From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V9 #167 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Sunday, June 25 2006 Volume 09 : Number 167 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [idealcopy] Hope of the States ["Keith Knight" ] Re: [idealcopy] Re: idealcopy-digest V9 #164 OT Scritti ["Keith A" Subject: [idealcopy] Hope of the States Thursday night in Camden Koko was the time to test whether Hope of the States still have it or whether they are now down among the dull bands that populate the British landscape at present. Arrive in time for support act Vega4. A 'classic' 2 guitars / bass / drums line-up and for about two songs I'm mildly interested, although the second song sounds a bit too close to Radiohead for comfort. But the rest of the set meanders along in that melodic way that so many bands now use to no effect. There's no whiff of surprise or danger here, just semi-catchy songs played well and sung in a way which doesn't even think about challenging the listener. I don't need to hear another band like this really. On myspace the band list their influences as Kraftwerk, Stereolab, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Arvo Part, The Postal Service, Rufus Wainwright, Fourtet and M83. What went wrong lads? The first time I saw HoTS, supporting The Polyphonic Spree in Cambridge (Andy L present and correct) they impressed not only with their wig-out sonic noise approach but also with the sense of a band fully formed - matching brocade jackets, well designed product, expensive looking films, hand-tooled for the songs and projected behind the band. Tonight, the jackets have gone and the slide show is perfunctory, mainly replaced by live film of the band as they play tonight. It's clear that Sony have withdrawn some of the bank-rolling of a few years back - unsurprisingly given that HoTS have hardly set the world alight with record sales. Tonight they fail to sell out the 1,000 capacity Koko, which is pretty dire even for a World Cup night. Gallingly flyers handed out outside mention Razorlight - a band which I saw supporting HoTS at ULU a couple of years back - playing Wembley Arena. How has it come to this? It is, of course, all about the noise. The reason I like HoTS and the mass of people don't is that they are not afraid to deal in noise in all its messy, unpredictable glory. The line-up remains refreshingly abnormal - three guitars, bass, violin, keyboards and drums with some brass brought in for a couple of songs - and the racket is still potentially hair-raising. At its peak, it rolls off the stage like a physical force. Lead man, Sam Herlihy, often a grumpy presence in the past, seems happy tonight, smiling a lot, chatting to the audience and thanking people all over the place. He's still not a great singer and some of the best moments of the night are instrumental, especially when they approach a Godspeed-like intensity, but - hey - he writes the songs. Admittedly the songs that stand out tonight are those from the first album - this is my first exposure to the new stuff and single 'Sing it Out' is the only one that really enters my consciousness - but this isn't a band that has succumbed to blandness, even if their album turns out to be toned-down. Live they are uncompromised. Live, they will never sound like Vega4. Which is good to know. Another the Keith - -----Original Message----- From: owner-idealcopy@smoe.org [mailto:owner-idealcopy@smoe.org] On Behalf Of Keith Knight Galled to see your comment about Hope of the States. I've heard very little new stuff and this direction would be bad news (given that I'm firmly on the anti-Editors side of the fence here, a side I recognise is increasingly sparsely populated). I shall be seeing HoTS shortly and I hope they can retain some of their Branca-esque noise attack live, at least. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 20:12:07 +0100 From: "Keith A" Subject: Re: [idealcopy] Re: idealcopy-digest V9 #164 OT Scritti > but i do fancy the tour , probably oxford. did green ever tour those 80's albums? can't recall ever seeing live dates advertised since the "punk" days. p According to the Guide with todays Guardian - where Scritti are single of week - it will be the 1st Scritti tour for 26 years. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2006 22:26:40 +0100 (BST) From: Fergus Kelly Subject: [idealcopy] It's all... history ! Memories trawled, thoughts recorded, on this day, 20 years on, from when I first saw Wire... http://www.asullenrelapse.blogspot.com Fergus ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 02:24:39 +0100 From: Tim Subject: [idealcopy] scritti and 80s production values PAUL RABJOHN wrote: > i find stuff like cupid & psyche absolutely unlistenable , almost the > epitomy of horrible 80's production and i can't bear it. whereas > "early" is just fabulous , grows and grows on me even more over time This might be an age thing! I'm a child of the 80s so i come at Scritti from a different angle to a lot of of you. I really like Cupid and Psyche...yes the production is very 80s but this is the Scritti I remember. Great pop songs...The Word Girl, Absolute, Wood Beez.... Its too easy to knock 80s synthy production, theres some good records of that genre along with C&S85 I'd add Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Propaganda - A Secret Wish, Kate Bush - Hounds of Love. Theres probably more. I knew nothing of their Rough Trade era till much later when I was on this list in the early 2000s! I Got the Early CD and didn't really do much for me really. Maybe you had to be there. n.p Kettel - My Dogan ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V9 #167 *******************************