April 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 7

Album of the Month

Black Mountain : In The Future

Warning : This album is not for everyone. Don’t even consider approaching this album unless you have at least once stared into space while listening to Dark Side Of The Moon. Don’t purchase it unless you like your rock heavy enough to overwhelm your speakers. And please don’t buy it if you have an attention space of less than the seventeen minutes which is the running time of the epic ninth track, Bright Lights. In The Future is not an album to be played in polite company.

This is Black Mountain’s second album after their eponymous debut album released in 2005. Their first album was pretty straight forward classic rock nodding towards Led Zeppelin and their ilk. It is enjoyable but nothing special. Their second album though, In The Future, is brilliant. It attempts to combine the instrumental experimentation of progressive rock with the hard rock of the likes of Black Sabbath. They are heavy and dark, yet counterbalance that with an understanding of the weightlessness of music. Hence there are pretty melodies from sparse and delicate vocals, both male and female, amongst the bombastic guitar work.

The album starts with Stormy High featuring a thumping bass line and staccato bursts of drums as a rhythm slowly establishes itself. The rhythm stormily builds, accompanied by simple vocals before reaching a crescendo of noise and sound before abruptly finishing. We then ease into Angels, a quietly sweeping tune as gentle as its title. Is this the same band? The album continues thus; generating bursts of power and thuggery which are followed by tentative, quiet, almost nervous confessions of guilty emotions. Then there are long instrumental sections; some atmospheric, others stratospheric.

My favourite track is Wucan which has a slow backing track which sounds like a computer error message endlessly looped, overlaid by a distinctive guitar riff which is played increasingly frenetically. Vocals are then added with male and female alternating “so we can come together” before the song degenerates magnificently into obscure electronica feedback. It then slowly reforms, a gathering wave of tension, getting set to break again. Its music no computer could ever write.

At times they remind me of the fictional band Stillwater from the film Almost Famous particularly on the track Stay Free. However Black Mountain have way more range and ability. They are the band Russell Hammond of Stillwater should’ve left so “he could play all that he could play”. No instrument in their armoury is left unplayed, no sound effect left out.

I recently re-watched 2001:A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s magnificent sci-fi vision of the evolution of lower and higher forms of intelligence. In The Future is an album that would sit comfortably as a companion CD. It demands to be listened to in a dark sound-proof room with shimmering neon lights bouncing off the floor, walls and ceiling, leaving you to contemplate the space inside and the emptiness outside …………….. or vice versa.

Listen to tracks or purchase here :

Best Track : Wucan

Listen To If You Like :

Led Zeppelin..........................Physical Graffiti
Pink Floyd.............................Piper At The Gates of Dawn

If You Like This Try :

Spiritualized..........Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating In Space
Yes....................Closer To The Edge
Emerson Lake & Palmer......Tarkus


Essential Classic Album

Marvin Gaye : What’s Going On (1971)

Popular music is littered with examples of the wider public proving industry experts wrong. Dick Rowe, a producer at Decca, rejected the Beatles after they auditioned for the label in January 1962. Columbia Records didn’t want to release Johnny Cash’s breakthrough album Live in Folsom Prison. Similarly, Motown CEO Berry Gordy did not want to release Marvin Gaye’s new single What’s Going On in 1970. He thought it was far too political and inconsistent with traditional Motown format. Gaye insisted and on release, it became Motown fastest selling single to that point sitting on top of the charts for five straight weeks. Gordy thus demanded an album along the same lines and as a result, we are blessed with the existence of Marvin Gaye’s masterpiece, What’s Going On.

Gaye first tasted success as part of the Motown hit parade. His good looks, easy charm and sensational voice ensured he became one of the label’s most bankable stars. However as the 60’s ended, Gaye started to become disillusioned and frustrated. The increasing societal strains developing outside the studio didn’t square with the sunny singles he recorded in it. The death of duet partner Tammi Terrell from a brain tumour, the return of his brother from Vietnam and the disintegration of his marriage saw him re-evaluate his life and his art. Following attempts at launching other careers, he entered the studio in 1970 to vent his frustrations, recording a couple of songs which became the backbone of a new album that changed the face of soul music.

The album follows the example of the title track single. It is a quite radical departure from the strict Motown formula. He incorporates elements of jazz and funk while introducing layered multi-track vocals, accompanied by strings, pianos, hand percussion and some sexy horns. More importantly though he ditches the Motown staple of happy love ditties and writes passionate lyrics lamenting the depths to which his country has descended. It addresses issues such as the Vietnam war (What’s Going On), poverty (Inner City Blues), ecology (Mercy Mercy Me), and the wretched plight of black children (Save The Children). The outcome is marvellous. Here we have an artist in the fullest sense of the world, entertaining while using his art form as a soapbox, encouraging and cajoling introspection of our soul. What’s Going On is a river. You can allow it to lazily flow past you, its endless rivulets and eddies forever calming, mesmerising and reassuring. Or you can leap in and feel its power and current as it surges and drags you towards a different place.

Following its release, other soul artists followed in his footsteps. The music became more socially conscious and more ‘of’ the times. Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin produced their best work in the 70’s following a similar framework. Marvin Gaye himself continued to make outstanding music until his unfortunate death at the hands of his father in 1984. But What’s Going On stands as his masterpiece. Certainly the greatest soul record of all time, it deserves consideration as one of the greatest albums of all time.

Hear samples or buy CD here:

Best Track : Save The Children

If You Like This Try :

Lets Get It On.....................Marvin Gaye
Innvervisions......................Stevie Wonder
Amazing Grace....................Aretha Franklin

Nevstar Top Ten

The Nevstar was at a concert recently (the Datsuns who ROCKED!) and noted with interest the large number of individuals wearing band t-shirts. One walked by in a Rage Against The Machine t-shirt. Now, while I’m not a fan of this band, it did make me think what a fantastic name that is. And so began investigations which led to this months Top Ten list. What are the best band names of all time? The choice is of course hugely subjective but I think one key element is asking would the band have been as successful under a different name? After conducting an exhaustive search in a number of music stores (oh the hardships endured in collecting material for you humble readers), here is my attempt at :

Top Ten Band Names of All Time

10. Queen

I felt that I had to include at least one, one syllable band name even though they don’t seem to have the creativity of some of the other entries. I toyed with Suede, lingered over Blur but ended up deciding that Queen was a great band name. Who better than Freddy himself to illuminate the rationale for choosing it over their previous band name, “Smile”.

"It's just a name, but it's very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations."

Well said. Probably a good example of the importance of a band name. Do you really think they would have been as successful if they were called Smile? The US might have produced the King of rock and roll, but England will always have their Queen.

9. Roxy Music

I think this is a fantastic name. The group's name was partly an homage to the titles of old cinemas and dance halls, and partly a pun on the word ‘rock’. But it is also a great combination of ‘rock’ and ‘sexy’ which describes perfectly the music of Roxy Music. Their music was sexy rock, their album covers were sexy art, and so it is only fitting that their name alludes to sexy rock music.

8. Straitjacket Fits

New Zealand acts have developed some great names over the years. The Headless Chickens and The Dance Exponents spring to mind. But none is better than the darlings of the distinctive Dunedin sound, The Straitjacket Fits. First and foremost, the name sounds undeniably cool. It then hints at complexity and layers which is exactly what the band was like. An infinitely better name than their original stage moniker which was The Double Happys. Also hail from the best named recording label of all time in Flying Nun.

7. The Velvet Underground

Reportedly named after a book about the sexual underground of the 1960’s, the Velvet Underground is an artistic name from this Andy Warhol managed band. It is also supposed to evoke images of underground cinema. Virtually unknown in their time, they were an incredibly influential band in no small part thanks to their arresting name. Brian Eno once noted that not many people heard early Velvet Underground albums, but those that did formed their own bands.

6. AC/DC

What a great name for a band. Rock and roll is electric. AC DC stands for alternating current / direct current which indicates an electrical device can use either type of power. According to Wikipedia, the Young brothers saw the term AC/DC on the back of a sewing machine and thought the definition fitted with their raw power and electric stage shows. Millions of albums and t-shirts later, and the band are still going with that same famous moniker. The slash is often replaced by a streak of lightning for effect. Note that religious leaders have claimed that it likely stands for Anti-Christ/Devil’s Children. Whatever. Fellow 70’s heavy metal act Iron Maiden also should receive commendation for their choice named after a medieval torture device.

