Carl Gwynne a.k.a The Smashed Badger

Music Journalism and the world wide web - What issues do a modern Music Journalist face?

2012-01-10T11:01:00.001-08:00

From the older ways of going to underground gigs in the 1960's - 1990's, making fanzines with whatever is at hand about bands that nobody knew and the latest big magazine issue being equally the word of god for the national music press. To the online phenomenon of blogger journalists, the freedom of free press, the accessibility of free music, the closeness to your favourite bands and of course the wider internet itself having major differences forced upon the world of the music press; changes that just as harshly and definitively effected the record industry and film industry. I will discuss how Music Journalism has been modernised in today's industry.

Music Journalism has always been a competitive industry, many journalists have always been under pressure to find the latest band and follow them. Larger published organisations have always been on the prowl for new writers, so there's always been freelancers that face the risk of never really having the cutting edge that pays off and when it doesn't they may end up conscripted into the ranks of the magazine's underbelly, writing other people's work on a band they've never heard; with poor pay to boot. Though that's the image painted for future journalists, the reality is any writer's unwavering passion for music. This isn't a very well paid industry but for the right writer the job pays off enough for just doing it, in Julie Burchill's opinion, a well known Music Journalist, she defines the mindset of a passionate writer, “I was flash, amatuerish, out of my box on sulphate, unable to hold the most basic conversation with record company personnel – in fact, I could barely function as a grown-up – but I also brought a degree of innocence and integrity to the paper that was unheard of. I wasn't interested in ligs or freebies or expenses or all those other things that ruin writers”. ('In Their Own Write, Paul Gorman, 2001)

One of the biggest issues that faced journalism since the dawn of the internet lay in the free and easy access to the press. The internet provides free access to blogs and a free means to make them. It's a journalists dream to be published, it's almost pointless when other people's opinions are published for free and read by a limitless and untraceable audience. Journalists used to be in more control of their intellectual property via the print media but now opinion is rife all over the internet. 'Blogger.com' has been the blogging pioneer since the internet began and millions of blogs have been created with just as many different purposes. As well as that, more recent sites such as 'Wordpress' have provided more options for writers and it allows any given journalist unlimited access to very advanced tools; as well as any other creative writer for that matter. “In a world where anyone can publish anything with a click of a button, substance can seem as impossible to find as an objective, nonpartisan political biog. As content devolves into the least common denominator, cat videos are shared incessantly and hastily written, half-researched opinion pieces are described somewhat generously as "real-time journalism.” (Bhargava, 2012)

It's always been about the latest band in the music press, it's about the passion for these bands and the love for the music they make but the latest band will change quicker than your underwear. The internet is a mess of bands and creative art on various formats, this time recorded and badly produced online rather than playing a dingy pub in a nowhere town, which most still do anyway. 'Myspace' did it first, providing an easy option for users to share their music and their opinions via comments. But there have been artists who've achieved fame through their MySpace page, for example, Katy Perry was found on MySpace and through various ventures provided by a management company she got her fame. Though when it came to actually looking for online music to write about regardless of these stunning artists, the boost of independent bands, artists and DJ's almost broke the music industry's banks and the virtual world became overwhelmed with music. The bands we all wanted were being leaked for free and the bands we didn't want were throwing demos in our faces. (Brian Message, Solent Guest Lecture, 2009).

This tempest of free music has since died down as more organisations develop new ideas and new models to harness the power of the internet, the music press is no exception to these renovations. Journalism within the music industry has evolved with the times just like the record industry. Articles are available through websites, videos, audio podcasts and various mediums we could search to get our latest fix on our favourite artists. There are many working journalists out there but unfortunately there are also many other people with musical opinion who act like journalists. This is the largest challenge presented to any budding writer though it's not as different from the older days of fanzines, where journalists or just 'people passionate about music' made fanzines with whatever they could find. The same issues have existed for years. The internet has only brought the industry's pro's and con's into a different light.

One of the most important issues is the reaffirmation of any given Music Journalist's right to their intellectual property. It has always been an issue of being paid the wrong amount or not at all for creative writing within any information industry however since the internet and its new models have been more firmly established, it's simply back to a matter of price and how much you need to do to preserve the right to your creative ownership. “The Internet has brought forth many wonders, from the silly to the sublime to the skateboarding bulldog on YouTube (which is both). Newspapers no longer have a monopoly on serious journalism, and their mistakes are promptly challenged. Anyone can create culture instead of simply consuming it. It's never been easier to distribute creative work. At the same time, it's never been harder to get paid for it.” (Robert Levine, 2011).

The internet itself is a grey area of corporate driven laws and piracy driven loopholes. It's a minefield when it comes to copyright but lately some genius ideas have arisen to encourage, rather than restrict, the sharing of intellectual property, in this instance I'll mention wikipedia and the sharing of intellectual resources, written by the world, for the world, for the price of an internet connection. Online blogs with a nationally recognised stamp on it (Virgin, NME, Q, etc) who encourage people's opinion and even publish printed articles, via their blogs, that consist only of questions curated from readers (example: Josh Homme Interview, Q Magazine, March 2011). These are examples of how publications survived the internet's almost apocalyptic setting for any music organisation's given future and turned it around, sharing the views expressed by their readers and even acting as the messenger to any given readers favourite bands, though it's not a completely new aspect to music magazine's, it is much easier and more common to do so.

FRONT magazine, though mostly regarded as a little more 'lad mag' than 'music' mag, is a good example model of the future of music and entertainment journalism, with or without the boobs. Social media blogging, underground music journalism, extreme sports journalism, fashion journalism and film journalism, it's all here and aimed at the kind of demographic that lives a perfectly normal social life alongside a rich healthy online social network of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LastFM, Xbox Live, etc that are all intertwined with each other. The magazine consists of the voices of the many rather than the individual opinions of the few. Everything is personal yet social, as if you're reading about your mates ideas and opinions, which in turn is really what social media has done to us, as if by accident we expose our deepest opinions without fear or judgement even though everyone can see it and in turn you can see everyone else's sometimes most guarded opinions. Even though we could be miles away, it does bring everyone much closer to each other.

