfortunately, they eventually signed with J Records to release their latest self-titled effort. Perhaps the most notable effort came in 2000 when Billy Corgan chose to release a collection of Smashing Pumpkins b-sides and outtakes online for free in response to Virgin’s total refusal to give the songs a proper release. Though his efforts were successful in boycotting a major label, his crusade hardly made a dent in the greater scheme of the industry. With the Pumpkins already on a career slide and the material itself lacking clarity and sounding unfinished, many understood Virgin’s refusal to release the work. Essentially, Corgan had the right idea but failed to provide the substance necessary to support his efforts.

With the release of In Rainbows, it seemed as though Radiohead could change everything. The record was basically free and the band finally sounded strong again. This was the real deal; it was that knockout punch to a music industry already up against the ropes. That great cultural shift, however, never really happened. Though fellow artists and journalists alike praised Radiohead, major record companies continued functioning as usual.

Was I naïve? It’s tough to tell. Radiohead didn’t exactly part the seas with In Rainbows, but they did manage to make a splash. As I write this, I’m listening to the new record from David Byrne and Brian Eno entitled Everything that Happens Will Happen Today. The record was released entirely online through digital download or mail order. I found this to be a strange choice, considering the record is the first collaboration between Byrne and Eno in twenty-eight years and it would have probably sold a fair number of copies on any label. What’s even more surprising was the lack of attention this online-only release received. At this point, its safe to say that Radiohead have legitimized a method of music sharing that previously seemed illogical and faulty. With the release of In Rainbows, Radiohead managed to harness the power of the Internet and introduce it as the new middleman in music distribution. Furthermore, their choice to make the album’s price completely up to the customer proved how meaningless the industry actually was in the artist-to-listener relationship.

With such bold moves proving wildly successful, having artists like Byrne and Eno release material online seems to make more sense now than it ever did. However, I still doubt there will be a monumental shift away from record labels and stores in the near future. Though Radiohead did initially challenge the system enough to startle the entire industry, In Rainbows was eventually shopped to labels and released conventionally around the world. While this may disappoint some, the In Rainbows stunt still remains the first successful step towards a cultural movement that will eventually exclude major record labels altogether. As other artists like Eno and Byrne follow this new trend, it is becoming safe to say that changes are on the horizon.

Produced by Canning, John La Magna and Ryan Kondrat, the album as a whole shares a lot of the sonic qualities of the Dave Neufeld produced BSS albums. You can tell that there are a huge number of recorded tracks that go into every song, sound bytes of people talking in the studio are added to the mix, and the vocals tracks are usually buried beneath everything like a sunbather on a windy beach (albeit a sexy sunbather). The resulting effect is that Canning’s album reminds you of the previous BSS work you know and love- and from this point, his other influences and ideas team up to kung fu your face with seriously compelling music.

The title track, which kicks off the album, is a great introduction to the gentle, punishing nature of SFAOU. The guitar work sounds somewhat like a controlled Sonic Youth or something equally post-punk and noise-driven, but juxtaposed with Canning’s gentle vocals and wry lyricism (“Everybody’s looking for something for all of us”) the music seems incredibly genuine. From this point onwards, the album floats through quiet, hauntingly beautiful songs like “Chameleon” and “All the Best Wooden Toys Come from Germany” and intersperses them with heavy, driven songs like “Hit the Wall”, “Churches Under the Stairs” and “Possible Grenade.” The standout song on the album, which shouldn’t fit, but does, is the funkifyingly delicious jam “Love is New.” Despite it’s funky rhythm section, the tune still features noisy guitars and a dense mix, so it suits the nature of the album and reveals a kind of versatile playfulness in Canning’s song writing. “Love is New” is the sixth track on an eleven track album, giving it a crucial make-or-break position in the album’s flow, but it’s awesome enough to win over even the most critical listeners.

