Music A to Z 08.28.09: I is for...

Posted by Chris Crowing on 08.28.2009

... Idlewild, Incubus and In Flames. As well as a quick rant on the difference between Good and Fun.



I originally thought this letter would be a pain, but it turned out OK. A mixed bag of bands this week, although I didn't manage to shoe in my usual electronic or overtly proggy element. Must try harder...

Before I start my column proper, I'd like to set a quick political issue straight, and offer an apology on behalf of my entire nation and our limp-wristed ‘Justice' Secretary.

I and everyone I have talked to, does NOT support the release of the Pan Am Flight 107/Lockerbie bomber on ‘compassionate' grounds. Please don't think badly of my people or my nation because we have one (or even a few) weak-willed politicians.

Firstly, I reckon if you cowardly set a bomb which kills around 270 innocent people, then you don't get ‘compassionate' release from jail. What you get is to die alone, in prison. End of story.

Secondly (and more politically), you don't release said bomber if your biggest ally (in this case the USA) clearly doesn't want it to happen. I mean, who would we rather piss of Libya or the United States? I just do NOT understand that political thinking, let alone the above ‘justice' issue.

Furthermore, I was SICKENED to see (badly mocked up, improperly proportioned and wrongly colored) Scottish flags being waved at the hero's reception the bomber received back in Libya. Let me be clear, Scotland does not advocate terrorism (except perhaps on a juvenile scale against England) and I do not want the proud Saltire dragged through such a vile and sickening spectacle. Just as well I'm not in any position of power, or my inarticulate rage would have resulted in a hasty to carpet bomb the entire country with napalm. Not the most diplomatic, but you should never let a Leo near the killswitch…

In any case, to all those who are offended at this turn of events, please be assured that our Justice Secretary will likely be ousted in short order, and we'll probably vote out the current administration at the next election anyway. Actually probably not, ‘cause at least the SNP have a good idea (independence) when Labor just want to bitch, the Liberals are too weak and the Greens and Conservatives will likely NEVER get power in Scotland, despite actually having policies, good debaters and some intelligence.

Enough politics, back into music!



The Difference Between Fun and Good

This is something which has occurred to me after a million online arguments, and head-smacking discussions with pop-obsessed workmates.

The rule goes like this. Pop fans think that if something is ‘fun' then it must be ‘good' and rock fans think that something ‘good' is by default ‘fun.' Yes, that is VERY broad strokes, but you get the idea. If you would rather substitute words like ‘mainstream', ‘alternative', ‘commercial' and ‘musicians' or any other distinction into those designations, feel free.

While I would usually place myself into the ‘rock', ‘alternative' or ‘musician' category, there is a LOT that I like which is not the most technically awesome, and inversely, a lot which is clearly technically brilliant which I can respect, but don't especially enjoy.

First, let me nail down what I mean by ‘Good' and ‘Fun'…

Good means…

…music which is technically impressive, be it through virtuoso musicianship, impressive vocals, well crafted song-writing, good production or (preferably) a combination of these qualities.

Of course, there is a great difference between what a rock fan, a R'nB fan and folk fan considers as impressive in these fields, so in the name of egalitarianism, I'll say that being impressive IN YOUR FIELD (pop, rock, hip hop, electronica) and doing the job you set out to do, makes you ‘good.'

‘Good' is quite quantifiable, in that technical proficiency can be measured (remember when you studied for your Grades in singing, guitar, piano or whatever – like that) although at the very top level remains open to debate from ‘riffs vs. licks', ‘songs vs. instrumentals' etc – each is a different skill-set and the relative worth of each is open to debate.

For example, Metallica are (mostly) a ‘good' metal band, whereas Bring Me The Horizon are not (because of sloppiness and poser-ness) and Take That are a ‘good' pop band, while Westlife are not (because of better song-writing, vocal talent, production etc.)

Arguing over the merits of various players and bands is a long running source of conversation, contention and occasionally bar fights and flame wars between music fans, so I won't try to make too many definitive statements here (few can argue with the one's made above – though if you want to, feel free.)

However being ‘good' does not always make you fun…

Fun means…

…music which puts a smile on your face, makes you want to dance, sing-along, makes you feel better.

