#39: The Jane Austen Argument - The Birthing Pyre

Phoenix (Kingwell/Dickins)
Here In Melbourne (Dickins/Kingwell)
Bad Wine And Lemon Cake (Dickins/Kingwell)
It's Love (Kingwell/Dickins)
The Debt Collectors (Dickins/Kingwell)

Tom Dickins - vocals, 'Judith'* on 'Here In Melbourne' and 'The Debt Collectors'
Jen Kingwell - piano, vocals, 'Judith'* on 'Here In Melbourne' and 'The Debt Collectors'
Lyndon Chester - violin on 'Phoenix'
Cade Diehm - 'Judith'* on 'The Debt Collectors'
Twitter Choir on 'The Debt Collectors' - Ty ‘The Guy With The Headphones’ Carson, Ryan Tessier, Christoph Kummer, Jessica Allyn, Amber Stricklin, Meghan Dornbrock, Cass Dalgleish, Daniel Lee, Jesse Markham, Gerry Norton, Teralyn Tanner, Jhube V, Clay Robeson, Grace Frick, Nick Schultz, Aaron ‘Man with Hat’ Shay, Kim ‘AthenaMuze’ Butler
Produced by The Jane Austen Argument and Cade Diehm

*NOTE: I have no idea what a 'Judith' is...

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, The Jane Austen Argument are what is known in the trade as an "indie cabaret-noir duo" comprised of Tom Dickins and best friend, Jennifer Kingwell. When it comes to live performances, the pair draw on the "cabaret" portion of that title by combining scripted dialogue and acted scenes, with their dark, emotional music. Five of these songs are featured on the debut EP, released whilst on tour with Amanda Palmer this January.

Tom and Jen's voices both sound angelic, and when the pair sing they intertwine perfectly, and Jen's piano-playing as - mostly - the only ever instrument involved, provides an even stronger emotional backbone. The highlights of the EP are 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake' - a live version performed with Palmer is available on her '...Goes Down Under' album - and the closing track, 'The Debt Collectors', which features a choir of their fans on Twitter.

A little something about The Jane Austen Argument... they have embraced Amanda Palmer's "Ninja Gig" - a show at a random location announced on Twitter a little while before it starts - and have rechristened it the "Twitnic". I find this sort of thing a genius way of building a relationship with fans, using Twitter as a marketing tool, without having to rely on the corporate machine of record labels. Of course, not everyone would be able to do things this way, but for those up-and-coming musical groups? I strongly advise you to do something similar.
Listen And/Or Download Here: http://thejaneaustenargument.bandcamp.com/album/the-birthing-pyre

#40: Amanda Palmer - Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under

Makin' Whoopee (Donaldson/Kahn)
Australia (Palmer)
Vegemite (The Black Death) (Palmer)
Map Of Tasmania (feat. The Young Punx) (Palmer)
In My Mind (Palmer)
Bad Wine And Lemon Cake (with The Jane Austen Argument) (Dickins)
New Zealand (Palmer)
On An Unknown Beach (Bryce)
We're Happy Little Vegemites (Thompson)
Doctor Oz (Palmer)
A Formidable Marinade (with Mikaelangelo) (Mikaelangelo)
The Ship Song (Cave)

Amanda Palmer - vocals, piano, ukulele
Guthrie Govan - ukulele on 'Map Of Tasmania'
Hal Ritson and Michele Balduzzi - keyboards and programming on 'Map Of Tasmania'
Brian Viglione - percussion on 'In My Mind'
Tom Dickins - vocals on 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake'
Jen Kingwell - piano on 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake'
The Audience - vocals on 'We're Happy Little Vegemites'
Mikaelangelo - vocals and accordion on 'A Formidable Marinade'
Lance Horne - five instruments on 'A Formidable Marinade'
Produced by Amanda Palmer and Mick Wordley, except 'Map Of Tasmania' produced by Amanda Palmer, Hal Ritson and Michele Balduzzi

Label: 8ft Records

Another Amanda Palmer album, this really proves that this is a woman who is both making the most of her freedom, and her ability to market herself directly to her fanbase.