This is one of the most obvious differences between SFAOU and Spirit If… While Drew’s album falls apart around the middle and degenerates into self-indulgent songs like “Big Love” and “Backed out on the…”, Canning’s album feeds off of itself and remains genuine. When the music becomes anthemic, you get the feeling that the song naturally progressed to that point and wasn’t a premeditated anthem. When Canning uses noisy guitar lines and digital samples, it’s because he likes the way they sound, not because he’s deliberately trying to remind the listener of his influences. Kevin Drew writes chant along choruses and gets J Mascis to solo all over his songs. I guess the point of all this Spirit If… bashing is not so much to take away from that album (which is really very good), but to highlight why Canning’s record is aesthetically more successful: Something For All of Us is an album that seems very comfortable with itself exactly the way it is. It doesn’t strive with great ambition to restructure the listener’s presuppositions or prove its worth. It unpretentiously says its piece and peaces the scene, if you know what I mean.

Also, bonus points for awesome hand-drawn cover art and gold stars for including “Exercise your right to refuse plastic bags when you shop. Put the fun between your legs, ride a bike.” in the liner notes. It’s just these little touches, which are evident in the music, that make Canning’s album so unbelievably comfortable. Seriously, go buy it. 

Also, the following is not blind praise for the movie we all know needs no more of it. The following is more of an opinionated essay justifying the existence of The Dark Knight to those who are not sure why it’s so important. Given its many psychological, philosophical, and sociological themes, it’s a given that one person is going to leave the theatre with a different impression of what it all means than the person sitting beside them. There are also a number of people who will call this a boring film, or just overall unsuccessful Batman movie, having gotten not what they expected. Expectations, however, are often poorly founded, and I will argue as to why certain qualities should not be expected out of this particular take on the Batman mythos. I’m going to justify the film, its characters, its themes and mood for those who believe that the Batman they know and love – that giggly-camp version from the 60s and the last two films from the original series of films – needs to make a comeback.

So, if you already believe that The Dark Knight is a masterpiece, then you’ve heard all of this before, but for those who need justifying – for those not sure if they should enjoy or should have enjoyed the film – then this week’s Not a Review of is tailored written just for you! Oh, and I also rebut two specific reviews from Newsweek and Salon.com.

Here’s the thing about The Dark Knight: It isn’t so much a comic book or superhero film as much as it is a crime noir set in the Batman universe. As such, the film explores what it means to be a hero, a symbol, what chaos is, the threads holds society together, the human spirit and its limitations, all illustrated by the characters familiar to millions of devoted fans and newcomers alike. For this reason The Dark Knight couldn’t have been camp – Batman and its villains deserve more. Here, Nolan doesn’t waste the potential of the villains in the film – not Harvey Dent (Two-Face), whose journey from fearless politician to villain with dual intentions is most tragic; and not Joker, who isn’t here just to provide the new Batman film with a villain, but because he is the antithesis of the society that Batman tries to protect. In other words, he absolutely needs to be part of the film. Two-Face and Joker are not two separate villains in the film, not like Venom and Sandman in Spider-Man 3. In the film, Two-Face is the product of both the Joker and the people who were trying to protect Gotham’s white knight. Thus he is, beyond a character, a symbol of the grey-area that exists between absolute evil and absolute benevolence. The writers did not simply toss in a villain or a number of villains for fan-candy; they are tools used to present the film’s philosophies. In Nolan’s interpretation of Batman and his universe, there are no Deus Ex Machinas or clear winners. The absence of the aforementioned is probably what ticked some viewers off, forcing its themes to fly right over their heads.

Newsweek critic David Ansen says the following about the film: “Nolan wants to prove that a superhero movie needn’t be disposable, effects-ridden junk food, and you have to admire his ambition. But this is Batman, not ‘Hamlet.’ Call me shallow, but I wish it were a little more fun.” Okay, then – you are shallow. Realizing that you are shallow does not make you any less the fact, so I’m wondering how you’re green-lighted to review a film that is specifically designed for people unlike yourself. Batman has been camp entertainment before, again with the Batman television series and the film that came out afterwards. Then a few writers decided to take Batman back to its roots to make him the dark knight that he is – a superhero who dwells in the night, not some asshole with Bat-shark repellent. Despite my dislike for the latter take on Batman, I have to admit that for its time the film was not entirely bad, because they kept close to what a comic book was supposed to be: Entertaining, fun, and witty. It had the bang-kapow that comic book films should have. Then Tim Burton took the character more seriously, which is understandable for its time, with the Modern Age of comic books having replaced the Silver and Bronze ages. The movie did well, and so did its sequel. Then, directors thought that making Batman more fun – essentially, camp again – would be a good idea; they thought it would be more profitable, and so they created the atrocities that where Batman Forever and Batman & Robin. Nolan said fuck it and decided that a serious superhero film was long overdue, and if there was one legendary character who needed a make-up most it was Batman. I realize, as he probably realized as well, that if the comic book and graphic novel medium was taken a lot more seriously than when it first debuted, then why couldn’t the superhero films based on them?

So Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are both very serious, very realistic and disturbing takes on the character and its mythology, but they aren’t completely devoid of comic book eccentricities, funny dialogue and cool moments. Exchanges between Bruce, Alfred, and Harvey are chuckle-worthy, and the Joker delivers more than a handful of genuine and clever laughs. My point is that though the movie is super-serious, there are plenty of moments of relief, moments that should devalue arguments against the film supposedly being too into-deep in darkness and nihilism.

Someone once said that The Dark Knight is the birth of the Superhero Film 2.0. In other words, these are no longer films made because the fans want them, but because the medium needs them. Though it is true that there are some acts in the film that are overlong, with multiple climaxes riddled all-throughout the film, it is a film which aims to cover all of its bases resulting in these plot splinters: elements in a plot that do not necessarily deserve arcs, or a beginning, middle, and end, but which are there regardless to serve a point. I want to also rebut Salon’s (www.salon.com) review of the film, and all the reviewers that take a similar stand alongside it. They argue that Nolan mimics Hitchcock without fully understanding what Hitchcock did with his films, and so The Dark Knight misses the point of what a film of its kind is supposed to be. Fortunately for them, their arguments are well founded; unfortunately for them, that’s not the point. As a general film The Dark Knight does fumble, relying on what some consider cliché’s in the crime noir genre and inconsistent edits. In this aspect they are right. Where they miss the point is in how The Dark Knight takes what a superhero film is meant to be and applies it to these supposed clichés and pseudo-philosophies. Technical performances aside – and I put them aside because they are nit-pickings, like pointing out a loose thread in a ball of yarn and making a big deal out of it – the film is brimming with ideas. It is a melting pot in which, hopefully, all succeeding comic-book and graphic-novel related ideas end up, stirred and with the resulting ingredients create future films that build on this evolution in the superhero genre.

The film aims high enough to explore meta-theories about its universe, and some may argue that it doesn’t always grab at what it reaches, but the fact is that it tries and ambition is enough to make The Dark Knight a fantastic artistic achievement within a field riddled with these films, and for pushing a genre further, a masterpiece of our times.

]]> http://fudog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/not-a-review-of-the-dark-knight/feed/ 0 underphish http://fudog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/18/ http://fudog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/18/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:45:19 +0000 Dennis http://fudog.wordpress.com/2008/07/21/18/ ]]>

Toronto’s second annual Rogers Picnic was a rather interesting affair.  The diverse lineup provided a great mix of music while the weather prompted several strange moments.  Overall, it was a pretty great day.  Here’s my rundown of the bands and their sets:

Thanks to the world’s slowest ticket ripper I came just in time to miss The Carps.  There has been some buzz about this band and from what I heard they seemed to bring just the right amount of energy to kick the day off right.

Next up, Born Ruffians were given a strangely early time slot despite their growing popularity.  The band did a good job of entertaining concertgoers as they funneled into the park and almost managed to play clear of the rain.  Their set provided a solid foundation of things to come later in the day, infectious pop and unexpected experimental flourishes.  Born Ruffians were strong and tight for a three-piece and despite a short set, played enough interesting numbers to live up to the early hype.

Dizzee Rascal performed immediately thereafter and had a tough task of being the first act to entertain fans in the rain.  Despite this early obstacle, his set managed to sustain the energy established by Born Ruffians.  Backed by an entertaining hype man as well as one DJ, Dizzee Rascal stormed through several impeccably rehearsed cuts and almost made everyone forget about the rain.  One downside about this set was Rascal’s insistence on ending every single song with a cringe-worthy “making some fucking noise” chant.  Aside from this, the set proved to be entertaining and a good entry as the only hip-hop act on the bill.

