What I spent my afternoon doing…

I have Twitter, you may or may not know this, but I do. Occasionally I get new followers, can’t imagine why, and sometimes they are bands drumming up support. Usually I don’t take much notice, which is very rude of me, I know, but I’m still a bit weird about the whole concept. However I was at a loose end this afternoon and started looking through my list of Twitter followers at the bands on there.

I started looking them up, listening to a few songs and looking at their websites, social network pages, YouTube channels etc. The blog post I have written with my summaries is too long to do on my phone, so I’m going to type it up on the laptop and when I get to a wifi connection tomorrow I’ll post it.

Bye, have a good weekend,

Rose

[Edit: I was banned from using the internet at my sister’s house as it was a party. Apparently that means I have to be sociable *sigh* As a result I can’t get the planned blog post up just yet. Normal service will be resumed just as soon as I can persuade someone to let me use their wifi connection. 20/4/2013]

Band from Grimsby, Hollow Days, not bad

My cousin shared this band’s Facebook page on his, and of course I had to go and have a listen. They have a couple of videos on the their page and this one track on SoundCloud. I quite like them, who know the locals could produce decent music? (I swear I’m joking, nobody from Lincolnshire/Yorkshire/the Humber lynch me )

Rose

Review: Ben Aaronovitch ‘Whispers Under Ground’

Review: Ben Aaronovitch ‘Whispers Under Ground’
2012
Gollancz

Ben Aaronovitch returns with his third DC Peter Grant novel. And what a return! It’s much more enjoyable than the second novel in the series, ‘Moon Over Soho’, although you really do have to read all three to pick up some of the long running story lines. The novel is narrated, as always, by DC Grant as he attempts to solve the murder of an American senator’s son, in London studying art and living with a half-fae with an inability to tell the truth when asked a direct question. Obviously there’s something a bit weird about the murder – like how on earth the deceased got where he did – so the Folly is called in to help the Murder Squad investigate. More precisely, DC Grant and PC Lesley May (unofficially officially).

It starts with a body on the underground, Baker Street appropriately enough, just before Christmas. It ends with an arrest just after Christmas. In between there is magic, sewer luge, rivers holding illegal raves, geek humour, an underground pig-powered pottery works, and a perplexed FBI agent. This is a very enjoyable book; a mix of the ever popular murder mystery, police procedural and supernatural mystery genres. It’s done exceedingly well; the story moves forward at a good pace, the characters are well rounded and realistic, and the dénouement is suitably surprising/sensible. There’s no deus ex machine here, despite the fact that two of the investigation officers are trainee wizards and one of the suspects is only slightly human.

Five out of five from me

Rose

Question…

I’m currently reading a book I’m reviewing for Book Hub Inc, and it’s sending me batty. I’ve never reviewed books for other people before; I generally read something because it’s taken my interest and then write about it. But I thought I’d give it a go.

I chose a non-fiction book that the title and blurb suggested was scientific in nature. I’m about a third of the way through it, and I want to slap the author. No, really I do. My question is, when I write my review how blunt am I allowed to be? Is, say, a variation on ‘the author is ignorant and talking out of their arse’ too much? My ‘I don’t like misinformation’ sense is screaming, thus the itchy palms.

I might be forced to write two reviews, the polite version for the company I’m reviewing for, and the blunt version for here. They’ll both say the same thing, just with different words.

Right, back to it.

Rose

Review: Fall Out Boy ‘Save Rock and Roll’

Fall Out Boy
Save Rock and Roll
Island Records
Producer: Butch Walker
Released: 15th April 2013 (UK), 16th April 2013 (USA)

After disappearing for four years to have a rest from each other and work on other projects (including other bands, solo albums and novels) Fall Out Boy return with their 5th studio album.

Clearly they were having a laugh when they named the new album ‘Save Rock and Roll’; which is fine because they were also clearly having fun when they made this album. The time apart has been good for them; they have made an album which clearly sits in the tradition they established with their other albums – catchy pop punk with electronic influences. Very obvious pop and electronica influences in this case; it has a tendency to drown out the guitars and drums. But this fusion of genres works for them. It suits their lyrical and vocal style.

The lyrics are occasionally corny – see ‘Just One Yesterday’ for a fine example. I’m not too sure about some of the collaborations – I can’t like ‘Rat a Tat’ no matter how much I try, sorry. My favourite songs are ‘The Phoenix’, ‘ My songs know what you did in the dark (Light ’em up), ‘Young Volcanoes’ and ‘Save Rock and Roll’. None of the songs are quite up to the standards they set with ‘This ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race’ and ‘Tnks fr th mmrs’, although the title track gets close. I can definitely see it being popular live; the line ‘No, No, we won’t go, we don’t know how to quit oh, oh’ could really get a crowd going.

