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| THE
EVER EVOLVING ORGAN : CONTACT AND SWITCH THE OTHER |
Speak, Shape, Create, Time..
strip it down... Just news, reviews and whatever we want, whenever we want...
you know what Organ is about, what Organ has always been about...
xx |
| TODAY'S
SIGNPOSTS and links and paths and contradictions and things to check
out.. |
 17th
JULY 09 - Now that was seriously lashing rain and Bat For Lashes last night,
outdoor shows in thunder and lightning, is there anything better?
NEWS:
THE
ORB are to play a one off, intimate gig on September 10th at Arch 635,
Clapham, London SW4. Dr. Alex Paterson and Thomas Fehlmann AKA The Orb
“are still going strong after over 20 years, still producing great new
material and gigging, The Orb are a living, breathing band. This is not
a reunion and not a nostalgia gig”. Tickets are limited to 250 so early
booking is strongly advised £10.00 from www.maliciousdamage.biz
LIVE
REVIEW: DM STITH / BAT FOR LASHES –
Somerset House, London, 16th July -
Now
that was serious rain! And it was all going so well until DM Stith said
something about thinking it wasn’t going to rain and then sang a final
song of a rather beautiful set that had something to do with rain... then
it started to rain... it started to seriously rain, seriously seriously
rain, torrential rain, and thunder and lightening and soaked... soaked
to our underwear kind of rain...
|
 DM
Stith got to play in relatively pleasant summer warmth and fading light,
the man himself, David Michael Smith, up front, augmented by cello and
sax, gentle electric guitar, imaginative percussion and all kinds beauty...
Been looking forward to this since the delights of his Heavy Ghost album
unwrapped themselves with such unexpected glory... He and his fine band
didn’t disappoint. I suspect the majority of the crowd, mostly still arriving
during his half hour set, had no idea who the gentle man with the acoustic
guitar and the very polite almost shy stage manner was - I suspect that
by the end, judging by the warm reaction, quite a few were left wanting
to find out more. Pin-pointing his sound isn’t easy, DM Stith is rather
different, unique, a beautiful glowing gentle sound, a sound with delicate
wings, a sound that gently lifts everything – ghostly, choral, church-like.
The fact that his father is a wind ensemble director and former church
choir director, his grandfather a professor in the music department at
Cornell University, his mother a respected pianist and his sisters opera
singers, shows – just a different set of exposures, a slightly different
approach to your average alt.rocker... If Sea Nymphs were from Brooklyn
(via Bloomington, Indiana) – gentle songs that glow, epic suggestions,
magical touches, crafted choral folk-experiments that kept the rain away
and made strangers smile at each other out there on the stone courtyard
of Somerset House... I was expecting something special and I suspected
this would be a fine place for a first live encounter, he and his band
did not disappoint, they were an uplifting delight... |
 Yes,
back at Somerset House for a second time this week. We like this place,
this big old buildings on all four sides, the river, the courtyard at Somerset
House is a great place to catch a band and bask in the evening summer sun
– the last song from DM Stith and his band is met with the start of the
rain, by the time he finishes, people are rushing for cover, umbrellas
up everywhere, this is a little more than a touch of rain! That crash of
thunder wasn’t on the track being played over the PA was it? We’re all
soaked to the skin in a matter of minutes, the open air backstage area
is a parade of drowned rat small-time rockstars and not looking so cool
now are you, hairspray not doing the job tonight...
DM Stith was the reason for being here tonight but Bat For Lashes in the
lashing rain and the lashing lightning and lashing everything else was
something rather magical. Under the lights with the rain providing the
atmosphere and most of us determine to stick it out... From the start of
Trophy right through, up there sounding very very Kate Bush in a very positive
otherworldly wizards and sirens kind of way... and looking a bit Rick Wakeman
in those capes and cat-suits and things as the rain lashed and the thunder
crashed and the rich reds and deep purples bathed the Somerset House walls
again... all eyeliner chaos and warm in the cold and wet, soaked
to our skins, there is no turning back... all rather magical actually,
you had to be there in the rain...
www.batforlashes.com
www.dmstith.com
www.somersethouse.org.uk
x |
NEWS:
According to the Chicago office of Reuters, the founder of a street gang
that administered beatings and made threats in its drive to control the
punk rock music scene has been charged with extorting a Chicago performer.
