3CR816

I've never heard American Idiot, but I think we can all agree the holographic posters and rubber bracelets it inspired (available from all good branches of Clinton's Cards) are a work of subversive, anti-authoritarian beauty.

Sorry, I'm in total agreement. I erroneously believed that you were implying that The Knack were an archetypical American post-punk band. But yeah, the whole thing's kind of blurry. Talking Heads and Suicide certainly have a lot of post-punk qualities sonically and conceptually: "space" in their music, electronics, funk influences, despite predating or being contemporaries of the Pistol's year zero. I'm personally not sure how useful the 'post-punk' tag is to me, since it seems to encapsulate a lot of different sounds that came out of the democratizing of music (and networks of labels, critics and fanzines) that believed in this democratisation. A band like The Residents sort of fit despite being around since the early seventies. Perhaps it's fair to say that Punk gave a lot of ostensibly arty bands a chance to break through to a different scene and audience?

I think you're maybe being a little unfair to the US post-punk era. Bands like Pere Ubu and (early) Devo and (early) B-52's were pretty special, and Iggy Pop's stuff in the late 70s like The Idiot is pretty special too (although, David Bowie was heavily involved, so I'm not sure if that's really American). There's a whole load of stuff that came out of New York in the late 70's that was simply amazing: Suicide, Lydia Lunch, James Chance... The mythology goes that Suicide went down better in Manchester than The Clash did when they toured together, but I'm not sure how that translated into influence. I adore The Clash, but I can't say I'm totally convinced by the "punk saved us from Prog" argument, especially since in later years when punks owned up to liking Prog and took influence from it, from what I understand*. Can were a big influence on PiL and John Lydon was apparently a fan. It's a useful myth since it got kids to pick up guitars, but the experimental side of prog still had an influence. A lot of punks were still middle-class and and/or educated, and the rest were Sham 69. It was an art-school movement as much as it was a street one. *have read in Simon Reynolds books

'Guitar' music has been eating itself for a while, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's done. It might mean that the bubble of public school boys with v-neck t-shirts and shaggy haircuts has burst, but thank fuck for that, frankly. Were The Libertines and The Strokes really huge enough to clone to the degree they were in the middle of the last decade until recently? Both of those bands were part of a new wave/post punk revival that also included the likes of Franz Ferndinand, The Futureheads, Bloc Party and, um, The Bravery (The Stokes get tagged as part of a garage revival, but I really can't hear it like I can in say, The Hives or The White Stripes) which got pretty exhausting pretty fast. Not that some of those bands didn't do some good stuff, just that there was a lot of it and it pretty conservative and precious. I don't blame a lot of (perhaps unadventerous) rock fans getting fed up. I'm just throwing things out here, but it's interesting that this period seemed to be twinned by electronic dance music taking on more rock textures. Justice have described 'Cross' as a heavy metal record and they've essentially just released a prog record, Soulwax/2manydjs would think nothing of having Mr Oizo and AC/DC in a DJ set, and Daft Punk would happily homage ELO. That's admittedly reductive, but around 2006/7 a lot of electronic music seemed to rock more than rock did. It also kind of meant that rock became something you did in quotes, sadly. Like Fern Cotton or a Top Shop model doing the horns. Fucking diamante Motorhead t-shirts and pre-ripped jeans. Because we've just been through an 80's revival that's lasted twice as long as the fucking eighties, we're well overdue for an early nineties one, I think. Of course, by that logic we'll end up like the late nineties eventually when the alternative rock bubble burst and we ended up with Stabbing Westward and Bush. Articles about the 'death' of rock music often focus on indie however and ignore how vital metal is. I think a lot of journalists are kind of snobby about metal. Viva Brother may be a critical and commercial dead end, but metal can still be pretty exciting and has a really enthusiastic fan base. Kids in black with stupid hair are clearly going nuts over bands with florid typefaces and months in their name, it seems. Bands like The Foo Fighters, Nickleback, Snow Patrol and Muse can draw massive crowds. I'm not a fan of any of them, but it seems that rather than guitar music being dead, it's just that the kind that London critics like to hype up is in rude health. Good. Maybe people will stop making jangly music about cheekie chappies.

