tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194293742024-03-22T00:23:16.755+00:00Irk The PuristsFrom Shakatak to Shostakovich, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs to NoMeansNo, Candi Statton to Candi Payne, Aphex Twin to the Andrews Sisters. MP3s, unsupported assertions and contentious drivel.Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-2269362428705622082014-07-31T23:53:00.001+01:002014-07-31T23:53:47.751+01:00See Jungle! See Jungle!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One more, while I'm at it. I greatly enjoyed Jungle's last single, <i>Busy Earnin'</i>, and their newie, <i>Time</i>, is even better. </div>
Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-20167645302880403342014-07-31T23:30:00.000+01:002014-07-31T23:30:08.465+01:00Kiss FM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Also rather good is this newie from Sheffield's Slow Club. I'm not entirely sure the video suits the song, but there's no denying that <i>The Pieces</i> is a pretty fine choon, and, if there were any justice in the world, it'd be a summer no. 1 hit. Incidentally, there isn't and it won't be.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-14750852060956551902014-07-31T23:27:00.001+01:002014-07-31T23:27:50.169+01:00True Mathematics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I cocked an ear to the radio the other day I thought to myself "What a lovely female voice. I wonder who it is?"<br />
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It turned out to be the (decidedly male) Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend, guesting on Sbtrkt's new release. And rather good it is too. Entitled <i>New Dorp, New York</i>, I was going to put it in contention for this year's Worst Title award, until I discovered that there actually<i> is</i> a place called New Dorp in New York. Every day's a school day.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-11651443679982072212014-05-30T13:08:00.003+01:002014-05-30T13:08:47.151+01:00Heads You Win<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I recently got talking to a nice chap from a band called <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/25/stats">Stats</a>. He said they were influenced by Talking Heads, which is something you don't hear very often. Like the Associates, like Sparks, they were a singular band who clearly had a devoted following, none of whom seem to have used them as a template for further musical exploration. A shame really. I can't quite see why. Perhaps if they'd have stopped after <i>Remain In Light</i> they'd have been better remembered and more influential (though Mr. Stats and I both were fulsome in our praise of their final vinyl <i>Naked</i>). But <a href="https://soundcloud.com/statsstatsstats">listen to Stats</a> and you can definitely hear traces of the nervousness and jitteriness of, say, <i>The Great Curve</i> or <i>Crosseyed and Painless</i>.<br />
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I can also hear it in the current offering from <a href="http://tune-yards.com/">Tune Yards</a> (or tUnE-yArDs, if you must). Perhaps there's a TH revival under way? Great video, incidentally. Big up to Brian Cant and Floella Benjamin.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-1190276498192956912014-04-28T16:41:00.004+01:002014-04-28T16:41:58.555+01:00The Real McCoy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There aren't enough pop songs based on the novels of Tom Wolfe, whom long-term readers will know takes up a large amount of shelf space<i> chez ItP</i>. In fact before today I could only recall one, and that was New Kids On The Block's 1988 classic <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbIEwIwYz-c%E2%80%8E">You Got It (The Right Stuff)</a>, </i>which is clearly a <i>homage</i> to Wolfe's description of the 1960s space race <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Right_Stuff_(book)">The Right Stuff</a></i>.<br />
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So it was exciting to hear Tom Vek's <i><a href="http://noisey.vice.com/blog/premiere-tom-vek-sherman-animals-in-the-jungle-music-video">Sherman (Animals in the Jungle)</a> </i>this morning, not just because it's a catchy slice of upbeat leftfield electro-pop from one of the smartest guys in the biz, but because it's so clearly a nod towards the Sherman McCoy character in Wolfe's <i>The Bonfire of the Vanities</i>, as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/apr/08/tom-vek-new-album-2014-luck">Vek himself has admitted</a>. Enjoy.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-78519443550537670142014-04-28T16:22:00.002+01:002014-04-28T16:22:43.012+01:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-4313071181638918082014-03-09T00:09:00.000+00:002014-03-09T00:09:10.286+00:00Seeing Double<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We got to the Usher Hall a little too late to see <a href="http://www.rock-action.co.uk/">Rock Action</a>'s Remember Remember last night; they were one of the support acts for Mogwai, the other being The Pastels, who we did get to see. Is it possible to review Mogwai without alluding to that NME cliché "Cathedrals of Sound"? Probably not. So instead, in honour of the first support band, we proudly unveil the ItP rundown of the Top Ten Groups With Two Words Exactly The Same As Their Band Name.<br />