5. Guns N’ Roses

Like a great racehorse, this terrific band name emanated from the conjunction of its parents. Guns N’ Roses was the result when members of “Hollywood Rose” combined with those of the “LA Guns”. I guess the name “LA Hollywood” didn’t really set the heart racing, but Guns n Roses certainly did. The name is a brilliant composition and surely a contributor to their huge success worldwide.

4. Primal Scream

A great name, Primal Scream is named after a cry heard in Janovian psychotherapy, a form of scream therapy. Each word is quite powerful in its own right and the combination is downright dangerous.

3. Massive Attack

It was quite noticeable in my research that electronica / dance music bands are a lot more creative in their names. Bands such as Thievery Corporation, The Chemical Brothers or Groove Armada all have great names, but the best of the bunch in your correspondents humble opinion is Massive Attack. Like Primal Scream above it’s a combination of two great sounding words to give an even more powerful combination.

2. The Psychedelic Furs

A great band name which so nearly wasn’t. This post-punk band which starred in the early 80’s with such songs as “Pretty In Pink” originally toured under the bland name of “The Europeans”. Yawn. Fortunately they opted for a much better name in The Psychedelic Furs which is both incomprehensible yet simultaneously very eye-catching.

1. Rage Against The Machine

After all the research and study, I ended up where I started. I simply cant find a better band name than Rage Against The Machine. Focusing the angst and ‘rage’ of rock and roll’s core audience towards the implacable corporate/government machine set against it. Looks great on a T-Shirt and even better asking for it in a CD store. The band walk the walk as well with several great politically motivated songs which are generally critical of US Government domestic or foreign policy. So much better than their original name of Lock Up!

And as a bonus, two of the best band names of all time were probably ones given to artists make believe bands. Two which would easily have made the list :

Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band – The Beatles
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars – David Bowie

Got a different opinion? Think of a better band name? Leave a comment or send me an email here.


Reader Feedback

Last months Top Ten list featuring the Top Ten TV Themes received a lot of feedback. Several were aghast at my selections but there was reasonably universal agreement about the names at the top of the list. Notable omissions according to my readership were :


1. The Wombles – watch here

How could I have forgotten this one! Perhaps the only one of the suggestions that I regret not including. Still hummable 30 years after being produced, the Wombles of Wimbledon will be remembered for more than just Great Uncle Bulgaria. If you only watch one clip, watch this one.

2. Taxi – watch here

Similar to Hill Street Blues, this piano based piece is extremely memorable and very emblematic of the show. And who can forget the postscript of the TV executive leaving for the day. “Good night Mr. Walters. Unnnn-errrr.” High quality.

3. Brady Brunch – watch here

Similar to the Beverly Hillbillies in that it outlined the plot premise of the entire show in the TV theme song. Was coupled with one of the most original opening montages in television history as well. Not sure if it is a great theme song or just one of those annoying tunes you cant get out of your head (like Puff The Magic Dragon) !

4. The A-Team – watch here

Mentioned by more than one respondent, the A-Team does have quite a memorable theme song even if the show has dated quite quickly (except you BA Baracus!)

5. MacGyver – watch here

A typical 80’s TV theme show. Similar to the A-Team theme in a lot of respects.

6. Dr Who – watch here

Perhaps no theme song in the history of television is as distinctive as that of Dr Who. An unearthly piece of music introduced this otherworldly show. It was and is instantly recognisable.

7. X-Files – watch here

Similar to the above in that the theme music was very much in line with the content of the show. Not as memorable as Dr Who, but still quite notable.

8. Six Feet Under – watch here

Am not familiar with this show but evidently has a great theme song as more than one reader nominated it.

9. Magnum PI – watch here

Another classic 80’s TV theme song with its distinctive, dah-dah-dah-duh.

10. The Love Boat – watch here

This was a terrific theme song which was extremely synonymous with the general feeling the show portrayed.


Thats all for this month. Dont forget to email me if you have a comment or criticism or would like to get email notification of future updates.

March 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 6

Album of the Month

American Music Club : The Golden Age

All great art has multiple layers. The genius of Shakespeare is that it entertained the masses of Elizabethan Britain and yet its intricacies remain studied to this day by scholars around the world. Books have been written about Mona Lisa. Who was she, why is she smiling, what happened to her eyebrows? Great art thus satisfies us on numerous levels. The album of the month, The Golden Age by American Music Club, is an example of music as art; it is filled with layers of meaning and enjoyment.

American Music Club was founded in 1983 and is led by singer/songwriter Mark Eitzel. They have recorded nine albums in this time, mixing a wide range of American musical styles, but predominately releasing poignant, quiet and bittersweet compositions ruminating on lifes challenges and inspirations. They argurably reached a pinnacle of fame with two albums in the early 1990’s in Everclear (1991) and Mercury(1993). Since then, they have recorded spasmodically, not helped by Eitzel’s problem with heavy drinking. They had arguably been overtaken by other practictioners of the quiet, introspective singer songwriter genre such as Elliott Smith and The Eels.

However, they have returned to their former heights with an exceptionally agreeable release this year in The Golden Age. It is a wonderful album, quietly working its way into your good graces. It can be listened to at a very superficial level as a likeable example of warm and captivating background music. But it simultaneously demands greater attention to its thoughtful lyrics and underlying themes.

The song Window to World ably demonstrates its multi-level charms. It is set in a bar atop the World Trade Centre but the song moves through its character observations without addressing the impending doom hanging in the background. Is he referring to the fact that we all sit under an inevitable death sentence, or simply that we must enjoy life’s pleasures since the unknowable Black Swan event may be upon us all too soon.

I similarly enjoyed Who You Are, One Step Ahead and Decibels And The Little Pills which each have their own undercurrents of wry social observations combined with questions directed towards your soul. But none of the songs are boring, and many reveal additional depth upon repeated listens.

In todays disposable pop culture, tis rare an album where an artist demands to be listened to, not only because the experience is pleasurable, but because he actually has something to say.

Hear samples or buy CD here:


Best Track : One Step Ahead

Listen To If You Like :

Jeff Buckley
Nick Cave

If You Like This Try :

Brendan Benson………..….Lapalco
Nick Drake………......……Pink Moon
The Eels……………….......Beautiful Freak
Grant Lee Buffalo……....Fuzzy
Elliott Smith………........Either/Or


Essential Classic Album

Derek & The Dominoes : Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970)


It was Robert Johnson, one of the blues forefathers, who sketched out the essence of the blues in a track called Preachin' Blues.


The blues is a low-down achin' heart disease
Like consumption killing me by degrees

The blues, at is purest, is the soundtrack to pain and suffering. White artists who loved the blues struggled to capture its authenticity as they hadnt suffered true heartache or depression. One shining exception however is Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek and The Dominoes. It is without doubt, the finest ‘white’ blues album of all time, and a fascinating glimpse into a tormented soul.

Eric Clapton was an avid, almost maniacal blues fan. He once claimed not to want to talk to any fellow musician if they had not heard of the aforementioned Robert Johnson. At 18, his axemanship was already legendary and he played in a succession of great 60s’ white blues bands including the Yardbirds, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Cream and Blind Faith. It was following this in 1970 that he had the misfortune to fall in love with a certain Patti Boyd. Unfortunately Patti was, at the time, married to his best friend, former Beatle George Martin.

