Artist: Sickboy
Genre(s):
Electronic
Discography:
Swingin' In The Rain EP
Year: 2003
Tracks: 2
Monday, 30 June 2008
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Chaos UK
Artist: Chaos UK
Genre(s):
Rock: Punk-Rock
Discography:
1993 - 100 Percent 2 Fingers in the Air Punk Rock
Year: 1993
Tracks: 20
Punk rock heroes Chaos UK began its retentive journey in 1979, with a card consisting of vocaliser Simon, guitarist Andy, bassist Kaos, and drummer Potts. They finally signed with Riot City Records and released deuce 7" records in 1982. That same year, they released an eponymic LP with a slenderly different card. Kaos had moved to vocals, and young members Spot and Nige took over on drums and bass, severally. They left the label before long after and disappeared until 1984's Lawless Britain, besides known as Short Sharp Shock, which came out on Children of the Revolution Records. They as well had a young lineup at this point, at present featuring isaac Bashevis Singer Mower, drummer Chuck, guitar player Gabba, and Kaos. An interesting minor controversy would resultant role from this album, as Michelle Shocked would release an album called Short Sharp Shocked with virtually the same cover graphics, often to the band's dismay. The card actually lasted to the following album, 1986's Radioactive Earslaughter, which came out at the same time as a split saucer with Extreme Noise Terror. Without whatever real reasonableness, they went into semi-retirement most immediately later, staying out of the music picture until 1989, which saw the release of Chipping Sodbury Bonfire Tapes on their have Slap Up Records. The title was a grasp at Shocked, wHO had an album titled The Texas Campfire Tapes. Mower would shortly leave behind the band, delivery Kaos back to vocals and bringing in Beki on bass. The Live in Japan record album was recorded in 1991 (although it came out trey years later), just after their tour of the eastern United States they would lose Chuck and replace him with Devilman. They as well added a secondment guitarist, Vic (ex-Reagan Youth). This card would tone ending the Making Half a Killing record album shortly after (the championship is a play on some other Extreme Noise Terror split disc). 1993 proverb the release of One Hundred Percent Two Fingers in the Air on Century Media Records. New drummer Phil Thudd and unexampled bassist J. signed on for King for a Day (1996), Morning After the Night Before (1996), and Heard It, Seen It, Done It (1997), but Devilman was noneffervescent in the stripe and even played on the albums piece Beki had since left hand. Members of the band began to start side projects, including A.D. Rice and the Wuzzuks, simply they still released Total Chaos in 1999 and Chaos in Japan in 2001.
Monday, 16 June 2008
Vinyl analysis
Sales of old-fashioned, newly hip vinyl records keep climbing. More and more current bands - and their young fans - want new music released on the same vinyl format their parents grew up listening to.
But why? Sure, 12-inch records look cooler than puny CDs. But do they actually sound better? Jack White of the White Stripes thinks so: He’s already told fans to buy the new album by his other band, the Raconteurs, on record if they want to hear it at its best.
Of course, this contradicts what record companies said when they introduced the “perfect sound forever” of the CD in the mid-’80s. Were they mistaken? Can a scratchy slab of vinyl actually out-perform the millions of ones and zeros encoded on compact discs?
Last week, the Herald attempted to find out. With a stack of LPs and CDs - and local musicians Rick Berlin, Jussi Gamache (also known as Liz Enthusiasm from Freezepop) and TAB the Band’s guitarist Tony Perry and drummer Ben Tileston - we crashed Harvard Square’s Audio Lab.
Clustered around a store stereo system that costs as much as a Cadillac (OK, a gently used Cadillac) we gave our panel a blind taste test by spinning the same song back-to-back on both formats. Could they tell the difference between vinyl and CD? And if so, what did they prefer and why?
It seemed simple enough. But as eight ears and a dozen spins proved, there is no better or worse, only different - at least if you’re blasting Led Zeppelin on high end high-fi.
In honor of Jack White and his gig with the Raconteurs Tuesday night at the Bank of America Pavilion, we began with the title track of their new album, “Consolers of the Lonely.” The contrast between the two formats was immediately identifiable: Even a virgin vinyl copy of “Consolers” had a hiss that was a dead giveaway to everyone on the panel.
Hiss aside, both Berlin and the guys from TAB mentioned the LP version’s “warmer feel” and richer low end. It was a theme that followed the group through much of the session: the fuzzy warmth, full low-end and hiss of vinyl vs. cleaner, clearer, crisper CD digital sound.
Listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” in both formats, Tileston zeroed in on the percussion.
“On the LP, the snare has a low end kick to it,” the rock drummer noted. “The kick drum sits in the right frequency. The cymbals have a much clearer mix.”
For Gamache, who fronts an electro-pop band, the scratches and pops “sort of worked well with the song. It sounded too clean on CD,” she said, summing up the panel’s thoughts.
But the group split on Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Even a fresh copy of the LP didn’t have the brightness and dynamic flavor of the CD.
“It’s way sharper than the LP,” said Berlin. “There’s a distinct separation (between instruments). The vocals are more discernable.”
