No Ripcord - Issue 8
Welcome to No Ripcord Issue 8. The new monthly format means we've got loads of reviews, including albums by Ian Brown and the Foo Fighters, for you as well as more features than ever! "The Blair Witch Project" has finally arrived in the UK amid much hype and anticipation, and you can see what we thought of it in our feature/review below. Heather who wrote the excellent Manic's review last issue, is joining us as a regular columnist, and Chris has actually done some work for this issue - check out his new column (inspired by the fact he reviewed an album 3 months too late!). If you've got any comments on this issue, or in general, mail 'em to us at: fanzine@zensearch.net. Oh, and there's a new poll going so visit the website and vote in it ok?
David Coleman, Editor
In This Issue:
[News]
[Single Reviews]
[Album Reviews]
[Feature: The Blair Witch Project]
[Band of the Month: sickFM]
[Website of the Month]
[Classic Riff #3 - How To Play It]
[Column: Look Inside America]
[Pink Floyd Special: Part 2]
[Chris' Hall of Shame]
[Next Month]
Also the sham that was "Music of the Millenium" awards things placed Robbie Williams as one of the most influential artists of the millenium, and Boyzone (12) above the Stone Roses (13) in best band. Predictably the Beatles won stuff too (boring...)
Ben & Jason - Air Guitar
Air guitar to me conjures up visions of teenage wannabe rockers jumping round their bedroom to the sound of full-on no-holds-barred corporate rock. To Ben and his mate Jason, it's something different altogether. Mellow acoustic guitars, soft warm vocals, and more than a hint of melody. And I know which one sounds better to me. It won't get you jumping around waving your arms about, but it won't make you look stupid when your parents walk into your bedroom wondering what all that banging was either...7/10
Stereophonics - Hurry Up And Wait
Single number 5 from "Performance and Cocktails". And yes, it's the same old story. You guessed it...acoustic guitars, strong vocals, that tried and tested radio-friendly Stereophonics formula. And it's not a bad song, but compared to the fiery passion of songs like "Too Many Sandwiches" and "Looks Like Chaplin" on their debut album "Word Gets Around", it's the sound of a band who've grown old before their time. Thank God they won't be releasing another single from "Performance and Cocktails". At least I hope not...Not good, not bad, just average. 5/10
Smog - Cold Blooded Old Times
"Cold Blooded Old Times" is taken from Smog's 7th album, "Knock Knock". The music is dressed down to the basics, and the vocals are the most striking aspect of the sound. And just as well, they're also the most impressive. It's a downbeat and in parts almost chilling song and one which you can't fail to like. You also get an acoustic version thrown in, as if the original wasn't stripped down enough. It's a touch slower and a touch sadder, but still as strong as the full version, and it shows that even with the no thrills approach this song still stands up well. 8/10
Beck - Sexxlaws
Chances are you've heard this loads already. It's been getting loads of radio airplay, and deservedly so. The first single to be taken from his new "Midnite Vultures" album, it's as infectious as it is bizarre, and the wide range of instruments used make for an refreshing sound. B-side "Salt In The Wound" is a great track too, so this all bodes well for the album which hopefully, we might have a review of next issue. 8/10
Schindler - Everybody Wants
Imagine going to see the Stranglers on tour now. Pretty bad eh? Then imagine having to sit through the support band as well? Guess what? Schindler are that support band, and fucking ideal for the job they are too. Distortion? Powerchords? Palm-muting? Ordinary Vocals? Yeah, people are still doing that. Mind you, bonus points for not doing it as badly as the Offspring and all their American corporate "punk" friends. Mind you, that's probably only because they can't afford a decent producer...3/10
Woodbine - Mound of Venus
This single from three-piece female fronted indie outfit, Woodbine is definitely a slow one. It's well, pleasant enough, but there's nothing to really grab hold of you. The sleepy vocals are impressive, but not enough to carry the song. They're a sort of slower version of Whistler. Yes, that boring. God knows who's going to buy it...3/10
Travis - Turn