We can only begin to speculate on how this affected him but while this must have been excruciating for Clapton, it resulted in the production of perhaps his finest record. In association with an all-star band including Duane Allman, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is a passionate public outpouring of Clapton’s love for an unobtainable woman. Mixing several original compositions with some traditional blues standards, a white musician was finally able to give the blues the correct treatment. Indeed, perhaps the most solemn moment is his painful rendition of Freddy King's blues standard Have You Ever Loved A Women, a song he could surely have written himself given how apt the lyrics are:

Have you ever loved a woman
So much that you tremble in pain
Knowing all the time yeah
That she bears another mans name

The title track is obviously known to everyone and a contender for greatest rock song of all time. But the album is far more than a one hit wonder. My favourite track is Nobody Knows You When You’re Down. Starting with a classic blues guitar chord, it descends into an outpouring of emotion from a tormented soul. On the record goes, mixing some traditional slow blues with other more uptempo compositions. So while it remains a reminder of the torment suffered by the protaganist it also is a time capsule of a great era in British music highlighting the development of blues that had been undertaken by the new generation of artists. If you arent a blues fan, this might be the record to start your love of this emotionally rich music.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track :
Nobody Knows You When You’re Down

If You Like This Try :
Cream……........……Fresh Cream
John Mayall….…..….Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton
Them…….............Them Featuring Van Morrison


Nevstar Top Ten

Compiling a list of top movie soundtracks last month led me to think about that other audio-visual medium. The humble television has been around for over 60 years and in that time, tens of thousands of shows have been introduced by a short snippet of music. But which snippets are the best ? Compiling a list proved harder than I expected. My criteria was that I automatically excluded songs which were hit songs in their own right which straight away eliminated Friends (The Rembrandts, I’ll Be There For You), That 70’s Show (Big Star, In The Streets) and CSI (The Who, Wont Get Fooled Again). No, we are looking at original compositions that are instantly recognisable and familiar to all those who watched. So, in reverse order to help build suspense, here are my thoughts on :

Top Ten Television Theme Songs Of All Time

10. The Flintstones : watch
I felt I had to include one cartoon series. I lingered over The Simpsons, briefly comtemplated Hong Kong Phoeey (No. 1 Super Guy!), but ultimately felt that The Flintsone’s Meet The Flintstones had it all. With an iconic ‘Yabba Dabba Do’, the show kicks off with a 22-man jazz band and five singers playing and singing to a montage of Fred heading home from work before taking the family to a drive-in movie. Unforgettable, timeless, and perfectly representative of the shows charm. Parodied absolutely brilliantly in one of the best ever Simpsons episodes, Marge v The Monorail.

9. Auf Wiedersehen Pet : listen
Perhaps not as well known as some of the others but Auf Wiedersehen Pet features not one but TWO great songs to bookend this fantastic BBC drama. The opening credits are set to “Breaking Away” and highlights the plight of blue collar workers trying to escape the rigours of Margaret Thatchers Britain. The closing credits of “That’s Livin All Right” are more upbeat and celebrate the joys of working class living. The latter was so popular that it made it to number three in the UK pop charts. Both songs were written and performed by Joe Fagin. See more details here http://www.aufpet.com/music.htm

8. The Muppet Show : watch
“Its time to play the music, its time to light the lights”. An irresistible opening stanza remisicent of the big stageshow showtime extravaganzas which the lovable Muppets dreamed of but never quite produced. Every epsiode started with so much hope, but soon descends into adorable carnage with Kermit a beacon of respectability forlornly trying to maintain a semblance of professionalism.

7. Dallas : watch
Its harder to be memorable without lyrics to sing along to but the Dallas theme song is pretty hard to forget. A big, bold and brassy theme song capturing the essence of a big, bold brassy show. Unforgettable opening montage is brilliantly accompanied by this bold show stopper of a theme song.

6. Bonanza : watch
Perhaps the first TV theme show I can remember and one I don’t think I will ever forget. Dun da dun dun da dun da dun dun dun dah dah ! Captures the wide open spirit of frontier land and evokes a thousand images of the hardened heroes of the praire rolling into town.

5. The Greatest American Hero : watch
It was a monster smash song which accompanied this reluctant superhero’s expoits. A great piece of 80’s music which is tailor made for singing loudly late at night. Notable for having two verses such was the strength of the intro.

4. The Beverly Hillbillies : watch
A great, simply great TV theme song. Somehow mixes in the original plot premise (this is story of a man named Jed), with a character summary (poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed), a reference to the shows title (loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Hills that is) sung in an authentic hillbilly spirit. Brilliant. The show was to be introduced with a generic bluegrass instrumental but in post-production, the theme song we know and love was added. Notable for having a different closing theme song which was also catchy and funny. “Y’all come back now y’hear.”

3. Hill Street Blues : watch
A groundbreaking TV show had a groundbreaking theme song. I think this is an irresistible piece of music and a brilliant entrée to a great show. The music has perhaps endured as well as the show which is really saying something. Those opening piano notes are hypnotic.

2. MASH : watch
Originally a piece accompanied by lyrics in the Robert Altman movie of the same name, the TV introduction dropped the lyrics which possibly made it into a more appropriate TV theme song (not many TV execs want a show introduced by the lyric ‘suicide is painless’ !). The first shot of Radar looking up at the choppers as the music starts is one of the great opening shots in the history of television. In an alternative universe, probably couldve been No.1.

But the Number 1, TV theme song of All Time is :

1. Cheers : watch
Ultimately, after much soul-searching I settled on Cheers as the best TV theme song of all time. The name of the song is “Where Everyone Knows Your Name” and it was penned by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo. It is possibly the perfect TV theme song. It is instantly recognisable. It is catchy, simple and enduring. It makes you want to sit down and visit Cheers and as such is perfectly representative of the show. It is a snapshot of simpler times that we all secretly yearn for. As such I think it is the best TV theme song of all time.


And so, let the debate begin. Got some different ideas on best TV theme shows? Leave a comment below or email me, and can highlight some of them in the next epiosde. Goodness knows it was hard enough narrowing it down to ten. How can I have left off WKRP in Cincinnati !


Reader Feedback

Last months Top Ten list featuring the Top Ten Movie Soundtracks of All Time generated quite a bit of heated debate and vitrolic commentary. Seems some were bemused to the point of indignation that someone with a Y chromosome could construct a list featuring Dirty Dancing AND The Sound Of Music! That aside, had some great feedback and quite a few readers added their own favourites. Some notable ones were :


1. Forrest Gump
Perhaps the most egregious omission from the list was the fantastic double album that accompanied Forrest Gump’s personal progress through and in American History. It easily and beautifully captures the evolution of American music from Elvis Presley through to Bob Seger.

2. Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
Although mentioned in last month’s guide, this deserves its own recognition as a stunning soundtrack. Iggy’s I Wanna Be Your Dog is a notable highlight and its notable how easily songs my artists as diverse as James Brown and Robbie Williams sit alongside each other.

3. Grosse Point Blank
One that never crossed my mind, but on reflection is right up there. A great collection of songs from bands like The Clash, Specials and Violent Femmes played throughout this terrific John Cusack comedy hit. See track list here.

4. West Side Story
West Side Story is an extremely popular and enduring soundtrack to a similarly popular and enduring movie. It spent a phenomenal 54 weeks at #1 on the US album charts which is believed to be a record. Gee Office Krupke! I have blanked out all knowledge of it due to prolonged and repeated exposure to it as a child.

5. O Brother Where Art Thou
This extremely original Coen Brothers film features a great soundtrack which is emblematic of Depression era American folk music. However the songs are original efforts with old timey feeling from contemporary artists such as Alison Knauss and Gillian Welch. It subsequently won a Grammy for Album of the Year.

6. Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid
A reader, who shall remain nameless, suggested that this soundtrack was far superior to Dirty Dancing. The score did win the 1970 Academy Award for best music and best song for the familiar Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Head by Hal David and Burt Bacharach which went to No.1 in the US in Jan 1970. I stand by my original picks but taste is subjective. (There you go Dad, are you happy now?)

Thats all for next month. See you in April with some more great music and trivia. Email me here to receive email updates of future posts.

Nevstar

February 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 5

Hi ho music lovers. Welcome back to the Nevstar Music Guide where I have ventured onto the interweb thingy for the first time. You can now access each months music guide on my dedicated web log page which will also have past issues plus more features as I get the hang of uploading. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. As always, please forward to any friends you think might enjoy this humble attempt to spread the cause of glorious music. If you would like to receive notifications of updates, please email me here.


Album of the Month

Feist : Reminder

Music is always of a time and place. One of the ingenious features of the Ipod is the ability to create distinct playlists perfectly suited to whatever you are doing. From doing the housework to reading the Sunday papers in isolation. From entertaining dinner guests to jumping around your living room after a few too many drinks on a Friday night (well so Ive heard). I find some of the most enjoyable music is often the quietest which we reserve for lazy summer afternoons or as a background to a good book and comforting red wine. Reminder by Feist is a great example of such music.

