An Afternoon with Axl Rose – Live Blogging the Gn’R Catalogue

i’ve never listened to the entire g n’r discography before and i thought that today, the release date of the long-awaited (by some) chinese democracy, would be a fitting time to evaluate their catalogue and take a look back before we see what the future holds. my live-critiquing of their main albums will culminate in my review of the new album. check back often, this is “live!!!”

Appetite for Destruction (1987)

3:36pm – ‘welcome to the jungle’ – well this sounds familiar. it’s a bit strange to hear this song and the other singles in a context outside of the radio or music-television. i’m always reminded of big-hair-axl when i hear this song.

3:45 – ‘aeroplane’ rhymes with ’spacebrain.’ of course!
3:48 – ‘out ta get me’ = early signs of axl paranoia and agoraphobia?
3:52 – ‘mr. brownstone’ well so far this album has been much better than i thought it’d be.
3:54 – ‘paradise city’ – synths! i hadn’t noticed those before for some reason. so far i like how the “grit” and “sleaze” balances out the generous levels of the usual “sex, drugs, etc” of 80s rock.  i also like how i’m already halfway through the album and haven’t even started looking at my watch yet. as far as pacing is concerned, this album is relentless. ‘paradise city’ is the longest cut on the album at 6:46, but because it’s sequenced properly and placed as the second track on the album, it really doesn’t diminish any of the propulsion that the rest of the album has in store.
4:08 – oooooh ’sweet child of mine’ – my inner university student goes crazy!
4:14 – i’m a bit surprised by the punk-infused ‘you’re crazy.’ didn’t see that one coming. this song is really stones-y… if the stones were fronted by a helium-filled-iggy pop.
4:18 – ‘anything goes’ ah, here’s some of that swagger i’ve been hearing so much about. in a way, i think i might be setting myself up for disapointment by listening to the g’n'r catalogue before i listen to chinese democracy… maybe i should’ve been listening to it starting with the most recent…
4:23 – ‘rocket queen’ – ah… the infamous sex noises. well that’s certainly one way to end an album… this song is a bit much for me, especially acting as the final statement of the album. it seems to be a bit of a retraction, given the gutless misogyny, aggression and viceral critiquing of soulless, urban life that i just heard a few minutes before.

between this album and metallica’s black album, you’ve got two strong arguments against 80s pop-metal, as well as two albums that anticipate the grunge explosion.

Filed under: Album Review , 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, appetite for destruction, axl rose, chinese democracy, g n'r lies, guns n roses, idolator, izzy stradlin, the spaghetti incident?, use your illusion I, use your illusion II

Vivian Girls – s/t

vivian girls is a compact debut from the titular band that leaves one feeling a bit unfulfilled after it’s all said and done. that this album is clearly a nod to 60s girl groups and the direct influence that they had over shoegaze is a significant aspect of its success, especially during a time where a place to bury strangers, deerhunter, no age, autolux, tv on the radio and many other male-oriented rock acts are borrowing liberally from shoegaze without picking up on the same cues. interestingly, vivian girls’ aesthetic works both to their benefit and to their disadvantage as they’re working with a relatively original idea, but one that seems to be in fashion for 2008. while they are a refreshing alternative to bands like the pipettes, they nevertheless lack an integral piece to the girl-group concept: singing capabilities. with the exception of “where do you run to?” the girls’ harmonies rarely sound full and although the shimmering, reverberated vocals are an interesting touch (and of course correspond to their overall aesthetic) they are more of a crutch than they are subversive. vivian girls isn’t terrible— i’d recommend it to anyone who considers themselves to be a fan of shoegaze, but as a record as well as a concept, it feels half-baked.  i’ll be more interested to see how the vivian girls continue to interpret pop in terms of shoegaze on later albums, where they’ll be challenged to really break from convention in creative ways.

Filed under: Album Review , 2008, vivian girls

i had dreams that frightened me awake

deerhunter/times new viking/braids @ lee’s palace – november 12, 2008

seeing deerhunter live added an extra sense of movement and life to their catalogue, as there was certainly a more propulsive aspect to their music during their stint @ lee’s palace last wednesday. new songs like “never stops” and “nothing ever happened” bounced and pulsed with an impressive life and fervor. the band’s set was mainly comprised of material from their recent album microcastle, but they still managed to fit in a few older favorites, including the always-enjoyable “fluorescent grey.” *

despite this livelier-sounding version of deerhunter, i found the audience’s reaction to the music to be a bit too passive. now i’m not one to talk since i’m your standard concert-going-head-nodder, but when i go to shows, usually other people make up for my lack of movement with their own exuberance. that wasn’t the case this time— although, to be fair, the members of the band weren’t really active either, especially when comparing last night to some photos and videos i’ve seen of prior deerhunter performances. this show seemed quite low-key, with deerhunter’s own rhythm guitarist, whitney petty, taking a seat a good two-or-three times from what seemed like boredom.

regardless of the lack of performance that night, deerhunter still played an excellent set, and did a great job with the new songs. i would definitely recommend catching them this tour, if at all possible.

openers braids (formerly the neighborhood council) were definitely one of the most surprising moments of the night, as i had never heard of them prior to the show and had no idea what to expect. i’ve had a lot of bad luck with opening bands, but they were quite good. their songs sounded sunny and optimisitic, but were patient and expansive like a younger, more deerhoof-inspired version of the most serene republic. you can check out their music and info here and here.

the second band to play were times new viking, and they were boring. their performance had quite a bit of energy to it, but it was their songs that were really lacking a certain je-ne-sais-what… especially following braids’ performance, which was quite moving.

* (i don’t have a full setlist… i have a terrible memory. if anyone could provide me with one, it’d be much appreciated).

all photos by inastral.

Filed under: Concert Review , 2008, braids, deerhunter, lee's palace, live, times new viking, toronto

Past Lives – Strange Symmetry

past lives are what is left of the blood brothers following the schism that took place when members cody votolato and johnny whitney left to form jaguar love. now, with friend and ex-blood brothers guitarist devin welch (he left following their first album rumors laid waste) back in the fold, past lives are faced with an interesting dilemma: “what next?” being four surviving members of a defunct band, how can their sound depart from what they’ve done before when the dynamic really hasn’t shifted? more importantly, should their sound be different? these questions are effectively answered on strange symmetry, the band’s debut EP, where they do what they do best: make stunning, breakneck-speed art punk— albeit this time they’ve taken a much more textural approach. while the one-two punch of jordan and johnny’s call and response is noticeably absent, jordan’s stepping-up as a “front man” does not sound forced. he sings when he wants to and knows when to give the music enough room to breathe. in fact, this awareness of one’s role benefits past lives, as they have the advantage of being a well-weathered, experienced band, sounding comfortable with one another throughout the record. album-opener “beyond gone” balances restraint and tension in a way that suggests a true democracy within the band. while they might have been blood brothers in past lives, the spectre of their former selves does not weigh heavily enough on this new faction to hinder their music. strange symmetry is reassuringly good and a promising start to a new chapter.

Filed under: Album Review , 2008, past lives, strange symmetry, the blood brothers