This is a far less quantifiable quality than ‘good' given that any given individual's emotional response to a given act or song can be completely different to the person next to them. Many people find commercial pop music fun, when much of it makes my ears bleed and want to go on a shotgun rampage. By the same token, much of what makes me smile and dance about would make my workmates cower in terror of the abominable noise. Different strokes and all that…

So, in the name of fairness, ‘Fun' music is whatever you want it to be – it is not my place to tell you not to enjoy Lady Gaga or be exasperated that you don't like Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

Where Fun Meets Good

The crux of this little rant comes when people from either camp try to impose their will on the other, or you try to imply that because you find something ‘fun' it is by default ‘good' and vice versa.

In my own personal case, there is much which I find ‘fun' which I wouldn't really consider as ‘good.' Most pop-punk is frightfully easy to play, and hence not ‘good' as per my definition (although slick song-writing does garner credit) yet I find it tremendously ‘fun.' The same is true with strum along classics by the likes of Travis or the Stereophonics - if I could play your songs when I was seventeen, then you can't be that ‘good' – but I enjoy playing them, hence ‘fun.'

On the other side, there is a lot of stuff which I find technically amazing, such as Dream Theater or Emperor or virtuoso guitarists like Steve Vai which blow me away with their ability, yet I just can't listen to it for long – hence, it's ‘good' but not ‘fun.'

All of this comes across as pretty self-explanatory and obvious, but you'd be amazed at the number of people who try to assert that their favourite band are good, when in fact they are pretty stock, yet fun and vice versa.

My only aggressive rant on this issue comes when people try to tell me that the likes of Westlife or Lady GaGa are ‘better' than bands I like, such as the Butterfly Effect (who are both good, AND fun) because they don't get it, and often use the ‘they've sold x million records and must be better' argument*.

I can't get behind that.

I will make a personal observation on the relative quality of a given act, but I will never disparage someone's RIGHT to like something I find terrible. I think it's only proper to give bands acts who aren't to my taste, yet seem ‘good' in their due field (such as Take That, Beyonce and Kanye West) due credit, even though I never listen to them, and the jingoistic attitude of many music fans tends to bug me incessantly. For example, Rock Band A are not necessarily ‘better' than Rap Act B - they are different, and just ‘cause you like rock doesn't make it so.

In short, ‘fun' is what you want it to be, but your taste does not define ‘good' – and neither does mine, it's just a fun source of debate…

* The ‘Band A are great ‘cause they've got X million records sold and twelvety no.1 singles' argument just doesn't hold up. By that line of thinking, the ‘best' bands ever are the Beatles, Elvis Pressley and Michael Jackson. Ok, that's not the best example ‘cause there is a good case for all three acts immortality. OK, I've thought of a better one..

By that argument, the BEST rock band of the late 90s was probably Creed, and of the Noughties it could well be Nickleback. Most successful? Perhaps, but ‘best' I REALLY don't think so…



* Please note, all 'Best...' designations are merely this writer's opinion, and stand as a recommendation for new fans, rather than an attempt to make a definitive statement. I'll likely change my mind by next week anyway.

Idlewild

What: Scot's indie-punkers, turned folk-rockers.
From: Edinburgh, Scotland
In the Beginning: From meeting at a house party in 1995, the band played their first shows in Edinburgh in 1996. A growing live reputation led to the Captain Ep released on Deceptive records in
1997 and in turn to their major debut Hope Is Important released in October 1998 amid a flurry of single releases.
Best Album*: Hope is Important & 100 Broken Windows Best Song*: "When I Argue I See Shapes"
Recently...: A five-night stand at Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut venue in December 2008 and album Post Electric Blues released to fans in June 2009, will get a full release in October this year.

Idlewild were one of those few British bands (along with My Vitriol, Placebo and Symposium) who retained (or gained) my admiration following my metamorphosis from indie-kid to metal-head. Furthermore, in a deeply unpatriotic manner, they were the ONLY Scottish band I considered myself a fan of for many years (a soft spot for Travis notwithstanding) until the rise of Biffy Clyro.

While I remember reading positive reviews for their abrasive debut EP, it wasn't until Hope is Important came out and I went to see them at T in the Park that I became fully converted.



