Alan Dubin has one of the crazier voices (and one of the more reasonably terrifying lyricists) on the market. But it's perfectly suited to the sonic assault that is Khanate. The plodding, ominous, depraved, intense assault that is Khanate.
Though I most enjoy their most recent album (Capture & Release), there are amazing moments on all their albums, of which "Skin Coat," taken from their eponymous debut, is one. Compared to later works, this song moves along at lightning speed, and its fullness is impressive. Listening over Khanate's catalogue, it's obvious how much importance they place on space, how interested they are in the idea. They're probably the best band that I've ever heard at manipulating space, knowing when to fill it, when to leave it empty. They are not afraid of silence (maybe not quite so unafraid as John Cage, but close).
"Skin Coat" is chilling, as much of Khanate's work is. Dubin's repeated "shhh" works to such an effect, certainly. And, again, the space issue is important here, imbuing the work with a claustrophobia-inducing feeling, leaving no stone unturned in the quest to create something truly sinister sounding. The rest of the band is just as intense, in a restrained way——pushing and pulling at their respective instruments, pushing and pulling at space and time within the song's structure. Building, tearing down. They mimic the sinister quality of Dubin's vocals almost perfectly; the section beginning at about 5:10 being the greatest example: a cohesion of vision, violence and malice seething just below the surface.
Intensely, violently beautiful.
9.11.08
8.11.08
Bobby Darin - Dream Lover
So, as I'm sure some people may know, I was raised on a steady musical diet of 720CHTN, from when I lived in Pictou until it finally died a nasty death, its death knell ringing loudly and clearly on July 5th, 2006, permitting the entrance of the weak Ocean 100 and signalling the end of decent (even passable) pop radio on PEI.
Obviously, I heard Bobby Darin many, many times throughout the 20-some years of listening to 720. I remember especially appreciating the convergence of my bathtime with "Splish Splash." And while that song may be one of those Golden Oldies, Bobby Darin's pinnacle for me is "Dream Lover."
His voice!: so smooth; the melodies!, the harmonies! The backing singers are pretty great. It's a perfect little pop nugget. The vaguely contrapuntal movements of Darin and his backers are, basically, magic. And they work so well at pushing the song forward and upward.
Also, it's used in Hot Shots. And who doesn't love Hot Shots?
It's also, in part, the inspiration for a story I'm slowly chipping away at, even affording me a wicked title.
Obviously, I heard Bobby Darin many, many times throughout the 20-some years of listening to 720. I remember especially appreciating the convergence of my bathtime with "Splish Splash." And while that song may be one of those Golden Oldies, Bobby Darin's pinnacle for me is "Dream Lover."
His voice!: so smooth; the melodies!, the harmonies! The backing singers are pretty great. It's a perfect little pop nugget. The vaguely contrapuntal movements of Darin and his backers are, basically, magic. And they work so well at pushing the song forward and upward.
Also, it's used in Hot Shots. And who doesn't love Hot Shots?
It's also, in part, the inspiration for a story I'm slowly chipping away at, even affording me a wicked title.
7.11.08
Good News!
Wine is being drunk from a cat bottle, A New Hope will be watched in the near(ish) future (we started with The Phantom Menace on Wednesday and we're plowing right on through) and I'm starting work on Monday morning! 7 to 4, Monday to Friday (so cat wine = celebration, really, for my good news and Gabrielle's success; high fives to her, yup).
Man, when the staffing agency guy called me today and told me that I could start work on Monday, the stress just melted out of me. Good times.
And the commute will give me good amounts of time to read! I'm excited to no longer be just a cash drain!
Man, when the staffing agency guy called me today and told me that I could start work on Monday, the stress just melted out of me. Good times.
And the commute will give me good amounts of time to read! I'm excited to no longer be just a cash drain!
Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Kill Theme for American Apeshit
Agoraphobic Nosebleed is one of my favourite bands (I'm really excited to get their split with Insect Warfare [another great band] when I have a few extra dollars kicking around).
Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope is an exceptional album and this tune is one of the stand-outs for me. LISTEN TO THE BREAKDOWN! The vocal style on this song is one of my favourites they use (and they mix it up quite a lot, from song to song, album to album). The sort of yelps that they use at the start: so good. The drum machine: I love it. They use it well, they don't try to mask that they're using a drum machine like some bands; they revel in it and push it to levels beyond (at least most) humans, pushing into the realm of gloriousness. And the guitars! So precise and cutting. AND THE BREAKDOWN!
Also: look at the album cover!:
SKULL EYE SOCKET LASERS!!!
Enjoy.
Frozen Corpse Stuffed with Dope is an exceptional album and this tune is one of the stand-outs for me. LISTEN TO THE BREAKDOWN! The vocal style on this song is one of my favourites they use (and they mix it up quite a lot, from song to song, album to album). The sort of yelps that they use at the start: so good. The drum machine: I love it. They use it well, they don't try to mask that they're using a drum machine like some bands; they revel in it and push it to levels beyond (at least most) humans, pushing into the realm of gloriousness. And the guitars! So precise and cutting. AND THE BREAKDOWN!
Also: look at the album cover!:
SKULL EYE SOCKET LASERS!!!
Enjoy.
6.11.08
Nasum - Red Tape Suckers
This is one of Nasum's songs for the Really Fast compilation (Volume 9). Each band on the compilation is given three and a half minutes, and, doing a bit of research, Anders Jakobson discovered (this is all according to the liner notes he wrote for the Grind Finale set) that Red-Tape Trash Survey had put the greatest number of songs into that three and a half minutes, with five songs. So, they set out to top the record, and ended up with nine songs. "Red Tape Suckers" is sort of a tongue-in-cheek stab at the former record holders. This sense of humour appeals to me.
