I have to say I bought this record out of guilt. When I first caught on to the FR buzz late last year I did so off the back of a rather sneaky download. I’ve since attempted to atone for this unforgivable sin by purchasing Midnight Organ Fight (I could hardly write such a glowing review of the thing and not have actually bought it for myself) and it appears that sense of guilt has lingered on, resulting in the purchase of Quietly Now! (also referred to in some circles as Liver! Lung! FR!) despite hearing quite a bit of negative press about it (crucially a rather indifferent review over at TheSteinbergPrinciple, who’s already proved himself to be quite the FR devotee).
In short, this is Midnight Organ Fight live, with all the songs played in the same order as the original record. It’s billed as “acoustic” but all that means is there isn’t a full drum kit; there’s still plenty of electric guitar, synth and some brushed drums, so it’s not acoustic in the strictest sense. Despite the really nice cardboard packaging, it was with not inconsiderable trepidation that I approached this record; partly owing to the poor reviews, and partly because I’m not a huge fan of live albums. Well, some are great, but most aren’t – even more so than with regular records.
Thankfully, however, it’s a darned super record. The original album has started to sound a little cheesy to my ears, so it was a relief to hear the songs with some more of the rough edges left in… The long the short and the tall of it is that I simply love the songs. They’ve got a set that I can listen to over and over and over again, which is surprisingly rare with albums these days. I’m not sure they’re even close to being my favourite band, and neither of these albums, studio or live, are anywhere near being “all time favourites” but if you look at my Last FM stats for the past few months the sheer number of plays these two albums have racked up far outstrips everything else.
If you don’t like Frightened Rabbit then a live album certainly isn’t going to convince you otherwise, but if your a fan then I’d strongly recommend checking Quietly Now! out. It seems to have polarized opinion amongst fans, but I for one think it’s great.
I’m a big fan of free music, and given that you’re reading an mp3 blog I’m guessing you are too. As a fan, free music is pretty darned awesome, but for the creator I’m still not entirely sure what it achieves. Allowing blogs to post a couple of tracks off a current album is certainly a great way to generate some interest in the release (provided, of course, that the music is good enough) but when it comes to giving away an entire catalogue I’m not so sure.
Orlando band Kingsbury have done just that. Along with their new EP Lie To Me, you can download everything they’ve ever recorded completely gratis from their website. Supposedly the only area of the music “industry” that’s making any money at the moment is the live sector, and presumably Kingsbury are hoping the promise of free music will generate new fans who’ll pay to see their shows. Not a business plan I’d use myself, and certainly not one that’s doing anything at all to help “revalue” recorded music, which is surely what those of us on the “creative” side of things should be endeavoring to achieve.
But business and ethics aside, Lie To Me is, well, okay, I guess… I’d be more enthusiastic, but sadly it left me a little cold. The production is fine, the arrangements are fine, and ultimately there’s nothing specifically wrong with it, but the songs just didn’t engage me in the slightest. What makes this frustrating (and in the end what makes it worthy of a review) is that they clearly have the potential to be great. All the elements involved could make for a spectacular EP, if only they had some clear and focused ideas. As it is, the songs are too rambling and indulgent. With the “sound” these guys have gone for, which is sparse and atmospheric, they need songs that can tie all the elements together and drive them to a common goal. The songs they have got, however, merely trot along at the same meandering pace as the arrangements, resulting in a record that so very nearly could be fantastic, but in reality sounds like a band still searching for the creative spark that will hopefuly drive them forward.
As some of you have noticed, I’ve not been around much over the past month. But there’s good news for all of you who’ve been left on tenterhooks waiting for your not-quite-daily dose of Eaten by Monsters goodness; I’m back. First of all I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies to all the bands who’ve gotten in touch with me over the past month or so; quite a few of them were trying to spread the word about events that have now been and gone. A quick perusal of my inbox, however, shows me that many of the releases are still current and worth reviewing, so there’ll be some real music-based activity here just as soon as I can absorb some of it properly.
Of the items in my inbox, it’s about a half-and-half split between soulless press releases and more personal appeals for attention. I can’t speak for any other bloggers, and certainly not for any real journalists, but I despise press releases with a passion. Don’t get me wrong, I make an effort to listen to all the stuff I’m sent regardless of how it’s presented, but a bad press release can have a considerable effect of my first impressions of the music. It’s shallow of me, I’ll admit, but it’s the truth. The submissions that do grab my attention are always the more personal ones.
Now by “personal” I don’t merely mean that they’re addressed to me; since the advent of automated mailing list software this has ceased to mean anything. Nor do I expect to recieve a 100% unique email; If you’re promoting your band properly then you’ll be emailing loads of different people and can’t realistically be expected to attend to every single blog on an individual basis. What I look for in a submission is simply good copy. I want to read something that’s been writen by a human being, not a PR machine. For the love of god you should avoid cliché like the plague [sic]. A little hyperbole is to be expected – these bands are selling themselves, after all – but meaningless phrases and trite comparisons instantly cheapen the experiece for a reviewer.
In my experience, honesty and enthusiasm always shine through in submissions, no matter how “unprofessional” they may appear. I’m not exactly a huge outfit myself (insert scathing waistline joke here), and I’m not looking to write about huge arena-filling bands. Anyway, this post seems to have drifted somewhat off-topic so I’ll cut the rant short. I’m back, and there’ll be some proper new music stuff on these pages soon. Your patience is very much appreciated…
I have to say I bought this record out of guilt. When I first caught on to the FR buzz late last year I did so off the back of a rather sneaky download. I’ve since attempted to atone for this unforgivable sin by purchasing Midnight Organ Fight (I could hardly write such a glowing review of the thing and not have actually bought it for myself) and it appears that sense of guilt has lingered on, resulting in the purchase of Quietly Now! (also referred to in some circles as Liver! Lung! FR!) despite hearing quite a bit of negative press about it (crucially a rather indifferent review over at TheSteinbergPrinciple, who’s already proved himself to be quite the FR devotee).
I’m a big fan of free music, and given that you’re reading an mp3 blog I’m guessing you are too. As a fan, free music is pretty darned awesome, but for the creator I’m still not entirely sure what it achieves. Allowing blogs to post a couple of tracks off a current album is certainly a great way to generate some interest in the release (provided, of course, that the music is good enough) but when it comes to giving away an entire catalogue I’m not so sure.
As some of you have noticed, I’ve not been around much over the past month. But there’s good news for all of you who’ve been left on tenterhooks waiting for your not-quite-daily dose of Eaten by Monsters goodness; I’m back. First of all I’d like to offer my sincerest apologies to all the bands who’ve gotten in touch with me over the past month or so; quite a few of them were trying to spread the word about events that have now been and gone. A quick perusal of my inbox, however, shows me that many of the releases are still current and worth reviewing, so there’ll be some real music-based activity here just as soon as I can absorb some of it properly.
Eaten by Monsters 