Godamn it, how could I forget Remain in Light by the Talking Heads

These are all pretty good! I always tend to own my favourite albums for ages before they click and I love them. This sits beautifully at the nexus of punk and off-kilter pop for me. I was always kind of aware of Devo and some of their early eighties stuff is really good before they became too silly (Freedom of Choice isn't quite favourite album material, but it's good!) but it wasn't until I heard this that they fascinated me. Dance music seems to age really quickly, but Discovery's retro-futurism means it still feels pretty fresh. It doesn't feel like an album concerned with being cool, it's got a naievity that's really endearing. This one was a real turning point for me and the one that probably set me off digging for music and not just checking out whatever Kerrang were pushing (a dangerous proposition in the late 90s and early 00s. Wallet chains were involved). Probably the DKs most consistent album. The humour and world view of it really struck a chord with me too. I tend to purge CDs quite a lot, with less frequency as I become more aware of my tastes and reliable sources of discovering new music, but my ancient CD copy of this is in the mankiest looking cardboard sleeve ever now. A great album, but has good associations for me of chilling, going nuts on a dance floor and having good times with friends. Also to prove I don't just like bands that start with 'D'. Just so I don't bore anyone with loads and loads of pictures and bullshit storys, did I tell you these get frequent play? Well they do: Prince - Purple Rain Pixies - Doolittle Slayer- Reign in Blood XTC - Drums and Wires B52's - S/T Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet Iggy and The Stooges - Raw Power Suicide - S/T Gang of Four - Entertainment! The Clash - London Calling Fugazi - The Argument Weezer - Blue Album

I've just finished 'The Man in the High Castle' by Philip K Dick. More of a speculative fiction deal with it being set in an alternative history where the Nazis and Japanese won WWII. 'Flowers For Algernon' by Daniel Keyes was another great recent read that was more character based than jargon based. I have to add my endorsement to Pierre's recommendation for Neal Stephenson, especially if you like William Gibson.

I'm just thinking out loud here, figuratively speaking because I'm on the internet and not even speaking at all, but could the decline of guitar based music possibly be a factor? Is the what the OP really asking where the city's rock scene has gone? Wide boy indie has no problem performing well at the Music Hall or AECC generally, but it seems and a lot of 'hipstery' music is either electronic or solo artist based. It's not really the type of thing that goes down well in a pub, but might sound great in a club or through headphones. Of course, I generally wasn't into 'cool' music 8 years ago. I was into total shite, which is why I could go to Moshulu and accidently knee myself in the face dancing to Taking Back Sunday and love it. Teenagers are generally excited by pretty shitty music and most of us are pushing 30 here if we haven't broke it already, I think. There was likely people a good ten years older than me shaking their heads as I went mental to Capdown or Douglas. I'm that person now as kids go nuts to Bring Me The Twilight at Dawn or whatever. Kerrang! looks like it's printed in an alternative dimension these days. I really, really miss Drakes, though. I've seen some acts that would have been comfortable at Drakes in The Tunnels, but a gig of six people in The Tunnels feels really different to how a gig of six people at Drakes did. It felt for a while Cellar 35 could fill that gap, but I had some pretty personal experience that indicated that it wasn't.

I didn't buy too many new albums this year, really. I bought more old stuff that's new to me! But these guys kicked my ass: Rustie - Glass Swords Death Grips - Ex-Military Fucked Up - David Comes to Life Battles - Gloss Drop And these guys let me down. Bad albums, get in your bed! Das Racist - Relax (kinda meh after the ace mix tapes) Atari Teenage Riot - This Is Hyperreal (Hilarious, but not intentionally so)

There still seems to be a lot of kids going to rock shows at the Music Hall, Tunnels and Drummonds, so stuff’s definitely still happening but it certainly doesn’t look like it’s meant for me. I don’t have enough neon clothing and I don’t believe band names should be full sentences. There are some really good local acts ([], Filthpact and Annoying Ringtone float my boat right now), but with a few exceptions I don’t know if we’ve got enough really special acts to get really excited about. I find it kind of surprising that somewhere as grim as Aberdeen which is in thrall to one industry hasn’t done a Manchester and produced a Fall or Joy Division or done an Akron and produced a Devo or Pere Ubu*. I don’t even mean a soundalike band, because we’ve had those. I don’t even mean a post-punk band, that’s just my reference point. I mean a band or artist who looks at Aberdeen, goes “fuck this” and makes something that sounds like it pukes oil and paves over gardens while subsisting on a diet of salty dough. If Sheffield has a sound, then I think Aberdeen could too. *I’m sure even famous musical cities have rubbish bar bands too. Manchester had Oasis, for example.

Yeah, I agree. I like how the technology in it looks otherworldly rather than dated, too, like it's set in an alternative reality rather than the future.

