Several Shades Of Brilliance

J Mascis’ efforts in Dinosaur Jr over the past twenty-five years have been monumental. Yet whilst the slacker shaman busied himself shredding the minds and perforating the ears of grateful fanatics worldwide, it is his band mate and Sebadoh ringmaster Low Barlow who is renowned for writing the eloquent ballads. What with the thunderous rollercoaster of Dinosaur Jr’s two reunion albums and quaking live shows, it seemed likely to remain that way. But Mascis has always been full of surprises, and with Several Shades Of Why, he delivers an album that takes the plug out, instead ramping up the pathos, fragility and elegance, in doing so creating an achingly beautiful gem.

Listen To Me immediately throws you – Mascis standing on his own, his questioning vocals laid bare without the rambunctious rhythms of his day band. In fact it’s the notable absence of drums that is most prevalent here, placing all the emphasis on Mascis, his iconic vocals, and that acoustic guitar, which he wields with the same level of proficiency, bravado and nuance as his electric counterpart. The beautiful title track is all melancholy, heightened by some elegant picking and the haunting violin of Sophie Trudeau (of A Silver Mt Zion fame), whilst the rambling Not Enough has some jovial tambourine and there is a long list of guest backing vocalists such as Ben Bridwell, Kevin Drew, and Kurt Vile. It is savvy vocal interplay that elevates the toe-tapping sweetness of Not Enough, or the haunting catch-in-your-throat Very Nervous And Love. However these collaborations never take away the focus of Mascis’ innate brilliance at curling words, carving pop hooks, and even a beautifully iconic electric solo explosion in back porch crooner Is It Done? The influences of other troubadours such as Nick Drake or Springsteen lurk in the shadows, but this is decidedly Mascis’ show, one which we can only dream he will continue to bring to us for another 25 years to come.

Several Shades Of Why is out through Sub Pop in March.

J Mascis - Is It Done

J Mascis - Several Shades Of Why

And also check out this absolutely amazing video interview with Mascis!

Brendan Masala's Top Ten Albums of 2010!

This was ridiculously hard to do for a year where there were a lot of really good albums but not many great ones. Still, when I had done a lot of cross examinations and listened til my ears bled, I was left with some twenty albums that were still floating my boat. As Paul and I found common ground there, as a collective Paul and I have come up with a definitive top ten for tomorrow (with the only exception being our final entry - wont say much until tomorrow), so I'm showcasing a couple that may have slipped through the cracks. And from the above pic I guess you know where we are starting...

1. Mark McGuire, Living With Yourself

I only heard this a month ago, but have not been able to put it to bed. This is guitar collage by a consummate professional (1/3 of the inimitable Emeralds), but with an inherent personal narrative that is more emotive than almost anything you'll come across. Mindblowing.

2. Ceremony - Rohnert Park

This album upset a lot of the hardcore purists that had been swept up by the bloodlust that was Ceremony's initial propulsive drive. Yet its the melodic change of gear and emphasis on early twenties ennui that underpins this album - Ceremony may be in 'The Doldrums', exhibiting lo-fi stargazing with the best of em, but unlike the likes of Beach Fossils et al (many of which are great), these guys will still tear you a new arsehole.

3. Puffy Areolas - In The Army 1981

Puerile, nihilistic trash, screaming and buzzsawing their way through an obnoxious forty minutes that you can never get back, Puffy Areolas are unabashedly bashing their head repeatedly against a wall, whilst holding you in a headlock. And it may take a while, but rest assured you'll have a bloodied grin smeared across your face. A lot of bands (some even from the same Siltbreeze stable) tried for reckless wanton abandon, but none did it like Puffy Areolas.

4. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts

This album is still up there for me even though it was on relentless rotation early in the year, and was an almost there contender for Sonic Masala's definitive top ten. In some ways I could alternate this album with Harlem's Hippies - both exuded that bright, snotty, scuzzy garage punk with pop sensibilities emblazoned across their chests. But I came to the Dalston trio's brand of sound first, therefore it wins the kudos here. Still incredibly addictive - pretty much my 2010 dance album, albeit drunken and inevitably staining the carpet with red wine and cigarette burns.

5. Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra - Kollaps Tradixionales

We all need a guilty pleasure... I know a lot of people hate Efrin Menuck's voice, and the G!YBE reunion certainly has overshadowed things, but Kollaps Tradixionales is here, not just because it is an impressive, audacious, sprawling, memsmeric listen, but because of their amazing live show in February at Electric Ballroom, and for the epic opening track 'There Is A Light'. And I like Ramirez's voice, so fuck you.

6. Heirs - Fowl

I wanted to put Helms Alee's Night Terror here, but seeing as it is a 2009 release, that cant be done. Instead I bring you Heirs, a hard post-metal outfit from Melbourne that managed on Fowl to squeeze every iota of emotion out of the blackest riffs this side of death metal without resorting to guttural growls, yelps and the gnashing of teeth - which is why I love this genre. Furthermore, it has balls. Big, big balls. They played the tiniest of venues in Camden this year and I saw a man spontaneously combust. FACT. (NB - facts may not be factual).

7. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax

Another Aussie outfit, but one you might be more familiar with - ECSR's 3rd LP has been largely overlooked almost everywhere, which is a travesty. I know that the release of the first two albums (Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Primary Colours) only came here last year, but its a shame that this garage juggernaut missed the target. They are terse yet fun, brooding yet energetic, manic yet throwaway - and their simple chugging sonics coupled with lead Brendan Suppression's iconic Aussie bark/drawl makes for a unique and amazing sound. They have toured with Pissed Jeans of recent times - expect for more bite next time around.

8. Merchandise - (Strange Songs) In The Dark

Another band I only came to last month - the exact same day as Mark McGuire - this Florida act have put out an amazing EP and a bunch of demos and such (Gone Are The Silk Gardens Of Youth), but the album is something so much more. The loudest, most feedback riddled, brooding pop songs ever. One of the most breathtaking albums of 2010 in my opinion - underneath all that white noise and dissonance is abject beauty.

9. Sex Church - 6 Songs By...

These guys were all the rage in the middle months of 2010, then the hype seemed to die away. Shame really, cos Sex Church (not to be confused with another amazing band, Megachurch, who just miss the cut here) are producing some of the most exciting garage rock right now. When bands such as Tyvek and Sic Alps are all jostling each other for obvious reasons, Sex Church came along and quietly drank everyone under the table and slept with all their girlfriends. And they are from British Columbia. Shit.

10. Tjutjana - Tjutjana

The biggest surprise of the year I reckon, as this is actually a release sent to me by the band themselves. Hailing from Denver Colorado, Tjutjana are relentless in their pursuit of the Dark Side of psych rock. And whilst there were some great psych records out this year, Tjutjana brought forth a fresh, albeit disturbing, take, and blew away the competition.

I feel I've left out some other stellar releases too, so here's a few others that have gotten serious airplay this year.

Honourable mentions

The Austerity Program - Backsliders and Apostates Will Burn (my fave EP of year)
Forest Swords - Dagger Paths
The Black Angels - Phosphene Dream
Weekend - Sports
Besnard Lakes - ...Are The Roaring Night

PVT - Church With No Magic

And I better stop there before I get carried away!

J Mascis Cant Get Enough

J Mascis has been riding some major musical waves this year, what with the Dinosaur Jr resurgence and his work in Silver Apples. But that doesnt mean he's been diluting his output - as can be seen here on acoustic number 'Not Enough'. Its the first cut of the forthcoming album Seven Shades Of Why, out in March on Sub Pop, and features the likes of Kurt Vile, Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell and Sophie Trudeau (A Silver Mt Zion...). Cant wait.

J Mascis - Not Enough

Digging For Fire = Paradise Found

I'm not gonna beat around the bush. We focus on a lot of psych bands here of all ilks and persuasions. We've had some good psych bands bring out some good straight up psych albums - Secret Colours, and Black Angels immediately comes to mind. And then there is Toronto's Quest For Fire. I'm not sure yet - I have to listen some more, its been in and out of the playlist this past week - but the more I take it in, the more I think Lights From Paradise could be the best straight up psychedelic rock album of 2010.