I kind of wish the sun was out for Vampire Weekend.  Their set consisted of non-stop solid summertime jams.  The band was remarkably tight while the material rarely strayed away from its recorded versions.  I’m pretty sure lead singer Ezra Koenig should be nicknamed Captain Charisma or something like that as his banter was nearly as entertaining as his bathing suit get-up.

While Vampire Weekend managed to avoid the torrential downpour, Animal Collective was hardly as lucky.  Fortunately, they put on one of the best fucking sets I have ever witnessed.  Kicking things off with an unrecognizable jam, the band (consisting of only primary members Panda Bear and Avey Tare) moved into familiar territory playing an absolutely astonishing twenty minute version of Fireworks.  As this began to fade out, Panda Bear quickly jumped into his solo cut Comfy in Nautica.  The song’s opening sample continued to get louder and louder until it was positively blaring.  At this point, the rain broke out and the umbrellas went up.  As thick fog and intense rain covered the atmosphere during the near-perfect execution of this song, I was certain the apocolypse had arrived.  The moment was nothing short of stunning.

Chromeo came on afterwards and managed to bring everyone back to earth.  The duo effortlessly pounded out tracks and genuinely looked like they were having a great time.  Extra points for probably the best showmanship of the day while managing to initiate a spontaneous dance party in the rain.

Tokyo Police Club followed and kicked out the jams.  The four-piece was tight, energetic as well as all of the other characteristics that come from non-stop touring.  TPC has evolved into a band worthy of the large stage and were a great choice as the last energetic band of the day.

Up until Cat Power, the show managed to avoid hitting any weak spots.  However, Chan Marshall and company had the difficult task of battling with a totally inept sound crew and overcoming the flood of low-end bass on their mix.  Marshall’s banter was incredibly limited other than the one remark claiming that her voice had “never sounded worse.”  Her constant retreats to a cup of tea suggested an illness of sorts while her endless signals to the sound crew hinted at frustration.  This set could have been one of the strongest of the evening but managed to be sort of a flop instead.

Dear Rogers Picnic organizers, next year you should book a legitimate headlining act (See: last year’s choice of The Roots).  Choosing City and Colour prompted myself and most other concertgoers to flee to the streetcars before the emotional troubadour even played a note.  I’m sure the set could have been entertaining, but I do not support him as the day’s final act.  Oh well.

Rain aside, the Rogers Picnic proved to be a pretty good event.  Fort York is a great and remarkably functional space for such an event.  The food tents consisted of fairly short and quick moving lines while the washrooms were bearable.  Also, high fives to festival organizers for employing individuals to monitor the recycling bins in order to ensure excellent waste management.  Cheers and hopefully next year a more exciting headliner can hold down the stage.

Believe it or – no, never mind, believe it – it took me a long time to come up with the above header. After a few hours of tinkering, photo-mashing and cheap collage making, I decided that maybe I didn’t have to think of something overly complex to attract web-surfers. Essentially, I thought of something that would be cool, and a million things ran through my mind (the following is a short list): Jerry Butler, Bruce Wayne, porn, Animal Collective, Mario Kart 64, Max Payne, electric bass, Dirty Harry, Ryu Hayabusa, Flaming Lips, Mitch Hedberg, James Bond, Sean Connery as James Bond – I got it! And so the above header was born.

So, now that you’re here, you probably want to know why this website is here. Simple: It’s here to fill the sad void in your life. In other words, it is here to enrich your life, because we all need enriching every now-and-then, right? More specifically, it’s here to supplement you with knowledge about all kinds of things: The media, culture, the past and the future; music, film, video games, graphic novels, books, and maybe even politics (cue gasp). And porn… nah, but I got your attention again.

Content will come in the form of lists, articles, reviews, and maybe even news. We’ll provide screen-shots, and if we can, videos, all SFW (aka, safe for work – see? learning something already). We’re planning to run this website for as long as possible, so the content will evolve as we do, and as you do as well. So, check back often, we may just post something that you’re interested in.