No need for music, just a straight up winter session in Essex. Nick Remon, Mark Radden and a few more get stuck into Delside’s DIY curves.
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Swervedriver
Swervedriver
‘I Wasn’t Born To Lose You‘
(Cherry Red)
Nostalgia has never played a bigger part in music than it does right now.With decades of music to draw from, and with literally every band from the past still active or reformed and playing again, it’s a cluttered world of music that we all occupy, and it’s a wonder how new music even gets a look in. How many of these reunited old bands, however, can return eighteen years after they last made a new album and come back with a set of songs that is as good as, if not better than, the prime of their original material? The answer is of course, not very bloody many. Apart from Swervedriver.
I Wasn’t Born To Lose You is testament to how talented Swervedriver are. Initially lumped in by the UK press in the early 90s with the whole dour ‘shoegaze’ scene (Ride, Slowdive, Chapterhouse etc), it was a label that never sat well with the band. They were tougher, harder and more psychedelic. Swervedriver’s swirling, charging, dusty-road-wasteland rock had its roots and influences in the highways of American blues, the sonic white noise pop of Husker Du, the psychedelic freak-outs of Sonic Youth, the slacker fuzz grooves of Dinosaur Jr. Their debut single ‘Son Of Mustang Ford’ (released in 1990 on Creation Records) wasn’t the sound of a band gazing at their shoes, this was a band tearing down the highway, peddle to the floor, blowing sand and dust in our faces as they tore through the music scene, creating some of the most sublime and addictive psychedelic rock the nineties had to offer.
By 1998, however, their tank was running out of fuel and the band went on hiatus, going their separate ways. By 2007, with their cult status at an all-time high and with the music scene coming around again and catching up with their style, they performed at Coachella and played intermittently for the following years. By 2013, we got out first taste of new material in single ‘Deep Wound’ and the flavour was good! Now we have the whole album in our hands and in our heads and it doesn’t disappoint in any way whatsoever. Tracks like ‘For A Day Like Tomorrow’ and ‘Setting Sun’ are as good as anything, if not better, than the band have created before. Singer Adam Franklin’s voice drawls, whispers and croons, chiming and shimmering against Jim Hartridge’s motorised guitar-weaving to perfection. And then there’s ‘Red Queen Arms Race’ which sees the band ploughing headlong into heavier waters, brandishing tough stoner-rock-Black Sabbath infused riffs to brutal and punishing effect.
Ignore some of the average reviews of this album that have appeared. These people obviously didn’t spent enough time with it. Or they don’t know Swervedriver like we do. The longer you spend with this album, the larger the melodies and grooves grow. Open your minds. Let Swervedriver in.
James Sherry
Ph: Blender by Grant Brittain
We were asked to vote last week for the inductees of this year’s Skateboarding Hall of Fame alongside 400 other skate industry folks and we pretty much voted exactly what you see on this list here. Get hyped on who got in the room as its a stellar line up.
The ceremony for this annual affair will take place in Costa Mesa, California on May 14th.
The 2015 inductees are:
1960s Brian Logan
1970s Era One – Henry Hester
1970s Era Two – Duane Peters
1980s Era One – Neil Blender (interview)
1980s Era Two – Chris Miller
1990s John Cardiel (new footage)
1970s Female – Robin Logan
1980s Female – Cara-Beth Burnside
1990s Female – Elissa Steamer
More Wes Kremer magic landed this morning, 11 minutes of it. When you win SOTY you can skate wherever you want with a crew. Get stuck in to this Canary Islands visit with Torey Pudwill, Marius Syvanen, Madars Apse, Tyler Surrey and the upcoming gnarly skills of Baker’s T-Funk.
There’s no doubt that most of us associate World Record skateboard attempts with Danny Way, this month especially, as his rumoured forthcoming highest air attempt on the Ultra Mega Ramp has been a talking point – but have you heard of Adil Dyani?
