parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the solo work of the generationally GIFTED BRITISH singer-songwriter and former OASIS guitarist NOEL GALLAGHER!
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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as a music fan its always INTRIGUING to learn about the behind-the-scenes inner-workings and machinations of CONSEQUENTIAL operators like PRODUCERS, MANAGERS, ENGINEERS and even ROADIES.  in his engaging memoir LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS: A HISTORY OF BRITPOP AND EXCESS IN 13 1/2 CHAPTERS (JAWBONE PRESS, 2019), you are introduced to the world of IMAGINATIVE media manipulations and greasy pole climbing that is PUBLIC RELATIONS through PHILL (now JANE) SAVIDGE of the noted now-DEFUNCT firm of SAVAGE & BEST.  at the height of the BRITPOP movement in the 1990s, this PUBLIC RELATIONS firm was at the center of the BRITISH YOUTH CULTURE having represented heavy-hitters of the period including SUEDE, PULP, ELASTICA and THE VERVE among many others.  LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS is basically a guided tour through the period and how he was able to adroitly manipulate PRESS COVERAGE and keep his clients and their new projects square in the BRITISH public's notoriously FICKLE focus and attention. 

so in essence this book is really about the fine art of BULLSHITTING.

SAVIDGE seems to be such a PRETERNATURAL talent at the art of NETWORKING and HYPE-BUILDING that his memoir showcases him in the same room serving the interests of everyone from DAVE STEWART (EURYTHMICS), KEITH ALLEN and ANDREW LLOYD WEBER to PAUL ALLEN, DAMIEN HIRST, A. R. RAHMAN, JARVIS COCKER and even LOU REED.  its all very INCREDIBLE and FASCINATING, but you get the sense throughout that SAVIDGE is a very USEFUL instrument for effectuating a DESIRABLE outcome, be it PRESS about a nightclub or a new band in a very specific BRITISH periodical.  to that end he is singularly focused and uniquely poised to perpetually create what we now refer to in the digital era as "content."  the dude was a constant producer of CONTENT that effectuated BENEFICIAL outcomes for his clients and provided unique access as a gatekeeper to a new generation of innovators pushing culture.   long-term though, it is never made clear how said ATTENTION benefited everyone.  seems like a never-ending hamster wheel of DRUGS, LIES and HYPE.  plus with the never satiated public consumption of said CONTENT, there is always the threat of being overtaken and replaced by newer, younger, hipper artists and individuals involved in ever more DESIRABLE and DEBAUCHED situation.  it seems in retrospect that the cheque written by SAVAGE & BEST was sadly delivered to the following generation of subsequent artists to pay up.  some with UNFORTUNATE results.

even though this memoir chronologically doesnt overlap with the likes of AMY WINEHOUSE or PETE DOHERTY, it was never that far from my attention the darker aspects of chasing down and falling into this type of RABBIT HOLE.  despite all of the GLAMOUR and DETACHED AFFECTION related to PRESS COVERAGE, you also get the sense that one's IDENTITY and PUBLIC PERSONA is what is at stake and being bartered over in the process.  some get LOST.

what is so COMPELLING about this book is how little i learned about SAVIDGE as an individual away from his MANIPULATIONS in the ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.  he is a complete CYPHER.  it is probably what made him such a great PUBLIC RELATIONS agent.

LUNCH WITH THE WILD FRONTIERS is definitely an INTERESTING book with a UNIQUE perspective on the BRITISH MUSIC INDUSTRY during the BRITPOP period.  definitely worth checking out.

ELASTICA's eponymous debut album ELASTICA (DGC, 1995) was the GREATEST record put out during the BRITPOP era.  end stop.  the album exudes a LYRICAL CONFIDENCE and SONIC SOPHISTICATION that was seemingly presented to the world from the outset as a committed and FULLY-FORMED musical statement.  taking influence most notably from POST PUNK bands like WIRE and THE STRANGLERS, main songwriter JUSTINE FRISCHMANN was the master of refashioning ANGULAR GUITAR PASSAGES and ODD TIME SIGNATURES into DEVASTATINGLY EFFECTIVE sonic hooks that separated their sound from their BRITPOP and ALTERNATIVE ROCK brethren.  being a SINGULAR recording for the ages, there are no weak tracks on the album, but NOTEWORTHY songs include "BLUE," "STUTTER," "2:1," "CONNECTION," "INDIAN SONG," "ANNIE," "LINE UP," "NEVER HERE" and my personal favorite, "WAKING UP."  i know i just named nine tracks (and to be honest there are another two id add come to think of it), but its that kind of TRANSCENDENT album.

my introduction to ELASTICA was hearing their STELLAR single "CONNECTION" on 106.7 FM KROQ during my late elementary school years in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.  at the time i had no idea who the band was, or really anything about BRITPOP, but that indelible opening synth lick (courtesy of DAMON ALBARN of all things) with that ICONIC "eeeewwww-wahhhhhh" vocal intro was something absolutely seared into my adolescent FASCINATION and was a part of the soundtrack of my years going to traveling soccer and basketball matches throughout ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, LOS ANGELES and SAN DIEGO COUNTIES in my youth. 

its funny, because i didnt actually discover ELASTICA by name until my senior year of high school when i found their debut and put the dots together on that "CONNECTION" single.  i was stunned by how consistent ELASTICA was with its memorable SLINKY BASS-LINES (a la JEAN-JACQUES BURNEL and PETER HOOK) and SNAPPY VOCALS sung with ATTITUDE and a SNARL.  that record was one of the key discoveries from my senior year of high school which i spent largely alone after being moved from the MIDDLE EAST to a unwitting relative in SACRAMENTO shortly after 9/11.  other groups i discovered during this period included THE BREEDERS, LOVE AND ROCKETS, MASSIVE ATTACK, SLOWDIVE, FUGAZI, APHEX TWIN and THE CRAMPS.  it was a horrible year but in that regard it was quite PRODUCTIVE.