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10. Bourgie Bourgie<br />
9. Everything Everything<br />
8. Rema Rema<br />
7. Medium Medium<br />
6. Duran Duran<br />
5. Talk Talk<br />
4. The The<br />
3. Django Django<br />
2. Allez Allez<br />
1. Liquid Liquid<br />
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Incidentally, Mr. Mister, you don't make the cut. I hope I don't need to explain why.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-83784794018982873462014-02-28T23:41:00.002+00:002014-02-28T23:41:35.754+00:00Ice Ice Baby<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Among the many things that have diverted me in the past few weeks, the Winter Olympics is probably the most unlikely. But it's true, the antics of the GB curling teams, the skiers, the snowboarders and the ice skaters have all managed to rekindle a little of the London 2012 magic, even if you can't quite escape the nagging feeling that careening down an icy half-pipe on a glorified tea tray with little to no control over your descent is more a contest of luck than skill. Hell, I even enjoyed the countless documentaries about Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's ice skating triumph in Sarajevo 30 years ago (and incidentally is it acceptable to say Jayne Torvill in 1984- meh; Jayne Torvill in 2014- phwoar? No? Ok then).<br />
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All that exposure to Ravel's <i>Bolero</i> sent me back to one of my favourite albums of the last few years, <i>Deutsche Grammophon Recomposed </i>by Carl Craig and Moritz Von Oswald, one of a series in which various artistes from outside the slightly anal word of classical music are invited to remix and generally mess around with the august Deutsche Grammophon catalogue. The artists invited thus far include Jimi Tenor, Matthew Herbert and Edinburgh's very own Max Richter. Now I've never thought very highly of Carl Craig, even though I own a few of his records, because he was idiotic enough to insist on posing on the cover of The Wire holding a gun, the sort of buffoonish behaviour you might expect from the P Diddys of this world rather than supposedly thoughtful techno DJs. Moritz Von Oswald, on the other hand, I have a lot of time for; I mean, you have to tip your hat to someone who was an occasional member of the Associates as well as founding the Basic Channel label. Anyway, however the workload was divided, between them they came up with a superb piece of work, remixing the aforementioned <i>Bolero</i>, as well as Mussorgsky's <i>Pictures at an Exhibition</i>. The <i>Bolero</i> rerub is nothing short of spectacular, building over an intro section and four movements, from a series of repeated string and horn motifs to a full-on Detroit floor filler. With parts drafting in and out of phase à la Steve Reich, it's entirely of a piece with Deutsche Grammophon's ethos and never feels forced. This isn't <i>Hooked On Classics</i>. The original Ravel, incidentally, is played by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert Von Karajan, which no doubt explains the exquisite packaging of the CD , featuring numerous piccies of the two remixers in and around Hans Scharoun's still-gobsmacking Berlin Philharmonic building (above). Anyway, purchase or download are recommended highly. There's a taster below, the<i> Second Movement</i>,which gives you a bit of a feel for how it builds over time. And it may also make you think of Jayne Torvill. Which is nice.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/ReComposed-Carl-Craig-Moritz-Oswald/dp/B001EGGBFM">Buy the CD here</a></div>
Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-23960205553390515082014-02-18T20:10:00.002+00:002014-02-18T20:10:22.584+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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RIP Bob Casale (1952-2014)</div>
