The Same and the ther

The News Review:

- The Same and the ther
- Fucking in the Streets – Music – Fucking in the Streets – The…
- … Kurt Cobain & More: New Releases – News Story | Music…
- Is pop music bad for your health?

The Same and the ther
PopMatters – Feb 19, 2008
Almost always through-composed and frequently played at bewilderingly fast speeds their songs rarely let an idea last for more than 45 seconds before it is steamrolled by an entirely different idea. It’s a challenging sound to say the least. It doesn’t shock me that experimental music legend John Zorn was fond enough of Ahleuchatistas to reissue their second album 2004’s The Same and the ther on his Tzadik label. Zorn’s endorsement should expose the band to thousands more listeners the kind who don’t flinch when suffixes like “prog-” and “math-” are attached to their rock music. Everyone else though should probably steer clear. After a three-second intro of blast beats straight out of a death metal record opener “Cracked Teeth” runs through at least five distinct sections in less than three minutes. At the beginning of the song drummer Sean Dail crams so many snare rolls and hi-hat trills into his rhythms that he almost falls out of sync with the rest of the band… Zorn’s endorsement should expose the band to thousands more listeners the kind who don’t flinch when suffixes like “prog-” and “math-” are attached to their rock music. Everyone else though should probably steer clear. After a three-second intro of blast beats straight out of a death metal record opener “Cracked Teeth” runs through at least five distinct sections in less than three minutes. At the beginning of the song drummer Sean Dail crams so many snare rolls and hi-hat trills into his rhythms that he almost falls out of sync with the rest of the band. At another point the song takes a 12-second detour into funk before launching into a series of false endings. The song peaks when guitarist Shane Perlowin and bassist Derek Poteat start wrenching abrasive screeches and diddles from their instruments. Their ability to make such a racket is pretty impressive considering that both Perlowin and Poteat play sans effects.

Fucking in the Streets – Music – Fucking in the Streets – The…
TheStranger.com – Feb 19, 2008
Too often elsewhere though the band sound likea weak Everclear or an indie-rock John Cougar Mellencamp right down tothe inexplicable fiddle. Even worse was the lead singer’s weirdoverconfident banter which was less affable and funny than it wascheesy. peners Sleepy Eyes of Death lack any banter whatsoever—theirsmoke and color-lit stage goes dark and silent between songs—butthey make up for it with a fairly hypnotic live show. For all the talkabout how visual Sleepy Eyes are I can’t help but think that allthe smoke and backlighting is almost antivisual as it completelyobscures the band for most of their show forcing the audience toconcentrate instead on the actual music—the slow sweepingsynths the Moroder-worthy arpeggios the processed guitar the biglive drums—behind the slowly shifting fog. When the smoke clearsa bit toward the end of their set you see a band rocking out harderthan their ambience would suggest banging on the drums swinging aguitar through the smoke nodding hard into their keyboards. NEURSIS @ NEUM’SEverybody throws around words like “brutal” “punishing” andother S&M jargon to describe Neurosis and yes they’re veryloud and they have their truly metal moments. But Neurosis’s darkslow-churning ambient metal is as pretty and groovy as it is pummeling(I say this despite the fact that Neurosis look like the kind of bandwho might punch you for calling them “pretty”)… When the smoke clearsa bit toward the end of their set you see a band rocking out harderthan their ambience would suggest banging on the drums swinging aguitar through the smoke nodding hard into their keyboards. NEURSIS @ NEUM’SEverybody throws around words like “brutal” “punishing” andother S&M jargon to describe Neurosis and yes they’re veryloud and they have their truly metal moments. But Neurosis’s darkslow-churning ambient metal is as pretty and groovy as it is pummeling(I say this despite the fact that Neurosis look like the kind of bandwho might punch you for calling them “pretty”). Their show at Neumo’son Sunday was trance inducing the band’s slow-motion film ofexplosions and wilting flowers combining with the humid heat of thepacked room to make it feel like some sweat-lodge vision quest. Epic isa word we can all agree on. Truckasauras and Sleepy Eyes of Death play The Stranger’sYoung nes showcase a benefit for Real Change Thurs March 6 atNeumo’s and Sole Repair 8 pm $5 21+. For more about the Young nesgo to.

