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May 18, 2012
The Strypes. You heard it here first. I am (almost) literally gobsmacked with the impressive precociousness of these very, very young tyros. Apart from facial hair and the experience of adolescence, from this video, they seem to have absolutely everything, talent, style, confidence, and what is clearly an unshakeable self belief in their own ability. And why not, it seems to be totally merited. Granted, this video is a cover, but so what, for their age, they seem more polished and single handedly ready to ignite the industry with a hard edge jolt of blues that Jack White (through various guises) has been hitherto single handedly supplying in various forms for the last 15 years. To add to that, they seem to be mirroring the Beatles in their latter Hamburg days… Versed, tightened, hardened, uniformed and most of all, absolutely ready to conquer what is about to be put before them. Except their Hamburg thus far has been Cavan, apparently.
Some cynics may have gripes about originality, but originality is ranked down the agenda when you have all the ability, confidence and talent these chaps have at such a ridiculous young age. Particularly when there’s already a raw soul and vigourous attitude jumping from every note they play and sing. The inner most cynic in me is also wondering who the svengali behind them is, but so what, for now I’ll let that lie and continue to be bowled over. The future is very exciting indeed. Top marks for effort thus far and fair play to them.
Yes. This is a post about Jean Claude Van Damme. And a post about his artistic credibility. Praising it no less, and quite heavily I might add too. Watching the above trailer may result in some serious confusion, as I’m guessing Belgium’s most famous Taekwondo champion cum accidental crossover Action Movie Star has probably not been foremost on your agenda recently. Probably not since the last time you actively rented VHS from a store that considered itself a successfully operative ‘Video Shop’. And Timecop was battling Under Siege 2 for a hallowed place in the rental top twenty for a particular week in 1995.
Others who deserve a spotters badge may have caught the (slightly wizened) muscles from Brussels on a semi baffling Coors ad currently on your TV screens. It was actually this Coors ad that triggered some faint memory of hearing about a rather well received Van Damme stab at independent cinema. It seemed ludicrous, but the ensuing investigation yielded an astonishingly pleasant surprise. If, as I presume so, you haven’t heard of ‘JCVD’, released as a low key joint French/Belgian feature length in 2008, it may just prove to be one of the more eyebrow raising cinematic experiences you’re bound to have. Not to mention, an awkward sense of suppressing your inner most cynical prejudices.
Van Damme plays himself, as a the washed up, down and out has been he clearly acknowledges himself to have become. Broken, both in terms of morale and finance, and having lost custody to his child, he returns to Brussels. A routine trip to a post office in a vain attempt to get petty cash becomes even more disastrous when he ends up embroiled in a heist slash hostage situation. Mayhem and misunderstanding ensue, with crowds on the street cheering him on, the police convinced he’s the architect of all of this, with Van Damme himself, sedated by bewilderment, evoking both comic relief and pathos through extreme self deprecation.
JCVD is in many ways, a clever and stylish low budget feature, with rewind sequences and a never ending array of sniper camera angles and hand held type sequences to represent the chaos and frustration of the situation. These techniques serve to make it a world away from the formulaic ‘guns n explosions’ laden format we would have associated with Van Damme’s bloated action genre. The plot and premise are admittedly standard fare, but it serves as a mere foundation. This is unquestionably Van Damme’s film, and he is the fulcrum upon which it relies.
He is so hapless and down on his luck, that his self deprecation induces the same kind of wince you would get from one of his trademark roundhouse kicks. Not only is it an impossibly endearing turn, it is also very funny, subtle and equal parts touching and troubling. Cynics might say he is just playing himself. However, to put in this kind of evocative performance at any level is a serious feat in itself. In a distinctly post modern turn, there is one stand out scene where he turns in soliloquy to the camera, and pours his heart and tears out in a remarkably eloquent monologue on all his failings and lack of real achievements. Heart wrenching, and certainly baffling from someone you thought wasn’t capable of this, you appreciate it all the more when he returns to the comic relief induced self effacement of his continuing struggles to round off the film.
