Gamma Knife & People-Vultures –

So I was gonna post this album last Monday, but I didn’t get around to recording it before I left. So without further ado…

Nonagon Infinity (2016), by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. An album that controversially won ARIA’s “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal” album of the year. Was it because it was bad? (Ha! Quite the opposite!) Let’s dive into the infinite loop that is Nonagon.

King Gizzard is a band based out of Melbourne, Australia and consists of 7 members in all (with two drummers no less!). In their short career of only 7 years so far they have released 11 LPs and 2 EPs. This is even more impressive when considering that three albums have come out this year alone, with a proposed two more before the year ends! It’s easy to see the band has a lot of fresh new ideas that they just can’t wait to put down on a record. Each album tends to focus on a single idea or experiment. For example, there was a completely acoustic album recorded on a farm, an entire album played with instruments tuned to microtones (notes that sit between notes, not flats or sharps, think a “one-fourth step”), and a metal album followed by a jazz album. And then there’s Nonagon.

Nonagon Infinity is pretty simple on the surface. Each song leads directly into the next one seamlessly creating this illusion of one long song (especially when later songs call back to melodies heard in a previous song). Several albums have used this idea before (Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon is a popular example), but King Gizzard decided to take it one step further. Upon first listening to the album, the listener may be slightly taken aback by the abrupt beginning and end of the album. That is until you play the album on repeat and you realize the last song perfectly bleeds into the first song. This creates the infinite loop hinted at by the title. To top things off, the album has been streaming in its entirety, forever looping on the website http://nonagoninfinity.com/ since its release last year. Located at the bottom of the page is a counter listing how many times the album has looped. When I visited it before writing this, it was somewhere around the 18,470 mark playing the song “People-Vultures”.

The album is also impressively diverse musically. From the hard rock opener “Robot Stop” that makes use of microtones, to the more psychedelic “People-Vultures” with its surrealistic lyrics, to the prog-infused “Mr. Beat” and its leading keyboard parts, to the distinctly jazzy “Invisible Face” featuring a subdued breakdown with congas, to even the metal closer of “Road Train” and its fast power chords. This, however, is the major reason that it stirred up such controversy when it won “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal” album of the year. With such distinct “non-metal” music backgrounds it was pulling from, hardcore metal fans were upset at the “diluting” of the genre. While I do understand the concern of fans to keep a genre’s sound “pure” and “true” to its roots, music (like art) doesn’t exist within a vacuum, but instead is heavily influenced by the times and the other music around it. Alright, so I may have hesitated in giving it that specific award, but the one thing that is for certain is that Nonagon Infinity is an extremely solid album all-around (even if it is hard to place a genre label on it).

I was extremely fortunate enough to catch the band in a small local bar in Boise only a week ago. They are currently on tour and I would HIGHLY recommend seeing them live. I know I’ll catch another one of their shows as soon as I get the chance 😀

Conquest –

A Martyr For My Love For You –

Alright, so no usual photos for this blog post (I’m grabbing some random ones from the internet this time) because my normal photo-taking device, my phone, completely died… 🙁
That combined with the fact that I’m writing this entry from a coffee shop in Denver means I don’t have access to the record to take another picture (I recorded the vinyl and took pictures before I left). I’ll look into replacing these photos eventually though. Now, on to the music!

Icky Thump (2007), White Stripes. The sixth and final album by the Detroit rock duo, and my personal favorite record by them 😀

The White Stripes consisted of Jack White and Meg White, who are often mistakenly thought to be siblings, but no thanks to them. When they first released their material it was as a “brother and sister duo” and to this day Jack refers to Meg as his sister in interviews. However, they were actually husband and wife, with John Gillis (Jack) adopting Meg’s last name of “White” in a role reversal. This along with other “facts” about Jack’s life have helped define his slightly eccentric character.

Coming from a Graphic Designer perspective, one of the things Jack White does really, really, and I mean really well, is branding. The White Stripes career was defined by the simple color scheme of red, white, and black. This provided a cohesive, overall visual style that linked all their work together. Even as their sound and music shifted between albums (or songs), this unifying color scheme connected the dots between musical genres that would be near impossible to imagine side-by-side. This idea of visual importance came from Jack’s belief that people really need to “see” music in the same way they “hear” it, and that strong visuals help solidify superb music. It’s for a combination of these reasons that led to a short, yet spotless discography that is extremely impressive when compared alongside most bands.