Massive call, right? Well, it has all the hallmarks of a classic psychedelic rock album - the ritualistic stillness of opener 'The Greatest Hits By God', to the 70s rawk-ness of 'Set Out Alone' and the trapped in amber stoned warble of 'In The Place Of A Storm'. Each song sets out with a purpose and sticks it out to its fiery end, not displaying the schizophrenic sonic shifts in tracks that some of their modern equivalents are prone to. And that isn't meant as a particular negative - many bands thrive in the altered time signature changes and shifts in tempo and velocity, but it is also somewhat refreshing to have a band show their different shadings spread out over an entire album rather than on a single song.

Quest For Fire didn't get enough praise for the brazen sun-kissed blasts of distorted waves they cut on last year's self-titled debut, but fingers crossed that Lights From Paradise does them justice, as it is awesome. And if you doubted the Toronto band's pedigree, two of them tour as the backing band for Black Mountain side-project Pink Mountaintops, whilst they are now supporting Black Mountain in a series of dates. Oh, and A Silver Mt Zion's Sophie Trudeau makes a guest appearance on the record. So yeah...buy it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (NB Hold yr horses - its not out until November 8 through Tee Pee Records - I'm just lucky enough to promo it! Still, get the debut, pre-order the newie, and drop out in glory).

Quest For Fire - Set Out Alone
Quest For Fire - Strange Vacation

Gig - Thee Mt Silver Zion Memorial Orchestra - Electric Ballroom 23.03.2010

Hole. E. Shit.

That is pretty much my description of what I saw tonight. I had been looking forward to see Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra for some time. Having been a long Godspeed! You Black Emperor advocate, and having listened the shit out of Silver Mt Zion's first LP He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts Of Light Sometimes Grace The Corner Of Our Rooms..., this was a must see event.

Paul and I got into Electric Ballroom just in time to catch Alexander Tucker playing his layered one man soundscapes. Armed with only a cello, an electric mandolin, many MANY effects pedals and his voice, Tucker produced a half hour of intricate psychedelic aesthetics. It is a little ramshackle but nonetheless impressive performance, and a perfect precursor for the main act.

When the band amble on stage, the Ballroom is rammed with people, and every single punter is in for a treat. Without much preamble, they launch into the one-two assault of "I Built A Metal Bird"/"I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Other Metal Birds", a 15 minute plus opening that sets into motion one of the best gigs I have witnessed in quite some time. The gig - 2 hours, 6 songs - is breathtaking, blistering, beautiful, boisterous, beguiling. Frontman Efrim Menuck is in scintillating form, his much maligned vocals an absolute highlight, particularly on tracks of latest album Kollaps Tradixionales. There Is A Light, the second song of the night, is so much more mesmerising than its recorded version, and we get a better notion of how this group works. Dual violinists Sophie Trudeau and Jessica Moss trade lightning bolts of screeching strings, their instruments augmented by the sometime haunting, oft-times beautiful harmonies. David Payant, the 'newest' member of the band, is tight in all the right places, keeping everything tied together. The most underrated member of the band in my opinion, double bassist Thierry Amar, is brilliant, and the way he deftly wields the cumbersome instrument is a true sight to behold. This five piece (as it stands - the bands line up and personnel have changed extensively over the years) are sublime, no more so on final song of the main set, "One Million Died To Make This Sound" from their 2008 effort Thirteen Blues For Thirteen Moons. The ebb and flow of their sonically illuminating creation is post rock, orchestral wonderment, and the interplay of their vocals defy belief.

I know, im gushing. But it truly was an amazing performance on so many levels. There was so much interplay between Menuck and the audience too - some topics covered were David Cameron, jay Reatard, topless double decker buses, the highly unlikely return of Godspeed (and his insistence he is a member of the Specials), 6 Music, the band's aversion to pop music - all of which was highly amusing. Some people grumbled near me that there was too much talk - but songs of such magnitude need time to breathe - and retune! But it was another element that I feel is missing in most bands - that open willingness to not only connect with the audience, but to include them in the performance. To me, it added to the overall experience, pushing it through the glass ceiling and into the night time sky.