There are many achievements from JCVD, one is that Director Mabrouk El Machri effortlessly put together an entertaining yet emotional stylish caper on a shoestring. But perhaps the most remarkable is Van Damme himself portraying a deeply humanized, introspective and touching portrayal of a stereotype we previously would have lampooned without question. And how refreshing, and fun and educational it was to witness. Quelle Surprise.
I was always a huge Supergrass fan, especially I Should Coco and the zenith defining In It For The Money (Early stuff shocker) In a sense, Supergrass, and band leader Gaz Coombes, had it all in terms of making good, accessible music. Effortlessly brilliant musicians, Massive melodic sensibility, a playful energy bordering on attention deficit disorder, and a consistent ability to shoehorn it all into 3 minute bursts of kinetic positivity. If they weren’t Caught By The Fuzz whilst still on the buzz, they could churn out a near tearjerker like Late In The Day, or a no holds barred aggressive stomper like Richard III without ever deviating too far from their raison d’etre; great upbeat intelligent guitar driven pop music.
They officially split up in 2010, perhaps due to the fact you probably cant keep singing ‘We are young, we are free’ with meaning forever. Whilst a couple of movements were tracked with Danny Goffey playing for Babyshambles, and a brief cover duo called ‘The Hotrats’ with Coombes, not much fresh or new material emerged from any member. Thankfully, that has now changed, and a reborn Coombes is now about to unleash his new album ‘Here Come The Bombs’ upon us. Superb, for it sounds absolutely brilliant.
The material so far sounds like he’s retained all his melodic sense, penchant for power chords and hooks you could hang the proverbial coat from, along with the sheer innate energy that was always present since 1994. However, any youthful exuberance has been replaced with a slightlier broodier, overcast mood. But with his songwriting abilities,it sounds brilliant, and essentially exactly what great guitar music written by a man in his mid thirties should sound like. There’s no doubt he’s struck a brilliant balance across the board. In this Guardian live session clip, the new track ‘Hot Fruit’ sounds experimental, frenetic and brimming with the live energy Supergrass always carried as an indelible trademark.
The slightly more piqued ‘Sub Divider’ is available here also if you want to get some more scope on his new sound:
I cant help thinking that all this new material, with its fully realised sound, has ludicrous shades of Radiohead’s In Rainbows emanating from it, which is clearly a great thing. Must be something to do with coming from Oxford and reaching a certain sense of maturity… Something David Cameron and the Bullingdon Club may not have managed..
Either way, Gaz Coombes clearly hasn’t lost it, this is some of the best new material of the year in my opinion, and with the album due in a number of weeks its going to be quite the long player to look forward to.
The sideburns may not be exactly what they used to, but the music certainly has still got it.
Turner 1775 to 1851 Toulouse-Lautrec 1864 to 1901 Andy Warhol 1928 to 1987 RIP Ernest Hemingway 1899 to 1961 George Orwell, Jimi Hendrix, William Butler Yeats, Jack B. Yeats Richard Redgrave 1804 to 1888 Henry Moore 1896 to 1986 Henry Miller, Sid Vicious only 21 Brian Jones Otis Redding 1941 to 1967 RIP
All dead, yet still alive In endless time, endless art
Masters of their arts Claude Monet 1840 to 1926 Beethoven, Bach, Brahms Elvis Presley 1935 to ‘77 Man Ray, Johnny Ray John Donne 1573 to 1631 Alfred Lord Tennyson 1809 to ‘92 Degeneration art, Joan Miro, RIP Jackson Pollack 1912 to 1956 John Lennon ‘40 to ‘80 Henry Lamb, Cezanne, Paul Gauguin, William Shakespeare Brendan Behan 1923 to 1964 Tennessee Williams 1912 to 1983 Gerard Manley Hopkins 1844 to 1889 Pissaro, Picasso, Degas RIP
All dead, yet still alive In endless time, endless art
Joseph Conrad 1857 to 1924 Jack Kerouac 1922 to 1969 Keith Moon 1946 to 1978 D. H. Lawrence, James Joyce, Mozart Van Gogh 1853 to 1890 Ian Curtis, Salvador Dali, Johann Strauss, Richard Strauss, Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse RIP
All dead, yet still alive In endless time, endless art
Canada’s free form jazz trio Bad Bad Not Good are back with another album/mixtape which is now free and available to download on the above link. This collection features a veritable feast of covers from impossibly ‘topical’ and hip acts such as Tyler the Creator, Earl Sweatshirt, James Blake and Kanye West. BBNG are young and carefree in their approach, yet clearly in the early stages of honing a highly discernible jazz talent. Instrumental, free flowing, and throwing the idea of a faithful cover out the window, they have a hugely organic and refreshing take on where they want to take their own idea and interpretation of jazz.