This brings me onto an issue female journalist's have been facing since it began. In FRONT, as an extreme example, some of those topless models are journalists within that magazine, as well as in other printed and visual/audio formats, and quite well respected as such, maybe not by older or more right-winged men but of this generation definitely, who by design are far more liberal, whether the writers are topless or not, their opinions and of course their written work is respected, quotable and has value within a given community, which is the aim of any journalist. In any given opinion, they take the stereotype the male press covertly designs and parade it in an 'in-your-face' way, proud of their bodies and even more proud of their creative contribution. More importantly, to bring this into context, not all the women writers are models either. The way women have been represented in the music industry is an attitude that lacks in desirability, respectable artistic women are expected to act raunchy and look like a sex icons and men in the music press will have that expectation reflected in their writing, having shunned female opinion as 'not serious', in fact it's a type of writing that has been built upon and from what modern music journalism has developed into. “The vast majority of music journalists in Britain are male –men at Melody Maker outnumbered women by more than two to one –and female journalists are often relegated to the least important parts of the paper, such as reviewing readers’ demo tapes. The music press assumes that all its readers are male as well, so that the situation is often one of male journalists writing for male readers, a fact reflected in the mode of address of much music writing.” (Davies, 2001) It can be viewed as a very feminist point but it's an important point nonetheless.

FRONT's demographic is not explicitly male, they have a high percentage of female readership compared to other magazine's in their genre, even if that genre is 'lads mag'. It creates a common interest in the extreme sides of sport, music, video games, gadgetry and films; FRONT even prints 'this is no lads mag' on the cover of their issues. This model of journalism is contrary to defined and aged music writers of the Q, NME or even The Independent, though they are all not of any given music genre collectively, they do appeal to men more than women however you look at it, the male artists are presented as what men want to be and the female artists (or models) are presented as what men want to be with. Though in FRONT, it can be argued that the women are also who women want to be, giving an equal empowerment rather than a conflicting empowerment to the female sex that tends to happen when it comes to arguments about equal female rights.

This line into exploitation of women has been severely greyed and blurred, since most of our generation have found more access to artistic elements of style and imagery through the internet rather than the mainstream portrayal of music that we've been force fed throughout the years after 1950's rock 'n; roll. Overall, it has been an issue of the individual's authenticity within any given group or subculture rather than the band and always will be, but even musical genre's can be dismissed easily within the music press.

Authenticity of a particular genre defines the success of a journalist. There are several important points that are considered when discussing the authenticity of a genre. Firstly, “authenticity is dependent on the degree to which records are assimilated and legitimized by a subculture”. Secondly, “the distance between a records production and it's consumption is relevant to the cultural value bestowed upon it”. Thirdly, “the environment in which a record is produced contributes to its authenticity”. Lastly, “the ideological vagaries of music genres like their communication of bodily 'soul' or their revelation of technology play a main role in whether records come across as genuine”. (Thornton, 1995). This is an old text compared to modern music journalism but very valid for any developing journalist. Many journalists have 'favourites' though it's good practise to be open-minded. Eventually every budding journalist finds a niche and sticks to it. This is a compromising development in a journalist's career and it could shoot them into writer's fame or condemn them as an outdated or misplaced identity. If a creative piece breaks any of these guidelines to authenticate it's existence it's rarely boosted into mainstream media but may still appeal to less mainstream audiences over the internet.

The internet does gives us access to those niche's and the shackles of just writing for print and writing within a particular confine have been shed; even bloggers or more liberal writers get their limelight. Women and less 'authentic' subcultures are given an equal place within the media because of the internet and it's getting rarer to find a female opinion or a niche subculture shunned because there's always a reader and a culture that will respect it for it's artistic and informative values, though there is still that ever present reality that women are still regarded as inferior intellectually in some areas of the media. So it may not be well paid but it's also not as costly any more and can carry more weight within any given community of readership, bringing us back to that career defining point Levine makes, 'the internet makes things easier for everyone but it's also just as hard to get paid for it'.

Bibliography

- Thornton, Sarah. 'The Authenticities of Dance Genres', Club Cultures: Music, Media and Subcultural Capital; p.66-76, Cambridge: Polity, 1995.

- Davies, Helen. 'All Rock is Homosocial', Popular Music, Volume 20/3, Cambridge University Press, 2001.

- Levine, Robert. "Not paid in full: why creators must reassert their rights in the information economy." Billboard 5 Nov. 2011: 19+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

- Bhargava, Rohit. "How curation could save the internet (and your brand): with an overloaded web, the people who create more content become less valuable than the curators who organize it into digestible, powerful and sometimes even profound pieces." Communication World Jan.-Feb. 2012: 20+. Academic OneFile. Web. 10 Jan. 2012.

- Edited by Paul Rees, Q Magazine, 29^th March Issue, Bauer Publishing Group, 2011.

- Gorman, Paul. Quoted by Julie Burchill in 'In Your Own Write' p.266, Sanctuary Publishing Ltd, 2001.

My rebirth as a part-time blogger or journalist...is there a difference?

2012-01-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm Carl. You know of me, my name, my age, my sex, my location, pretty much whatever the form I required to fill out to get this page tells you. I'm on a Journalism course and until now didn't feel the necessity to write but the urge to create. I've been inspired by bands and artists as a musician myself but until today never really was sure whether I would be a Journalist of any type or not.

As of today I now consider it an option, something I could do, something I could love. I've recently found solice in Music Production too, people have even asked me 'is there anything you don't do?' jokingly whenever I bring up the subject of me and what I'd like to do, what I have done and what I can do. People just don't believe me, which is something I don't care about because they don't need to believe me, I may yet not ever do any of it professionally, I thought. Now I'm coming to the end of university, I've already come to the end of growing too, I'm fatter and it's all down hill from here so I'd like to do it in style on a bang tidy sledge than hitting every other rock on the way down, scraping and bruising my way through life. I'm thinking about what I need to do more than anything, I need a job but I don't want to carry on working at my local Co-op and I definitely don't want to go back to Telford. So, onward! Let's do a barrel roll into the 21st century music industry.