It's interesting how your perception of a band's stature compares to that of their actual relative success, as I'd probably put Hope is Important in my top 50 albums ever, and songs like "When I Argue I See Shapes", "Everyone Says That You're So Fragile" and "I Am A Message" have long been mainstays of my iTunes playlists, while the album itself was only a modest success and the biggest hit only graced the UK top 20 for a brief period.



The next album 100 Broken Windows was even better and continued to show Idlewild's taste for mixing songs with a tad more punk in the mix ("Little Discourage") with songs with a more mellow outlook ("The Bronze Medal) and definitely raised their stock with the press, given it being just accessible and catchy enough, yet breaking from formula in enough places to seem edgy and interesting.



Since then, the band have progressed in fits & starts, with some long time members leaving the band with tales of fisticuffs and a slight rumour that lead singer Roddy Woomble had gotten a bit too big for his boots, leading to said fisticuffs and the less visible, more fiery member of the band being ejected.

Personally, I quite like Woomble's solo folk releases and find his newspaper column to be interesting. It amuses me that the singer who started his career with too much performance anxiety to actually face the crowd (in a punk band no less), to the extent where a press review said he 'shed a shade of shyness' (which became the chorus for "Actually It's Darkness") is now a confident to the point of arrogance, erudite, multi-media figure.

True, his style of lyric writing is very much in that 'university student who thinks he's an intellectual and has read lots of poetry and likes to name drop in his writing' style which sometimes grates on me (and seems very prevalent with Scottish bands, like likes of Biffy Clyro, Franz Ferdinand and Belle & Sebastianespecially) and this can imply that he's a bit of an artsy prick.

On the other hand, he does have wonderful phrasing in his songs, coming up with some of the best lines I have ever heard, and as I've said above he comes across very well in his newspaper column, so I can't say whether he's a nice guy or a prick based on anything else but conjecture. Suffice to say I like his songs, despite his occasional forays into pretension.



Idlewild's later records (like Warnings/Promises and the Remote Part) have been hit and miss, with some storming and/or sweeping singles, (arguably the likes "You Held the World In Your Arms", "A Modern Way of Letting You Go" and "Love Steals Us From Loneliness" are their best work) but also increasingly filled with very mediocre and half-hearted mellow efforts. That is not to say that the band's folk leanings are a bad thing, but that increasingly these songs seem to be filler, of the grey and dull tone which makes the likes of Coldplay so abhorrent.

On the whole, I remain a fan, but nowhere near as devoted as I was back in the days of Hope is Important or 100 Broken Windows.

That said, songs with choruses as sweeping as this show why I love this band.



Idlewild are close to my heart for a number of reasons. Members of the band hail from the same part of the world as me (being from Arbroath, which is only a few miles from my natal city of Dundee), and as a whole they are a Scottish band who have achieved success, which I actually find worth in (there are few enough of those, especially in my own time frame.) Furthermore, at their best, they tread a line between heavy rock (admittedly more punk than my metal inclinations) and heartfelt, emotive folk music which I find very endearing.

I love this band, and I'm deeply annoyed I missed their several nights stand at King Tut's in Glasgow where they played an album a night (very much like Coheed & Cambria's more celebrated Neverender project.) Ah well, they'll be back...they live here.

Incubus

What: The laid back banner boys of the nu-metal era. More properly alt rock with a surfy, yet progressive tinge.
From: Calabasas, California, USA
In the Beginning: Formed around 1991, the band gigged extensively around California until their Enjoy Incubus EP gave them their first major exposure in 1997.
Best Album*: Make Yourself, Morning View, A Crow Left Of the Murder Best Song*: "Drive", "Privilege", "Wish You Were Here", "Megalomaniac"
Recently...: ON hiatus since April 2008, they released a greatest hits package Monuments and Melodies in June 2009. A new record is expected in 2010.

I really can't remember when I became aware of Incubus, but they have always been a band I've had a soft spot for, rather than been an out & out fan. Their inclusion in the nu-metal genre only goes to show how ridiculous that label truly is (again, write an essay on why Incubus, Slipknot, Staind and Limp Bizkit belong in the same genre - I'd LOVE to read it.)

The earliest Incubus song I recall is "Pardon Me" (quickly followed by "Stellar" and "Privilege" which always stood out for me, with its stadium level chorus and the introspective, but upbeat feel.



