http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/albumreviews/ruins_of_our_town_a_man_called_son
A Man Called Son - Ruins Of Our Town (Album)
by Natalie Salvo
Monday, January 18
"Australian artists have a long tradition of using a band like The Beatles as a cornerstone for fashioning a truly melodic pop song. But perhaps as a by-product of living in this great sun-bronzed country, girt by sea, they also manage to come up with music and lyrics that are so quintessentially Australian you can almost hear the war cries, “Oi! Oi! Oi!” underscoring the beat. While the obvious artists that spring to mind are The Triffids, The Go-Betweens and The Church, now we can add A Man Called Son to this impressive list.
Don’t be fooled, the overblown name is actually the new solo project for singer-songwriter, Simon J Pearlman (The Narcotics). 'Ruins Of Our Town' is the debut album and follows up two successful EPs by offering eleven mellow, pop folk and alt-country songs. From the opener and aptly titled, 'Broken Sunlight' the listener is whisked away, floating on air to a soundtrack that is one part Thunderclap Newman’s 'Something In The Air' and one part Beatlesque, shiny pop.
The song titled, 'Waiting For The Jets' sounds like it could be a homage to Elton John but in reality plays closer to something by Powderfinger. 'The Distant Stores (Looked Ghostly At Night)' meanwhile, could be a serving by Youth Group, while 'A Time Before' sounds like a lost song from Radiohead’s 'Kid A' record. The remaining tracks find an excellent balance between sweetly harmonious tones, dreamy music and moody lyrics such that they could be played along with music by Bluebottle Kiss or 78 Saab and not sound like a note is out of place.
'Ruins Of Our Town' is a serene indie pop record perfect for a balmy summer night. Gather round, enjoy these gorgeous pop gems, be proud to be Aussie and relish the sounds only heard on the streets of your town."
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Top Ten Albums of the Decade
I was tempted to post some choice Christmas albums but only got as far as The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan and Elvis. I'm sure there are more, but I don't think I have the stomach to handle too much Christmas music, even if it is performed by great artists...
So without further ado, here are my top ten albums of this decade. The list will probably change every time I try and catch up with all the music out there, so think of it as an approximate list.
10. Art of Fighting - Wires
9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
8. Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life
7. The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart
6. East River Pipe - Garbageheads On Endless Stun
5. Augie March - Sunset Studies
4. TV On the Radio - Dear Science
3. Portishead- Third
2. Radiohead - Kid A
1. The Strokes - Is This It?
On that note, Merry Xmas dear readers and a rockin' New Year. We survived the "noughties" (what a dreaded term), now it's time for the..er...tenties?
Love and drunken festivities,
-AMCS
So without further ado, here are my top ten albums of this decade. The list will probably change every time I try and catch up with all the music out there, so think of it as an approximate list.
10. Art of Fighting - Wires
9. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
8. Sparklehorse - It's A Wonderful Life
7. The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart
6. East River Pipe - Garbageheads On Endless Stun
5. Augie March - Sunset Studies
4. TV On the Radio - Dear Science
3. Portishead- Third
2. Radiohead - Kid A
1. The Strokes - Is This It?
On that note, Merry Xmas dear readers and a rockin' New Year. We survived the "noughties" (what a dreaded term), now it's time for the..er...tenties?
Love and drunken festivities,
-AMCS
Friday, November 20, 2009
Debut album 'The Ruins Of Our Town' out now!!!
Yes, after months of speculation, it turns out my debut album does now officially exist.
As of...now, you can purchase 'Ruins of Our Town' online at Amazon, iTunes, Napster and all other good online retailers.
Or, if you prefer CDs to MP3s (and would like to experience the multi-layered artwork) you can purchase physical copies directly through Paypal. Please see the links below!!
-AMCS
Or, if you prefer CDs to MP3s (and would like to experience the multi-layered artwork) you can purchase physical copies directly through Paypal. Please see the links below!!
-AMCS
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
New songs!! New album!! New news!!
Please visit A Man Called Son's MySpace to stream two exclusive new songs, 'Lazy Shoreline' and 'The Discount Stores (Looked Ghostly At Night)' taken from the forthcoming debut album 'The Ruins Of Our Town', release date this Friday 20 November on iTunes and more!!
Love and shiny guitars,
-AMCS
Love and shiny guitars,
-AMCS
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
ALBUM NEWS!