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-13229733608401266582014-01-31T11:14:00.003+00:002014-01-31T11:14:44.324+00:00After the Gramme<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In my Albums of the Year last month, I was remiss in forgetting that Gramme had put out a (terrific) long player in 2013, and I'd like to correct that omission. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GRAMMEBAND">Gramme</a> chose to return to recording some 14 years after their initial, well-received punk-funk offering (see <a href="http://irkthepurists.blogspot.com/2006/09/clever-trevor.html">posts <i>passim</i></a>); why they failed to capitalise on their moment at the start of the 21st century, just as Simon Reynolds was finishing writing <i>Rip It Up</i>, and when Output Records was the last word in metropolitan chic, is beyond me (though an even more egregious example of missing the boat also arrived in 2013 when Johnny Hates Jazz issued an album 22 years after the last one). Whatever their reasons for their 14 year hiatus (and they're being slightly opaque about why they've been away), I'm very happy they're back; the sound-- dirty scuzzy raunch-- is still intact, and they seem to be in it for the long(ish) haul, talking about future tours, new albums etc.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-26620195116969771152014-01-31T10:51:00.001+00:002014-01-31T10:51:45.244+00:00Daddy Cool<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's a long way from the Bronx to the Barras, but Scotland's hip hop scene (and no, that's not a typo) is thriving, and nowhere more so than Auld Reekie. The excellent <a href="http://stanleyodd.com/">Stanley Odd </a>were nominated for the Scottish Album of the Year award last year (and in a country that has consistently punched above its weight musically, that's not as parochial an award as it might seem). And the <a href="http://www.young-fathers.com/">Young Fathers</a>, who have put out a couple of semi-official mixtapes prior to now, are about to release their first official album through Anticon/Big Dada. They're on tour from Feb 1st, and this is the first single. It's fantastic.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-9479156717584053842014-01-31T10:24:00.001+00:002014-01-31T10:24:17.745+00:00For Whom The Bells Toll<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In case you weren't convinced that life is inherently unfair, the news that <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/dec/31/school-of-seven-bells-benjamin-curtis-dies">Benjamin Curtis was a late addition to 2013's RIP list </a>should clinch it. As pretty much one half of School of Seven Bells, as well as the prime mover of Secret Machines, Curtis was responsible for some of the most striking music of the last five years, and the 2012 album <i>Ghostory</i> was one of the year's best. If they'd had a dollar for every critic that mentioned the Cocteau Twins in their reviews, they'd have been millionaires, but in truth, while any Cocteau Twins influences in anyone's oeuvre are entirely welcomed by this particular critic, they were far more than mere copyists. The crunching beats that accompanied their ethereal leanings were rarely heard on 4AD (with the exceptions of M/A/R/R/S and Colourbox), and seem to owe more to Def Jam than Dif Juz. However you slice it, though, pegging out at the age of 33, when stadium-filling acclaim seems to be within your grasp, is particularly cruel.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-71609136003852542072013-12-31T21:16:00.001+00:002014-01-01T15:18:27.890+00:00End of Year Review 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yes, it's that much-unloved feature once again, a budget version of Charlie Brooker's <i>Screenwipe</i>, only not as good. Or funny. On with the show...<br />
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<b>RIP</b><br />
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Ronald Shannon Jackson, Nelson Mandela, Lou Reed, Al Goldstein, Joan Fontaine, Paul Walker, James Gandolfini, Peter O'Toole, Cory Monteith, Elmore Leonard, Karen Black, Dennis Farina, Ray Manzarek, Trevor Bolder, Ray Harryhausen, Marcia Wallace, George Jones, Roger Ebert, David Frost, Mel Smith, Alan Whicker, Richard Briers, Michael Winner, Cecil Womack, Reg Presley, Richard Griffiths, Iain Banks, Mick McManus, Bill Pertwee, Jeff Hanneman, Bernie Nolan, George Duke, Jon Brookes, Seamus Heaney, John Fortune, Donald Byrd, Junior Murvin, Mick Farren, JJ Cale<br />
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<b>Most Bastardised Word in the Media</b><br />