Elgin Nathan James, a self-proclaimed founding member of Boston-based FSU
-- which stands for "Friends Stand United" -- was arrested on Monday by
FBI agents at his Los Angeles home. The attempted extortion charge was
then unsealed by the prosecutor's office in Chicago. FSU boasted in videos
dating to 2004 about beatings it administered to punk music fans and performers.
The aim was to establish control at clubs and concert venues and drive
"Nazi skinheads" out, according to prosecutors.
The victim in this case was a "popular recording artist from the Chicago
area" who was not named. The victim and his friends were beaten and repeatedly
threatened by FSU members while on tour in late 2005 and early 2006, prosecutors
said.
Cooperating with the FBI, the victim tape-recorded James seeking to extort
money from him in a telephone call and agents observed James accepting
a $5,000 payoff at a club to stop the harassment. If convicted, James could
face 20 years in prison.
x |
 16th
JULY 09 - Art is a hungry hungry beast... Proms start tomorrow, Stravinsky
and Tchaikovsky to kick things off, that's going to rock like a firebird.
The proms are great, just turn up and get in for a fiver as a promanader
(unless the price has gone up this year? No, still a fiver to promanade,
get in line early though! No tickets, just get in the line). The BBC are
doing their best to dumb it down, we'll try to ignore that... Can't wait,
the Proms are exciting, especially with some Stravinsky kicking it off
- seriously hard-boiled classical pronk and ballet feet at all kinds of
angles.... www.bbc.co.uk/proms
ALBUM
REVIEW: DEVIL DRIVER – Pray For Villains
(Roadrunner) – Metal, we love it around here... Metal, it really does piss
us off around here.. all that glossy corporate milking Download bulshit
and the endless line of dumb copycat tattoos and hairspray - an endless
parade of product pushing and marketing and image over substance and that
bloke out of Static X, him with the silliest comedy hair of all.... But
hey, Static X are long gone and Devil Driver have been making up for previous
crimes and as modern corporate play-the-game metal goes Devil Driver have
been one of the better experiences of recent times... You never know with
these glossy Download generation metal bands though, even the good ones
let you down in the end, that recent Killswitch Engage album was a big
disappointment to put things politely... Pray For Villains piles
in with relentless style and a pounding bone-shaking drum-pounding thrashing
growl and Devil Driver are not letting up here - this kicks off where The
Last Kind Words ended, that opening track is a modern metal sledgehammer
to skull declaration of metallic intent and Dez and his crew don’t let
up for the whole length of the album... OK so we kind of loose interest
after six of so tracks, but hey, as short sharp blasts of short attention
span throwaway metal goes, this is another good one from Devil Driver...
You never quite know... www.devildriver.com
or www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk
x |
 16th
JULY 09 - Art is a hungry beast...
ALBUM
REVIEW: ONEIDA – Rated O (Jagjaguwar/Brah)
– What is going on here then? I rather like it, what is going on though?
Three copies of this triple album have shown up here in the last week,
guess that’s wreckord companies for you. Rated O is something like being
trapped in the back room of Club Dog with some Ozrics loving electronics
freek (or maybe some mid 90’s squat where there’s not enough generator
power for both light and sound and paranoia is playing with your head and
is that the cops coming in again?). I guess those who weren’t really tuned
in to what was actually going on musically back there when all that cross
pollination was going down at free festivals and throughout the underground
networks and such, will probably tell you that this is some kind of pushing
the boundaries of kraut dub flavoured prog in to the here and now or something...
It is a good album, don’t get me wrong, this is a great album, but hey,
it don’t half sound like bits of Ullulators or Oroonies or I.Shensound
and the rest with those bits of dub and the locked on forward movement
and bits of electronic stoner punk-prog Neu and Gong and all powered by
some impressive percussion and compressed ideas and... The second installment
of their Thank Your Parents triptych of releases and all kind of kosmische
and 70’s Kraut rock and that percussion nails it and not so much forward
movement or breaking of new ground but the sound of a million illegal free
festivals and underground squat jams and looking back while trying to push
forward... Heard it all before, yep, the Brooklyn outfit would have sounded
right on the ball in the poodle lounge of George Robby somewhere around
1993... Some of it even sounds like Webcore, not quite the magic of Webcore
but do take that as high praise... this thing will not blow over, contact
and switch the other... like it lots, floating anarchy indeed, sure some
of it gets a little lost in the smoke, three discs long? Did it need to
be? Wonder what happened to Evil Edna’s Horror Toilet? Really didn’t need
three copies to get us to play it on the radio though... anyone one want
one of these spare copies? First come, first served... Damn good album,
like the ambition, like the guts, love the percussion, might get lost in
the dark in the corner for hours, might be a good place... like the Captain’s
Table or something... Nice one... if we play it again next time that will
be three weeks on the bounce on the radio www.enemyhogs.com
or www.brahrecords.com
x |
 Art
is a hungry beast, and if you need to know then JANE’S ADDICTION
are playing a low key ‘secret’ gig at Centro in Holborn, here in
London tonight, 16th July – go visit Janesaddiction.com...
