Iggy Pop, the godfather of punk, has been a longstanding treasure to the music world, actively making music for the last 45 or so years. From The Stooges, a group who were unbelievably ahead of their time and remain largely influential, to a rather long and illustrious solo career that has meandered over a myriad of genres - blues, garage rock, new wave, and even jazz. In spite of his popularity, most of Pop's recent solo efforts have mostly been overlooked, with 1993's American Caesar being perhaps the last Pop album the larger audience paid attention to. Post Pop Depression is Pop's seventeenth solo album and his newest album since 2012's jazz and blues album of French covers, Après. In what may be Pop's final album, Post Pop Depression brings out the best of Pop's long and varied music career.
Iggy Pop's seventeenth solo album - Post Pop Depression
Post Pop Depression partners Iggy Pop with Queens of the Stone Age front man Josh Homme (also providing the rhythm section for the Eagles of Death Metal), with musical contributions from Queens of the Stone Age's Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys's drummer Matt Helders. The beginnings of the writing process revolved around Pop and Homme sending lyrical bits back and forth before the two more formally decided to work together on a new album. Both musicians entered the recording studio in early 2015 with a series of partial songs, allowing them a framework to build upon together. The album itself is a bit of a retrospective journey as Pop looks back on his career and feels his utility is up and all that's left is the legacy. The album's title, Post Pop Depression, captures that looking back feeling and paints it in a somewhat bleak manner. Make no mistake, however. This album is not the dying final breath of someone who should have stopped years ago. Post Pop Depression is, in some ways, a parallel to David Bowie's Blackstar (appropriate as Bowie helped form Pop's early career by writing and producing parts of his first two solo albums).
The album opens with "Break Into Your Heart," a track with a wild west-esque musical vibe, drawing some inspiration perhaps from some of the Eagles of Death Metal work, laced with Pop's still strong croon. In fact, this may be the strongest Pop's voice has been in recent years, full of life, yet controlled. The perfect opening as the stage is set for this album to "get under your skin."
"Gardenia," the album's lead single, comes next, feeling a bit like a throwback to some of the early Ziggy/Iggy work the two pioneered in the 70s. While the song carries that 70s feel to it, there's still that modern, forward moving feeling that Pop has often tried (with varying levels of success) to build into his works. Here, the efforts pay in dividends. Built on one of Pop's usual lyrical themes of sex, "Gardenia" comes together in the right way so as to not cheapen the song (which can't be said about other recent efforts from Pop...I'm looking at you "DD's" from the last Stooges Album!).
Third track, "American Valhalla," revolves around a fuzz baseline that sounds very similar, though perhaps deeper, to Gary Numan's iconic bass/synth line in "Metal" meshed with "China Girl"-esque vibraphone overtones (perhaps another subtle look back?). Skipping over "In The Lobby" (a good song, just nothing terribly standout about it), we come to "Sunday," perhaps the strongest song on the album. "Sunday" combines electric guitar riffs from Homme with a classic disco bass line, creating a dancy little number, somewhat reminiscent of Bowie's 80s period (Let's Dance in particular). Immediately catchy, the song has an abrupt shift after the first four minutes into a classical soundscape. Often this is a transition that leads to utter disaster. Here, the orchestral outro is somehow fitting and pulled off expertly.
"Vulture" meshes a Spanish-style acoustic guitar with bitter lyrics surrounding the idea of death. Pop's vocals bring in an element of Native American peyote lodge and an odd paranoia where you can almost see Pop's eyes shifting nervously, looking for this vulture he croons about.
The most Stooges sounding track on the album, "German Days," brings in that heavy fuzz guitar and bass sound, but isn't matched with vocals of the same ilk. Instead, Pop opts to draw the words out over the fuzz. Certainly an interesting experience and a nod back to the stoner rock days of old.
The second to last track, "Chocolate Drops," is purely decadent (as the title might suggest). Piano chords take the center stage along with tubular bells and Homme's otherworldly falsettos. There is a freedom you can feel in this song, almost like you're flying and leaving behind the weight of the past. Between this and "Sunday," you have my favorite track from this album.
Closing track "Paraguay" opens with a gospel-esque spoken word. More than any other track on the album, this may be Pop's attempt at an artistic farewell, saying that he'll go "where sore losers go / to hide my face and spend my dough." Pop begins to reconcile with his past success and instead of being weighed down by it, he finds a way to let go, move ahead without fear, and go to Paraguay (mind you, not all of this is perhaps a literal account of what Pop plans for the near future, but it's the concept of separating yourself from your past successes so as to not tear yourself apart when you can't match that for whatever reason).
Pop has hinted in recent interviews that this may be the last of Pop's music career, but I hope not. This is Pop's strongest album in years and has the ability to stand fairly strong against even his most applauded albums.
