Went to see Swords (formerly known as The Swords Project) play at Mercury Lounge with opening act Say Hi To Your Mom....and the attempt ended as a failure. Apparently, the place has a strict age limit of over 21 to enter. Letting anyone under 21 in is as illegal as buying a TV without license in South Africa. I had no form of ID, fake or real, I'm underage and that was the end of the story. So I'll just do a random disk review.
えー事の顛末を語ると、旧The Swords Project現在名The Swordsのライブ（前座にはSay Hi To Your Momの名も）が行われる会場マーキュリーラウンジに行ったはいいけど21歳以下は立ち入り禁止のバーということであえなく門前払い、拍子抜けして適当にディスクレビューでも、と。入り口の黒人用心棒をなんとか説得しようとしたけど20ドル払ったら裏口からとかそんな事言い始めたからやめにした。ケチ。
Swords (ex The Swords Project)
Metropolis
So this is the latest Swords album. They changed their name with the release of this album, making it harder for people to search for them online. They are a 6 piece, atmospheric rock band from Portland. Surprisingly, it seems less new material than I expected compared to their "Entertainment Is Over If You Want It" album. I had the idea these guys were the innovative type, and since they changed their band name with the release of this album, I thought they would come up with a completely new approach. Either way, Metropolis offers some note-worthy points: similar to their previous album, they have compiled all their sounds - guitar, drums, strings - in such a fashion that all the sounds are mashed into one, creating a wall of sound without any one prominent sound standing out from the others. Unlike many atmospheric rock bands, these guys incorporate a lot of actual singing in their songs. At times, they layer vocals, contributing to the songs with an almost instrument-like quality. I really liked "city life" from their previous album with its abrupt funky breakdown without a warning, but it seems as if they eliminated that option for this new album.
これがそのSwordsの新譜。このアルバムをもって正式に改名、検索エンジンでほぼ確実に引っかからなくなった。6人のメンバーが織り成す空間系ポストロックの音はどこか未来っぽいサウンドだが普通の空間系と違って歌も入れたりしてる。前作と比べてもあまり音楽的に違ったものはないと思う。残念なのは前作の"city life"みたいに途中からガラッと音が変わるような仕掛けの曲が無いこと。このバンドの特徴としては全ての音をまとめてでっかい音の塊にしたような感じで、なにか一つの楽器が他より目立つとかそういうのは無いこと。ストリングスも他のストリングス入りポストロックバンドに比べて控えめで、どっちかというとほとんどギター音が独占してる。是非ライブで聴きたかった…惜しいことを。
Giardini Di Miro
Punk...Not Diet!
Here it is, Italian Postrock. And it's good. Giardini Di Miro succeeds in recreating God Speed You Black Emperor!-esque brass instruments/loud drums/soaring guitar/strings compilation music with an addition of electric bleeps but without too much of the gloomy ambience that many post rock bands have. It still does have an underlying somber tone to it though, yet it is cleverly covered with lush soundscapes.
イタリアのポストロック。これまた珍しい。でも内容は他の国のポストロックに負けず劣らず…どころかむしろかなり良く出来てる。ブラス楽器にドラム、歪みギターにストリングス、更に電子音全てがうまく調合されていて、ポストロックにありがちな暗い雰囲気もない。
Jens Lekman
When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
"Did you eat your banana from 7-11?"
"Tram no.1 is full of fun, Tram no.2 is cootchie-coo, Tram no.3 is misery, Tram no.4 knocks at your door, Tram no.5 I'm still alive, Tram no.6 I think I'm fixed, Tram no.7...Tram no.7 to heaaaaveeeennn"
"Yeah I got busted. In custody I imagined our melody being played on the piano...Yeah I got busted. I painted a dirty word on your old man's mercedes benz because you told me to do it"
"When people think of Sweden I think they have the wrong idea. Like Cliff Richards who thought it was just porn and gonorrhea. And Lou Reed said in the film "Blue in the face" that compared to New York City, Sweden was a scary place"
Imagine all these lyrics sung in old-fashioned, dreamy, acoustic pop songs with a deep but clear voice. Swedish bands kick ass.
タイトル「僕が君の犬になりたいと言った時」
「セブンイレブンのバナナは食べたかい？♪」
ほう！バナナ！
ほう！
歌詞が最高だよ歌詞が
「一号車は楽しさ一杯
二号車はコチョコチョ
三号車は悲惨
四号車はドアをノックする
五号車は僕まだ生きてる
六号車は僕直ったと思う
七号車は……七号車は天～国～♬」
これ全部さわやかレトロ調の夢見心地アコースティックポップに乗せて低くて抜けのいい声で歌い上げられてて絶妙にハマってる。
終いにはスチールドラムまで…ってスウェーデンアーティスト？ええっ？ｗ
もうこれからスウェーデン産のバンドは無条件で応援してやるよ。
Set Fire To Flames
Sings Reign Rebuilder
Here's another post rock band with a total of 13 musicians. They're from post rock central, Canada, specifically Montreal. 5 of those 13 gangstas are actually former Godspeed You Black Emperor! members. Heavily string-oriented with numerous environmental sounds infused (i.e. sound of traffic, wooden windmill creaking sounds, etc), but yeah, strings are most prominent I'd say. The songs are definitely not as long as GYBE! songs but they follow a similar sort of ambience with overlayering of warm-sounding string instruments.