why ELASTICA is not a bigger name in the history of ALTERNATIVE ROCK still baffles me.  usually FRISCHMANN only gets mentioned because of her past relationships with DAMON ALBARN (or BLUR) and BRETT ANDERSON (of SUEDE) which is being SEXIST and does her a total disservice.  it should be the other way around, that those two dudes once dated arguably the BEST songwriter of their generation.  it could be that the band dissolved after another INCREDIBLE record due to cliche tropes of INFIGHTING and UNHEALTHY and ultimately DESTRUCTIVE narcotic habits.  maybe, i dont know.  it still stuns me that ELASTICA isnt more widely CELEBRATED.  so go check out their debut album.  seriously, its worth it.

THE STONE ROSES: MADE OF STONE (WARP FILMS, 2013) documentary is a INTRIGUING cultural artifact of sorts as it presents an insider's view of the LEGENDARY MANCHESTER ALTERNATIVE ROCK band's reunion in the early 2010s after nearly 15 years apart.  in the history of BRITISH music,  THE STONE ROSES were a bit of a TRANSITIONAL band between INDIE scene of the 1980s and what would become BRITPOP, especially as it relates to fellow MANCUNIANS in OASIS.  LIAM GALLAGHER's brief cameo backstage at the first reunion finds him adamantly attesting that THE STONE ROSES are the greatest MANCHESTER band ever (which is saying something given that THE SMITHS, BUZZCOCKS, JOY DIVISION / NEW ORDER and THE FALL are from the northern city as well).  their initial fall is the stuff of ROCK AND ROLL cliche, given that fighting their label and then management inevitably manifested in them turning on each other as well during the recording of their second album.  for a brief SHINING moment in the early 1990s, especially their CELEBRATED gig at SPIKE ISLAND, the band was on top of the BRITISH music world and critical darling abroad in AMERICA.  they basically set the table for OASIS, no question about it.

for me the most interesting part of this documentary is not the capstone 2012 performance footage of the band at HEATON PARK in MANCHESTER (mirroring their SPIKE ISLAND gig), but rather the more INTIMATE coverage of their initial rehearsals at remote home in WARRINGTON.  it was during this rehearsal footage that you very much got a sense of the MUSICAL CONNECTION between the four players with all the unspoken nods, looks and grins that come with long embedded musical cues that manifest themselves physically and psychically with past compositions played to perfection in the present.  the ENERGY is palpable.  its that special ALCHEMY that only GIFTED musicians with a strong musical bond and chemistry bring to the table, which for the listener is nothing less than pure MAGIC.  case in point is their rehearsal performance of "WATERFALLS."  watching it you could feel their MUTUAL EXCITEMENT and ELATION. 

i like to view that core SPARK as the central feature of this documentary.  seeing how it ebbs and flows when outsiders and hangers-on and even technical difficulties come into the picture, such as their disastrous warm-up gig in AMSTERDAM when the drummer departed the gig pre-encore.  this mirrored his similarly SPONTANEOUS departure from the band more than a decade before, spurring their demise as a band and creative entity.  such would ultimately be the case a few years later when the band split again.  i feel that just like JANE'S ADDICTION, these long stretches of indefinite hiatuses only make the inevitable reunion that much more POTENT and SPECIAL.   my hope is that they do so with some shows stateside next go around. 

they are definitely a SEMINAL band well worth checking out.  IAN BROWN is a CHARISMATIC, ICONIC frontman and a BRITISH original.  here's hoping they figure it all out again.

half a decade ago NOISEY had an INCREDIBLE series of interview videos moderated by THE QUIETUS founding editor JOHN DORAN (who also writes for THE GUARDIAN, THEWIRE , VICE and METAL HAMMER and creates programming for the BBC) called THE BRITISH MASTERS that got at the heart of what made a certain cadre of LEGENDARY ENGLISH musicians and songwriters of varying genres so IMPACTFUL and EFFECTIVE.  included in the mix were participants like TRICKY (MASSIVE ATTACK), JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), COSEY FANNI TUTTI (THROBBING GRISTLE), JOHN LYDON (SEX PISTOLS, PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED), MARK E SMITH (THE FALL), ROOTS MANUVA, PAUL SIMONON (THE CLASH), BRYAN FERRY (ROXY MUSIC), DAMON ALBARN (BLUR, GORILLAZ), NEIL TENNANT (PET SHOP BOYS), VIV ALBERTINE (THE SLITS), GARY NUMAN (TUBEWAY ARMY), LIAM GALLAGHER (OASIS), GOLDIE and BRETT ANDERSON (SUEDE) among others.

my sense is that there is a certain mix of PAROCHIALISM at play in BRITAIN whereby it is SMALL and DISCONNECTED enough from nearby EUROPE to cultivate an INDEPENDENT arts scene without much outside influence.  conversely and completely counterintuitively ENGLAND's recent past as a colonial power allows it to have a DIVERSE cultural population that manifests in organically UNIQUE cultural products that reflect such.  just a look at the guests chosen for this series one is confronted with a myriad of sub-genres including PUNK ROCK, HIP HOP, INDUSTRIAL MUSIC, SYNTH POP, POST PUNK, BRITPOP, DRUM & BASS and TRIP HOP.  each represents a specific community, lifestyle with an attendant set of values that renders all of them uniquely BRITISH.

the cultural references utilized are now a bit dated, but THE BRITISH MASTERS still very much holds up and is well worth investigation.  definitely worth checking out.