Adil holds the official Guinness World Record for bomb-dropping into a ramp, all 30.8ft of it. His drop was filmed in a military base back in 2013 but not documented half as much as you’d expect for such a feat. He only found out officially a week ago that his bomb-drop has been entered into the Guinness archives, so congratulations to the Norwegian who has more balls than pretty much all of us!
You got this?
Say hello to the most ridiculous concept that the ‘skateboard’ has ever been associated with. We endure many shit contraptions annually from people who think they have re-invented the wheel, but this one is just damn insulting.
The Post Modern Skateboard has no board, just two wheels. Post modern skateboard?! “Riders simply place their feet on the two platforms and lean side-to-side to rotate the rubber wheels around the feet, propelling riders forward in a serpentine motion similar to longboard skateboarding”. Jesus…
These are $99 and come with a lifetime guarantee – that you will become the biggest bellend the second your feet slot into the ring piece.
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Lakai: A session in the GuyMar
The new GuyMar pro shoe on Lakai as worn by Guy Mariano was tested out by Marc Johnson, Mike Carroll, Riley Hawk, Stevie Perez, Vincent Alvarez, Sebo Walker, Daniel Espinoza, Jon Sciano, Danny Brady & James Capps in a session at Sheldon Skatepark.
The new Death Grips album has leaked well ahead of its proposed 31st March album release date which is kinda no suprise with this lot who cannot help themselves to a bit of unpredictability and controversy.
Jenny Death, the 2nd part of ‘The Powers That B’ is loaded with their traditional digital punk sound that we can’t get enough. Glad they didn’t call it a day!
Tracklist:
01. I Break Mirrors With My Face In The United States
02. Inanimate Sensation
03. Turned Off
04. Why A Bitch Gotta Lie
05. PSS PSS
06. The Powers That B
07. Beyond Alive
08. Centuries of Damn
09. On GP
10. Death Grips 2.0
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John Doran details memoir
Widely respected journalist and founder of The Quietus, John Doran, has announced the publication of his memoir for this coming June via Strange Attractor.
The book, titled Jolly Lad, is said to explore the authors recovery from alcoholism, habitual drug use and mental illness, and also his thoughts on the healing power of music, how memory defines us, the redemption offered by fatherhood and what it means to be working class. It features cover art by Simon Fowler and the illustrations of Krent Able.
The book is loosely based on Doran’s insightful, and often hilarious, MENK column, originally written for Vice magazine. However, the author stresses, “this is not a ‘my drink and drug hell’ kind of book for several reasons – the main one being that I had, for the most part, had a really good time drinking. True, a handful of pretty appalling things have happened to me and some people that I know or used to know over the years. But I have, for the most part, left them out of this book as they are not illuminating, not edifying and in some cases concern other people who aren’t here to consent to their appearance. Instead this book concentrates on what you face after the drink and the drugs have gone.”
To accompany the book, Doran will also be releasing an album entitled Hubris featuring spoken word from Doran and music from Nicky Wire, British Sea Power, Grumbling Fur, Teeth Of The Sea, GNOD, Eccentronic Research Council, Bronze Teeth and many others.
He will also embark upon a 31-date reading tour of England as a temporary member of Arabrot for the full month of May. Gigs are reportedly booked in numerous prisons, churches, libraries, record shops and cinemas with more details to follow.
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ATP Festival returns
Following last years cancellation controversy of the Jaberwocky Festival, ATP have announced the return of their holiday camp events, having pulled the traditional Camber Sands event in 2013.
The ‘ATP 2.0 Nightmare Before Christmas’ event will take place in Prestatyn, North Wales and will be curated by artists Jake and Dinos Chapman.
The line up will include appearances from Loop, Iceage, Max Richter, The Notwist, The Album Leaf, Holly Herndon, Dinos Chapman, Death, Ought, Blanck Mass, Fumaça Preta, Andrew Hung, Sculpture, Younghusband, Vision Fortune and Grimm Grimm, with more to be announced.
The ‘2.0’ event will run from November 27th – 29th this year with early bird tickets on sale from March 20th here.