Which format actually sounds better? Sorry, Mr. White. There’s no definitive answer.
“It really depends on the song,” said Perry. “Some songs could sound better on one format, but weren’t mastered right. Some songs today are recorded with everything just pulled back from the red line of distortion so it can never sound right with the limitations of the vinyl groove. I tend to think older stuff sounds better on vinyl and newer stuff sounds better on CD. But not always.”
Basically, there are dozens of confounding variables, taste being one of the biggest. If you’re looking for a guiding piece of LP vs. CD wisdom, Audio Lab manager Mike Volpe may have come closest to delineating the differences between the two formats.
But why? Sure, 12-inch records look cooler than puny CDs. But do they actually sound better? Jack White of the White Stripes thinks so: He’s already told fans to buy the new album by his other band, the Raconteurs, on record if they want to hear it at its best.
Of course, this contradicts what record companies said when they introduced the “perfect sound forever” of the CD in the mid-’80s. Were they mistaken? Can a scratchy slab of vinyl actually out-perform the millions of ones and zeros encoded on compact discs?
Last week, the Herald attempted to find out. With a stack of LPs and CDs - and local musicians Rick Berlin, Jussi Gamache (also known as Liz Enthusiasm from Freezepop) and TAB the Band’s guitarist Tony Perry and drummer Ben Tileston - we crashed Harvard Square’s Audio Lab.
Clustered around a store stereo system that costs as much as a Cadillac (OK, a gently used Cadillac) we gave our panel a blind taste test by spinning the same song back-to-back on both formats. Could they tell the difference between vinyl and CD? And if so, what did they prefer and why?
It seemed simple enough. But as eight ears and a dozen spins proved, there is no better or worse, only different - at least if you’re blasting Led Zeppelin on high end high-fi.
In honor of Jack White and his gig with the Raconteurs Tuesday night at the Bank of America Pavilion, we began with the title track of their new album, “Consolers of the Lonely.” The contrast between the two formats was immediately identifiable: Even a virgin vinyl copy of “Consolers” had a hiss that was a dead giveaway to everyone on the panel.
Hiss aside, both Berlin and the guys from TAB mentioned the LP version’s “warmer feel” and richer low end. It was a theme that followed the group through much of the session: the fuzzy warmth, full low-end and hiss of vinyl vs. cleaner, clearer, crisper CD digital sound.
Listening to Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” in both formats, Tileston zeroed in on the percussion.
“On the LP, the snare has a low end kick to it,” the rock drummer noted. “The kick drum sits in the right frequency. The cymbals have a much clearer mix.”
For Gamache, who fronts an electro-pop band, the scratches and pops “sort of worked well with the song. It sounded too clean on CD,” she said, summing up the panel’s thoughts.
But the group split on Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Even a fresh copy of the LP didn’t have the brightness and dynamic flavor of the CD.
“It’s way sharper than the LP,” said Berlin. “There’s a distinct separation (between instruments). The vocals are more discernable.”
Which format actually sounds better? Sorry, Mr. White. There’s no definitive answer.
“It really depends on the song,” said Perry. “Some songs could sound better on one format, but weren’t mastered right. Some songs today are recorded with everything just pulled back from the red line of distortion so it can never sound right with the limitations of the vinyl groove. I tend to think older stuff sounds better on vinyl and newer stuff sounds better on CD. But not always.”
Basically, there are dozens of confounding variables, taste being one of the biggest. If you’re looking for a guiding piece of LP vs. CD wisdom, Audio Lab manager Mike Volpe may have come closest to delineating the differences between the two formats.
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Johansson responds to wedding rumours
Despite a report in the New York Daily News that Scarlett Johansson is soon to be heading down the aisle with her boyfriend Ryan Reynolds, the 23-year-old has denied that she is engaged.
Johansson's representative told OK! magazine, "There is no truth at all to the Daily News piece."
Canadian-born Reynolds, who is eight years Johansson's senior, ended his engagement to singer Alanis Morissette in February of 2007 and began dating 'The Lost in Translation' star in March.
Johansson has previously been linked to a number of high profile actors including Benicio del Toro and Jared Leto.
She also had a two-year relationship with her 'Black Dahlia' co-star Josh Hartnett, before they split at the end of 2006.
Johansson can next be seen opposite Natalie Portman in Justin Chadwick's new film 'The Other Boleyn Girl', which is due for release later this year.
Johansson's representative told OK! magazine, "There is no truth at all to the Daily News piece."
Canadian-born Reynolds, who is eight years Johansson's senior, ended his engagement to singer Alanis Morissette in February of 2007 and began dating 'The Lost in Translation' star in March.
Johansson has previously been linked to a number of high profile actors including Benicio del Toro and Jared Leto.
She also had a two-year relationship with her 'Black Dahlia' co-star Josh Hartnett, before they split at the end of 2006.
Johansson can next be seen opposite Natalie Portman in Justin Chadwick's new film 'The Other Boleyn Girl', which is due for release later this year.
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