October is proving to be a great month for live shows.
In the aftermath of midterms week, I’ve been keeping an eye out for the local musical happenings. The latter half of this month promises an awesome assortment of live shows, some of which I may attend myself.
Among them is an upcoming performance by Xiu Xiu on October 19 at Kings.
What is Xiu Xiu?
Named after the 1998 Chinese drama film “Xiu Xiu: The Sent Down Girl“, Xiu Xiu is the brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart.
Xiu Xiu band member Jamie Stewart in Aarhus Denmark 2017, uploaded by Hreinn Gudlaugsson, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
The band’s sound is esoteric and bleak, unspooling into sprawls of distortion. There’s a heavy air of pessimism and melancholy throughout, though with a more industrial (think Throbbing Gristle) than gothic slant.
Xiu Xiu hit the airwaves in 2002 with the release of “Knife Play,” an 11-track album of experimental desolation.
Stewart’s vocals are consistently plaintive, his lyrics blunt and sobering. The instrumental arrangement oscillates between rhythmically restrained — receding into the background amid simple drum beats — and wholly unleashed.
Jamie Stewart de Xiu Xiu, Adventures in Modern Music 2004, uploaded by Seth Tisue, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0
Xiu Xiu’s second album, the 2003 release “A Promise,” also contributed to the band’s acclaim.
Produced in the aftermath of the death of Stewart’s father, “A Promise” can be interpreted as a depiction of personal despair.
Xiu Xiu went on to release 11 more studio albums as well as three cover albums, two compilations and two EPs.
Their most recent release, the 2023 album “Ignore Grief,” will likely feature in their upcoming performance.
While I haven’t had the chance to peruse the entire album, what I’ve listened to thus far has been nothing short of chilling.
There’s a dark, borderline obsessive cynicism in this album; an ice-cold horror slant that rings perfect for the bittersweetness of October.
Out of the abyss of the midwestern United States called Ohio comes Corker with their first full length release, “Falser Truths”. This new punk band has all the classic 80’s punk sounds you could feverishly desire. With sounds influenced by The Clash, The Cure, Wipers and more, Corker brings us fresh perspective with great ingenuity in this album.
Cincinnati, Ohio natives, Corker, released “Falser Truths” on Sep 1, 2023, which was recorded through Future Shock Recordings, a Cincinnati based record company. Members of the band include: Luke Corvette (Lead Vocals, Guitar), Cole Gilfilen (Guitar, Synth, Vocals), Ryan Sennett (Bass, Synth) and Alex Easterday (Drums, Percussion).
“Falser Truths” is Corker’s first full-length release, but their second major release overall. They debuted with “A Bell That Seems to Mourn”, an EP, in 2021 (also on Future Shock Recordings). This EP was said to have met popularity (on their Bandcamp page).
A breeze chills your lower back and opens up your senses to the incoming new experiences. This track opens “Falser Truths” beautifully. I think it does a great job of introducing us to the potential of Corker’s sounds and what we are to experience through their perspectives of punk-rock.
A little bit of an up tempo track compared to “The Cold Air” with a strong drum beat and jolty vocals with a speedy guitar. “Lice” isn’t what I’d call hardcore punk, but it’s a step in that direction. This track does feel like a good one to dance to at a concert though.
Moodier tunes flow in from the West, East and all over. “A Fitting Compensation” brings us some of the darker, slower sounds through the intro instrumentals. Then, we are very lucky to experience some classic heart-stopping punk vocals and lyricism with a “brain eating” desire woven in.
With the air of a long good-bye, “Sour Candy” is the best final track I could hope for on a release like this. It is seven minutes long, making it the lengthiest track on the album. There’s a whole lot of diversity in sound on this album, and with this track, Corker is able to finish showing off their range. A little spoken word with catchy beats to back it up begins this track on a low-key note, but builds and builds into a rhythmic delight that I loved for every second.
Final Thoughts about “Falser Truths”
Hey, these are pretty fun. Corker is able to show off their talent range within the punk genre, and they show off a little bit of their history knowledge in punk with their sound variations too. “Falser Truths” takes us on a journey of beginnings and histories within the whole thirty-five minutes of the album. I enjoyed hearing this perspective of punk from Corker and I hope to be hearing more from them in the future.