I will fail my course. That's a fact. Though I may have done worthy work, a technicality has shunned my chances of getting an Honors degree so I will only get an ordinary degree...give a shit? I've had the time of my life! Southampton Solent university has pretty much just shoved my life down my throat and out of my arse a better prospect came. I've had cracking experiences with some of the best professionals I could ever imagine, Carl Loben, Brian Message, Iestyn George, Andy McGrory, Jo Mackay, even Everett True and so many more people that got involved at some stage with the university, or even work there, and in turn showed us varying aspects of the music industry from being an Editor to an Event Production Manager to Music Critic. Not only that, all those aspects and things I don't even know about came from Dr. Martin James, though to us personally seems disorganised, it's due to the fact all that was devised and maintained by him, probably one of the biggest assets to SSU by far, he is only human and alot is thanks to him though some might not want to admit, it's fact.

So that's my update and I may or may not keep this blog updated, I know it'll be completely opinion but I'll find facts where I can because that's just how decent writer's should roll. I've been so inspired by a recent assignment I did I'm even going to upload it for you to read. At this moment 3 people follow me, I hope at least this piece will inspire them a little, because it's not wrong, even it was written by me.

Geez, this is almost emotional....fuck sake!

Peace hombres!

Guitar Zero to Guitar Hero!

2009-03-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

The world is in turmoil, the masses are in panic and there’s only one thing that can save us…

It goes without saying how much of a pickle we all at Audio Addict feel the industry has regressed over the years and ultimately how much tension has been put onto it this year, as this year is the year the pro's are going to be able to start predicting what exactly is going to happen. Blah Blah right? Wrong! This is great! This from the get-go was an exciting time for a lot of people, Audio Addict were nervously clicking pens and doodling for an entire 6 months! So, here's the deal that fate and our glorious universe had in store for us. According to Janine Bulman, who has worked in the industry with popular names such as Pete Doherty and Franz Ferdinand, 2009 is going to be a very interesting year.

A lot of money has been lost to record companies through the internet and online piracy, back catalogues are being used and used again to try and sell and make money through CD sales and recently collectable vinyl sales, but it's not working. Festival prices have gone up because they are now a prime source of money for almost every major band, most being paid a sweet million to headline. The days of going ‘on the road’ are dead. But, look what gloriously stands tall and offers that helpful hand to the newly founded 'sell-out' industry.

Guitar Hero and many other industries such as advertising, holidays, touring companies, clothing and other branded merchandise has been the saviour in all honesty, they’ve never been more important. Bands nowadays have fell into the sell-out trap where selling their image to get by has become a necessity. For example, look at how Metallica's Lars Ulrich uses his image to help sell the Sonisphere Festival with a long winded and, no doubt, paid babble about how great this Festival is. Even Management companies make piles of money from extensive advertising campaigns costing merely one E-Mail while Karen O from The Yeah Yeah Yeahs has become an image driven goddess on the stage and artistically with a sweet ass album to boot. Another example we could always use though is the mainstream model of promotion, as everyone in the room spits out their drink in disgust, yes, I will explain. An article in the NME about the Channel 4 Drama Skins describes the prime example of how new music promotion models come from the stereotypical fat man in a suit. However, this article reflects how good an idea promoting new music to teens and young adults through a teen drama is. Giving that chance to unsigned and signed acts and in one particular case of the Paper Heroes, creating a label and signing the band, is an interesting example of how useful it is having a pie man around with his fingers in everything.

Now in a lot of eyes music authenticity is a major issue, a lot of important people still like to appreciate the idea of a genuine experience. This is where Guitar Hero comes in, for a while people have mentioned that Guitar Hero was a good idea, like a passing comment you usually hear from your parents when you're 5 when you drew this really impressive picture of yourself next to a tree with your dog using bits of chocolate, glue and some strawberry laces. The 'parents' of the music world don't tend to mention how impressive this display of effort Activision made towards authenticity actually was. A lot of people nowadays can appreciate music in many forms of media, however, the one thing people were missing in their lives was the experience of not just being there but actually playing the track. This isn't entirely an authentic experience, however. That didn't matter to anyone though, to most gamers it's a new high score and to most musicians it was a joke but those people in between, it was fundamental. Aerosmith, when they released their own version, sold more of that copy than any of their albums ever did. Metallica are heading for the same record. Even other bands want in on the action, Limp Bizkit have been rumoured to want their own game too! Now like a rebellious child that wants to get heard, Guitar Hero has whipped up something gastric and it's coming like a storm. The in-betweeners I mentioned now hold music close to their hearts, they buy albums that are featured on Guitar Hero to play on the game itself or to play on their iPods and some even seek tuition on their instrument of choice, even some of the PR crew for Guitar Hero are having guitar lessons! There's not a lot else that's getting people actively involved in music this much, X Factor tried but Social Networking is just bigger and by god it paid off.

This does create problems however, Metallica complained that their game was better produced then the albums themselves, which caused quite a stir. Licensing companies are enjoying the ride, leaving the record companies in their dust too. To put it simply, this is the change. 'Sell-out' sells well! The world is more hands on now because the new generation just needs it and because of that, online pirates caused a drop in record sales at the same time people just wanted to see gigs more. All the old fogeys can't keep up and don't want to change but they are. It's proven and behind it all was those pesky Social Networking applications, MySpace, Facebook, Xbox Live, Last Fm, iTunes and Guitar Hero too. The future's bright, the future's digital.

Track Of The Week! Rockets & Molehills!

2009-03-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is a new section to my blog.

I listen to alot of music in my life and I'm very open minded with music, so I thought I'd contribute a small personal opinion on tracks I've heard in-passing and on my iPod. Which I proudly call, Rockets & Molehills!

So here we are, the best (Rocket) and worst (Molehill) tracks of my lovely locked away life, in a neat format of Track - Artist and all with nice dates too! Enjoy!

