Hitler's reaction

Strawberry Swing

Cover Story - Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

Arctic Monkeys have revealed the artwork for their new album "Humbug", due to be released on 24th August. The photo was taken by photographer Guy Aroch at Electric Lady Studios in New York, where the band recorded their third album.

Also by Guy Aroch:

Jacques Brel - Ne Me Quitte Pas

"In a man's life, there are two important dates : his birth and his death. Everything we do in between is not very important."



Ne Me Quitte Pas was written after Suzanne Gabriello, Brel's girlfriend at the time, put an end to their relationship. Zizou was pregnant with his child and had an abortion after Brel refused fatherhood. Jacques would later admit in an interview that the song is not a love song, but rather one about the cowardice of men.

Bourgeois happy feelings...

And here we are, in the center of the first world
It's laid out before us, who are we to break down?

The Submarines - You, Me & The Bourgeoisie

Album review: Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum

Kasabian - Underdog

Having gone into relative obscurity over these past couple of years, Leicester band Kasabian finally released their 3rd album, "West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum". No wait, it hasn't been released yet, but will be on June the 8th.

You probably know Kasabian as being part of the 2004-2005 wave of British bands comprising the more successful Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys, among others. Not surprisingly, lead singer Tom Meighan has said that on the new album they tried to take a distance from that and establish a unique Kasabian style. That is a very bold statement from someone who, when asked to describe the new album, came up with the succinct and brash: beautiful. Suffice it to say, that was not the impression I got after a whole host of listens.

"West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum" (an intentional tongue twister title for sure) is supposed to be a concept album about..., well nobody knows for sure. Lyrically it's all over the place, ranging from tales of blood thirsty characters to social critique of modern life, to swaggers about living life to the fullest and so on. Not afraid of being too pretentious, on the track "West Ryder/Silver Bullet" there is a spoken part from a passage in the film "Sans Soleil" by Chris Marker. "In that moment, poetry will be made by everyone" could be a subtle sarcastic self-reference that I wouldn't put past them.
The opening track "Underdog" is in my opinion the best song on the whole album. It is basically a redoing of "Club Foot", a powerful driving riff easily remembered, accompanied by the sort of vocals Tom has always been best at. The very next track is another highlight, "Where Did All The Love Go?" has an infectious rhythm, with Sergio Pizzorno's whiny voice singing the chorus whether you like it or not. When I first heard the intro to "Fast Fuse" I instantly thought of Radiohead's "Sulk", but the song itself is anything but a sulk, Serge's trademark throbbing guitar providing the buildup for Tom Meighan's explosive rough vocal style. "Thick As Thieves" is perhaps one of the points of departure from their earlier albums, Sergio sings this ballad quite decently and also adds a touch of Mariachi guitar along with the indispensable "la-la-la"s.

"West Ryder/Silver Bullet" features a contribution from actress Rosario Dawson as well as subtle Eastern influences in an attempt to create something that might come across as psychedelic to some. First single "Fire" is again, like "Underdog", a straighforward Kasabian rocker with sparse electronics thrown in as usual. Album closer "Happiness" is about as cheesy as you can get. For one we have Serge's fretful voice again for reasons that I can't understand being as Tom has superior power and range an frankly even a more suitable tone. Second, a gospel choir really should have no place in rock'n'roll.

Entertaining music it is, thought provoking it is not. Passionate creative spirit it required; original, unprecedented ideas it did not. Sensible, just commendation it deserves, undue praise it does not.

Stereophonics - Long Way Round

Obscure Dakota single B-side used as the opening theme for one of my favourite TV shows ever.