John Lydon (perhaps better known by his punk stage persona Johnny Rotten) founded arguably the first post punk outfit in 1978, Public Image Ltd, after punk rock essentially met its ill-fated and rapid end with the death of fellow Sex Pistols bandmate Sid Vicious (okay, there's much more to the story than just that, but as far as the genesis of Public Image Ltd is concerned, that was the defining moment). Public Image Ltd (PIL) return in 2015 with their tenth album, What the World Needs Now... and it's a doozy.
Album cover for What the World Needs Now...
Part of what made the post punk genre a lasting and highly influential one was born out of the blank void punk left behind in the late 70s. Punk challenged the boundaries of what "music" meant and served as a means of expression for working class youth faced with rough world economies and questionable, at best, futures. Without getting into an extended discussion of punk's beginnings, rapid dissolution, and the rise of post punk, understand that the music industry shifted perspective in the 70s and that post punk was born in a period where extreme creativity was highly encouraged. Punk showed the world that you didn't need to have any particular training to be a musician - anyone with the desire to express themselves and play music could, and should, do it.
PIL from its very inception was one of the bands at the forefront of this limitless musical landscape. Where the Sex Pistols followed in traditional punk rock bravado (power chords and anarchist-leaning lyrics, typically speaking), Lydon took PIL to a very different space, welcoming a slower tempo and more innovative music led by a heavy bass sound and coupled with Lydon's distinctive, bitter snarl.
John Lydon at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas, back in November 2012. Despite the interview and stage antics, he was very nice to talk to, though short of words at the time.
With this brief overview in mind, delving into What the World Needs Now... is like taking that rich past and setting it on fire. This is an album that has vastly deviated from so much of what originally defined PIL that it's hardly recognizable as a PIL album. Even Lydon's typical jabbing half singing, half yelling affair is greatly lacking in this latest showing.
What the World Needs Now... opens with lead single "Double Trouble." This number is characterized by a rather drab mixture of guitars and drums, nothing standout musically. Lyrically, Lydon seems to have strung together a series of random words with the only requirement being that the lines rhyme. The subject matter, apparently based around an argument Lydon had with his wife about a plumbing issue, leaves little to the imagination and is perhaps the negative side of an artist crafting lyrics around personal anecdotes.
Songs like "Bettie Page" and "C'est la Vie" had the subtle sparks of being great songs, at least where the music is concerned, but were met with lackluster lyrics and a run-on of garbled vocals that hardly hearkens back to the style Lydon is most known for. If one didn't know better, they'd ask if Lydon even was the singer for most of these songs.
"Spice of Choice" interrupts the opening rubbish of the album and proves to be a surprisingly solid track, capitalizing on an interesting guitar lead and a strong vocal showing from Lydon who finally proves that he still has the same talents which first catapulted PIL to instant success in the 80s. This high point is immediately dulled with follow-up song "The One" which more closely resembles a lost b side for Three Dog Night than a PIL song with its bass driven shuffle step feel and semi whispered singing vocals from Lydon. The song itself isn't bad, but feels out of place when compared to the typical backdrop of a PIL song.
Eight minute opus "Big Blue Sky" starts with a dominant bass line, only to be caught in a far overdone circle of repetitious loops and tired choruses. This was a song nearly doomed from the start, never finding a true calling and purpose, and the eight minute length only adds further insult to injury.
The last of the album surprisingly comes to life and finds direction. "Whole Life Time" brings the tide back around, with a funk-esque inspired bass line leading the way, a musical high point to the album. The style continues on into "I'm Not Satisfied" which almost has a parallel feel to one of PIL's most popular songs, "(This is Not a) Love Song" with a similar repetitious lyric that the rest of the song is built around. The album is rounded out with Lydon answering minimally what it is the world needs now: "Another fuck off." More aptly, what the world needs now is for Lydon to find direction for this reincarnated form of PIL.
Perhaps much of this latest offering from PIL was intended as a joke, but it's one that never reached the punchline. In a time where older bands are reuniting and putting forth new albums to stand beside their old glories, PIL goes the way most of these bands are going - dismal, at best, results with songs that never fully form a direction. Lydon's vocals try to save several of the musically lackluster songs, but even his voice has its limits. Perhaps a stronger showing than their previous album (2012's This is PIL, the group's first new album in twenty years), but certainly a far cry from what PIL once was. Lydon will need to take a much closer look moving forward. If this was meant as a joke album, it's time to grow up and either create meaningful work once again or stop taking the fans for fools who will buy anything. Not an impressive showing in the least. Sorry, Johnny.
PIL begins an extended tour to support What the World Needs Now... on September 18, 2015 in Glasgow. The group reaches the US in November, but no tour dates in Texas have been announced as of yet.
Last night (October 18, 2013), hardcore gone alternative rock outfit AFI was in Austin playing at The Mohawk to a completely sold out crowd. About half way through their US tour and on the heels of their newest studio album, Burials, being released on October 22nd, the group were in high spirits and looking and sounding better than ever.