in less than two short years itll be three decades since my family permanently left SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA for whats been an INSANE journey that has led me to live in several countries across five continents before resettling on the east coast of the UNITED STATES in recent years.  ive been back out west a few times, enough to know that whatever ties i had to ORANGE COUNTY and the greater LOS ANGELES area are now pretty DISTANT and MINUSCULE, but one thing i still hold on to is the EXPERIENCE of listening to the radio while in early elementary school.  specifically the nationally INFLUENTIAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK powerhouse that is 106.7FM KROQ.

i have a DISTINCT MEMORY of listening to KROQ and hearing bands like SOUNDGARDEN, LIVING COLOUR, MORRISSEY, THE B-52's, PEARL JAM, JANE'S ADDICTION, U2, TEARS FOR FEARS, NIRVANA, THE CURE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, ELECTRONIC, 4 NON BLONDES, DURAN DURAN, R.E.M. and ALICE IN CHAINS on car trips to and from school and regional sporting events with my dad as a kid.  at this point that MEMORY is like a security blanket and one reason i probably view radio as an almost SACROSANCT institution.

embedded below are live performances of bands that have played the WEENIE ROAST, ALMOST ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS or their recent SOUND SPACE events.  all of it was recorded well after my time in LOS ANGELES but squarely showcases the continued influence of that station.  it is all definitely worth checking out.

the ENGLISH ALTERNATIVE ROCK band SUEDE was one of the FLAGSHIP acts of a mid-1990s movement known as BRITPOP that was a reaction to the relative cultural hegemony of the BRITISH music industry by AMERICAN GRUNGE acts like NIRVANA for the first half of the decade.  along with BLUR, PULP, ELASTICA, SLEEPER and OASIS, SUEDE was part of a loose effort to reestablish BRITISH ROCK AND ROLL for a new generation of listeners.

whats interesting is how those acts initially borrowed from previous generations of ENGLISH music, most prominently the BRITISH INVASION and POST PUNK.  its all a bit of a UNIQUE recipe, and SUEDE no doubt borrowed from both of those traditions, but arguably 1970s GLAM ROCK as typified by T. REX, SLADE, SWEET and DAVID BOWIE was also a major influence.  especially on their eponymous debut album SUEDE (NUDE, 1993) and its STANDOUT singles in "ANIMAL NITRATE," "SO YOUNG," "METAL MICKEY," "THE DROWNERS" as well as tracks like "PANTOMINE HORSE" and "SLEEPING PILLS."

SUEDE is fronted by former architecture student BRETT ANDERSON, whose high falsetto and slim figure made him the poster child for a new updated ANDROGYNY at the beginning of the decade.  the songs themselves with their CLOAKED references to DRUGS and DETAILED CHARACTER STUDIES no doubt positioned him, along with BLUR's DAMON ALBARN and PULP's JARVIS COCKER, as particularly LITERARY-MINDED and in the lyrical songwriting tradition of THE KINKS' RAY DAVIES, THE WHO's PETE TOWNSEND and even THE SMITHS' MORRISSEY.  both of these are in opposition to the more LADDISH and outright OAFISH presentation of OASIS' LIAM GALLAGHER as well as the more PSYCHEDELIC and FREE ASSOCIATION lyrical perspective of his brother NOEL.

my personal favorite thing about their debut SUEDE, is the INCREDIBLE guitar playing of BERNARD BUTLER, who along with BLUR's GRAHAM COXON, is arguably the proper 90s heir to the 80s GUITAR WIZARDRY and INTELLIGENT POP song craft that is THE SMITHS' JOHNNY MARR, of whom both are devout acolytes.  for people that cannot get past ANDERSON's voice or BRASH STAGE PERSONA, i have heard nothing but praise of BUTLER and the incredibly articulated ARPEGGIATED TEXTURES found throughout these songs on SUEDE.  it makes sense that after his departure from SUEDE later in the decade he became an in-demand songwriting collaborator and production maestro, again a la MARR.

when i personally look back at the BRITPOP movement, the most BRITISH sounding group to my yankee ears by far is SUEDE.  its both their references and their presentation that mark them as uniquely ENGLISH in nature, even in comparison to their cohort of bands from the same period.  on some level those other bands seemed to be more directly influenced by the AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene that wained in influence throughout the decade after the untimely passing of KURT COBAIN.  BLUR (specifically COXON) adopted the noisier, combustible elements of AMERICAN INDIE ROCK (a la PAVEMENT) and OASIS' NOEL GALLAGHER was an equal opportunity raider of the great ROCK AND ROLL songbook, yankees included.  arguably only PULP and their adoption of WORKING-CLASS DANCE culture preserved their ENGLISHNESS throughout the decade in a manner similar to SUEDE by raiding and taking influence from BRITISH cultural traditions.

regardless, SUEDE is a CELEBRATED album (it won the PRESTIGIOUS MERCURY PRIZE in 1993) and arguably one of the key achievements of the BRITPOP movement full stop.  it is most definitely worth checking out if you are unfamiliar with its CHARMS.

throughout her recent memoir FINGERS CROSSED: HOW MUSIC SAVED ME FROM SUCCESS (NINE EIGHT PUBLISHING, 2022), LUSH front-woman and co-songwriter MIKI BERENYI presents a HARROWING personal narrative that frames her career as a CELEBRATED SHOEGAZE icon as one of survival.  by definition, the BRITISH SHOEGAZE movement was  dreamed up by a cadre of SUPPORTIVE, like-minded musicians that created HAZY, INTROSPECTIVE aural landscapes that seemingly washed over their audience into a mantra-like state of ecstasy.  at least that is how i feel when revisiting noteworthy bands from period like SLOWDIVE, CATHERINE WHEEL and MY BLOODY VALENTINE.  with LUSH and BERENYI in particular i was just startled by the deep well of TRAUMA, ANXIETY and SUFFERING that rooted her identity and was exorcised through their music.  i had always considered their music as DELICATE, EPHEMERAL and optimistically BOUYANT.