Starting:

Week 1 - February 9th:
Rocket: Unveil Your Crime - I See Sparks
This track has a certain sweetness I seem to have missed now that The Killers don't seem so popular, like their opening EP track 'The Highs, The Lows' this track is just beautiful and powerful.

Molehill: Cockney Thug - Rusko
A friend of mine encouraged me a couple of weeks ago that this song would grow on me, this week it finally got on my tits, all I can think of is some div dancing like a fucking pleb in one of the shittest clubs in England. Thanks for the encouragement but this mouldy gangsta ain't growing on me!

Week 2 - February 16th

Rocket: Rylynn - Andy Mckee
As a man, he is a laid back and talented individual. As a musician he is among gods. I can depict a scene where he is that angel with a lyle playing to the almighty Zeus, he was at the last supper playing the guitar in the background, this was the man that came into Shakespeares very dreams and played the beautiful music to inspire '12th Night'. Despite the fact he's a metal head, I think he's done pretty well for himself, don't you agree?
You can check him out on Youtube and his own website, buy his music and if guitarists out there fancy a challenge, buy his sheet music too.
www.andymckee.com

Molehill: I Fall Apart - Julianna Gianni
I have to say now, the Vanilla Sky Soundtrack made my week alongside Andy Mckee's album but what ruined it was her. Bloody Cameron Diaz, amazing actor by all means but this song annoyed me. The great thing about it, it's not a serious track to talk about but it's still a song! A bad one, well not bad, it fits all the conventions, verses and a chorus...terrible singing, lame backing track, I don't want to see the supple frame of Diaz doing this to herself, it almost killed me. Like many guys I'm in love with her, my music taste being the jealous other half, however, hates her. I'm under the thumb on this one.

Week 3 - February 23rd

Rocket: So Real - Jeff Buckley
This song wouldn't have grabbed me if I didn't listen to the album but it did and I'm better off for it. 'Grace', released in August 1994, is generally a good album I thought I'd reflect on since the early 90's are trying to make a comeback. 'Hallelujah' is another example off the same album, being a big song with X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke in 2008. I picked 'So Real' for a reason though, it's a fine example of how simple music can be but how powerful it is, so much it sticks in your mind, it did for me all week! Jeff Buckley was an astounding artist and singer, even now, 15 years later, his angelic voice sings bright and clear and I have the utmost respect for him as he was and his music as it stands today.

Molehill: Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy
One of the biggest musical movements in the 90's were The Prodigy. In 1997 they released the fastest and biggest selling album of the year 'Fat Of The Land'. Since then they faded away, broke apart and went underground. Their new album isn't that bad at all though. 'Invaders Must Die' is just something I've heard too much of. I don't want to make a huge stab like most of the media have done but the band are getting old. For the new and wanting generation The Prodigy came up short, expectation isn't an issue here, you couldn't have expected any more or less, it's that times have changed. The album came up with bad reviews, which sparked the raging thought, "Did anyone listen to 'Warriors Dance'?" It's the sheer disappointment, this song needed people to hype it up but now the album is out and about, this song comes up short. I hoped it would have been a high point before the guys go away and spend the last of their days in the setting sun.

Ladies and Gentlemen there is a gap in this part, the weekly track analy-sees will continue from 16th March.

Week 4 - March 16th

Rocket: Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies

Anticipation is a killer. We wait for albums that flop and get shocked by albums that don't! That, to me, is fucked up. Looking back once more, however, is starting to solidify a certain point I have raised elsewhere, the industry today is empty, it's not dying but it's suffering. Then again, that's one sad, depressed guy's opinion. Mine slightly differs, for example, the industry produced The Pixies and they will outlast alot of the music that is released today if not inspiring some of it. 'Here Comes Your Man' is the prime example of how the band, originally from Boston, took styles of music from the past where, in their eyes, they thought it was better and it inspired them to make the music they did then. If you haven't listened to The Pixies I would suggest you do so, if you don't like them it is understandable but they were pioneers and if, through their music, you can't recognise that, someone will. By following in their example, maybe the music released nowadays won't feel so dry...come on music industry eggheads, if you can resell tracks onto CD, try and inspire some 'reverse engineering' in a musical sense.

Molehill: Tonight (Album) - Franz Ferdinand
Alot of people that know me know that I don't appreciate most of the Indie genre, mainly for reasons relating to what I wrote above. I crave the artistic and relatively original, originality is hard to achieve, that's a given but when I put this whole album on I could chant the words to 'Matinee' along with it. Fellas, this has to stop. Be daring, do something different, if you're not happy with it, do it anyway, I'd love to give a lecture but there's alot of people that would say "Carl, what the fuck would you know", so I won't give the lecture. Otherwise, from an Indie standpoint, they did try, it doesn't sound typically like their older stuff IF I looked at it from a purely Indie perspective. Musically it wasn't very different, it wasn't heart felt enough, it wasn't strange enough, the lyrics didn't mean enough. I'm nit-picking but one day someone will say I was right.

Week 5 - March 23rd

Rocket: Zero - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Just for the record, this album is my second best of the year, it's been a long year already, but It's Blitz! has taken the prize. 'Zero' has to be my favourite track, it's powerful and healing. Karen O's voice sores, it's a strange and creative process to go through and I can only imagine how magical it was creating it. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have been a povital phenomenon since the early 00's, disturbing a few ears and producing some of the best live acts to grace our proud lands. Karen's stage performance is decieving and distressing but coupled with the outfits and the sounds, it is a work of art.

Molehill: Black & Gold - Sam Sparro
As my musical taste takes things in, 'Black & Gold' unsurprisingly got spat out. It was a song that tried to polish a turd that was the rest of the album. Rule of thumb, I'm meant to say something nice but honestly, I can't say too much bad stuff. For me this song had it for a while, I was impressed, I loved it then it got ruined when I listened to the rest, I've been tainted. That disppointment right there puts me in the position of fully not liking it through age. Funny, I haven't seen him around lately either.

