Wire----Red Barked Tree---Consummate Artistry In Constant Motion

I would say that at this late period in history, it would be difficult to try to categorically pin down the group Wire. Why bother? After 30+ years they are still making interesting and innovative music. And they have a history of confounding expectations. Good for them. For all the people who wished that there were 5 more Pink Flags, I think we are all better off with the route the band pursued, changing chameleon like, but with the same ongoing fierce intelligence, inventiveness and artistry that has influenced several generations of new musicians.

Generally, the reviews of the new Wire album Red Barked Tree have been quite positive. And I would be deceiving you if I said something differently. There are two backlashes that I foresee, one that has already transpired to some degree. The first is that this album is their "pop" album, one in which they have sold out their artistic values in pursuit of filthy lucre, which I have seen. (Some would see this as a positive development.) The second backlash is that while the album is OK, it is not a transcendent game changer of an album in the ways that some of Wire's past albums have been. So why are they bothering?

First of all, Red Barked Tree is not exactly a pop album. Perhaps in comparison to other albums by the band, yes, but only some of the time. Stylistically it is all over the place, which I consider a good thing. Some songs are quite tuneful, even poppy in a loud way. While the album is nowhere near as assertive and brawny as the music of their most recent return, some of the songs raise a serious ruckus. It is certainly not quite a return to the minimalist Pink Flag days either. In my ears I hear a decided "shoe gazing" element to the music, though maybe that is not so fair since Wire in all likelihood was an influence on those groups. And while this recording is not on pace to revolutionize music, I must say it is very, very, good. If you don't already own Pink Flag, Chairs Missing, or 154, or Send, give this a rain check. But I must say I am enjoying this album quite a bit. Then again, if they made a polka album it probably would be good also.

Wire begins the album in a fairly pop manner with Please Take, whose cryptic lyrics belie the radio ready pop. "Please take your knife out of my back". Now Was contrarily is a more jittery itchy type of song, also quite easy on the ears. Equally interesting is the caustic social commentary contained in the lyrics of Bad Worn Thing. "The overcrowded Nature of things...."

As interesting to me is a song like Adapt which combines a melodic lyricism with the dreamy strummy sonics of shoegaze. Two Minutes is one of the noisier moments on the disc, quite reminiscent of Kiwi Noise Aficionados Bailter Space. Then they kick back with Clay, which is a song that reminds me of a Wire song than a lot of the songs on the album. I must say the pacing and dynamics on this album are impeccable. On a bad day they are more interesting than most other bands.



And if you want truly melodious, look no further than A Flat Tent, which has chops like a Ramones classic yet still remains completely Wire. The following tune Smash is very much in the sonic vein of Ride or My Bloody Valentine. Absolutely beautiful noise. Another loud number is the pounding thrashbeat of Moreover, which is probably the noisiest bit on this record.  I especially like the final song Red Barked Trees, which is a nervous dour acoustic number that reminds me a bit of the great NZ Xpressway band This Kind of Punishment.



Overall, I really like this album. I'd say at least half the songs on this album are flat out great, and since the music is stylistically diverse, the album is an interesting listen from start to finish. Wire is definitely one of the greatest and most innovative punk bands ever, and in my view what makes them punk is their continual shedding of skins. While this album may nostalgically look to their past at times, the band continues to challenge themselves and try new things. This is definitely one of the best new albums I've listened to so far this year.

Wire is currently on a World Tour to promote their new album. I know in early Spring they will be here in the US. I saw them for the first and only time when they reunited and began releasing their Read And Burn Eps at Irving Plaza in NYC . I must say they were an extremely engaging and exciting band to see. If you enjoy their recorded output, do yourself a favor and see this band live if you have the opportunity.

World Turned Upside Down--A Celebration of Political Change--Rachid Taha's Tekitoi

It's been an amazing few weeks in the nations of Northern Africa and the Middle East. I've heard many pundits make comparisons to the events that occurred in Eastern Europe more than twenty years ago. I would have to concur in a very general way. I remember how surprised the world was when the Soviet Republics and satellite states forsook Communism. The Soviet Union was the other Superpower, with a full nuclear arsenal. But before our very eyes the walls tumbled down.

