“Zephyr Reign are a 5 piece Alternative/Rock band from South Wales.
With a list of musical tastes and backgrounds ranging from indie to rock to good old fashion rock n roll the band Zephyr Reign show no limitations with their writing ability and style. With music influenced by bands such as The Who, Oasis, The Clash and The Manic Street Preachers (to name a few) the band mixes alternative rock and classic rock together. The vocals are a mixture of modern and older (Sing your head off ) lyrics that have a definite touch with the real people of today. The band features Geraint Roberts – Vocals/Guitar, Matthew Griffiths – Guitar, Neil Rossiter – Guitar, Gareth Davies – Bass, and Barrie Davies – Drums.”
From the most reliable source on the “world wide web”, Wikipedia -
Apotheosis (from Greek ἀποθέωσις from ἀποθεοῦν, apotheoun ”to deify”; in Latin deificatio ”making divine”; also called divinization and deification) is the glorification of a subject to divine level. The term has meanings in theology, where it refers to a belief, and in art, where it refers to a genre.
In theology, the term apotheosis refers to the idea that an individual has been raised to godlike stature. In art, the term refers to the treatment of any subject (a figure, group, locale, motif, convention or melody) in a particularly grand or exalted manner.
Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
Peter Gabriel solo is quite a different listening experience compared to his days with Genesis. I love both parts of his career equally (about 7 years with Genesis, 35+ years solo). His solo albums have incorporated radio friendly pop anthems, post-punk inspired noise, African rhythms, and Nine Inch Nails inspired industrial compositions – sometimes within the same track. Don’t Give Up was a duet with Kate Bush, released as a single from the 1986 album, So. Kate Bush provides an ethereal voice of hope in her verses, in response to Peter’s dour voice of resignation. The musical backing segues from a dark acoustic backing during the verses (Peter Gabriel) into an uplifting anthem during the chorus (Kate Bush). This is one of my favorite Peter Gabriel songs – solo or with Genesis. The lyrics seem to be ripped from the headlines of the last 5 years, not 1986. This is not a statement of damnation – it just shows that we don’t always have the answers needed when dealing with employment needs for hard-working, honest people. Often the unemployed are judged harshly but as the great author Arthur Nersesian once wrote “I had grazed along the surface of her actions and made deep judgments”. I think that applies to how people today can judge people who are working very hard, looking for employment. That’s what this song is all about, along with retaining a belief in self and never giving up. Key lyrics:
moved on to another town
tried hard to settle down
for every job, so many men
so many men no-one needs
don’t give up
’cause you have friends
don’t give up
you’re not the only one
don’t give up
no reason to be ashamed
don’t give up
you still have us
Over the last year or so Sonny Lanegan and I have attempted to chat about his projects (solo, White Pulp, The Dead Good). It seemed like it would never work out, but over the last month or so we finally had a chance to catch up and chat. It happened to coincide with the release of the debut EP from his new project, The Dead Good – a collaboration with Isabella Knight. I really loved the new EP and was excited to get his thoughts on a few different things (forgot to ask him who his favorite Beatle was, snap). The interview is a must read and after you are done here I highly recommend you head over to The Dead Good’s Bandcamp site to pick up the new EP. (My review).
One of my best friends (from back east who lived in Portland, OR for a brief spell before moving to NYC) would always preach the gospel of Sleater-Kinney to me while we were still in our formative years (not old & jaded yet). In fact, I even accompanied him to several concerts so that he could stand transfixed for 90 minutes while I tried to think of things to worry about. The truth of the matter is that while I liked Sleater-Kinney, I worshipped at the altar of the harder edged Heavens to Betsy (Sleater-Kinney lead singers 1st band). The pure aggression coming from a female perspective really made an impact with me. No Riot Grrrl band that I read about or bought music by ever matched the way I felt when I 1st listened to Heavens to Betsy. No one, that is, until I heard The Pale Faces (about 20 years after 1st hearing Heavens to Betsy).
Part 45 of a series that will run throughout 2013 as I discuss records that have affected me throughout the years – Flashback Fridays
I debated whether I should really tackle an album by The Beatles – probably the most popular and biggest band of all time (sorry Rolling Stones fans). I 1st became obsessed with all things Lennon while still barely into my teens and the sickness has only progressed from there (I even developed an appreciation for Mr. Lennon’s 3 Amigos over the years). When I was 1st getting interested in buying albums by The Beatles a family friend advised me that the cut off for acceptable records was Rubber Soul(the thought was that this was the end of the soft “tea” era / prior to the lads moving on to harder, mind altering “tea”). Of course, I ignored all such conservative rationale and spent all of my paper route money on every CD by the band (that’s about 13 LP’s and 2 odds ‘n’ sods collections for a span of 7 years). I love every record, but I have to admit – Rubber Soulstill remains my favorite.
When you think of the term “polaroid” it conjures up visions of pictures created with cameras that used instant film (though they existed earlier, they became more popular in the early 70′s with the Polaroid Corporation’s release of Integral Film). A snapshot in time – a memory forever captured with a simple photo. It is something that has always enchanted me – what was the person thinking when the photo was taken? Did they know the twists and turns that their life would take? One of the minor mysteries of life. The Dead Good (Sonny Lanegan / Isabella Knight) have just released their debut EP Thirteen Polaroids. Like the mysterious polaroids of yesteryear, it provides a vivid tapestry of imagery that is compelling.
Attack of the Killer Track! is a series that explores tracks from artists from a variety of genres. Some of the tracks were singles, some of them were obscure b-sides or long forgotten album tracks. One thing is certain – all of them are killer tracks.
Any scene or movement naturally opens itself up to the mockery of outsiders. In the late 70′s Daniel Treacy & Edward Ball led a few acts that were associated with the punk scene, though the music was simultaneously more melodic AND shambolic. O-Level (Ed on vocals) made fun of fake punks by way of the song Pseudo Punk. Television Personalities (Dan on vocals) tackled the topic from a slightly different angle on their 2nd release of 1978, Part Time Punks. The music feels like it will all fall apart at any minute, sounding like teenagers practicing music at home (in fact, that is exactly what it was). It feels more in line with what was labeled “twee” or the C-86 scene of the mid 80′s and not punk. The chorus is a joyous sing-a-long “Here they come / la la la la la / the part-time punks”. The Clash and Swell Maps get a shout out (among others). This is probably the most famous song by the TVP’s and showcases a lighter side of the band before they explored a darker path (sans Ed Ball). This is a must have track for any fan of the late 70′s punk, DIY, and post-punk scenes. I love these lyrics:
They play their records very loud
And pogo in the bedroom
In front of the mirror
But only when their mums gone out
They pay 5 pence fares on the buses
And they never use toothpaste
But they got two fifty to go and see The Clash.
Tonight!
Here they come
la la la la la la
la la la la la la
The part time punks!