© Carl Gwynne 2009

White Lies - To Lose My Life... (2009)

2009-03-23T17:00:00.000-07:00

Losing more than life, the inner demons were whispering things into my ear, 'White Lies' was all they told me...

When I put the first track on and listened to 'Death', I was blown away. I couldn't believe it. I've waited years for this, Indie music that is good! It is a sombre album, with driven guitars, strong lyrics and ambient synths. This type of combination I almost believed was a thing of the past. Having looked closer into it, it will always be here, mark my words, emotional music will always exist because music is emotion.

The sombre but driving beginning opens up my world into a new type of loving a loathing, like going to bed knowing you will have a nightmare these first few tracks create a warped look on the world, how the world shouldn't be somehow but you are uncontrollable, you can't feel the fear but you know it's there. What scares you more is the peaceful replacement, that ushers you in and tucks you in tight.

Now floating in the abyss of loathing I take a fresh turn into the get up and go music of Indie. It's beautiful yet brilliant, I can move, this is music, this has heart, this is definitaly what we need. There's so much feeling and meaning in these songs you can almost feel it yourself and you begin to create your own meanings.

Towards the end you realise how epic it all sounds. After the low droning lyrics of 'Unfinished Business' the vocals turn it up a notch. The organs are replaced with reverbed guitars and in all fairness, it's not 'arf bad. Jumping basslines start filling the air, like taking off, 'Unfinished Business' opens the door into the true soudtrack.

In the end I feel better, this is not an opinion, I'm telling you, YOU will feel better, YOUR faith will be restored in the music world, if it isn't, then I'm sorry, music isn't for you.

Begone Dull Care - Junior Boys (2009)

2009-03-01T03:13:00.000-08:00

The Junior Boys have all grown up now, and they're releasing a spectacular album too...

The strong backbeat of the first song takes me back to the days of Depeche Mode & Blondie where music was experimental and new, synths were revolutionary and The Cure became gods that influenced all, including these pair from Canada, The Junior Boys.

Since the start of the new millenium people have been trying to find that new sound, Crystal Castles & The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are but to name a few. However these guys have got it down to a tee.

The first song was something I heard online as an exclusive and I fell in love straight away, having heard 2006's So This Is Goodbye I hoped that they would come up with the goods in ultimate ambience...and they did. When I listen to the album I'm reminded of a reinvented 80's, where now we have 'bit drums' and vocoders, all were completely unavailable in the 80's. It makes me think of the old games, the raves, TOTP and you forget all of the bad parts.

I do have a gripe however. It is still 80's style, it will be called old and people will say it reminds them of Blondie but I like it. I wanted it to sound like Blondie, I wanted it to sound like the 80's because I want that experience. They do a good job too of making it listenable, it's not even cheesy, you don't have to try, you can just lose yourself in the strong bit beats and whispered lyrics.

For a while the songs sound quite sad in some ways and keep you relaxed, until the track Bits & Pieces which really gets you up and is so very well mixed. It's creating a lit up city that I'm beating Dr. Robotnik in, with Sonic The Hedgehog, it's just magical. The next track Dull To Pause starts with a sort of Venice feel mixed with steel drums and the world of fantasia, with a strong beat reminded me of a bustling magical town square, then the lyrics come in and I can see it now, this is an amazing dream.

Hazel comes straight in with a very pop like song and it's so well composed, it's just nice to know that the bit beats really do make a difference in these typical love tracks. The song then drifts into a floating bliss of ambience and drops you into a smooth backbeat with synths and then sweetly moves into the next track with such a calm and cool feel, I swear it just made the sun come out of clouds!

Now the albums drawing to a close I can already begin to say these guys have hit the spot for me today, I'm almost a new man, the next 2 tracks finish the album the way it started, with impressive beats that still relax you with proper organs and synths, this feel good album is the antidote to all of lifes problems for as long as you listen to it.

Due out in the US on April 7th and in the UK March 24th, I recommend you get this album and don't just shelve it, put it on every sunday, religiously and chill out while eating your dinner, thinking about how much better your life is now this album is in your very impressive collection.

Limp Bizkit on Speed Dial

2009-02-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

Operator? Yes, Limp Bizkit please. Sam Rivers from Limp Bizkit released his phone number to the world and what a reception. Luckily I managed to get a word in...

Usually in the hard partying, hard working world of Rock we don't tend to get this close to actually talking to our favourite bands. For example, bands don't usually cause enough trouble to be wanted, pop stars invest massive amounts of money into security systems to stave off the incoming fanatics and artists never really give out their own personal phone number. However, Limp Bizkit have never really been entirely conformist, have they?

Limp Bizkit are a worldwide multi-million dollar disaster story turned underdog in the rock industry. Following controversies surrounding rapes, attacks and thousands of dollars worth of damage at Woodstock ’99, LB started to enter their infamous spiral downwards in the eyes of their fans. They also stirred up more problems by letting Napster sponsor their ‘Back To Basics’ tour and finally disbanded after the death of a girl at Australia’s ‘Big Day Out’ gig during their set in 2001, leading to court appearances from the band regarding their conduct and lack of control over their provoking performance. Wes Borland, their original guitarist, also left the band in 2001 and was replaced by a few guitarists until they settled on Mike Smith. After playing a few tours Mike disappeared from the band and no one knew whether he left or was booted.

Now the band is confirmed for Download Festival 2009, with a full line-up and the fan sites are going nuts! A couple of days ago Sam Rivers, the bassist from LB, posted a news bulletin on the popular LB Fansite thearmpit.net, inviting the masses to call him on his home and cell phone stating "This is not a joke, call me now. Don't be afraid to call and ask me any questions. I love you all!!! LB FOR EVER!!!". Naturally people did, posts on youtube within 24 hours started flooding in with the general title 'Phone call with LB! Check it out!', even LB fans who live near me started knocking on my door, screaming 'We've just got off the phone with Sam Rivers!'.

