Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash

So, this entry is pretty lo-cal. But I guess that’s appropriate for the music. Maybe not Shakespeare but holy shit is this a fun album. It is funky and insane and frenetic and substantive. Which is not unheard of in non-American dance music, but still quite refreshing in our Will I Am Era. Everything about the music is lush and well constructed. The Beats? Are, I think it is fair to say, Phat. The melodies are well constructed and rewarding. Excellent bass lines. The lyrics are really good ini that kind of calorie free yet not a love song kind of way that dance music lyrics are. The  vocals are really well done by a variety of talented artists, including the amazing Lisa Kekaula from The Bellrays who is awesome, and Siouxie Sioux, who is pretty much in everything. Seriously. She is the musical equivalent of Samuel Jackson. I think she was on the Star Wars Episode 1 Soundtrack. That’s not true but you can tell people you heard it somewhere.

So yeah there’s not many tracks on here I am even luke-warm on. The energy goes pretty well from the beginning through track 10, Cish Cash. Which is maybe the title track, but maybe not? But then I don’t know what cish cash, or kish kash, or whatever, even means. Actually the internet is a bit thin on info about Basement Jaxx as a whole. I really only know about them from a reference in a Blur song. Which seems weird, they are a pretty successful act. I mean “Where’s Your Head At?” was huge, even if it is apparently most famous for being in Tomb Raider. Really? Tomb Raider? A lot cooler is the fact that “Good Luck” was the title track for the Appleseed movie. That movie wasn’t great, but it sure was pretty.

So this album rules and you should buy it if you want some high energy dance music. The one thing that annoys me about this genre is that, because the songs “Feat: Soand So” the songs never come up in the right order in playlists or mp3 players. This bugs me. And it seems really genre specific. I mean, I know other bands that have guest vocalists, but they rarely bother with the Feat thing unless they are in dance or hip hop. That’s lame. And stupid. 

Boxharp - Loam Arcane

"I cash my checks and face the facts:

that some producer with computers

fixes all my shitty tracks, 

these days"

In the modern music context there is a basic underlying reality that has begun to overtake the creative model of the music industry. Ever since Les Paul invented overdubbing in the 1950s there has been a gradual recognition that the way music is recorded and presented in the recorded format is as important as the writing of the music itself. At first this knowledge was the behind the scenes knowledge of record executives. Good engineers and producers are the real hit-makers of the record industry, and since their talents are rarely recognized by the general public, it is rarer that they become prey to the pitfalls of fame. This has led to some ridiculously long and storied careers in individuals who, quietly and behind the scenes, have worked on every major hit in a several decade period. 

Recognition of the value of producers began to filter into the mainstream in a number of ways. The rise of Jamaican music made local producers very wealthy, turning them into superstars in their own right. Similarly, the success of Motown records is largely accepted to have come down to the talents of a handful of very talented producers. With the rise of electronic music the distinction between a producer and an artist has become very blurred, though most members of the general public are still unclear on the role they fill. The reaction of those in the bizz to these developments can be somewhat poorly summarized by two conflicting notes in modern indie music culture, the first being the above quote by Ben Folds from "Rockin the Suburbs, and the second being the career of Danger Mouse.

On the one hand, most of us really like the myth of The Artist, who suffers for his/her art and is all emotional and has this natural talent and passion that comes out in music that is spontaneous and moving. All of which is bullshit, all musicians know you need to work like a dog in order to get good enough to sound like you aren't trying. But the idea that a producer can come in and Frankenstein these tracks into a hit is offensive and disturbing in many ways. 

On the other hand, you have an increasing number of producers who are getting recognition for the fact that they have a pivotal creative role in the creation of music. I think this is kind of exemplified by Danger Mouse. Though he is notoriously shy of the spotlight, he is a dynamic creative force, and is not shy about putting his creative imprint on things in the studio. The result has been a mess of absurdly good music, from Gnarles Barkley to the second Gorillaz album. 

Scott Solter ain't no Danger Mouse. But Boxharp is kind of like an Enya-ish, new age equivalent of Gnarles Barkley. Solter is a producer who has worked with an absurd laundry list of talented hippie indie acts, including the Mountain Goats. Wendy Allen is his SO I guess, and provides the vocal talent. She has a nice voice and has been in a number of indie acts I haven't heard of and don't care enough to look up. 