AFI. Left to right: Hunter Burgan (bass guitar), Jade Puget (guitar), Adam Carson (drums), and Davey Havok (vocals). Promo photo
The night began with Coming (Los Angeles, CA, formed 2012) as the first opening act. Sounding a bit like The Birthday Party with a little more of a hardcore and funk edge to their songs, Coming got the crowd engaged from the beginning putting on a nice and energetic show. While perhaps only a couple people in the audience had heard of them before, Coming were able to get some heads bopping and get fans set for what would be a packed night of excitement.
Coming. Left to right: Dustin (guitar and vocals), Billy (bass guitar), and AJ (drums). Photo from their website.
Things continued with Touche Amore (Los Angeles, CA, formed 2007) taking the stage. As the first song began, immediately the crowd pulled in very tight, with a good half of the audience singing loudly to each song. Plenty of crowd surfers and stage divers set the tone for the show. If there were doubts about whether this was a punk/hardcore show, they were quickly answered then. The group surveyed songs throughout their career and kept the audience immensely engaged throughout. For those who had never heard of Touche Amore before, many came out new fans of this hardcore group.
Touche Amore. Left to right: Elliot Babin (drums), Clayton Stevens (guitar), Jeremy Bolm (vocals), Tyler Kirby (bass guitar), and Nick Steinhardt (guitar). Image from MetalInjection.
However, the night was to be won by AFI. Entering the stage in total darkness, Adam Carson went to his drum set, followed by Jade Puget carrying in a specially designed Gibson Les Paul Studio with the new Burials artwork on it, followed by Hunter Burgan carrying a black bass guitar (possibly a Fender?), and lastly with frontman Davey Havok donning his new signature jacket which prominently features on upside down cross made of pyramid studs on the back.
The group opened with "The Leaving Song, Pt. II" from 2003's Sing the Sorrow, immediately lighting the crowd on fire. Unlike more recent shows from AFI, Havok seemed to welcome the audience interaction, himself jumping into the audience during their opening number. The set went on to include the first song revealed from the forthcoming album Burials, "I Hope You Suffer," (which we reviewed previously here and you can watch a live performance of below) which was met with loud singing from the entire audience and a certain pride from the band at seeing their fans singing along to a song that has not been out for very long.
As the night continued on, fans did not relent on singing along even as AFI pulled out songs from their older material that haven't been played more recently, including "Ever and a Day" from 200's The Art of Drowning and "Over Exposure" from 1998's A Fire Inside EP. Peculiarly, the set only featured one song from their previous album, 2009's Crash Love, "Beautiful Thieves." (Video of this one from the show is featured below.) The night was rounded out with a three song encore that included their tribute cover of The Cure's "Just Like Heaven" followed by "Dancing Through Sunday" and "Silver and Cold," both from Sing the Sorrow.
Overall, the performances from all three groups were great, though AFI being the main attraction certainly did not disappoint and even stole the show in the end. There were some slight sound issues for all three groups, but with how loud the audience sang the entire time, that didn't change the intimate feel the show had. AFI's tour with Touche Amore continues, stopping in Tempe, Arizona, at the Marquee Theater on Sunday. Check them out on the remaining tour and catch their new album, Burials, due out on October 22nd. Also, be on the lookout as Adam Carson and Hunter Burgan hinted after the show to us that a bigger tour is in the works to bring them back on the road supporting Burials in early 2014.
Today's Music Review is of the latest effort from the legendary group Iggy and the Stooges (or sometimes referred to simply as "The Stooges"). This is 2013's Ready to Die.
Album cover to 2013's Ready to Die
It's hard to imagine what the world would have been like had Iggy Pop never formed The Stooges or took on his own solo career. So much of his work in both arenas has helped form what we consider punk rock music today and Iggy Pop himself has come to embody the modern age rock star. While Pop, now a sprightly 66, is beginning to show the signs of his age, this latest offering from The Stooges sounds better than ever and brings an energy about it as refreshing as the first Stooges album (1969's self-titled The Stooges).
Initially, Pop's work (both with The Stooges and solo) was largely overlooked and, in retrospect, viewed as being incredibly ahead of his time. Only within the last few years has Pop's work transcended relative obscurity and become much more widely enjoyed by the general audience. Songs like "I Wanna Be Your Dog" have become staples in several movies and video games and Pop's solo hit "Lust For Life" was for a long time featured in, of all places, commercials for the water park Seaworld.
Originally, The Stooges were together from 1967 through early 1974. The band encountered several struggles in the short time span, ranging from difficulties in finding commercial success to Pop's own struggles with drug addiction at the time. The group did release three albums before their split and Iggy Pop chanced to meet David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust era, leading to a close friendship and Bowie's major involvement early on in Pop's solo ventures, writing parts of and producing albums like 1977's The Idiot.