without diving deep into the details, BERENYI had a DIFFICULT childhood mired by the psychological and physical traumas of DIVORCE, growing up BIRACIAL (HUNGARIAN/JAPANESE) to non-native parents in ENGLAND and repeated SEXUAL ABUSE at the hand of her grandmother.  that whole section of the book is amongst the most BRUTAL and TRAGIC i have come across in any memoir by a musician.  it reminded me of a book i read over a decade ago called NIGHT FALLS FAST: UNDERSTANDING SUICIDE (VINTAGE, 2000) by KAY REDFIELD JAMISON of JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY which at the heart of it was about trauma.  long story short, for those that experience childhood sexual trauma longterm effects include asexuality as well as chronic PROMISCUITY.  both are about the need for physical CONTROL and COMFORT.  this phenomena was explored pretty explicitly in the GREGG ARAKI's film MYSTERIOUS SKIN (DESPERATE PICTURES, 2004).  so it came as no surprise that BERENYI throughout he years of fame was caught in that cycle.  she had been effectively abandoned by her parents who parked her in private schools while they pursued their careers elsewhere.

what i found so intriguing about FINGERS CROSSED was her ability given such trauma to endure a career as a public entertainer with all the slings and arrows that come with it.  especially as a female musician during a musical era (BRITPOP) in ENGLAND that lionized LAD CULTURE and MISOGYNY as a lazy past time akin to football.  i dont know how navigating those waters and the messages by sent about her status werent internalized and calcified into a negative self image.  i just get the sense that BERENYI has an intestinal fortitude beyond us normal mortal beings.  especially as she got older with the gender DOUBLE-STANDARDS at play, the whole charade feels downright MASOCHISTIC in nature.

i did appreciate her description of the INTERNAL dynamics between her bandmates, especially the CONTENTIOUS creative interplay with gifted songwriter EMMA ANDERSON, and the relationship of the band with the greater SHOEGAZE and 4AD RECORDS scene, but to me the central gambit of this memoir was BERENYI's struggle to secure LOVE, AFFECTION, CONNECTION and a sense of FAMILY, however IMPERFECT.  LUSH obviously seemed to be one attempt at such.  its nice to know that she found such in her CHILDREN and a STABLE relationship with a SUPPORTIVE partner.  fingers crossed.

this was one of the better written memoirs ive come across in recent years and wholeheartedly recommend it even if you are not interested in SHOEGAZE, INDIE ROCK, BRITPOP or ALTERNATIVE ROCK.  its a startlingly COMPELLING story about SURVIVAL in the face of UNSPEAKABLE TRAUMA.

its always cool to learn about the INSPIRATION for ART.  longtime BRITISH music periodical NME on their youtube channel has for several years had an ongoing video series called SONG STORIES in which they have celebrated musicians explain the initial spark and CREATIVE PROCESS that brought about notable tracks.  past participants include JOHNNY MARR (THE SMITHS), PETER HOOK (JOY DIVISION), DAVE GROHL (FOO FIGHTERS), TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB, BRETT ANDERSON (SUEDE), PHOENIX, OLI SYKES (BRING ME THE HORIZON), IAN MCCULLOCH (ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN), JOEY SANTIAGO & DAVID LOVERING (THE PIXIES), JIMMY EAT WORLD, GAVIN ROSSDALE (BUSH),  ROYAL BLOOD, BOBBY GILLESPIE (PRIMAL SCREAM) and COURTNEY BARNETT among many others.

while i understand that MUSIC, LITERATURE and ART all have unique narratives that brought about their CREATION, the SOLIPSISTIC truth of the matter is that their longevity is how such became intertwined in the countless personal narratives of individuals the world over.   for me music is the ultimate time transportation vehicle as i can listen to a STRANGLERS song and immediately be back in my parents old dilapidated HONDA ACCORD being driven to a weekend soccer match in the early 1990s.  the POWER OF MUSIC is not in the CREATOR but in the LISTENER, who effectively completes the circuit.

although as a fan of art i still love getting to know how songs were constructed and what value they imparted or exorcised on the part of the SONGWRITER.  endlessly INTRIGUING.  NME's SONG STORIES is definitely worth further investigation.  highly recommended.

in the fall of 1996 my family moved to NIGERIA and one interesting aspect of my father's job was that the company required that employee's go on vacation.  it was probably due to the stressful nature of the work they were doing and the relative isolating experience that living in AFRICA was at that point.   this was pre-internet and my family lived on a compound outside LAGOS.  regardless one of the first trips we went on was to FRANCE where we met with a friend of the family.  back in the day this friend of my father's from college, who is now a retired but globally recognized volcanologist, introduced him to bands like THE STRANGLERS and THE SMITHS so it goes without saying that his opinion on cultural matters always held some weight.  i remember at around thirteen when i met him and his son in PARIS, the big record they were into at that moment was I SHOULD COCO (PARLOPHONE, 1995), the debut by OXFORD BRITPOP upstarts SUPERGRASS.  so of course i knew on sight this had to be good.

what i love about I SHOULD COCO tracks like "ALRIGHT," "I'D LIKE TO KNOW," "LOSE IT," "CAUGHT BY THE FUZZ," "LENNY," and "MANSIZE ROOSTER" is that MANIC, CONTAGIOUS, PROPULSIVE energy.  that mindset is the hear of what makes ROCK N ROLL at its core so great.  that feeling of being led off the edge of a cliff, tumbling over as if the song is on the verge of escaping itself at terminal velocity.  it is hard to describe.  its a balance between sheer FEROCITY and a PLAYFUL sense of looseness, a swing.  THE ROLLING STONES had it.  THE STOOGES had it.  THE NEW YORK DOLLS had it.  later THE STROKES definitely had it.  that ENERGY is all over this album and separates it from more traditionally-minded BRITPOP contemporaries in OASIS and the more self-consciously experimental in ELASTICA, SUEDE, BLUR and PULP.

