MV & EE’s Psychedelic Supernova (Battlemouth)

With a musical collaboration as prolific as MV & EE, it’s somewhat strange not to have heard of them before now. This Vermont pair have worked with a number of artists to accumulate over 30 releases over the past decade, and now bring us their fourth major release Barn Nova under Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace! label. Combining Indian raga-style composition with Appalachian folk and post-psychedelic electrical experimentalism, Matt Valentine and Erika Elder take the listener on a journey through an extraordinary and haunting soundscape. [...]

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This Is No Substandard Fare (Battlemouth)

Standard Fare may be named after a sign spotted on a bus, but their effect is anything but pedestrian. Sounding like the perky younger siblings of the Arctic Monkeys, the power trio’s uncomplicated lyrics of life and infectious beats make for a rollicking good time, and now Emma Kupa, Danny How, and Andy Beswick are set to release their debut album. Recorded in six days with an indie aesthetic that would have made John Peel proud, the album is named for a formative period in the band’s development when they travelled across the channel to play at a festival in Noyelles Sous Lens, France. “It was where we felt our sound came together,” says How, and the collection of songs they were playing became The Noyelle Beat. [...]

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Symphonic Serj Tankian (Battlemouth)

In mid-March 2009, a one-off special concert was performed at New Zealand’s majestic Auckland Town Hall. At this concert, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian performed songs from his critically-acclaimed solo debut album Elect the Dead, along with some previously unreleased songs, accompanied by the well-regarded Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Thankfully for those unable to be part of the audience, this unique concert was recorded, and is being released as Elect the Dead Symphony. [...]

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Not a Consolation Prize (Battlemouth)

Every now and then, one comes across an artist that truly reminds you how good simple music can be, and Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten is one of these artists. I came across her music in an odd moment of serendipity, and was immediately taken by the wonderfulness of her work. Recorded under the artist-centric Language of Stone label, Because I Was In Love is her first studio album, and is a clear demonstration that she is a talent to be watched. [...]

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Heavy Rain: First Impressions (Battlemouth)

Heavy Rain is an upcoming single-player video game, developed by the French company Quantic Dream exclusively for the PlayStation 3. The game is a dark film noir thriller, featuring four protagonists being pulled individually into the search for the Origami Killer. Earlier this week, the demo was made publicly available, and I took the opportunity to try it for myself. [...]

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Journey to The Golden Archipelago (Battlemouth)

Shearwater make beautiful music, it cannot be denied. Their albums are critically acclaimed and invoke great passion in their fanbase. Their new album continues this fine tradition with the band’s most absorbing and accomplished work to date. The Golden Archipelago is the third panel of a triptych (preceded by Shearwater’s Palo Santo and Rook albums) linked by themes of environmental and personal decay, and humans’ impact on nature. [...]

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Possible Transference Issues for Spoon (Battlemouth)

Spoon for me has always been one of those bands that you often see mentioned in various places and mean to check out, but never actually get around to doing it. When Mike asked me to have a listen to Spoon’s new album, Transference, I was certainly keen to check them out. What I discovered was that this album is a bit of a mixed bag. [...]

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The Flaming Lips vs Pink Floyd: The Kiss of Death or a Breath of Life? (Battlemouth)

Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon is generally acknowledged to be one of the greatest albums of all time, and a key influence on a number of modern musical artists. It is one of the albums I grew up listening to and have carried through into my adulthood as one of my favourites. The album’s notable use of musique concrète and conceptual, philosophical lyrics resonate strongly with myself and its other listeners, and is truly something that needs to be explored in its entirety, rather than its parts. [...]

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Music Preview (Battlemouth): Heligoland from Massive Attack

Seven years after the release of Massive Attack’s last studio album, 100th Window, DJs 3D and Daddy G have returned to bring us their new offering, Heligoland.  A pioneering and highly influential institution of the Bristol scene, the UK duo follow their usual model of collaborating with guest artists to bring their listeners on a new journey into the surreal trip-hop genre. […]

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5 Minute Review: The Lost Symbol

Reviewing: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Let me start my saying that the Robert Langdon books are the only palatable Dan Brown books for me. This is likely due to the architectural puzzles and mysteries contained within. I picked up The Lost Symbol with expectations of being at least similar to the earlier Langdon books; however, this book managed to disappoint me beyond my expectations.

Dan Brown has a reputation for bloated dialogue and formulaic storylines; in The Lost Symbol, he excels in this to whole new levels. The storyline itself is somewhat predictable - I knew where they'd end up after the first few chapters. The dialogue itself is fat with redundancies, and even makes the storyline unintelligible in places. Oddly, the protagonist Langdon is seemingly led by the nose through the story like a clueless idiot; a far cry from the expert witnessed in his earlier books. Even the architectural mysteries are feebly used, tacked in almost as something to keep the Langdon fans happy.

This truly was an awful book with few redeeming features. I was lent a copy, so thankfully didn't have to pay for this. I recommend this book as one only to borrow from a library or a friend - do not waste your money, even if you are a Dan Brown fan.