They aren’t going to save rock and roll, but they might improve pop music a bit (besides, it doesn’t need saving, being very much alive and well) but this album is a catchy addition to the pop punk canon. It’s good to see them back.

And that’s my review,

Rose

I just realised something…

I still can’t get hold of Sacred Mother Tongue’s new album. I have realised however, after looking up details of the new album, that the EP I bought last month is made up of four of the songs from the new album. This realisation, and looking at videos on their youTube channel, has made my day.

The album review will have to wait but I can give my initial opinion based on the EP.

If the EP is representative of the whole album they I think I’ll have to get it. I really like the tracks I’ve heard; the singer is competent and the guitarist is spectacular. I saw them live, they’re really quite good.

It’s metal but I like it 😀 there’s next to no shouting. Which is always a good thing. I listened to their first album, I don’t like it nearly as much. They have definitely improved in the last couple of years.

Going now, busy watching dodgy vampire films, good night,

Rose

The frustrations of being broke

I really like my Spotify account. All that music, just waiting to be played. And all completely legally as well. It’s great.

Well, except for the slight problem that when I’m waiting for new albums to drop I have to wait just a bit longer. If I could afford it I’d buy hard copies of most of the albums I would like; but I can’t and Spotify gets me round that problem. I buy very few physical copies of albums, which is usually fine, an arrangement I’m happy with because I don’t have a huge amount of space and some stuff is difficult to get hold of.

But not right now, right now I really want to hear the new Fall Out Boy and Sacred Mother Tongue albums.

And I can’t.

Because Spotify doesn’t have them yet. They’re on iTunes already, and it’s not long past midnight. I shall check again later today, but it’s very frustrating all this waiting.

Rose

[Edit: I’ve just thought of something else that frustrates me about being broke; I have no internet connection, which leaves me relying on friends and family for the use of their wifi, which I hate. 20/04/2013]

Review: Nerve End EP’s Axis/This State of War

I mentioned it last night but I’ll re-cap for those who haven’t read the post.

Yesterday afternoon I was wandering around Facebook when a post by some random Finnish metal band appear on my timeline. I suspect because they had tagged a band I like – ‘Reckless Love’ – in the post. Anyway, I thought I’d go and have a look at their website:

http://www.nerveend.com/

I like some metal but I’m not over-fond of the tendency to shout that some metal bands seem to find essential.

Nerve End describe themselves as ‘a four piece metal act from Joenssuu, Finland’ and their genre as ‘metal/progressive/alternative’. They played their first live show a year ago and have since played over twenty shows across Finland, several in some of Finland’s most well-known venues.

Their EP Axis (2011) is available to stream and download for free on SoundCloud. As is their 2010 EP ‘This State of War’. So I did.

Since I was awake stupidly early and got everything else done first thing, I thought I’d give them a listen.

And my opinion?

They’re not too bad. I couldn’t understand what the vocalist was singing a lot of the time; he doesn’t seem to enunciate very clearly, or the rest of the band were playing too loudly.

I was trying to decide who they sound most like but I couldn’t. The sound is familiar but different enough that I found a comparison hard to make. I think it’s more that their vocal and musical style is a part of the same milieu and so there is a continuity in the sound with other metal bands. Does that make any sense? I don’t know, this sleep deprivation is beginning to get to me.

They have one of their videos on youTube, ‘The Squid’ from the EP Axis. It’s pretty representative of their sound.

I don’t dislike them, and I certainly don’t find listening to this band objectionable. The guitars – at least to my ignorant and untrained ear/brain – are cool, the random tinkly bits in the instrumental sections (I think they must be from synths?) are an interesting contrast, and the vocalist really is quite good. Little too ‘shouty’ for me to be able to listen too all the time, but that is what ‘shuffle’ is for.

The tracks aren’t what I’d call catchy but they have the potential to become earworms. The tracks vary between 3 and 6 minutes with more instrumental passages than I was expecting. They were unexpected but pleasant moments; the musicians are certainly talented.

Finland is supposed to have more metal bands per capita than any other country; it could be said that metal is their forte. Nerve End are a capable edition to their ranks.