Image courtesy Dickson Phua (guineapig33 on Flickr). Via https://www.flickr.com/photos/gunman47/53203673426
It is now officially October, which as we all know, means that it is now officially Halloween. Goblins and ghouls stalk the night, among all other sorts of horrific beasts, terrifying monsters, and that will scare the average WKNC blog reader to the point that I will not discuss them.
All this, however, is missing the most important of the season: spooky music recommendations.
“Bandit!” by Turkey
Turkey consists of William Sipos and Fletcher Shears, better known as one half of the Garden. If you know that band, you know their love of the Halloween spirit, and it is exactly as prevalent here.
This song opens and closes with a sample about a gargoyle in the infamous Denver National Airport, setting the tone for many haunted delights. The rest of it carries through, of course – the lo-fi production and old-school breakbeats makes a song that feels like you should’ve found it as an obscure YouTube upload of something from the 90’s. Perhaps a ghost of electronic past…?
“Don’t Look in the Closet” by VHS Head
Continuing on the retro theme, “Don’t Look in the Closet” goes all-in.
VHS Head makes his music out of old VHS tapes, and while not exactly leaning in to the more hauntological parts of that premise, the titular sample does more than enough to conjure your childhood fears of what could be lurking after a long night of trick or treating and subsequently eating way too much candy. He also also doesn’t hide the fact that this was made out of VHS tapes, adding a viewing of your choice of campy 80’s horror movie into that childhood memory.
To keep it simple, this song is on the more fun side of the Halloween spectrum, and exceeds at doing that.
“Break Yourself (You Can’t Defeat Me) by DJ Rozwell
Combining the Satanic Panic, those shows about the supernatural that were on Discovery Channel for some reason, and swords & sorcery fantasy with instrumental hip hop is something that I think only DJ Rozwell can do.
This track feels like it could easily be a soundtrack to some old roguelike, which is perhaps the highest acclaim I could possibly give it – the album it’s from, “None of This is Real,” is intended to be played on shuffle as a roguelike album. “Break Yourself (You Can’t Defeat Me)” invites you to venture into terrifying crypts to face its lurking creatures… if you dare.
“Blood Magic” by Machine Girl
For me, it’s not a Halloween playlist without Machine Girl. To be completely honest, my own personal bias may be seeping into this specific pick in terms of my favorite albums, but it’s okay because I am statistically the biggest Machine Girl fan at WKNC.
That aside, the influence of horror movies on Machine Girl’s music is always extremely blatant, and that’s just as true here. The lyrics are about as gory as you’d expect from a song from them titled “Blood Magic,” and if any song in this article is the one that’s a straight-up horror movie, it’s this one.
“Epidermis” by Venetian Snares
Time for a throwback to 2003. Breakcore is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, but this is arguably it in its purest – and most sinister – form. It starts with a simple yet menacing bass synth and sample before the breaks kick in and from then on out, there’s no stopping.
As for the horror, the way Venetian Snares makes sure to emphasize the word “skin” in the most repeated sample along with the iconic “throw your corpse into a pit of vipers” sample makes the song feel like being on the run from a particularly messed up serial killer.
Concluding Thoughts
I hope I have given you at least one new song to add to your Halloween party or perhaps trick or treating porch playlist this October.
There’s plenty out there that summons the forces of evil in audio form, and to me, these are some of the best and spookiest. If you wish to save these dark forces, below is a Spotify playlist of these five songs. Thanks for reading!
October 19 marks the 40-year anniversary of “Stop Making Sense,” a 1984 American concert film centering around the rock band Talking Heads.
In anticipation of the film’s upcoming anniversary, studio A-24 returned “Stop Making Sense” to theaters in crisp 4k.
Musical group Talking Heads; left to right: David Byrne, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz, in a promotional photo for the album Remain In Light. Distributed by Sire Records. Image in the public domain.
After putting it off for weeks, I finally went to see it on October 7 with DJ Claymore.
In short: it was excellent.
For the longer version, look below:
The Film
When I go to live shows, the onstage performance is only part of what contributes to the experience. A good show has atmosphere, with energy diffused from the performers to the audience below.
Despite taking place on the big screen, thus severing the connection between audience and performer, “Stop Making Sense” manages to cultivate a vividly energetic and intimate experience that moves and transforms.