Each White Stripe album often represents a different shift in tone or focus, musically speaking. While Icky Thump may not represent the sharpest change (that award would have to go their fifth album Get Behind Me Satan), I would argue that it possibly shows off the largest range of the many influences upon the band. Ranging from their traditional foot-stomping beats, to their country and bluegrass roots, to the more exotic sounds of bagpipes and Spanish trumpets, to the gritty, familiar garage rock tunes. Overall though, the Blues is the genre that dominates the majority of this album (similar to how Folk encompassed most of their previous album).

The first song posted here, “Conquest”, features those trumpets I mentioned which bring to mind visions of matadors and Spain. There’s some impressive interplay between Jack on his guitar and the trumpets midway through the song. While jumping from the chorus into the verses the song shifts from a fast-paced rock number to a full tango. “A Martyr For My Love For You”, an excellent blues rock tune, features a much more serious tone with its lyrics than the more playful “Conquest”. Its lyrics are told from the first-person perspective of someone who loves a girl, but decides it is better to walk away from the relationship. He ultimately believes that he will eventually hurt or disappoint her. While possibly just a song, it is hard not to envision Jack White as the direct speaker of this story especially when you consider his other rather shaky relationships over the years and the many accounts of how hard it is to deal with him sometimes. Musically, the song goes from quiet to loud abruptly and then back again to quiet when entering and exiting the chorus, helping to drive home the tension and pain of the lyrics.

Even with the White Stripes officially disbanded, Jack White continues to play, both in bands and by himself. So if you run out of White Stripes stuff to listen to, remember there’s always The Dead Weather, The Raconteurs, or his (as of now) two solo albums. Happy listening! ^^

Jim –

Coat (1992 Version) –

Alright, a little later in the day this Monday than I would prefer, but here’s this week’s LP!

Ambivalence (2012), The Pin Group. Once again, another band new to me that will probably also be new to you! This time we’re flying to the other side of the world, all the way from Sweden to New Zealand 😀

The Pin Group. A band formed in 1981 Dunedin, New Zealand by Roy Montgomery, Peter Stapleton, and Ross Humphries. They would only release two 7″ singles, an EP, and then a reunion single in ’92. Their first single would be the very first record issued from the indie record label “Flying Nun Records” (with their second single as the third issued record). This would launch the beginning of a genre known as “Dunedin Sound” that would dominate the New Zealand music scene during the 80s. Music from this era was largely “lo-fi” in nature with bands using low quality recording equipment (often emphasized even more by placing microphones on the other side of the room to pickup muddled echos). While punk esthetics are clearly noticeable through the simple, yet fast bass lines and loose drumming, the overall sound differed quite a bit. Because of New Zealand’s seclusion from most of the world, the main punk scene (which was at it’s height at this time) was mostly unknown to New Zealanders. This led the genre to be largely influenced by the early Beatles (in the guitar playing), and most significantly (and surprisingly) by The Velvet Underground. The band R.E.M. (a pioneer of the Alternative Rock genre) would go on to site the “Dunedin Sound” as an important influence on their music style.

While other “Dunedin Sound” acts like The Chills, The Dead C, and The Clean became more successful, The Pin Group’s few, limited releases have proven extremely valuable and important over the years. Their album covers, designed and screen printed by Ronnie van Hout, mimicked and even rivaled that of Andy Warhol (the designer behind The Velvet Underground). Copies of the Coat single were made with 8 different cover variations. Most of their records are now worth hundreds of dollars due to their rarity, stellar visual design, and unique audio quality. This particular album is actually a 2012 limited repressing, and slightly-different-sequenced version of the 1997 CD that collected all their recordings in one place. This album is available for download on their Bandcamp homepage.

I was regretfully torn between literally every song on this solid album when it came to choosing only two songs, but I think I’m satisfied with these two options. Before you ask if there was something wrong with the recording, remember, these are supposed to be “lo-fi” with the vocals often mumbled and placed deep, deep into the mix. “Jim”, the album’s opening tune, was originally the B-side of the Coat 7″ single. It perfectly captures the magic of drone-rock by holding a single chord for just too long to be comfortable. It slowly, constantly builds from the very beginning until reaching a peak before dropping off suddenly and finishing on a softer note. The second tune “Coat”, occasionally title “Coat 2″, is fittingly the album’s closing tune. This version is not the A-side of the 7” single, but instead the A-side for the brief reunion single recorded 11 years later. And while I think I prefer the more raw and faster original version, the added harmonies and subtle changes this version brings make for a great reinterpretation.