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A close-run thing this year. "Selfie" was certainly in the running, not only because it transmuted into "belfie" over the course of 8 months (thanks, Daily Mail), but also because it now seems to mean any hastily-captured portrait of a person taken on a smartphone and then uploaded to a social networking site, and not just a self-portrait. Note the recent pictures of Nigella Lawson holding a roasted Christmas turkey on a platter up to the camera. Most tabloids rose to the bait and printed the pic and many of them used the word "selfie", despite the fact that both of Ms. Lawson's Hands were clearly visible in the picture, holding the damn bird. Unless Lawson has a third hand we haven't heard about (and I think, given her recent court appearances, the Grillo sisters' lawyers would have introduced it<br />
in evidence), I can only assume that the pic was taken by one of the members of #teamcupcake. In<br />
which case, it's not a selfie, but an old-fashioned photograph. But boring old photos aren't sexy and can't be used as clickbait by newspapers, and so any old photo of a person is henceforward a selfie. Cheers.<br />
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But no, "selfie" isn't the most egregious example of meaning-changing this year. The accolade goes to "troll", once a very specific term meaning someone who lurks on Internet fora and posts messages to draw the ire of other forum users, and who then sits back and enjoys the results (for example, the poster who might visit a Death Metal forum and mention how much they're enjoying the new Justin Bieber single, to predictable howls of outrage from regular forum users.). While I'm not going to argue that these trolls were on a par with the emergency services, charity volunteers or school crossing guards, they DID perform a valuable service, namely pricking pomposity and exposing the monocultural mindset of many internet boards. A troll was NOT someone who simply gratuitously insulted others, or was merely obnoxious. There are already numerous terms for such people. "Dickheads" is one. Unfortunately, the newspapers have decreed in the last few years that anyone with unpalatable opinions is a "troll". Thus xenophobe Godfrey Bloom is a troll. As is the homophobic James Arthur. As is Katie Hopkins, who was recently declared 2013's troll of the year<br />
by the Guardian (who should know better), for her inflammatory pronouncements. Katie and the others besmirch the good name of real trolls in two ways; first, the opinions they hold are, as far as I can tell, real and genuine rather than simply voiced for effect (though I suspect Ms. Hopkins is prone to exaggeration with an eye to newspaper sales). Second, Godfrey Bloom and Katie Hopkins (and many others in the Guardian list) choose not to promulgate their bile online, but in rather more traditional media. All therefore are not trolls (a sobriquet that flatters them, and makes them seem seem slightly less unpleasant and more cartoonish). Rather, they're old-fashioned cunts.<br />
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<b>Most annoying auto-correct tic on a tablet</b><br />
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The way that "selfie" keeps auto-correcting to "selfish".<b> </b><br />
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<b>Biggest stramash over a slightly-above average song</b><br />
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I refrained from<b> </b>mentioning "twerking" above, just as I've refrained from mentioning Robin Thicke's <i>Blurred Lines</i> this year (the acres of press coverage this far have been sufficient without me weighing in). But what a lot of fuss over what, essentially, is a mash-up of Marvin Gaye's <i>Got To Give It Up</i>, and the theme tune to <i>Only Fools and Horses. </i>The<i> </i>banning of the song<i> </i>by a number of student unions, too (a mere three months late) was a gross over-reaction. I'm not going to argue that there's no link between culture and morality and behaviour, but if they're going to ban Thicke because there are some slightly off-colour and sexist attitudes in <i>Blurred Lines</i>, they'd better ban a whole slew of other songs too. God forbid, for example, that these drones should ever hear Rolling Stones' <i>Under My Thumb</i>. Or Daft Punk's <i>Get Lucky</i> (which seems to be about keeping a girl up way past her bedtime<br />
till she's too exhausted and drunk to say no). Or whole chunks of the oeuvre of Led Zeppelin. Or R Kelly. I could go on. Have they forgotten what rock 'n' roll is a euphemism for?<br />
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<b>Most over-rated artist</b><br />
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Kanye West. What is the continuing appeal of this blowhard? His recent release has appeared on quite a few best-of lists. I really can't hear it. Mediocre rapping, rudimentary beats, an overweening, out-of-control ego that thinks that fighter jets at a wedding are a good idea... The guy is a cast-iron idiot.<br />