I’ve never been overly into the juggernaut genre of jazz, which makes me a complete ignoramus obviously, but believe me, I’m still open to idea of Miles Davis’s Kind Of Blue changing my life(Tongue only slightly in cheek). However, what BBNG are doing has got an instant appeal, and has major talent, energy and a daring originality behind its premise. They remind me of what a very young and precocious Acoustic Ladyland (Excellent, if you have never checked them out… I implore you to) would have sounded like if they were starting out now.
Despite being still musical students and finding their way, they’ve had enough for Gilles Peterson to discover them and wax lyrical repeatedly in recent months, so much so he got them to Maida Vale to record a session. And of course, it didn’t hurt their profile when they introduced the concept of ‘jamming’ to Tyler the Creator on a few YouTube videos.. So basically, they’re blowing up, slowly but surely. This mixtape has some recent gems all in one place, with my personal favourites being the covers of Blake’s ‘CYMK and ‘Limit to your Love’…
Check it out. Jazz is quality. My musical appreciation is complete.
If you’re looking for a fresh dose of rock n’roll in your life, Hundred Visions (Not to be confused with brief ‘Kerrang’ stalwarts Hundred Reasons) might just be the band to provide it. An Austin three piece deep rooted in the influence of 70’s classic guitar rock in the vein of Lynryd Skynyrd et al, but with generous cowbells, dancey percussion and soaring vocals that are equal parts LCD Soundsystem, they seem to have struck a brilliantly upbeat balance on ‘The Last Cab From Tunis’. With bluesy licks and lashings of adventurism and positivity(and hailing from the same city), it should be no surprise that they are contemporaries of the amazing White Denim, and if you enjoyed last year’s ‘D’, giving Hundred Visions a whirl certainly won’t hurt…
Here’s hoping a full length will arrive in the not too distant future.
I’ve done a few posts on some Giles Smith’s Mixes in the past, mainly because I really admire the breadth and class of his taste in House records. And of course, he’s been known to throw the odd whopper party too, as all those versed in SecretSundaze revelry can testify. Here’s a glimpse into his own home space, and an overview of his record collection and a run through some of his current favourites. I always like these insights into artists/creative/musicians home environs, so you can have a fly on the wall approach to what makes them who they are, what makes them tick and how their tastes are aligned. Its almost like MTV’s Cribs, except the people are genteel, interesting, amicable, have at least some numerous cultural reference(maybe a book) lying around and they’re not frolicking with pornstars in a hot tub and throwing fistfuls of dollars at the camera.