DM Stith tonight though and walking it not just talking it and how many
days simce the sound of static and.... Need to tel lyou about those great
british birds and Oblong and this new demo from....
14th
JULY 09 - Alpha, beta, gamma, hubbaduba, flying teapots at the ready, here
we go for some more floating anarchy....
NEWS:
WHIPLASH
and Thrash Metal Hot Sauce Line Available and... and we don’t make any
of this up and Cruncher is probably going to take up cooking something
a little more that noodles and baked beans now and reactivated New Jersey
thrash metallers Whiplash have joined forces with From Mild To Wild Hot
Sauce Shop to produce and release the first-ever thrash metal hot sauce
line. We really don't make this up...
The band says: "This moderate hot sauce should appeal to anyone with taste
buds. It's been a favorite of ours for a long time and we're thrilled to
be providing it under this label." The "three-sauce gift pack" featuring
Power And Pain, Last Nail In The Coffin and Swallow The Slaughter is now
available for a limited time only - "Get 'em while they're hot!" For more
information visit Frommildtowild.com
or Rip Cruncher's kitchen. Meanwhile the band's long-awaited (so it says
here on this press release) new full-length Unborn Again was scheduled
to be release on July 15th via Pulverised Records; the release date has
been pushed back until the end of July.
Right, enough of these cooking stunts, we’re not going to fall for this
kind of clutching at straws to get a news story about a new album up on
line out and on the streets, what kind of suckers do you think we are -
www.myspace.com/whiplashusa
or www.myspace.com/pulverisedrecords.
Tomorrow: Warrant's thought on the events of this coming Saturday, national
cherry day we'll have you know, free cherry pie down at Borough Market
so we're told...
x |
LIVE REVIEW: THE MARS VOLTA –
Somerset House, London, 13th July
No support band, no real excuse for that, all that time and space and audience
and ticket price, just one band and well, there could so easily have been
a half hour set from someone like, well, a new band like Chickenhawk or
Kong or... Shouldn’t you big bands and promoters be giving the fresh
blood the time and space? You were that flesh blood in need of an audience
once upon a time. That little moan out of the way, this is a great place
to see a band and the weather is good and The Mars Volta more than most
have a right to enter to the sounds of the Mexican Spaghetti Western sounds
of Moroconi as the sun starts to go down...
So, pretty much every description and gig listing of The Mars Volta mentions
the P word, and those of us who take these Prog things seriously debate
this fact vigorously - so much bandwidth could be saved if the following
question could be answered: just what is frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala
drinking on stage? He has a steaming mug of something on a special Mug
Table up front, which he replenishes from a rather dark shiny flask.
The sight instantly makes me want to swap my four quid (FOUR QUID!!!!!)
weeny bottle of fake cider for a nice cuppa, strong, milk no sugar, ta.
Now, I'm sure there are Mars Volta fans in the moshpit in front of me who
can tell me exactly what's in the mug, thus resolving all arguments: if
it's tea, then they are progging Prog, end of story.
My guess is that it's not tea, certainly not orange and the bag left in,
but some weirdass peyote desert sage medicine thing. With a few shots of
really strong coffee thrown in. Because The Mars Volta are at heart
a psychedelic band, for all their volume and nods towards complexity.
There's a splash of King Crimson and passing combinations of voice and
instrument that sounds like Yes, but most of all its Led Zeppelin in a
wall of sound, (guitarist Omar Ridriguez-Lopez unashamedly Page to Cedric's
Plant) driving along in their most indulgent jamming mood. On record, they're
dense and obtuse enough, so I'm expecting more so live. |
Somerset House is an absolutely spectacular venue: a great open air square
courtyard with a handy gentle slope for better viewing, enclosed by historic
architecture, straddling what was once the bank of the Thames, right there
smack bang in the middle of London. A brilliant blue sky darkens, the facades
behind the stage and around us are gradually lit with ever-changing, gold,
deep red and blue lights. The crowd's a fascinating balance of young and
old devotees, including gangs of cool and/or eccentric females, who know
every single word, and pale young men attempting to make the most of their
naturally curly hair. That billowing wall of sound is distorted and
harsh close up, better toward the back - but in this brilliant setting
the band's sheer flamboyance shines. I'm surprised at how compelling
The Mars Volta are, live - to be frank, a lot of their recordings leave
me frustrated, sounding similar to each other, grooving along at the same
pace, lacking strong melodies. But there's no denying the conviction and
drive and emotional depth behind their work, and it pours out of them live.
