Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

When I first discovered this band back in late 2008 (yes I did spend the first 18 years of my life beneath a rock), the first thought that crossed my mind was whether Mogwai knew the derogative nature of their title. It's a pretty sweet original name for a band nonetheless, but being a British expatriot who grew up in Hong Kong, I've always been fully aware of the (desensitized) term Gweilo which some locals refer to Westerners by; roughly translating from Cantonese to mean "foreign devil" or "ghost man". HOWEVER, after doing a bit of homework it turns out that the term Mogwai comes from the fictional furry creature from the Gremlins films. So a slap on the wrists, and shame on me for making such ignorant assumptions.

Anyway, this Mogwai is far from being fictional or furry. The Glaswegian five-piece released their 7th studio album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will in February earlier this year, which is filled with tunes of the same delicate chaos as ever before. This most recent album continues to commemorate Mogwai's dynamical beauty that contrasts loud, thrashing distortion and drums against softer, more pensive sections of ambience that are impeccably free to be explored through their long-length tracks. While there is a darkness to their sound, Mogwai continue to give a sense of predetermined improvisation to their melodies as if telling an instrumental story that, without fail, leads to an orgasmic musical climax of emotional power that feels joyous and elegiac at the same. 

Courtesy of TLOBF

The Heart is a Drum Machine (2010)

I'm a bit of a factual enthusiast. Throughout the course of university life, many (well-spent) hours were filled with knitting (yeah, I know) and exploring cyberspace for enlightenment through documentaries. I mean it when I say that I'm an encyclopaedia of useless information - useless in the sense that it will only come to benefit me if humanity faces a New World Order, or when (I stress when) aliens take over the world- THEN I can turn around and shout "TO THE BUNKERS", with a smug expression on my face and a complete advantage over the rest of you sceptics. 

Anyway, had I known of this documentary before I wrote my dissertation (which happened to be on alternative representations of gender in music), I would have probably written it in celebration of this spectacular film. It's incredibly fascinating, and I recommend it to anyone who feels as passionately as I do about the power of music and the emotional grasp it has on so many of us. 

Released in 2010 and directed by Christopher Pomerenke, The Heart is a Drum Machine asks the supposedly straight-forward question "What is music?", evidently establishing how complicated in fact, a direct answer to this really is. Why is it that music has such a profound effect on people? It is easy to break down music as an organized choreography of sounds and vibrations, but there's a fundamental enigma in the extent of the emotional complexity music demonstrates on all groups of individuals - ranging from all cultures and backgrounds, to artists, performers, listeners and those who can't hear anything at all. 

A Different Kind of Fix - Bombay Bicycle Club

There's a definite sound to the current climate that is British indie music. It's a very distinct mix of indie meets pop meets rock, which subsequently meets contemporary-influenced folk, and ultimately leading to very bouncy musical composition of upbeat rhythms and twiddly guitar riffs, peppered with underlays of electronic effects. Bombay Bicycle Club have conquered that sound, and with the release of their third album A Different Kind of Fix, I can't help but feel a little disheartened by the overt similarities between this and their previous releases. However, what can be said is that the musical arrangement of this album has been clearly composed with love and an undeniable amount of effort. As recognizable with Bombay Bicycle Club, there's a brilliant fusion between folk-influenced guitar parts with a modest use of synthesizers that slide subtly behind their melodies and thicken the atmosphere that surrounds each track. 

Bombay Bicycle Club as seen on their Last.fm page

The first impressions I had for this album were particularly positive. The opening song, How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep cements the folkiness of this album, while the shaky vocals remind me of a more upbeat, rather happier Conor Oberst who's given in to the contemporary trend of electronic influences. The great thing is that this opening track is so different to their previous sound that when followed by Bad Timing, there's an admirable sense of change and distinction - particularly how this second track has more of a dreampop feel to it, drawing upon musical similarities to ethereal bands such as The Daysleepers and the likes.

Austra: An Overview

It's a marvellous feeling to stumble across an artist that you fall instantly in love with. It's exactly what happened to me this morning, when the wonderful music cataloguer Last.fm, provided me with my daily dose of artist recommendations of potential musical companionships. Thank you, Last.fm, for enlightening me with Austra.