In addition to their website they also have facebook (like most people) and twitter. From what I can see, someone tries to reply to comments/posts made.

https://m.facebook.com/nerveendband

Their Twitter is @NerveEnd

Check them out. They might appeal to you.

That’s it, I’m done for the day. My brain hurts from lack of sleep.

And I still haven’t had anything to eat.

Bye

Rose

Short story competition

http://www.britishfantasysociety.co.uk/news/the-bfs-short-story-competition-is-back-2/

I saw this on Twitter about a minute ago and I’m already cursing the fact that I don’t have internet at home. The website is too big to open on my BlackBerry. I’m actually considering entering the competition, but I want to read more of the details.

Going now, I still haven’t had breakfast and I have more music to listen too and write about.

Rose

Review: Stone Sour ‘House of Gold & Bones Part 2’

Stone Sour
House of Gold & Bones Part 2

Roadrunner Records
Producer: David Bottrell
Recorded @ Sound Farm Studios

Released
3rd April 2013 Japan
8th April 2013 UK
9th April 2013 US

• Corey Taylor – Vocals, piano and also wrote the associated short story
• James Root – Guitar
• Josh Rand – Guitar
• Ray Mayorga – Drums, synthesisers, piano

And in addition to the band
• Rachel Bolan, of Skid Row, filled in on bass
And the following added strings to ‘The Conflagration’
•Kevin Fox – Cello
•Karen Graves – 1st Violin
•Kate Unrau – 2nd Violin
•Anna Redekopt – Viola

I had to do a bit of reading when I decided to review this album. I’d heard of Stone Sour, obviously, but had never listened to any of their music. It made interesting reading.

Corey Taylor and Joel Ekman formed Stone Sour in 1992, several years before Slipknot formed. In 1997 they went on hiatus during which Taylor concentrated on Slipknot. In 2001 they got back together and produced the first of their four (if you count House of Gold & Bones as a single album) albums. There has been some line-up changes, with Ekman leaving in May 2006 (replaced by Ray Mayorga)and bassist Shawn Economaki leaving in May 2012. For the album he was replaced by Rachel Bolan, of Skid Row.

For years, due to Slipknot’s musical ascendancy, Stone Sour has been known only as Corey Taylor’s side-project, despite the fact that the band had been together longer than Slipknot. This double album (Part 1 was released in late October 2012 and contains the first 11 tracks) finally puts that fallacy to bed once and for all. A concept album, with accompanying comic book (first issue released 17th April 2013, Dark Horse), the tracks are a mix of melodic hard rock tunes and Mr Taylor’s shouting – toned down quite a lot.

The albums were recorded simultaneously in mid 2012 and tell a coherent story, although the storyline does not overwhelm the songs and they can be listened to out of ‘context’. It’s more like a theme that runs through both albums. I had to listen to both Parts 1 and 2 to see it.

Unusually, the full album was available for streaming from the band’s official website from the 2nd April 2013. I wonder how many people have been encouraged to buy it after listening for free? It is now available to buy on DVD or vinyl, and is still available for streaming on the website, as well as Spotify, iTunes and Sound Cloud.

My Opinion

I really enjoyed this album. Definite 5/5. I might even buy a hard copy when I have a bit of spare cash (sorry but if you give it away for free I’ll take it, I’m broke).

They’re at Download on Sunday 16th June, I have every intention of going to see them there. Might give Slipknot on the Friday night a miss though. Stone Sour’s more my thing.

Random Information if you want to know more about Stone Sour:

http://www.stonesour.com/

Corey Taylor was in Kerrang! magazine this week discussing Stone Sour, Slipknot, the many facets of his personality and how the two bands express him differently. Also, an explanation for those horrendous costumes he’s worn to the Kerrang! Awards.

And there’s always his book ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ (yes, I read it when it was published last year; our library has some interesting books, someone must have ordered it). It’s quite an interesting book. It could easily be subtitled ‘all the stupid shit Corey Taylor did before settling down a touch’. Interesting structure as well. There’s not much in it about the formation of the bands he sings in but it does seem to explain all that anger.

Ha! I’ve just been to check the details on http://www.amazon.co.uk and it looks like he has another book being published this year, called ‘A funny thing happened on the way to heaven’ (Ebury Press, 20th June 2013). I might have to read that.

Well, I’d best be off, I want my breakfast. See how dedicated to you all I am? I get up stupidly early on a Sunday morning to listen to music and write before I even consider necessities like food, and a cup of tea. I definitely need tea.

Bye

Rose