Epilepsy is Dancing

Here's something I've been wanting to do a post about for a long time. A very underrated band that's still alive and kicking, Antony and the Johnsons.

It's fronted by the beautiful, bouncy and pleasantly plump Antony Hegarty. Antony was born in West Sussex, UK in 1971. He relocated twice, first to Amsterdam and then finally to California. His life was most likely turbulent, dealing with being homosexual and desperately dreaming to be a woman, Antony's first form of musical inspiration came from Boy George. Boy George, of Culture Club fame, is openly gay and stunningly fabulous. Antony moved to New York City in the beginning of the 90s and slowly began to make his voice heard in the art world. He was given a grant from New York Foundation for the Arts, so he began to round up musicians which he eventually began calling "The Johnsons" and recorded some of the songs he had written. His debut album Antony and the Johnsons was released in 2000. Antony's extremely unusual singing voice set him apart from every other musician. Ever. He caught the attention of many famous musicians, especially Lou Reed who invited Antony to accompany him on stage for the filming of Julian Schnabel's Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse a live performance of my personal favourite Lou Reed album, Berlin. Antony sang backup vocals and then a duet with Lou on the song Candy Says. In 2005 Antony's next album was released. I Am a Bird Now is a stunning collection of songs with duets from a slew of music stars like Lou Reed, Rufus Wainwright, and even his idol, Boy George. This album was praised highly by critics and fans alike. Followed by The Crying Light in 2009 and this year's Swanlights, Antony has really made a name for himself. It's not simply his heartfelt and stunningly open lyrics, but his voice that stands out.

Antony's voice is a power house. Capable of stunning range, Antony sings from his throat. He curls his bottom lip in and sways along with the rhythm, as if in a trance. His long tangled hair in his round face, his blue eyes peer from underneath the mess. He's mesmerizing to watch. He sings with enough sorrow to break the happiest person but can always lift me out of depression. I'm afraid to say that he is not for everyone, in fact many people are frightened by the way he behaves and sings. It's all a matter of getting used to him, but I was absolutely in love the first time I heard him.

One of my favourite live performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loNU4fVpO8E
he actually breaks down during it, it's stunning.
Here's a couple more to check out:
a depressingly brilliant number
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40Ds8rhNF7M
his new single (when I say 'new' I mean it was released this August)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Xdm5yS6PY

A Personal Note...

I was wanting to do a wonderfully brilliant and clever post about The Smiths, but alas I did not feel it necessary to drone on about boring details such as the year they were formed, the year they broke up and all that shit. I thought I'd just take a breather and describe them on a personal level for myself.

I'm going to get total hate for writing this, but Morrissey's lyrics are by far the most important thing about the Smiths. Yes, Johnny Marr remains to this day of my favourite guitarists, but that's besides the point. Morrissey's lyrics were the first (most likely) documented that actually spoke clear honesty about heart break, satire, hate, lust, love and sex. I myself, like many many Smiths fans before me, really identify with Morrissey, we're very much like personality twins. He was very similar to myself when he was a teenager, locking himself in his bedroom for days on end furiously writing and thinking he was awfully important. I feel the same, despite the fact that I worship rock stars more than I worship movie stars. We both share a dark sense of humour that stems from loneliness and heart break. Not to mention the fact that we're both pretty outgoing per se, but suffer on the inside... oh, look at me going on about this stuff.

 The remarkable thing about The Smiths is their ability to be a basic four piece band and yet manage to remain completely original. It baffles me and I wish I could harness that power. THE POWER.

Where do I even begin? I would probably be nothing without The Smiths's records playfully spinning in my home, I would probably be nothing without Morrissey's killer quaff, I would probably be nothing without the lyrics "a friendship sadly, lost, well this is true, and yet it's false. and did I ever mention by the way I never did like your face".

I just thought this was necessary.
thankz guiz.

The Madcap Laughs

Trying to explain Syd Barrett is like trying to explain where a black hole leads to. There are theories into the sheer impossibility and madness but no one will ever know. Except those who have been inside of one.

