Indefinite pitch

This evening I elected to, under no duress or pressure from my hosts - watch Pitch Perfect.

Apparently - A Capella is popular these days, and as a result of that someone somewhere decided that a movie that dealt with the issues around such an activity was overdue.

So then, that someone, or someone else, scrawled down a derivative paper thin script (we're talking well below the standard 80g/m² paper typical to most offices) and set about making a film.

I'm not good with things I don't understand - and I don't understand quite how positively films of blatantly questionable quality are received.  

Yes, it's inoffensive and fun - where's the harm?  I'm not sure. Where did everyone leave their objectivity?  How much hollow entertainment is too much? Nutrition is good for you.

The plot is tired, very tired - there is an attempt of injecting satire or irony into it, but it doesn't work.  There are a few laugh out loud moments (from support characters, of course) but on the whole it's scarcely witty - it's actually almost like a Disney made for TV movie.

It lacks relevance and probably due to its targeted certification band it is definitely lacking any edge.

The characters are woefully generic, the no-nonsense fat girl, the sexy brunette, the bossy blonde, and the 'alternative' central character struggling to fit in.  And that's just the female cast, the male cast is equally uninspired.  I don't care how hot they (the women) are, if you're not going to create some semblance of a character for them they're just tits and arse on a screen.  I can watch tits and arse in lots of other places that don't induce quite the feeling of nausea or keep me up at night.

So I guess the fact that it's a generally terrible piece of film means it's just a tool for delivering 10 or so songs  (or 20 or so if you break up the 'mash ups'), but if you don't particularly like watching people mime to overly-processed and occasionally auto-tuned vocals you should probably just...well...do something else.

For the record, I don't hate A Capella, if The Blanks ever came anywhere near Cardiff I'd make a point of going to see them.

A CD retrospective - Stoosh

Stoosh by Skunk Anansie
Stoosh is actually one of only a few albums where I have no recollection of how I obtained it.  How I come across music is usually something I remember - because I find music very personal it's important for me to remember the exposure.  1996/7 were good years for me and new bands, anyway.

My mum hated this album, and very likely still hates it.  Something about Skin made her very annoyed.  Such a shame then that one of my favourite tracks on the album was the opener.  Yes, it's fucking political is almost spat rather than sung.
The album switches from mellow occasionally balled rock, to almost militant post-punk.  All the while Skin wails, screams and whispers over the top of it.
Instrumentally the bass ("Cass" Lewis) is the best thing throughout the album, if you read the blog I wrote about Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds you'll recall I do enjoy a good bit of bass.

It'd be wrong not to mention the last track, Glorious Pop Song is a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek and bass driven...pop song, complete with "Nah nah nah's", and perpetual tambourine shaking.  The chorus is the most surprising thing, as it consists entirely of the lines "You're still a fucker", gently sung with a catchy melody.

Four of the 11 (named) tracks were released as singles during the year that followed it's release - Twisted and Hedonism would probably be the two you'd know if you weren't familiar with the band.
I actually think it's quite underrated - if nothing else Lemmy agrees with me.  Just a shame that around the time the album came out everyone was far too busy arguing whether Oasis or Blur were better.

A CD retrospective - Infinity Land

Infinity Land by Biffy Clyro
Mr K introduced me to Biffy Clyro, around the same time he introduced me to Muse and the Kings of Leon.  This album certainly was an eye opener.

I'm going to write about the album cover first, as it's always confused me.
The main element being the dictator-esque (black jacket, red armband) Mickey Mouse-eared character.  The gas mask has appeared in at least one other image by the artist,

It's meaning is far too ambiguous for me to make a suggestion - and I honestly don't know where that other image is from.
The heart with the upturned infinity symbol is also a bit confusing, coupling a heart and an infinity sign usually associated with polyamory.  I know the album is called infinity land, but that's supposedly inspired by Jeffrey Dahmer.  Infinity land is supposedly his heaven.
He's also blessing someone or something, he's made the sign of the cross with one hand - the other rests on his heart.  The light shining from behind also strongly suggests something religious.
Then there are the two chaps in the background, who I take to be priests of some description, dressed in white robes with their heads bowed.  They're also wearing armbands, but theirs have a white stripe around them instead of a black one.  And why do their heads strongly resemble the high-peaked early Disney drawings of Mickey Mouse or Oswald the Rabbit? Why do they have ears like that naked fellow in the gas mask?

I'm not complaining about any of this stuff. I just don't get it.  Perhaps they just wanted the cover to be as fucked up as Dahmer's head.  Or as abstract as their music.