After all the controversy about Wes Borland's return, Mike Smith's abrupt absence and the band's upcoming european tour, I needed some answers. So, to get the ball rolling. Wes Borland IS back in the band after an 8 year absence. Every writer out there can stop re-using old quotes from 1-2 years ago. Andy Copping, the booking agent for this years upcoming Download Festival 2009, was interviewed by Metal Hammer and confirmed Wes is back, this interview is available as a podcast online. Wes himself has also confirmed through a fan made video interview after one of his shows saying "We're definitely back together. For all the non-believers, a new tour, a new album, it's definitely gonna happen."

So, what actually happened with Mike? "Honestly with Mike, it just didn't work out" says Sam. "We loved him to death, he's a very great guitar player and we got along with him very well. The only thing is that when we were done touring we went back to writing to make a new record and he just wasn't there, he didn't wanna do it. I mean creative-wise he just wasn't there, like what we needed a guitar player to be. We didn't want the same thing. Mike just wanted to tour and didn't wanna write and we were all like we'll need a new record, we gotta do this. It just came to the time for Mike to part ways with us."

Now that Wes is back in the band, what can we expect from the new Album and Tour? "Imagine this, imagine putting 5 guys in a room with no windows and locking the door, that's what's gonna happen with Limp Bizkit" says Sam jokingly. Who would be producing the new tour and album? "For the tour, honestly, we're gonna be doing everything ourselves" says Sam "Producing the new album? Honestly, we have nobody, we're gonna produce it ourselves, if it was anybody it'd be Terry Date." Date produced LB's 2 biggest selling albums, 'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog flavoured Water' 2000 and 'Significant Other' 1999 which together reached over 30 million record sales worldwide. What are you going to call the album, is it going to be the 'Unquestionable Truth Part 2'? "No" states Sam, "It's gonna be a whole new thing."

You can check out LB's latest online at www.limpbizkit.com and 3 new videos made by the band on Youtube named 'Yesterday...', 'Today...' and 'Tomor-Ray?' Also check out the latest tour dates on the Download Festival UK Website as well as Rock AM Ring in Germany.

I leave with you some wise words from Sam, "One thing with Limp Bizkit is, you never know."

© Carl Gwynne 2009

Photo Credit: Limp Bizkit Main Website www.limpbizkit.com (no name stated)

Wes Borland Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaRrVT4gBnY

Andy Copping @ Metal Hammer: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/download-exclusive-interview/
Time - 04:34

All links sourced by www.thearmpit.net

Paper Heroes @ Hamptons, Southampton on Tour with Fran & Josh

2009-02-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

We (me & a fellow Journalists Bryn Jones, Andrew Sheppard & Chris Parker) caught up with the lads from Skins at Hamptons in Southampton on the 20th January on their tour with Fran & Josh. Only before typically bumbling into a fart filled van, drifting off into the night drinking beer and playing pen & paper games of a questionable nature.

Enjoy!

www.myspace.com/paperheroesmusic

Audio Addict

© Carl Gwynne 2009

I See Sparks - EP (2008-09)

2009-02-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

I'm seeing more than sparks, I see Stars!...

Something is ebbing away...yes that's it, all the shit music I've tolerated for too long. I See Sparks have awakened the dying atheist I call my musical interest. My ears are happy, I think if you looked hard enough you could see a smile, I know I did when I looked in the mirror!

I first heard of this band a few months ago in a passing conversation and on posters but today was the first time I'd heard their music and I have to say fellas, well done, I'm impressed. You have finally created something that most artists today touched on but somehow missed, the effects, the perfect intonation, the harmonies, they have all created a gorgeous piece of audio, something I like to call ear candy.

I am saddened however, I met these guys at a talk with Brian Message, I am disappointed, not in the band, no. I am disappointed in the world, who doesn't see the potential? I hear this kind of music everyday, it's called good music, successful music and my gripe is that I haven't seen these guys on TV or heard them on the radio. 21,000 hits on MySpace is not enough people!

When I placed the CD in my player, I was pleasantly welcomed with the sweet sound of harmonized guitar riffs, a very catchy bass line and jumpy drums in a track called 'The Highs The Lows'. I wanted to get up and dance it's that damn happy! It's great too, it's not too happy, it's not cheesy, that's what's so wonderful about it. The chorus is the prime example, it's as close to perfect as you can get for music of this type. The lyrics are nothing shy of beautifully brilliant, the structure of just this one song has made it a Top 5 in my charts.

The next song 'Lovers' has a typically present template of popular music, no there's nothing wrong with this song, the fact that they kept to this template is successful, that's why it's called popular music isn't it?

The track 'An Arrogance' sounds like the boisterous track, it has an attitude that screams for your attention, it is a voice that must be heard! The guitars have a stabbing effect, coupled with the bass during the bridge towards the end of the song bring a neat ending to the song, with that alternative twist.

My favourite track aside from 'The Highs The Lows' is 'Coming Around', it has that needed difference, as if this were an album it has that sound that 3 or 4 tracks in you need to hear. It is definitely the highlight.

'Unveil Your Crime', this track is also my favourite, it's good in the way that it's like one of those hidden gems in the middle of a collection of songs like an EP or an album and it takes my breath away. It's so sweetly serenity, it's so powerfully beautiful. It is so going on repeat!

Lastly the EP has one last kick before it ends and goes back to sleep, 'This Is Patience' is that final rock out before it fades into a hidden soother, whether it is meant to be part of that song or has some independence makes no difference, it's a nice little twist at the end of the EP and it makes you beg for more.

All in all I like it. In my opinion this is album material, if they keep writing like that I don't see why they shouldn't make it. They are a bit behind however, if I heard this a couple of years ago I would have given this so much more, nowadays the industry is moving very quickly but that's not saying I don't have faith. They aren't very far behind in the game and if they turn that EP into an album and start writing the next album asap, they'll be leading the industry rather than trying to keep up.

www.myspace.com/iseesparks
Artwork Credit: Aarron Taylor
www.aarrontaylor.com

Invaders Must Die - The Prodigy (2009)

2009-01-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

They came, they conquered then skinned up...

