Under The Influence

When I first purchased this I was put off listening to it because it sounded a bit too happy, I was worried that it would simply be a novelty. Imagine how very pleased I was when I finally did listen to it through and discovered that it's darker than I'd previously judged it to be.

Not only that but it features a few bits but one of my favourite French artists, Fred Avril. Not only do they use his wonderful Urban Serenade, he also does the production work on their new cover, Come On Eileen.

There are too many beautiful tracks on here to name... I just tried to pick a few but couldn't. Gah! It's all great.

This is pretty off the wall. I downloaded a single track from a different album randomly the other day and was enthralled. Such an interesting sound.

Ryland Bouchard's vocal deliver reminds me of Sparklehorse - the music... well it's not like anything I've ever heard before. The whole thing has a WW2 era sound. I'm not sure if he's using old samples for it or if it's a whole new creation. Brilliant either way.

The lyrics are a extremely political commentary on the state of the world - but done in what feels like a tongue-in-cheek way. "Jesus and Hitler were in the back seat trying to make out, their tongues were twisted and tied around their mouths"

So an interesting work. Pure genius really.

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.

3 CDs of Tom Waits... and it's all good! That's hardly surprising though - Tom Waits really knows what he's doing. I've been addicted to his work since first hearing Closing Time back in 1999 (bit slow on the uptake, I know).

In Road to Peace he gives a vague commentary on the situation in Israel & Palestine (I have a few things to say about that myself).

The album feels like an ambling road journey across The US. So many different styles are covered. I love the way it sounds like it's old - not an old recording, but for me it invokes images of olden shipping docks at night.

3 hours of heaven.

These guys sound a lot like one of my favourite Wellington bands, Dana Eclair. Americanaish with more of a rock edge. Flaming Lips quality to the singing.

As I listen to this I'm watching a guy on the opposite train platform from me. He's very drunk, leaning against a pole, threatening to topple into the path of an oncoming train at any moment. The scene really suits the song (Held).

Healthy mix of downbeat and upbeat tracks. Lots of handclaps, I like handclaps. The final track, Left Only With Love, is absolutely beautiful though rather sad. Reminds me of Candy Says (VU). I have no idea why Smog aren't huge.

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.

This is kind of like a big rock opera in a way. It's a very cohesive work with all the right elements. Long dramatic songs flow seamlessly into each other. That kind of makes it a concept album I guess.

There are lots of great lyrics tucked away in here - "I'm emotionally raped by Jesus, but somehow I'm still here" (from Cancer). Beautiful. In Fall Out we get to enjoy Tchykovsky rehashed into something resembling a breaks/hip-hop track. Don't worry, It's done tastefully.

I get hints of Air's Virgin Suicides every now and again in the more atmospheric moments, though I think this work is probably older, no? Yep, by a year - must have been the flavour of the moment.

Deep and varied, a poetic masterpiece. One of those works that deserves an attentive listen from start to finish.

I'm going to love this one, I just know it.

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.