13人のメンバーの内五人が元Godspeedメンバーっつー正統派ポストロック形式バンド。もちろんポストロックセンターであるカナダ産、具体的にはモントリール出身。音もそのまんま五人分の濃厚凝縮Godspeed成分を残りの8人が薄めた感じ。Godspeed程ひとつひとつの曲が長くはないが、ストリングスを多用してる点ではかなり似ている。あと渋滞の音だとか木製風車の軋む音だとか環境音を一杯取り入れてる所も面白い。全体的にはアンビエントな雰囲気だけど温かなストリングスの音色を上手く重ねているのでバランスの取れた仕上がりになった曲が多いといった印象。
Dead Meadow
Feathers
Stoner rock. Fuzzy guitar sounds stretch lazily across the air while the drum apathetically produces uneven beats and suddenly a dirty sounding guitar bursts in with a random, half-assed solo, ending in a jumble of noise. Also, nasaly vocals. It was made when the musicians were stoned and it is meant to be listened to when you are stoned. No twinkley-twinkley here, just muffled buzzes all the way from beginning to end.
ヤク中毒者ロック。ベッタリくっつくようなヴォーカルに毛羽立ってぼやけているギター、やる気のないドラム。いまいちサイケな感じがしないのは音数が少ないからだろうか。あと全体的に凄くテンポの遅い曲が多い。ただひたすらモヤモヤした質感の曲が次から次へと続く。正にドラッグ野郎ご用達バンド。
DELTA FORCE
Starring CHUCK NORRIS
"Dis iz a haijak! Open cockpit or I'll blow plane!"
"I was in Beirut 20 years ago. You should've been here then. It was beautiful! Beirut had casinos, dances, parties, concerts. It was the Las Vegas of the Middle East."
"It's a go. TAKE THEM DOWN!"
Classic. Totally classic.
デルタフォースは俺の中では歴代「90年代よく見た安っぽい映画」に勝手に殿堂入り。
えー事の顛末を語ると、旧The Swords Project現在名The Swordsのライブ（前座にはSay Hi To Your Momの名も）が行われる会場マーキュリーラウンジに行ったはいいけど21歳以下は立ち入り禁止のバーということであえなく門前払い、拍子抜けして適当にディスクレビューでも、と。入り口の黒人用心棒をなんとか説得しようとしたけど20ドル払ったら裏口からとかそんな事言い始めたからやめにした。ケチ。
Swords (ex The Swords Project)
Metropolis
So this is the latest Swords album. They changed their name with the release of this album, making it harder for people to search for them online. They are a 6 piece, atmospheric rock band from Portland. Surprisingly, it seems less new material than I expected compared to their "Entertainment Is Over If You Want It" album. I had the idea these guys were the innovative type, and since they changed their band name with the release of this album, I thought they would come up with a completely new approach. Either way, Metropolis offers some note-worthy points: similar to their previous album, they have compiled all their sounds - guitar, drums, strings - in such a fashion that all the sounds are mashed into one, creating a wall of sound without any one prominent sound standing out from the others. Unlike many atmospheric rock bands, these guys incorporate a lot of actual singing in their songs. At times, they layer vocals, contributing to the songs with an almost instrument-like quality. I really liked "city life" from their previous album with its abrupt funky breakdown without a warning, but it seems as if they eliminated that option for this new album.
これがそのSwordsの新譜。このアルバムをもって正式に改名、検索エンジンでほぼ確実に引っかからなくなった。6人のメンバーが織り成す空間系ポストロックの音はどこか未来っぽいサウンドだが普通の空間系と違って歌も入れたりしてる。前作と比べてもあまり音楽的に違ったものはないと思う。残念なのは前作の"city life"みたいに途中からガラッと音が変わるような仕掛けの曲が無いこと。このバンドの特徴としては全ての音をまとめてでっかい音の塊にしたような感じで、なにか一つの楽器が他より目立つとかそういうのは無いこと。ストリングスも他のストリングス入りポストロックバンドに比べて控えめで、どっちかというとほとんどギター音が独占してる。是非ライブで聴きたかった…惜しいことを。
Giardini Di Miro
Punk...Not Diet!
