Veronica Falls live at the Norwich Art Centre, 27th of January

On Friday the 27th I had the pleasure of seeing Veronica Falls play the Norwich art centre. I'm always looking to see good gigs and Veronica Falls have had some positive attention lately. I've duly noted their associations with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, a band I like to listen to very much. The four piece had their self-titled album out in 2011 which met a positive reception that ensures that future endeavours ought to be well promoted. For my part I didn't find my listens particularly memorable, but things can change on the stage. Live verdict after the jump.

Judge Dredd

Well I finished those comic collections and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Each had its own set of merits. First, Judge Dredd.

Update

Today I was out and about in Norwich. I did not manage to make it to the Little Red Roaster before they closed, unfortunately. I had a pretty good time in the city, though.

Music Writing and the Problem of Values

The impetus for this post really came from considering my process for writing about music. I've been considering metaphor, simile and something approaching but not exactly a sense of dialectic. I suppose what I refer to is background and choice of assumptions. There are some obvious examples of this, like popularity--you can write about artists as waves: charting their bearing in the public conciousness through time until they crest and break, lost in the undertow. My colloquialism for this is "what's up, what's down?" This is chart or more recently 'buzz' or 'viral' based writing. That said, one mustn't discount the artist's need for good press, particularly when it comes from influential outlets.

Thoughts on the background and assumptions behind "what's up, what's down" and other modes of music writing after the jump. Also, the thing that brought on this blog post: the second edition of The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music (2002) by Nick Kent.

Miles Davis--Sketches of Spain

Right now I  am tired. And my throat is swollen I am listening to Sketches of Spain. Held to be the accessible Davis by some, it is a collaboration of Miles and Canadian composer and arranger Gil Evans. The two of them, with the help of musicians, in the sessions conjure a forlorn romance for a time when place and music were far more intimately linked.

At times embracing the power trumpet style, at times a more piercing lead sound and sometimes something more mournful, Miles plays over flamencos, arabesques, military marches, bebop jamming vehicles. The result is a fantasia composed of the modern American metropolis and an Iberian peninsula that probably never existed in equal measure.

I thoroughly recommend it.

Review: Cloud Nothings--Attack on Memory, Wichita Records

From the other side of the pond comes Attack on Memory, the third album from Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings (it’s a Rock N’ Roll city). This instalment sees singer-songwriter-founder Dylan Baldi split session duties with other members of the band. Another important item of buzz around the record is the fact that the band decamped to Steve Albini’s (Big Black/Rapeman/ Shellac) Electrical Audio studio in Chicago to record. The result is a hot album that puts the lie to reports of Rock’s demise.

Against SOPA, or Running the Congressional Blockade in the Digital Age

When it comes to politics, as well as other walks of life, the old adage is “follow the money.” Now, it’s a fact that politics is an expensive business on both sides of the pond. According to estimates based upon campaign spending in the Republican primaries, costs per voter have exceeded $100. It may well have been cheaper to just to buy their vote (if it was legal, of course).  President Obama is widely expected to fight a $1bn campaign for re-election. Now, enough of that sorry parade of figures. SOPA analysis after the jump.

Coffee in Norwich

A little googling led me to Cosy Coffee Shops, a review site for independent coffee shops.

Two reviews caught my eye: The Window Coffee and The Little Red Roaster. I look forward to trying their flat whites.

Flat White

Since the beginning of the year I've been having my coffee prepared as a flat white when I'm out and about. Thus far I've only had three, but they're all important instances for discussing the drink and I am excited to go to more places. I've noticed Tapped and Packed on Tottenham Court Road for one. I would also like to find a really good flat white in Norwich. Flat white experiences after the jump.

Blood Meridian

Just a little note to say I'm 70 odd pages into Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian (1985) and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

It's one of those novels that are championed by people like Harold Bloom so I thought I would check it out. Part of the impetus comes from the fact that this semester I'm doing a module called American Violence. I thought I would acquaint myself with what is supposed to be one of the best literary treatments of violence.

Coming at the topic of American Violence from a different angle is Richard Pryor.

Atemporality

Because I'm ahead of schedule on my Cloud Nothings review (and I need to do some reference listening to Fugazi before I'm ready to finish my assessment), I've decided to write a brief piece on two cultural concepts which have been informing my understanding of Attack on Memory but are also integral to how time is constructed in art: atemporality and Italian Futurism. In recent years the theme of atemporality has been advanced in large part by two authors and intellectuals: Bruce Sterling and William Gibson. Of the two, William Gibson is the one I've spent some real time reading.

Vinyl Aquisitions Round-up

Just thought I would fill you in on 4 7" singles I've brought in recently. There's some Tom Petty, some Tom Verlaine and a new single from Part Time. Commentary and youtube playlist after the jump.

A Brief Note

I started this blog to garner a larger audience for my reviews.

In the fullness of time I hope to get swish theme and nice background. I'm thinking of detailing my record collecting on here too--both things I track down like some Tom Verlaine, Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers, Mission of Burma and Galaxie 500 I have in my sights and odds and ends from charity shops.

I realise that starting with a low scored review might come across as crass, if you disagree with it please let me know why. I love debate and I'm very much a subjectivist anyway.

I will consider seriously any suggestions for material to review.

Also comics, comics are cool.

Trailer Trash Tracys – Ester, Double Six Records

The build-up of TTTs is something I was blissfully unaware of until reviewing this, their debut album. There is a fine line between albums which mesmerise with their sonics and production, alluding to a dream-like alternate perception of the world and albums which wash themselves out  and lose impact. I am afraid to say that Ester suffers the problems of the latter.