Travis' fourth single from breakthrough album "The Man Who" and not a bad effort at all. It's what we've come to expect from Travis - a fairly slow and acoustic indie song with a catchy chorus. Which is more than I could say for b-side "We Are Monkeys". The other b-side is a cover of Britney Spears' classic "Baby One More Time" which is given the full Travis treatment (acoustic guitars and everything!), and cheesy backing vocals (supplied by Mark and Lard) aside, you could almost be forgiven for thinking it was serious. Except when Fran misses the high notes... Mind you, it isn't bad at all. 7/10
Rico - Shave Your Head
Single number 3 from Rico's awesome debut album, "Sanctuary Medicines", is his finest to date. How long will it take the British public to wake up to Rico, who is receiving widespread critical acclaim for his ferocious live shows and his album, crammed full of wailing guitars and angst-ridden lyrics. This song takes its anger out on bands who are stuck in the past, happy to stick to the well-trodden path of the traditional pop song. "This ain't the sixties anymore" screams Rico, and listening to many mainstream "indie" acts, it's not difficult to see what he means. Go out and buy this single, if nothing else this month, and you'll see exactly what the fuss about Rico is...Single of the Month - 10/10
Autumn - Bearskins
To write these lot off as sub-Symposium power-poppers would be a bit cruel. But hey, someone has to do it...
"Bearskins" is harmless power-pop...you know the type: distorted guitars low in the mix, cheesy lyrics, "catchy" chorus etc. The music itself is solid. The single's packed with competent guitar playing and some nice riffs, but it's a shame the vocals don't quite match up. The singer seems to be trying a bit too hard, especially on "Lessons In Finger Burning", and his whiney vocals spoil what would otherwise be a fairly decent song. I'm sure they'll improve with time and some experience though. 4/10
Gomez - We Haven't Turned Around
The best track on their superb "Liquid Skin" album. So it's a good choice of single then. It's everything we've come to expect from Gomez, maybe done a tocuh slower(?) for a slight change. So if you don't like them you'll be wondering how the fuck they get away with making bland tunes like this. And if you like it? You'll be wondering why some people can't appreciate the uplifting melody and the impressive vocal talents of Ben Ottewell and company. 9/10
Muse - Muscle Museum
Following on from their excellent debut album "Showbiz", Muse re-release "Muscle Museum". It follows the trend of their previous singles "Uno" and "Cave", and is one of their finest moments to date. It's probably one of their most instantly likeable songs, with an uplifting chorus and the infectious bridge guitar riff. If you haven't checked out Muse yet then you're seriously missing out. How many times do you need told? 9/10
Garbage - The World Is Not Enough
A typical James Bond theme, with vocals that are unmistakedly Garbage. If string-layered epics are your thing and you liked the last few Bond themes then you'll like this. For a film soundtrack it's not that bad I suppose, and compared to previous Bond themes it stands up fairly well, but there again most of them are shit. Did I mention it's boring, lifeless and fucking annoying (typical Garbage you could say...)? Well it is. 3/10
Good idea from Silvertone. Re-release this for its tenth anniversary (a few months late as well) and stick another CD in with bonus tracks and video footage. A new front cover as well - that should rake in a few more quid. Grudges against Silvertone aside, it's my favourite album ever so naturally it's getting 10/10. Here is Peter's classic album review from issue 2 reprinted (saves me writing another and i'm biased anyways)...
It's been ten years since the last era-defining band released the last era-defining album. The Stone Roses perfectly caputured the mood of a movement and (in many ways unfortunatly) inspired Brit-Pop. Let's get one thing straight though, it's good, probably brilliant, but the 2nd best album of all time? No way. It is however, one of the the most culturally significant albums of the past 20 years (see also Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures, the Smiths eponymous debut album and New Order's Technique) and it should have set the template for all UK guitar music since: i.e. Imaginative songs that aren't restricted to one time (She Bangs The Drums is one of those songs which you can never grow weary off), melodic basslines and a range of influences (acid house, psychedelic rock, dance) fused into one sound. Forget the fact Ian Browns singing is nothing special - he sings with soul (and thats what matters kids) and any faults are easily made up John Squire's exceptional guitar playing. Please, do yourselves a favour: Buy this album, form a band and make something happen.
and ten years on...