There's a lot of new material tonight, and its good - very good, Cotopaxi
is
an early set new song biting highlight, the Mars Volta on form and striving
for more. Most of their songs, old and new, sway along in six time,
telling dark, angsty stories, way too dense and blurred and leveled-out
to grasp details first time but creating enough atmosphere and groove to
pick up on. It's an odd, slippery mix of skilled musicianship and vague
looseness, veering between complex structure and jamming, and if you let
it wash over you in psyched-out waves it works. Especially tonight,
with the dome of a deep violet, un-English clear desert sky overhead, the
white stone of Somerset House surreal against it. Cedric and Omar and indeed
the lot of them look great, Cedric throwing endless skinny Robert Plant
shapes and the occasional somersault as they barrel through and delve into
their shared visions. Of course they're at their best when they break things
up, inject light and shade, and towards the end have passages of space
and contrast - a new song of the recent Octahedron album called
Teflon
showing just that with all the burning tires and... But those long, intense,
almost obsessive wig-outs have their place too, especially when the time
and place is right, like it is tonight. |
The Mars Volta take a bit of listening to, they're worth it, they
mean it. They're a strange band, lost in a personal world of their own
- no going through the motions here, thankfully a band fueled on feel and
pure energy rather than tedious pin-point technique – they certainly can
play, they don’t need to prove it. The trick is to tune in to the storm
and overlook the bits that get just a little too Led Zep with out the real
Zeppelin dimensions - just let it go and get lost in that personal
world all of their own.... For the fans who've already made the journey
in to that world, this was one helluva gig, for those on the edge dipping
in a toe it was a triumph, two hours and no messing about, just a classic
rock band in their own space and inviting us to ride with them... No encores
or any of that stuff, just straight in and no stopping for anything, two
hours and a litlte bit and then they gone, lights up, colour everywhere
and a classic bit of ’76 Kiss and Mr Speed on the PA while we soak
up the atmosphere, smile at strangers then head for The Strand taking a
special gig with us... www.themarsvolta.com
The Somerset House series of shows is on now and continues all this week
down by the River Thames... Full details: www.somersethouse.org.uk
x. |
NEWS:
GONG,
“the legendary psychedelic prog rockers” today announced they will release
their new album “2032” on Monday 21st September. Released on Steve Hillage
and Miquette Giraudy’s subsidiary G-Wave label, the album is officially
released two months before Gong’s highly anticipated nationwide UK tour
which kicks off at the Bristol Academy on Thursday 19th November.
Described (in this here press release) as "exhilarating, compelling and
other worldly", 2032 represents the first time Hillage has recorded with
original Gong founder, Daevid Allen, since 1974’s You album. 2032 is a
new instalment that continues Gong’s famous ‘Radio Gnome’ album trilogy
which includes the milestone psychedelic progressive rock albums - Flying
Teapot (1973), Angel’s Egg (1973), and “You” (1974).
The line-up on the album includes Daevid Allen (guitar, lead vocal): Steve
Hillage (lead guitar), Gilli Smyth (Space Whisper and poetry), Miquette
Giraudy (synthesizer), Mike Howlett (bass), Chris Taylor (drums), and Theo
Travis (sax and flute). Special guest performances on selected tracks include
former Gong member Didier Malherbe (soprano sax, duduk, and flute) and
Yuji Katsui (electric violin) of the Japanese progressive psychedelic jam
band Rovo.
“2032 is when Planet Gong makes full contact with the Planet Earth; a major
new chapter in the continually evolving Gong mythology,” says Daevid Allen.
x |
 LIVE
REVIEW: ENGINEERS – Sonic Catherdral
@ Bush Hall, London, 10th July – We’ve missed the supports, other places
to be, other bands to see, can’t be in two places at once, lot of people
here for the supports so it seems – Richard Barbieri, he of Porcupine Tree
and Japan along with Ulrich Schnauss. Porcupine Tree lost our interest
years ago, anything involving a Porcupine Tree is going to attract the
devoted, careful timing lands us in West London’s Bush Hall just in time
for the headliners, kind of keen to see them on the strength of the new
album...
