I’m still here, just haven’t had much to say about music lately. Since I never seem to go too long without expressing an opinion on something/anything, isthismusic will hopefully return to regular programming in a few weeks’ time. Thanks for hanging around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwsyr5gAEuM&feature=related

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Sonic Youth’s role in the early evolution of You Am I was vital. It’s unknown how much of “Berlin Chair” was already written when sessions for Sound as Ever began, but the producing role of Lee Ranaldo - who also played some guitar tracks on that album - might have had a subliminal influence over the song’s development. Worth noting is a rhythmic and melodic similarity between the guitar in the instrumental chorus (1:55 - 2:19) and a passage of Sonic Youth’s crossover hit “Kool Thing”.

The subtle inversion of familiar chords was a trademark of these New York veterans, and nearly every one here is coloured with a 9th interval; either by guitar, or the vocal melody of Tim Rogers. Yet this is not an imitative tribute. At a time when harmonic invention was being diminished by the ubiquitous din of distorted power chords, You Am I weaved these uncommon elements into a conventionally structured, popular rock song.

One of the few Australian singles to achieve iconic status without making a homeland top 50 appearance *1 ,  “Berlin Chair” sadly slipped underneath the alternative rock boom. It wasn’t until the international rise of Silverchair that domestic success became a greater possibility for antipodean bands, meaning that this early 1994 release was more or less resigned to its fate. Still, several cover versions and a solid position in Triple J’s recent ‘all time’ countdown prove that this tale of co-dependent dysfunction has endured through to a new generation. A fitting reward for the most consistently thrilling Australian group of the ’90s.

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*1 Other examples: “(I’m) Stranded” - The Saints, “Streets of Your Town” - The Go-Betweens, “No Aphrodisiac” - The Whitlams, “Since I Left You” - The Avalanches.

ALBUM: Sound as Ever (1993)

crackity-jones:

Made me giggle.

A little detour from my 90s music blog but this was too good to not share (regular programming will resume soon!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_rfGBwamc&ob=av2n

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The emotional and thematic instability of ‘Violet’ finds a parallel in its harmonic centre, which continuously switches between ambiguous shades of E major and E minor. This is a fitting symbol of the song itself; few of its elements remain constant for any significant time. “And the sky was made of amethyst… and all the stars looked just like little fish”, Courtney Love begins, simultaneously channeling the singing and lyrical voices of Patti Smith. The words that follow are rich with witty cynicism and self-deprecation, but there’s nothing ironic about the way in which they’re delivered.

Clearing away the aftermath of a painful breakup with Billy Corgan, Love demonstrates the best of her vocal ability; moving from half-spoken tones to enraged roars with seamless ease. (Love was romantically involved with Corgan at some stage between her meeting Kurt Cobain in January 1990 and the eventual confirmation of her relationship with the latter in 1991. Having competed first for the affection of Love and then for a largely overlapping audience, the two men were icy acquaintances.) Drummer Patty Schemel rises to the occasion by amplifying the already urgent atmosphere; accenting the first beat of every bar, before settling into a more conventional backbeat for the last chorus.

The shadow of tragedy still hangs over Live Through This - nowhere more hauntingly than on ‘Doll Parts’ - but as it approaches twenty years of age, we can now partially separate this superb album from its traumatic circumstances. ‘Violet’ is Hole’s finest moment, and the last classic single of the grunge era.

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ALBUM: Live Through This (1994)

One-liner quote from musician: 15 notes

Short post about song written by this musician: NONE LOL

(not a complaint, I just found it amusing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVqbZkjG9Ow&feature=related

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First appearing on the Safari E.P in 1992, “Do You Love Me Now?” was revisited for the full-length Last Splash a year later. Likely unsatisfied with the first version’s arrangement, The Breeders might have simply been short of new material. (The fragmented, patchy nature of the album - especially compared to their more cohesive debut, Pod - makes a strong case for the latter explanation.)

The album version maintains the song’s original structure, while running around twenty seconds longer. This change crucially gives greater weight to the plaintive lyric, but its impact doesn’t end there. It also forms an unusual style hybrid, as the brisk harmonic movement of classic pop contrasts with a plodding tempo more typical of grunge. In another paradox, Kim Deal’s slurred vocal drifts above the chug of jagged guitars. Touches of instrumental finesse colour the performance; a delayed entry at the start of verse two (‘Does love ever end…’), casually inventive bass playing by Josephine Wiggs, and liberal use of the tremolo effect preferred by the group at this time.

As the dominant songwriter for the Pixies, Black Francis was heavily restrictive of Kim Deal’s creative influence. He may well have regretted some of his leadership policies upon hearing this song.

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ALBUM: Last Splash (1993)