Leslie Feist is an independent singer-songwriter from Canada whose second album, Reminder, received many plaudits last year. It’s an introspective listen which is perhaps best listened to alone, or at least amidst general quiet as it is mood changing. Her quiet yet strong vocal tones help excise the accumulated stress of the day like a back massage from your partner. Songs are dominated by her amazing voice but there is incredible variety in the background music with piano or guitars sometimes accompanying, while other times there are choirs and glockenspiels. And Brandy Alexander is accompanied by nothing more than clicking fingers. The album tends towards chill-out electronica in its sparseness but its warmer than that and more conducive to smiles than tears.

The songs throughout the album do have quite a bit of variety. There is the slightly up-tempo I Feel It All and the more gospelish 1-2-3-4. Lyrically, the album is also very eclectic tending towards and then away from romanticism. My favourite track is My Moon My Man featuring the unforgettable opening line of “My moon, my man; so changeable and such a loveable lamb to me”.

Feist is a part time member of the indie favourites Broken Social Scene whose ten members produce a smorgasbord of musical delights which are well worth checking out. But if you are after late night music to burnish your soul, put on The Reminder and wallow in its beauty while you contemplate yours.

Hear samples or buy CD here

Best Track :

My Moon My Man

Listen To If You Like :


Portishead.....................................Dummy

If You Like This Try :

Broken Social Scene........................You Forgot It In People
Beth Gibbons................................Out of Season



Essential Classic Album

Sex Pistols : Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols (1977)

This is the nothing less than the soundtrack of a revolution. A revolt by a forgotten underclass of distraught youth. The French Revolution gave us A Tale Of Two Cities; this very English revolution gave us Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols.

England in the 70’s was a horrible place to live for a young working class male. There was no work. There was no community. There was nothing to look forward to. The music scene had become removed from the plight of youth. It had become bloated and self-aggrandizing. Rock stars had become the aristocracy; kings and ‘queens’ parading on their lofty stages, distanced from the daily struggles of their fandom. Assisted by technical advances, the sound had become self-indulgent with 20 min guitar solos and monstrous stage shows. It was the time of Elton John; it was the moment of Emerson Lake and Palmer.

That is until a visionary named Malcolm McLaren put together a band called the Sex Pistols and launched them on an unsuspecting world. McLaren had recognised a new movement of music emanating out of New York where bands such as the New York Dolls, The Ramones and The Modern Lovers were playing simple three minute rock songs featuring nothing more than three chords. This was a sound that British youth could empathise with and it became known as ‘punk rock’; a cacophony of sound and energy played ever faster and harder. For some, it was the most god-awful noise they had ever heard. For others, it was the most exciting.

The Pistols brought energy, verve and most importantly sneer back into the music. It was music to bounce up and down to, a cathartic experience for a disenchanted generation. Seizing the moment, The Pistols rapidly became notorious for thumbing their noses at respected establishments and conventions. They abused television presenters, trashed hotel rooms, swore at the press. They hated everyone.

Their notoriety peaked with the release of God Save the Queen, an anti-monarchy song timed to coincide with the Queens Silver Jubilee. It soared to Number 1 but invited ridicule and rebuke from the Establishment particularly the tabloid press. It mirrored the incendiary reaction to the introduction to rock and roll in the 50’s and gangsta rap in the 90’s where hysterical protectors of ‘family values’ decried the music as the beginning of the end of civilization.

What is forgotten in the aftermath is how fantastic the music is. The album has passed the test of time remarkably well and remains thrilling to this day. The opening chords of Holiday In The Sun are amongst the most exciting in rock and roll history. There is the anthemic Anarchy in the UK which starts with the horrible rhyme of ‘anti-Christ’ and ‘anarchist’ but its unadulterated passion and vitriolic loathing is perhaps unmatched in recorded music before or since. There is the aforementioned God Save the Queen plus other gems such as Pretty Vacant and EMI.

The Sex Pistols ultimately descended into farce and oblivion. Glen Matlock was replaced with Sid Vicious who exemplified the bands nihilistic attitude but could barely play guitar. A US tour rapidly degenerated into anarchy itself and eventually the band disbanded bitter and broke. But during the summer of 1977, they seized the moment and developed the soundtrack of a youth uprising. As Rotten himself said “I don't understand it; all we're trying to do is destroy everything."

Hear samples or buy CD here

Best Track :

Anarchy In The UK

If You Like This Try :

New York Dolls.............................New York Dolls
The Modern Lovers.......................The Modern Lovers
The Damned...............................Damned, Damned, Damned


Nevstar Top Ten

This months top ten list delves into the world of movie soundtracks which are now an essential part of marketing any movie as well as an opportunity to re-introduce artists to a new generation. How many people have discovered Joni Mitchell only after watching Love Actually?

So, here is my thoughts on the :


Top Ten Movie Soundtracks of All Time

1. The Commitments
A terrific film was backed by a sensational soundtrack. Featuring this 12 piece band’s respectful covers of some of the greatest soul tracks of all time, The Commitments soundtrack is a rare example of a covers album working perfectly.
Best Track : Try A Little Tenderness

2. Saturday Night Fever
Discussions of movie soundtracks usually start here. This was the template for a new way of marketing music. The biggest selling movie soundtrack of all time with a reported 30 million copies sold, it is an essential snapshot of 70’s disco.
Best Track : Stayin Alive – Bee Gees

3. Pulp Fiction
Perhaps only Guy Ritchie of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels fame comes as close to Quentin Tarantino in populating his movies with such perfect music for each scene. A remarkably diverse selection of music from Dusty Springfield to Al Green, this is a terrific soundtrack which also includes pieces of the movie’s priceless dialogue.
Best Track : Lonesome Town – Ricky Nelson

4. Grease
Grease is the word. While there are a couple of dud tracks (Beauty School Drop Out should be digitally removed from re-releases), Grease is a double album of fantastic original songs which are sure-fire floor fillers at any wedding.
Best Track : Born To Hand Jive – Sha Na Na

5. American Graffiti
‘Where were you in ’62 ?’ asks the promo line for George Lucas’s first feature motion picture. He populated this mid 70’s movie great with more than 30 songs from the 50’s and 60’s reminding everyone of a time when the radio was always on as a background soundtrack to cruising up and down Main Street doing ‘nothing’.
Best Track : Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haley

6. Dirty Dancing
Well, some might say hang the writer, but there is no denying this was an extremely popular and well chosen selection of songs evoking memories of simpler times. Maybe not the best, but certainly one of the most popular ever.
Best Track : Be My Baby – The Ronettes

7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The movie is a little over-rated in my humble opinion (what’s with that ending?), but the soundtrack is unforgettable. Packed with brilliant tracks, it’s an album from another time warp.
Best Track : Sweet Transvestite

8. A Hard Days Night
Arguably the first ever rock video of all time, A Hard Days Night was the movie of the album, or the album of the movie depending on your view. If you haven’t seen the movie, please make the effort. It perfectly captures the infectious energy of early Beatles by tapping the natural interplay between the four as well as the madness of Beatlemania. And the songs aren’t too bad either.
Best Track : I Should’ve Know Better

9. The Sound of Music
Ok, ok, I must be going soft. But hard to argue that this soundtrack is perhaps the most memorable of all. Who doesn’t know the words to ‘Do Re Mi’ ? Schoolyard chants, opera, musical singalongs, love songs, classical preludes, this soundtrack had it all. A classic film with an enduring soundtrack.
Best Track : My Favourite Things

10. Purple Rain
The biggest selling album in 1984 wasn’t Bruce Springsteen but an effeminate black artist with an unhealthy affection for the colour purple. Again the movie is mediocre at best, but the soundtrack doesn’t contain one dud song. A terrific collection of original penned tunes from a seriously talented individual formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince.
Best Track : When The Doves Cry

This proved to be one of the harder Top Ten lists to construct and am sure the results will be controversial as had to leave out a lot of great movie soundtracks. So please tell me what are your favourites ? Leave a comment below or email me at nevstar9@yahoo.com.