Yes, my blog has been looking a little malnourished lately. You might say it has been left to rot like someone's collection of movie laser discs. But I assure you I have a valid excuse. I am finally releasing my debut album 'Ruins of Our Town' on November 20! You can preview tracks from the album at this address:
My sister, Charlotte, designed the wonderful artwork for the cover you can see above. She also has a website where you can view more of her distinctive art.
There will be 11 tracks total.
1. Broken Sunlight
2. Waiting For the Jets
2. Waiting For the Jets
3. The Discount Stores (Looked Ghostly At Night)
4. My Life Is A Flop
5. Slipping Away Again
6. Lazy Shoreline
7. A Time Before
8. Been Here Too Long
9. London Clouds
10. Tale Yet To Be Told
11. All the Things You Rely On
Alas, this release contains no great surprises. There will be no secret track, no guest musicians and definitely no horn arrangements. One song may feature a guitar solo. Another track may contain no drums. I think one track might even have an interesting effect done with an out of control delay pedal, an amplifier and a bathroom but that's about as shocking as it gets. Having said that, there are some good moments on here. If I had to pick a favourite it would be 'Lazy Shoreline' because it sounds relaxed yet intense at the same time, which is an ideal balance. I might go as far as to say this is a decent headphone album. I hope you enjoy it as well should you be so minded to purchase a copy.
-AMCS
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Got To Be There (Michael Jackson 1958-2009)
Writing about Michael Jackson's passing, I'm afraid I'm just adding to a million other rhinestone-studded obituaries. But that's to be expected when we lose someone of his stature. His appeal was so utterly universal that only the impact of The Beatles or Elvis Presley compare. You did not have to appreciate music to enjoy the music of Michael Jackson. You did not have to appreciate choreography or dancing to be awestruck by the jaw-dropping moves. You could be the most sullen kid in the universe with no interests except for dissecting cicadas and still be a fan. It takes a certain kind of genius to achieve that kind of crossover appeal.
I could quite easily focus on Michael Jackson: The Troubled Pop Star or Michael Jackson: Even Bigger In Death but I'm not going to do that. Outside the music my parents introduced me to, Michael Jackson was probably the first pop artist I seriously got into. When I was in primary school I had a friend where, as far as i can tell, the only thing we shared in common was that we both had our fair share of Michael Jackson albums on cassette. We would trade our tapes that covered the spectrum of Jackson's career at that point, from the Jackson Five through to Dangerous (which hadn't long been on the shelves) and dub copies for ourselves. We were precocious pre-Internet bootleggers with no business plan. I think we both secretly distrusted each other.
At that time, I was such a fan I even enjoyed the Moonwalker film, which is essentially a hodge-podge of the King of Pop crotch-grabbing his way through Bad-era material as the host of a futuristic TV special. The thing is, I'd probably still enjoy watching it now because the sheer scope of Michael Jackson's talent often transcended dross. Hence why he was able to get away with the monstrous statue-shipping ego-trip during promotion for History or the maudlin preach-fests of 'Heal the World' or 'Man In the Mirror'. It didn't matter what he did or whatever the latest controversy he was embroiled in, his blinding success and kinetic moves remained a constant source of fascination for me.
Yet at some point, perhaps when I was discovering acne and depressive English mid-80s vocalists, my interest in the King of Pop began to wane. The cassettes were replaced by newfangled CDs. The posters were torn off the wall (no pun intended) and replaced by Britpop idols. When Jarvis Cocker mooned Michael Jackson at the Brit awards for his predictably over-the-top performance of 'Earth Song' , it felt like the end of an era. I didn't know it at the time, but moving on from Michael Jackson signalled the end of my childhood. Yet the songs were still deeply engrained.
As soon as I hear 'I Want You Back' or 'Rock With You', I'm transported to being in Grade 5 class and I'm looking at the kid's desk next to me, realising he'd just created a dish-sized puddle of snot. Nothing to do with the subject matter of the songs, mind. When I hear 'Jam' or anything else off Dangerous, I remember my basketball obsession and am also reminded of sitting in front of the first tape player I ever owned and thinking "This is what hi-fi really means." Of course, I had nothing to compare the sound quality to, but I knew it sounded good.