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5 Minute Review: The Resistance

Reviewing: The Resistance by Muse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a fairly big Muse fan and I've eagerly awaited the release of this album ever since I heard it was in development. When I finally got my hands on it, I was pleased to discover that the band have continued to experiment with their music without any detriment to the quality of their songs.

This, their fifth studio album, is somewhat of a concept album. Inspired by the love story between Winston and Julia in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, this album echoes the themes of love against the odds. The lyrics are surrounded by the strains of the familiar Muse "space rock" sound (notably reminiscent of Queen and Electric Light Orchestra), combined with the evidence of the band's continued evolution and experimentation with new sounds. Other reviewers have referred to this album as "predictable" and accuse the band of not stretching themselves. I disagree - this album combines the familiar and the new, and is a clear attempt at consolidating the lessons this band has learnt over the years.

For me, it is a thoroughly enjoyable album, although I do admit it's not their best. However, this band does release high quality music through all of their albums, and this album is no exception. I recommend this album to existing Muse fans, and as an entry album to new listeners.

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5 Minute Review: Fight Club

Reviewing: Fight Club: A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I usually hesitate to read a book that's led to a movie if I've seen the movie first (and vice versa), as the mystery and novelty have usually been removed for me. In this case, I loved the movie and so, when I was presented with an opportunity to read the book, I leaped at it.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover this book differs sufficiently enough from the movie that I was able to re-experience the characters and story almost as new. The author's writing style certainly lends itself to this differentiation, with its gritty narrative and visualisations. The use of perspective and chaotic descriptions make this book a smooth read, and the subjects touched upon in a way that's almost poetic and certainly thought-provoking.

I can see how some who liked the movie wouldn't like this book but, for me, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I'd class this book as one of the "must-read" novels of my generation and will recommend it to anyone.

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5 Minute Review: The Serpent Bride

The Serpent Bride by Sara Douglass
(Book 1 of the Darkglass Mountain Trilogy)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This books starts a bit slow and stiff, but eventually eases into a decent flow reminiscent of the Sara Douglass's two Tencendor series.

The only real unfortunate thing about this book is that it requires you to not only have read the Axis Trilogy and the Wayfarer Redemption series, but you have to have read both Beyond the Hanging Wall and Threshold. Only then will this book make sense.

I've found this author can be a bit hit-and-miss with her work, but she has returned in this book to a familiar world with old characters to bridge the gap between her previous books and this new series. This can feel a bit forced at times and you do question the return of some characters. However, on the whole, Sara Douglass seems to returning to what I consider to be her good form.

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5 Minute Review: The City & The City

Reviewing: The City and the City by China Miéville
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quite a good crime/thriller set within what must be one of the most unique settings I've encountered in a book.

China Miéville has an ability to visualise a setting right down to the minute details. This is evident in the way he's crafted this story into delicate twists and turns, which can really mess with your head.

Although some aspects of the finish are somewhat inevitable and predictable, China Miéville preserves the whodunnit part right up to the reveal. This may be, in some part, due to the way he distracts you from trying to decipher the mystery by encouraging you to focus on the setting.

A thoroughly good read. I recommend to all.

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5 Minute Review: Animals in the Dark

Reviewing: Animals in the Dark by William Elliott Whitmore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

William Elliott Whitmore is a recent, accidental discovery for me.  This remarkable 30 year-old singer-songwriter comes from a horse farm in a small Iowa town along the banks of the Mississippi River, and has often been referred to as the "Hillbilly Ray Charles".  His music, accompanied by the most basic of instruments and his incredible voice, are simple melodies with well-written stories on a par with Johnny Cash or Neil Young.  Whitmore's primary influences (The Louvin Brothers, Minor Threat, Ralph Stanley, and Captain Beefheart) are illuminating in that they show his heartland and blues roots as well as a hard edge, and his albums reflect this.

Animals in the Dark, his latest album, is a departure from his previous albums in that he moves away from telling tales of life, loss, and the heartland.  This album looks at the greater United States and its government, but does not become a political record.  Instead, it uses emotion and metaphor to paint a stark picture of the state of the country and its people at a grassroots level.

From the first track ("Mutiny") to the closing track ("A Good Day to Die"), this album intersperses stories of bleakness with moments of hope and encouragement.  The hauntingly beautiful second track ("Who Stole The Soul") mourns the loss of the country's soul and feelings of patriotism, perhaps like the shame many Americans said they felt in their country in the past few years.  A few tracks later, we have the track "There's Hope for You" which preaches a message of hope and responsibility. This mixture of highs and lows creates an impression that, although the country has been through trials and hardship, the people will persevere and become stronger for it.

Whitmore's gravelly voice and style of singing could easily be transplanted into Depression-era American folk music (like that found in the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and his early albums represent this.  Animals in the Dark grows from his earlier style, taking a full band arrangement for the first time and evolving into an impressive, refined sound, but does not lose any of the heart and soul that is a part of Whitmore.  The result is an album which shows an artist maturing into something quite special.  I for one will be tracking down his back-catalogue and looking out for future releases.