When they came on for a final song - "Microphones In The Trees" off their Pretty Little Lightning Paw EP of 2004 - they were taken aback by the sheer force of applause at their return. When the lights came on for good, it was with conflicted heart that I beat my retreat. Such a transcendant performance shouldn't ever have to end, should it?

Set list

I Built A Metal Bird/I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Other Metal Birds
There Is A Light
God Bless Our Dead Marines
'Piphany Rambler
1 Milion Died To Make This Sound

Encore:

Microphones In The Trees

Album review - Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra's Kollaps Tradixionales

Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra, in all its guises (A Silver Mt. Zion/The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band/Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra and Tra-La-La Band with Choir/Thee Silver Mountain Reveries), have struggled to get the acclaim that they most rightly deserve. The sole reason why is due to Silver Mt Zion (as they'll be referred to for the rest of this review) being formed by Efrim Menuck. Who? Just one of the core members of the seminal underground instrumental rock giants Godspeed! You Black Emperor. Mt Silver Zion was initially formed in 1999 so that Menuck could learn how to score music and do his own thing. Now, five albums in, has he and his collective managed to sneak out of his former band's all-encompassing shadow?

Whilst initially the band followed Godspeed's process of using samples instead of proper vocals to drive their compositions, Menuck has grown into a very comfortable leading man, his vocals (and indeed his music) moving forth at a great, and somewhat frenetic, rate. So much has been made of the evolution of this band , and indeed Menuck's vocals/lyrics, due to their genesis that it is often difficult to distinguish between the disappointed and the petty, the believers and the haters. And whilst the most notable difference in the two bands' sound are the vocals, and they have never been more prevalent than on new LP Kollaps Tradixionales, this is just one of many differences to Mt Silver Zion and their new album that not only makes them unique, but makes them an exciting and relevant band on their own merits.

'There Is A Light' is the most epic track on the album, and also serves as its opener, showing the ambition and grandiosity that have been mainstays of the band since their inception. What we also get is what I (and I imagine many Silver Mt Zion fans) have wanted in a while - an amalgam of the graceful soaring compositions of their earlier releases combining with their more angular and angry rock jams of latter years. So in the opening track we see the music rise and fall, an ebb and flow that reaches higher highs and lower lows with each try, yet never losing sight of its message of hope and self-worth. It is a truly beautiful piece of work, and as the strings, brass and percussion intermingle even four minutes into the 15 minute showcase the listener is in awe, showing that Menuck certainly has grown as a composer over the past decade.

It must be said though that this band is still very much the Rock Band that Menuck has been pushing it towards, as is evidenced by the new addition of tight drummer David Payant, and he is put to work on the next 'piece', the one two punch of 'I Built Myself A Metal Bird' and 'I Fed My Metal Bird The Wings Of Metal Birds', a dystopic maelstrom of grinding exultation, Menuck's creaky wail a constant throughout, ranting at us:

Did you see that star go out

I seen it burn
That little star went out,
Your little eyes went out...

before telling us to dance, motherfuckers. The nihilistic, politically charged soundscapes are further augemented by dark lyrics about burning flags and mud and charred earth, before coming to an audacious and yet world weary close on the other large track, 'Piphany Rambler', which strays from the book somewhat by never exploding like its predecessors on the album, providing no tension or catharsis, but preferring to trudge over the horizon, a truly dour and yet fitting close to this experential album.

In my opinion, the amalgam of various Silver Mt Zion musical tropes from over the decades and Menuck's vocals soaring over the top truly comes together on Kollaps Tradixionales. It is another of those true albums - one for the headphones. And yet it still has some outstanding stand alone tracks. This is just begging to be played live...

Luckily for you, you can see it in all its glory at Camden's Electric Ballroom next week, Tuesday 23rd March. Tickets are selling fast. It truly will be a sight to behold, so have a taste below.

Thee Silver Mt Zion Memorial Orchestra - There Is A Light