With the ousting of the President of Tunisia, has created hope for downtrodden people in a great swath of the world, transforming discontent and disaffection into full out protests, crossing borders and building in intensity. Then President Mubarak of Egypt resigned. Let's hope the armies flinch in the other nations. People say a lot of things about what the future may hold for these braves protesters who are risking their lives and the lives of their loved ones so that their societies might be transformed into something better. We should remember the lot of the ex-Soviet empire and take pause. Their fate after the Berlin Wall came down has been a mixed bag at best. A great place to learn more about this is in the book Globalization and Its Discontents by economist Joseph Stiglitz which has a chapter that is a case study on Russia and Eastern Europe's shock ride into Capitalism, where too much of the economic infrastructure was torn apart and sold off. This was in complete contrast to the graduated economic development plans of China. Another great read is Emerald Zone by Rajiv Chandrasekeran, where the same ideological imperatives were wrongly, carelessly, and stupidly effectuated in the American administration of Iraq, despite the dismal track record in other places.

The bottom line is we don't know what is going to happen in the coming months. While many people in these nations might agree on leadership change, I doubt that there will be much consensus as to what the future form of government will be. And these places are not clones of each other just because they share a common religion. There are other factors, these places have their own histories and traditions. After being run by dictators for so many years, I can't imagine they would want to be dictated to from some other part of the Arab world. Though in some cases you may wonder whether the old strong man will be replaced by a kindlier gentler strong man instead of the creation of a better more egalitarian society.

In the old days it seemed like as long as a new regime came in with free elections and a free press, everything was OK. But we understand now what we didn't acknowledge back then, that there are many components that are needed to create a thriving democracy, not a democracy in name alone, hiding behind a well meaning but impotent constitution. You need economic development, education, a fair legal system, development of infrastructure, and creation of opportunities for more people. I'm not sure how far it will go in some of the countries, but greater freedoms and opportunities for women are important also. In countries with a large population of young men and high rates of endemic unemployment I'm not sure this would be welcomed, but in order to be competitive in the world you can't eliminate half the population from consideration without negative consequences. It's not easy.

These are tense scary times, but also days of hope, days of excitement. Things could go in a lot of directons here. And please, let's not credit our past President too much for these events. Don't call him a visionary--nation building and making people free was just one of many alibis that came up, when all the other rationales for war came up hollow. If you want to give him credit, view him as an "Inspector Clouseau" of international affairs, who with bumbling indifference and ignorance stumbled into a solution. So don't laud him, just say "Good work, Clouseau". Besides these popular movements are arising from within, not from without. It's not always about us you know.

When El Casbah's a Rockin',  Don't Come a Knockin'.

But what I am trying to say is that these are moments to celebrate. And what a better way to celebrate than with Rachid Taha and his excellent Tekitoi (Who Are You) album from 2004. It is filled with punk and funk and importantly for me there is a lot of Algeria blended seamlessly in here, as far as I can tell. So it is a great melange of styles combined with the intensity and passion of Rachid. I can't help but think of current events, when Taha sings Lli Fat Mat!(What is Past is Dead and Gone!). Or H'asbu Hum (Ask Them For An Explanation). And he sings with a true air of defiance.


From Safi! (Pure);

Our Culture is a one party system
Our Culture is not democratic
They have neutered the people
All the people, everything is locked up.
As for me, my heart is Pure!

From Stenna (Wait)

Wait! Your time will come
Be patient!
Paradise will open up
Be Patient!
Your Time Will Come
Their Time Will Come

And of course.......a superb cover song. Revolution or not, this is an excellent album well worth seeking out.

Maybe The Good Times Never Went Away....or never were really so great--TV Smith--Misinformation Overload--

Some may consider growing old gracefully a virtue. If you are of the punk rock aesthetic, I think the greater virtue is to grow old gracelessly, with a fire in the belly. Take for example TV Smith, originally singer/songwriter extraordinaire for the legendary punk group The Adverts. Unfortunately people know more about The Adverts, but fail to realize that Smith has created a substantial body of excellent vital music in the ensuing years. And he's still at it today, rocking the boat, writing fiery songs brimming with intelligence and outrage. In 2009 he came out with In The Arms of My Enemy, and Live at NVA double Cd. He has also published two collections of his tour diaries most recently. Now he has come out with Sparkle In The Mud, a collection of unreleased recordings and demos from 1979-1983.