Indeed that has always been Incubus' main value for me. They are a band with enough musical worth to keep me interested (indeed every last member of that band is worlds more talented than I will ever be) but who don't overstretch that quality into the semi-unlistenable stoned jams that many bands with similar inclinations tend to do. They produce well written, well played and wonderfully arranged songs which have the ability to carry you away to a wonderful mental place.

This version of "Drive" from the Live @ Red Rocks DVD shows their ability to craft a wonderful, yet accessible and laid back tune. I reckon it's actually better than the original album version.



That status of being an alternative band who are not at all abrasive is a useful one for me, as you can only spend so long listening to thrash metal or whatever, yet Incubus fill a hole where I can maintain my 'alternative' sensibility listening to them, rather than going for all out easy listening. yes, that is pretentious as hell, but that teenager still lives in all of us.



Not to say that Incubus are all about bass lead stoner trips, showcasing Brandon's lovely voice, as they've picked the tempo up memorably on more than a few occasions, especially in their earlier work. I'd worry about them if they were all that laid back all the time!

That said, possibly their funnest ever song, came from the Crow Left of the Murder record...



Incubus are a band I like, would (and have) pay to see and one I have a genuine fondness for. Not by any means my favourite band, but certainly a band I'm glad to have in my music collection. An absolute must for hot summer afternoons, that lazy post-3am time at a party and whenever you just want to float away on the melody...

In Flames

What: 2nd generation melodic death metal legends From: Gothenburg, Sweden In the Beginning: Formed by members of death metal bands in 1990 as a side project to investigate a more melodic approach, original releases Lunar Strain and Subterranean were performed live with session drummers and vocalists. Bjorn Gelotte and Anders Friden joined in 1995 and the band released their proper debut Jester Race that year.
Best Album*: "Colony", "Clayman", "Reroute to Remain"
Best Song*: "Bullet Ride", "Reroute to Remain", "Trigger", "Come Clarity"
Recently...: A Sense of Purpose released in April 2008. UK Tour dates at the start of 2009 had to be cancelled as member Jesper Stromblad struggled with alcohol rehabilitation, although the band are expected to be part of the Taste of Chaos tour alongside Killswitch Engage in November.

I came late to In Flames, discovering them in a backwards fashion after belatedly discovering that metalcore had nothing to do with nu-metal or thrash and belonged to an entirely different music genealogy. Or so I have been told by the kind of people who type their comments in CAPS with a lolcats grasp of grammar and spelling.

In any case, I admit I'm a newcomer to their cause, only really taking notice when I realised they toured the UK a few years back with Sepultura as their support. Given that (like all right minded metalheads) I regarded the Seps as eternal headliners, I figured that the band they'd agree to support must be a bit special. A little digging told me that this is apparently one of thee bands that Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall et al are trying to be, and succeed in only being a pale imitation of.

Bear in mind, those aren't my words, and I don't quite agree with them, but you get the point. In any case, I realised that I'd been hearing the main single from their Come Clarity record, the near ubiquitous "Take This Life" for quite some time, and kinda liked it.



The album that spawned that song, and seems to have made In Flames the 'MDM band that it's OK for the kids to like' (this is based on observations of the kind of people who seem to wear In Flames t-shirts, I'll get back to this later) is a solid effort for my money, but is not the definitive effort that some claim it to be, with my favourite song being the token ballad-ish effort, the title track "Come Clarity"

A little digging showed me that their earlier record Reroute to Remain is considered a classic of the genre, and I'd certainly hold it to be a more impressive effort than Come Clarity.



It should be clear by now that I'm no scholar of this band, and my own opinions are based on a pair of live shows, possessing copies of Come Clarity and Reroute to Remain and a smattering of individual tracks from earlier records as well as the advise of some seasoned melodeth campaigners.

I was grievously disappointed when I've seen In Flames live (with the Unholy Alliance tour I saw them on being one of the most disappointing shows I have ever seen, and In Flames, Slayer and Children of Bodom's stock with me has dropped massively since then.) Their performance was flat, the singing wildly out of tone, and they seemed to cut most of their interesting songs ("Reroute to Remain", "Drifter") out of the set in favour of some frightfully one-paced material.