Engineers arrive on stage in a minimal low key kind of way, almost in darkness,
not much of a light show, no kind of theatrical sense of event, no real
build up, just shadowy figures almost unnoticed for a moment under the
faded splendour of the Bush Hall chandeliers... and somehow that feels
right Tonight, they just let the music do the talking, no need for
lights or words or any grand entry, just let the music glide in that very
easy effortless way. I’m sure it takes a lot of effort but you know what
I mean, everything is easy.... They haven’t played live in ages, it kind
of shows, communication and audience connection is down to a minimum, it
feels a little awkward, it does feel right though, it just feels right
– for tonight anyway – and they seem kind of surprised to see so many here,
nervously pleased - these are not your average rockstarish type people,
something a little different here. The Manchester band are a gentle
delight, they glide serenely, they build and float, they glow in the perfect
Bush Hall darkness. A mix of electronic Krautrock warmth and anthemic shoegazer
flow somewhere there in the darkness and the waves of gentle warmth. They
kind of shimmer, they touch on Harmonia, people bask in it, are the band
enjoying this? Is this uncomfortable? Do they really want to be playing
live? They’re engineers, they engineer delicate walls of sound again and
again, does it feel right to them up there? It is a sound to savour....
They have a new album, same old story, labels messing about, four years
after the first they’re getting Three Fact Fader out Things are all
very pleasant, they kind of get themselves in gentle forward moving state
of glow and glide away in a semi (tangerine) dreamstate of slowly spiralling
Chapterhouse Rides and Slowdives and touches on Neu and Amon Duul and Boards
Of Canada on that plane is where they stay, gently moving forward and dreams
of falling and glowing and all very nice in the most positive of ways and
not many dimensions but who needs dimension? This is the thing that still
celebrates itself and let us quietly slip out the side door and leave them
on their pleasant ride, drifting and dreaming and... www.myspace.com/engineers
or www.soniccathedral.co.uk
ALBUM
REVIEW: ENGINEERS – Three Fact
Fader (K Scope) – They have a plush new album, been some time in the making,
they’re a band to just flow with, bask in, a refined sound, a refined album.
Somewhere near the glory days of shoegaze, not far from mellow kraut rock
and dreamscapes and inauras and just floating out there with their songs
and their textures and subtle structures and simple considered details
and should you be in a relaxed mellow mood and feel like gliding and glowing
and.... An album to spend time with, unravelling it as it unravels
you... www.myspace.com/engineers
Good
moring, it didn't rain, more in a while... Mars Volta, Oblong, Engineers...
bags of new releases to tell you about when we get a moment, we do things
our way and in our own sweet time. Paint to spill first and coffee and
none of this matters does it, you just want new music don't you?
LONDON
SOUND SURVEY: “Hi, thought some people here might interested in the
London Sound Survey website at www.soundsurvey.org.uk.
Does what it says on the tin with recordings of incidental sounds from
around London, plus more purposeful sounds courtesy of street market traders,
demonstrations, hustlers, buskers, football fans and more. About 230 recordings
in all and growing slowly but steadily. Also with recordings organised
into sound map format, plus historical references from many different authors
on how London sounded back in the day. Have a look and a listen, hope you
enjoy it.”
X |
 NEWS:
WHEN IS A HOLE NOT A HOLE? When it doesn't contain Eric Erlandson,
is the answer to that question. As previously reported, Courtney Love has
said that she plans to release her new album under the name Hole, even
though none of her former bandmates are involved. However, Erlandson says
that there's no Hole without him. Not just in an egotistical sense, but
legally too. He told Spin: "We have a contract. She signed a contract with
me when we decided to break up the band, which was like 2002 or something,
so I really don't have comment on it except that I know my part in that
band. The way I look at it, there is no Hole without me. To put it blunt.
Just on a business level".
He's not taking any thing Love says too seriously, though. He continued:
"Somebody told me and it just sounds like something... it just sounds like
the usual. I love her a lot and I wish her the best, and I'm open to discussions
regarding the real Hole, and if she has a solo album together, I think
that's great. I think she should finish it and put it out and do that".