Through the hallowed halls I roam....

But this post is about the fantastic disc that he released in 2006, Misinformation Overload. Some economists and analysts are credited with seeing the on coming world financial meltdown at an early stage. If you read the lyrics to the songs on this record, you will see that TV Smith was just as prescient. Basically he calls out a lot of bad behavior, decries the negative trends of our era, and dares us to do something about it. And dares us to think for ourselves, instead of listening to the paid infomercial mantras pounded into our consciousness daily. It's so difficult these days to figure things out, with so much nonsense and as Smith asserts, Misinformation. You know, it's the sort of tactic that is used in the military when fighting a war.

From More Than This....

So the Bankers take their seats
With the party elite
In a Billionaire's retreat
Safely out of Reach..

And they blame the workers, blame the unions
Blame the slump and blame the boom
And the consumer, blame the system
Blame the losers, blame the victims.






Sounds like a familiar story, part of a familiar cycle. It's nice to hear a counter argument, because when more and more of media gets controlled in fewer hands, the narrative has a better chance of being massaged. And for those people who refuse to drink the kool-aid, the unfortunate response may be to lose your faith in everything and to tune out.

From Small Rewards...

Millions are suffering
But tonight let's order in
And watch the happy stuff
Is that enough?

The mindless entertainment
What keeps us tuning in?
All they are offering is
Small rewards.

TV Smith's superior songwriting is ably backed by an excellent band comprised of Tim Cross on keyboards, Happi Mueller on Bass, and Vom Ritchie of  Die Toten Hosen on drums.

From Second Class Citizens--

So we zipped our lips
we worked for tips
We aimed ever-lower but still missed
In this compassionate land
The helping hand
Shows you two fingers, then a fist.



So if you like intelligent energetic punk rock, look no further. Once you've heard this album you will be impelled to hear more. TV Smith is one of the punk legends. He should be regarded on a critical level with the A-list punk rockers. Here's to getting the good word out.

Atman--Droning Mesmeric Psychedelic World Folk from Poland--

Drunken Fish Records was an excellent recording label way back when that put out a slew of interesting recordings back in the 1990's. Most notably for me they released three Roy Montgomery Cd's, The Harmony of The Spheres compilation, and Peter Jefferies and Jono Lonie's instrumental opus At Swim Two Birds. They also released a few albums by this musical collective from Poland involved in the "deep ecology" movement called Atman. I picked up their album Personal Forest on the basis of the description in the Drunken Fish catalog. Oh, yeah, and I never listened to it. Somehow it got stuck somewhere and spent a lot of time gathering dust. But I did listen to it finally a few years ago. I have to say I liked it so much that I immediately picked up their Tradition album, also released on Drunken Fish.

I hope to listen to it soon. But I can definitely say that Personal Forest is a one of a kind album, a mesmerizing chill out sort of album.

Atman is comprised of Marek Styczynski, on woodwinds, percussion, Tibetan liturgical instruments, jew's harp. Marek Leszczynski on polish dulcimer and percussion. Piotr Kolecki on 12 string guitar, sitar, zither and even more percussion. Some of these instruments include Tibetan singing bowls, the Australian aboriginal
didgeridoo, and the Slovakian fujara (you know, a bass overtone fipple flute!!). Apparently they even build their own instruments. They have a pretty cool organic sound, sometimes with an engaging raga style, and in other cases a more meditative spacious mood. The level of musicianship ship here is excellent. Basically it is new age music that doesn't suck. It is possible to say that the music is so good that it should be called something else. All I am saying is that New Age music seeks to fulfill a certain purpose and fails at it. I had a roomate at college who used to play that Windham Hill stuff all the time and I thought that it was terrible. These guys succeed in a completely admirable way. I just listened to this album and I feel like all the tension in my neck and shoulders vanished. You feel revitalized. And the music never fails to be interesting and creative.