2003 saw Pop reunite with original members of The Stooges to perform shows for the first time since 1974. By 2007, the group released their first new album since 1973's Raw Power, entitled The Weirdness. Tragically, the new album garnered mostly negative reviews with critics feeling the 2007 album was a sad, desperate attempt to recapture the energy and magic that comprised the first three Stooges albums and that the group needed to simply accept that their time as a cult band was over and to find a new day job. Things wouldn't quickly improve for the group, either. After extensive touring from 2003 through 2008, early 2009 brought the terrible news of Ron Asheton's death (Ron was the original guitarist for The Stooges, a close friend to the members, and in their words, irreplaceable).
The group did continue to tour, starting up again in late 2009 with James Williamson on guitar (James became the second guitarist for the group around late 1970 and returned after Asheton's death). Following some gigs in 2010 and finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (The Stooges had been nominated seven times prior, all unsuccessfully), The Stooges mostly became silent once more. Until this year.
Iggy Pop, now 66, still rocking it out like he was 20. It's just now that he's finally showing a few signs of his age. But only a few. Photo from geeksofdoom.com
April 2013 marked the release of the fifth Stooges album, Ready to Die. Generally, other reviews have been fairly positive with only a handful calling this album yet another poor attempt to be like the first three Stooges albums. There is some criticism of the lyrics being collections of schoolboy-ish innuendos, at best, though I've felt that even the original Stooges albums had a bit of that going on - it's just their style.
The album opens with the first single, "Burn," an upbeat rock number (video posted below that someone took when they played here at SXSW...which I tragically missed). What stands out to me most on this track are the clever turns James Williamson throws in on guitar, adding a special feel to the song. This one immediately draws the listener in and is a great way to open the album.
"Sex and Money" has a feel that reminds me of the older Stooges sound (even if the song is basically about paying for sex and wanting to party all the time). Other notable songs on the album include "Gun," "Ready to Die," and "Dirty Deal," all of which have the punk-rock sound The Stooges are well known for. Of particular interest are also the songs "Unfriendly World," "The Departed," and "Beat That Guy," each losing the more traditional punk sound, adopting acoustic guitars, and taking a more contemplative tone in the lyrics and presentation.
This newest offering is certainly a strong one, even if it doesn't quite meet the same quality as the first three Stooges albums. It isn't Raw Power, but it isn't an album you should simply pass up because of that. For the most part, the album remains true to The Stooge's typical punk rock sounds and suggestive lyrics, though "Unfriendly World," "The Departed," and "Beat That Guy" do throw you for a bit of a loop. After all these years, Iggy Pop might finally be showing some wrinkles, but for 66 years of age, he can still belt out those lyrics. James Williamson, while no Ron Asheton, adds some tremendous work on guitars. Give this album a whirl and if you can, see these guys live. You won't be disappointed.
On May 30th, I had the delight of finally seeing The Damned perform in Austin as part of the Chaos in Tejas punk festival at 11E5. Let me just say, it was well worth the wait!
The Damned! The Damned! Photo credit to Brooklyn Vegan.
Back in 2011, The Damned were set to play Fun Fun Fun Fest. It was going to be my first time going to Fun Fun Fun Fest and I was super excited. I'd finally get to see The Damned! There were several other bands I was excited to see, but The Damned! They basically only play festivals these days and even then they're a bit choose-y about which festivals to play. THE DAMNED!!!
So, I had my three day passes for a long time and was excited. Then, about a month or so before Fun Fun Fun Fest, guess who else decides they want to play a show in Austin? And who decided to put that same show the same night as The Damned!? That's right - Peter Murphy. Okay, I guess he technically didn't have a say in the matter, but point being, I could either see The Damned for the first time or Peter Murphy for the fourth time. I wavered back and forth for a day before conceding that my ass needed to see Peter Murphy yet again. This is a decision I do not regret and would have made a million times over again (this is another story for another time, but the show came right after I lost a family member to cancer and I ended up crying during a couple of the songs...and Peter Murphy...with bronchitis, no less...was ever delightful and kind the entire night, sounding great even with the terrible illness...much respect).
I know, I know, this review is about The Damned. But, this is a photo of Peter Murphy at the very concert I just talked about, so deal with it. Such a therapeutic night and one that won't be forgot anytime soon. Photo credit to Rebecca Chulew.
But, I thought I had blown perhaps my one and only chance to ever see The Damned. So, you can imagine my absolute delight when I started seeing the band announcements for this year's Chaos in Tejas festival and The Damned made that list. THE DAMNED!!!
The Damned formed in London in 1976 when punk rock was in full swing and post-punk wouldn't be realized for another couple years. The band's formation is rather magical, in a sense. The Damned were started by Rat Scabies and Brian James (both having been in other punk rock acts which later spurned other bands such as Generation X and The Clash). Together they invited Dave Vanian and Sid Vicious to audition for vocals. As the story would have it, only Dave Vanian showed up, becoming singer for The Damned.
