Climb Up by Apse

2009 (12 tracks, 54:45)

alternative/indie

Music blogging has its pitfalls, to be sure. It doesn’t pay the bills. Wandering from the reservation gets you in serious hot water. Your work output suffers. And everyone is a critic, even when you’re the critic.

But none of those pitfalls are as gravely serious as the song mash. We’ve all been there, starting one track while totally oblivious to the fact that another track is already loading in another window, e voilà: accordion meets hard rock. Hip-hop meets strum-strum. Post rock’s bewildering miscellany meets outlaw folk’s singleness of purpose.

Sometimes the combination sounds groundbreaking, at other times, like a calamitous mess. But it’s always unexpected, it always takes a minute to sort things out. Today’s song mash is explicitly Patrick’s fault, submitting as he did the new 3.1 video to this blog’s most dedicated Apse fan (does it go without saying that you’ll need to open that page in a new tab?). The track comes from 2009’s “Best of” candidate Climb Up. His timing was exquisite, since “God Bless the Ottoman Empire” — a track of almost identical length — was queued up and ready to play. That second track is from A Hawk and a Hacksaw’s 2006 LP The Way The Wind Blows. Sample it below.

There are three ways to hear a song mash: first, track A is dominant, B is accent. Second, track B is dominant, track A is accent. Third: mano a mano death match, in which the volume knobs are set to 11 on both tracks. If the present correspondent can add a brief moment of the first person singular, I much prefer Apse set to 8, and AHAAH set to, say, 6. Go to town.

PS, If you have trouble getting two videos to play in separate windows, try also this free MP3 download of 3.1.

I listened to post-rock so much in college I can still feel my life adhering to a constant state of crescendo. I’ll be walking down the street and suddenly it’ll be like the beginning of the first 28 Days movie, a lone mind-guitar chiming in the background; others will join in, the tempo quickens and I end up running away from invisible, swelling orchestras. 

It sounds exciting but, more than anything, it’s scary. Bands like Mogwai, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Mono, Explosions In The Sky, Apse, Tristeza, Saxon Shore, Unwed Sailor … they’ll haunt … your dreams.

Finfangfoom, named for a reoccurring Marvel comic-book character – are what you would call a post-POST-rock band. Their guitar arpeggios, bass gallops and high-hat taps drain every ounce of drama from every measure, to be sure.

But there’s more to it than that; Virginia, we have vocals! Finfangfoom’s singer sounds a lot like Jake Snider from Minus The Bear, maybe with a deeper timbre. I can take ‘r leave the vocals, but they’re not near as annoying as those of Minus The Bear because the arrangements are fluid and consistently engaging.

Despite this quality, I don’t care for Foom’s breed of p-p-rock enough to recommend Monomyth with too much enthusiasm, especially when bands like Appleseed Cast, Isis, Pelican, Red Stars Theory (well, maybe not them) have done this before and done it just a lil’-bit better (save Two Conversations; yuck).

There are times, mostly during “Exploding Coast,” where F-f-foom show signs of breaking out of their shell. In the end though, tedium becomes a part-time companion Monomyth can’t shake.

I guess it doesn’t get plainer than that. As with groups like Anoice and many of the herd mentioned four paragraphs up, I respect what they’re doing but, respectfully, often reach for something else when it’s time to ROCK-circa-ROLL.

(3 people liked this!)

I may as well have waited an hour or two before posting this. The band moved the November 10 launch date for Climb Up ahead by three weeks, at least in terms of MP3 purchases on Rhapsody.

This is alien terrain, and not only because of the heavy space rock flavoring. Beats are tribal and muddled, vocals are distant and baroque. The music is universal. And driven. And weird. And sparse. And familiar. You could ask mom for a no-interest loan to this stuff, or you could summit K2. The opening track absolutely begs a naked beach bacchanal, but for PhD’s only. “Rook” declares checkmate. “Closure” is anything but. I’m keeping this on our Best of 2009 watch.

Go listen. Will you like it? Let’s hope. In the meantime, I need your help with an ultra-nationalist gang trying to infiltrate our blog and embed Animal Collective videos.

I was probably too busy looking for another defunct noise rock ensemble, so I missed how Stereogum posted the new Apse 7″ last Patriot Day. We’re calling it “3.1/The Whip.” Do go listen. The LP is due mid-November.

It seems a bit of a departure from Spirit.

For me, Passages — an EP consisting of a split with Zombi, three remixes and a new track — is that rare release wherein the remixes are the real meal, the real deal and the real steal (apparently this guy disagrees).

Not that there’s anything wrong with the other stuff. Maserati always come flush with ear-pleasing, post-est-with-the-most-est rock, and they’ve added fresh layers of prog to their already-throbbing interface.

Not to mention the only brand-new cut here, “Do You Hear the Nightbirds Calling You?” is one of the best tracks they’ve ever done, a glistening guitar line or two — circa Explosions In The Sky or Mono — stretched on a rack and rolled overtop a rollicking tom-tom rhythm.

