Million Dead – Living The Dream

Million Dead have at it for awhile now and I think we can easily call them the British kinds of emo. “Living The Dream” shows off our heroes sounding very deep and even soulful. About a minute and a half in, it kicks it up and it starts to get fierce. It’s a solid mix of sounds, in the vein of, say Sonic Youth and some hardcore to produce a nice tight sound. The track is certainly one that shows Million Dead pushing forward.

By John Siwicki

Morrissey – Live At Earls Court

Mozza has had an impressive past year. Hit singles, massive sold out gigs… he has come back in impressive style. I didn’t think we would get a Live LP out of him though, but maybe this is a sign, who knows. But this 18 track set is full of Smiths, and old Solo hits. Plus he even dabbles in a few B-Sides. We get treat to rousing versions of “How Soon Is Now?” “Bigmouth Strikes Again.” Also, there is a lovely cover of a Patti Smith song ” Redondo Beach ” Also, the B-Side “Don’t Make Fun Of Daddys Voice” has a huge chorus that sounds perfect in this environment.
If you recently saw Mozza live this is a great little memorial to that. It sounds great for a live recording. Mozza himself sounds incredible live. It’s a really enjoyable time that shouldn’t be missed.

By John Siwicki

The Bravery – Unconditional

New York , what a place; New York is home to such great talent and there is always a developing scene there that will undoubtedly cause a stir. The Bravery are the latest to come from NYC (Yes, they are better than Radio 4) “Unconditional” is a ballsy full-on dance-rock effort. Here you get a boisterous chorus and that charming beat. This song will make you dance away. The B-Sides are rather alluring as well. This band can make some noise.

By John Siwicki

New Order – Waiting For The Sirens Call

New Order are one of those bands that never really do anything wrong. After all these years they still sound so young and fresh and most importantly they are as important as ever now. The whole current crop of new bands can all list New Order as an influence. I’ll stop now but as you can see they are a great band. Waiting For The Sirens Call” is the third single of the album of the same name. It’s more of a straight up rock song, reminds of something that could be from the “Republic” days. Bernard’s summery voice and with Hooky’s bass is a combination that will seemly never get old. As the summer winds down and they days go back to getting cold. I think we have great song to remember those wonderful summer days.

By John Siwicki

Kaiser Chiefs – Employment

Formed only in 2003, Kaiser Chiefs have rocked into the limelight rather quickly. “I Predict A Riot” became a firm hit. “Oh My God” set the bar very high. But can the boys from Leeds put together a solid album?
“Everyday I Love You Less and Less” is a brilliant pop gem. It’s a fun and silly song but in a good way. Some cheeky lyrics and a great hook will reel you in. “I Predict A Riot” still sounds fresh and hasn’t lost a step. “Na Na Na Naa” is a story about a girl or something or other. The track is jittery and full of energy and it’s a still a top tune it needs to be heard. “Oh My God” the one that started it all way back when and all you can say is great song. “Saturday Night” starts off with Graham Coxon starting up a “Kaiser Chief” motorcycle. The track is pure Blur. “Caroline Yes” evokes some Beach Boys here. The song is a bit more contained than most on here… the name is even a homage to Pet Sounds. “Team Mate” closes us off and it sounds very much like early Graham Coxon work. It’s a subdued and a nice way to end things off. Kaiser Chiefs have a strong debut album here. They are influenced heavily from all the great pop bands from the past. The album is quintessentially British and loads of fun; enjoy it!

By John Siwicki

Metric

[q]Could you give us a quick history of the band?[/q]

Emily and james started the band about 6 yrs ago or so. after they decided that being a studio band would leave them under the control of producers, they wanted to be a live band and began looking for musicians to play with. Joules and i had been playing together for about 14 yrs. in all sorts of bands and had moved to nyc to work on a band the death of death with a good friend.Some time later James and emily met joules and he became their drummer, i was leaving the country for 6 months so they found another bass player. But when i came home it was obvious to me they needed a better one, luckily he quit. Bang i was in.

[q]Where did you band name originate? And if you had to change it to something else what would it be?[/q]

the band name comes from a demo song long ago and it just stuck as the band name. if we had to change it it would be, girls with guns

[q]How do you guys write songs? Any special techniques?[/q]

no, just always writing and working, its fun and what we have all always done.

[q]Tell us about your new album “Live It Out?”[/q]

Live it out is, a dream from beginning to end….well for me it is anyway

[q]Who did the cover art for that release?[/q]

josh hassen, he also did the last album

[q]Who are some of the influences on the band?[/q]

The people of france, civil rights, alcohol, sunlight, and sexual tension.

[q]What do you enjoy most/least about going on tour?[/q]

most: the live shows

least: losing all the connections with life

[q]What should people expect when they go to see one your gigs?[/q]

energy, and damn good music

[q]How do American and Canadian audiences compare to the gig-goers form all over the world?[/q]

I don’t like to compare people, I think it a false impression and I don’t like to separate people like that

[q]You guys are Toronto based, is there anything come out of the scene to keep an eye out for?[/q]

actually joules and i live in Oakland california, so I don’t know toronto that well but in Oakland, there is the band death of a party which are doing a month with us, and the band militant children’s hour, and the coachwhips… but i love craziness so be careful

[q]How do you feel about downloading of music?[/q]

i do as well but here i are my rules

1. i go all out on any artist who is dead….dowload city

2. if i have never supported the artist financially i dont do it

3. if i have gone to shows or bought atleast one or two albums i do it very Minimally sometimes it can help you know if you want to buy a cd, or see a show, I don’t like stealing, and i know what i can do to the artist if you download, so be careful some people are not in the situation most people think they are in.

[q]Who are Metric listening to right now?[/q]

i actually was just listening to louis armstrong, pink floyd and melt banana

[q]What would be your greatest fear?[/q]

being eaten by a shark

[q]What does the future hold for Metric?[/q]

we will find out together

Harrisons

How has the public been responding to your music on your recent tours?

It’s been getting a lot better since the single was out and all the press and radio/tv play that came with it. There’s actually been people turning up knowing the songs, wheras a year ago, no one turned up at all.

Have you got any funny gig stories?

We tend to hit a lot of stuff in the van. So far we’ve had two cars, a van, a bollard and a sheep…

How did you get involved in making music?

All four of us started playing guitar because oasis. They were the main reason everyone got into music at the time. Ben Jubb and Birch all met at school through music, as they were different ages, and I met them when Birch joined my old band. I was playing guitar at the time and Birch left to join a band with Ben and Jubb, and I said that although I don’t play drums, I’d come and keep a beat for them until they found a drummer. So technically, I’m still temporary!

How do you write songs? Any special techniques?

We’ve got no set way to write songs. Sometimes Ben or Jubb will come to the practice with a half finished song and we’ll all work on it, sometimes we’ll just start jamming and write something as a band for that. Jubb and Ben do tend to write most of the words though.

How did you choose the name ‘Harrisons’?

We’d booked our first gig after our first practice to give ourselves a kick up the arse to get on with it, and realized we needed a name to put on the posters. We were walking down Ben’s road (Harrison Road) and couldn’t think of anything better so it stuck with us. We robbed the road sign one night, so that comes on stage with us now.

Tell us a bit about your new single “Blue Note”?

We recorded it this summer in Liverpool with Mike Crossey. The video’s a take off of the football scene in Kes, and personally, I think it’s quite a good song.

Have you finished work on a record?

There are no plans for an album yet, we’re only signed for two singles at the minute, so we’ve got to see what happens after blue note. Hopefully we’ll be able to get our album recorded this year.

What was it like going down to London to appear on Lamacq’s show?

It was a weird walking into the studio where you know that every single one of your favourite bands has played. I think everyone was a bit nervous at first, but once we’d got the first song out of the way, then we were fine. We didn’t get to meet Lamacq ‘till about two months later though. He does it from another studio.

Who are you listening to right now?

At this very minute I’m listening to a Lazy Dollies album. They were the second most successful band from Sheffield in the 90’s!

What was your favorite album of the year?

Their were a few good ones, I think the one that’s been on most in our van over the last year is Funeral by Arcade Fire.

What are some of the artists that have inspired you?

Oasis inspired us all to play. They made you realize that anyone could play guitar. We’re all big clash fans and that influences our music a lot. I’m a big fan of Charlie Watts’ drumming from the Stones. Jubby’s got an unhealthy obsession with Bob Dylan.

What would be your greatest fear?

Not to be able to play music for any reason. Ben nearly lost of finger on a bench saw a few months ago and you realise it’s that easy to end your career.

What can we expect to find you doing in 2006?

A lot of gigs, maybe an album, knocking over even more road signs/animals in the van.

Komakino

How did you get involved in making music?

I can’t speak for the whole band, but personally I got involved first with DJ type stuff about 15 years ago..I was into Intelligent Drum + Bass, stuff like LTJ Bukem. I got some decks and was into that stuff for a few years. Later on though, I got involved in playing the guitar and messing around recording things with the music students at college.

How do you write songs? Any special techniques?

Usually we start with a guitar part that Stuart or Martin may have. They tend to come into the studio with guitar parts that work well together. I might have an idea for a bass part or a particular arrangement, Mark would come up with interesting drum ideas, that kind of thing. We generally all work together on everything. The system works pretty well.

When can we expect a new single? Have you finished work on a record?

We’re currently writing and recording new material at the moment. I think people should expect new releases over the next couple of months. We’re toying with the idea of a download only single as well as a full release in May.

What was it like going down to London to appear on Lamacq’s show? You guys
sounded great.

Yeah that was great for us. I think we we’re all pretty nervous to be honest. You wear these headphones and they plug you into the show about 2 songs before you’re going to actually play. The nerves really build up. The worst thing is when the red light comes on – at that point you realise that whatever you say is going out to the nation!

“Say Something” hasn’t left my stereo in months. What was the inspiration behind
that track?

It’s one of our best pop songs I think. It’s difficult to say what the inspiration was. It came together very quickly. I suppose it may have been us subconciously looking for some relief. Things get a bit intense. We tend to over-think and analyse everything to death and so it’s nice when something easy going comes along. I hope it doesn’t end up being like Creep is for Radiohead.

How would you explain Komakino to someone who has yet to hear you?

That’s a hard question to answer. Apart from saying: get on myspace and download some of our demos!…I think what we do is quite varied. More importantly, I think we all view it differently. Some of it is dark, some is poppy and some songs, like Innocent Child are more electronic sounding.

Who are you listening to right now?

Today I’ve been listening to band from Canada called Metric. I think we’re going to be doing a kind of joint-headline tour with them sometime in May. They sound really good. Some of the vocals remind me of Grandaddy which is a strange thing to pick up on, since the singer is a girl and the music really isn’t like that! I’ve also been listening to Blur, but I’ve been doing that for about 10 years, so I guess it doesn’t count!

What was your favorite album of the year?

I think probably for me, it would have to be the Coldplay record. I’ve pretty much always been into them. I think the latest album shows them moving forward. I like the bass lines. I thought the video for Talk was really good. If I was choosing a new band though, I think it would be Maximo Park or Bloc Party…It’s difficult to choose, there’s a lot of good stuff about.

What are some of the artists that have inspired you?

We’re all into different stuff. Martin really likes QOTSA, I think it’s a guitarist thing. We’re all into Radiohead and have been for a long time. Mark likes Led Zepplin but that’s drummers for you.

What would be your greatest fear?

I had a dream last night that my hand got cut off completely. At this point in my life I think that would be a worry. Having said that, It wouldn’t be fun at any time would it?

What can we expect to find you doing in 2006?

I guess writing, recording and releasing music. I think we will be touring a lot. Aside from that, I’ll be cooking.

Stereophonics – Language, Sex, Violence, Other

The Stereophonics have had a rough time lately. Their previous album saw them achieve huge success and sales. But some accused them of going “soft’. And they sacked their drummer. With their comeback single “Dakota’ doing well. The guys seem to be back, and with a fire that seems to have been out for a long time now.
“Superman” is an angry little ditty about someone Kelly Jones simply seems to hate. “You don’t know what it’s been like meeting someone like you” as you can see he is mad. The bass is at times very New Orderish. It’s a nice welcome change full of rough riffs and some dirty falsettos.Next we have “Doorman,” well just have a look at the lyrics” You look like a monkey scowling at me/ Well suck my banana, suck it with cream” nothing else really needs to be said. “Devil” is a very accessible tune that could be a big single, the hook is made to be played on the radio. “Dakota” is one of the best here. Kelly never sounded so good, the track is just fantastic big riffs, big hook. “Girl” is a fast and frantic song that clocks in at less than two minutes. The phonics almost do a punk song and its really good. “Feel” slows things down a bit to wrap things up. The track doesn’t really do much and is rather boring.
This was a tough album for the guys I am sure. There are some good solid songs here but there are few that just awful (Doorman, Pedalpusher). The new sound and their new attitude is certainly a step in the right direction. They sound hungry and ready to go again.

By John Siwicki

Louis XIV – Finding out True Love is Blind

This honestly has to be the best track by a new band I’ve heard this year. Over the past couple of months there’s been a lot of drivel being thrown around by

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