Toujours la change

[peterbirks]

It's strange what kind of music suddenly becomes influental 20 years on. Who would have thought that XTC would one day have been seen as a seminal band? But the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs clearly owe a debt to these tune-meisters.

And I never thought that I would recommend a band that clearly owes a debt to U2 and, indeed, seems keen on introducing U2-like guitar riffs into most songs on their new album. But when that band clearly owes a greater debt to The Comsat Angels and The Sound, then I'm prepared to accept the soaring anthemic guitar.

I would guess that this band would be categorized with Interpol, but there is little faux Joy Division here. This is more Positive Noise territory. And the vocals are distinctly Adrian Borland. Oh, and the album is called The Back Room.

Comments

The Editors

[geoffchall.livejournal.com]

We'll try and get round to checking them out. The trouble is I kind of overdosed on buying/acquiring new music in the last few months and there are albums lying around that I simply haven't had time to pay attention to. There was a new Teenage Fanclub album and a Marie McKee and I think I've listened to them once. The iPod is usually set on shuffle in the office because I want background music not foreground.

And yes it's fascinating to see 1978-1988 being rehabilitated. Like I said about New Order. At Glastonbury they were cheered by the uninitiated for their Joy Division songs because they sound 'just like Interpol'. The true New Order songs just sound like dance music and all that Trance stuff is just soooo 90's.

I keep trying to educate the kids. I have Nicki's generation listening to JD, the Comsats, The Sound, Adrian Borland and the Citizens, Catherine Wheel. Big hit with them is a band I think Adrian Borland produced, Into Paradise. I'll have to try them on TV21 but I only have them on vinyl and haven't slogged through the hassles of converting my remaining vinyl to MP3.

The grownups are harder to educate. They'll listen to Coldplay/Keane/13 Senses etc and I know they'd like a lot of the more recent stuff if only they'd listen to it with an open mind.

Re: The Editors

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

If you can get your TV21 onto Digital, please send!

I did mention that Borland killed himself recently, didn't I? Which is about as ironic as it gets, considering the emergence of the rehabilitated JD era.

Re: The Editors

[geoffchall.livejournal.com]

No I didn't know about Borland. I do occasionaly wander up and down the Internet trying to find old relics like him, but obviously not hard enough. When, why, how?

Re: The Editors

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

Er, by "recently", see "May 1999". Well, time goes quicker when you get older, doesn't it? Walked in front of a train at Wimbledon.

www.brittleheaven.com for the details.