there is also a sense of nostalgic TUNEFULNESS about this record, with piano chord progressions that almost harken back to victorian-era MUSIC HALL stage numbers, especially on tracks like "ALRIGHT" and "MANSIZE ROOSTER."  this AWARENESS, CAPACITY and PREOCCUPATION to re-contextualize BRITISH music history to a new audience is reminiscent of a prominent lineage of ENGLISH songwriters like RAY DAVIES (THE KINKS), JOHN LENNON (THE BEATLES) and PETE TOWNSEND (THE WHO) of the BRITISH INVASION bands of the 1960s only a generation before.  my MUSIC THEATER chops are nonexistent, but i can swear on those two tracks that there are certain sections played in WALTZ-timing.

and that deft balance between thoughtfully constructed compositions that have fun with the past and FERAL, UNHINGED barn-burners is what make SUPERGRASS and this record so much fun.  definitely recommended and required listening in my opinion.

parodies by nacrowe

my listening habits are a MYSTERY to me.  i feel like i spend a lot of time and effort seeking out new sounds online by finding what i consider INNOVATIVE musicians pushing SONG STRUCTURE and SONIC TEXTURE forward with CREATIVE JUXTAPOSITIONS and COMPOSITIONS.  even getting out the word on such is the idea behind the CHECK OUT THIS BAND blog segment i publish every friday.  

but i always seem to inevitably return to OASIS.

as far out on the deep end i get there is something MAGICAL about the MEAT-AND-POTATOES AESTHETIC SIMPLICITY of a STELLAR NOEL GALLAGHER-penned track.  notorious for wearing their influences on their sleeve (THE KINKS, T. REX, THE WHO, THE ROLLING STONES, DAVID BOWIE, THE JAM, THE SMITHS, THE STONE ROSES and of course THE BEATLES), there is a PALPABLE sense of UNADULTERATED POP TRADITIONALISM when listening to an OASIS song.  its like they took those CHORD and SONG STRUCTURES and wrote better songs with more ATTITUDE (courtesy of ICONIC frontman LIAM GALLAGHER).  im constantly reminded of the U2 song "EVEN BETTER THAN THE REAL THING" when thinking about OASIS.  ORIGINALITY and INNOVATION is beside the point.  its kind of a distraction from what actually matters, which is the SONG.  OASIS write and perform the best songs.  period.

for me its a cycle i go through.  one minute searching for something FRESH and INVENTIVE and then ultimately coming to the conclusion that OASIS got it right the first time.  no real need to look elsewhere.  and man do i wish theyd reform already.  i need to see them play an arena at least once in my life.  here's still hoping.

there was a moment in the early 1990s when HOUSE MUSIC basically took over BRITISH INDIE culture.  there was always this interesting transition at play beforehand with EXPERIMENTAL POST PUNK bands finding there way to more ELECTRONIC, SYNTHESIZER and SEQUENCER-based production techniques (think JOY DIVISION becoming NEW ORDER), but this drug-fueled ACID HOUSE movement transformed the culture on a more ELEMENTAL level.  

in retrospect people look towards pre-BRITPOP so-called MADCHESTER bands like THE HAPPY MONDAYS or THE STONE ROSES as embodiments of this changing shift in sonics and MDMA-expanded CONSCIOUSNESS, but in my mind no album better exemplifies such as the SCOTTISH band PRIMAL SCREAM's third record SCREAMADELICA (CREATION, 1991).  singer BOBBY GILLESPIE, formerly drummer of fellow SCOTTISH INDIE ROCK icons THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, is basically the physical EMBODIEMENT of this transition and on songs like "HIGHER THAN THE SUN," "LOADED," "MOVIN' ON UP," "COME TOGETHER," "DAMAGED" and especially "SLIP INSIDE THIS HOUSE" you can feel how the electronic-based beats and inclusions found samples has freed up their BLUES-based ALTERNATIVE ROCK compositions into something else entirely.

that sound and aesthetic is what makes SCREAMADELICA such a revelation.  it feels optimistic and hopeful without resorting to tired rock cliches, similar to how listening to THE BEACH BOYS, CSS, THE AQUABATS, PASSION PIT, THE B-52's or THE POLYPHONIC SPREE is a genuinely JOYFUL and CHEERFUL listening experience sans knowing sarcasm or wink wink irony.  for me i was not sold on many of the MADCHESTER bands until hearing SCREAMADELICA.  it provided that context of the power of such a hybrid sound that bound the EXPERIMENTAL soundscapes and song structures of POST PUNK with the mantra-inducing repetition of HOUSE MUSIC.  it was a sonic combination i had never considered and went on to inform the later experiments of BRITPOP bands like LUSH, PULP, BLUR and SUEDE among others.

for me this record is indicative of my personal ethos of trying to remain open-minded to new sounds and perspectives.  as new IDEAS, AESTHETICS, TECHNOLOGY and even DRUGS shift culture, there is always an opportunity to question previously held beliefs about the nature of reality.  for me SCREAMADELICA is one of those records that presents such a tectonic rearrangement.  and its still an exciting listen.  definitely required listening for anyone interested in POST PUNK, INDIE ROCK, BRITPOP, ELECTRONIC MUSIC and ALTERNATIVE ROCK during the culturally fertile period in BRITAIN at the beginning of the 1990s.