So this is a little 4 song EP that I think portrays a pretty good range, from quiet and interesting, to quiet and uninteresting. The first track or two are pretty good, interesting percussion and song structures. They would make great album tracks on a much better album. Most of the album is very very limited in its use of percussion, instead opting for atmospheric backgrounds to frame Allen's pretty but meandering vocals. Multiple points on this album remind me of video game background tracks, but not the stuff from exciting fight scenes. I am pretty sure "The Postcard" was inspired by the theme music used for the Flood in Halo. 

None of this is terrible, it’s just not terribly interesting. It’s all very pretty and that is nice, but its more atmosphere than anything else. My life being the clusterfuck that it is, I don’t seem to have much time for music listening, and I’m definitely not making time in my day for this. If I saw this in the store I would probably not pay for it. If I saw it on the street I might pick it up. It is nice, and I don't wish them ill, but I am probably selling this. Definitely not interesting enough to keep. 

Beloved Binge - Blender Theory

Beloved Binge consists of Eleni Binge and Rob beloved, from Seattle originally, now they hail from North Carolina. They say that they are “Rubble pop rooted in a punk pot with a hint of old Greek mountain village uprising.” I dunno what they mean by most of that but to me they sound like the lead singers from the Squirrel Nut Zippers started a Punk Rock Duo.

For a certain type of person, the term “Punk Rock Duo” is as depressing as being told “we had seafood two nights ago and you have to take out the trash.” I know what they mean. The immediate image is yet another indie group using varied antiquated influences, giving them a modern spin, and putting together some kind of rudimentary, DIY stage show. Its not that I’m against Doing IY, its just that there's a lot of people out there, and the fact that you couldn’t get one of them to play bass for you indicates that you would rather jump through numerous technological, logistical, and sonic hurdles rather than have one. Or else you can’t think of a new way to use your varied antiquated influences in the context of a band with, you know, a full sound. In other words, being a punk rock duo indicates that you either have a huge ego, or a lack of songwriting ability, or both.

Except they are so often so very good. Cat Power, the White Stripes, Eye Whiteness, all very good punk rock duos. The level of artistic control implied by only two actors allows, I suppose, a more clarified artistic vision to emerge. It certainly makes the resulting compositions more streamlined, if not a little thin. And I definitely appreciate the need to have limitations to overcome in a songwriting process. Much as the structure of a sonnet can lead to exciting poetry, needing to spend time trying to figure out how to realize ideas in a live show, and add flesh to the drum n guitar bones of a song must be very interesting.

             Beloved Binge are pretty awesome. Like most PRDs they lack the buzz saw energy that I love in true punk, but the songs are energetic enough to keep a solid toe-tapping rhythm. Of hooks there are plenty, and the melodies are complex enough to be interesting and simple enough to avoid noodliness. The lyrics well constructed and interesting, running the usual indie band gamut from MySpace Weddings to how awesome being vegan is.* Oddly the male/ female vocals are not really harmonized, but it doesn’t bother me. It’s quite interesting actually. It gives both vocalists a clear and present voice, allowing each to deliver a slightly different message to the listener while still helping the composition of the song as a whole. There is a definite thinness in the sound without the bassist, but this is actually played up to great effect by the vocals, resulting in the Squirrel Nut Zipper effect I opened with.

            God help me I like their sound. They are a bit thin at times without the bassist, but the awesome composition, interesting rhythms, and fascinating vocal oddities make them a really killer unit. I would definitely check them out if you can. If you are looking for something new I would even say to go Amazon the album. A fascinating, really well done little number.

* ok see? Im not anti-vegan. I know I went off on The Smiths for like four pages but that is because Morrissey is an asshole and not because I have any special problem with vegans. I have lots of vegan friends. I lived with one for years. We’re totally cool, too, sometimes we hang out. And I’m cool with these guys, right? So, I’m ok right? No one is offended? I’ll donate money to the humane society or whatever. Just don’t ask me to donate to PETA, those guys kind of piss me off. OH GOD DON’T LEAVE I’M SORRY I WILL CUT OFF MY COCK AND SEND IT TO PAUL MCARTNEY** JUST DON’T BE MAD AT ME.