(CMU)
13th
June... Is it going to rain on us today? Mars Volta open air tonight, no
rain no rain no rain...
Organ
show with Sean O on RESONANCE 104.4FM, Sunday July 12th 2009, 9.00pm –
On your FM dial all over London and worldwide via www.resonancefm.com.
ART,
POETRY, BALTIMORE CORNERS, MIDDLE AGES PUNKS and smartarse excuses for
playing tracks...
Who
got played this week? How do you find our more? Here come the details and
links...
1/intro:
TRANSISTOR SIX – Back Yard Rocketship (Blackbean & Placenta)
2:
PETER HAMMILL – Stumbled (FIE)
3:
PRE – Haircutticus (Skin Graft)
4:
MARNIE STERN – Don’t Stop Belivin’ (demo)
5:
WIRE – Three Girl Rumba (EMI)
6:
JAZZKAMMER – Freemix Norwave – Thurston Moore Remix (Smalltown Superjazzz)
7:
D.M STITH – Issac’s Song (Asthmatic Ktty)
8:
THE STUPIDS – Middle Aged Punk (Boss Tuneage)
9:
ORIGINAL SILENCE – Argument Left Hanging, Rubber Cement (Smalltown Superjazzz)
10:
SLAB – Gutterbusting (Vinyl Ink)
11:
D.M.STITH – SPIRIT PARADE (Asthmatic Ktty)
12:
MICHAEL J SHEEHY - Fight For Your Right To Fight (Glitterhouse)
13:
C.R. AVERY – The Boxer Who Just Returned From London (Bongo Beat)
14:
GREYMACHINE - Vultures Descend (Hydra Head)
15:
MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND – Sinfonia Agridulce (Cooking Vinyl)
16:
WILLIAM BLAKE – London (download)
17:
ANTHRAX (UK) – One Last Drop (Happy Release)
18:
SHEARWATER – On The Death Of The Waters (Matador)
19:
ONEIDA – The Story Of O (Jagjagiwar/Brah)
20:
THE STUPIDS – Drumshop Arsehole (Boss Tuneage)
21:
HEIRS – Plague Asphyx (Denovali)
Those
all important links details and reasons for the play here
x |
 12th
JULY '09 - Sunday, radio day, on air 9.00pm tonight, Resonance 104.4FM
in London, worldwide via www.resonancefm.com
- a whole bag load of demos, new releases, news, previews and not so radio
friendly alternatives...
NEWS:
WILLIAM
BLAKE: London’s Visionary Anarchist - Philosopher, historian, biographer,
travel writer and poet, Peter Marshall recounts the life of one of London’s
finest artists, William Blake. Marshall offers a lively and perceptive
account of his thought, ranging from his philosophy, his critique of existing
society and culture, to his vision of a free world.
“Come along to find out why Blake can be understood as a forerunner of
modern anarchism and social ecology, and discover the light which shines
behind his symbolism and mythology. This event celebrates the reprinting
of Peter Marshall’s book ‘William Blake: Visionary Anarchist’ published
by Freedom Press”. The event is part of Housmans’ ‘London’s Burning’ series
(Housmans – radical booksellers since 1945) see www.housmans.com/events.php.
Event information: Wednesday 15th July – 7pm to 8.30pm, Housmans Bookshop,
5 Caledonian Rd, King's Cross, London. Free entry - www.housmans.com
NEWS:
GEORGE
PELECANOS, one of the main writers and producers of TV show The Wire,
is to give a talk at London pub The Boogaloo later this month. Pelecanos
will appear at the north London venue on July 23, along with The Pogues
founder member Spider Stacy, who will play a set with a band under
the name Spider Stacy And Friends (does that mean it might tune in to one
of those Baltimore detective wake nights with McNulty and Bunk?) See Theboogaloo.co.uk
for more information. There’s only two types of people in the world,
those already hooked on TheWire and those yet to be hooked, Omar has us
eating nothing Honey Nut here... Old news we know but everything is right,
the look, the compelling sound, the space, the pace, the way you can invest
time and emotion in every single one of them, the dirt it digs... perfect
TV.
10th JULY '09 - Another day,
another bag of reviews and slices of news while we do what we really do
(which really isn't this). Do what you will with whatever you find, the
links are there for you to use should you wish...