But I stand firm in my belief that recastings from Steve Moore (of Zombi), Justin Van Der Volgen and Thee Loving Hand are the true Find. This is where you find the surprises, the danger, the intrigue, the … random voice samples?

Ok, not all of this makes a lot of sense, and that’s one of the caveats to enjoying a good re-up: Forgetting about the original product and having fun with the cornucopia of collage’d sounds and styles.

Thee Loving Hand’s redux of “The World Outside” (listen to the original over there —->) is barely recognizable next to the original product, and that’s just fine because 8 minutes is barely enough time to cycle through all the ideas presented, though a few of the tweaks jerk you out of your chair just as you’re getting comfortable.

“Inventions,” tickled, diddled and slapped around a bit by Van Der Volgen, takes on a dancehall/house vibe — Not Good — then syncs one of Maserati’s patented prog-guitar flourishes — Good.

Then there’s “Monoliths,” the proggiest, most “In the Name of Love”-inest song here, given a spit-shine by Moore. At first plying the vast wasteland mined by soft-proggers like Lanterna and Apse, “Monoliths” is eventually bolstered by a future-beat and repetition-as-crescendo feel that reminds me of Turzi minus the hectic pace.

The other four tracks in no way flag behind, yet I find I’ve spent most of my reviewer juice already. If you know Maserati, however, you know to expect consistent instrumental rock that laps at the ear like waves licking a sea shore, so the balance between the expected and unexpected renders Passages that much more enjoyable.

Fans of Lymbic System, Mogwai and Steve Hillage take note.

…these CDs right now.

I admit, I got burnt out on reviewing a ton of CDs every month, and I know my reviews probably reflected that sentiment. So instead of reviewing everything I receive (which, in the past, would result in a lot of “eh” reviews) I’ve decided to just publish reviews of music that I’m honestly enjoying.

If you know me, if you love me, if you trust me, check out this music for yourself.

Each artist’s name is linked to their website, so click on it to learn more.

Right now, I’m diggin’:

J. Tillman “Year In The Kingdom” – Soft and subtle singer/songwriter folk that whispers more than whines, Tillman–who joined the Fleet Foxes last year–has created an album that serves as the perfect anthem for autumn.

Upsilon Acrux “Radian Futura” – Six tracks of lyric-less experiments in sound/noise that ride the line between prog rock and free improvisational jazz. Definitely not for everybody, but music nerds looking for a new fix will eat it up.

Cymbals Eat Guitars “Why There Are Mountains” – From the school of Pavement and Modest Mouse comes this debut from the NYC-based quartet. And while they may not take as many chances as the aforementioned acts (give them time, it’s their first album), I’m definitely interested to hear what’s coming next from them.

The Antlers “Hospice” – A high-concept remastered debut that tells the story of a terminally ill and mentally abusive patient, and what toll that takes on the living they leave behind. The entire album is great, but its ninth track, “Wake”, is about as close to perfection as you can get.

Fitz & The Tantrums “Songs For A Break Up: Volume 1″ – Sixties-era soulful crooning at its finest, Fitz and his gang of Tantrums have turned lost love and heartbreak into a wonderfully crafted five-song EP. Interesting side note: ex-Soul Coughing bass player Sebastian Steinberg is a Tantrum.

Sleepy Sun “Embrace” – As beautifully haunting, gray and dreary as the city they now call home (San Francisco), “Embrace” is the type of album you put on in the early morning hours of a rainy day, and leave on “repeat” until you call it a night.

APSE “Climb Up” – A lo-fi full-length that invades numerous genres just as easily as it does ears. With a musical approach as unique as their sound, the album keeps listeners waiting, guessing and anticipating for each of its dozen tracks.

Project Jenny, Project Jan “The Colors EP” – A five-song release that feels more like a full-length than it does an EP. Featuring a stellar cast of guest performers (Fujiya & Miyagi, Mixel Pixel and Clack Singles Club, to name a few), this disc is more than enough to tide listeners over until their sophomore album is released later this year.

White Rabbits “It’s Frightening” – Produced by Britt Daniel of Spoon, this sophomore release breaks free of the all-encompassing indie rock mold, creating a wonderfully-layered and genre-defying gem in the process.

Dynas “The Apartment” – Originally released by Rawkus as a digital album back in 2007, “The Apartment” calls back to the era of classic hip-hop in both its style and set-up (like De La Soul before him, Dynas mixes tracks with skits). With production from DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spinna and the late J Dilla–and with a guest spot from Slick Rick–this album is a modern-day take on a nostalgic hip-hop sound.

The Builders and The Butchers “Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well” – Old-timey instrumentation (banjo, mandolin and piano) blended with the appropriately whiny voice of lead singer Ryan Sollee (THINK: Gordon Gano of The Violent Femmes), culminating in eleven rambling relics of vintage Americana.