BE HERE NOW (CREATION, 1997) is often critically derided as the moment OASIS, and by extension the BRITPOP movement, lost the script and jumped the shark.  i dont believe that is entirely true or fair.  to me, BE HERE NOW represents a new batch of songs written post-FAME, as the first two seminal records, DEFINITELY MAYBE (CREATION, 1994) and WHAT'S THE STORY (MORNING GLORY)? (CREATION, 1995) were essentially written by NOEL GALLAGHER concurrently and stockpiled over a lifetime of private attempts. 

given such restraints, BE HERE NOW is a bit MEANDERING at times with tracks such as "MAGIC PIE," "DON'T GO AWAY," "BE HERE NOW" and most famously "D'YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?" all not having that focus and MELODIC and compositional potency of their earlier material.  i think such a critique regarding those specific songs is warranted, but my favorite material from the record including tracks like "STAND BY ME," "ALL AROUND THE WORLD" and "MY BIG MOUTH" are as CONSISTENT as anything off the first two records.  and i think such achievements get lost in the shuffle.

and maybe the marketing is to blame for such.  i remember being stateside on summer break at a relative's house in NEW JERSEY when this record came out and seeing the "D'YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?" video on rotation on MTV.  the song sonically felt EPIC, probably due in part to the pseudo-wartime visuals of slow-motion helicopters and COLORFUL flairs in a post-apocalyptic dreary factory setting that made LIAM GALLAGHER look even more undeniably cool in his green parka and signature sneer behind a pair of sunglasses.  but the song was SUBPAR and over time i found myself listening to BE HERE NOW less than the previous two records.

i believe what saved this record were subsequent live records that showcased the POWER of some of these songs.  in summation there are no bad OASIS records, but BE HERE NOW is probably not their peak.  NOEL has admitted such in years since.  he's definitely learned the lesson of the consequences of excessive DRUG USE while in the studio.  the DAMAGE is allowing some uninspired and seemingly INCOHERENT material from seeing the public light of day.  its a mistake id argue he has not repeated in an otherwise outstanding discography before and since.

ive come around recently to the AUCKLAND DJ and former long-time BBC RADIO 1 RADIO PERSONALITY ZANE LOWE, especially with regards to his current THE ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW SERIES on APPLE MUSIC.  ive watched and listened to his interviews for years and while he always came across as INFORMED and an ardent fan of his subject, there were times his PASSION seemed to stray into straight-up adulation.  or so i thought.  i believe the dude is fully aware of his role in the wider ecosystem of modern culture as a bridge of sorts for the global public to access emerging and established musicians, and i feel his ENTHUSIASM is a reflection of such.  his queries are often the types a hardcore fan would want answered by a favored artist if given the opportunity and the nerve.

and that perspective of LOWE from that as a stand-in for the public was how i judged him until recently.  i began to realize that, like HOWARD STERN, he is a great listener.  and i think such may be an outgrowth of the long-form format of THE ZANE LOWE INTERVIEW SERIES of podcasts as it gives him time to weave and contextualize competing narratives and informed takes on his subject's career.  in essence he isn't necessarily flattering his guests, instead he's creating a SAFE ENVIRONMENT for them to open up.  and post-pandemic he is doing such physically as well, often meeting his subjects on their home-court.  at their favorite spots.  in their cities.  sometimes even at their home or recording studio.

i've also noticed that he is shrewd in his interviewing style as he allows his subject to TAKE THE LEAD, with him interjecting only to clarify or contextualize a point he found interesting or needing of clarification for the average viewer.  LOWE is the type of interlocutor that is comfortable not being "in the know" at all times and lets it known when he finds something genuinely UNEXPECTED or COMPELLING.  i've also noticed he is not afraid of silence.  it reminds me of my teaching days where there were sometimes pregnant silences were students or myself were conjuring a response to a BOLD question hanging in the air.  the silences in his interviews are ones where people are fully contemplating and thus fully ENGAGED.

it took me a while to come around to the fact that the guy is just a fan of music and art and the processes/ALCHEMY from which such rise from the ether.  in that sense it is almost inconsequential who the subject is, from DAVID BYRNE to MILEY CYRUS.  i look forward to seeing where his long-form interview series leads him.  hopefully he can interview some of my heroes like Q-TIP, JOHNNY MARR, SHANE MCGOWAN, JUSTINE FRISCHMANN, HUGH CORNWELL, MARK MOTHERSBAUGH, MIKE PATTON or even transcendent emerging artists like DRAB MAJESTY and CHELSEA WOLFE.

one can dream.

their catalogue speaks for itself.

the BRITISH indie label CREATION RECORDS during its run had some massively seminal and influential bands, everyone from PRIMAL SCREAM, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, TEENAGE FANCLUB, RIDE, SLOWDIVE and THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN to SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, THE HOUSE OF LOVE, SWERVEDRIVER, SUGAR, SAINT ETIENNE and, of course, OASIS.  culturally the label is very much synonymous with the two BRITISH INDIE ROCK exports of the period, SHOEGAZE and BRITPOP.  and while all of those bands get their spot in the documentary UPSIDE DOWN: THE CREATION RECORDS STORY (DOCUMENT FILMS, 2010), the focus is on its founder all around INDIE ROCK pied piper, ALAN MCGEE.

the label is very much created in the image of MCGEE, who was a SCOTTISH punk who made his way down to LONDON with his band subsequently decided to put out music by his friends.  and that tribal bond was basically the defining ethos of CREATION RECORDS throughout its run.  in the film MCGEE even attests to the fact that he signed interesting, creative people and not bands.  needless to say, thats an odd tactic but definitely describes the innovative people he brought into the fold including KEVIN SHIELDS, BOBBY GILLESPIE, GRUFF RHYS and NOEL GALLAGHER.