… Kurt Cobain & More: New Releases – News Story | Music…
MTV.com – Feb 19, 2008
VP: Atlas Sound’s Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel· This ambient project revolves around one guy — Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox — and the new album was created and produced entirely by him. With sounds ranging from drone punk to techno beats Mbira loops and more songs on the 14-track effort include “Small Horror” “Ready Set Glow” and “Recent Bedroom. ” “I want to make music that could be ‘healing’ or therapeutic to people who relate to it” Cox said in a statement. Prez: Kingdom of Sorrow’s Kingdom of Sorrow· This side project by Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta and Down’s Kirk Windstein dished up 11 tracks of straight-up metal for its debut including “Hear This Prayer for Her” “Screaming Into the Sky” and “Demon Eyes (Demonized). VP: Ascension of the Watchers’ Numinosum· This project features Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell and keyboardist John Bechdel and also has 11 tunes’ worth of heavy goodness including “Canon for My Beloved” “Moonshine” and “Quintessence. Prez: 3′s The End Is Begun· The New York prog-rockers have been getting a big push this year thanks to their deal with Metal Blade — and in fact Jordan Mancino drummer for As I Lay Dying which is another MB band recently told MTV News that he’s been digging 3 lately too… With sounds ranging from drone punk to techno beats Mbira loops and more songs on the 14-track effort include “Small Horror” “Ready Set Glow” and “Recent Bedroom. ” “I want to make music that could be ‘healing’ or therapeutic to people who relate to it” Cox said in a statement. Prez: Kingdom of Sorrow’s Kingdom of Sorrow· This side project by Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta and Down’s Kirk Windstein dished up 11 tracks of straight-up metal for its debut including “Hear This Prayer for Her” “Screaming Into the Sky” and “Demon Eyes (Demonized). VP: Ascension of the Watchers’ Numinosum· This project features Fear Factory frontman Burton C. Bell and keyboardist John Bechdel and also has 11 tunes’ worth of heavy goodness including “Canon for My Beloved” “Moonshine” and “Quintessence. Prez: 3′s The End Is Begun· The New York prog-rockers have been getting a big push this year thanks to their deal with Metal Blade — and in fact Jordan Mancino drummer for As I Lay Dying which is another MB band recently told MTV News that he’s been digging 3 lately too. This re-release of their 2007 effort has a cover of Pink Floyd’s “See Emily Play” as well as a bonus DVD that culls assorted live performances.

Is pop music bad for your health?
La Scena Musicale – Feb 20, 2008
The assumption in the popular press is that music with violent lyrics leads to violent crime and the louder and longer the exposure the greater the likelihood of anti-social behaviour. See a hooded youth on the upper deck shaking and swaying to a noise that leaks from his headphones and many passengers will be on their guard. This precautionary view of popular music has taken root with politicians and officials who are quick to ban artists they consider a risk to society. The charismatic and articulate rapper Snoop Dogg for instance was prohibited in 2006 from re-entering the United Kingdom after a scuffle at Heathrow airport. He remains on the exclusion list despite assurances of good behaviour for reasons that may have more to do with his myth than his music… Their parents sued Judas Priest and lost. In the range of triggers for the tragedy the album – despite such lyrics as ‘he had enough’ and ‘do it!’ was no more culpable than the state’s gun law and cheap beer. Several research projects show that heavy metal fans are likely to have a low regard for women while rap listeners have a higher tendency to aggression. An unpublished study quoted by North and his co-author David Hargreaves calculates that teenagers who listen to a lot of to rap music are three times more likely to hit a teacher. They also drive faster and have unsafe sex. What’s missing though is a smoking gun. There is little to demonstrate that social music causes social problems and much to suggest that violence in music is simply a truthful reflection of existing urban tensions.