Made up of a combination of live recordings from a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, as well as brand studio tracks, 'Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under' is a heartfelt tribute to the continent that has embraced her most fully. Six tracks are originals, including a baffling dance track about the decoration of her pubic hair', named 'Map Of Tasmania' (look one up, and think about it). This one track I didn't like at all when I first heard it, but has really grown on me as a fun tune. Other more serious works include the bittersweet 'In My Mind', and the comedic 'Vegemite (The Black Death)' show the many different sides of Amanda Palmer, all of them just as effective. There are also four covers on the album including an amazingly beautiful version of 'The Ship Song' by Nick Cave which Cave himself has said is the best version of the song he's ever heard.

The remaining two tracks are performances of songs by Amanda's bandmates on the tour much of the album was recorded on - Mikaelangelo and The Jane Austen Argument. Of the two, The Jane Austen Argument's 'Bad Wine And Lemon Cake' is a track that shows the duo as more than worthy of Amanda's most soul-baring and emotional side. Mikaelangelo's track - 'A Formidable Marinade' is a strange song that reminds me very much of Dracula: The Musical from the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Amanda is currently touring whilst working on her first "serious" solo album since 'Who Killed Amanda Palmer', but whilst we're waiting for that, this is more than a worthwhile listen. It's really less novelty than the theme of the record would have you believe.

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://music.amandapalmer.net/album/amanda-palmer-goes-down-under

#41: Bobot Adrenaline - Dumb Bomb

Dumb Bomb
East Of The Docks
Wasted Youth
My Mom's In Baghdad
Blast
14th Floor
Noah (from The Boy Who Saw To Forever And Back)
Viktor's Misery
Bombastic!
Untitled
Penalty Box
Life Seems Okay (Republican National Anthem)

Pepper Berry - vocals, guitar
Corey Mac - bass
Bryan Panzeri - drums
Justin Willits - background vocals on 'My Mom's In Baghdad'
Soda - vocals on 'Untitled'
Dave Phillips - pedal steel on 'Bombastic!'
Produced by Chuck Dietrich and Pepper Berry except 'Bombastic!', 'Untitled' and 'Life Seems Okay' produced by Tommy Stinson and Pepper Berry, and 'Viktor's Misery' and 'Penalty Box' produced by Bobot Adrenaline

Label: Basement Records

Bobot Adrenaline are a political punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2001. 'Dumb Bomb', from last year, is their debut full length album - though an EP produced by Tommy Stinson of The Replacements and Guns N' Roses was released in 2008, and they've had numerous tracks released on compilations and videogames in the Tony Hawk series from before then.

Stylistically, Bobot Adrenaline sound a bit like Green Day on their harder-edged material, and maybe some hint of The Offspring, but Pepper Berry's voice is all his own. His combination of sarcastic humour, biting commentary and political knowledge all wrapped up in one package really drives the record and makes it a valuable asset to any punk fan's record collection.

This being released 9 years after their formation, there is material that spans their entire career included here (and let's face it, the last decade has given bands of this kind plenty of material). The best tracks are some of the oldest, like 'Viktor's Misery' or their anti-death penalty anthem, 'Penalty Box'. There is one song that stands out from the crowd thanks to it being unlike any other track on the album though... the jolly-sounding, pop-rock number 'Life Seems Okay' (alternate title 'Republican National Anthem') ends the album on a high note, whilst also showcasing the aforementioned sarcasm better than all that has gone before it.