When granted access to the homespace, specifically for DJ’s, and in Giles Smith’s instance here, the sheer volume of records and passion for collecting is something I never fail to admire. It seems like an insatiable desire to constantly accumulate not only physical wax, but the life and soul within house music itself. On a quick aside, here is an interesting photographic feature on DJ’s home environs that I was pointed to recently, and although in German, its a pretty slick photographic insight into how their passion is directed:
I particularly like this feature because its no more than a 10 clip on introducing a couple of favourite tracks, but it embodies the perfect spirit of approaching track selection, keep it varied, alive, showcase the new exciting discoveries, and mix with some old school classic gems that you can rediscover… For example its nice to be reminded of what people like Roger Sanchez were once capable of! And in terms of the newness, there’s some choice cuts (that Theo Parrish remix sounds FILTHY) but overall for me, its seeing the approach to the music, and the passion and breadth of a long standing collection, all meticulously pooled together into one house music orientated hub thats striking here…
Check it out, its a succinct and nice little insight, apart from some questionable ‘Down with the kids’ banter at the beginning… but we’ll leave him off. SecretSundaze Easter Party is on Easter Thursday at Village Underground with Lawrence headlining.
I’m confused… Is twenty years a sizeable period of time? Or one that barely elapses? Whats probably more a matter for students of the Theory of Relativity, or ‘Science and stuff’, has just perplexed me that little bit more, because 20 years ago today, Blur’s ‘Popscene’ came out. And despite it being (IMO) a landmark and arguably the whole birth of an era, its so fresh, boisterous and kinetic that it might as well have come out 20 minutes ago.
People don’t really namecheck Popscene as their Blur track of reference(tends to be Parklife, Boys and Girls, etc etc) but Popscene embodies everything that made them combust into intelligently manic popstars that would typify the joie de vivre and character of Britpop. Although Britpop was very much ‘of the era’ and eventually dated rapidly, ‘Popscene’ forever resonates and is loaded with a power and a punch which is now alien to guitar driven pop. And not only was it infused with such ridiculous playful energy, it was equal parts wit, and Blur showed they were always going to be saying something too. Even this video is timeless, and it could easily have been recorded yesterday. (Although the middle eight section with the couple on a night out is quintessentially 1992… with that dodgy yellow Arsenal JVC away kit a dead give away)
There’s not much to do but succumb to Damon Albarn’s awareness that he was smarter and more postmodern than you, reinforced with his wildly energetic charisma, and of course at 20 years more youthful than he is now, ‘Popscene’ arguably showed him at his most vibrant. The incision and intensity driven by the uber British horns and Graham Coxon’s swirling and distorted guitar meant that ‘Popscene’, as a three minute power single, was a nuclear frisson of multiple atoms straining to split and obliterate the pop landscape. In hindsight, thats what it did. And now, it still should again. Twenty years have obviously gone by in a Blur, but it makes no difference, this is pure joy and legend.
And now to do star jumps across the stage of Wembley Arena.
(PS: Apologies for the VEVO intro… perhaps serving as a caveat that 20 years is actually a depressingly long time in pop music)
I really want to hate this this, but I just can’t. What appears like a DIY video of a bunch of teenage, West London hipster prats having a laugh and thinking they’re hubris personified should make the blood boil, and make levels of cynicism dangerously veer toward territory that can only be described as terminal. But ‘Being A Dickhead is cool’ this isn’t, and its certainly not a cheap shot or bare in its value. As much as I loathe to admit it, I really like this, and its very, very good indeed. And perhaps most frighteningly, this bunch of GCSE dodgers are most certainly only getting started. If ‘Drivethrough’ is their idea of a raw initial home recording, it oozes the sassy coolness and confidence and hip hop zeal that most bands and producer take years to cultivate, if they ever even achieve it. And all of it despite Only Real’s leader’s name being Niall Galvin. Close compadre Childhood leads the charge will an irreverent confidence in his vocals, and a bold yet natural dexterity to his rapping.
They may strut and pose like brash stereotypical Skins characters, but I have to hand it to Only Real, they are appropriately named, and this is an impressive slice of slick attitude and mature beatmaking. ‘Recognise’. Or whatever Vanilla Ice lookalikes say in Putney these days. But at least they talk the talk. Keep an ear out.