David Byrne onstage with the Talking Heads, October 1, 1977 Jay’s Longhorn Bar, Minneapolis, MN, uploaded by Michael Markos, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED
The Cinematography
The film’s methodical construction is in part largely responsible for its massive acclaim, as it transforms “concert” and “cinema” into something dynamic and soul-touchingly imaginative.
Though shot across four concert performances at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre, the film maintains a sense of temporal continuity.
In fact, set design, costuming and camera positioning were specially-tailored to create the illusion of the film taking place across a single performance.
And while wide-angle shots serve to capture the magnitude of the band’s stage presence, the use of closeups and tracking shots adds a sense of dynamism and intimacy, taking full advantage of the cinematic medium.
As a result, one could argue that “Stop Making Sense” is more than a concert. It’s a documentary; it’s a glimpse into something methodical and artistic and special.
The Sound
“Stop Making Sense” was filmed during the band’s tour to promote their 1983 album “Speaking in Tongues.”
The soundtrack has an unraveling effect, with each track coinciding with the addition of a new band member to the stage.
Cover for “Speaking In Tongues” by Talking Heads
The film’s first song features Byrne performing an acoustic version of “Psycho Killer.” Next, with “Heaven,” bassist and guitarist Tina Weymouth joins the stage.
All band members appear for the climactic performance of the band’s new hit “Burning Down the House.”
There were several points during this film that my skin erupted in goosebumps or I found myself compelled to kick my feet, to bob my head, to move in some capacity to actualize the energy I felt buzzing all around me.
After the first couple songs, the audience — those of us moviegoers — seemed to forget that that it wasn’t 1984 and that David Byrne was not, in fact, dancing and weaving and gesticulating upon a stage in front of us.
They began to clap, cheer and laugh with abandon. If we weren’t seated, I expect that they would have swayed and danced, too.
Final Thoughts
I went into this film knowing next to nothing about it, only that I loved Talking Heads and loved David Byrne’s flagrant and unabashed eccentricity even more.
Even for those unacquainted with the band, this film is a great experience and possibly a great introduction to the works of Talking Heads.
The Magpie cover art for their self-titled release "The Magpie".
Raleigh natives, The Magpie, released their first studio album this year through Firelight Records. We are taken on a ride through the band’s love of psychedelic rock, hardcore punk and everything hard rock n’ roll.
This album is yet another of Raleigh’s newest additions to the scene of heavy rock and metal (although a little on the lighter side of metal), so that’s why I’m taking a look at it today.
The Magpie is composed of three band members: Erik Sugg (guitar and vocals), Brian Walsby (drums) and Mike Deloatch (bass and vocals). “The Magpie” (according to their Bandcamp page) was recorded and engineered by Mike Dean, a member of Corrosion of Conformity – another NC band, who is a metal staple with loads of influence.
Never judge a book by its cover or whatever that stupid cliche is supposed to signify, but I love the album art for this album. The art style clicked when I was looking for a local band to write about this week. The magpie perched a top the skull feels spooky and very autumn-y.
Let’s dive into The Magpie’s first album – “The Magpie”:
It’s the second track of the album and we already get Metallica-like vocals as emphasis behind Sugg’s warbling calls. “Ceremony for a Fat Lip” is a great blend of heavy rock guitar and drums with a more psychedelic rock vocal base reminiscent of Ween’s “The Mollusk” (to me at least).
A slower start in this track, leads to classic rock n’ roll sounds emanating from The Magpie here. “Just One Drop” explores the mind in a fever dream state. After the first couple verses, Sugg begins repeating the chorus in a sickening repetitive pattern that leaves you questioning your senses for a minute. This track drips slowly into your system, filling you with hallucinogenic effects that don’t start infecting you until the last minute of the song.
The shortest song on the album starts off with a similar guitar intro to the rest of the tracks, but then blazes off course immediately. There are a few non FCC approved words in the song, but that’s because of its heavy punk influence. “Derailed” differs wildly from the rest of the album because of the vocal change-up into hardcore screams. I really enjoy The Magpie’s take on hardcore punk, and I’d love to hear a whole album like this from them soon.
A nice hint of vocal warbles and smooth guitar riffs bring forth sounds from The Magpie. It really shows their psychedelic rock sound spewing out. This track got more repeated lyrics than any on the rest of the track, but when Sugg belts out, “fix it”, I can’t help but rock my head forward to the beat.
Conclusions:
I thoroughly enjoyed this album. The Magpie did a wonderful job using their experiences from past bands and sounds to create a first album with such a wild ride like this. I hope to be able to catch a live show from them in the future. I know they frequent Pour House and other Raleigh venues, so if you’re from the area, be searching for The Magpie.
I’m sure it was a pleasant surprise for many Duster fans waking up this past Friday morning to a new album on streaming services. “Remote Echoes” was more or less an unexpected release as the band made no announcement on any media platforms about its existence nor it’s release date being Sep. 29.
However, this album could be considered more of a compilation album as many of the tracks featured on this release are demos and come from past limited records such as “Christmas Dust” and “On the Dodge” as well as some unreleased tracks unheard of before until now.
So unfortunately, no new recordings were released on this album but I am still happy about its release and hold hope for new recordings in the near future.
I really feel that many avid listeners and especially longtime Duster fans will enjoy this release as many of the songs on this album were recorded during their earlier days and are now finally on streaming services.
As far as a rating goes, I personally don’t like to rate music on a number scale. Although, I heavily recommend a listen for this release if you’re into early Duster works such as “Contemporary Movement” and “1975” as well as a more fuzzy and muffled sound in general.
I, for one, am very pleased with this very early present from Duster and ever since going to one of their shows back in April at Cat’s Cradle, I’ve appreciated the fact that they still tour and have produced new music in recent years. I also hope that this release serves as an omen for future albums to come with new recordings.
Cover art for bar italia's single, "my little tony".
bar italia are going back to the garage.
For those unfamiliar, bar italia is a London, England-based band specializing in their own brand of moody, off-kilter and charmingly experimental guitar alt-pop. It’s hard to square them into a genre, but the ol’ reliable “post-punk” label may be a half-decent signifier for curious ears.
Recently, bar italia released their newest single, “my little tony”.
“my little tony” is the first single from their newly announced upcoming album, entitled The Twits (releasing November 3rd on Matador Records). “tony” throws aside the slick, dynamically matured and produced sound of their previous release, “Tracey Denim”, in favor of a surprisingly raucous sound and rawer sensibility.
It’s a tune that rambles as much as it roars.
Things kick off immediately upon hitting play. Guitars- already around peak volume- charge in, blended together with the delightfully distorted bassline in a thick soup of rock-and-roll bliss. The chords are a bit muddled in the cacophony, but not enough to warrant concern. It’s fun.
Nina Cristante’s playful and smoothly mocking vocals follow almost immediately; “your pretentious ways… make me die a little,” she sings, humbling an ambiguous subject (Tony? Is that you?). The rest of her first verse continues in a similar fashion, and her refrain “keep playing with my receiving hand… ‘cause you know you lost the game” plays well after the home-run hook that gets laid down by the band. Things repeat and continue.
The brief instrumental towards the end of the song provides a fleeting break from the loopy structure, but when the refrain begins again, you find yourself feeling as though there are perhaps adjectives besides “loopy” that better characterize the continual nature of the track. Maybe “awesome” is a better word. Or perhaps you’re too busy tapping your foot to care.
The track ends the same way it began: without apology.
Alternating between spaced-out, delightfully dusty yet infectious late-night-walk-home rock and lushly charged indie that nears a description of anthemic, bar italia’s last album “Tracey Denim” was a hooky, thoughtfully produced crop of moody bangers. Things seem to change with “my little tony”; whereas “Tracey Denim” recalled the darker, more geometric songwriting of early-2000s Pinback or Interpol, “tony” harkens back more so to loosely spun garage influences of the same era.
The band retains its edge and recognizability with their simple, catchy vocal lines and hallmark London aesthetics, and despite its heavy strumminess, the track fortunately manages to avoid straying too close to the unforgiving gravitational pull of the (arguably) overly revivalist (and now dated) garage rock sound of the 2010s. “tony” is familiar, but thankfully it doesn’t beat a dead horse. Both Tracey Denim and “tony” prove that a certain degree of referentiality is okay, and bar italia knows this more than anyone.
Does it set off alarm bells for a shift in their sound? Perhaps it’s a bit early to tell. But make no mistake- this is still the bar italia we love- and they (and I) think you should stick around for more.