Ian Brown could have easily been forgiven for turning his back on the music industry. The downfall of the Roses, the lukewarm reception of his solo debut, "Unfinished Monkey Business", the storm of controversy over his alleged homophobic comments, and finally, his prison sentence - it's been a pretty mixed couple of years for Ian Brown. But his follow-up to UMB is an excellent reply to his critics. And he has his fair share of them.
Throughout Brown's career his voice has been criticised, particulary in the live arena, but here it's better than ever. Opener "Gettin' High" is a collaboration with Aziz Ibrahim, and Ian's on top form. It's the only rock song on the album and the heavy guitar riff that the song is built around is great, showing that Aziz is much better than many people give him credit for. Unfortunately this is one of only 2 Aziz/Ian collaboratons on the album (the other being "First World"). Next up is the full length version of "Love Like A Fountain" and it sounds much better in its entirety. The next two songs, "Free My Way" (opening line: "Jingle Jangle, Here's the jailer") and "Set My Baby Free", are references to his spell prison. Both are excellent tracks and show Brown at his most diverse. And it get's better still with my favourite track "So Many Soldiers" - a tale of Manchester's young criminals according to Brown. There's so much variety in the album, yet it's still consistently good from start to finish. If I had to pick a duff track then it would be future single "Dolphins Were Monkeys" which is perhaps a bit too reminiscent of the eighties, but even that's an ok song. Anyways, back to the point: Ian Brown's back to his best and this is a worthy Album of the Month - 10/10 And it's not just me who loves it. Here's a second opinion from a No Ripcord reader:
Andrew Lindsay: "A classic album overall. What makes it great is that there are so many different influences, so many types of music on one album, yet it flows so well and you can just listen to it all in one go. It will be difficult to tire of this album."
Seven songs on this mini-album from the rather non-descript Dream City Film Club. Imagine a bland indie-rock band with familiar sounding riffs and ordinary vocals and you won't be far wrong. Dream City Film Club are one of those bands that will never be anything more than average. When they try to rock they fall flat on their face, and when they try acoustic songs they're found wanting. This mini-album hovers between the two with little interest and nothing to make you want to hear it again. Makes you wonder why these bands get signed...4/10
This self-titled debut album by Merz is an eclectic mix of hip hop beats, big basslines, and a rather distinctive voice. Recent single "Many Weathers Apart" ("Like cumulonimbus/your memory lingers" - creditable) is a decent song. Its unique sound takes some adjusting to, but it's worth it after a few listens. "Engine Heart" shows another side of Merz. Gone is the thunderous beat of "Many Weathers Apart" replaced by a more subtle one, and some nice melodies and yet again, the impressive vocals stand out. "Lovely Daughter" the last single, is another of the better tracks, but there's not that much else after that. Then perhaps that voice that made the earlier tracks so unique starts to wear on you a bit, as does the album. Some nice bits, some annoying bits, a mixed effort then...6/10
Royal Trux are one of those bands that you dislike before you hear thanks to the NME constantly wanking over them. They'll continuously tell us how bands like Royal Trux and the Flaming Lips are releasing great albums, but when I hear them they're shit (The Flaming Lips being a prime example). Maybe I don't get it? Or maybe they're just tossers...
Anyways, back to the point I wasn't expecting too much from this album, but after a few listens it's actually pretty good. Opener "Waterpark" might not have the most inspired lyrics ever ("I want to go to the water park") but its catchy intro riff and chorus make up for that. "Stop" is as cheesy they come - the last thing we'd expect from one of NME's "chosen ones". Dodgy keyboard bridge and backing vocals aside though, it's one of this albums finest moments. Another is "Witch's Tit" - essentially a slow song with a dirty guitar riff thrown in to spice things up a bit. It sound's rough, but that's probably it's charm. Which probably sums up this album - not without flaws and by no means a classic, but still worth a listen. 7/10.