The Devil Makes Three “Do Right Wrong” – Read these lyrics: “Here she comes, just a skin-and-bones skeleton / She’s a fool for the crack cocaine / She got a baby living right outside the city, man / She don’t even remember his name / Well, his name is Adolf Hitler Albert Einstein Jesse James / All hail! All hail! / To the greatest of sales / Everything inside’s got to be sold / All hail! All hail! / It’s to work or to jail / Man, they’re closing them doors on the world.”

Now that you’ve read them, listen to them:

Fucking awesome. The best CD in this batch of music. For an extra special treat, I leave you with a video of The Devil Makes Three performing live. Enjoy!

More diggin’ to come,

-Shady

Recording artist: Apse
Release: Spirit (LP)
Notable tracks: Any one but the first two
Money quote: (not sure how to answer this one: see below)
Recommendation: Buy a copy

It’s been a while since I’ve listened to an album, even longer since I’ve bought one. We all get preoccupied with other things, we’re all easily distracted; listening to singles in the car and to our iPods at work agrees with our collective split-second attention span. I’m not being a cultural scold: singles are convenient the same way that sandwiches are convenient, and sandwiches can be both delicious and quite healthy. But at least once a year you should treat yourself to a full turkey dinner, with giblet gravy, jalapeno cornbread stuffing, green beans, mom’s fruit salad, carrot cake for dessert and a bottle or two of wine. Just as your folks cook all day to make those flavors interact, using this ingredient from this dish as a fundamental part of that one, musicians would prefer you to, every once in a while, think of their albums as something a bit more systematic than turkey sandwich leftovers.

Spirit, a 2006 full-length Apse release, is an odd return for me to the medium.

It is damp with wall-of-sound reverb, but this is not space rock. It is thick with distortion, but this is not metal. It is haunted with dark space and open spaces, and it is composed instead of written, but this is not post-rock. The vocals are buried and uneven, but this is not indie rock. The tracks are epic in length, and sometimes wink with eastern eyes, but this is not psychedelia. And while there are long interludes of rhythm section march, this is most definitely not a jam band. Clever ensembles wear influences on their sleeves, and those even more clever will fuse these divergent genres. But a remarkable band transcends their favorite genres.

So, is Apse transcendent? Is Spirit remarkable? Yes to both. For the most part.

The LP opens recklessly: a throw-away intro and Yet Another Downtempo Track (“From the North”) squander the first five minutes. The record really opens with “Legions” and it really opens with “Shade of the Moor” (At the same time, all of these drum and bass and rhythm guitar sidebars cause you to fear that Robert Toher will divide the audience into left and right and see which half can scream “rock and roll” the loudest. Recovering metalheads, and I do not exclude myself, will wade through these tense crescendos for the furious explosion that never comes.)

The finest cuts are the uptempo ones: “The Crowned” is kinetic and frazzled. “Earth Covers Us” is dark, always advancing, and absolutely timeless. “Ark” has a creepy carnival feel, and we can only speculate to what the title refers.

This brings us to the (hopefully) one open space in the review: the lyric sheet. The vocals are so buried and the lyrics so indecipherable, a literary critique of Spirit seems a violation of, frankly, the spirit of the album. The internet is a big, bold place, though, so if this is your wont, go dig up the lyrics on your own and see if they transcend.

Photographed by rdesai

6th century (533-549) mosaic decoration in Ravenna.

View from farther back.

– License

Apse. Home page here. Facebook here. Myspace here.

UPDATE: OK, fine, you win. I was going for “restrained.” You want op-ed? I’ll give you op-ed: these guys are unbelievable.

I am having a difficult time adapting to southern small town living. Firstly the weather, I never seem to get warm, ever! Also the people are quite different and I am having to learn a whole lot of social nuances which I’ve never been very adept at. The kids are slow to settle in at school and kindy. My oldest who used to LOVE going off to school now hates it. It all makes writing /blogging difficult.

I really am trying to adapt but really its a constant struggle. My short weekend trips into Dunedin are the saving grace. There is the rush to fit everything in before scooting home and straight back into domestica, but there is always so much to do.

This weekend I stopped by the awesome University Book Store (UBS) and splashed out on some great sale books. The Glass Houseby JC Sturm, New Dreamland: Writing NZ Architecture, edited by Douglas Lloyd Jenkins and Jane Ussher portraits. I could spend hours in that shop really I could.

Then off to the museum across the road. I wanted to check out the last days of Andris Apse’s Antarcticaphotos. I’d seen some in the Sinfonia Antarctica exhibition at the Dowse but altogether they made more of an impact. I love the Otago Museum and an illustration of why, was that there was a small step under a photo of penguins so that kids could step up to get a better look.

I was going to write a post a while ago comparing Otago Museumto Te Papa but that wasn’t really fair (comparing apples with oranges). A few observations though, my kids like this museum better even though its not directly aimed at kids or “theme parked”. OK maybe the butterfly area is a crowd pleaser but the associated stuff is educational and seems to please many age groups. Personally I like the traditional feel, in that you can look at tattoos and hair garments from the Marquesas and ancient greek pottery as well as the New Zealand and local Otago displays. I have two favourite parts – the Victorian “Animal Attic” and the People of the Worldgallery which has a current focus on collecting, collections and collectors including a display on Charles Brasch and his grandfather Willi Fels.

This is NOT a critique of Te Papa which is a different kettle of fish, but just how good the Otago Museum is at getting the details just right.

In my attempts at assimilation here I looked up some of Baxter’s Dunedin poems and with some help found this from Pig Island Letters (2) supposedly written with the Scroggs Hill area in mind (between Brighton and Mosgiel). Somehow it fits.

Her son is moodier, has seen
and angel with a sword
standing above the clump of old man manuka
Just waiting for the word

Yep, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, this band is INCREDIBLE!

APSE.

That’s their name and their 1st full length album ‘Spirit’ (out through All Tomorrows Parties/Inertia) caught our attention one day whilst on a cosmic journey of discovery through the old US imports order box.

At first it was like some mushroom chomping Mogwai fans had gone nuts with a reel to reel 8 track and some effects pedals but as the album wore on, the colours and shapes began to change… and change… and change!

We were gob smacked! It went from Post-rock in the style of Godspeed You Black Emperor to Psychedelic Rock from The Warlocks school of psych and then to mangled glitch-rock like something Radiohead would’ve made if all their gear got broken and Nigel Godrich had gone on holiday to a Mayan temple in his mind to pick jewel encrusted fruits from the branches of a tree grown in Max/MSP 5.

Mental.

Anyway, a very refreshing experience to say the least. These days it’s kind of rare to come across truly eclectic albums that really illustrate a mastery of all the genres the band has happened across during their recording/composition processes, so this was a pleasant reminder of the possibilities inherent in experimenting with rock based genres.

Here’s a taste of one of the tracks that had a video clip made for it from the ‘Spirit’ album. It’s called “Wind Through The Walls“.

So ‘Spirit’ is really an ESSENTIAL acquisition for those of you out there who have enjoyed recent releases by the heavier/darker psychedelic bands such as The Warlocks or Psychic Ills as well as for those who are devotees of bands like Explosions in the Sky.

I would also urge those of you out there who are feeling a little numb to the whole post-rock thing and all it’s bastard children… to check these guys out.  While this is not as improvised, mathematical or nebulous as much of the post-rock of the 90’s or early 00’s i.e. there’s more in the way of hooks, riffs and vocals here… the production and the song structures applied on this record are well rooted in the tradition of messing with the old ‘verse-chorus-verse-chorus‘ disease of song writing.

Er… like smash the system Beavis!

This brings me to the main point of this rant… APSE’S 2nd and technically unofficial album ‘ERAS’.

This has been released on an independent label called EQUATION RECORDS and it specializes in short run, often vinyl only releases. No doubt a labour of love from a kind and wise musical prophet who happens to live in Massachusetts, USA.

If you’re sitting there wondering what you can do to help great music from disappearing into a digital black hole of f ##kn ringtones and shitty 50GB per month mp3 orgies… then take a leaf out of this chaps book and email or ring some brilliant musicians you know and offer to put out a short run of their latest work on vinyl and split the profit 50/50.

Here’s where you can start… PIRATE PRESS.

There’s plenty more info about this album and the band here so go check the link out and then come back. At this point I will bash your ears with some more praise for this band and this album ERAS.

Ok, so I love this album, and I was a greedy bastard and purchased 2 copies of the yellow vinyl edition which has now run out… so there!

I’m listening to one of them right now, and it’s getting really cold and dark in here…

If you’re on the cusp of plunging headlong into the Renaissance of vinyl and beginning your collection with an uber-rare title, please do yourself a favour and subscribe to the Equation Records newsletter and/or Blog and be sure to purchase ERAS before the black vinyl edition runs out too!

Over and out.

J.

Yep, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, this band is INCREDIBLE!

APSE.

That’s their name and their 1st full length album ‘Spirit’ (out through All Tomorrows Parties/Inertia) caught our attention one day whilst on a cosmic journey of discovery through the old US imports order box.

At first it was like some mushroom chomping Mogwai fans had gone nuts with a reel to reel 8 track and some effects pedals but as the album wore on, the colours and shapes began to change… and change… and change! (read more…)

I grew up reading the Orlando Sentinel’s sports section, as has been mentioned before in this space. It’s the newspaper I have my tactile attachment to, the one that I exalt both because of that childhood relationship and because it was a fine sports section.

So Lynn Hoppes leaving for ESPN leaves me conflicted.

On one side, I know Hoppes is not exactly trading down: He’s the associate managing editor in charge of sports for the Sentinel, and president of the Associated Press Sports Editors, both gaudy resume lines and large roles in the world of journalism, but he’s leaving for a position as “senior director of Page 2 and columnists,” as he puts it on his blog.

Though I doubt it will have the same sprawl as his former position, this role probably puts him in charge of the editorial content of Page 2, giving him oversight of Bill Simmons, Jeff MacGregor, Jim Caple, Scoop Jackson, former Hoppes hire Jemele Hill, Tim Keown, and others. He’s going from a small and talented stable of writers to a deep one, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

I say this because, in addition to knowing his work, I know Lynn Hoppes. I participated in the Sentinel’s High School Sports Reporting Institute in 2005, traveling for a little over an hour each way to work with other students and Sentinel mentors on the basics of sports journalism. I had the privilege of meeting and interacting with Lynn, who, during the summer months, actually hung around the motley crew of student journalist he and the Sentinel’s Tim Stephens assembled. No, none of us wrote Pultizer-worthy stuff, and some of us (well, me) didn’t even get anything published.

But that doesn’t mean we didn’t learn, and that’s not to say Hoppes wasn’t instrumental in that. He was more than happy to help a bunch of high school students learn something about journalism, and that’s not something I would have guessed the sports editor of a large and award-winning section would either have the time or patience to do.

Hoppes did. And though his counsel and guidance were just part of the program, he probably couldn’t pick me out of a lineup at this point, and I am not likely to pursue sports journalism as a career, Lynn Hoppes made the time to make some high school students better journalists. For that, I’m grateful.

But for the sake of the Sentinel, I must look on this with chagrin. Hoppes isn’t necessarily bailing on the Sentinel by trading up, but he is leaving a field that needs people like him with strong news senses and the creativity to mitigate some of the effects of an economic downturn.

Also, both selfishly and for the readers who cherish it, I want the Sentinel to remain as proud a sports section as ever, fully reported and compellingly written, and though I know there are a slew of capable writers on staff (Stephens, columnist Andrea Adelson, Florida Gators beat writer Jeremy Fowler, and many others), I would imagine that the paper is going to be different because Hoppes’ energy will be removed. It would be a shock for the paper to fall off the face of the earth in terms of quality, but losing someone with Hoppes’ acuity and experience will probably result in a jaggy period in the near future for the Sentinel’s sports section.

He knows the coming criticisms: “Someone on a website already has ripped me by saying I’m abandoning newspapers, Hoppes wrote on his blog. “What people fail to understand is that I got into this business because of journalism, not because of newspapers.

“I’m running toward something and not running from something.”

And that someone as bright and experienced as Hoppes should be leaving newspapers, even for an equitable or better position with ESPN, is a sad reflection of the climate of journalism in 2009. Unsaid in all of this is the problem Hoppes faced, with his third decade at the Sentinel looming: There’s simply not much upward mobility left in newspapers. Hoppes has the resume and the skills to be a contributor to any newspaper in America, but the industry is hemorrhaging money and the spots on the most respected mastheads are showing scars as entrenched writers claw at greased poles, hoping their jobs stay safe.

Hoppes will be more secure with ESPN; I don’t know the financial terms of the deal, but I would surmise that there is more long-term security in having a position in online media with the still-growing behemoth that is ESPN than there is with the lumbering giant that is the Tribune Company. And anything that keeps him in journalism is fine with me; I’m now eager to see how his direction shapes Page 2, which has gone from a smart and subversive highlight of ESPN’s online presence to a cluttered echo chamber of opinion that frequently drowns out individual voices.

But, today, Lynn Hoppes, I’m both happy for you and sad that you must leave my favorite newspaper. Congratulations, sir, on the new job, and know that your tenure at the Sentinel will be warmly remembered by at least one person.

Gebelikte diş tedavisi yapılabilir mi ?

Gebelikte diş bakımına çok önem veril­melidir. Gebelikte en az iki kez diş ve diş etleri diş hekimi tarafından muayene edil­melidir.

Gebelik önce­sinde diş çürükleri mutlaka tedavi ettirilmelidir. Eğer diş çü­rükleri uzun süre devam ederse, gebelik döneminde özellikle derin çürük­lerden tüm vücuda enfeksiyon yayılabilir.

Gebelikte diş tedavileri tercihen üçüncü aydan sonra yaptırılmalıdır. Fakat apse so­runu acil tedavi gerektirdiğinden ilk aylar­da da tedavi edilebilir. Gebelikte diş çeki­mine ertelenmesi mümkün değilse izin verilebilir. Ancak çekim sırasında yerel uyuşturucu verilirken, bebeğe zararlı ol­mayan ilaçlar seçilmelidir. Bu yüzden diş hekimine, hastasının gebe olduğu bildiril­melidir.

kaynak:Apse, diş tedavisi, Gebelikte diş çeki­mi

Apse | diş tedavisi | Gebelikte diş çeki­mi

DAY 1

Tortoise, while good- has Muppets for fans and sound a bit like when we used to play jazz odyssey during practice. Also one of the drummers was the spawn of Max Weinberg and 90s era Jerry Seinfeld with bad sleeve tattoos. I may sound snotty and cynical here, but despite their immense talent, I feel as though I have been air-dropped into the middle of a Worlds of Warcraft convention. But, I did get to snap a picture, as detailed below.

Tortoise

Thurston Moore was a major disappointment. He needed a lyric sheet and bragged that the album he was performing took a day to write, record, and mix. Sure as hell sounded like it! Lasted 2 songs and 8 minutes of noisy wankerism, no picture for you! That said, I did get a little starstruck when I saw him by the free ice cream truck the next day.

Built to Spill reminded me why I hate festival shows in the first place. The other people who attend them. To wit: fucked up loser or narcoleptic who kept passing out on people before his friends carried him out of the venue presumably to stash him somewhere where he could rest it off and choke to death on his own vomit. Or, the tranny hooker/model and her boyfriend. They were on some combo of coke, meth, and e that rendered them incredibly exuberant, violent, and annoying all at once. Why do these people find me at every fucking show? Anyway b2s were very good when they were playing actual songs. Their near 2 hour set could have been cut in half if they stopped the hippy dippy noodly guitar solo interludes. That said, maybe I have been listening to too much 88 youth crew stuff these days: intro-verse-go!-chorus-go!-moshpart-end. That is all you need. Unfortunately, I was too far back to get any good pics.

DAY 2

Apse: God it’s sunny out here today. We initially planned on skipping the early bands and were chilling on

Scary Go Round

the antiquated/dangerous/superfun playground equipment. Then we went to sit on chairs by the pond. There were a few kids out in rowboats in the pond. Clearly they never had the opportunity to engage in this pasttime before, and I was amused by their poorly coordinated rowing. I was also awaiting someone to stand up and tip their boat. Some fool was stupid enough to stand, but no such luck on the follow through. Then I heard an aggressive dark sound coming from stage 1. We went in to see Apse. I tried out my camera settings. They had a very good sound, dark, aggressive, a bit unlike everything else last night. They did need some serious song editing. And some decent hooks. And some differentiation between songs. I also hate to say it- they needed to settle on a cohesive image- because they were all over the map. Bassist wanted to be a cross btw Nick Rhodes and Carlos Interpol. The keys guy needed to either grow out his Jew fro and be proud of it, or shave it a la Justin Timberlake: he just ended up looking like Carlton from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. The guitarists looked like an AP highschool English teacher and a hippie professional surfer respectively. The singer wanted to be both Ozzy and Perry Farrell. Either, he needed to grow out his hair or he needed to lose weight. Only the drummer had it right. Looking like Brendan Canty’s little brother.

Apse

Wooden Ships. Great psychadelic surf pop. Looks too much like the spawn of Charlie Manson and Anton La Vey. Made for much cognitive dissonance, sort of like what must have been happening shortly after Altamont. Couldn’t get a good pic from where I was standing though. I will be looking to buy their work.

Fuckbuttons. They were really really good. But then got too techno, and literally this guy next to me just said: “A bottle of Jamesons, a bag of mushrooms, and the Fuckbuttons. I haven’t been so happy since I saw the Monkees.” Hippies. I took that as my cue to leave. Picture below.

Fuckbuttons

Free ice cream. I got a nutty buddy, and thought a moment about how much I missed my birdies.

Note to self, sick of the following: Ironic facial hair. Still people do this. The Charlie Manson look. Kevin’s keen on this. Lead singers with part or parts of drumsets… You can tell the bands hate this too.

Edan: Best act of the fest so far, by FAR! Ebin recommended highly, and I always trust him as far as hip hop goes. The set was tight and well organized. Edan and his special guest Dagha were phenomenal, entertaining, fast paced, humorus, and incredibly talented on the mics and decks. They sampled sabbath, the velvets, sugar hill gang, led zeppelin. He also did a few freestyle rhymes with Dagha. The crowd was hyped. Pictured below.

Dagha and Edan

Dagha and Edan

Edan

Polvo: I must admit I was getting pretty tired by this point. However, I was wicked excited to see Polvo. They were fantastic. While I admit they did fall victim to some of that noodly shit that was going around, their technical ability actually made it worth listening to. They had some parts that sounded like they were going for a bit of a Boys Life feel. Though they were not nearly as bleak, spare, or dramatic as Boys Life. LOVE the flowered shirt. Pictured below.

Polvo

Marcy’s gonna kill me, I missed Les Savy Fav. I crashed out on a sofa awaiting Shellac.

Ah Shellac, highlight of the day! They got onstage and were building up to the big entrance, when disaster

Shellac

struck– Todd Trainer’s bass drum pedal broke, and as he was scrambling to find a replacement, Bob Weston opened the floor to q. And a. session. He also announced that the Cubs won the *something* league central playoffs or something or other… if such a thing exists. Blah blah blah blah baseball is so BORING. Pedal problems fixed, they got off to a bang and played a fanstasic set that was frontloaded with all their big hits. I nearly got headbutted by an overweight fratboy during My black ass. I hated him for his heighth, width, and his general douchebaggery.

Having snapped my fill of pics, we went back to one of the balconies for the rest of the set. Shellac showed every single band there how to do it right: musicianship first, followed by professionalism and performance, leaving all the bs gimmicks alone. After wanting to see them for more than 10 years, they didn’t let me down.

DAY 3

EPMD! I managed to get right up front for this one, which was great for taking pictures, but not so great for putting my hands in the air and waving them like I just didn’t care. Ah, the golden age of hip hop was looked back upon fondly by this duo. Their short set was filled with hits and they paid homage to all their contemporaries, while skewering the current crap that passes for mainstream hip hop these days. Hype way to start the day.

Making Dollars

Then the powers that be started kicking people out of the venue before each act. That was pretty cool because then people couldn’t camp out by the stage. They also warned us all that slr cameras would be confiscated during the last 3 acts. Rumor has it Kevin Shields was behind that rule. Balls. My point and shoot sucks in comparison, how am I to deal under such conditions?

Mercury Rev was next, and they were my suprise hit of the entire event. It was sort of like watching the

Mercury Rev

spawn of the Roxy Music and Carol Kane’s ghost of Christmas Present in the movie Scrooged. They were so incredibly entertaining and played a fantastic set of orchestral glam rock. I had never really listened to them before, figuring there were a ton of other bands I’d rather check out first. Ok I also probably held the fact that they were from Buffalo against them-thinking they were interchangeable with the Goo Goo Dolls. Who are in fact crap.

Skipped Yo La Tengo. I’ve tried to like them. But god they are dull. I felt vindicated when one of the pro photogs I was talking to stated he would use their set to get dinner.

Mogwai. I managed to get up front, off to the side, and right under the tower of speakers dangling from the ceiling. Kevin and I wondered whether the structure would hold. Well if quadruple decker speakuhs, smashes into us, to die to Mogwai is such a heavenly way to die.

They were so.loud. It was unbelievable! Their bass stole the air from my lungs at one point. But they were absolutely amazing, best act of the entire weekend. One of their songs hit the resonant frequency of my phone when I took a picture. They are so awesome, the laws of physics get excited! Pictures below.

Mogwai

Mogwai and the Laws of Physics

Dinosaur Jr. again proved the fact they are one of the best livebands ever of all time. They set up in record time, and so I went in during the first song. J Mascis was surrounded on 3 sides by a fort of amps and heads: 2 Marshall full stacks and a Fender Blues Deville perched atop a whole bunch of rack units. He is still God too, even his random little half assed noodlings between each song were fucking brilliant. Thurston Moore. Take note. Lou Barlow was completely unbelivable, so full of energy, and Murph kept the two poles of the band from descending into entropy. They were so much fun to watch.

My Bloody Valentine decided to keep their audience waiting about an hour before they showed up to take the stage. They had already wasted our time earlier in the day by taking too long in their sound check, delaying the start of the entire day. Now they were an hour late. Assholes. Kevin and I were bargaining that if they didn’t take the stage by quarter to one (AM), we would leave. Kev had tickets for Tuesday’s show in NYC. I sold mine because I was going to hang out w/ my sister who would be visiting for work. Anyway, with only minutes to spare, they take the stage. They were so loud you could not hear the vocals. It was also apparent that some tracks were canned and only Shields and the drummer were playing live. But otherwise they were pretty damn good. Then during the second song, I was overcome by the most intense nausea. I looked at my Kevin and said “oh God I need to leave, I am going to throw up.” My mouth started watering intensely and I ran for the exit, not stopping until I made it outside. Fortunately I was able to keep it together… And the nausea subsided as soon as I was outdoors. Out in the night air, with 2 concrete walls between us, they sounded great! We lasted a few more songs, and went home early having reached the point of total exhaustion. Rumor has it though, the last 20 minutes of their set was just a loop of continuous noise wanksterism that managed to be even louder than their songs. Assholes. Kevin Shields is an asshole. Who does this to their fans, and why do their fans take it? Pictures of their amp wall/torture device below.

MBV Amps

Well well well, that’s it. I saw a few more acts during the course of the weekend, but I was just too exhausted to take proper notes. Hopefully I’ll be able to make next year’s event. More pictures can be seen on my Flicker site, in my ATP Collection.

The St Helens Community Grid project won Best Information & Communication Technology Initiative at this year’s APSE Service Awards 2008 for local government.

