Under The Influence

Apparently if you're looking for the person responsible for the uprising of the Emo subculture you should start with this guy.

This album, and Screaming Infidelities in particular, just happened to be right there when the gossip scene decided to start whispering about Emo. I'm sure the term had been around for eons before then - as I've mentioned before the music and attitude certainly have.

The song-writing is really enjoyable and the performance seems fairly honest. It's all acoustic which I like too. Guess I should probably give Emo more of a chance.

So, I finally got around to listening to the Pixies. I've actually heard a number of the songs on here already over the years - Where Is My Mind? is particularly familiar. Great to finally hear the work as a whole though.

I think I've always feared that I needed to be there from the start to really appreciate The Pixies - that doesn't seem to be the case... but I can see it will take a few listens to fall properly in love with this.

Catchy pop tracks - really clever little melodies. Very original with the twists and turns the songs take - even when pitted against today's works it doesn't sound dated. Of course you get to enjoy Steve Albini's production wizardry too. You can tell straight away that he's responsible for the drum sound... it's just so solid.

Looking forward to working my way through the rest of their catalogue. Come On Pilgrim is next on the list.

The general sound is much like it's predecessor, Dog In the Sand. Great pop songs. Simple little hooks that you just can't help but like.

1826 is a stand out upbeat number. One of the more rocky tracks on the album - fitted with a great oscillating drum/guitar riff time signature combo.

Alright. I need to get some Pixies. Believe it or not I've managed to go all these years without ever getting around to listening to them. It was sealed today when someone who's opinion I trust very much said that given a single choice for a desert island disc it would be the Pixies.

Quite a Depeche Mode sound going on here. Rocky guitar riff, somewhat reminiscent of On The Road Again. Their own remix of the track is blessed with the kind of filthy electro bassline I really can't get enough of.

The Audion’s Donation remix is long (11 minutes) but good.

Not such a big fan of the remix of Shining Bright Star (sAd VErsiOn By [k37!]) on here. Downloaded another version (Phones Industrial) which is really cool though.

I really like this stuff - why isn't the album on EM yet? Damn nation.

Just a short little EP to whet the appetite. Does a fine job too.

Emasculate The Masculine is a great little bit of pop rock while The Unicorns: 2014 is a cool little futuristic space ditty. The demo version gets pretty menacing towards the end (it's cool). Has a sweet drum line somewhat like the one from that big Hot Chip track (name escapes me right now).

This is a very hard one to describe. It's alternative rock I guess. I've been avoiding writing about this one for days because I have no idea how to describe it. I feel like I should use Wilco to set the scene. That may well just be because Spoon too, have a great camera track (I turn my Camera On). Two Sides / Monsieur Valentine is pretty country, almost sounds like Tom Petty or something.

Great beats. The songs are all really strong. Just download yourself a copy of the opening track, The Beast And Dragon, Adored, and you'll be instantly hooked. Gah! There are just too many great pop masterpieces on here. Currently listening to They Never Got You - what a great little guitar riff.

It's strange how this one has snuck up on me. I feel like I've almost never listened to it but somehow it's subversively wriggled itself into place as one of my favourite albums of the moment.

Have I heard this before? I think Comfort You is one of those radio tracks that I thought was by someone else (or rather I'd never thought about who it was by). Very memorable piano hook anyway.

Oh right. The title track, Black Fingernails Red Wine was a big hit here recently, right? These guys have definitely been all over the radio - something in which I seldom indulge (so they must have been played a lot for me to pick up on them).

Lots of piano on this one. I like this much more then most the pop-rock I'm subjected to by the British culture. I really like Kavyen Temperley's voice. It's kind of like Coldplay done right (sorry EJ).

Wow. I know every song on here. How can that be? According to Wikipedia they're very popular in their home country (Australia) but not especially so in the UK. Maybe this is another one of the albums I'd spent time listening to and forgotten about. Really cool stuff.

Art Of Fighting is probably some real depressing music... but it sure does sound beautiful when you're sitting in a sunny train carriage flying through green English fields.

AOF is so soothing it always puts me at ease. I find his voice very emotive. The whole sound is so smooth in the way it flows, like it's made of a fine oil. In general when they want to turn things up a notch they're pick a noisier clanging guitar sound before turning on the distortion.

Sing Song is poppy enough that it could have done well in the Australasian pop charts - actually it sounds a lot like an old Radiohead track now I think about it. Oh! It's all so beautiful. Halfway through each song I think "this is the one to show people, this sums up AOF" and then the next one comes on. Having reached the end of the album I guess it's last one, Heart Translation, that will have to be the final pick.

Are these guys still together? I sure hope so. I want to see them live.

Another one that's been kicking around in my collection for ages waiting to get a good listen. Another one I should have paid more attention to ages ago. I think I wasn't listening to it out of protest really - it's always hard work trying to enjoy a band that the radio have taken a liking to.

These guys aren't like all that other stuff out there. I pictured them sounding like a typical modern rock band but that's not really the case at all. The production is really big. Lots of wonderful noises (some of them backwards - always good), strings aplenty.

I've actually only got copies of the first few tracks, though not for long I'm sure.

It was a random encounter involving a Tescos, a forgotten wallet, and some great Bristol folk that brought this album into my life. Sometimes things all come up roses.

This is a marvellous nautical themed bit of work by Bristol's now disbanded Ivory Springer. I'm not sure how popular they were outside of Bristol but it's a travesty that they never made it, or maybe it's not. Maybe it's best that this little gem stays local and untainted.

The first track, Fifteen Minute Song, has the most wonderful swagger to it. Halfway through I just knew I was going to love the album. Syncopated drums and tight sporadic stabs of nose. Rock done right. Energy, attitude and intelligence. Wicked production too - these guys have definitely listened to Shellac in their time.

All you little Radio 1 wannabes help me out here - get yourself a copy of this album and start taking notes.