The Damned were met with early success, opening for acts like the Sex Pistols. Their first single "New Rose" was often viewed positively despite the somewhat gloomy lyrics. The Damned went into territories not explored yet by British punk bands, such as being the first to release a single, then to be the first to release an album, and even being the first to tour the US. It was their first tour in the US that is often cited as being the inspiration to the emergence of hardcore music as The Damned favored faster tempos than most of their contemporary punk bands did.
Tragically for The Damned, their sophomore album was a flop. It is thought the flop was generally due to a lack of interest from the producer of the album (Pink Floyd's Nick mason) and the subsequent quitting from the band of Rat Scabies. Following a tour to support 1977's Music for Pleasure, the band broke up.
Captain Sensible! You just have to love the guy. I think the camera viewpoint on this shot was right above my head, haha. Photo credit to the Austin Chronicle.
After a brief stint exploring other interests, The Damned would reform again (though not with the original lineup) in 1979 and begin working under the name of The Damned (they had technically reconvened in 1978, but used a different name to avoid possible trademark issues with the original name). The reformation of the group also saw a shift in Vanian's vocals to more of a crooning style and the music oscillate between fast tempos, as they were previously, and now slower tunes with dominating keyboards. 1979 also saw the release of the third album from The Damned, Machine Gun Etiquette, which is perhaps one of the most favorite albums for fans.
By 1985, the band had undergone major changes once more. Captain Sensible, who had been with the band essentially from the beginning, had left temporarily. Dave Vanian began dressing more formally and adopting a persona reminiscent of a vampire. The Damned had also signed to a major record label, MCA, to release their album Phantasmagoria, perhaps heralded as the most gothic album the group had produced, and cementing The Damned as a staple of the goth music diet (whether they liked it or not).
1988 saw the return of Captain Sensible, but only in time for the band to call it quits again. A handful of singles were released by the band over the years, but the band did not officially come back together (with yet another major lineup change, Vanian and Scabies being the only returning members) in 1993. However, it was around this time that two important covers of songs from The Damned were recorded and released - Guns N' Roses cover of "New Rose" and The Offspring's cover of "Smash It Up." Both covers were highly praised and well distributed, bringing new audiences to The Damned and leading to a new interest in the band.
1995 saw another album released which led to the temporary dissolution of the band once more (Vanian and Sensible felt Scabies had released 1995's Not of This Earth without proper authorization, resulting in a legal battle). By the next year, Sensible teamed up with Vanian on yet another rendition of The Damned, now bringing Patricia Morrison (you know, former bassist and backing vocalist of the Sisters of Mercy) into the lineup.
Dave Vanian!!! And sporting a Vincent Price look. Very nice, good sir! Photo credit, obviously, to AP.
In 2000, the lineup had gone on to include Monty Oxy Moron on keyboards and Pinch on drums. Patricia Morrison eventually retired from performing, married Dave Vanian, and became the band's manager. Stu West would take over on bass. The band have continued to release new albums and singles since, mixing in the occasional touring and keeping to a consistent lineup.
Now that we're all caught up on some of the major events in the band's history, time for the concert review itself!
Before The Damned took the stage, everyone was crowding in as close as they could. Fans were yelling out "Love Song!" hoping that it would be played. The Damned take the stage and burst into "Love Song," setting the crowd on fire immediately. The band were in good spirits (I was standing in front of Captain Sensible and he would often smile and make faces at us). All of us in the audience were simply going crazy. And this was just a preview of what was to come.
The set included many other great favorites such as my personal favorite "I Just Can't be Happy Today," "New Rose," "Neat Neat Neat," and "Eloise." The band sounded wonderful and carried a strong energy throughout the entire set. Captain Sensible carried out most of the stage antics by making faces at people and sticking his tongue out at others. A few technical issues with Monty Oxy Moron's keyboards led to some banter among the band where (if I remember correctly) Dave Vanian suggested they play a song that didn't need Monty Oxy Moron (everyone laughed and waited patiently for the issues to be resolved). The one thing that struck me as a little odd was that for being the one consistent member over the years and frontman, Dave Vanian didn't actually say much to the crowd. Most of the talking was done by Captain Sensible.
Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible. I'd post my photos, but they did not come out well at all. Photo credit to the Austin Chronicle
The group returned for their first encore and performed several more great songs. At one point, we were given a choice between one song and "Smash It Up." Those of us in the front were crying for them to play both (yes, we're greedy). They ended up playing the other song, which was great, but left us a little sad because, well...who doesn't love "Smash It Up?" And in a great flourish of trickery, The Damned immediately launched into "Smash It Up" anyways after that other song. The crowd went absolutely crazy, screaming at the top of our lungs. It was beautiful.
A final encore wrapped up the night. The band were very thankful for all of us coming and said things like "You know, we aren't the Sex Pistols. True punk began with The Ramones! And we're better than all of them." They were all really great and as they departed the stage for the final time, Captain Sensible threw his hat to the crowd.