Speaking of...I probably should write something about the music.

It's awesome!

This still is Biffy Clyro's best album.  As a three piece they make up for any risk of an empty sound with an astonishing variance and instrumental talent (coupled with a considerable amount of aggression).
I've never heard anything quite like Infinity Land since, Biffy throw more key changes, time signature changes and stop-starts in amongst the almost schizophrenic changes in vocal style, grungy chorus', intricate melodies and tempo than you'd think healthy.  Infinity Land holds nothing back - it pushes, and keeps pushing.  Amazingly it doesn't alienate in the way prog might do - it simply fucking rocks.
I can't imagine what recording this album must have been like, I can only imagine it was about as intense as forgetting how to sit down.

A CD retrospective - OK Computer

OK Computer by Radiohead
I'm not actually sure how to write about OK Computer. I wasn't even into Radiohead when my uncle bought me this album for Christmas.  Like a few other "great" albums it took me a while to appreciate everything it had to offer.

It's sound is dense and gloomy - whilst managing at the same time to often be driven and compulsive.  It's actually quite addictive.  It's a stepping stone between guitar driven songs and the waaaaaay more experimental albums that followed.
I don't really want to write lots about it though.
It may have received more critical acclaim than it deserved as a result of The Bends not receiving any at all, but it's still outstanding.

Don't label it as depressing or whining.  It's worth a listen.

A CD retrospective - This is my truth tell me yours

This is my truth tell me yours by The Manic Street Preachers
The third of what will doubtless be many entries in this blog by The Manic Street Preachers.
Everything must go was always going to be a difficult album to follow, I often wonder what it's like as a band after you produce an album of such quality - to try and follow it up.  More often than not, it doesn't seem to pan out.  I think you have to look outwards for new inspiration or influence so that what you produce can't really be measured against your previous work.

This is my truth is a far cry from Everything must go, it's still a good album - but the shift in attitude is evident.
I'm not sure if 1998 was a particularly good year - but I don't remember a lot about it.  And listening to This is my truth actually makes me quite sad.
I'm not sure if that's because it has some pretty emotional lyrics, or because listening to the album reminds me of a time when I was unhappy.
Let me mention a few songs to try and elaborate.
The opening track is The Everlasting, which starts with a rather sad sounding synth drum beat which continues throughout and finishes the song solo, as it started.  The production on the song (and the album) is flawless, JDB's pitch perfect vocals are almost haunting - it reminds me of early mornings, and being alone.
Ready for drowning and My little empire are two other highlights for me - the cello part in the latter being the pinnacle of "playing an instrument sadly".  The album features plenty of cleverly places orchestral parts, which I think adds to it's somewhat depressing nature.

The more I think, or talk about This is my truth, the more I like it.  It was a significant change in direction for the Manics (something they're going to do at least a few times more before I'm done).
There's still something unsettling about it.

But now unforgiving the everlasting
Everlasting

In the beginning when we were winning
When our smiles were genuine

A CD retrospective - Songs from the Big Chair

Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears
I liked Tears for Fears as a child, among the boxes of casettes my parents had were two brightly colours ones featuring Weetabix men (the cassette on the top right).  It's weird to think that's how I first heard The Jam too.

Anyway, after a Gary Jules piano cover of Mad World punctuated Donnie Darko it rekindled my interest and I sought about picking up this album and The Hurting.
There's some stand-out tracks on this album, Shout, Everybody wants to rule the world, and Head over heels.  It's an odd album that's far more emotive and experimental than you'd expect, there are numerous musical influences and some very neat guitar work.  Bands in the 80's so often nestled into a sound and never shifted from it - either because they lacked the imagination or because they never had it in the first place.  Tears for Fears didn't.

A CD retrospective - The Holy Bible

The Holy Bible by The Manic Street Preachers
I love The Holy Bible, after Everything Must Go I went on a bit of a voyage through the previous Manics albums.  At first, this wasn't the easiest album to get along with - despite JDB's skilfully impressive and fierce instrumentality.  That all changed after a while. Now it's seminal - a caustic benchmark.
It's difficult to slot it into a genre, and difficult to describe the style.  It's like trying to describe The Mars Volta to someone, you can't just call it prog.

I don't really want to describe the album much more, and I'd rather not go on about any of the subjects covered in the lyrics because I could be here all night.

You should listen to it if you haven't.

Little people in little houses

Like maggots small blind and worthless

The massacred innocent blood stains us all

Who's responsible - you fucking are

Who's responsible - you fucking are

Who's responsible - you fucking are

Who's responsible - you fucking are

Who's responsible