ALBUM
REVIEW: CALLOUS – Descension (Casket) – Metal, from
Kent, could be from anywhere really, this time the band are from Kent...
that universal modern metal thing done by a thousand and one bands from
all corners of the planet, Callous are from Kent they could easily be from
Ohio or California or New South Wales or... They energetically crunch
when they need to, they thrash (in a melodically thrashy way) when they
need to, they do their thing in a decent enough way – Machine Head, Megadeth,
Soilwork, Killswitch Engage – you know the score, you know the sound....
I guess they do it as well as anyone, decent enough debut seven track,
no real x factor or identity or musical personality, and like I’ve said
before, no idea why these bands are all just happy to conform to the rules
and the blueprints and not challenge themselves or us a little more, decent
enough though, maybe they’ll move it on challenge us next time, maybe they’ll
grow a collective pair (as someone once said) and make some metal with
a little bit of identity, guts and ... www.myspace.com/callous
x |
 NEWS:
The
rather majestically beautiful SHEARWATER have announced another
London show, this time they make a burrow for a nest over at the Luminaire
in Kilburn on September 14th. Probably the last time you’ll get to see
the New York band in an intimate London venue, can’t be long before they
head for bigger halls and.... www.myspace.com/shearwater
/ www.luminaire.co.uk / www.localism.org.uk
ALBUM
REVIEW: HEIRS – Alchera (Denovali) – Dramatically dark instrumental
post rock epics of a brooding Swans, Pelican, Mono nature. Maybe a little
less over-baring take on the suffocation of Neurosis, the musical claustrophobia...
a soothing Godflesh of a band? Can you have a soothing Godflesh? Some of
this really is effortlessly soothing... considered, every slow moving sound
considered, crafted, warm.... monumental. Hunting, gathering, oppressively
good, bleak yet full of hope and a euphoric undercurrent in that restrained
low-end darkness. Heirs are from Australia, this is impressive, very impressive....
www.denovali.com
or www.heirs.com.au
NEWS:
MEW
have announced details of their new album, which will be released on 25
Aug via Columbia Records. The album's title is this: No more stories Are
told today I'm sorry They washed away No more stories The world is grey
I'm tired Let's wash away. Yes, all of that is the title. Currently touring
Europe with Nine Inch Nails, Mew will be in the UK next week for a few
shows, which look like this: 15 Jul: London, O2 Arena (with Nine Inch Nails),
16 Jul: London, ICA, 17 Jul: Latitude Festival Two of the tracks from 'No
More Stories...' are available now on the band's new EP of the same name,
which was released last week. You can hear one on the Organ July Spotify
playlist over there or here
x |
 ALBUM
REVIEW: MALEFICENT – Demise (Sicktronic)
- London based female fronted colourfully strident goth food fused with
a dark electric undercurrent and a sinister industrial bite. Rather fine
version of Nick and Kylie’s Where The Wild Roses Grow in amongst
the blackness, the twisted malice and all the desire. Theatrical bents,
conceptual performance – something a little extra in here, a touch more
imagination, a kiss of class with the tight rope and smudged redness. A
sound that lurches, pushing down heavy and if you like your Marilyn Manson
or your Nine Inch Nails cut with a touch of Coptic Rain or Queen Adreena,
with a hint of operatic desire, with a sprinkling of dark dark brooding
blues in there with the rumbling electronica and the power and the black
nails then this is rather decent – www.myspace.com/maleficentband
DEMO
REVIEW: HAKEN – Full album’s
worth of demo quality tracks and a potentially Impressive work in progress
from Surrey band Haken. If you appreciate that neo-prog, technical prog-metal
side of things and if bands like Dream Theatre do it for you, then Haken
are going to be of interest. They’ve been around since 2007 and they’re
fast building themselves a healthy reputation... There’s plenty of colour
and imagination here, hints of ambitious prog-flavoured rock that has lots
of the story telling qualities in there with the melodic prog adventures
of the old school – Camel, 70’s Genesis, IQ, early Marillion - woven
with Haken’s modern technical sound. Some of that modern side is maybe
a little cold and a little too much technique over substance, this does
sound like a demo though – the right production might do the trick? Maybe?
Plenty of tasty mood switching, plenty of light and shade, plenty of proper
old school proggyness, clever key changes, colourful composition - unfortunately
there’s a lot of cold clinical technical fret-wanking, some rather uninviting
look at me ego-cheese and technical showing off when what’s really needed
is some feel, some heart and some soul. I don’t know, when you listen to
stuff English bands are coming up with next the really exciting provoking
progressive bands from other places, bands like Extra Life or Cheer Accident
then... um... well... – www.myspace.com/hakenmusic
x |
| PREVIOUS
ORGAN PAGE (#304)... FIGHT LIKE APES, KILL IT KID, VAN DER GRAAF in
the USA, a whole bag load of album reviews, news, this and that...