what i found interesting is how the story of CREATION RECORDS mirrors that of other artistic-minded labels in their peer group, many that came out of the existing POST PUNK scene of the previous generation like FACTORY RECORDS.  these INDIE ROCK labels were seemingly fronts for producing great art rather than being a functioning business with longterm economic targets and vertically integrated efficiencies.  CREATION RECORDS pre-OASIS was in a constant state of owing money to recording studios, printing presses and the like and was under constant threat of being eaten up by a major.  its ironic that the period that saw the label at its mid-1990s cultural zenith, the period around OASIS' second record WHAT'S THE STORY (MORNING GLORY)?, also marked their fall into eventually being consolidated and sold to SONY.  MCGEE during the entire OASIS period had hit a wall with his drug use and saw him through a long recovery which meant his non-presence at the label allowed for the implementation of structural changes which in turn weakened his hand.  this led to the label being swallowed up by a major, who of course had no idea what to do with its idiosyncratic and eccentric catalogue.

but the fact that the label ended in 1999 doesnt reduce its impact.  its arguable that the label nurtured the BRITISH INDIE ROCK scene post-SMITHS throughout the late 80s and 90s and laid the groundwork for what would be the last great global rock phenomenon in OASIS.  once that genie is out of the bottle its arguable that their legacy was cemented and where do you go from there?

i dont know.

but growing up overseas this label's catalogue was essentially synonymous with my young adulthood, especially MY BLOODY VALENTINE and SLOWDIVE.  i love the guy just for giving world those two bands.  definitely check out this documentary if you have any interest in music history or ALTERNATIVE ROCK and INDIE ROCK bands from the 1980s and 1990s including SHOEGAZE and BRITPOP.  thoroughly enjoyable and required viewing.

parody by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the criminally underrated BRITPOP band ELASTICA!
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!

sadly in recent years there has been a series of documentaries chronicling the demise of the recording studio, most notably the DAVE GROHL-directed SOUND CITY (review linked HERE).  inevitably the repeated narrative is about what has been lost with the advent and rise of powerful (and mobile) digital recording technology (i.e. PROTOOLS), such being the spontaneity, feeling and magic that happens when musicians make it happen in close proximity to one another.

ROCKFIELD: THE STUDIO ON THE FARM (IE IE PRODUCTIONS, 2020) follows the story of the notable WELSH residential recording studio, ROCKFIELD STUDIOS, that has been utilized by the likes of everyone from BLACK SABBATH, QUEEN, IGGY POP, DAVID BOWIE, ADAM ANT, JUDAS PRIEST, ROBERT PLANT and HAWKWIND to THE STONE ROSES, CHRISTIAN DEATH, OASIS, BAUHAUS, MANIC STREET PREACHERS, ROYAL BLOOD and even COLDPLAY among countless others.  what is interesting about the studio is its isolation.  when it was created in the 1960s by two brothers, it was completely unique in that all other studios of its caliber were owned by record labels and located in LONDON.  atmosphere-wise many of them were effectively sonic laboratories and had the vibe of a dental office.  ROCKFIELD was located far removed in the WELSH countryside on what was effectively a pig and dairy farm.  artists could rehearse and record with little to no distractions and effectively no volume restrictions.  this was the setting that bands like BLACK SABBATH and HAWKWIND perfected their decibel rattling sound. 

this isolation and lack of distractions also means that there is an intimacy to the experience of recording at all hours for an extended period of time.  recording at ROCKFIELD came with cooked meals by the family that ran the studio and sleeping on the premises that they also maintained.  apparently THE STONE ROSES famously stayed for 14 months straight during their peak creative and prolific period.  it went the other way as well since some of the participants spoke of it as a prison, especially if your band was not clicking.

given that DEER GOD ran a recording studio for a period that was deliberately removed from the hustle and bustle of NEW YORK CITY (we were located in a late 19th century victorian mansion in southern STATEN ISLAND), its always interesting for me to listen to the shared experience of working with artists.  in all these films it seems that one gig leads to the next.  with SOUND CITY there was a long dry spell in the 1980s until NIRVANA came which begot RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, TOOL, KYUSS, MASTERS OF REALITY, SLAYER and so on.  same with ROCKFIELD STUDIOS with a similar trajectory in the 1980s followed by THE STONE ROSES who begot OASIS, THE CHARLATANS, THE BOO RADLEYS and several members of BRITPOP royalty.

the recording studio as a destination is now an outmoded anachronism.  which is sad.  im glad documentaries such as ROCKFIELD: THE STUDIO ON THE FARM exist since it allows us to take stock in the moment of a period of transition as music and art "progress" forward with the advent of ever more powerful recording technology.

its interesting to consider what lays ahead and how music production will shift and evolve moving forward.  whether or not the human element in music will survive.  its an endlessly captivating topic.​

when my family moved to NIGERIA in the mid 1990s we would spend a few weeks each summer staying with a relative in ENGLAND in a suburb north of LONDON.  its an era i really look back at fondly and, as it turns out, the timeframe coincided with can argued were the peak years of the BRITPOP movement.  undoubtedly the biggest record of the period was (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? (CREATION, 1995) by legendary MANCHESTER band OASIS.  tracks like "DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER," "CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA," "SOME MIGHT SAY" and of course "WONDERWALL" are celebrated milestones of an era that marker a distinct generational realignment in BRITISH culture and even politics. 

there are so many touch points with this record. 