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I mentioned The Clash below, and despite strong competition from a couple of <a href="http://%3ciframe%20width%3d%22560%22%20height%3d%22315%22%20src%3d%22//www.youtube.com/embed/ab9176Srb5Y%22%20frameborder=%220%22%20allowfullscreen%3E%3C/iframe%3E">Strut</a> compilations<br />
(Trevor Jackson's second stab at Metal Dance, and the Celluloid retrospective), the Clash's box set edges it, because it reminds you of what a great and diverse group they were, and how far they travelled sonically over 5 years, and also because it includes a number of tracks from Mick Jones' first pass at <i>Combat Rock</i>, <i>Rat Patrol from Fort Bragg</i>. Yet again, <i>Cut The Crap</i> has been airbrushed from history, but as I've said once before about the same group, you can't have everything.<br />
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I've been listening a lot to Justin Timberlake's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEzREJbln-o"><i>Take Back The Night</i>,</a> the greatest single Michael Jackson never made, but the best thing I heard this year was Eminem's <i>Berzerk</i>, an insanely catchy slice of old-school hip hop, produced by a returned-to-form Rick Rubin. Like the best rock 'n' roll, and like the Def Jam singles of 1984 that seemingly inspired it, it makes you want to kick over a dustbin. Much of its energy comes courtesy of that buzz-saw guitar chord (from Billy Squier's <i>The Stroke</i>), but deft sampling and Mathers' wordplay make this the must-hear track of 2013.<br />
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Valiant efforts from Chvrches, James Blake, Vampire Weekend (a bit of a grower, that one), Savages, Jon Hopkins and Steve Mason, but I particularly enjoyed<a href="http://jessylanza.com/"> Jessy Lanza's debut</a>. As long-term readers will know, I'm a sucker for females doing things with sequencers, and if you like Ladytron, Roisin Murphy or Marsheaux, there's a good chance you'll like <i>Pull My Hair Back</i>, Ms. Lanza's 2013 release. On the mighty Hyperdub label, it's got enough going on to satisfy twitchy dub step-addicted short attention-span teens, but is smooth enough not to scare the horses and to ensure occasional mainstream radio play. You can even play it at dinner parties. Recommended.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.231373); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118);">The trouble with American series, as I've told anyone who'll listen, is that they so rarely know when to bow out. Most writers pitch a story idea, with little sense of how the story is going to end, and as long as people are watching, and advertisers are paying money, they will usually keep churning out episodes. And so most long-running comedies and dramas end in the ignominy of cancellation, a shadow of their former glories, or tie up multiple loose ends in a wholly unsatisfying fashion (<i>Lost</i>, anyone?). </span><i>Breaking Bad, </i>one of the few exceptions to this rule<i>, </i>was absolutely excellent, and we devoured the whole series at Irk Towers in just a few weeks. But <i>Homeland</i>, which I initially championed for its nuanced take on terrorism and patriotism, and then like many grew disillusioned with in its second series as it seemed to descend into one-dimensional US boosterism, returned to something close to its original form at the climax of its third series. I wish they'd gone out on this high, but a fourth series is planned. Whether they can maintain the standard of the final episodes without one of the series' major characters remains to be seen.</div>
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-4190260626659981672013-12-29T12:35:00.002+00:002013-12-29T12:35:31.390+00:00Two Sevens' Clash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
While we're wallowing in nostalgia for 1977, and generally acting like the fictional letter-writer in <i>Not The Nine O'Clock News</i> who would gladly sell his house and all its contents to help the BBC, a quick plug for a great show I enjoyed on Boxing Day, This Is Radio Clash, presented by the three surviving members of the group. No one will be surprised by their inclusion of tracks by Junior Murvin or Grandmaster Flash, but I, for one, was taken aback by Mick's selection of a very recent Prefab Sprout tune. The stories were good, the banter flowed and their imitation of Bernie Rhodes was welcome. It's a shame there wasn't five minutes given over to celebrity osteopath <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Chimes">Terry Chimes</a>, but you can't have everything. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01nxvg7">You can listen here for a limited time.</a> </div>
Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-87617499941941602582013-12-29T12:15:00.002+00:002013-12-29T12:15:53.102+00:00Temple's Run<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
More churlish souls would probably be irritated at the way Julien Temple continually churns out Sex Pistols documentaries. However, when the documentaries are as good as <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03ncggy"><i>Never Mind the Baubles</i></a>, the improbable tale of (what turned out to be) the Sex Pistols' final British gigs on Xmas Day in Huddersfield, the churls should pipe down. The footage of the gigs themselves (one in the afternoon for the families of striking firemen, at which a gleeful Johnny Rotten cavorted with children to Boney M's <i>Daddy Cool </i>before handing out cake, followed by one in the evening) was limited, but it was given context by interviews with the surviving band members, and by contemporaneous footage of Britain in 1977, from Top of The Pops to TV ads for Smash, and from vox pops to political footage. While this has all been done before (seemingly, no punk documentary is complete without image of overflowing bins in Leicester Square), it was the sheer diversity of the contextual material that really set <i>Never Mind the Baubles </i>apart, and which really does credit to the researchers and director. The rights-clearances alone must have taken an age. The additional material showed Britain in the 1970s to be even stranger, even more brown and grey than I remember- the short clip of the man in the pub proudly placing a red hot poker into his pint of cloudy cider before noisily and messily slurping it down is now etched on my retinas. You've got four more days to watch it on the iPlayer, though with luck, like most of these BBC4 docs, it'll come around again. <br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-27711540040689203342013-12-24T14:27:00.002+00:002013-12-24T14:27:26.006+00:00Frank in a Sense<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
And just in case you think the Stepkids (below) aren't festive enough, here's the late Chris Sievey aka Frank Sidebottom to get the party started. And please,<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2268198/Michael-Fassbender-Frank-Sidebottom-First-look-gets-character-set.html"> this film can't come soon enough</a>. <br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-51517557224467951832013-12-24T14:10:00.001+00:002016-07-26T16:35:29.983+01:00Gilles' Play<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I may not have mentioned this, but <i>chez Irk</i> we have a Gilles-ometer, a device that we can hold next to the stereogram to ascertain the exact Gilles Peterson-ness of any given tune. Constructed using some oscillators and VU meters we found in a skip, connected to the finest plastic tubing, some 13 amp fuses, a metal colander and a stock of bargain-bin Young Disciples CDs, it's not pretty but it performs its job with considerable aplomb. Holding it next to the speakers when, say, Metallica's<i> Enter Sandman</i> is playing, elicits nary a flicker. Some gangster rap by the Geto Boys produces a little more movement on the needle, but not much. Not smooth enough, too many rough edges. The more polished tones of French rapper MC Solaar finally brings the Gilles-ometer into life, as does anything on the Acid Jazz label, early dubstep and Fela Kuti.<br />
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Anyway, I mention this because earlier this year, we nearly broke the damn thing when we exposed it to James Blake's <i><a href="http://youtu.be/yAEkGbGiv7I">Retrograde</a></i>. The needles on the meters were pushing into the red, the device started to smoke and we thought with some satisfaction that we'd discovered the most Gilles Peterson-esque record ever, the one that took our homemade contraption up to 11. That was until earlier this month, when a record we'd never heard before came out of our radio. Sounding like a mash-up of Prince, Everything Everything and Steely Dan, it was smooth, quirky, instantly catchy, and we held up the Gilles-ometer expectantly. Sure enough, it immediately started peaking, its needles oscillating wildly*, and smoke began to pour from its roughly-hewn innards. Finally it combusted, and the pile of smoking ash and acrid burned plastic bears testament to what is definitively, officially the most Gilles Peterson-esque tune ever. Here it is:<br />
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And just in case you think I'm merely being facetious, I happen to agree with the Gilles-ometer. It's ace. The video less so, but there's no arguing with the tune.