I guess that deep ecology in a very simplified way begins with the concept that the Earth itself is alive and that we have to make radical changes to protect this environment as we are merely a part of everything else. I can see that in a Poland a movement like this could have real resonance. Due to the rapid industrialization imperatives that were perpetrated under their years of Soviet occupation after WWII, Poland was subjected to tremendous environmental devastation. People who have been forced to live in these horrible conditions could not help but be drawn to environmentalism. Not only for what they see around them, but also the effect that it must have on the people's health. Even though it has been twenty years now, these conditions don't just go away.



Just as in global warming. Some people don't think it prudent to act until the day comes when a whole bunch of senior citizens keel over all at once, like those situations we find with birds dropping out of the sky en masse, or dead lobsters washing up on the shores of Long Island.  Not driving our cars for a few days will not clean this mess up. It may seems silly to the rest of the world where people understand this concept. But here in the United States we wait for disasters to unfold before we act, and we are suspicious that the scientific evidence is some form of scam. Now right wingers have a new reason to allow the environment to degrade--we can't afford it. Well I suppose if worse came to worse we could always drop a bomb on global warming internationally and cut taxes on it domestically. That's why we are so good, folks.

From The Catacombs of Cleveland..... The Mice--Officially Inducted Into Continuum Tranfunctioner Hall Of Fame

It's late Friday and I'm looking at the website for the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and I think maybe I should make up my own. They must have some criteria for this distinction in Cleveland, but maybe we should have tons of Halls of Fame, like they have infinite awards shows or competing boxing organizations. Because I think that those guys still have a lot of work to do.

No Buzzcocks, No Big Star, No Mission of Burma, No Replacements, No Wire, No Pixies, No Love, No Zombies, No X. No Saints.That's just the tip of the big dumb iceberg folks. I mean what are the Vegas odds on the Butthole Surfers being inducted before Pink?

I've been spending the last few days listening to an 80's band from Cleveland that I've recently found out about. Completely stunning music that I cannot believe has not been heard by me before. The Mice are a simply excellent roughed up pop group that has to be heard to believed. Their Cd For Almost Ever Scooter is compendium of their two releases, the e.p. For Almost Ever and their LP Scooter and was released by Scat Records in 2004.. The e.p. is only quite great. The followup full length is jaw droppingly great.

As opposed to the folks in Cleveland I guess I would employ much mellower bouncers at the door. Poor local Ohio artists like Pere Ubu, Thomas Jefferson Slave Apartments, Devo, Guided ByVoices, The Cramps, The Dead Boys, Mark Eitzel and The Mice are outside looking in while a new generation of superstars don their laurels. Devil's advocates may argue that I am picking on a straw man here, but if I like something I might as well say it. I'd rather celebrate the vitality of music, the energy creativity and excitement there, than create a mausoleum to be filled with a bunch of mummies with their guts long removed. They should have interactive rooms there where ticketbuyers can smash hotel rooms, or shoot TV sets like Elvis used to. They should induct people who had one really great song as opposed to someone who made 20 mediocre albums. I guess what I am saying is that having a rock and roll Hall in Ohio is fitting because so many great bands come from places like Cleveland, Columbus, Akron and Cincinnati. It's just too bad that it's not being celebrated enough.

Well as I said before, The Mice are a truly superb rock band, who made some great recordings led by Bill Fox, songwriter, singer, and guitarist. Tommy Fox is on drums and Ken Hall is on bass and backing vocals. It's easy to say they sound like the Replacements, and they sort of do. But at their best they sound like Husker Du with vocals by The Records. There are fantastic harmonies on this record, and they sound so raw and ready, as though they were shouted out on one take. To a degree you say they sound like Guided By Voices, Neutral Milk Hotel, or maybe even Vancouver legends The Pointed Sticks. I can't imagine a rock fan listening to this energetic recording and disliking it.



On a collection like this it's not that easy to single out songs as the whole recording sounds like a greatest hits compilation. Probably most notable is the extraordinary Little Rage, a pop song for the ages, a post punk September Gurls. The second song from Scooter, Bye Bye Kitty Cat is very nearly as great, with big fat guitar riffs, a gripping three minutes of Who-like adrenaline rush. Right now my favorite song of theirs is Second Best, but that could change by tomorrow. Bill Fox is one hell of a songwriter.