That’s all for another month. ‘So long, farewell, auf wiedersehn, goodbye’ music lovers.

Nevstar

January 2008

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 4

Happy new year everyone. May your 2008 be filled with the discovery of some great new music and that this discovery is assisted by The Nevstar Music Guide ! Bumper issue this month with an excellent ‘solo’ effort, a classic Britpop album and an intriguing top ten list. But before we start, if you are enjoying the Nevstar Music Guide, please take a moment to forward this Music Guide to someone else you know who is a music fan and might enjoy it. Anyone wanting to receive future editions can just click here and put “Subscribe” in the Subject field. Thanks for that. Right, into it:

Album of the Month

Maps : We Can Create

A defining aspect of the Web 2.0 is the concept of user-generated content (ladies and gentleman, the Nevstar Music Guide) with amateurs creating video content, posting book, movie and album reviews and generating their own music. I find the latter particularly interesting as no longer do record companies have a monopoly on what artists are recorded. Echoing Elvis Presley pressing a couple of songs for $1 a side, would-be Pop Idols now have access to relatively cheap recording equipment enabling them to easily convert their inner symphonies into digital form. The output is barely inferior to professionally produced material. With non-traditional distribution also available on the internet through MySpace et al, new and talented individuals can easily find audiences for their creative output.

A perfect example is James Chapman, aka Maps, who records his pop / electronica compositions on a 16 track machine in his bedroom without the assistance of any computer to help mix the songs. You could never tell, with a wide array of instruments and sounds seamlessly accompanying his ghostly vocals and languid melodies. His debut album, We Can Create, is the equal of anything that the majors released this year and was nominated for the Mercury Prize in the UK. Its an inspiration for anyone with the ambition to record those songs bursting from within.

Maps is a ‘band’ that strides across appallingly stringent definitions of genre. It is simply beautiful music which should not be dropped into a specific category. At times, it resembles the dreamy, atmospheric pop of Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev. In its quieter moments, it recalls Portishead and Zero 7 while the bigger songs generate a ‘Wall of Sound’ reminiscent of My Bloody Valentine or perhaps even Kid A era Radiohead.

My favourite track is It Will Find You which mixes a hip hop beat with a distinctive looped six note lead riff. Complementing the magnetic music is Chapman dreamy vocals which are accompanied as the song builds by a variety of other ‘noises’ dropped in as appropriate. The effect is stunning and displays his mastering of layering quite disparate sounds into one satisfying and fulfilling aural experience.

Quite simply, you really should take a chance and listen to this album. You wont be disappointed.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track : It Will Find You

Listen To If You Like :
Portishead.......................... Dummy
Moby .................................Play

If You Like This Try :
Mercury Rev ......................Deserters Songs
Death in Vegas ...................The Contino Sessions

Essential Classic Album

Pulp : Different Class (1995)

It was during 1995 that the Britpop era reached its pinnacle of prominence. Acres of column inches was devoted to a record company induced ‘competition’ between Blur v Oasis as they launched much hyped singles on the same day. However, it was an album released that year by the third of the Britpop triumvirate that has perhaps endured long after debates about the respective merits of Country House v Roll With It had faded from view.

The album Different Class perfectly represents the Britpop era in that it mixes all that was great in British music to that point from Beatles-eque melodies, Bowie / Roxy Music era nu-wave rhythms to the lyrical cleverness of The Kinks or The Smiths. At the same time it offers a cracking selection of intelligent and witty songs set to naggingly catchy melodies.

Pulp are fronted by the enigmatic Jarvis Cocker whose band laboured in obscurity throughout the 80’s trying desperately to build a following before he was suddenly at the forefront of the most exciting musical movement in a generation. Fortunately, JC is one of the pre-eminent lyricists of his or any other time and his observations perfectly capture the moment and the time. It is a party album, albeit one with brains and a conscience, exploring themes of sex and love, drugs and dying, class and sophistication.

The best song on the album is Common People which soared to No. 2 on the UK singles chart, an unheard of position for an indie track. It is an incredible track somehow mixing an unforgettable head shaking, toe-tapping beat, with a rousing anthemic like chorus amidst a tale of love and, for bonus points, a damning indictment of class differences

Morever there are a number of other terrific tracks with nary a weak one in sight. Mis-Shapes which starts off the album is a cracker. It’s a great call to arms for a generation raised in the turmoil of England in the 70’s and profiles the new hope that Cool Brittania promised. “We wont use bombs, we wont use guns, we’ll use the one thing we have more of and that’s our minds”. Disco 2000 is a strange, yearning love song for a childhood friend set to a cracking guitar riff while Sorted for E’s and Whizz and Bar Italia take subtle shots at the rave culture exploding onto the scene at the time. There are also quieter introspective moments such as I Spy and F.E.E.L.I.N.G.C.A.L.L.E.D.L.O.V.E.

Jarvis ultimately revolted from the celebrity lifestyle that his new found fame afforded. Pulp’s next album, This Is Hardcore, is a glimpse into a tormented soul. As Jarvis himself opines, “this is the sound of someone losing the plot, you’re gonna like it, but not a lot”. It is outstanding in its own right, but for first timers, start your love affair with Pulp by putting Different Class onto you CD buy list. It’s example of a band at the height of its powers at the right place and at the right time.


Hear samples or buy CD here :


Best Track : Common People

If You Like This Try :
Pulp ................................His ‘n Hers
Blur ................................Parklife
Roxy Music .......................Country Life

Top Ten List

The history of rock and roll has been shaped by many bands and events. But which particular ones were pivotal. Here is my view on the seminal moments in Rock History which changed the course of history of rock music for better or worse. So, in chronological order, here are the Top Ten Greatest Moments in Rock History.

1. Elvis Presley Records 'That's All Right’ : September 1954

This is ground zero for rock and roll. Its impact cannot be overstated. A poor white boy with a ‘black’ voice, Elvis grew up listening to a combination of black rhythm and blues, gospel, and rockabilly. Fooling around in Sun Studios, he started playing an uptempo version of ‘That’s All Right Mama’, an old blues classic first recorded by Arthur Crudup. Sam Phillips heard this new version and urged them to get it on record. The rest, as they say, is history.

2. James Brown Records ‘Live at the Apollo’ : 1962

Already the hardest working man in show business, performing in excess of 300 shows per year, James Brown in 1962 indelibly inked his place in history with this album. Recorded at his own expense, it went on to become the first million-selling rhythm and blues album ever. It stands as a beacon of originality which was immeasurably influential to soul, funk and rap artists who followed. Sampled and copied to this day, his energy and verve on stage is captured perfectly in this timeless album. Available here.

3. The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show : February 1964

No British band had ever made it big in the US although many had tried. Weeks before their arrival in 1964, Capital Records had signs hanging in Times Square denoting “The Beatles are Coming”. Most thought it was a promo for a new horror movie. But America soon woke up to Beatlemania as four young guys with ‘shockingly” long hair showed up on the No. 1 rated Ed Sullivan Show watched by an estimated 73 million Americans. Launching into All My Loving, a nation sat transfixed. Rock and Roll was exciting again. In a way, the first reaction to The Beatles was correct. The British Invasion had begun. By March 1964, the Beatles occupied the top five positions on the singles chart in America.See rare footage here.

4. Bob Dylan at Newport Folk Festival : July 1965

One of the more notable impacts of the Beatles was the influence it had on Bob Dylan. He had made his name as a folk poet carrying on the legacy of Woody Guthrie. Dylan recalls hearing the Beatles for the first time while driving and realising that the music world had changed. He thus turned up at the Newport Folk Festival with a, gasp, electric guitar. Amidst boos from the audience, he played three electric rock and roll songs to decidely mixed reaction before storming off the stage. Footage is available in the great Martin Scorcese film on Dylan, No Direction Home. It however marked the start of a remarkable period in his career as he recorded three absolute masterpieces (Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde on Blonde) in the space of 18 months. Dylan similarly had a major impact on the Beatles, allegedley introducing them to drugs while imploring them to pay more attention to their lyrics. Thus they went from I Want To Hold Your Hand to Eleanor Rigby.