Roger Keith Barrett was born January 6th, 1946 in Cambridge, England. After the death of his father, his mother encouraged him to pursue his career as a musician.  In 1964 he joined Roger Waters, Nick Mason and Richard Wright in a band he called The Pink Floyd Sound (I will get more into his Pink Floyd when I write about Pink Floyd the band, not Syd's solo career) They became a well known band in the London psychedelic scene. After Pink Floyd's first album (Piper At The Gates of Dawn, 1967), Syd became notorious for showing up late to gigs, changing lyrics and beats and even skipping whole passages. This all stemmed from Syd's heavy use of hallucinogenic drugs. In 1968, as a desperate attempt, David Gilmour was asked to join the band as a fifth member, filling in for Syd as the guitarist.

Syd left Pink Floyd after their second album was released and David Gilmour quietly slid into Barrett's place. Syd began writing for his own solo album, to be entitled The Madcap Laughs, released in 1970. Then a second album entitled Barrett. After this, he was rumoured to have shaved his head, gained a fair amount of weight and entered seclusion. He appeared in 1975 to watch Pink Floyd's recording sessions of Wish You Were Here. The band did not recognize him. From then on he stuck to his home on Cambridge where he became an avid gardener and abstract painter. He died in 2006 of stomach cancer. He was 60.

The remarkable thing about Syd Barrett was his sound.  He utilized a fantastically innovating use of synthesizers in the early Pink Floyd albums, making their sound distinguishable against the rest of the hippie drone. Then simplifying it during his two solo albums, mainly just a guitar and drums. His lyrics were cheerful and eccentric much like he was. He sang of marrying pretty girls who liked his music and bicycles. Forgive my "poofy" use of words, but it was all downright adorable. He inspired tons of musicians (he was one of the first English musicians to sing with his "accent") and sparked debate amongst Pink Floyd fans. Was Pink Floyd better with or without him? Well, Pink Floyd was brilliant with him and equally brilliant without. It all depends on what kind of sound you prefer.

Syd's story is tragic for he had so much potential to be a great performer. He gave up too soon too fast and succumbed to insanity. He was digging the grave back in the mid-sixties but my guess is no one would have thought it would have escalated to the point of seclusion.

Here's my favourite Syd Barrett song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhUT00LJbAM
Here's a single he did with Pink Floyd: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F94vHO7okZQ
Listen to the difference in genre, but both are bloody fantastic.

Does anyone remember laughter?

Oh man, here they are. The epic,  "LORDS" of music, the "GODS" of rock n' roll. Love 'em or hate 'em, Led Zeppelin are a band that will forever be carved not in the hearts of critics but in the hearts of fans.

Besides being a strikingly good looking bunch, Led Zeppelin (pictured left to right: John Paul Jones, Robert Plant, Jimmy Paige, John Bonham) were an immensely talented group of men.


Formed following the breakup of the legendary Yardbirds (more to come about them in a later post) they first started calling themselves Led Zeppelin in 1968. They released their first album, Led Zeppelin I in 1969. It was trashed and disregarded by critics. Led Zeppelin was merely another British band that was trying to make it big. Followed a few months later by their second album, Led Zeppelin II.  Zeppelin
channelled blues and their own version of rock n' roll into one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time. They were finally making a name for themselves.

Of course, nine albums and a death later Led Zeppelin ended but their legacy didn't. Many regard Zeppelin as  a mere 'classic rock' band and know only of the songs Stairway to Heaven and The Immigrant Song but what people forget is that Led Zeppelin's career wasn't devoted on what the critics thought, or their singles. Zeppelin's career was based on the fans. One of the first bands to only stay afloat by the demand of their immense, devoted crowd. Men and women alike would flock to bask in Jimmy Page's electrifying guitar. No doubt that they were talented, they were able to influence an entire genre, not just a sub genre. When asked what you think of Zeppelin, you probably instantly think of "rock n' roll", and that's what they are. True, real and pure. Sure all their fans now a days are antisocial teenagers who grow their hair long and play air guitar in the hallways but they are the cream of the crop. True fans who love bands for what they sound like and what they mean rather than their surface image are true human beings indeed. Go talk to those long haired teens someday. They're good people. I should know, I'm one of them.

