One of the main reasons I hate Twitter is that character limitation devolves language and these abbreviations find their way into real life conversation. Someone, nameless they'll remain, actually said LOL to me the other day instead of giving themselves over to laughter, which, after crying, is humanity's most natural compulsion.
Maybe there is no winning this battle as it's gone too far already and maybe I'm showing my age. Plus, Stephen Fry Tweets and he is god in my eyes, yet I can't bring myself to surrender to it. One text abbreviation I am fond of is WTF and to be honest it's perfect to describe my album of the week: Alopecia by Why?.
I've had this album for a few months and not really known exactly what to make of it. Musically it is unquestionably magnificent and indie, hip hop, jazz and experimentation live here more harmoniously than any other place I can think off outside of TV On The Radio. It is lyrically though that I've been thoroughly overwhelmed. I haven't heard anyone turn a phrase like singer Yoni Wolf in recent music memory.
He's more like one of the new breed of rogue American novelists: Chuck Palahniuk, Donald Ray Pollock, Wells Tower or Bryan Charles as similar to them his tales of the dark edges of American life drip with danger, sex, sweat and tears. They are also by turns very warm and funny. Although the latter two few and far between and seem deployed sometimes only to make the shock of the rest that more punishing.
In Good Friday Wolf sings: "Sucking dick for drink tickets at the free bar my cousins bot mitzvah... sending sexy SMS's to my ex's new man because I can". It's stark, grimy and a bit revolting but you have to admit it's also funny and when was the last time you heard something like it. The same man though can hit you with this from Fatalist Palmistry: "And when we say your name our tongues catch flame." And also my favourite line on the whole record: "And even though I haven't seen you in years yours is a funeral I'd fly to from anywhere." Well to be honest there are so many great lines each time I listen I fall in love with something else. However with each pass something new turns my stomach or heart anew.
It is this queasy journey Why? sends you on that I think is most enduring about this record. It keeps on surprising me and that is a rare wonder indeed. The first verse of Song of the Sad Assassin is a thing of dark, terrifying, clumsy beauty:
"We lifted the body from the water like a gown
You took off your bra to wrap the wound
Though the man was dead and there was no need
Then your face turned red when you said to me
I'll suck the marrow out..."
I will let you find out for yourself what the next line is.
This is not so much a review as me just getting excited about words but as I said at the start we all getting a little less inclined to use them so it's nice to find a record that is so in love with language, if not life exactly. You can't have everything though. A brutal and majestic record that'll live with you for an age. WTF!
Why? on myspace.
Why? - Good Friday
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry
Why? - Song Of A Sad Assassin
2:52 PM | 02/11/2009
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great.dark.mean.
Posted by lightsoul at 9:09 PM | 02/11/2009 | Report Abuse
Nah dont give into the Twitter Gary, Twitter is for Twits! Leave it to the Gen Y and Z'ers, I think it may be a age thing, as a Gen X it does'nt interest.
The lyric you have quoted here is intruiging. Not normally my genre but will have to have a listen now, get that last line and check out those words...will get back to you.
Cheers my Dear :)
Posted by Lorraine at 10:20 PM | 02/11/2009 | Report Abuse
the music is cool, but I prefer Snow Patrol hahaha (sorry)
and how to twitter, I have not learned to deal with it too lol,
not because of age Gary, is because it is boring ...
love you, big kiss xD
Posted by JustSayYes at 11:24 PM | 02/11/2009 | Report Abuse
ok, had a listen now..hmmm yes Good Friday is very dark and diiiiiirty... the last bit of the lyric you quoted sounds like maybe James Ellroy wrote it.
I do like Fatalist Palmistry, that is one I will listen to over and over, this is my fav line "God put a song on my palm you cant read. I'll be imbalmed with it long before you see." magic. Gary, where do you find these?
Posted by Lorraine at 7:57 AM | 03/11/2009 | Report Abuse
GOD. How long has it taken for WHY? to make it big? Easily the best band of the last 10 years and yet hardly anyone knows them. By the way, Alopecia was released in 2007, they already have a new record, Eskimo Snow, out - how dated of the poor Q magazine!
Posted by George McVicar at 12:27 PM | 03/11/2009 | Report Abuse
GOD. How long has it taken for WHY? to make it big? Easily the best band of the last 10 years and yet hardly anyone knows them. By the way, Alopecia was released in 2007, they already have a new record, Eskimo Snow, out - how dated of the poor Q magazine!
Posted by George McVicar at 12:28 PM | 03/11/2009 | Report Abuse
God, how long has it taken WHY? to make it into a mainstream magazine? Easily the most talented and innovative band of the last 10 years and now you're acting like you discovered an emerging genius. By the way, Alopeica was release in 2007, they already have a new record, Eskimo Snow, out - review that! Geez...
Posted by george McVicar at 12:30 PM | 03/11/2009 | Report Abuse
God, how long has it taken WHY? to make it into a mainstream magazine? Easily the most talented and innovative band of the last 10 years and now you're acting like you discovered an emerging genius. By the way, Alopeica was release in 2007, they already have a new record, Eskimo Snow, out - review that! Geez...
Posted by george McVicar at 12:31 PM | 03/11/2009 | Report Abuse
Thank you for taking the time to write these incredibly interesting reviews (all 19), because there are very few avenues to find such well written expression for people like me who sit on the other side of the planet (where you ask - same city as Bill Maher) longing to know what goes on with the local music scene in GB and Europe. I hope you keep going with this. Chocolate rockets to you.
Posted by Leanne at 4:53 AM | 06/11/2009 | Report Abuse
I'll see your disdain for "LOL" and raise you a posthumous John Quincy Adams tweet. Trust me.
Posted by Carrie at 6:16 PM | 10/11/2009 | Report Abuse
I'll see your disdain for "LOL" and raise you a posthumous John Quincy Adams tweet. Trust me.
Posted by Carrie at 6:20 PM | 10/11/2009 | Report Abuse
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