From For Almost Ever, you have the excellent opening number Downtown, the perfect power pop of Rescue You Too, the sugar thrash of Not Proud Of The USA. But then you get great songs like Guarding You, Crystal Silence, Ancient Mystery and More Than I Can Talk About. You really can't go wrong with these guys. The Mice apparently split up with a partly recorded album which has still not been released. Bill Fox came out with two solo albums in the 90's that are also well worth checking out. I've listened to so much music, so it's always great when I stumble upon something really special. After a while your ears can get a little jaded. Though I got around to it quite belatedly,  For Almost Ever Scooter is one of the best things I've heard this year. Congratulations to the worthy inductees. Speeches are optional.

My Visit To Hljomalind--Purrkur Pillnikk--Classic Icelandic Post-Punk-Ehgji Enn--

Purrkur Pillnikk was a post-punk band from Iceland from the early 1980's. Ehgji  En is a great little Cd that was released on the Smekkleysa "Bad Taste" label. Cd #1 in fact on the label.

Angels Of The Universe

I picked it up on my trip to Iceland many years ago. I remembered this when I saw the sticker on the back of the Cd case. Hljomalind 8 Austurstraeti. That was the music store I visited in downtown Reykjavik and that was where I realized that cool things were going on musically in this sparsely populated country. Don't try going there--it's not open any more. I knew of Bjork of course, but I soon found out that there was more going on. It was a slow day apparently and the clerk in the store was very helpful, particularly since I bought pretty much everything local that he played for me. I got the Purrkur Pillnikk, a compilation F.I.R.E. (more about that in a future posting), some Doctor Gunni singles. They had the Sykurmolarnir aka "Sugarcubes" 2nd album in Icelandic. I mentioned something about the US released World Domination or Death Cd, and the clerk in the store said that he actually performed on it!! Small world, small country. I wish I could have spent more there, but I was on a tight budget--spent a lot of money at the hot dog wagon, stayed at the Salvation Army.

As I was chatting with the clerk, a bunch of teenagers burst in. Turned out they were in some band called Maus, and they had just put out their first album. They stopped by to see how it was selling. Of course I listened to it, thought it was pretty good noisy alternative rock and picked up a copy. It seems like they turned out okay, as they released numerous albums in Iceland, though I don't think they were ever distributed over here.

But Purkkur Pillnikk....It's obvious to me that I could not have known who these guys were. The clerk must have gave it a spin for me. There is absolutely no way I could not have bought this! Despite my ignorance of the Icelandic Language, except Takk, Brennivin, etc., this is pretty inspired stuff. I'm pretty surprised that this album is out of print on Smekkleysa also. I saw that a few were selling used on Amazon.Uk. on the British One Little Indian label. I guess I learned a lot about music on my journey to Iceland. Don't listen to what people say, listen with your own ears. I really was shocked at how good the music was (I should not have been, of course). And back then I would expect that in those pre-Sigur Ros days a country like Iceland was not on the radar for the musical cognoscenti.

The album is very much in the vein of hip bands of the era, like Wire, The Fall, Gang Of Four, Killing Joke, The Ruts. But that is an approximation, as they really have their own artsy Icelandic thing going, to my ears. Band members include Einar Orn (vocals and clarinet!) and Bragi Olafsson (bass)  future members of the Sugarcubes, the band that broke Iceland. Asgeir R Bragason (drums), and Friðrik Erlingsson (guitar) round out the lineup. The music is played with a lot of enthusiasm and passion. Sharp jagged post-punk guitar, fervent vocals. Not understanding what Orn is singing, I find myself focused on the great bass work by Olafsson.





Overall, a pretty stellar album, very worthy of consideration. Definitely one of my favorite Icelandic albums. Purkkur Pillnikk was also featured in the excellent punk documentary Rokk I Reykjavik, directed by Friðrik þór Friðriksson, where they perform a couple tunes. The soundtrack is somewhat available, unlike the DVD, which is only out in Iceland to my knowledge. There is another collection of the band on Smekkleysa entitled I Augum Uti that is in print. I think that if you appreciate some of the bands listed above you will probably enjoy this album as much as I do.