And so does the riff. And so do the drums. And the vocals.
I'm glad someone went to the "trouble" to make a video for this song.
And so does the riff. And so do the drums. And the vocals.
I'm glad someone went to the "trouble" to make a video for this song.
5.11.08
Oh, Job Hunt...
Today I had an interview. It went reasonably well and, when it was over, the HR woman who made up half the interview panel told me that I could call her (just in case she missed me if/when she called) later in the day, as they would have made a decision some time in the afternoon.
So, at around three thirty I called and she told me that she still needed to check things over, get things approved with the owner and that, if she hadn't called by five thirty, I should try her again.
I did so and she told me that she had received approval to hire me but then, not more than an hour after she received word, one of their other contracts for November and December had been cancelled on them. So, because the people doing that job are already working for the company, it behooved them to transfer those workers to the project I would have been participating in.
So close.
She did, however, tell me that she would try to get in touch with some of the other companies with whom they're involved to see if anyone needed a worker. I appreciated that. And her genuine disappointment at the falling through of my possible employment.
So close.
So, at around three thirty I called and she told me that she still needed to check things over, get things approved with the owner and that, if she hadn't called by five thirty, I should try her again.
I did so and she told me that she had received approval to hire me but then, not more than an hour after she received word, one of their other contracts for November and December had been cancelled on them. So, because the people doing that job are already working for the company, it behooved them to transfer those workers to the project I would have been participating in.
So close.
She did, however, tell me that she would try to get in touch with some of the other companies with whom they're involved to see if anyone needed a worker. I appreciated that. And her genuine disappointment at the falling through of my possible employment.
So close.
Cassandra Wilson - Red River Valley
I first heard this song on CBC RadioTwo, back when I was working at Vesey's. I was working in the small former sometimes greenhouse attached to the back of the equipment building. The corrugated plastic siding of which was yellowed and cracking. The next season, the equipment department transformed it into the washbay for golf carts and mowers. And used it as a breakroom, though it was not all that comfortable on overly bright and hot days. So, to get back to my story: I was sitting in the little greenhouse, transplanting little sprouts from fiber paks:
in which they grew in groups of at least six to individual pots for each sprout. Sitting on a stool, leaning on an almost rotting wooden shelf, listening to CBC RadioTwo on a radio that had difficulties maintaining clear reception. I think I was listening to Studio Sparks, hosted by Eric Friesen (one of my favourite radio hosts; he always sounded so personable, someone I could sit down and chat with about all sorts of musics). This song came on; that first arpeggiated chord and the resounding, dirty twang that followed, the sparse, almost empty expanse of the song, hooked me. I slowed down with the transplanting; I held my breath; I turned up the radio and listened to the static and volume pitch and yaw until finally settling comfortably into something barely louder than what I'd started with.
Then Wilson's voice entered. These are the only two instruments throughout the song: the lone, mournful slide guitar and the full, expressive voice.
I snatched up a plastic planting stake, grabbed my Sharpie and wrote "Cassandra Wilson - Red River Valley" across it and admonished myself to find this song. I searched online when I got home, learned the name of the album, went to the since expired music store in the Charlottetown Mall and, to my surprise, found the album and learned that Marc Ribot is featured on it (though not this song)!
And, though the rest of the album pales in comparison to Wilson's rendition of this classic, it's a pretty strong release.
The way the guitar and voice play across each other——dance, even——is exceptional. They are entwined, enmeshed, they strive together to create a beautifully melancholy version of this song, pulling it up from the mire of countrified melody into some sort of almost ethereal, spiritual, rarefied experience.
DOWNLOAD!
A side note: until I can find a better way (for example: somewhere [free, obviously] to host audio which I could then stream in my blog, I'm going to use rapidshare for downloading. Of course, this will only be for the songs I can't find videos for on YouTube or as an audio stream elsewhere. I'm open to suggestions on this, so if you know of anything, please let me know.)
in which they grew in groups of at least six to individual pots for each sprout. Sitting on a stool, leaning on an almost rotting wooden shelf, listening to CBC RadioTwo on a radio that had difficulties maintaining clear reception. I think I was listening to Studio Sparks, hosted by Eric Friesen (one of my favourite radio hosts; he always sounded so personable, someone I could sit down and chat with about all sorts of musics). This song came on; that first arpeggiated chord and the resounding, dirty twang that followed, the sparse, almost empty expanse of the song, hooked me. I slowed down with the transplanting; I held my breath; I turned up the radio and listened to the static and volume pitch and yaw until finally settling comfortably into something barely louder than what I'd started with.
Then Wilson's voice entered. These are the only two instruments throughout the song: the lone, mournful slide guitar and the full, expressive voice.
I snatched up a plastic planting stake, grabbed my Sharpie and wrote "Cassandra Wilson - Red River Valley" across it and admonished myself to find this song. I searched online when I got home, learned the name of the album, went to the since expired music store in the Charlottetown Mall and, to my surprise, found the album and learned that Marc Ribot is featured on it (though not this song)!
And, though the rest of the album pales in comparison to Wilson's rendition of this classic, it's a pretty strong release.
The way the guitar and voice play across each other——dance, even——is exceptional. They are entwined, enmeshed, they strive together to create a beautifully melancholy version of this song, pulling it up from the mire of countrified melody into some sort of almost ethereal, spiritual, rarefied experience.
DOWNLOAD!
A side note: until I can find a better way (for example: somewhere [free, obviously] to host audio which I could then stream in my blog, I'm going to use rapidshare for downloading. Of course, this will only be for the songs I can't find videos for on YouTube or as an audio stream elsewhere. I'm open to suggestions on this, so if you know of anything, please let me know.)
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