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*apologies to Smiths fans.
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-25060276521167948682013-12-07T15:53:00.002+00:002013-12-07T15:53:59.464+00:00Beyond our Ken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On the occasion of the demise of Brit jazz legend Stan Tracey, here's a bizarre and revealing (at least in parts)<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/nov/13/jazz1"> interview he did a few years ago with the Right Hon Ken Clarke MP</a>. <br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-82639114960490965412013-11-29T23:35:00.002+00:002013-11-29T23:35:25.668+00:00Around the Horn<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm extremely gratified to see the revival of one of my favourite blogs of the year, <a href="http://artofztt.com/">The Art of ZTT</a>, which burst into life in January with an avowed mission to document the photography and graphic design around one of the seminal record labels of the last 30 years, but which seemingly petered out in March almost as soon as it had begun. Happily it's back, with a batch of recent postings including an interview with the <a href="http://yvonnegilbert.com/">illustrator of the <i>Relax</i> cover</a>. Its a terrific-looking blog, almost as good-looking as the work of the illustrators, designers and photographers it documents, notably XLZTT, Accident, John Stoddart, A.J.Barratt and others. It's also terrifically well-informed and researched, and, if nothing else, serves as a salutary reminder that while Peter Saville, Mark Farrow, Malcolm Garrett and others may have garnered the most headlines in Design Week, there was plenty of innovative and eye-catching work going on elsewhere.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-50220616352224876392013-10-20T14:01:00.000+01:002013-11-07T08:51:03.233+00:00Dolby Laboratories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Leafing through today's Daily Mail (hey, it's for research purposes only), I <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2468391/Justin-Bieber-fan-Toby-Sheldon-33-100k-plastic-surgery-look-like-idol.html">was gratified to read the heart-warming story of a 33 year old man who has spent $100,000 on plastic surgery in a quest to make himself look more like his pop star idol</a>. And I have to admit, it's money very well spent. He very closely resembles Thomas Dolby in his pomp. <br />
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Wait, hang on a second...what do you mean he was trying to look like Justin Bieber?<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-12426855528114924812013-10-18T14:31:00.001+01:002013-10-18T14:31:28.698+01:00Chips Ahoy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As I've said here before, Hot Chip are one of those bands that, on paper, should entirely float my boat. In reality, they rarely get me as excited as they should. This, though, from Hot Chip member Joe Goddard, is entirely lovely and follows a string of great releases on Goddard's <a href="http://www.greco-roman.co.uk/">Greco-Roman</a> label. Which is making me wonder; maybe it's Alexis Taylor that's holding them back from greatness and keeping them in the realms of averageness.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-85321637616920368362013-10-18T14:22:00.002+01:002013-10-18T14:22:29.204+01:00Set too<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...and speaking of El, Cherry Red and Mike Alway, <a href="http://www.themonochromeset.co.uk/">The Monochrome Set</a> are seemingly back, back, back with a new album and tour. Here they are in their heyday on The Tube :<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-64495611933165238992013-10-18T14:13:00.001+01:002013-10-18T14:13:13.643+01:00Winsome, losesome<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
...and taking of fake identities, <a href="http://thequietus.com/articles/13622-simon-fisher-turner-interview-epic-of-everest">here's a great interview with Simon Fisher-Turner</a>. As well as rubbing shoulders with Jonathan King, Derek Jarman, Mike Alway and Daniel Miller- not all at the same time, sadly-, Simon was once one half of Deux Filles, purportedly two winsome French girls making beatless guitar music (think a Gallic Durutti Column) but in reality Fisher-Turner, along with Colin Lloyd Tucker, both in drag. His oeuvre is well worth a listen, in particular his stuff as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s27HSyloxwM">The King of Luxembourg</a>, and you can buy <a href="http://www.ltmrecordings.com/deux_filles.html">Deux Filles CDs and read a full bio here</a>.<br />