Perhaps that's where the key to Jackson's success lies. There was simply nothing before him like him and unlikely to be anything since. Not having any other point of reference growing up, Michael Jackson seemed like the coolest human being on the plant. He seemed completely unshakeable. Yes, we all know the reality was different. Yes, the critics were quick to point out the irony of releasing an album called Invincible in 2001 at such a fragile, low point in his career (undoubtedly the irony was not lost on him or anyone else.) But there's something to be said about spending your childhood viewing your idols in a God-like aura. Don't know about you, but that's what true pop represents to me.
-AMCS
I could quite easily focus on Michael Jackson: The Troubled Pop Star or Michael Jackson: Even Bigger In Death but I'm not going to do that. Outside the music my parents introduced me to, Michael Jackson was probably the first pop artist I seriously got into. When I was in primary school I had a friend where, as far as i can tell, the only thing we shared in common was that we both had our fair share of Michael Jackson albums on cassette. We would trade our tapes that covered the spectrum of Jackson's career at that point, from the Jackson Five through to Dangerous (which hadn't long been on the shelves) and dub copies for ourselves. We were precocious pre-Internet bootleggers with no business plan. I think we both secretly distrusted each other.
At that time, I was such a fan I even enjoyed the Moonwalker film, which is essentially a hodge-podge of the King of Pop crotch-grabbing his way through Bad-era material as the host of a futuristic TV special. The thing is, I'd probably still enjoy watching it now because the sheer scope of Michael Jackson's talent often transcended dross. Hence why he was able to get away with the monstrous statue-shipping ego-trip during promotion for History or the maudlin preach-fests of 'Heal the World' or 'Man In the Mirror'. It didn't matter what he did or whatever the latest controversy he was embroiled in, his blinding success and kinetic moves remained a constant source of fascination for me.
Yet at some point, perhaps when I was discovering acne and depressive English mid-80s vocalists, my interest in the King of Pop began to wane. The cassettes were replaced by newfangled CDs. The posters were torn off the wall (no pun intended) and replaced by Britpop idols. When Jarvis Cocker mooned Michael Jackson at the Brit awards for his predictably over-the-top performance of 'Earth Song' , it felt like the end of an era. I didn't know it at the time, but moving on from Michael Jackson signalled the end of my childhood. Yet the songs were still deeply engrained.
As soon as I hear 'I Want You Back' or 'Rock With You', I'm transported to being in Grade 5 class and I'm looking at the kid's desk next to me, realising he'd just created a dish-sized puddle of snot. Nothing to do with the subject matter of the songs, mind. When I hear 'Jam' or anything else off Dangerous, I remember my basketball obsession and am also reminded of sitting in front of the first tape player I ever owned and thinking "This is what hi-fi really means." Of course, I had nothing to compare the sound quality to, but I knew it sounded good.
Perhaps that's where the key to Jackson's success lies. There was simply nothing before him like him and unlikely to be anything since. Not having any other point of reference growing up, Michael Jackson seemed like the coolest human being on the plant. He seemed completely unshakeable. Yes, we all know the reality was different. Yes, the critics were quick to point out the irony of releasing an album called Invincible in 2001 at such a fragile, low point in his career (undoubtedly the irony was not lost on him or anyone else.) But there's something to be said about spending your childhood viewing your idols in a God-like aura. Don't know about you, but that's what true pop represents to me.
-AMCS
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Obscure (but should not have been) album of the week...
THE DREAM SYNDICATE - Days of Wine and Roses [1982]
Of all the fashion faux pas committed through the decades, the 1980s undoubtedly committed some of the most brutal. Unfortunately, the music scene of this period merely exacerbates this sad state of affairs. Not only do we have to deal with spandex and mullets, we even have whole music genres named after fashion. ‘Hair metal’ would be one that “springs” to mind (though one could really see that genre as an extension of glam metal which arose in the 1970s.) Here’s another less likely name for a genre: the Paisley Underground movement.
Before you fear the worst, read on. The Paisley Underground movement was certainly one of the more curious branches of 80s alternative rock. Its key bands (The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, The Bangles before they walked like Egyptians) were steeped in a jangly, retro sound reminiscent of The Byrds but played with a vicarious punk bite. Somewhat maligned at the time (Robert Christgau once wrote of a Rain Parade album “Smart hippies knew how dumb a lot of that music was even then. It's twice as dumb now”), the Paisley Underground proved to be quite influential and actually had noble intentions to begin with: a kind of antidote to the intimidating hardcore Los Angeles punk scene which, let's face it, was full of jocks. I guess if it were a movie, it would be called Revenge Of The (Retro Music) Nerds.