5. Jimi Hendrix at Monterey Pop Festival : 1967

Myths endure while reality fades. This concert is a classic example. The myth endures that Jimi Hendrix went on stage an unknown, but walked off a legend. The reality, if you check out the stunned look on the crowds faces, suggests otherwise. White America simply wasnt ready for a black guitarist who wrote, sang, played lead and rhythm guitar while dominating the stage as a wild, effervescent showman. He had to head to the UK to really break into the big time. But this moment will forever be remembered as when a brash new talent was introduced to the world. A world which will never see his like again. Copies of the entire concert have just been released on DVD. See footage here.

6. Woodstock and Altamont : 1967 / 1969

These two legendary concerts marked the peak and ultimately death of the hippy ideal. Somehow, 500,000 crammed into a farm in Woodstock in northern New York state to listen to an absolute Who’s Who (including The Who!) of 60’s popular music. Highlights included an incendiary rendition of The Star Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix and Joe Cocker singing With A Little Heap From My Friends. Facilities were woefully insufficient, but the spirit of that hippy culture meant everyone somehow got along.

It was slightly different two years later in Altamont. Festivals had sprung up everywhere with hippies expecting everything to be laid on free of charge. A late change of venue saw around 300,000 turn up for a three day festival at the Altamont speedway in California designed to hold 15,000 for three hours. It was a toxic mix with the crowd becoming increasingly unruly. As the Rolling Stones took the stage, an altercation took place between the Hells Angels (recruited as security guards) and a black youth called Meredith Hunter who was then stabbed to death. “No angel born in hell, can break that Satan’s spell”. It was the end of the hippy era and the counter-culture nirvana it promised.

7. David Bowie creates Ziggy Stardust : June 1972

Perhaps scared of his own personality, David Bowie created an alter ego in Ziggy Stardust supported by his band, The Spiders From Mars. The first of many alternative characters, Ziggy allowed Bowie to experiment with a ‘new band’ while acting out his own fantasies on stage. Echoing the creative freedom that Sgt Peppers allowed the Beatles, Ziggy simultaneously created a great album, started off the entire glam rock movement as well as kickstarting music concerts as stage show extravaganzas.

8. Sex Pistols play gig on River Thames : June 1977

The moment, Queen’s Silver Jubilee, 7th June 1977. The Sex Pistols appropriated the date for the release of their ‘tribute’ song, “God Save The Queen”. Virgin Records, the bands third label in three weeks, organised a boat so they could play a version of their new song in front of the House of Parliament. A select group of about 50 witnessed the concert as the boat was accompanied down the Thames by Police boats requesting the immediate cessation of ‘hostilities’. Caught on camera in the terrific documentary The Filth and Fury including a special shot of long haired Richard Branson protesting their innocence. As Johnny Rotten later said, “We declared war on England without meaning to.”

9. The launch of MTV : 1981

A pivotal moment in rock history was the launch of MTV in 1981. While increasingly irrelevant now as essentially a reality TV channel, MTV originally changed the game plan for the distribution of music. A video became an essential marketing device. It led to the rise of photogenic bands such as Duran Duran and artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson who understood the entertainment requirements of the new medium. And the first song played on MTV, the answer to a great trivia question, was none other than Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles.

10. The Opening of the Hacienda : 1985

Dance music was already on the rise, but the opening of this famous club in Manchester by Tony Wilson saw the start of an era featuring the DJ rather than the band as the star attraction. To this day, the best DJ’s, playing music created and recorded by others, are followed and revered around the world as they play the soundtrack to escapades into drug-fuelled fantasies.

Got a different opinion ? What moments do you consider pivotal in the history of rock ?

And that’s it for another month. Hope you have enjoyed this latest edition. Tune in next month for The Top Ten Movie Soundtracks of all time.

A bientot all you music lovers.
Nev

December 2007

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 3

Welcome back to my new favourite hobby; writing the Nevstar Music Guide for you, my devoted and faithful readers. This months issue highlights a top release from a New Zealand band, profiles an album that is awfully close to my favourite of all time, and we check out Nevstar’s Top Ten for 2007 which should provide adequate material for stocking fillers. If you’re a first time reader, welcome; if you’re a regular, welcome back.

Album of the Month

The Phoenix Foundation : Happy Ending

It can be cogently argued that this is a golden age for NZ music. Local music content, without a quota system, is around 23% of commercial radio airplay. The charts are widely populated with NZ RnB type acts, local roots/dub bands are headlining music festivals, and there are a number of interesting power pop / rock bands on the summer circuits. The diversity of the offerings is as impressive as the depth and quality.

And then there are acts which defy easy generalisation such as Wellington based Phoenix Foundation. They have recently released an extremely thoughtful and vibrant album that is well worth checking out or gifting to your nearest and dearest for Christmas.

Happy Ending is hopefully more of a beginning than an end. This is their third release following Pegasus (2003) and Horsepower (2005) which met with critical if not much commercial success. Since their last album, there have been babies, solo albums and scoring over half of the soundtrack to film festival favourite, Eagle v Shark. However, they are evidently not short of ideas, electing to quickly release an album on that bastion of the New Zealand music scene, Flying Nun. It is an album with an extremely wide contrast in styles and influences thus shattering any pre-conceived expectations.

The album starts with two strong guitar based tracks in Bright Grey and Bleaching Sun. It then veers into atmospheric territory with quiet pianos and ghostly vocals on Slumber Party before venturing deeper into the abyss with call-and-response vocals highlighted in Gandalf. On it goes, sampling briefly a number of music influences, yet retaining a sense of melody and lightness of touch. We are even treated to a side dish of country-folk in No One Will Believe Me When Im Dead before the album gets really strange.

Towards the end the album vaults into another dimension delivering a trio of tracks heavily influenced by the prog rock era. Omerta is a mesmerising instrumental which would not be out of place on early Pink Floyd or Yes albums. It is followed by two similar efforts (Burning Wreck, Sugar) but now featuring some embedded vocals to complement the orchestral compositions. Then, abruptly it closes, and in 12 tracks taking less than an hour we have somehow traversed from local indie guitar pop to music from the dark side of the moon. Yet it is quintessentially New Zealand and a welcome addition to the Flying Nun catalog.

Don’t be put off by the cover. The contents are far more complex and adult than the childish painting on the front. It is without doubt, one of the best releases of the year.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track : Bright Grey

If You Like This Try :
Voom ............................................Hello Are You There ?
The Veils ......................................The Runaway Found

Classic Album

The Stone Roses : The Stone Roses (1989)

There are great albums, there are classic albums and then there are ESSENTIAL albums. Albums that no self-respecting music fan should be without. Albums that are a product of their era yet are simultaneously timeless. Albums that transcend the dross of the music ‘business’ and glide into the ethereal world of high art. The Stone Roses eponymous debut album is such an album and perhaps one of the finest releases of the last 30 years.

For a cherished summer in 1990 following its release, The Stone Roses were THE band. Their concert on Spike Island is considered the apogee of their fame, an iconic rock moment, where 27,000 baggy trousered followers of the dance/rock amalgamation grooved under the hot British sun. The Roses had somehow managed to create an album which is note perfect yet achieves the formidable task of combining the verve and energy of dance music with the structure of guitar based pop.

“I don’t have to sell my soul; he’s already in me” sings Ian Brown at the start of the first track, I Wanna Be Adored, thus establishing his ‘devilish’ talent. We are thus instantly uplifted and transformed rejoicing in a band so assured and confident in their own talent. There is the pop perfection of Waterfall followed immediately by Don’t Stop which is the same track played backwards. The album pauses with Elizabeth My Dear as the band demonstrate their republican tendencies to the traditional arrangement Scarborough Fair made popular by Simon & Garfunkel. The second half matches the first with gems such as the Made of Stone and This Is The One before the album is brought to its stunning conclusion with the epic I Am The Resurrection.

I don’t think Im a talented enough writer to capture how good this album is nor adequately express my admiration for this extraordinary piece of art. Others do a better job particularly this excellent PopMatters review. I especially liked this part:

“Go now and buy it. I don't know what it will cost you down your local record shop, but its value is more than the price label says and thank the Lord that albums are not priced like pieces of art, or you'd never be able to afford a copy.”