Local Government Minister, John Healey, paid tribute to the finalists commenting that “Councils have an ever important task of improving services, neighbourhoods and opportunities for their residents, listening to local people along the way. Awards that recognise councils and their staff for their success – such as APSE’s Service Awards – help encourage and reward ambition in local government to deliver the best it can be. I congratulate this year’s winners on their contribution to their authority and
their local area”.

Paul O’Brien, APSE Chief Executive, told guests “You have much to be proud of in local government. Many councils did not make it to the finals – those of you here tonight show the level of drive and commitment to public services that must be celebrated. By embracing excellence we can continue to drive forward those doorstep public services that improve the daily lives of people living in our communities.”

The APSE Service Awards 2008 followed the APSE Annual Seminar held over two days in Nottingham, which was opened by DCLG Minister John Healey. APSE (the Association for Public Service Excellence), is a not for profit body specialising in support to councils delivering front line local government services.

Pictured here collecting the award are (left to right), former UK Tennis Champion, Annabel Croft, who was presenting the awards ceremony, Prof. Dennis Kehoe from AIMES, Jonathon Greenough from St Helens Council and a representative from Consilium Technologies (who sponsored the award).

mi objetivos es, darle un servicio de calidad y cumplir con  las normas de seguridad

para mas informacion click aqui

somos una pyme dedicada a las instalaciones electricas,
y contamos con personal altamente capacitado.

para mas informacion. click aqui

Suiteside is a little different than the usual people I interview- this time it’s the label and management behind new bands. The people that work behind bands do just as much work as the actual bands themselves! This amazing crazy and fun yet professional woman has worked her way up in the music management industry in order to make a name for herself as well as the artists she represents. With her attitude (which shows through her interview – especially last random question), she makes an often difficult job look easy!

How did you come up with the name?
It’s a kind of joke. When I started the label I used to collaborate with people from the italian electronic label Suite Inc., and we wanted to find a related name. And Suiteside makes you think about luxury hotels but also sounds like the word “suicide”, and sometimes it is a bit, with so much hard work and few money coming in. But we’re romantic beautiful people, aren’t we?

Tell me a little about yourself?
Sometimes I feel as I am the kind of person who’ll never accept to live an adult, ordinary life. I’m into rock-indie music from my teens, and it seems I will never be able to live without being in this crazy business. But I try to work seriously and professionally.

What is the point of your business and what do you do?
My actual goal is to develop the bands I’m working with and for, establishing for them new connections with audiences worldwide. Being a record label doesn’t mean so much in 2008, cds are dead! I’m a booking agent as well, for lots of foreign bands. I set up tours in Italy for Xiu Xiu, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Azure Ray, APSE, Ex-Models and many many others.

What did you do before you started all this?
Well, I studied music criticism at the University, then I worked as music journalist for local and regional mags, I’ve been for years Head of Music in the staff of an alternative radio station in Bologna, and I wrote a few books about rock music too.

How did you start out/ was it hard?
Honestly it was less hard when I started, than now! In 2001 there were just a few indie labels and bands around, now everybody can promote himself on the net, and there are lots of new bands struggling for gigs and exposure. Two years ago I had to decide if go on or give up….luckily I found some refreshment in working with younger and more rocking bands.

Any big plans for the near future?
World domination!! ahah, I’m joking….the BIG plan is to work more an more on a global perpective. One positive thing of the internet is that I can contact people like you on the other side of the globe and do a quick interview like this.

–Random questions–
What song have you been listening to most in the past few weeks?
“Violet Hill”, the new Coldplay single. Keeping singing loud “won’t you let me know?” in my office.

What one materialistic thing can you not live without?
Coffee. If I don’t have one in 5 minute after I’m out of bed I’m lost!

Do you have a secret name for your favourite inanimate object?
No. But I have a favourite little inanimate object

Has anything crazy or embarrassing ever happened to you on the job?
Lots of things! Like being really sick in a toilet at a venue in Lugano (Switzerland) after a gig. Or losing a UK band I hosted in Genova and spending hours with their driver calling the police and the hospitals just to find they slept in a dirty hotel ’cause they were too numb to get back home. Or spending a crazy night in Klagenfurt (Austria) waiting for the train to Italy in a pub with a band made of an italian guy, an english, a spanish and their french roadie. The owner of the place was a really kitsch middle-age blond woman who forced all of us to drink lots of beers and whisky and tequila. And there was also a mad slovenian old guy speaking about his war experiences. I could fill pages with strange stories, but I’m sure the best has yet to come!

If you’re a big music listener keen to find out about new bands before they hit the big time- there are several ways in which you can keep up with this type of news. OR alternatively, if you’re a band or musician who’s in need of help to hit the big time- definitely click on the links and get some information! As you all know, no such thing as too much information!

Links:
Suiteside Official Site
Suiteside Myspace
Last.fm Suiteside
Skype: monica.melissano