The crowd reaction was also interesting, as it seemed to be the much younger fans who responded to them, hence my belief that In Flames have somehow become the credible band that it's OK for Emos to like. I don't think that's merited, or any fault of the band themselves, and far more to do with the way metal has been promoted by the likes of Kerrrang! in the UK at least.

The main debate with In Flames is not the importance of their earlier work (up to Reroute...) but as to whether they have sold out of since that time.

I'm never a fan of the 'sell out' angle, as I tend to think any band who remains dedicated to 'unrelenting heaviness' or 'total brutality' for their whole career is somewhat missing something. Like a brain. When you consider that In Flames in particular and the Gothenburg MDM scene as a whole was created as a more melodic take on death metal, the first chink in the 'all heavy metal, all the time' argument is delivered by the bands and the genre label itself.

Sure, they are increasingly melodious, use more clean vocals and the riffs are diminishing, but maybe that's the way the band wanted to go.

Like it or don't I really don't think 'selling out' comes into it.

As I've said, it seems that In Flames have become the 'real' metal band that it's OK for scene kids to like (no, Sonic Syndicate and Bring Me The Horizon don't count as real metal bands) but the band remain large, hairy men and the songs are still dense and lyrically impenetrable - sure they are more introspective and personal than their 90s output, but you can only sing so many songs about Dungeons & Dragons stuff before the words that come from your life experience become more interesting. That is again, unless you lack a brain and things like emotional (and musical) development.

So they are softer than before, but by no means a sell out- I guarantee I could play anything of their most recent record and have EVERYONE in my office wondering what the scary noise was. The question is not so much of them turning soft or mainstream, but of the listener's perception. There are a great many bands I consider as easy listening which would blister the ears of my pop-obsessed workmates and things that friends of mine consider as sell-out music, which I still find rather atonally heavy (recent Satyricon for instance.) As usual, worth is in the ear of the beholder, different strokes for different folks etc. etc.



For my part, as a rule I prefer At The Gates or the Haunted, as well as Carcass' later work for melodic death metal kicks, and tend to prefer the slicker, admittedly more mainstream metalcore approach of Alive or Just Breathing-era Killswitch Engage to the lot.

That said, In Flames are a legendary and progressive act, a leading light in arguably the most important field of heavy rock in the last 20 years and well deserving of your time. I just hope they are a tad more impressive when the come touring with Killswitch...



Regular commenter Jcon came up with some back-handed support with this No one can really call Mr. Crowing here an elitist, for the letter 'C' he had Creed

Thanks for the support Jcon – I think. In fairness, I try and offer a varied selection of bands, and I have friends who are HUGE Creed fans, (while I think they have about five decent songs) so I figured they offered a fair contrast to 36 Crazyfists and the Chemical Brothers. I am no elitist – it's nice to have little underground bands to be all zealous about, but by the same token, it's nice to see the bands you love in great big arenas with mountains of pyro. I like bands to stay true to themselves, which is why I'm annoyed at Green Day's dilution of music and hypocrisy in song-writing.

Luke had this to add Chris, you pretty much listed all of my heroes as well. As you didn't mention it, have you got Jerry Cantrell's Degradation Trip? Get the 2 disc version if you can - it's almost as good as Dirt.

Astonishingly, on investigation I don't actually have Degradation Trip although I'm sure I used to have it. It's probably a coaster in one of the student dives I used to inhabit. I might have to get me that, it'll keep the edge off until the new Alice in Chains album comes out…

Guest#1568 informed me Russian circles is great stuff man. if you like it, watch for their new album coming out in october, it should be amazing.

I've only got Enter thus far, though it is blowing my mind. The concept of fresh kill from this band is a tantalising once, especially as I haven't even scratched the surface of their discography as yet.

Finally deftonie appeals to my towering vanity with wow someone finally gets wat DEFTONES is all about and your rite chino is a rock god.

I'm sure I'm not the first to get what the Deftones are all about – I certainly know at least a dozen of my friends who share my appreciation, indeed three of them are in my band (which is taking a very ‘tones direction at the moment) and I'm pretty sure that Scotland isn't the world hotbed of their fan base. Nonetheless, thanks for reading and taking the time to say I'm great. I always like that…

Slainte,

Chris Crowing

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