culturally (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? marked a shift away from the decidedly introspective and self-reflective SHOEGAZE movement of a few years prior and provided a more aggressive stance in the wake of NIRVANA and the stateside ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement.  this was a record and a band that were unabashedly, uncompromisingly and unapologetically BRITISH.  it was also a record that didnt hide behind characters and sophisticated literary ambitions which was the case with BLUR and their equally impactful and era-defining PARKLIFE (FOOD, 1994) album.  lyrically what it did have were non-sensical, free-association, stream-of-consciousness lyrics a la THE BEATLES' "I AM THE WALRUS" by songwriter and guitarist NOEL GALLAGHER.  the opaque and inscrutable nature of the lyrics counterintuitively for the listener put more emphasis on the performances of singer LIAM GALLAGHER and the melody within the music itself.  its an interesting switch and bait.

fairly or unfairly, OASIS politically was effectively the living embodiment of the working class in ENGLAND.  this was in contrast to BLUR, who were portrayed as upper-class art school sophisticates.  the rivalry was manufactured and kinda bullshit, much like THE BEATLES and THE ROLLING STONES before them, but its an image that survives to this day.  LIAM himself was the poster child of LAD CULTURE, which celebrated womanizing, excessive alcohol consumption and soccer hooliganism.  so its interesting that TONY BLAIR tapped into BRITPOP and specifically OASIS in order to reach that desired younger and decidedly urban demographic.  it worked and the LABOR PARTY regained control of government in 1997 in a landslide.  the sight of NOEL at 10 DOWNING STREET in the aftermath is also seen as the jump the shark moment of the BRITPOP movement in general.  when what was a youth movement now became BRITISH CULTURE writ large.  their is no real analogue to the political significance of this record in an AMERICAN context.  not ELVIS PRESLEY, not BOB DYLAN and not BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.  its still an interesting topic.

like most people who are OASIS obsessives, what i love about this record are the melodies and song-craft of NOEL and the brash over-confidence and demonic chutzpah of LIAM.  its not even up for discussion how powerful this combination of distinct forces found in THE GALLAGHER BROTHERS was during this period.  lightning in a bottle.  my favorite song on (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY? has long been "MORNING GLORY" with its whirling, siren-like guitar intro to its opening couplet of "all your dreams are made when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade."  when that first chorus crashes in i am never in a bad mood.  its empowering and intoxicating to take in.  just like it was when i first heard it when i was eleven.

is most definitely worth revisiting and checking out again.  and for god's sake THE GALLAGHER BROTHERS need to just make up and regroup already.  have COLDPLAY as your backing band, i dont care.  the world needs to hear "ROCK 'N' ROLL STAR" in a stadium again!

from its inception, GORILLAZ was designed as a hybrid multi-media/art/music project meant to provide a creative vehicle with no historical or cultural antecedents for BRITISH collaborators DAMON ALBARN (BLUR) and cartoonist JAMIE HEWLETT (of TANK GIRL fame).  in essence ALBARN had long felt confined by the expectations and parlor games of the fickle and often churlish BRITISH tabloid music press and sought a way of removing himself from the equation.  the documentary BANANAZ (HEAD FILM, 2008) serves as a behind-the-scenes documentation of notable recording, touring and press circuit madness surrounding the GORILLAZ (PARLOPHONE, 2001) and DARK DAYS (PARLOPHONE, 2001) albums.

given that the presentation of the band was done through cartoon characters, this provided ALBARN with the opportunity to really pursue musical collaborations and multiple musical genres with gusto.  this can be seen with his choice of producers in DAN "THE AUTOMATOR" NAKAMURA and DANGER MOUSE, studio musicians in JUNIOR DAN (BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS), SIMON TONG (VERVE) and DAVE ROWNTREE (BLUR) as well as the litany of notable participants including DAN "THE AUTOMATOR" NAKAMURA, DEL THE FUNKEE HOMOSAPIEN, IBRAHIM FERRERA (BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB), KID KOALA, ROOTS MANUVA, BOOTIE BROWN (THE PHARCYDE), DANGER MOUSE, DE LA SOUL, MIHO HATORI (CIBO MATTO), D12, IKE TURNER, TINA WEYMOUTH (TALKING HEADS), NENEH CHERRY,  MARTINA TOPLEY-BIRD, SHAUN RYDER (HAPPY MONDAYS), MF DOOM and even DENNIS HOPPER. and that incredible eclectic list really expands on subsequent releases.  it really is an ingenious front that has a definite PINK FLOYD lineage despite what ALBARN thinks of their music (which is a noteworthy scene in the film).

for me the most interesting aspects of this film were not musical in nature and all centered around HEWLETT.  watching snippets of his creative process was interesting given that this project arguably produced his most famous characters.  just the thought and work that went into something that most people largely passively consume without a second's notice.  a virtual band?  sure, its not that different than JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS or THE ARCHIES, right?  it is a deceivingly straightforward ruse that has a real depth behind it which makes this project continually interesting.  you have both character development and an interest in seeing whom ALBARN feels worthy of collaboration.

it was also interesting seeing HEWLETT doing press interviews to baffled AMERICAN DJs on an extended press tour and what total chore that seems.  its funny because HEWLETT not being a musician, does not hesitate to take the piss out of them, not caring about alienating the music industry.  watching that was beyond entertaining since you know that kids in the know about his career and artistic legacy would appreciate his antics.  i cant imagine how lame that must be to talk to drive-time early commute DJs in the midwest.  just writing that sentence makes me shiver.

those first two records were especially great so BANANAZ was always going to be interesting no matter the quality.  watching ALBARN having his guard down was a joy to watch given that the project was manufactured as a ploy to divorce his music from his public persona. 

im surprised more havent followed in his wake.  because culture has only gotten more toxic and it has become more virtual.  we are all GORILLAZ now.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE a special episode of DEER GOD RADIO  on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist dedicated to BRITPOP icons OASIS!  one of my all-time favorite bands.  episodes like this are why i do this show.
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience!