Today, there is no album review, but instead, a concert review. On Monday evening, I was fortunate enough to catch Mogwai in concert, at Omaha's Slowdown.
The opening act was the all-male band Women. I missed part of their set due to the parking situation, in that spaces were generally unavailable within a couple blocks of the venue. However, Women was/were pretty good, if a bit uninspired. They sounded very much like a younger, less ominous cousin to Mogwai, albeit one that paid more attention to their song times (for better or worse). They rocked fairly hard, though I wish their songs could have been a little more dramatic. As one concertgoer in earshot said, "no band should end their set with a three minute track. I demand that a set be closed with at least six minutes of rocking my ass off."
Mogwai came out in relatively short order, and opened with "Friend of the Night". The band did a good job of playing through their back catalogue, giving the crowd songs from Young Team all the way up through their last couple of albums. (I was particularly pleased to hear some tracks from Happy Songs For Happy People, including "Hunted By A Freak".) While I thought Mogwai was very good, and quite musically talented, my memories from this show will likely be of the audience as much as the performers. The crowd was quite appreciative though not overly bouncy; however, the number of obnoxious drunks in attendance was surprisingly high. One woman somewhere in the back of the audience screamed between songs for the better half of the show before, I assume, being allowed to plague the general public and not the facility itself. It must be nice to be able to sleep in on Tuesday.
Overall, the show was quite enjoyable; Mogwai, despite being something of a down-tempo band, connected with the crowd quite well. I don't know that this was the be-all end-all of post-rock shows, but I certainly enjoyed the experience. Now, about those Explosions in the Sky tickets...
In Other News:
Support Your Local Catgun returns to its regular format sometime, or not.
The weekend looks to be mostly busy but good-busy, as opposed to why-did-i-think-this-would-work busy. I don't know if that makes sense tome or not.
I need to figure out what my next concert is going to be. It might be time for a flight somewhere.
Showing posts with label Mogwai. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mogwai. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Mr. Beast
Today's Music that Jason Finally Brought in From the Car is Mogwai's Mr. Beast. This album was released in 2006, I think, and I'm not sure why I decided to pick it up, but I did actually buy the CD.
Anyway, this album is one I've enjoyed quite a bit. Some state that this is the strongest Mogwai album, and I don't know that I completely agree (I think I'm still partial to Happy Songs For Happy People), it's still very good. It's very much a Mogwai (i.e. instrumental post-rock, though the two shouldn't be taken as synonyms) album, but it is somewhat more engaging than previous works. It also incorporates a piano on a few songs, and the piano is magnificent. These tracks ("Auto Rock", "Friend of the Night") are well plotted and eminently listenable, and even kind of pretty (for lack of a better word).
Parentheses aside, this album still has plenty of bite and brood to it. Anyone dismissing Mr. Beast after hearing the piano intro to the album clearly didn't stick around long enough for the drums, which sometimes rage, sometimes thunder, but never relax. This album doesn't have to be listened to at 11 to be enjoyed, but there are plenty of abrasive rock moments. The guitar is still king here, and its feedback has a little to say as well.
This is the type of album that has so many good tracks that picking favorites seems unfair. The opener, "Auto Rock", has a good sense of the dramatic and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Friend of the Night" is gorgeous, "Folk Death 95" and "Glasgow Mega Snake" feel like having a firm, almost abusive ear massage. Even the more minimal tracks like "I Chose Horses" stand alone well but work best in contrast to the more hard-edged songs. The album closer, "We're No Here", is a bruising bookend to "Auto Rock", a slow burn that itches right until the disc stops spinning.
In Short: a very good album, worth a listen if you can handle music that you can't really bounce to. Possibly Mogwai's best work, but certainly worth a damn even if it is not.
In Other News:
It's winter again and I am surly because of it.
Last night I had a strange dream, about chasing someone up flights and flights of a parking ramp. At the top I got into an elevator that kept accelerating, through ascent and descent, and would not stop.
I need to bake something this weekend.
Anyway, this album is one I've enjoyed quite a bit. Some state that this is the strongest Mogwai album, and I don't know that I completely agree (I think I'm still partial to Happy Songs For Happy People), it's still very good. It's very much a Mogwai (i.e. instrumental post-rock, though the two shouldn't be taken as synonyms) album, but it is somewhat more engaging than previous works. It also incorporates a piano on a few songs, and the piano is magnificent. These tracks ("Auto Rock", "Friend of the Night") are well plotted and eminently listenable, and even kind of pretty (for lack of a better word).
Parentheses aside, this album still has plenty of bite and brood to it. Anyone dismissing Mr. Beast after hearing the piano intro to the album clearly didn't stick around long enough for the drums, which sometimes rage, sometimes thunder, but never relax. This album doesn't have to be listened to at 11 to be enjoyed, but there are plenty of abrasive rock moments. The guitar is still king here, and its feedback has a little to say as well.
This is the type of album that has so many good tracks that picking favorites seems unfair. The opener, "Auto Rock", has a good sense of the dramatic and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Friend of the Night" is gorgeous, "Folk Death 95" and "Glasgow Mega Snake" feel like having a firm, almost abusive ear massage. Even the more minimal tracks like "I Chose Horses" stand alone well but work best in contrast to the more hard-edged songs. The album closer, "We're No Here", is a bruising bookend to "Auto Rock", a slow burn that itches right until the disc stops spinning.
In Short: a very good album, worth a listen if you can handle music that you can't really bounce to. Possibly Mogwai's best work, but certainly worth a damn even if it is not.
In Other News:
It's winter again and I am surly because of it.
Last night I had a strange dream, about chasing someone up flights and flights of a parking ramp. At the top I got into an elevator that kept accelerating, through ascent and descent, and would not stop.
I need to bake something this weekend.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Some Updates and Miscellany
Today I don't really have an album review - hopefully in a day or two I will review Mogwai's Mr. Beast - but I do have some thoughts on things I've likely already reviewed and am listening to.
Still listening to Okkervil River - The Stage Names and The Stand Ins today. These albums really work well together. Stage Names kind of represents a louder, fiery atmosphere, like a party full of people and noise or a big concert with a sweaty crowd, whereas Stand Ins is more like an intimate gathering, or a show with only a dozen interested people. Okkervil River might never make the next OK Computer, but I'm perfectly content to buy their well-read, slightly screechy folk-rock music.
Also, I'm listening to Come On Die Young by Mogwai. This seems to be less engaging than their later work - I don't know if I like it as well as Happy Songs for Happy People or Mr. Beast but it's still enjoyable. The songs are more reserved and not as easy to get into, possibly just not as interesting or foreboding, but I still appreciate the mood.
Finally, I've been listening to Fables by Immaculate Machine again. Some of the songs drag a little towards the end of the album, but this is a really solid work. In particular, Kathryn Calder, the female vocalist, really shines. She has a very good voice, perhaps not the greatest, but I'll be damned if her vocals don't get to me a little bit. I really like the frantic songs here - "Jarhand" is pure adrenaline nonsense that I can't get enough of.
In Other News:
I actually slept okay the past two nights! I think it might be time to get out more blankets, though.
For once, I should be taking less action and talking more. How ridiculous is that?
Still listening to Okkervil River - The Stage Names and The Stand Ins today. These albums really work well together. Stage Names kind of represents a louder, fiery atmosphere, like a party full of people and noise or a big concert with a sweaty crowd, whereas Stand Ins is more like an intimate gathering, or a show with only a dozen interested people. Okkervil River might never make the next OK Computer, but I'm perfectly content to buy their well-read, slightly screechy folk-rock music.
Also, I'm listening to Come On Die Young by Mogwai. This seems to be less engaging than their later work - I don't know if I like it as well as Happy Songs for Happy People or Mr. Beast but it's still enjoyable. The songs are more reserved and not as easy to get into, possibly just not as interesting or foreboding, but I still appreciate the mood.
Finally, I've been listening to Fables by Immaculate Machine again. Some of the songs drag a little towards the end of the album, but this is a really solid work. In particular, Kathryn Calder, the female vocalist, really shines. She has a very good voice, perhaps not the greatest, but I'll be damned if her vocals don't get to me a little bit. I really like the frantic songs here - "Jarhand" is pure adrenaline nonsense that I can't get enough of.
In Other News:
I actually slept okay the past two nights! I think it might be time to get out more blankets, though.
For once, I should be taking less action and talking more. How ridiculous is that?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Happy Songs For Happy People
Today's Music That Jason Should Have Freakin' Blogged About By Now is Mogwai's Happy Songs for Happy People. This album, in addition to being great, has a shiny silver cover! And it's worth listening to.
This is an album without lyrics; rather, the guitars do almost all the speaking. It's not much to sing along to, but the overall sound is pretty interesting. I wouldn't classify this album as 'heavy' or 'hard' but it's definitely ominous. The sound is generally reserved, though there are a couple tracks where the trend is ignored somewhat. I don't think this is that far removed from, say, Broken Social Scene, but Mogwai would definitely be the moody older brother to BSS if anything. I don't know if this is party music - I guess it depends on what kind of party it is - but this is wonderful atmospheric music, perfect for brooding or scheming.
I am a big fan of the first track - "Hunted by a Freak" - but there isn't a real weak spot in this album. "Ratts of the Capital" is pretty good, "Kids Will Be Skeletons" and "Killing all the Flies" are wonderful. "Stop Coming to My House", the album closer, has a fitting name and sound for its place; it really brings the subtle burn of the entire album to a head. In short, I like this album a great deal. It makes me really want to get my hands on Mogwai's Come On Die Young.
In other news:
Somehow, I think I am still sick. Please don't try to have makeouts with me for a few days. :(
Otherwise things are okay. Just sort of there, I guess. I'm thinking about skipping capoeira tonight in favor of sleep, and it's already making me a little cranky.
Also my keyboard is acting up so excuse typos.
This is an album without lyrics; rather, the guitars do almost all the speaking. It's not much to sing along to, but the overall sound is pretty interesting. I wouldn't classify this album as 'heavy' or 'hard' but it's definitely ominous. The sound is generally reserved, though there are a couple tracks where the trend is ignored somewhat. I don't think this is that far removed from, say, Broken Social Scene, but Mogwai would definitely be the moody older brother to BSS if anything. I don't know if this is party music - I guess it depends on what kind of party it is - but this is wonderful atmospheric music, perfect for brooding or scheming.
I am a big fan of the first track - "Hunted by a Freak" - but there isn't a real weak spot in this album. "Ratts of the Capital" is pretty good, "Kids Will Be Skeletons" and "Killing all the Flies" are wonderful. "Stop Coming to My House", the album closer, has a fitting name and sound for its place; it really brings the subtle burn of the entire album to a head. In short, I like this album a great deal. It makes me really want to get my hands on Mogwai's Come On Die Young.
In other news:
Somehow, I think I am still sick. Please don't try to have makeouts with me for a few days. :(
Otherwise things are okay. Just sort of there, I guess. I'm thinking about skipping capoeira tonight in favor of sleep, and it's already making me a little cranky.
Also my keyboard is acting up so excuse typos.
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