Unfortunately, the album doesn't appear to be on Spotify, and the band aren't on Bandcamp, but you can buy the album here

#42: Black Stone Cherry - Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea

White Trash Millionaire
Killing Floor
In My Blood
Such A Shame
Won't Let Go
Blame It On The Boom Boom
Like I Roll
Can't You See (Caldwell)
Let Me See You Shake
Stay
Change
All I'm Dreamin' Of

All tracks written by Black Stone Cherry, except 'Can't You See'

Chris Robertson - vocals, guitar
Ben Wells - guitar
John Lawhon - bass
John Fred Young - drums
Lzzy Hale - vocals on 'Such A Shame' and 'Won't Let Go'
Produced by Howard Benson

Label: Roadrunner

When compared to Black Stone Cherry's first two albums, 'Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea' is actually a disappointment. It's a testament to the strength of those two albums that it's also one of the best albums recently released. The first single, 'White Trash Millionaire' which opens the album is the only track that really matches the quality of those first two albums. Everything else is a little bit watered down, a little bit samey, and in the case of 'Blame It On The Boom Boom', a little bit ludicrous.
'Killing Floor' is another strong track, but their two collaborations with Halestorm's Lzzy Hale don't live up to their promise, and the cover of The Marshall Tucker Band's 'Can't You See' is pretty lacking in the passion that made the cover of 'Shapes Of Things' by The Yardbirds stand out so much on their debut album.
That said, it's still all good fun, despite the disappointments, which are for the most part only minor. It made the list entirely because of this, but based on past efforts, it really should have been higher.

Listen Here: Black Stone Cherry – Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea

#43: Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn

Evelyn Evelyn
A Campaign Of Shock And Awe
The Tragic Events Of September Part I
Have You Seen My Sister, Evelyn?
Chicken Man
Tragic Events Part II
Sandy Fishnets
Elephant Elephant
You Only Want Me 'Cause You Want My Sister
Tragic Events Part III
My Space
Love Will Tear Us Apart (Curtis, Hook, Morris, Sumner)

All songs written by Neville and Neville, except 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'

Evelyn and Evelyn Neville - vocals, accordion, guitar, piano, ukulele
Samantha Boshnack - trumpet
Alex Guy - viola, violin
Timb Harris - violin
Fred Hawkinson - trombone
Kevin Hinshaw - clarinet
Jeremy Lightfoot - drums
Luke Kirley - tuba
Izaak Mills - bass, clarinet, flute
Amanda Palmer - piano, wurlitzer
Kristian Rosentrater - drums
Jason Schimmel - banjo, bass, guitar, slide guitar
Aaron Seeman - Hammond organ
Lee Smith - drums
Tim Smolens - cello, contrabass
Serena Tideman - cello
Jason Webley - accordion

'My Space' features backing vocals from Andrew W.K., Kim Boekbinder, Zoe Boekbinder, Margaret Cho, Chantal Claret, Frances Bean Cobain, Neil Gaiman, Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, Eugene Mirman, Corn Mo, Franz Nicolay, Reverand Peytyon, Sara Quin, Tegan Quin, Jimmy Urine, Kirsten Vangsness, Gerard Way and Weird Al Yankovic
Additional Voices by Kim Boekbinder, Adam Ende, Maria Glanz, Kaleb Hagen-Kerr, Oliver Orion, Amanda Palmer, Caitlin Rippey, Jay Thompson and Jason Webley
Produced by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley

Label: Eleven Records/8ft. Records

Dresden Dolls mastermind Amanda Palmer and Seattle folk musician Jason Webley are Evelyn and Evelyn Neville - conjoined twin sisters with a tragic history that has led to them travelling the world as a cabaret act. Their history is told in the three extended, eerie spoken-word segments entitled 'Tragic Events'. The majority of the actual music is actually up-beat sounding, creating a stark contrast to the subject matter. For example, 'A Campaign Of Shock And Awe' is mainly sung by the owners of a brothel that specialises in "alternative" tastes, contemplating just how much they can exploit these two young girls.
There is a bit of actual comic relief, such as 'Have You Seen My Sister, Evelyn?', which only really makes sense when you know that they are conjoined, and 'Elephant Elephant', the sisters' ode to their only true friend during their time in the circus - conjoined twin elephants. But for the most part this album is bleak stuff, which sees Amanda Palmer for the first time fully embrace her cabaret leanings on record - her previous work being "punk cabaret". With that in mind, this album is definitely not for everyone. You have to both enjoy an old-fashioned, theatrical record as well as not mind getting incredibly depressed at the same time.