Some people say Rain Parade’s Emergency Third Rail Trip is the definitive Paisley Underground moment. While that album has prettier tunes, The Dream Syndicate’s debut Days of Wine and Roses certainly rocks harder. So, let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way here first: this album is essentially a Neil Young/Velvet Underground homage, albeit one that’s done very well. Steve Wynn gets my vote for the best Lou Reed impersonator out there, although he’s not far removed vocally from another Steve (that is, Steve Kilbey) who was also fronting his own Australian paisley popsters (at least at that stage), The Church.
The opener, ‘Tell Me When It’s Over’, is simply infectious guitar pop and gets the album off to a cracking start. Featuring a killer riff and a particularly indolent Wynn vocal, the whole thing jumps off the speakers like a Crazy Horse (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Elsewhere, propulsive, high-octane numbers such as ‘Then She Remembers’ and the title track sound like a pissed-off Bob Dylan circa 1965 if he was put in a blender with Black Flag for company.
But it’s the guitar playing of Karl Percoda that impresses the most. Whether it’s the shards of feedback he injects into the droning ‘Halloween’ which makes it all the more unsettling, or his haunting lines on’ Too Little, Too Late’ (featuring bassist Kendra Smith’s lovely vocals), he lends the songs a palpable sense of urgency and drive. Legend has it he only played cheap guitars because he ruined every other guitar that was worth something. Take that for a lesson in guitar heroics, Sonic Youth. Oh wait, you did.
Before you fear the worst, read on. The Paisley Underground movement was certainly one of the more curious branches of 80s alternative rock. Its key bands (The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, Green On Red, The Bangles before they walked like Egyptians) were steeped in a jangly, retro sound reminiscent of The Byrds but played with a vicarious punk bite. Somewhat maligned at the time (Robert Christgau once wrote of a Rain Parade album “Smart hippies knew how dumb a lot of that music was even then. It's twice as dumb now”), the Paisley Underground proved to be quite influential and actually had noble intentions to begin with: a kind of antidote to the intimidating hardcore Los Angeles punk scene which, let's face it, was full of jocks. I guess if it were a movie, it would be called Revenge Of The (Retro Music) Nerds.
Some people say Rain Parade’s Emergency Third Rail Trip is the definitive Paisley Underground moment. While that album has prettier tunes, The Dream Syndicate’s debut Days of Wine and Roses certainly rocks harder. So, let’s get the most obvious thing out of the way here first: this album is essentially a Neil Young/Velvet Underground homage, albeit one that’s done very well. Steve Wynn gets my vote for the best Lou Reed impersonator out there, although he’s not far removed vocally from another Steve (that is, Steve Kilbey) who was also fronting his own Australian paisley popsters (at least at that stage), The Church.
The opener, ‘Tell Me When It’s Over’, is simply infectious guitar pop and gets the album off to a cracking start. Featuring a killer riff and a particularly indolent Wynn vocal, the whole thing jumps off the speakers like a Crazy Horse (sorry, I couldn't help myself). Elsewhere, propulsive, high-octane numbers such as ‘Then She Remembers’ and the title track sound like a pissed-off Bob Dylan circa 1965 if he was put in a blender with Black Flag for company.
But it’s the guitar playing of Karl Percoda that impresses the most. Whether it’s the shards of feedback he injects into the droning ‘Halloween’ which makes it all the more unsettling, or his haunting lines on’ Too Little, Too Late’ (featuring bassist Kendra Smith’s lovely vocals), he lends the songs a palpable sense of urgency and drive. Legend has it he only played cheap guitars because he ruined every other guitar that was worth something. Take that for a lesson in guitar heroics, Sonic Youth. Oh wait, you did.
Despite its derivative qualities, Days of Wine and Roses bears all the hallmarks of a snotty, garagey classic. The whole thing sounds like a bunch of young musicians who were clearly in awe of their heroes and just wanted to make a great record. For that reason alone, they had as much vitality up their sleeves as they did paisley patterns.
-AMCS
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Fires, Floods and Boredom (2006)
