Month In Review – January 2010

I started the new year in the best possible way by adding R.E.M. and Pete Townshend to the main list of artists featured in MusicKO. “Out Of Time”, “Automatic For The People” and “Monster” have already been reviewed, whereas fans of The Who’s unique composer should check what I had to say about “Who Came First”, “Rough Mix” and “Empty Glass”. And the best is yet to come…

I also started reviewing music movies, with the brilliant “Once” being the first addition to what I sincerely believe will become a different section of the blog.

Startups reviewed this month included Digiclef, The Sixty One, Twt.fm, Jamendo and Spotiseek. An additional note of gratitude to Ian Cox from Digiclef and Kristofer from Spotiseek for accepting being interviewed. Continue reading

Black Gold: The Best Of Soul Asylum

"Black Gold" Was Soul Asylum's First Career Retrospective. It Was Released In The Year 2000 By Legacy, And It Also Covered The Band's Independent Years.

"Black Gold" Was Soul Asylum's First Career Retrospective. It Was Released In The Year 2000 By Legacy, And It Covered The Band's Independent Years As Well As Their Acclaimed Tenure At Columbia.

Small town mentalities are the same everywhere. That was the one thing I immediately thought the first time I played this excellent compilation. Having lived in a small city all my life, the music of Soul Asylum speaks in terms which are absolutely unequivocal to me. People who is willing to do whatever it takes to be closer to the stars, people who know all too well how it feels to be just like anyone, mothers incessantly talking on the phone about these things they are afraid to discuss on public… it is the same here and everywhere. And the fact that my city (Montevideo) has a twin town in Minnesota is too good a point to miss.

In general terms, the band is remembered for the mega-successful “Runaway Train”, their one and only certified hit. Since it was the only time they really took the charts by storm, they have been relegated to the category of one hit wonders in the pages of history. They did have another Top 20 success with the song “Misery”, though. Continue reading

Kristofer (Spotiseek) – Interview

I’d like to share with you the interview I conducted with Kristofer from Spotiseek, the service from maximizing Spotify that I reviewed last week. I hope you like it!

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Full Name: Kristofer
Age: 25
Startup: Spotiseek
Position: Founder

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

Well, I love Spotify and their idea to make all music available to everyone. But one of the things that I felt missing, was an easy way of finding new music to listen to. There’s so much music out there, but I don’t know where to start!
So I figured I’d try to create a service for that myself, and I have to say it’s turned out better than I’d hoped…

The best thing about Spotiseek is obviously that it’s so easy to find music you’ll probably like, since it uses your artist of choice as the source for the search.

What was the original launch date?

I didn’t really have any set launch date, but have tried to improve it step by step, and focus on implementing features that people actually want to use…
I believe the site was first live in mid December, so it’s still in very young age.

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?

The feedback I’ve received so far is way better than I had expected. My primary goal was to create a service that I would want to use myself, but I sure didn’t expect thousands of users! Continue reading

Wasp Star (Apple Venus Part 2) (XTC) – Album Review (Part 2)

Read the introduction to this review here.

“Church Of Women” reminds me of Tears For Fears’ “Woman In Chains” lyrically, as the submissive state of the fair sex is somehow explored. In Andy’s case, though, the strong/weak roles are not just reversed but eventually coalesced as all that remains is a respect for life so profound that it is impossible to think of someone submitting himself so wholly without being incredible weak and incredibly strong at the same time. A really striking song, and the end chorus is just sublime.

“Church Of Women” would have worked excellently as an album closer, much in the same way that “Books Are Burning” closed “Nonsuch”. But…

…we have “The Wheel And The Maypole”. I have already talked a bit about the song when reviewing “Apple Venus”. Some quick facts: the song is made up of two different compositions that Andy glued together as neither was working individually. One deals with the creation of life, and the other with its finality. The first is “The Pot Won’t Hold Our Love”. The second is “Everything Decays”. I like the imagery, as a pot is something very small and fragile that isn’t really suited for holding something as valuable to begin with. I guess that is the idea, along with expressing that love can be kept everywhere, and even in places that one could create himself.   Continue reading

Wasp Star (Apple Venus Part 2) (XTC) – Album Review (Part 1)

"Wasp Star" Was Released In The Year 2000, Roughly A Year After "Apple Venus" Was Issued

"Wasp Star" Was Released In The Year 2000, Roughly A Year After "Apple Venus" Was Issued

XTC’s swan song, and a very powerful moment even when taken separately from it companion album, the critically-lauded “Apple Venus”. As I explained when reviewing it, this is the one disc that was meant to “rock” a little from the pair. Hence, fans often call it “the disc that everybody was waiting for”.

“Playground” and “Stupidly Happy” are positioned at the forefront of this “return to form” or whatever you want to call it. The truth is the previous disc was not a departure but an assertion of the sound that was manifested on songs like “Wrapped In Grey”, and which had began insinuating itself as early as “Sacrificial Bonfire” from “Skylarking”.

“Playground” is another interesting look at childhood, and one that joins “Let’s Build A Den” in its theme of the world of children mirroring the world of adults more than we care to admit. It has the memorable line “You might leave school but it never leaves you”, and Andy’s daughter Holly (yep, she from “Holly Up On Poppy”) supplies backup. “Stupidly Happy” is defined by Andy as “The great Keef Richard riff that never was”, and it was derived from the “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” riff. It is catchy like little else, with that simple but engrossing riff being gradually fortified by bass, tambourine, drums, handclaps…  Andy alliterates a lot on the lyrics, echoing the narrowness of thought he wishes to convey, and the effect when taken as a whole with the instrumentation is fabulous. Continue reading

Spotiseek – For Spotify Users Looking For New Artists To Try

Spotiseek

Name: Spotiseek
URL: http://www.spotiseek.com

I am sure that those of you who live in Europe are more than familiar with the peer-to-peer service known as Spotify. It is a streaming service that lets you listen to artists both new and old in a legal way, as record companies have granted permission for each track to be featured.