The Stone Roses story doesnt have a happy ending. A bitter contract dispute prevented the release of a follow up to the debut album for five years. Once The Second Coming emerged in 1994, the world had changed. Britpop had hit the charts led by a group of one word named bands such as Oasis, Blur, Pulp and Suede who, ironically, were heavily influenced by The Stone Roses. But it matters little. Their place in history was already assured. Few come as close to touching perfection.


Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track : Waterfall

If You Like This Try :

The Stone Roses ............................Second Coming
Crowded House .............................Together Alone
The Doves ......................................Lost Souls



Top Ten List

What better way to wrap up the year, but to reflect on the best albums to emerge from 2007. After a couple of relatively disappointing years, this year’s crop is top notch with several outstanding releases. I easily had 20-25 albums on my initial shortlist. But as a service to you, have whittled them down to ten super stocking fillers for the festive season. So this months Top Ten list is :

The Nevstar’s Top Ten Albums for 2007.

1. Wincing The Night Away – The Shins

A tough choice, but the best album of the year for me was this unforgettable release by US indie band, The Shins. Emerging into the mainstream after a celebrity endorsement from a certain Natalie Portman, The Shins produced their best album so far. A stunning collection of tunes steeped in subtle yet soaring melodies.

Listen To It If You Like : REM

2. 23 – Blonde Redhead

I love this album. I couldn’t stop playing it. It starts with a mesmerising track that seems to synthesizes brain waves like baroque music of the 1500-1600’s. What follows is a superb collection of dream-like vocals accompanying constantly evolving backing tracks. Not to be missed.

Listen To It If You Like : The Flaming Lips

3. From Here We Go Sublime – The Field

As outlined in an earlier addition of the Nevstar Music Guide, this is one of the best electronica albums I have come across. A debut album from a Swedish ambient producer, this mixture of chillout and trance is mesmerising. A slow-burning classic which is probably very danceable given the right ‘enhancements’.

Listen To It If You Like : Electronica Music

4. Turn The Lights Out – The Pony’s

As a friend pointed out, Turn The Lights Out is probably the best album Flying Nun never released. You would swear it was produced in Dunedin in the late 80’s. Fuzzy guitars supported by driving drums and understated vocals.

Listen To It If You Like : Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

5. Happy Ending – The Phoenix Foundation

See review above.

Listen To It If You Like : The Veils

6. Neon Bible – Arcade Fire

I really wanted to put this higher but there is no room in the Top 5. Indie favourites, Arcade Fire returned with the most accomplished album to date. It is certainly one that needs to be played a few times to appreciate, but on repeated listens tracks like Intervention, featuring an orgasmic church organ are to be cherished. Don’t miss at next years Big Day out.

Listen To It If You Like : Death Cab For Cutie

7. Under The Blacklight – Rilo Kiley

A terrific collection of sunny pop tunes with dark themes by a band that deserves to be better known. Buy it for your cousin instead of Britney’s latest.

Listen To It If You Like : Fleetwood Mac

8. Infinity on High – Fall Out Boy

I have no idea what ‘emo’ is yet record stores now devote an entire section to it. Emotive rock music ? Isnt that a tautology ? To paraphrase one William Joel, its still rock and roll to me. Regardless, Infinity on High is a terrific collection of strong, ‘emotive’ tracks which will soon have you singing ‘emotivally’.

Listen To It If You Like : Green Day

9. Baby 81 - BRMC

After a bewildering yet interesting diversion into a country-folk album (Howl), the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club returned to its core with a hard driving, dirtier collection of guitar based tracks. While immaculately produced, it retains enough dirt beneath its finger nails.

Listen To It If You Like : Jesus And The Mary Chain

10. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon

In a just world, Spoon would be leading stadium sized crowds singing their inspirational rock ‘n roll. But they languish in obscurity while we are force fed ANOTHER Rod Stewart collection this Christmas. Strike back. Encourage contemporary creative bands by buying their albums. You wont regret it.

Listen To It If You Like : The Pixies, Pavement

A number of other worthy albums caught my attention this year.

Thus the next ten, in alphabetical order, are :

Apples in Stereo .....................New Magnetic Wonder
Airbourne ............................Runnin Wild
Buffalo Tom .........................Three Easy Piece
Justice ................................(Cross)
Kaiser Chiefs ........................Yours Truly, Angry Mob
Manic Street Preachers ............Send Away The Tigers
The National .........................Boxer
Reverend & The Makers ...........State of Things
White Stripes .......................Icky Thump

What was your favourite album for 2007 ?

Reader Comment :

Once again, had some great feedback on One Hit Wonders that I had missed. So here’s a list of some other terrific tracks which are the band’s only lasting contribution to the tapestry of music history.

1. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

Ohmigod, how could I have forgotten this one ! A seminal song immortalised in Rocky III. One of the best songs to play when you are flagging on the treadmill.

2. Send Me An Angel – Real Life

A great track with a terrific drum solo. Number 1 in NZ and around the world, and nary a drum bashed in anger from them again.

3. How Bizarre - OMC

NZ also has its share of one-hit wonders, none bigger than this catchy tune which brought OMC ultimate riches and then ultimately bankruptcy.

4. Funky Town - Pseudo Echo

Another great 80’s track for which we are still waiting for a followup.

5. Twisted Sister - We’re Not Gonna Take It

An automatic entry in the list of Greatest Hair metal songs of all time although arguably not a one hit wonder. Watch the terrific video featuring Mark Metcalf parodying his ‘Niedemeyer’ character from Animal House here. At the end you can just hear samples from the same movie.

6. My Sharona - The Knack

A deceptively simple yet unbelievably catchy track.

7. Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners

Played without question at every single university party held in the early 90’s

8. Jump Around - House of Pain

Played without question at every single university party held in the early 2000’s !

9. I Touch Myself - The Divinyls

A memorable track, none more so than as the backing track when Austin Powers out ‘mojos’ the Fembots in Austin Powers.

10. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes

Perhaps a bit harsh to call this a one-hit wonder but merits inclusion for no other reason that to talk about her voice. Listen to what 3 packs a day can do for your vocal cords.

And a prize to the best feedback received so far which I will include in its entirety to avoid misquoting or paraphrasing.

“Angels - Robbie Williams rocked, and always gets the crowd joining in…..oops, it wasn’t a one hit wonder….but for the sake of us all it should have been!!”

That’s it for this month. Please take the time to forward on the email to any other music fans who might like to be introduced to a couple of interesting albums every month. They just need to email me at neville.giles@hanover.co.nz to be added to the distribution list.

Coming in January : Nevstar’s Top Ten Concerts in Rock n Roll History

Nevstar

November 2007

The Nevstar Music Guide Issue No. 2

Well feedback from the first Nevstar Music Guide was neither distressingly negative nor full of personal invective and received sum total of zero death threats or abusive letters. Thus taking these non-negatives as an endorsement of the idea (if not the literary value), I will carry on. And so behold, Issue No. 2 of the Nevstar Music Guide.

Album of the Month

The Field : From Here We Go Sublime

As you will no doubt discover throughout repeated iterations of the Nevstar Music Guide, my preference leans towards guitar based music. Perhaps its a legacy of a lifetimes frustration at my non-rockstar status. My definition of dance music was simply anything I could air guitar to. However, my tastes are evolving and some of the best electronica / dance genre find their way onto my stereo from time to time. This months album is one such effort and probably the best electronica album I have come across.

The Field is Alex Wilner, a Swedish ambient techno producer, who has produced a debut album, From Here We Go Sublime, that envelopes you in a wall of ambient noise which is both relaxing and inspiring. The tracks, while quite distinct, do follow a similar outline. A dance music bass track is overlaid with repeated tuneful samples which subtly evolve note by note, slowly ebbing and flowing like the tide. The tracks are languid and relaxing not ever attaining a climax or peak. They sound like they can be played forever, an eternal loop as a soundtrack to life’s merry-go-round. And then, on occasion, the beat stops as in A Paw In My Face where it is replaced by an teasingly familiar yet gorgeous guitar snippet. Indeed, it is from none other than Lionel Richie’s nauseous ‘Hello’. Any producer who can make me delight in Lionel Richie is obviously supremely talented.