For the avid listeners who enjoy expanding their musical horizons, this band deserves the opportunity to fill ear cavities with a taste of new wave electronica that feels heavy and light at the same time. The sound of Toronto-formed Austra, bears positive familiarity with artists such as Zola Jesus, Esben and the Witch, and The Knife through a contrast of intense melodies against powerful female vocals that although delicate, hold underlying energies that persistently threaten to break through. While this association may sound generalizing; the reality of this is that Austra sets itself apart from neighbouring artists with a uniquely tailored tone, as lead-vocalist Katie Stelmanis' classically-trained voice feels beautifully strained beneath the pressure of emotional retention.

Austra's Katie Stelmanis

The Newcomers: Man Without Country

Had I been already writing a blog in June, I'd have jumped straight from the gig in Cardiff to my laptop for immediate gushing and admiration for this band. Unfortunately I didn't, and with the terrible memory that I have, it has taken me a good summer to get round to writing so. But fear not, my little chickadees, as it has all come flooding back to me and boy - am I happy about it!

This band here is Man Without Country, who, alongside Crystal Stilts, were the supporters for headlining band Warpaint (hands down one of the best all-girl bands around at the moment by the waaay), and although I acknowledged their name on the posters, I was far from understanding the sheer power of the duo behind the band. Not only did the Warpaint gig introduce me to Man Without Country, but it also gave me the special privilege of experiencing the magic that this band evoke through their sound - and the surreal atmosphere they create when performing live.

Taken from their Official Site.
But it's pretty much how I remember the band looking too.

Evanescence; coming back into sight.

Evanescence are coming back, and I can barely contain my excitement. 

According to the Oxford Dictionary, Evanescence is defined as disappearing from sight and fading away into vapour. True Story. And so I was heartbroken when my all-time favourite music group - the band that ignited my love for rock music and fuelled my teenage rebellion; the band that influenced me into learning piano, and the band whose song My Immortal was the first that I ever sang solo in front of an audience - did exactly what their name had defined.

After the incredible 2006 release of their second official album The Open Door (Origin and other EP's aside), Evanescence gradually, and much to my disappointment, faded from the limelight. I don't know whether this was influenced by the leaving of Ben Moody after Fallen, or if it was to do with the ridiculous fact that he and another two of Evanescence's members left and joined forces with American Idol finalist Carly Smithson to create the group We are the Fallen (well done guys, you couldn't have found a vocalist who sounded more like Amy Lee, OR a name closer to an Evanescence album if you tried), but I came to accept that I would most likely never see the day where there would be news of Amy Lee releasing music with Evanescence again.

Well guys, despite the four year wait, that day has finally come.With a line-up of new members and a bunch of new material, Evanescence will be releasing a self-titled third album, set on release in October this year. Cue the hallelujah chorus. In fact, if you're anything like me, you'll be well aware of the fact that Evanescence have already debuted their first single What You Want, which I have kindly inserted after the page break for your listening. 

What an Eye Opener!

Cheesy post title, check. Although the contents is far from it. The incredible photography seen below is the work of Suren Manvelyan. Here is a collection of macro shots taken of the human eye, simply named "Your Beautiful Eyes." And how beautiful they are indeed. The innovative artist behind these photographs is not only the leading photographer for Yerevan Magazine, but, incredibly, also has a PhD for work on quantum chaos and technologies, as well as lecturing physics, mathematics and astronomy at Yerevan Waldorf School. A man of many talents, it seems.

My oh, Eye!

Hadn't I come across Manvelyan's photography, I'd have never known to what extent our eyes are actually textured. Check out the layers we have in our irises! Sure, I remember the science lessons we had in high school dissecting cows eyes and learning how our pupils were actually holes. Never did I expect them to be able to compete with the Mariana Trench though! But really, it's an incredible feat to see this much detail in such high resolution. To think that if I had my own expensive camera with a ridiculously brilliant lens (a PhD wouldn't hurt me either, or an eye for taste - har har), I'd be able to see my own unique set of coloured and textured receptors. The more I look at these images though, the more my eyes begin to feel a little funny. Absolutely breath-taking, mind-blowing photographs, nonetheless.

Click below to see more of Manvelyan's incredible series Your Beautiful Eyes and further links.