I was not lucky enough to get a setlist (which I really wanted), but this person was kind enough to let me snap a photo of the complete setlist that she got.
All in all, this show was great. I personally am not built for punk shows anymore (there's something to be said about being surrounded by sweaty, smelly bodies...not really my preference). But, it was a grand experience. After all these years, The Damned still sound marvelous and can still put on a great show. While I forfeited my chance to see them a couple years ago (and as I said, I'd still make that same decision every time), I am so glad to have finally seen them. If you haven't seen The Damned, you are missing out.
Rating: 5 out of 5 (the crowd was a bit rough for my taste, but The Damned were just amazing, plain and simple)
For today's Music Review, we look at the newest work from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away.
Album cover to Push the Sky Away, coincidentally from Wikipedia. The cover features Nick Cave on the left opening a shutter to reveal his nude wife, Susie Bick. The photo was apparently taken in their bedroom, too.
I'm a fan of everything Nick Cave does. The Birthday Party. Ginderman. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It's all really great stuff, and all very different from each other. I will admit, in true fashion, that I have not listened to all his work and of the stuff I have listened to, I have not listened to it nearly enough. So, this review will be limited in scope in that I don't feel I can accurately compare this newest album to the previous fourteen (yes, fourteen!).
Nick Cave had been involved with music from a very young age, originally participating in church choir in the small town he was born in (Warracknabeal, Victoria, Australia). From a young age, Cave also often found himself in trouble. This resulted in his being sent to boarding school at Melbourne's Caulfield Grammar School. Here, too, he became involved in the choir. Tragedy struck the young Cave when he was aged 19. His mother was bailing him out of jail for burglary and had the difficulty of telling the young Cave that his father had been killed in a car accident as well. This culmination of events led to Cave starting to express his thoughts and feelings through music.
While at the Caulfield Grammar School, Cave had become friends with Mick Harvey, Phill Calvert, John Cochivera, Brett Purcell, and Chris Coyne. Together, the six would form the first major band Cave was in, The Birthday Party. The group initially played proto-punk covers of songs by musicians like Lou Reed and David Bowie. By 1977, The Birthday Party had become very integral in Australia's post-punk scene. Some changes to the lineup brought in Rowland Howard who became a major player in the writing of the music and lyrics for the band. In 1980, the group relocated to London then West Berlin. Cave became known for his provocative stage antics. His lyrics often concerned topics like sin, curses, and damnation, often revolving around horror stories. As such, Cave was often labeled as a goth (which he, like so many of his contemporaries, absolutely hated). The song "Release the Bats" was supposed to poke fun at the goth scene that The Birthday Party had been so regularly attributed to, but instead provided yet another anthem for the scene. However, by 1984, The Birthday Party had disbanded due to differences between Cave and Howard.
Nick Cave when he was in The Birthday Party. This appears to be a press promo photo, but I'm unsure who took it.
In 1983, Cave and Harvey teamed up with Blixa Bargeld to form Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Where The Birthday Party tended to have noise rock roots, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds became known for being highly experimental, ranging from punk rock, to goth rock, to no wave, and even incorporating blues elements. The first few albums carried a more traditional post-punk sound before evolving into different experimental permutations.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have recorded and released fifteen albums over the years. The majority have been met with critical acclaim even as the group's style has steadily changed over time. Members came and went with Cave remaining the only constant member of the group. The mid-90s found Cave marrying current wife, Susie Bick (who, as a fun factoid, was the model featured on The Damned's cover art for Phantasmagoria and is also the woman on the album cover of Push the Sky Away). 2006 saw Cave and members of The Bad Seeds forming a new side project, Grinderman, which showcased Cave on guitar in addition to his usual role as vocalist.
In 2007, Cave was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame for his work over the years (at the same time, he essentially inducted The Birthday Party and The Bad Seeds during his acceptance speech as he felt none of this would have been possible without everyone else). 2008 saw the release of the fourteenth studio album, Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and was followed in early 2009 with the departure of Mick Harvey, who had worked with Cave for the last 36 years.
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 2013. Not sure who took this photo, but I found it while perusing Brooklyn Vegan's site
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds became inactive once again as Grinderman resurfaced to produce a second album in 2011. The group would disband by the end of 2011 with no current plans to reconvene again in the future for a third album. 2013's Push the Sky Away marks the first Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds album since their 2008 release.
Additionally, Nick Cave, being a jack-of-all-trades kind of person, has also written original film scores for a number of movies, wrote music to a handful of theatre productions, written a few novels, acted in a few movies, and wrote the script for a couple films.