Totally. And Public Enemy too. If only those great flavours could be combined somehow (listens to Kool Thing: MIND EXPLODES)

Vangelis isn't exactly '80's electro', but I can see how the soundtrack isn't exactly to everyone's taste. I absolutely love it, though. Every movie should have a John Carpenter/Vangelis/Barry DeVerzon style synth score. EVERY MOVIE. I don't get why people say 'nothing happens' in Blade Runner, though. It's like a sci-fi Bergman movie; a mediation on memory and the meaning of humanity. It's incredible. I hated as a kid because I wanted it to be Total Recall or RoboCop, but now it's one of my favourite films ever. There is actually a movie kind of set in the Blade Runner universe. 'Soldier' starring Kurt Russell expands upon some of the universe, but subtly. Soldier - Off-world: The Blade Runner Wiki I'm cautiously optimistic about the new film since Scott is involved, but to be honest, I don't think he's ever matched Alien, Blade Runner and that Hovis advert.

The Dresden Dolls. Amanda Palmer quickly became an annoying 'alt'-celebrity, but the self-titled album is really good!

'David Comes to Life' by Fucked Up is really good. It took me far too long to check them out, but I'm glad I did. 'Ex-Military' by Death Grips (get it here: Death Grips - Exmilitary ) is really good nightmare hip-hop. I'm looking froward to Das Racist's first proper album next month, but that could go either way. Biggest disappointment is Atari Teenage Riot's new one. That was sadly pretty weak.

I'm not manly enough for this, my face feels like it's made out of Brillo rats.

Excellent game. I finished it like five times and got every achievement because I love it so much. All the expansion packs are on 360 and I strongly recommend them. I'd pick them up in the following order, personally. Broken Steel extends the game's level cap to 30, changes a massive problem with the ending and gives you some cool new toys and enemies. Point Lookout lets you go to a creepy irradiated swamp with mutant hillbillies and stuff. This one is really hard and I only recommend it if you have a high level. The Pitt takes you to the ruins of Pittsburgh and it's all a bit Escape From New York/Mad Max. Has a cool chainsaw weapon thing. Operation Anchorage is okay. It puts you inside a computer simulation in order to unlock a vault with some supercool shit inside like an invisibility granting ninja suit and an electric sword and plasma sniper thing. It has good loot, but the quest is kind of lame. Mothership Zeta is some crap on a Spaceship. some okay loot, but not a great quest. EDIT: Kill whoever you like, you can't screw yourself over totally as story essential people always revive. It is possible to lock yourself out of some non-essential stuff by being a psychokiller, though. I've blown up Megaton a couple of times. If you do destroy it, try and complete the quest at night. So pretty...

That's not fair, because we don't know anything about the lives of these guys. They could still be closeted, in relationships or just ashamed of using chat-lines. In fact the teacher and charity director who used the line probably wouldn't want their use of chatlines exposed, even though there isn't really anything wrong with them using chatlines. This little prick wasn't doing anybody any service at all, and his outburst in court was just the tired old mink's yelp of 'I'm mebbe a thief, like but at fuckin' beasts are the real scum, like'

As far as drummers go, Suicide, Echo and The Bunnymen (pre-1980) and Sleigh Bells all have or have had really good drummers.

Bitches used to make me laugh like a drain. Okay the first ten seconds did. When I say 'did' I mean right now when I looked the song up again on Youtube.

The consensus on another forum I post on is that the fat ICP gets it, but the thin one is as dumb as hammers. The fat one was probably responsible for the line 'I eat Monopoly and shit Connect 4' in one of their songs which is in my top three lyrics ever even though I've never heard the song. How could it not be? Fucking magnets...

Dunno man, Juggalo girls seem to be pretty subhuman looking. Vice did an incredible article on The Gathering: IN THE LAND OF THE JUGGALOS - PART 1 - A Juggalo Is King - Vice Magazine

Jesus, dude, I'm not a fan but the man's a father.

Rocker Travis Barker and DJ AM Critical After Plane Crash - ABC News

'Friendly' organisations. I was walking through the Trinity Centre earlier and the doors said 'hello you' on them. Fuck you, Trinity Centre, I'm hungover and I don't want you talking to me like some kind of simpering, matey London media wank. You are a building. Channel Dave. Fuck off. I don't know anyone called Dave that well and I don't need to pretend a tv channel is my friend. And fucking smoothie companies asking me to 'give them a bell' if I have any comments or suggestions. I want my companies to be faceless, gray monoliths run by sneering Libertarians in suits. I want companies to make OCP look like a child's lemonade stand I don't want to be their fucking 'mate'. I want them to dump face-melting chemicals in childrens' paddling pools because that's what companies do. We understand each other. I hate them and they hate me. All this 'drop in for a chat' shit makes me feel like they're buying my dinner with one hand while fisting me with the other.