 **i will not send my severed penis to Morrissey. If that fucker wants a peice he knows where i live.

Big Audio Dynamite II – The Globe

Many people know the thing with The Beatles  where John was the smart one, Ringo was the dumb one, Paul was the Pretty one, and George was the quiet one. This became a stereotype for all Boy bands. I think a similar effect occurred with The Clash that has become the stereotype for all critical darling bands that start indie and then get huge. In this setup, Joe Strummer was the political one, Paul Simonon was the pretty one (those Pauls I tell ya), Mic Jones was the ugly one, and Topper Hedon was the one that will break up the band. In this setup I have always kind of felt bad for Mic Jones. He is also the one whose considerable talents will always be overlooked because he is neither pretty nor political, but did a lot of the groundwork that made the band function.

An anecdote to illustrate. Before Joe strummer joined the band it had already existed for a few years, consisting of the rump of the late great London SS, and seeking new direction. In this time Mic Jones had written many of the songs that would end up on the self titled first album. One of these songs was about his ex girlfriend. By itself it was a mean spirited it largely unpretentious little punk song. After Joe Strummer joined he listened to the song and said ‘forget all that, we are rewriting “I’m So Bored With You” as “I’m So Bored With The USA.” In one fell swoop Joe Strummer gave the band direction, political purpose, and energy. And so everyone reveres him. But it was Mic Jones song, and it was his melodies, rhythms, and arrangements that made it a good song. Joe Strummer just did the lyrics attitude and energy.

Which is most important? I can‘t tell you. I think most great bands are at their core made up of such great songwriting teams who are able to work together, realizing that ego isn‘t as important and creating something great, and both parties bring something special to the table. The band falls apart when egos get in the way of this dynamic. Ultimately, with The Clash, Mic Jones started becoming a bit of a premadonna, which I think was a bit of ego getting in his way, and a bit of the machinations of The Clash’s admittedly evil manager, Bernie Rhodes, the Al Gore of punk rock.

Less well known is that both Strummer and Jones had important pre and post Clash careers. Pre Clash, both were in influential proto punk or pub rock bands. Jones in the aforementioned London SS, and Strummer in the 101ers. After The Clash, Strummer made a few abortive attempts at forming bands, but mostly focused on soundtracks and raising his family until 1999 when he formed The Mescaleros, which is one of my favorite things about reality. Jones went strait from the Clash to form General Public, which rules, and then Big Audio Dynamite with former Clash collaborator Don Letts, who is kind of a god in his own right. Inevitably, Big Audio Dynamite broke up and was reformed by Jones as Big Audio Dynamite II. This was kind of a lame thing to do I guess, but the first album under the new lineup broke immediately, gave Jones his biggest post Clash hits, and was then more or less forgotten by everyone. Poor Mic Jones.

I can kind of see why when I listen to it. The album came out in 1991, and more or less consisted of Jones taking the band back away from the sample heavy dance music which had been their calling card, back into a more rock focused direction. In so doing he, perhaps inadvertently,  bridged the gap between the increasingly important electro scene of England and the more conventional tastes of the international (American) pop chart.

The result is hardly unique, inspiring, or brilliant. But Mic Jones is a brilliant arranger, and can write catchy tunes that people will enjoy. I don’t think this is a bad thing, and the album is decidedly fun. Its definitely an early experiment in fusing electro with rock, and so contains some bubblegum and cello tape song structures. Perfect example: in the breakout hit Rush, about two thirds of the way through the song, the music stops so a serious toned announcer can deliver a snippet of a lecture on music theory. Its an…odd choice. More fun for music nerds, you can sometimes hear pops where samples were spliced using old overdubbing equipment. Definitely an album best enjoyed through a good sound system.

So that’s basically the album. It’s definitely a good album considering the time period, way more listenable than, say, that Black Grape crap fest from a few weeks back. Mic Jones is a talented songwriter and it shows, though this is maybe not startlingly original. It is fun, engaging, and full of Easter eggs for fans of his, including a remix of “Should I Stay or Should I Go” as the title track. A fun little album. As a side note, the album art contains several images which serve to show Mic Jones slide from being the ugly member