Push the Sky Away could be summed up as the complete anti-thesis of everything The Birthday Party was. This album is very quiet, gloomy, and thoughtful. A review from NME calls this album a "majestic and desolate masterpiece" and dub Nick Cave "the grand lord of gothic lushness" (http://www.nme.com/reviews/nick-cave-and-the-bad-seeds/14083#6mWxcBmKK4eyCeDd.99). (Careful Peter Murphy, you may have a contest with Nick Cave for being the "Godfather of Goth," a title neither of you care for or really want, but will get regardless, haha)
As Nick Cave puts it, he and the band entered the studio with "unformed and pupal" ideas for the songs and the band "[transformed] them into things of wonder" (http://thequietus.com/articles/10819-nick-cave-the-bad-seeds-new-album). Cave has also mentioned how random perusals on Google and Wikipedia figured largely into the lyrical content, suggesting in general how the Internet has played a role in shaping what we as a society view as important and detailing certain events, fads, rumors, etc.
Push the Sky Away opens with "We No Who U R," which is coincidentally the first single from the album. The song opens with a soft drum beat, some bass guitar, and what sounds like a keyboard. Lyrically, I'm not sure what this song gets at. But the lyrics and music mesh in a delicate harmony, purposely complementing each other (i.e. the music is soft and mellow while the lyrics mention things like harmony of nature: "We go down with the dew in the morning light/The tree don't know what the little bird brings/We go down with the dew in the morning/And we breathe, it in/There is no need to forgive"). This song is great for setting the overall tone and mood for the rest of the album.
The second track is "Wide Lovely Eyes" which opens with a faster paced guitar strumming and some ambient background sounds. The lyrics of this song could suggest meeting someone special and sharing good times and memories with them, but that a time comes in which the two must say goodbye. Additionally, the time together the two spent will be regarded as make believe ("All among the myths and legends we create/And all the laughing stories we tell our friends"). The song also contains references to mermaids (which is the title of a song found later on the album), which could have been something Cave spent time researching for fun and learning more about.
Next is "Water's Edge" which is one of my favorite off the album. The song starts with a dark, pressing bass part before Nick Cave's brooding vocals start in, accompanied by moody string arrangements. I don't really know what the lyrics are about. On the surface, it's easy to read the lyrics as some statement of prostitution, but the lyrics at the end speak more to the coming of love ("It's the will of love/It's the thrill of love/Ah, but the chill of love is coming on"). Additionally, there is mention often of a "speech" that the boys and girls are reaching for. What exactly is this speech Cave writes about? Cave has been known to write about biblical things in the past, so is this a nod towards finding a certain speech in the Bible? Regardless, I much enjoy the darker nature this song carries.
The sixth track is another favorite of mine, "We Real Cool." It, similar to "Water's Edge" begins with a pressing bass part and intermittent dark string arrangements. The song, to me, seems to be a statement against things like Wikipedia being so prevalent. The argument here is similar to a specific argument from Peter Murphy on the goth subculture. There is a quote floating around the Internet (but I can't find the interview it is from, so it may very well be fake) in which Murphy talks about being able to at least identify with the goths that were the early fans of Bauhaus (though, remember, Murphy is not goth, nor was Bauhaus, and it's just all the media gone wild...which is true, actually). But, Murphy has a hard time identifying with what is often called "goth" today for what he sees are youth following something blindly, without thought or knowledge. They find something dark and call it goth without understanding that well before the media began dubbing bands like Bauhaus and Siouxsie and the Banshees as goth, there was a well-defined meaning for what goth was. Goth was an architectural style, a particular art form, a certain piece of renaissance, a form of literature (and it is perhaps the horror and brooding mood of the music that somewhat resembles the dreary gothic romance writing that led to these bands receiving their unwanted classification). But, point being (and yes, I am getting to a point...eventually) is that the goth of today is mostly a cheap imitation of what it once was. It's not to say none of today's younger goth members have it right (I'd like to think I'm a bit more in tune with what goth originally was, though I'm sure there's plenty of things I flummox repeatedly...maybe I should strive to dissociate from the title entirely and simply be myself, whatever that may be), but there's a certain blindness involved nowadays. So, getting back to this song, I feel lyrically Cave is trying to say something similar, but on a larger scale. You wear clothes, but you don't know who designed them or who made them. You have a book that someone wrote, but you've never read it. Who measured the distance between the planets? Wikipedia is so great because it has all these answers and you don't have to remember them. But as a result, it's so easy to simply follow when someone says something is real cool, but not know why or what it is. Even the title adds to the tone, "we real cool." As if to say, "Yeah, we real cool! Look at us, we so cool, we listen to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds!" "Yeah, but who are Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds?" "Uhh..." A long point to make, but this song, to me anyways, is absolutely beautiful, musically, and lyrically carries a strong message that I identify with.
The last song I want to talk about is the final song on the album and the album's namesake, "Push the Sky Away." The song opens with very moody, ambient sounds, with light accenting bass and drum beats. I don't know what the lyrics are getting at, exactly. On the one hand, they suggest that a person should continue to be themselves and push to discover new things about their world and themselves. Just keep on pushing the sky away. Even if you think you have everything you ever wanted, there's still more out there for you, just keep pushing the sky away and find it. I just absolutely love this one, musically and lyrically.