Will be reviewed at a later date when Chris figures out how to work his record player...
Well at long last the eagerly awaited Foo Fighters album
is here and was it worth the wait? You bet your ASS ten times over!!
Dave and his men have obviously decided to end this millenium
with a bang and a bloody amazing bang it is too! - think the Big
Bang and you're half way there. If you haven't realised what a
fantastic album this is already then you must be fucking thick as pig
shit, however if you need more explanation read on...
The album kicks in with the rocktastic "Stacked Actors" - a
distortion fest at its best! Rocking riffs intermingled with melodious vocals from a finely tuned machine called Grohl. Hot on its heels is "Breakout" - guitar effects and drums courtesy of Taylor Hawkins in perfect harmony, reminiscent of "Good Grief" and "Weenie Beenie".
"Learn To Fly" has already been released as a single and if you haven't heard it - shame on you. I'm not going to go through the whole album like this, however other songs to listen out for are; "Generator", "Aurora" (a love song to Seattle) and "M.I.A" proving that Dave can sing like an angel as well as like a bitch. 9/10
(Reviewed by Chris Hall)
So I queued and queued and then got turned away 'cos the cinema was full. Looks like the hype worked then. Bastards. So I came back on Halloween, and this time, actually got in. From start to finish it's home-made camcorder action, and you don't really get to meet any characters in detail aside from the "film crew" of 3. And naturally, they start to get a bit annoying. The project is the brainchild of Heather Donahue, a typically American 20-something film student. She takes cameraman Josh and sound-guy Michael in the woods looking for evidence of the Blair Witch, and surprise, surprise, they get lost. Then cue weird noises, piles of stones, and the eerie stickmen symbols. The scary stuff is all psychological, and you never get to see the Blair Witch itself.
It gets a touch repetative, even for such a short film, and if you're expecting to be scared in a big way, you'll be disappointed. But it's a refreshing approach to the horror movie genre, and one which I'd advise everyone to check out. 7/10
Based in New Jersey, sickFM have recently completed their debut album "At Night" which is reviewed below.
Visit the band's webpage at http://www.sickFM.com for more details, and MP3's of the band.
http://www.allmusic.com
Know any good music related websites? If so e-mail us and share it with everyone. Plugging your own band is accepted too, so do it by all means. We'll give you a link on our links page too...
This month, Pink Floyd's "Money" (from "Dark Side of the Moon" - see review below) is tabbed out. It's a fairly simple riff to play and sounds good. It's not one everyone will know mind you, so you could argue not a classic riff if you liked. No point though, I'm still putting it in...
G ----4-----------------------------
D'you ever wonder why it is so difficult for British bands to 'make it' in
America? I mean, the UK obviously has some of the best bands to offer, so why
doesn't America take the bait? Well, it's a bit like difference in
electricity - the two countries run on incompatable systems. I'll give you a
few examples...
First of all, the radio stations are a bit different in the US than they are
in the UK; instead of Radio 1 and others that mix different genres together,
America has a different station for every category - Top 40, hiphop, 70's
rock, soft rock, alternative, etc. The only opportunity you'd find to hear a
variation of genres is if you tuned into a university station.
So immediately there's a barrier - what genre does a band fit in? You'd
never hear a band like Suede on an American radio station because they're too
unknown for Top 40, and not grungy enough for alternative, especially in
light of this recent rap-metal trend. Bands like Kid Rock and Korn are hairy,
middle-class angsty ganster-wannabes who scream a lot and chug on their fret
boards. Suede, by comparison, are effeminent glam-pop. For example, Placebo's
"Pure Morning" was a hit here because of the lines about leather and breasts,
and the Manics' "Design For Life" was a hit in Seattle a few years ago
because of the lyric - wait for it - "we only want to get drunk." That's not
to say that no one appreciated the great tunes, it's just an example of how
rock music is mass-marketed here - "it's all about drunks and moshing, isn't
it?"
As far as the rest of the British music scene goes, America tends to be a
bit discriminatory against imported bands. Have you heard Beck's "Sexxlaws"
yet? (Yep, reviewed above) They're playing it constantly in the States. Don't you think that the
people who adore the eccentricity of "Sexxlaws" would appreciate "Northern
Lites" by the Super Furry Animals? Well yes they would, but the music
coordinators at MTV and radio stations across the nation tend to
underestimate our tastes, and therefore follow whatever trend is fly at the
moment. Four years ago, "Wonderwall" and the Spice Girls got popular here and
so a few other Brit bands got American exposure; sadly, since then, there's
been almost no imports of UK rock'n'roll. Of course, lots of English bands do
get played on MTV (and the Disney Channel!)...Robbie Williams, Billie, Steps,
B*Witched...you get my drift. If there's one hope for British
rock/indie bands to make it in America, it's the Stereophonics; their
rocky style is well-suited for American radio. If they get popular here, that
might just open up the floodgates for other UK bands. Until then, England is
a distant warm humming heard underneath all the noise and nonsense in the
American media.
This column is written by Heather Thompson, and you can mail her at: socialist_serenade@chickmail.com
There are 6 songs on this album. One of them ("Echoes") is over 23 minutes
long, so it doesn't take a genius to guess that the songs are going to
be heavy on the instrumental side of things. The intro to "One Of
These Days" hammers this idea home. It's an eerie affair featuring
howling wind in the background and the tension mounts as the racing
bassline kicks in. And it's two more minutes before the action hots up
a bit. And basically that's the story of the whole album - low on tunes,
high on self-indulgent instrumentals. Mind you, "Meddle" was made in a transitional phase for
the band - they'd just lost a key member - so it's no real surprise. The sleepy second track "A Pillow Of Winds", is a complete constrast to the opener, but not really one of the bands better moments. "Fearless" has a more modest and traditional structure and a rather nice laid-back riff. Combine this with a rather bizarre sample of "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end and you've got one of the albums better songs. The next one's even better. More traditional still with it's upbeat melody and lazy vocal, "St Tropez" is the standout track for me on this rather patchy album. The album closer "Echoes" isn't half-bad either, but weighing in at an immense 23 and a half minutes, it disappears up its own arse somewhere along the line.
In stark contrast to "Meddle", "Dark Side Of The Moon" sees the
band getting that mix of experimental stuff and good songs right.
Arguably the bands finest hour, this album's cynical lyrics
concentrate on themes of greed (in "Money"), madness (in particular
the plight of ex-singer Syd Barrett in "Brain Damage"), and the s
hortness of life ("Time" and "Breathe"). The backdrop for this lyrical
musing is excellent too. David Gilmour's guitar work is outstanding,
and the excellent production (by the band themselves) ensure this is
record that sounds as fresh today as the day it was made. The excellent
"Money" is a standout track for me, with it's effective riff (tabbed
above in "Classic Riffs") and scornful lyrics. This albums an
excellent introduction to the band, and a classic in every sense of
the word. If you don't believe me, get yourself a copy and give a try.
In following up a hugely successful record like "Dark Side Of The Moon"
a band a have a few options. One is to make an inferior copy of it
(see Oasis' "Be Here Now"). Pink Floyd weren't that stupid. They made one
which is a total departure from the previous one. 5 songs long, and what I
suppose you could call a theme album, "Wish You Were Here" was the perfect
reply...
A special one-off or a regular feature? Who knows? Chris has plenty of dodgy albums to choose from in his collection, but this month he focuses on Australian's Antenna and their "Installation" album.
Curious band from the land of Oz who commence their album with guess what?! "Amazing Grace"!! Gutsy and interesting take on their national anthem. Combining a repetetive bass line with scratches, breakbeats and other quirky electronic "tweaks"! Good vocals though...
[interesting interlude]
"Come On Spring" is an improvement with a catchy tune and impressive(?) lyrics with guests from some...err..Sheila! Other songs include "Tuner" with yet another "electronic" improvisation, on Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - or is that just me??