ORGAN
PAGE #303... All the stuff we were frothing about yesterday, the day
before, last week... THE ART BOOT FAIR, IQ, PETER HAMMILL and a
whole whole whole load more...
ORGAN
PAGE #302... oh go have a look, another page of whatever the
hell it is we do for some godforsaken reason or other, you don't need a
list do you? Just explore it...
ORGAN
PAGE #301... A HAWK AND A HACKSAW, LATCH, RANCID, MOSS, DM STITH,
DUNCAN REDMONDS, MARNIE STERN, BLUE LIONS, Aine Scannell's latest artwork,
THE SLOW BLADE, Atheism and Feminism with Sue Mayermm THE GREEN RIVER PROJECT,
RAVEN'S AINT NO MORE - In the early hours of Friday May 1st the squatted
island in the...PINK NARCISSUS, WRAPPED IN PLASTIC, CARLIS STAR, Deerhoof
dates, HYPER SNYPER, New TORTOISE track, Poisoned Electrick Head were always
‘eventful’, BARACK OBAMA DILDO? Blue Dildo or Gold Dildo? THE LOW FREQUENCY
IN STEREO, HardART? Corn on the cob and King Midas spitting out the teeth
of the rich? Ex Gratia Recordings Art Exhibition, ZAG AND THE COLOURED
BEADS, AARON KRATEN is a painter, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, AND WHITE STARS, David
Douglass, SEVEN INCH GETS RECORD PRICE AT AUCTION, TO THE BONES, RADIO
MOSCOW, JON HOPKINS, MUDHONEY dates, SECTION 13, CASTROVALVA, AUSTIN GALLERY
AND BENNY’S BAR, ISIS, FLIES ARE SPIES FROM HELL and WILD DOGS IN WINTER
are touring together this month, MAYBESHEWILL, SIDDHARTHA, HEAVEN’S BASEMENT,
THE SCRATCH ORCHESTRA, END OF THE ROAD - The Camp Bling/Save Priory Park
campaigners in Essex have won!, LEXIE MOUNTAIN BOYS, MELLOFEST, NAVVY have
a whole load of dates, SAD DAY FOR PUPPETS, Returns to form? New sensuality
and new conservatism? Interesting piece on Art Review again today... ANNALOGUE,
CAROL ANN DUFFY becomes first female poet laureate...MILES BENJAMIN ANTHONY
ROBINSON, The Conservative party have issued a denial after it was suggested
that... BLACKGUARD, DINOSAUR Jr post new track, GRIFTER, EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL
SCHOOL, FREEDOM FACTION...
ORGAN
PAGE #300... HEARTBREAK STEREO, Noel’s Tales From The Middle
Of Nowhere, GALLOWS, guerrilla knitting, THE SECRET INVASION, acquiredcollective,
Skart: 'Poetry will be Written by All', THE OLYMPIC SYMPHONIUM, AUSTIN
GALLERY AND BENNY’S BAR, LOUIS LINGG AND THE BOMBS, DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT,
ROLO TOMASSI, MASTODON, THE VIPERS, The 17, HEY! TONAL, ATTICA RAGE, JOHN
ZORN, COMUS, THE ORANGE MAN THEORY, JON HOPKINS, ASSEMBLAGE by WILLIAM
BLANCHARD, YOURSHIRE EVENING PEST, APE SCHOOL, VESSELS, The East End Film
Festival, LIAM McKAHEY & THE BODIES, DETACHMENTS, NOAM CHOMSKY on ResonanceFM,
STONEPHACE, DEEP CUT, THE SCARAMANGA SIX, DEERHOOF, WIDOW’S MITE, ISLAND
LINE, HATESPHERE, ASSAULTER, STORSVEIT NIX NOLTES, MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF
SOUND, BISHOP ALLEN, MORNING METEORS, BINEWSKI, JG BALLARD R.I.P, SONIC
YOUTH, THE HAPPY LIST, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, MORRISSEY, THE FALL, DAMIEN
HIRST, RANDY CAIN...
x |
| You can explore
the old weekly style on line edtions and a whole bag of old Organs and
23 years of Organ history
here, we're moving
on again, kick over the bricks once more.... |
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