On the whole, Push the Sky Away is a moody, often dark, yet thoughtful album. As I said earlier, I haven't actually listened too much to the rest of the catalog from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, so I'm not entirely sure how this album stacks against the previous fourteen. Most reviews I glanced through find this to be a much slower piece than the prior albums, more contemplative, and more moody. Even if it is vastly different from the previous albums, this one has inspired me to really sit down and start listening to more from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, something I've been intending for years but just hadn't gotten around to. Fantastic work to everyone involved on this one!
Sound Off! What is your favorite track from this album? How does this album stack up to the previous fourteen from The Bad Seeds? What do you think of Cave's approach to writing the lyrics for this album?
Rating: 5 out of 5 (I don't know how this stacks to other Bad Seeds albums, but as a standalone album, this is just amazing stuff)
On May 30th, I saw The Casualties in Austin as part of the Chaos in Tejas punk festival at 11E5. Admittedly, I was at this show really to see The Damned, but I figured seeing The Casualties would be neat as I had tried to get into them earlier in my life while I was still more into punk music.
The Casualties in 2007. Left to right: Jake Kolatis, Jorge Herrera, Marc Eggers, and Rick Lopez
The Casualties formed in 1990 in New York City in an effort to return punk music to what it was more or less originally (perhaps what some see as the second wave of punk rock that was characterized by faster and more aggressive music, i.e., the hardcore and oi! scenes). They drew heavy influences at the time from great hardcore bands like Charged GBH and The Exploited.
The lineup has remained fairly constant over the years with early founders having left, well...early, and others coming and going in the 90s. The current lineup has been together since the early to mid 90s (okay, Rick Lopez joined up in 1998, but semantics and details and so forth) and consists of Jorge Herrera on vocals, Rick Lopez on bass guitar and backing vocals, Jake Kolatis on guitar and vocals, and Marc Eggers on drums.
Allow me to admit that my like of punk music has both waned and become a bit selective over the years. Even back about eight years ago when I was first getting into punk, I had a hard time getting into this band. And sadly, this performance did little to change my mind on the matter. Now, mind you, this isn't to say they were bad. I'll get to the review in a bit. But, as the post-punk gothy type I am, the chances of me suddenly becoming a fan of this band were already low. It just isn't my type of music anymore.
A photo I took of Jake Kolatis, Jorge Herrera, and Marc Eggers
Why did I never get into The Casualties? I don't know. I like other bands of the genre (The Exploited, Charged GBH, Discharge, FEAR, and Rancid, to name a few). Certainly The Casualties sound similar. I think in part, I just didn't care so much for Jorge's style of vocals. Not saying they're bad, just not for me. But, enough on all this. To the review!
The Casualties took to the stage and started with "My Blood, My Life." Immediately the crowd began to get rowdy, crowd surfing and stage diving. There was a lot of energy to the show, but I was quickly reminded, while standing near a stack of speakers, why I don't care too much for Herrera's vocals (the screams cut through the music a bit harshly at times and feel like knife blades in your eardrums when you get too close to speakers).
Their set continued with several other fast paced songs, many having lyrics related to politics and varying social injustices. Somewhere around the point when they played "Underground Army," Herrera threw a Casualties Army scarf into the crowd and things seemed to pick up even more than before. Fans were going crazy and singing at the top of their lungs.
Jake Kolatis
Afterwards, Herrera encouraged some fans to have a cock fight, basically, where a girl would get on a guy's shoulders and the two would bash into other groups in a mosh pit with the winner getting free beer. At first, audience members were hesitant to participate (I know, punks hesitant to bash into each other? I swear I'm not making this part up), but after a bit some did participate. I kept worrying someone would fall off and bash their head open on the concrete (fortunately, this did not happen).
The Casualties ended with "We Are All We Have" which was met with much energy from the crowd. As they left the stage, fans demanded more, but sadly with other bands left to come, no encore would be had. Some fans retreated to find water, others rushed in closer for the next band and the hope of getting good spots for The Damned.
The setlist from the night. I think this came from over where Rick lopez was most of the night, but I wasn't paying attention
All in all, The Casualties have done a great job attracting fans over the years. Their show was full of energy (and dare I say that perhaps Kolatis upstaged Herrera a bit?) and meaning that can at times be lost or turned into a mockery in punk shows. They still aren't my favorite band and I doubt I will find myself listening to them more, but they still retain the same feel punk bands from the 90s came with. All in all, not a bad show at all and I'm glad to have seen it, even with all the crowd surfing and stage diving that I loathe.
Sound Off! Were you at this show? What did you think? Did you become a fan of The Casualties after this? Were you already a fan? What were your favorite moments? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (good energy, good antics, overall good sound, but not really my cup of tea anymore)