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Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-57472914458738384212013-10-16T23:40:00.002+01:002013-10-16T23:40:55.193+01:00That's a Rap<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I should draw your attention to two documentaries, both good, one of them great. Both touch on a genre with a vested interest in "keeping it real", and both paradoxically concerned with fakery. The first, <i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01jh9j9">The Great Hip Hop Hoax</a></i> (available for another 6 days on iPlayer) told the story of Silibil 'n' Brains, purportedly two Californian Eminem-alikes, but who were really two college pals from Arbroath and Dundee respectively, and who inked a deal with Sony, partied with the stars and supported D12 back in 2004. It's a fascinating story, extremely well told using contemporaneous footage, interviews with music biz talking heads, animation and commentary from then then-estranged duo themselves, speaking in their native brogue rather than the Californian twang they affected to get themselves signed. Ostensibly a cautionary tale, it seems to have had an unexpected coda, as the pair have become reacquainted <a href="http://www.silibilnbrains.com/">and seemingly relaunched their musical careers. </a><br />
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The other documentary, <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-W1muPO8rg">I Want My Name Back</a></i>, has some similarities, outlining the story of the Sugarhill Gang and their fractious and litigious relationship with the label that gave them their name. A story of fakery and subterfuge, it told of how Sylvia Robinson of Sugarhill repeatedly inserted her name into the writing credits of Sugarhill artists, how her husband and business partner withheld royalties from the bands, and, most egregiously, of how the group had their band name and (in the case of two of them-Master Gee and Wonder Mike) even their own rap pseudonyms trademarked behind their backs. The net result of this chicanery was that he group was left unable to perform, their efforts being thwarted by lawyers at every turn. The David vs. Goliath narrative, though, was slightly undermined by the less-than-black-and-white nature of the participants, a point elided over by the documentary makers. What might initially appear as a clear-cut case of identity theft was attenuated by the fact that one of the original group members (Big Bank Hank) was still performing with the supposed usurpers, making this less a case of straightforward imitation, and more one of factionalism, akin to that of many rock groups the world over- cf the Sugababes. Also not dwelt upon in this tale of piracy and copyright refutation was the fact that the group's most successful song, <i>Rappers' Delight</i>, was itself based upon a stolen piece of music by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, both of whom went uncredited during the song's heyday. Despite these cavils, the sheer magnetism of Wonder Mike and Master Gee was enough to convince this viewer that while they may not have had the sole rights to the name and the songs, as they claim, they have a stronger case to be called the official Sugarhill Gang than do those who are the current legal owners of it. The doc is available on Netflix and on iTunes. </div>
Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19429374.post-77252299285901065202013-10-16T23:02:00.001+01:002013-10-16T23:02:53.407+01:00Double trouble<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If it is, I should have been deeply flattered to come across another blog on a rival blogging platform with exactly the same name as this one...<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://irkthepurists.wordpress.com/">http://irkthepurists.wordpress.com/</a></span><br />
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No, it's not me. Christ, I can barely manage a post per month on this one, so I'm hardly likely to start another one, am I? Strangely, though, it does have a similarly broad approach to popular culture as this blog...Focus, Osymyso, John Carpenter... and the guy (?) can certainly write well. I LOLed at his description of <i>RockBox</i> being played at ASBO-level volume. Sadly, it seems to have crashed and burned after a couple of months. Which means you're just going to have to put up with me. And if it does come back to life, well, c'est la vie. I don't own the name, and anything that draws more attention to Nigel Blackwell is OK by me.</div>
Irk The Puristshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15617703600027431810noreply@blogger.com0