"Divine" picks up the album again with a woman singing backed by guitars (+ some "interesting" scratches). Following this the album is turbulent desperately looking for direction. Is it guitar, bass, drums and vocals, or is it synthesised improvisation and experimentation?? Make up your minds you Aussie fuckers then make a decent album!
No Ripcord #9? Due to such important events as my 18th birthday, Christmas, the Millenium, and important as fuck A Level Modules in January, No Ripcord #9 may be a little rushed/late/smaller than usual. There again, it might not. I just don't know. It will hopefully come out this millenium, but i'm not making any promises. If you have any ideas for issue 9 (I certainly don't...) e-mail us with them. All I do know is there won't be any Pink Floyd, there will be a classic riff, and there'll be an album review of the Fun Lovin' Criminals' new one and hopefully, the new Beck album too.Band of the Month: sickFM
sickFM - At Night
This 13 track strong album from New Jersey 4 piece sickFM shows promise. It's not quite the finished article yet, but they're certainly not far off. The band mix punk and alternative rock together but still sound totally different to most other bands who do that, which is creditable in itself. Their influences include Radiohead and the Ramones and if you imagine a bizarre hybrid of those two (Thom Yorke not included) and you might be near sickFM. They claim their aim is to sort out the problem of bad radio and excellent songs like opener "Pills On A Saturday Night", and the blatantly punk-rock "Cheetah Chrome" should satisfy their aim. For $6.99 on MP3.com "At Night" is a good investment. Get your copy today...
Website of the Month:
Allmusic is an excellent website if you want to find ANYTHING out about a band, artist, label, producer etc. You name it, Allmusic knows it... Reviews of most albums by a huge variety of bands. It's updated regularly too, so go there and have a look sometime.Classic Riff #3 - How To Play It:
D -------4--------------------------
A -2--------2--------2--5b6r5--2-
E -------------2--5-----------------
Column: Look Inside America
Ever wondered why British bands never make it in America? Heather tells us us her opinion in this new column.
Pink Floyd Special - Part 2:
The second and final part of this Pink Floyd special. We've got 3 more reviews and the classic riff from "Money" tabbed out (see above) then we'll give the Pink Floyd theme a rest for a while...
Meddle (Released 1971)
Dark Side Of The Moon (Released 1973)
Wish You Were Here (Released 1975)
The opening song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1)" with it's huge instrumental intro of around 7 minutes sounds a million miles away from "Dark Side Of The Moon". The song itself, which when it finally arrives is pretty damn good, is a tribute to Barrett. Lines like "you were caught in the crossfire of childhood and stardom" and "now there's a look in your eyes like black holes in the sky" in particular conjure up memories of the departed frontman. "Welcome To The Machine" is the most difficult song on the album, with Roger Waters cynical lyrics criticising the music industry ("we told you what to dream/you dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar"). When you get used to it it's a decent song, but probably the weakest on this album. "Have A Cigar" is a more light-hearted criticism of the same theme - the music industry. Waters lyrics whilst still critical aren't as openly against the industry, which match the more upbeat music. It gets better still with "Wish You Were", (reference to Syd Barrett (again) anyone?). The pick of the album for me, it's a slower paced acoustic workout, with the lyrical theme of longing. It's a far cry from the technological trickery of "Dark Side Of The Moon" but as classic a song as they ever made. Then to close it all is "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 2)". The opening, another long instrumental sounds nothing like the predecessor, but then in one split second kicks in to the familiar melody. The words are sund in the same pattern and the tune's essential the same, but this time the lyrics are even more obvious. ("We'll bask in the shadow of yesterday's triumph" and "Come on you boy-child, you winner you loser"). It might not be as critically acclaimed as "Dark Side Of The Moon", but it's my personal favourite, and also I heard is guitarist Dave Gilmour's favourite Floyd album. Probably not one for everyone though, especially if you hate instrumentals...
Chris' Hall Of Shame:
Antenna are on the same record company that do the music for Neighbours!! Mushroom Records.
[END]
Next Month in No Ripcord:
