Category: hard rock

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Creeper – “American Noir”: EP Review

Sex death voids abound, illustrious English quarter of – – –

C R E E P E R are making their Vampire-Slayer-esque debut with American Noir.

Ditching their safe rock passages of discussing typical conversations like sex and death, they face an existential crisis of the ages with their operatic-rock filth gorging on the delights of human sacrifices. This is American Noir. A stockpile of rock ballads – eclipsed with sorrowful tales amongst mourning those already dead – is Creeper’s iconic sound that has amassed an engorged following, eager and sprightly to catch up on anything they release as a band.

Midnight plays a track with oozy synth slides chilling piano accompaniment, a worthy soundscape echoing the halls of a stoic castle, while Ghosts of Cavalry draws on the scope of Scorpion, One of Us is a bittersweet epiphany-symphony piece sharing the love amongst those misfits once lost (Born in the shadows/To die in the dust/Not like the others/You’re one of us) that really channels in Creeper‘s creativity here.

Their art always trail-blazes the elaborate theatrics of amnesty and solidarity, and this EP collection is no different. With the songs perceived as misfits in their own right from their previous anthemic Sex, Death and the Infinite Void (2020), they fit together like clock cogs and lubricates the machine once more for a seamless transition into the work of Creeper.

Imposed more as an EP – with its sombre running time of 15 minutes throughout – it is nonetheless a compelling and contexual chapter that is worthy of its place among life … and death.

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Your Record of the Weekend: ‘New England’ – Kid Kapichi, Bob Vylan

Explosive exploits and fractured societies, New England is the new angsty social commentary piece on a country devoid of change – and simple change at that.

Amongst the hypocritical self-centred nature of the country (Come witness the greatness of Britain / Diving around in a German car / Stop for lunch in a sushi bar) to the habitants’ inability to discuss change (Social change, no I don’t want that/Just sitting eating crisps in my one-bed apartment) and finally dropping to the lows of the weakened democracy under our rule, (That’s why I keep voting for the rich and heartless/Bored of all these moaning artists/So I’ll cast my vote regardless) it is an emphatic, raucous wall of insatiable angry noise that depicts a country in need of mending.

Of course, both Kid Kapichi and the feature artist of Bob Vylan are no strangers to creating politically-inducing music. With both Working Man’s Town and England’s Ending trawling through the streets of a social discussion of corruption. New England is their first – and probably not the last – collaboration venting their frustrations through the power of raw, indignant vocals and the whiplashing of instrumentals to boot. Worth a listen.

____________

You’re such a fool, Britannia
Britannia fooled again
Britannia, you’re so vain
You’ve gone insane
‘Cause you’ve been fooled, Britannia
Britannia fooled again
Britannia, you’re so strange
You’ve gone insane

_______________

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Muse’s Return to the Realm of Simulating Black Holes: “Won’t Stand Down”

In a return after a 3-year hiatus from 2018’s Simulation Theory, Bellamy and co are back with dark and dominant passenger of Won’t Stand Down. Facing adversity with strength, it’s a call-to-arms against all the bullies in life and really sets the boundaries in the direction of where Muse are set to go with their ninth album – yet declared or confirmed as of yet. You can view it below:

Let me know your thoughts … !

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The Case to Define our Industry: Fighting for a Better Economy

You may have heard the news spreading regarding the fight for a more equitable music economy with a greater emphasis on the economy of music streaming to artists…

.. aaand another one has been added to the roster. A UK artist, who goes by the name of Kieran Hebden (artist alias of Four Tet) has instigated legal action against his record label, Domino Records for 20 years. Many contracts associated with music artists often precede streaming services and – more importantly, the power role they’ve come into the 21st Century.

According to Hebden’s 2001 contact agreements, Hebden is entitled to an 18% royalty rate from physical sales and a 50% cut from licensing income. However, the music streaming moguls of our Internet bonanza have become ambiguous and less considered to their artists whom they “provide” for and as such, has allowed record labels to apply the same 18% rate as their physical counterparts in sales. But, like many, artists simply don’t believe that physical sales and streaming are one and the same and should be placed in the licensing income bracket – worthy of a 50% cut.

While many other artists before Tet have brought forward the case of music moguls tearing the legalities of artistry independence – the likes of Ye and Taylor Swift to name a few – it may be the first discussion that brings it forward to a full public hearing, which is a huge development in changing the course of royalty revenue on streaming platforms.

As such, after Hebden’s litigation, Domino records have responded. The declaration of what he owes transpires to the albums that Domino own the rights to, which is another 50 years or so. With that in mind, the record label have simply removed three of his most popular albums from streaming services altogether thus giving him no royalties in streams .. and no leg to stand on. Their recent move has solidified what we already know about the monopoly of record label in our industry – callous and greedy.

But it has also widened the scope into the survival of the music industry and whether or we not we can simply do without these record labels with their outdated and out of touch legally-binding contracts: which do nothing but bind the artist to the industry devil.

Hopefully, we’ll hear more about this as news progresses into the Spring of 2022.

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Your Release Radar: First of 2022

Well here we are folks. The first one of 2022, we drop in with a Release Radar. Honing in on those instrumentals missed since the new year. With January usually being a quiet month on all fronts of entertainment, we can certainly expect new album material in the coming months of February and March.

In preparation for a monster season, Alt-J release another single since Christmas with, ‘Hard Drive Gold.’ Funky with that chic of indie-alternative, I’m looking forward to their 2017 follow-up, RELAXER which was received with mixed thoughts.

Glaswegian hot-rocks of The Snuts equal their debut just as emphatically with single edits of Burn The Empire. A fantastically ferocious piece of music. Love it.

Noel and his birds return another mark-up forgotten in the Oasis B-sides with, ‘Trying to Find a World That’s Been and Gone: Part 1’. Bastille reunite for their fourth work, distorted electronica that is far from their straight-edged indie rock debut, ‘Bad Blood.’ – But still features their infectious and highly contagious pop anthems that has ramped them up to one of the most prestigious bands in the world. Be sure to catch them on ‘Give Me The Future’ on the 4th of February.

With remixes and mixtapes abound creatively, it seems we’re striving for singles to shift the deeper we get into the year. Here’s to a successful year of music amongst those who create it themselves or just enjoy it…