Well, I leave you with one of my personal favourites by the gods, Tangerine from Led Zeppelin III http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8II-gt0cfM&feature=related acoustic Zeppelin is rare indeed, enjoy it.

underground during a time when underground didn't exist.

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND

Ignoring the first two on the left (not members, but dancers) the original line up of the Velvet Underground was John Cale, Sterling Morrison, Maureen Tucker, Lou Reed, Nico and their manager Andy Warhol. 

The Velvet Underground were formed by Lou Reed and John Cale in 1965 in New York City. They quickly caught the attention of Andy Warhol who immediately started their legendary New York concerts which he called "The Exploding Plastic Inevitable". It was a light show to rival Jefferson Airplane. Warhol would display his movies behind the band as they droned through the night, hundreds coming to dance among the bright colours and smoky atmosphere. The band released their first album in 1967, entitled The Velvet Underground & Nico. On the cover was one of Warhol's masterpieces, the silk-screened banana.

 Rolling Stone listed this album #13 in the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. A huge honour, keeping in mind that they were immensely unpopular during their career. 

After Nico and Warhol left the band, they made one more album entitled White Light/White Heat. Cale left and then entered Doug Yule. After two more albums the band fizzled away in the early 70s, leaving Yule as the leader. He ruined the band, trust me. 

The Velvet Underground were a stellar influence onto numerous bands, but the first being David Bowie. Bowie's manager actually brought him back a copy of Velvet Underground & Nico in the late 60s. This sealed Bowie's determination to become a rock n' roll star, to become another Lou Reed. With his live performances of their songs, he influenced his audience into loving the Velvets thus thrusting their loud, electric droning sound into the world. The world was happy. 

They quickly became one of THE MOST influential and revered bands of all time. 

They inspired the original sounds of Nirvana, Patti Smith, The Pixies, The Strokes, Joy Division, Sex Pistols, Interpol, Of Montreal, and the list goes on. 

The Velvet Underground were an important band because while the rest of the world was rebelling against the government in the hippie movement, dancing to the Beatles and the Stones... well, being happy, flower children the Velvet Underground were singing songs about heroin addictions and all around nihilism. Though their later albums were much more cheerful (Their 1970 self-titled third album, for example) there were still hints of drug addictions and overall downright depression. This made them so unique because they were able to channel such a feeling of despair and uneasiness through something so soft and innocent. 

On a side note, they lauched Nico's career. 

Though Nico did remain largely unknown to a mainstream audience, she was able to dig her way through the innocent hearts of her fans leaving them nihilists and no outlook on life. She was a fantastic beauty with a terrifying talent. Here's what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjjDmX9Tkss (this is the song Femme Fatale, written by Lou Reed) Nico is a personal favourite singer of mine, I respect her very much and I really wish more could be able to tolerate her strange unique voice. More on her later.

some VU songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hugY9CwhfzE (Waiting for the Man) and one of my personal favourites, Candy Says : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEVyf6y_-Y4

"When I heard Little Richard, I mean, it just set my world on fire."

Bonjourno kind, clever bloggers!

Welcome to my first post on this frickin' sweet blog.

I wanted to start off with my musical uprising with the beginning of rock n' roll, none other than the fabulous Little Richard.

Little Richard was born Richard Wayne Penniman on the 5th of December, 1932 in Georgia. His début album "Here's Little Richard" was released in 1957. Since then he has been credited by not only inspiring many, many future musicians but also easing the transition from blues and jazz to rock n' roll. Elvis Presley actually covered Richard's "Tutti Frutti" on his own début album.

Richard's music stems deeply from freestyle jazz and funky, snare heavy beats. He channels a fantastic stage presence, playing piano vigorously, wearing glitter and not being afraid to be who he really is. This behavior laid the groundwork for what would become our definition of a rock n' roll star.

Some musicians that have credited him as a major influence are: Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney. 

Mick Jagger has said that Little Richard was his first idol.

Tutti Frutti: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElwgN8ah4po

*title quote by david bowie.