Thursday 31 March 2011

7% refrigerator magnet poetry

Earlier today I raved about the brilliant reviews by being published on @Discographies.

Tonight I find that the smarts behind that twitter feed have produced a mathematical explanation of Radiohead. Originally published in Rupert Murdoch's iPad only newspaper The Daily the infographic reveals what I have often suspected. Radiohead are 15% a nagging sense of unease and equal parts things that go "bleep" and things that go "skitterskitterskitter".

While I don't see a future in the iPad or newspapers published exclusively for it I do hope for a future in musical infographics. More please.

Get on Twitter, follow @Discographies

Are you sick of bloated album reviews written by bloggers with a first-rate thesaurus but nothing much to say?

Exhibit A:
Maybe it is time to check out @Discographies. The largely anonymous micro-blogger summarises an artist's entire body of work in 140 characters or less: short to the point and hilariously accurate.

Exhibits B,C, D and E:
Katy Perry: 1 "Everyone ignored me at Karaoke Night...until I told them I was bi-curious." 2 "Then I bought a blue wig and push-up bra"

Radiohead: 1-7 "How could we ever grow weary of these timeless works of art?" 8 "Whatevs. We live-tweeted it three days ago. It's so over"

Metallica: 1-4 "Run! Run! A monstrous juggernaut is coming to kill us all!" 5 "It stopped! Why?" 6-9 "Choked to death on its own fumes"

Interpol: 1 Find an old photo of Joy Division. 2 Xerox the photo. 3 Draw the Xerox. 4 Stare at the drawing: you'll never get Closer.
Get on Twitter and follow @Discographies while you are there why not follow @BawleyMusicBlog.

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Live Review: Dan Kelly and Gareth Liddiard, ANU Bar, Canberra, 23/03/2011

Arriving at the ANU, I am surprised to find a dozen plastic cafe tables arranged around the front of the stage. It soon becomes obvious that the bar staff are not running late in converting the room from student eatery to gig venue but that tonight is to be an intimate, sit-down show.

The last of the tables fill up as Dan Kelly arrives on stage starting his wonderful set with I Will Release Myself (Unto You) a song that with its self deprecating lines (The Lord did not give me, the skills to aim high/I'm not like Delta Goodrem born to try, I'm an uncomplicated guy... Uh, I'm struggling hard to spell my name, and honey you're such a brain) and loveable characters is the near perfect example of a Dan Kelly song.

Playing solo gives Kelly time to talk with the audience, he explains where each of his songs came from and what they are about. Proving he has no lack of imagination, these chats cover controlling hordes of ice addicts with classical music, wooing a lesbian couple to be his polygamist wife(s) and running away to an undersea post-apocalypse world lorded over by Bindi Irwin.

It is not all silliness. Drunk on Election Night came from frustration with our politicians and is tonight dedicated to Tony Abbott. The intent of this tribute is not lost on this audience as we all heartily sing the song's Cock-suck'n, Mother-fuck'n chorus.

The set finishes with Dan Kelly's Dream, a thick cloud of smoke machine fog settling above a classic rock guitar solo and the sound of chickens. This trip into Dan Kelly's mind has been weird but thoroughly enjoyable.

The bar queue has barely moved when Gareth Liddiard comes on stage. Tonight the Drones front man is playing songs from his recently released solo album Strange Tourist.

Like Kelly before him, Liddiard spends a lot time explaining the motivations and meaning behind his songs. Opener Blondin Makes an Omelette is inspired by the famed Niagara Falls tight-rope walker while Strange Tourist is a depressing tale that takes the listener to popular Japanese suicide spot the Aokigahara forest.

The serious subject material and stripped back song delivery makes much of Liddiard's set an intense experience. It is only during the faster, fuller Drones songs Shark Fin Blues and I Don't Ever Want To Change that we get a chance to tap our feet and relax.

The set ends with The Radicalisation of D a near spoken word story commenting on western society and how an ordinary middle class boy 'D' (David Hicks?) was driven to become the home grown terrorist. The last lines of the 30 minute epic: But now we interrupt this broadcast/To bring you breaking news/There is a building in Manhattan/And it's burning.

..INnnntense..

Friday 25 March 2011

Extra, Extra

The CD version of Radiohead's latest album King of Limbs will be in shops on Monday the 28th March (Tuesday 29th US and Canada?). To help celebrate this occasion Radiohead have produced one off lefty newspaper titled The Universal Sigh.

Even better The Universal Sigh will be available (for free) at your favourite record store from midday on Monday 28th March 2011.

Website theuniversalsigh.com has been stood up to provide like minded fans an avenue for expression while extending the paper's life beyond the fish and chips shop.

Check http://www.theuniversalsigh.com/locations/ for a list of record shops that will be giving out copies of the paper.