KATATONIA: "SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT ABOUT OUR GROWING CONFIDENCE, YOU CAN'T DENY THAT THIS IS BY FAR ONE OF THE BEST PROMO PICTURES EVER!" WELL, SHIT..NO, I CAN'T!
Well, let's see...
The new Nick Cave ABATTOIR BLUES cd/dvd combo is pretty decent and all but really just for die hard fans. I liked the last studio album but just wasn't as blown away as everyone else seemed to be, and most of these tracks are from that last record. Not to sound like a critic, but on some of these songs, his voice sounds really..well, let's just say I am surprised he let this one get out. He probably doesn't give a shit, and why should he? He's Nick Cave! There is a live version of "Christina the Astonishing" on here, though. It sounds as bleak and depressing as ever. Maybe that is my problem. I like Nick and company when he's all bummed out and shit, and these days, he's...well, pretty happy! Good for him, not so good for me. I'll survive, though. I'd get something else if you wanted to be introduced to this man and his music.
And I bought another dvd/cd combo by the Swedish band Katatonia called LIVE CONSTERNATION. I've liked this band for years and all of their releases are good, and stay good. Unlike their buddies OPETH, I haven't seemed to have lost interest in this band and their pounding gloomy dark pseudo metal music. I am surprised that they haven't caught on more in the states. However, when I listened to and watched this band on this release, I noticed that they appear to be a whole lot more seasoned and confident onstage. They even sort of pose a bit and get into it! They could break big, they are poised to. The problem I seemed to have though, is that based on previous footage I've seen, the band seemed almost timid and kind of reserved. And I liked it better that way! Now, lead singer Jonas is all "ALL RIGHT!!!" and stuff like that. However, the playing is good and there is some good selections on here, but this is just like the Nick Cave release; you don't need this unless you are a big fan and even then it would be pushing it.
I really liked the Robert Plant/Alison Krauss combo record, Raising Sand. I will give it my vote for best "adult" record of the year, it doesn't sound ANYTHING like what you would think it would, kind of ghostly at times and very understated. All of the songs are covers picked by the two singers with some help from producer T-Bone Burnett, who based on his work on the Autolux cd, is someone anyone in a band could make a damn good record with. They cover all kinds of cool songs, from Gene Clark to Tom Waits. Hell, Tom Wait's guitarist Mark Ribot plays on here, too. There are a couple of misfires for me personally but all in all, a cool cd. You could do a whole lot worse, and probably already have.
Everything else I have heard recently is old music I have already loved for years or old music that someone else has turned me on to.
No comments:
Post a Comment