For those of you who looked over the list of guest vocalists in the song 'My Space' and saw someone you like, don't expect to be actually able to hear them. Despite it being advertised in some quarters as 'the singing debut of Frances Bean Cobain' for instance, all of those guest vocals were recorded for just one line.

There's also a graphic novel based on this record, also written by Amanda Palmer and Jason Webley, with artwork by Cynthia von Buhler and an afterward by Neil Gaiman being released next month. And apparently there have been talks to turn the story into a live action movie using the album as a soundtrack, too. This might not be Amanda and Jason's most profitable work, but it's evidently one where they get to let their imaginations run wild and create something beyond just music. Hopefully at some point they'll see fit to bring us up to date with what the twins are doing now... that one should be a much happier album now they're under the wing of two great talents, with such a strong supporting cast.

Listen And/Or Download Here: http://evelynevelyn.bandcamp.com/album/evelyn-evelyn

#44: We Are The Fallen - Tear The World Down

Bury Me Alive
Burn
Paradigm
Don't Leave Me Behind
Sleep Well, My Angel
Through Hell
I Will Stay
Without You
St. John
I Am The Only One
Tear The World Down

All tracks wirtten by We Are The Fallen

Carly Smithson - vocals
Ben Moody - guitar, programming, piano, percussion
John LeCompt - guitar, mandolin, programming
Marty O'Brien - bass
Rocky Gray - drums
Jeremiah Gray - percussion
Daniel Moody - piano, B3
David Hodges - piano
Phillip Peterson - cello, strings on 'I Am The Only One'
Bethanie and John LeCompt II - choir vocals on 'Burn'
David Campbell - string and choir arrangement
Produced by We Are The Fallen and Dan Certa

Label: Universal Republic

Debuting in June 2009, We Are The Fallen is made up of former Evanescence members Ben Moody, John LeCompt and Rocky Gray, session musician Marty O'Brien, and former American Idol contestant Carly Smithson. Not only did Carly sing a note-perfect version of Evanescence's 'Bring Me To Life' whilst on American Idol, she also bears a striking resemblance to that band's Amy Lee. This should tell you all you need to know about this band's motivations.
It's no secret that part of the reason for the dissolution of Amy's friendship with Ben was because of her efforts to grow as a musician and produce more ambitious music conflicting with his insistence on only releasing radio-friendly material and staying firmly in one place musically. If Moody's taking on songwriting gigs for the likes of Avril Lavigne and Anastacia immediately after his departure from Evanescence didn't confirm Lee's claims in this regard to people, We Are The Fallen can't fail to. Not only are the band essentially a copy and paste of 'Fallen' era Evanescence - with a name that seems to controversially imply that it was their input into that album that made it so successful - but the album retreads the exact same ground.
This sounds pretty negative so far, but it works. If they plan to carry on long-term, releasing essentially the same album all the time will get very old, very fast, but for now this is very enjoyable. I don't think much of Carly's attempts to carve herself out as a 'rock chick' when she was a participant in pretty much the least rock n' roll show in television history (Glee may have just taken this title from them now)... but she does have a fantastic voice - in some ways even better than the woman whose boots she's filling. I'm yet to be convinced by her songwriting ability... they don't say who wrote what in the credits, and I have a suspicion that everything was written before the band started looking for a singer. Probably because the band's debut single - 'Bury Me Alive' - is so blatantly aimed by Ben at his former bandmate that they might as well have called it 'Fuck Amy!'.
The main question, however, is... how does it stand up against Evanescence's material? Does it match up to 'The Open Door', in which Amy got to call the shots and created an album equally ambitious and commercial that I get the impression was what she intended 'Fallen' to sound like in the first place? The simple answer is no... but only just. This is a very strong effort, and easily outclasses the album that provided them with their name. They might be retreading old ground, but they've treading it a lot more confidently now. Let's hope if they ever release a follow-up they try to do something different, though.