So let’s finish this slightly lengthy entry with the back cover of the album. This is actually why I originally picked up the album. While browsing through the record store’s used collection I came across the black matte cover that features glossy black helicopters on the front. I thought it was cool, but I was more intrigue by the high-contrast color pressing of a still shot of Illya and Solo (the main characters from the 60s spy show The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). A show I’m pretty fond of, but still fairly surprised at most mentions of it (even after the recent Guy Ritchie film). Anyways my curiosity at the album’s use of the artwork is what ultimately led me to buy this album. So, in a way, I guess I have that awesome show to thank for introducing me to the amazing world of “Dunedin Sound” and the talented Pin Group xD

Are We Running Out Of Love? –

Furry White –

After my long break from LP Mondays, a lot has changed in my vinyl collection. However, there has been one significant factor in shaping my ever growing stash of records that I have to touch on. And that’s where this week’s LP comes from.

Skogens Frukter (2017), Daniel Norgren. An album printed and distributed by the online vinyl subscription service called Vinyl Me, Please. More about that at the end of this blog.

Daniel Norgren is a musician based out of Sweden and normally accompanied with a small band of one or two others. He has been releasing material since 2007, but none of it has ever made it stateside in an official physical release. Sure, you can go watch some excellent live versions of his tunes played in Brussels or have a copy of one his albums shipped from Sweden, but this compilation album was largely his break into the U.S. market back in May.

In the past few months since I discovered Norgren, he has easily topped my list of new artists for me to watch. Even though I’ve listened to a large sum of his work (multiple times now), I’m still left mostly speechless when anyone asks me to describe his music or compare him to another artist. At his core, “folk” is how I would generally describe his style. However, he constantly undermines your expectations by easing in several different sounds into his tunes. Whether it’s a touch of blues when he breaks out his harmonica, or a ballad with him at the helm on the piano, or the playfulness of his accordion (often ironically placed against bittersweet lyrics), or the other-worldliness of the organ numbers, or the lengthy jam sessions on his electric guitar. Norgren’s music somehow feels simultaneously old and deeply rooted in the past, and yet fresh and completely new.

The album title, Skogens Frukter is Swedish, meaning “Forest Fruits”. The album is something of a mixtape of Norgren’s greatest hits plus a few new, yet unreleased tracks. Printed on “Northern Lights Marble” and limited to 1000 copies (mine is numbered 260), it proved an excellent way for me to jump-start my initial interest in Norgren.

The song “Are We Running Out Of Love?” is both simple and profound in its statement. Its verses muse over different facts, such as “you give love when you get love”, and that at that moment – that moment of “love” – is when we are truly happy. The chorus then follows these statements with a question. How long will it take for everyone to experience love? And if more people aren’t experiencing love, then “Are We Running Out Of Love?”

The album’s closing song, “Furry White”, is one of the new songs released for the first time on record. It’s a little different than some of his other work. The track is nearly silent, save for a constant low hum of a synth and the occasional improvisations of a higher synth part (which almost mimics the sound of distant bagpipes). The track is calming and one can almost envision the northern lights dancing along the night sky as you listen to the tune.

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Alright, that’s about all I have to say on the record itself (and sheesh! was it a lot!), so let’s talk briefly about Vinyl Me, Please. I subscribed back in June, and boy, have I enjoyed it! I’ve discovered an impressive array of music through them, and they never cease to amaze me with their selections. Apart from the monthly vinyl LP sent your way, they have an impressive online store (which is available to even non-members, with a few select titles, discounts, and free shipping for members). If you’re into vinyl collecting, or just a music lover with a turntable, I’d HIGHLY suggest checking out Vinyl Me, Please!

One of the reasons, I chose Skogens Frukter is definitely to highlight the subscription service I’ve recently enjoyed, but also because Norgren’s very first U.S. tour begins this Friday. This is something I wouldn’t miss for anything, so I’m heading down to Denver to see what he’s like live. Go check out the tour dates to see if he’s coming to a city near you! (Most of the tickets I saw were really cheap)
->Daniel Norgren U.S. Tour<-