This website aims to let Spotify users have a more enjoyable time around. Using it, they can find artists that are meant to match their tastes. Once they have found a couple of similar artists, they can create a mixtape including these new bands and share them with friends.  Continue reading

Apple Venus Part 1 (XTC) – Album Review

XTC's Penultimate Album Surfaced In 1999. It Was Titled "Apple Venus"

XTC's Penultimate Album Surfaced In 1999. It Was Titled "Apple Venus"

After a decade-long strike against their record company, XTC were finally released from their contract with Virgin. The question was how to present the material they had stockpiled over the preceding years. This was to escalate into a rift that ended with Dave Gregory leaving the band, as he disagreed with Andy’s notion that two separate albums had to be released. He did play on the first of the two discs that were to be issued, and he was credited as a session musician. The disc was named “Apple Venus Part 1”, and  Andy has described its sound as “orchoustic” – acoustic instrumentation mixed with elaborate orchestral arrangements. This is evident the second the disc starts spinning, as “River Of Orchids” couldn’t be described using better words. A whimsical tune, a multifaceted tune, a lovable tune. An XTC tune in all its essence. Andy deals once again with his hatred of automobiles in a string-led song that takes up 6 minutes of layered vocals and a permanent crescendo where climax after climax is reached.

The song is immediately counterbalanced by “I’d Like That”, the one cut that everybody liked on the record when it was issued. Because the album had some detractors that were expecting a harder sound, and when they finally got that in the shape of “Wasp Star” the following year they were to eat humble pie and admit that the sound of Apple Venus was far more suitable to this mature stage of the band. “I’d Like That” is a very jumpy track, running through a plethora of chords in which only three strings are strummed most of the time. Only the E chord that is played after the “Sunflower” bit is played in full. Andy slaps his thighs as accompaniment, and his wordplay is delirious, dropping the names of famous couples in a tale of unrequited love that is just an inch from materializing – hence the overall optimism. Continue reading

My Favorite Music Moments In Anime

The Opening and the Ending of Zegapain

One of my best-loved anime alongside Evangelion and RahXephon, Zegapain has one of the most outstanding soundtracks I have ever come across. Even the show detractors wholly agree that the opening and the ending are superlative. The show is not that engaging on first looks since the writers took their time to establish everything, but I think that it really paid off – you become completely immersed without even knowing, and when the series hits full stride (episode 14)… mamma mia.

The opening is called “Kimi E Mukau Hikari (“The Light That Faces You”) and the ending is “Little Goodbye”. The former is sung by Akino Aria, and the latter is done by Rocky Chack. Amazing. Both easily top my list of favorite music moments in anime.

Suzumiya Haruhi Plays At The Live Alive

Episode 12 of the groundbreaking anime. It is the school festival, and the pop group ENOZ has lost 2 members hours before they are set to hit the stage. The hyperkinetic Haruhi volunteers her help, and drags Yuki Nagato along for the gig. In her bunny and witch attires respectively, they win over the audience and rock the event. Continue reading

Monster (REM) – Album Review

REM's Fourth Album For Warner. The Record Was Named "Monster". It Came Out In 1994.

REM's Fourth Album For Warner. The Record Was Named "Monster". It Came Out In 1994.

After the somehow pastoral textures of “Out Of Time” and “Automatic For The People” (with mandolins and orchestras taking center stage), nobody could have blamed the band if they wanted to rock out a little once more. And that is what they did on their 1994 release. Named “Monster”, it was a return to their basic sound, and one that elicited strong reactions both in the buying public and in critics. One thing is for sure: the album did leave no one indifferent.

Personally, I find the sound a little unimaginative, with the guitar always going “wahh, wahhhh, wahhhhh” and Michael’s voice left intentionally low on the mix and /or completely distorted (“I Took Your Name”). When the record kicks in (with the successful single “What’s The Frequency, Kenneth?”) I am momentarily thrilled, but I quickly become a bit bored until a couple of more subdued performances do roll in. These include the beautiful single “Strange Currencies” and the organ-pumped “Tongue”. The voice is crisp there, and it is easier to focus on the actual message. Continue reading

Live At The Isle Of Wight (The Who) – Album Review

Recorded In 1970 At The Isle Of Wight, The Who's Legendary Performance Was Finally Issued In 1996

Recorded In 1970 At The Isle Of Wight, The Who's Legendary Performance Was Finally Issued In 1996

It may sound incredible –  nay, it is incredible – but a live rendering of Tommy by the original lineup was not released until this double album was issued in 1996. The one landmark live disc by the band bypassed Tommy almost entirely. And the one “official” release that had a full performance was as diluted as it could ever possible be – it was part of the “Join Together” box set, with a trillion guest chirping in and a backing band as huge as to render the three surviving members irrelevant.

That was the reason everybody flocked to this when it was issued in 1996. We all had our appetites whetted the previous year, as a video of the performance was released by Murray Lerner. Although it was not the full performance, it sufficed to send everybody counting the days until a live CD was issued. And we didn’t have to wait that long, fortunately. Continue reading