There are a number of stand out tracks including the shimmering opener Over The Ice or the dance funk of Silent but my favourite is the nine minute epic The Deal. Starting with an authoritative bass beat which supplements the atmospheric tension, Wilner slowly adds in other features including a gospelish backing vocal which ghosts in and out of the scene he has created. The mood rises and falls throughout, never definitively rising to great heights, nor establishing morbid lows. Until it nears the ten minute mark when it abruptly stops. It’s a beating heart, witness to our highs and lows, until finally it beats no more.

The album may be tough to find in New Zealand but order from offshore or online if you must. You should not be without it. It will accompany any activity when you are in a reflective mood, from staring at the ocean to staring at the ceiling.

I came across The Field via the best music website which is http://www.metacritic.com/music. This is must stop for those trying to filter out all newly released music. Metacritic compiles reviews of albums available on various websites and gives the album a score out of 100 based on those reviews. Its not foolproof, but universal acclaim by a wide range of music critics is not a bad place to start finding the best music. The Field is currently the Top album for all 2007 with a score of 90 / 100. But don’t take my word for it, or theirs. Seek it out yourself and prepare to be dazzled.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track : The Deal

Listen To If You Like :
St Germain...........................Tourist

If You Like This Try :
Royskopp .............................Melody AM
Brian Eno .............................Ambient 1 : Music For Airports

Essential Classic Album

The Beach Boys : Pet Sounds (1966)

No music or artist exists in a vacuum. All artists stand on the shoulders of those that came before them melding and reworking ideas to suit their particular taste or talent. On occasions, artists inspire their contemporaries as well, goading them to aim higher in a virtuous positive feedback loop. One of my favourite examples is the impact the Beatles had on Brian Wilson and the best of all Beach Boys albums, Pet Sounds.

The Beach Boys were a successful West Coast band in the early 60’s. They combined elements of surfer music, doo wop harmonies and Phil Spector arrangements into a string of early 60’s hit songs. The songs were catchy but not particularly original and Brian grew frustrated at their lack of musical advancement.

The exhaustive touring demand by Capital Records to support the albums took its toll on Brian who finally cracked. He announced that he no longer wanted to tour and was replaced for concerts by a certain Glenn Campbell ! Thus Brian retired to the solace of the studio seeking musical inspiration. It took a while, but it was a record from four likely lads from across the ocean that did the trick.

Upon hearing the new Beatles album, Rubber Soul, Brian would later recall :

"When I first heard it, I flipped. It felt like it all belonged together. Rubber Soul was a collection of songs ... that somehow went together like no album ever made before, and I was very impressed. I said, 'That's it. I really am challenged to do a great album.' ”

So as the Beach Boys toured Japan, Brian toiled away in the studio seeking to match the Beatles efforts. The resulting album is a wonder. It sounds so simple yet is amazingly intricate and complex. It contains layers of music incorporating lush arrangements of traditional instruments alongside all sorts of Brian’s ‘pet’ sounds. There are literally dogs barking, bicycle bells ringing, and reportedly Coke Cans jingling to accompany a multitude of horns, organs, guitars and flutes. Elements of early Beach Boys are also present with their trademark falsetto melodies, carefree attitudes and odes to beautiful albeit unobtainable women.

Such beautiful sounds would but be wasted without great lyrics to accompany it however. There is a sharp lyrical contrast between the idyllic life Brian envisages from the first line of Wouldn’t It Be Nice to the melancholy reflection at the end with Caroline No. In between we are carried away by the Sloop John B before Brian reflects forlornly that maybe I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times. The album was so good that they could afford to leave off “Good Vibrations”. The best track to these ears is the sublime God Only Knows which is absolutely one of the most beautiful love songs ever recorded.

The record sold poorly, mainly because Capital records didn’t know how to promote an album rather than a collection of hit songs. Or maybe it bombed because it was sleeved in an obvious candidate for Worst Album Cover of all Time. Regardless, it is now rightly recognised as their best moment and all music fans, serious or casual, should make its acquaintance.

And the effect on The Beatles ? Paul McCartney calls Pet Sounds his favourite album. It inspired him to go back into the studio and start work on an album called Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. You may have heard of it.

Hear samples or buy CD here :

Best Track : God Only Knows

If You Like This Try :

The Beatles ....................Rubber Soul
Love.............................Forever Changes


Top Ten One Hit Wonders Of All Time

This month in our Top Ten list, I have compiled my Top Ten one hit wonders. So often a band contributes an absolutely unforgettable song only to then disappear without a trace. Still these ten songs can consider themselves part of music history, their place in the pantheon of great tracks firmly established.

1. Walking on Sunshine – Katrina And The Waves
A foot stomping, butt kicking, riotous call to arms. First song on Barry’s ‘Monday Morning’ compilation in High Fidelity. Praise indeed.

2. Video Killed The Radio Star – The Buggles
A terrific track outlining a particularly poignant moment in music history.

3. You Get What You Give - New Radicals
Great track hinting at a band that could offer so much more. But name other song they wrote.

4. I Ran – Flock of Seagulls
One of my favourite tracks from the 80’s. Fantastic 2 minute long intro as well.

5. Europe – The Final Countdown
A parody comedy show once ran a series of mock headlines. One of which was “Europe’s Greatest Hits rumoured to include The Final Countdown” ! Enough said.

6. Whip It – Devo
Marginal inclusion for the reason that they actually did produce a couple of half decent albums, but this is their one and only hit song.

7. Tubthumping – Chubawamba
Still played to this day at every sports event around the world. ‘I get knocked down…’

8. Mickey – Toni Basil
Personally, I can barely stand this song, but put it on at any party and watch the girls get up to dance.

9. It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls
One of the all time great disco songs. A great 1-2 punch with Mickey if a party is flagging.

10. Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
Perhaps one of the all time great ‘joke’ songs (followed closely by I’m Too Sexy and Shaddup Your Face).

What are your favourite One Hit Wonders ?

Reader Comment :

Thanks for those who took the time to send me some helpful suggestions and other great covers. The first top ten list provoked lots of comment. In fact the Top Ten list generated the most feedback of anything proving that nothing provokes a point of contention than a subjective Top Ten list. Seems there is a wide range of beloved covers. Here is a sample of some of those suggested by my informed group of readers that you might want to check out.

1. Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor
Prince who ? Startling version which might also qualify under One Hit Wonders above.

2. Tainted Love – Soft Cell
Surely the definition of great cover is that you were unaware it was in fact a cover. Tainted Love was composed by Ed Cobb of the Four Tops and recorded in 1964 by Gloria Jones.

3. Summertime Blues – The Who
The Who make this Eddie Cochran song their own especially on their live album Live at Leeds.

4. All Along The Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
Suggested by more than one reader. A great version by the legendary left-hander.

5. With a Little Help From My Friends – Joe Cocker
Not sure if better than original but probably sounded great when he sung it in front of 500,000 people at Woodstock!

6. Throw Your Arms Around The Word – Eddie Vedder
An interesting take on this classic Hunters & Collectors track

7. Smooth Criminal – Alien Ant Farm
A grittier, tougher version of a Michael Jackson track.

8. Common People – William Shatner
The Captain provides his own rather unique interpretation of this classic Pulp track.

9. Hurt – Johnny Cash
Another song that the Man In Black made his own. Nine Inch Nails wrote the original.

10. Stairway to Heaven – Rodrigo Y Gabriela
While Rolf Harris made a mockery of this all time classic, Rodrigo Y Gabriela complete a terrific dueling guitar based instrumental version. Check out this YouTube video here.

Thanks for all the other feedback which was very entertaining and helpful. Keep it coming. Lots of constructive suggestions particularly those who suggested linking to samples of the songs or albums.

That’s it for this month. Please take the time to forward on the email to any other music fans who might like to be introduced to a couple of interesting albums every month. They just need to email me at neville.giles@hanover.co.nz to be added to the distribution list.

Coming in December : Nevstar’s Top Ten Albums for 2007

That’s it for this month. Let’s leave the last word to the immortal Rick James

“You can't have rock and roll without drugs, you can't have rock and roll without sex.”

Amen
Nevstar