Listen Here: We Are The Fallen – Tear The World Down

13 Assassins - The Movie Of The Year!


When it comes to the end of 2011, and people ask what their favourite movies of the year are, a lot of people will say things like the brilliant The Fighter, or X-Men: First Class. Maybe Captain America will get a mention from people, too. As for me? I'm almost certain that my reply will be 13 Assassins.

Takashi Miike is best known as a director who seems intent on making the most fucked-up movies ever - Visitor Q and Ichi The Killer feature some of the most shocking moments in cinema. Thankfully, for his take on the samurai genre, he has reined himself in. There is still a fair bit of violence, and at least one disturbing scene, but it is actually there as part of the story-telling and not just there for the sake of being there.

The movie takes place in the 1830's, when Japan was still ruled by the Shogun. The Emperor was still the official head of state, but he was merely a figurehead, with the Tokugawa Shogunate being the real power in the country. It's been over 200 years since Japan was in a state of constant warfare, and as a result the samurai are more politicians than the warriors they were before. In fact, one of the characters goes as far as to say that in these times "swords are only good for cutting radishes". These are things that it pays to know in order to be able to understand the movie's plot.

Lord Naritsugu is the brother of the current Shogun, and officially the heir to the Shogunate. A sadistic and vile man, his status as the second most powerful man in the country has allowed him to do as he pleases. His first appearance in the movie sees him rape his hosts daughter-in-law before brutally murdering his son. And his deeds only get worse from there... including one so shocking that I won't mention what it is, as it's best to not know about it going in. Obviously, something has to be done.

After a victim of Naritsugu publicly commits suicide in protest, the Shogun's chief advisor - who can't be seen to actively work against his master - is forced to take action by hiring Shimada Shinzaemon, who is one of the few samurai left to have kept up his skills in battle to dispose of the problem.

The first hour of the movie follows Shinzaemon as he gathers a small group of other samurai in a manner similar to Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai, with the following half an hour being dedicated to planning their attack. People may be turned off by this first 90 minutes, as there is very little of the action you'd expect from a movie in this genre. But bear with it, as part of what makes this movie so great is the slow-burn as our heroes come together and make preparations for the final battle. And when the final battle arrives, you're rewarded for your patience in spades.

The 12 samurai/ronin and 1 peasant that make up the group stage an ambush inside a city that features some of the finest action scenes ever filmed. All in all, this battle between the 13 assassins and Naritsugu's entire guard lasts around 45 minutes, rarely letting up.

The performances are brilliant all-round, from Koji Yakusho's honourable Shinzaemon, to the evil Naritsugu played by Goro Inagaki, to Yusuke Iseya playing a character very similar to Toshiro Mifune's in Seven Samurai.

One of the best performances in the movie however is by Masachika Ichimura. He plays Kitou Hanbei, Naritsugu's head samurai. Hanbei is a man who obviously hates his master. This is possibly best illustrated when in the heat of battle Naritsugu declares his intentions to return Japan to a state of feudalism when he becomes Shogun. By contrast, he also obviously has a great respect for his old friend Shinzaemon, but is bound by his honour to protect his master no matter the circumstances. When the two finally inevitably clash, it is a tragic moment even following on from the bloodshed that had preceded it.

Despite the violence, though, it's not all doom and gloom. There is actually a bit of humour in there, mainly provided by Yusuke Iseya's character, but also taking place during the training scenes, etc. It isn't ill-judged slapstick humour that is so common in Asian action movies (ie: Once Upon A Time In China), either. With so much darkness in the movie, it's a welcome relief when you are able to laugh at something every now and then. In short, you must see this movie. It's a brilliant piece of work, and I now can't wait to see Takashi Miike's next project... a remake of the 1962 movie, Hara-Kiri. My only criticism is that the majority of the assassins are pretty much just there to make up the numbers. There are around 5 that get some screentime dedicated to them. But the version available to us in the West is around 20 minutes shorter than the version released in Japan, so it might not be a problem that occurs in the full version of the movie.

View Trailer Here: http://youtu.be/NgPC74-Tde8