Poetry and Flowers, Pretty Words and Threats; Valentines' Day with Billy Bragg

Valentine's Day. It's not over till we say it is. Here's to the new Romantics.



So, I was trying to think of romantic music and the album Workers' Playtime came to mind. I've always been a big fan of Billy Bragg. He is one of the great live acts and I am going to see him perform with Mavis Staples next month at Tarrytown Music Hall. He is such an engaging gregarious and charismatic entertainer, full of humor, anecdotes, and compassion for the downtrodden. I saw him perform about ten years ago in New York with a full band which included celebrated Faces keyboard player Sir Ian McLagan. Great show. Sometimes I was disappointed when he broke off his banter to sing. He would have no problem doing spoken word shows like Henry Rollins, believe me.

On this memorable night, he discussed such English delicacies as Marmite (I've tried it--it's something that people shouldn't put in their mouths). He described it as "salt mixed with sulphur, then add more salt". He also gave us his rendition of  traditional "Morris" dancing and basically made fun of English people's dancing ability, including his own.

On a more serious note, (this was right before the Bush-Gore presidential campaign of 2000), he made an announcement that Ralph Nader was speaking in New York that evening. Nader was a presidential candidate for the Green party, who made the dubious claim that the two major parties were exactly the same. I feared the worst about this spiel. He continued with  "if you are interested, go check out what he has to say and what his ideas are." But then he said with great prescience, "but remember, any vote for Nader is a vote that Gore won't get, and if Gore doesn't get those votes, Bush may win."

"And you don't want that", he said. "He's a bad, bad man, and not someone you want running your country."
I am paraphrasing, but that is what I remember most about that night. But anyone who knows the music of Billy Bragg also knows that when he is not singing about politics, or decrying injustice, he is probably singing a love song. Sometimes love and politics actually merge in his lyrics. He certainly has a knack for penning a poignant phrase, for describing emotional states, and (as he has so often sung), the power of a union.

I Dreamt The World Stopped Turning

I don't want to knock an artist for having extraordinary vocal gifts--after all it's not their fault--singers like Sam Cooke or Neko Case, or Colin Blunstone were born with this curse. Billy Bragg was not so afflicted.
But I think that is why his music is so affecting. There is no smoke and mirrors here, just old William Bloke, the Bard from Barking singing his proud heart out. And that makes him a great singer in a different way. It's just so very real--he's one of us, and that's where the comparisons to a Bob Dylan stand up. Maybe he isn't the voice of a generation (I would venture he'd recommend you think for yourself), but his words ring pretty true from his heart.

Granted you see the cover festooned with Chinese Social Realist Art and think that this album does not merit a spot near your Al Green albums. But I must admit that he delivers the romantic goods here. While I admit I am most impressed by his earlier albums, this album is a pretty sexy number, but by no means paint-by-the -numbers romantic zombie music. Take for example Must I Paint You A Picture?

It's bad timing and me..
We find a lot of things out this way
And there's you...
A little black cloud in a dress
The temptation
To take the precious things we have apart
To see how they work
Must be resisted for they never fit together again.

Of course there is the heartbreaking Valentine's Day Is Over. A Bragg song for the ages.

Poetry and flowers pretty words and threats
You've gone to the dogs again and I'm not placing bets
On you coming home tonight anything but blind
If you take me for granted then you must expect to find
surprise, surprise...

And of course The Only One.....(there's always room for Cello).





But wait, there's more. Five Star albums are usually like that. There's the tender The Price I Pay, The Short Answer (you try and fit Marzipan and Marx in a love song and make it work), She's Got A New Spell, and the acapella Tender Comrade. "You're upset Cos I can't read your mind" he implores on the uptempo Life With The Lions.

But wait, there's even more... The deluxe version comes with demos of some of the songs, nifty versions of The Jam's That's Entertainment, Tim Hardin's Reason To Believe, and Bonnie Raitt's Love Has No Pride.
And we can't really forget the album closing raveup Great Leap Forward!!


Here's the updated, New World Order mix...From one of the greats. Happy Valentines.