A marching army of Armageddon and rebellion tears through the streets, holding the flag high, spreading the word, creating the propaganda, to every man, woman and child, this is the album we've been waiting for eleven years, Invaders Must Die! Like the battlecry of an ancient race, the album opens to the familiar sound of synths that we all thought were lost in the great absence of The Prodigy, as the riff slowly creeps in you begin to release that nothing was lost, it was just lying dormant and it knows you're there.

This album truly re-invents itself on the next track Omen, where it takes you back to the good old days of rave, the days that seemed to have ended when the 90's did. This album brings new life to the undead memory of 90's rave, with a new twist, this is now the new millennium, this monster has a new master and will once again bring fear to the masses.

It's been almost a decade since The Prodigy released an album of this magnitude and it has to be said, god bless them, the music industry has needed this in my opinion. Each track is an army unto itself, each with it's own attitude and ready to rip the others to pieces. Some tracks are noticeably weaker than others from an initial listen, but every one counts, especially considering the outside effort from members of Does It Offend You Yeah? and Dave Grohl himself. Invaders Must Die is the track that definitely re-establishes the album, when you listen to it, you just know it's Prodigy, through and through. Thunder and Colours show force, they have a good beat, have such dirty riffs and are a very good follow up to the previous track but then you don't even notice it was even there when you hear Take Me To The Hospital and all you can think about is 'I can't wait until the gig'.

The combination of these next 2 tracks is just breathtaking and I have to state it now, Warrior's Dance is THE track of the album, listen to it, then listen to it again and while you're doing that, smash bottles, hit someone or something and throw yourself around the room. If you don't do it, someone near you definitely will. After you're done pay close attention to Run With The Wolves and as you may think something is wrong, I don't. The drum samples that Dave Grohl himself sent to the lads in the studio while recording this have definitely been used here, you can tell these beats are done by him and better still, they have been mastered by legends into something which I can only describe as iconic.

Flowing through my mind like a river next to the ideal home, the ideal background, the ideal world I would love to be living in while actually, in that current moment my head is being smashed in by a 2x4 piece of wood is Omen Reprise. This track creates the illusion you're safe, that the fight is over but in actual fact, you've just been knocked out and having your head kicked in. Like an indomitable force however, you kick yourself back into gear. It creates the almost real feeling of invincibility and of achievement, it tells you, you are invincible, you can do anything. Then kicking you back into the fight is World's On Fire, I can be almost sure this track is going to be one of the club favourites along with Warrior's Dance. Then eating away at you is Piranha the penultimate track to one of the best home audio experiences of my life, and is another typical track from the re-invented audio dwellers.

Stand-Up finishes the album like a rebellious gangster finishes a night out, off his face after a fight, hanging out with the lads and thinking he's the king of England, and as much as he thinks he is, he's not, but who gives a shit? We're all blagged and thinking 'Where the fuck did he come from?' And this track is just like that, it's a joke! But that's not what matters here, The Prodigy set out to do something, and I think they did it. If you are hungry for a fight, then you know what's coming.

The Prodigy Returns!

2009-01-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Following their last album Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned there were rumours the lads were finished and another Liam Howlett solo act would have only confirmed it. But thankfully, that didn’t happen, and we should be proud of them, they stand as a shining example of our Great British Culture.

1997’s release of Fat Of The Land was the most anticipated album of the year, and the quickest selling album that decade, beating other big sellers, such as the Spice Girls, Oasis and Radiohead and easily became the biggest album of The Prodigy’s very well established career. Tracks such as Firestarter, Smack My Bitch Up and Breathe spat all over the music industry and like the unruly rebel leaders they truly are, gave the world the finger, and got away with it. The rave scene they developed in South London quickly grew on the American music scene and as quickly as it crossed the one sea, punk raves spread like a disease over the other six and into every country and establishment with a PA system, stereo and someone who can relate.

Invaders Must Die has resurrected the monster, poised to destroy, to be unleashed on the world. Tracks such as Take Me To The Hospital and Omen have already been given the nod by Liam and the boys “We haven’t played this tune live yet but I know this tune is going to drop live for us, we can already tell it’s going to be a fans favourite.” Even Omen Reprise puts an interesting twist on how this album plays out “It’s like you get hit with a baseball bat, then get a breather and then back in and then back slapped across your face again” says Maxim. The story of how the albums name came about is an interesting one also, Liam explains “Three years ago we decided the band was in a good place and wanted to make the record. There had been quite a bit of paranoia then, people were starting to infiltrate our unit, starting to bleed into what we were and we needed to re-establish ourselves as a unit. Can’t remember whether it was Keith or Maxim that said it, but one of them went, ‘fuck it, invaders must die!’. I was like that’s the album, title right there. It stayed with us. It’s about protecting what’s yours.” With that the albums creation was a go, like a black ops mission, the band declared themselves as a unit and marched on “There’s no paranoia any more, we’re really tight. We’re not f**king around man, we’re The Prodigy and we’re back!”

From the start this album was going to be a declaration of independence “The process started off really well with ‘Colours’ and ‘Writings on the Wall’ which became ‘Omen’ but then it was a year later that we really started on the album” says Liam. The creation of such a beautiful piece of anarchy never lost its roots however, “When we first started I really wanted to get away from the usual way of working with me writing beats and building the tracks around them. This time I wanted to start with real songs. But that quickly changed!” Never escaping the fundamentals reveals just how true the saying “don’t fix something that isn’t broken” really is.

The lads had it going from the start with some of the tracks they’re hitting back with. Tunes like Warriors Dance and World’s On Fire have definitly got that Prodigy feel “It’s a total look back to 1990-91 rave tunes. It sounds really fresh but it also sounds like early Prodigy” says Liam. Also not without some stealing I might add, The Prodigy as a rave sensation would blatently admit that they ripped off a song, wouldn’t they? “Yeah, we ripped the vocal off from the original, cos that’s our business, that’s what we do, we’re pirates, we steal things and make them our own” says Liam.

