SIGNALS TO NOISE

My jams today.

The new self-titled album by Banquets is an absolute cracker; if we’re playing genre-nazi, it’s a little closer to straight-up melodic rock in places than its predecessor (“Top Button, Bottom Shelf,” a firm favourite of mine), but the solid songwriting, strong melodies and soaring vocals that made it so enjoyable are still here in spades. Spun this three times today in fairly rapid succession and didn’t even begin to get fed up of it.

I’m not sure quite why I’d written off Rilo Kiley before now… I vaguely think I’d had them confused for a while with a piss-poor female singer-songwriter with a similar name that I’d seen on TV once (although I can’t for the life of me remember her actual name), although I rather think I may have been a little quick to dismiss them as a lightweight indie band once I’d been corrected. Turns out I’m a fucking idiot; my girlfriend put “More Adventurous” on in her car the other day and by halfway through track three, I’d downloaded an Amazon app and ordered the CD! Also, “Does He Love You?” is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard.

It’s gutting that Paint It Black have given up on the album format, as “Paradise” was one of the best hardcore albums ever recorded, and their other full lengths weren’t too far behind. Still, their previous EPs were concentrated, short, sharp shocks that delivered on every level, and “Invisible” is no different! Angry, intelligent, melodic yet abrasive, brutal without machismo: more of this please (hopefully without a four year gap this time!!!).

Finally, Small Brown Bike have always been a weird proposition for me; they play a style of music I enjoy (gruff-vocal punk with post-hardcore influences), but seem wildly inconsistent. However, having shelved “Fell and Found” shortly after buying it, I recently have it another go and found it growing on me somewhat, something it continues to do with each listen. Yeah, some of the vocals are irritatingly gutless or off-key in places, but they’re imperfections I’m slowly learning to love. Beautiful artwork too.

New Paint It Black jam!  Aggressive, melodic, intelligent; in short, everything you want from a hardcore punk song.  Haven’t bought any vinyl in some time now, but I’ll definitely be picking up this 7” when it comes out!

The nights are drawing in, it’s windy, cold and pleasantly autumnal outside, and I’m stuck on the nightshift tonight.  Time for a hearty soundtrack of hardcore (both with and without a “post-” prefix), atmospheric stuff, and a revisit of Jeff Buckley’s “Grace,” prompted by my having seen the trailer for his forthcoming biopic (about which I’m curious, and equal parts excited and skeptical…).

Also, it’s worth pointing out that I was turned onto Birds in Row and Meek Is Murder by Riley Breckenridge (of Thrice)’s tumblog, hermitology.com, which is well worth your full and undivided attention!

I seem to go through phases of listening to Fugazi LOADS, and then not listening to them for months.  It’s when I hear songs like this that I wonder why I ever let a single day go buy without spinning at least a few of their tracks. 

There’s something wintry sounding about “Cashout.”  I guess that association is pretty strong for me because my defining memory of “The Argument” (the album it appears on) is of the first time I properly gave it a listen - I was walking home from a nightshift in the middle of winter, just as the sun was rising.  There was snow and ice everywhere, and the skittering drumbeat on this song seemed to match my footsteps… walking on ice wearing converse means you slip a LOT!

   Paint It Black - “Memorial Day” (My Acoustic Cover)

This is the first song I learnt on my new acoustic guitar.  The original is a hardcore punk song which you can listen to here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svqnwnO_sYE - I’ve obviously changed it quite a bit, and my version’s not a patch on the original, but considering my general cack-handedness at guitar and the sore-as-fuck throat I’m rocking at the minute, I feel this turned out pretty much okay.  You might want to listen through headphones - I recorded this on a Blackberry phone, so the sound quality isn’t the greatest…