Here it is, Italian Postrock. And it's good. Giardini Di Miro succeeds in recreating God Speed You Black Emperor!-esque brass instruments/loud drums/soaring guitar/strings compilation music with an addition of electric bleeps but without too much of the gloomy ambience that many post rock bands have. It still does have an underlying somber tone to it though, yet it is cleverly covered with lush soundscapes.
イタリアのポストロック。これまた珍しい。でも内容は他の国のポストロックに負けず劣らず…どころかむしろかなり良く出来てる。ブラス楽器にドラム、歪みギターにストリングス、更に電子音全てがうまく調合されていて、ポストロックにありがちな暗い雰囲気もない。
Jens Lekman
When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog
"Did you eat your banana from 7-11?"
"Tram no.1 is full of fun, Tram no.2 is cootchie-coo, Tram no.3 is misery, Tram no.4 knocks at your door, Tram no.5 I'm still alive, Tram no.6 I think I'm fixed, Tram no.7...Tram no.7 to heaaaaveeeennn"
"Yeah I got busted. In custody I imagined our melody being played on the piano...Yeah I got busted. I painted a dirty word on your old man's mercedes benz because you told me to do it"
"When people think of Sweden I think they have the wrong idea. Like Cliff Richards who thought it was just porn and gonorrhea. And Lou Reed said in the film "Blue in the face" that compared to New York City, Sweden was a scary place"
Imagine all these lyrics sung in old-fashioned, dreamy, acoustic pop songs with a deep but clear voice. Swedish bands kick ass.
タイトル「僕が君の犬になりたいと言った時」
「セブンイレブンのバナナは食べたかい？♪」
ほう！バナナ！
ほう！
歌詞が最高だよ歌詞が
「一号車は楽しさ一杯
二号車はコチョコチョ
三号車は悲惨
四号車はドアをノックする
五号車は僕まだ生きてる
六号車は僕直ったと思う
七号車は……七号車は天～国～♬」
これ全部さわやかレトロ調の夢見心地アコースティックポップに乗せて低くて抜けのいい声で歌い上げられてて絶妙にハマってる。
終いにはスチールドラムまで…ってスウェーデンアーティスト？ええっ？ｗ
もうこれからスウェーデン産のバンドは無条件で応援してやるよ。
Set Fire To Flames
Sings Reign Rebuilder
Here's another post rock band with a total of 13 musicians. They're from post rock central, Canada, specifically Montreal. 5 of those 13 gangstas are actually former Godspeed You Black Emperor! members. Heavily string-oriented with numerous environmental sounds infused (i.e. sound of traffic, wooden windmill creaking sounds, etc), but yeah, strings are most prominent I'd say. The songs are definitely not as long as GYBE! songs but they follow a similar sort of ambience with overlayering of warm-sounding string instruments.
13人のメンバーの内五人が元Godspeedメンバーっつー正統派ポストロック形式バンド。もちろんポストロックセンターであるカナダ産、具体的にはモントリール出身。音もそのまんま五人分の濃厚凝縮Godspeed成分を残りの8人が薄めた感じ。Godspeed程ひとつひとつの曲が長くはないが、ストリングスを多用してる点ではかなり似ている。あと渋滞の音だとか木製風車の軋む音だとか環境音を一杯取り入れてる所も面白い。全体的にはアンビエントな雰囲気だけど温かなストリングスの音色を上手く重ねているのでバランスの取れた仕上がりになった曲が多いといった印象。
Dead Meadow
Feathers
Stoner rock. Fuzzy guitar sounds stretch lazily across the air while the drum apathetically produces uneven beats and suddenly a dirty sounding guitar bursts in with a random, half-assed solo, ending in a jumble of noise. Also, nasaly vocals. It was made when the musicians were stoned and it is meant to be listened to when you are stoned. No twinkley-twinkley here, just muffled buzzes all the way from beginning to end.
ヤク中毒者ロック。ベッタリくっつくようなヴォーカルに毛羽立ってぼやけているギター、やる気のないドラム。いまいちサイケな感じがしないのは音数が少ないからだろうか。あと全体的に凄くテンポの遅い曲が多い。ただひたすらモヤモヤした質感の曲が次から次へと続く。正にドラッグ野郎ご用達バンド。
DELTA FORCE
Starring CHUCK NORRIS
"Dis iz a haijak! Open cockpit or I'll blow plane!"
"I was in Beirut 20 years ago. You should've been here then. It was beautiful! Beirut had casinos, dances, parties, concerts. It was the Las Vegas of the Middle East."
"It's a go. TAKE THEM DOWN!"
Classic. Totally classic.
デルタフォースは俺の中では歴代「90年代よく見た安っぽい映画」に勝手に殿堂入り。