Then outside involvement from other well established artists on the track Run With The Wolves created a new spin on the albums writing process, “A track that Dave Grohl got involved with” Explained Keith. “All started with an email to Liam saying ‘listen man I’ve finished touring and I’m bang up for doing something. Liam said he was just finishing the album but Dave said listen, I’m just going to go in the studio and put down some drums, which he did. A hard drive arrived at our studio and out of that come the process of writing this. We had the vocal on another track already but they just weren’t working. They had too much venom for the track. But we still enjoyed the excitement of it and what it was saying and this was the ideal opportunity to make it work. Liam redid the track, then we redid the vocals and we sent it over to Dave who was like ‘yeah I was really hoping it was going to be something like this’. He was really excited and worked some more on it.”

“I think we’re more relevant than ever now” Liam explains “I think we were at our least relevant at the peak of our success. And that matters to me. I want to make a good record that people recognise. I’ve always lived in a fantasy world, we’re not like a pop band you know, like the Kaiser Chiefs who are pop with guitars but they’re not from any culture. So I live in this fantasy world where we come from a wave of culture, which was the next most important culture after punk or ska. I think we should be protected man. I do, I think l we should come under some kind of protection act. Like how Oasis are held up in their world, then that’s how we should be seen, as leaders of one of the country’s great cultural scenes. Rave bleeds into everything it’s grounded to everything in the same way that punk is. Elements of rave come out all of the time. That’s why it should be protected! Rave is a part of UK culture and everyone should be proud of it.” And I think he’s right. The Prodigy have shot to fame since they were recognised as ‘not another one track wonder’ on the dance scene, and since then released albums and tracks that makes Basshunter look like a schoolboy and created an image that dishes out more fear than the devil himself. A true british national treasure.

On March 2nd the new album will be released, and thus will be the fifth official album released by The Prodigy. New tour dates have been released on The Prodigy’s website for their Invaders Tour and you can pre-order the album online so keep a look out. The boys are back, and they’re taking no prisoners.

By Carl Gwynne
Photo Credit: Paul Dugdale

The Eraser - Thom Yorke (2006)

2008-11-28T08:20:00.000-08:00

A touching collection, Not Erased but Enlightened...

The cold wind and bright lights that I experience in my dreams listening to this album grow stronger everyday, which shows how much this album, no sorry, this art has grown, and continues to grow and festers in the feelings of depression and relief that I didn't even think existed, but like your best friend and therapist, it's there easing you through and taking you on an experience within yourself.

Thom Yorke is a man to be admired, and as this album shows, he takes you on a tour of the mind, the sounds, the harmonies, the drones, the moans, the lyrics, they all join in the end and create a masterpiece that only one solitary man could have created. The tearful ending to the opening track is a reminder of the terrible things that could happen to you in life, and the tracks following seem to go through the processes that we as people go through when we grieve and have to adapt, as a human being I understand these processes, which when expressed through such a medium, makes me realise how much emotion effects music, and how much music effects emotion. And don't think this album is depressing from the start, I do agree that it can be, but wasn't Mr. Brightside by The Killers deemed a depressing 'break-up song'? Yes.

Understand that the feeling that went into this album is deeper, not sadder, just deeper and like Thom Yorke has always done throughout his career with Radiohead, he has opened my eyes, with these songs in my head I see things differently. However, I can recover from the mind drugs if I stepped out of the deep pool and into the more fun 'shallow' pool of music that contains more fire and forget songs like most Club and Indie music.

Overall, I still can't waver the fact that this album wasn't the best idea, I became so scared that Radiohead were over! But that being said, I'm glad they didn't split up, and listening to In Rainbows reminded me of this album, I dusted it off and listened to again, and like a movie I half watched, I noticed something new, I liked it, and I understand, I think that's all that I was meant to do.

Alive Or Just Breathing - Killswitch Engage (2002)

2008-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

A look back at what gave them air...

The dark abyss of a war-torn plane is filled with the sound of hard and heavy riffs eliminating the enemy and taking a stand in anger and sadness against their oppressors. Alive or Just Breathing is a breathtaking experience into the mind of hard rocking metal and the beauty of love and war. The opening track smashes through you like a hammer, stabbing you and screaming at you to leave and never return, and as you should so rightfully reply, you say 'no, I will stay'. This album is one of the best from Killswitch Engage, cutting edge riffs slice through your ear drums while Jesse Leach's powerful voice creates harmonious destruction in the air. Alive or Just Breathing was the album that got the band noticed by Roadrunner Records in the early 00's and songs like My Last Serenade became hugely popular all the way through their career. Element Of One is another melodic prodigy from the band, featuring another show of Jesse's powerful vocals and beautiful guitar playing from Joel Stroetzel, which then formed the basis of the sound that Killswitch Engage went on to write and perform.

This dark sounding album is the starting point for any Killswitch fan, containing both sides of the band's melodic nature, heavy ear splitting riffs and drums that are only fit for war. This battlecry of an album features some amazing vocals from the band's former member Jesse Leach, and has some head bang inspiring songs that could have only been written by them. If you have something to scream about, get this album, it is the only cure.

Attack Sustain Decay Release - Simian Mobile Disco (2007)

2008-11-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

Go back, Sit down, Relay, Re-Release...

As unexpected as your grandma banging out a rap track, Simian Mobile Disco move away from their remixes of The Klaxons and such and release this, which I which I would love to describe as 'a summation of all the parts where nothing needs to be added, altered or taken away' but unfortunately, there are some parts that need to be altered. The opening track totally reminds me of the sleepless nights where I don't actually care that I can't sleep, and then the album breaks down into some tracks that take you down to the party, whether you want to go or not, and still enjoy it! In a sentence, this track makes you feel good and it's enjoyable, albeit you can tell they look up to The Chemical Brothers too much but who cares, right?

However, the sense of repetitive beats does come to mind, I do like the new take on digital music that this pair have taken, but after Sleep Deprivation it feels like it lacks. If you want to hear Simian Mobile Disco at their best, go see them live, they are one of the most amazing acts I've seen in my life.