Myspace and art? In the same sentence?

Mostly everyone by now has seen and rated myspace; we marvelled at its brilliance and then left it, like alot things, forgotten by the roadside. Thats the internet all over pretty much. It's a world so much more novel and much less sublime. Jesus, Murdoch's got his finger in many tasty pies. Pies, that we the people, surely own by rights as we baked it in the god damn first place.

The current genre of Art Rock, originally defined by bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai, seemed for a while rampant on myspace. They all have one immedietly rekonisable aspect: there are no lyrics, in fact, no singing at all. The human element is dropped leaving behind landscapes, colour and emotional dimentions. What's left behind is the stars. The main trouble with the genre, among only a few problems, is our old ememy repetition. It has the tendancy to sound the same after while. About a year ago I discovered what I now realise is my proudest unknown and unearthed band; unearthed via the internet. Dezerett, a typical three piece band from Florida, have stayed with me a very long time since their discovery. They are the only downloaded band from myspace (I hardly ever download myspace band tracks) that I'll casually put on without any reservations. Some of the best music you own you'll play without overthinking. Maybe, in retrospect, the fact that I was smoking an obscene amount of marijuana at the time had some effect on the forming of this opinion. Nevermind that however, I'll disclose a description. Dezerett's music, it's all about the sonic scape: the melodic and beautifully overdrive'd guitar, the powerful sadness it all provokes, the hazel-eyed offspring of shoe-gaze and art rock. Stunning and blinding. I love also the use of electronica and the minimalist approach to harmonic texture. Raw and subtle, it stands out from all the other arty instrumental rock on the web. It's music that you don't forget so easily through the mediocracy of myspace. Dezerett is a soundtrack of the escape into the inner.
But enough mooning... cick here to listen to their myspace page, write back, say I'm wrong and completely misled.

A swan song from the Titans of Dance

It's been a good month or so since the release of new Chemical Brothers album. Just enough time for the weirdness to sink in. We are the Night (July, 2007) proves alot for the brothers of electronica. They've been through it all, the whole club progression from 90's to the present. A recent article by Charlie Brooker in The Guardian sheds resentful light on the modern club experience. Clubs, according to his misanthropic-ness, are no longer where its at (summing up his article painfully quickly here I'm sorry). Christ, its taken this long for people to realise? Like all great movements in music it all selfdistructs eventually. Look what happened to indie! Not exactly 'indie' now is it children? Clubs have had their day a long time ago in my opinion and, since they were originally defined by a combination of mood enhancing drugs and insanely trippy synth-based music, they're on the horrifying comedown. Take away the drugs and the experimental sonic sounds and you're left with the modern club: repetitive, soulless and asinine.
The bro's have created something thought almost impossible: They've brought back a certain amount of dance retro to the album (residing from the re-use of old analogue synths) while moving their sound forward into fresher, original pastures green. They do all this and retain their own style and voice. A far cry from the frankly disapointing previous album. With a strong track structure they include moments of unpredicable psychedelia and melancholoy. The last track "The pills wont help you now" could symbolise a respectful goodbye wave to club. You can almost feel the lasers fading and the sun melting into the red horizon. Setting, with the promise of morning.
Shit, where does all the meaning is these great movements go? Does it have to be so hallow? Unlike Charlie B I see a future for club society. The new chemical brothers album is either a swan song of its death, or its exactly what we've all been waiting for. I guess only time will tell.
Stupid "time"...