| Author | Message | ||
     Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 263 Registered: 05-2005 |
The Panics have a new one out on October 16th called "Crual Generals". I've waxed lyrical about them many times. For newies to the board, think a cross between the Go Betweens and The Triffids. New songs on the website are up to the usual high standard. | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1381 Registered: 03-2005 |
Thanks for this announcement Geoff. My previous efforts to locate Panics records a couple years ago failed, but now I've just ordered a copy of their last album. Your shorthand description of them certainly makes me eager to have a listen. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 72 Registered: 03-2007 |
The new album is being issued in standard and limited edition formats in Australia. The limited edition is a signed two disc set and will feature cover versions of the following songs. 1. Lazyitis – Happy Mondays 2. Factory Girl – The Rolling Stones 3. One Too Many Mornings – Bob Dylan 4. Who By Fire – Leonard Cohen 5. Just Like A Woman – Bob Dylan | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1419 Registered: 03-2005 |
Ok, my comments should be on this thread. "Feeling is Gone" is vin ordinaire, performing the same function as "It's Not a Thing" on the last album, i.e., filler. Geoff, I wonder if it's numbers like this and "Don't Fight It" that made the record lose its luster for you. The title song is a keeper. Definitely. Ditto "Something in the Garden." Good closing number ("Sundowner"). The Panics have made it to a major label, the most perilous thing that can happen to a group with artistic ambitions. Like Augie March they now have to somehow hang on to their underlying musical values and principles while keeping the record company happy. My probably-too-early comparative assessment is that Glenn Richards & Co. will demonstrate a more robust resistance to the temptation to toss out something to please the record company, probably because it sounds like the Panics honestly enjoy doing an occasional stereotypical Aussie rock ditty. I think it will be a matter of degree for both and I don't expect either band to sink into rubbish. Anyway I hope not. I am reminded of the intrusive and incompatible 80s pop trappings slathered all over the superb set of songs that make up the Triffids' "Calenture." The core of what the Triffids were all about survived but you did have to develop a certain type of filter. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 275 Registered: 05-2005 |
Despite your obvious taste of all good things musical Randy, I must defend "It's not a thing" -I LOVE that song! The line, "the only kiss I get's from the sun" is brilliant and always elicts a wry smile from me. And the music is pure Monkees. I am still amazed the new album is getting glowing reviews when, to me, the last album was FAR superior in tunes. Get the new Machine Translations Randy! | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1420 Registered: 03-2005 |
Geoff, I love how different people respond to the same thing differently. I confess that I've never attended to the lyrics on "It's Not a Thing." The music wasn't doing enough for me and so I tuned it out. I'm reminded of one of my own things that I buried because I just think it is musically dull, dull, dull and yet two friends of mine thought it's great. I'll be in a position to compare "Sleeps Like a Curse" and "Cruel Guards" in about a month or so. What do you think of "Kid, You're a Dreamer?" I played that good and loud last night (in fact, I think I'll play it again this morning--sorry neighbors!). That song does everything for me. There are even fleeting moments when the doubled vocals end up sounding a little bit like Stevie Wright & George Young of the Easybeats singing together 40 years ago. But the song doesn't sound like the Easybeats at all, other than its obvious musical adventurousness (and maybe the piano is a little bit Vanda/Young-ish in sound). Hugh, what do you think? Geoff, you and Hugh Nimmo have both recommended Machine Translations. I am taking note. I have one Machine Translation album that got a bit lost in the crowd of CDs I bought in Brisbane this past summer (winter for you). I'll pull it out. | ||
| Hugh Nimmo Member Username: Hugh_nimmo Post Number: 83 Registered: 03-2007 |
Randy, I prefer 'Kid, You're A Dreamer' to 'It's Not A Thing' but I would certainly rate the later as higher than 'filler.' I think the two songs are actually similar ( to my ears at least ) and I swear I can hear the little piano run which appears 0:15 seconds in on 'Kid You're A Dreamer' at 00:53 seconds and 1:17 seconds in on 'It's Not A Thing. If I have a problem with 'It's Not a Thing' it is the vocals which I think make them sound like a West Coast of USA band. 'Seven Seven' by Machine Translations is excellent so I will agree with Geoff on that one. Geoff and I will, however, have to agree to disagree on 'Venus Traps Fly' which I think is a very good album. No way is it boring. Like you, I always find it fascinating how people who like the same artists sometimes come at them from different directions. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 280 Registered: 05-2005 |
Randy, I think Kid, your a dreamer is an excellent little ep. Alma is very odd=good. I think with the first album though, you can't go past "This time last year" - what an opener! First time I saw them live (in a very tiny pub in Sydney), they opened up with that song and it was as if someone had opened the windows to let the change in weather blow through! - totally blew the openers away, including a then unheard of Evermore. I also love "Out Like a Light" - great! The song that got me into them was however 4 walls off the first ep. A kid at my last school, who I had spent many times trying to convince to do science for Senior years, eventually found out I was into music and did a compilation of new Auz bands including the Panics, Screamfeeder, Klingor and Cartman. He had rearranged the first ep so that 4 walls was the first track - master stroke I say - try it! In return I lent him Liberty Belle,Born Sandy and At First sight (Stems). Needless to say we were both very happy! And Hugh, the mate who got me onto MT LOVES VTF but I still can't get into it, especially after Seven Seven. The Byrds were also a West Coast of USA band so it's a positive for me. We are neither as prolific writers as say Spence,Kevin or Randy but your opinions always have me thinking Hugh. This is a good thing....even though it's not a thing (couldn't resist!) | ||
| Randy Adams Member Username: Randy_adams Post Number: 1426 Registered: 03-2005 |
Geoff, I still have yet to get back to the eps. Rocking Horse sent them to me and I played them first when I got them with the two albums ("A House on a Street" and "Cruel Guards") but I haven't gotten back to them again since most of their songs are on "A House." I'll get back to them soon enough. My focus has been on "A House on a Street" and "Cruel Guards." But right now I'm listening to "Crack in the Wall." Less than two months ago I'd never heard anything by the Panics. It would be nicer to discover them in a more gradual fashion like you have. I've never heard Screamfeeder. I confess the name is obnoxious. I expect them to sound like a variation of Soundgarden. What are Klingor and Cartman like? Hugh doesn't say a lot on here but he sneaks great things to my e-mail box. | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 281 Registered: 05-2005 |
Screamfeeder do sound horrible, I agree. I haven't listened to the compilation for ages but I do remember Screamfeeder being the next in line to investigate. A 3 piece - from Brisbane (yeah - that place again!)- who on first listen were a bit late to recent Churchy - in my books not a badde thing - even though it's not a thing! | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 282 Registered: 05-2005 |
...oh yeah. And don't you love the way the first Panics album is like Born Sandy in the way it cojures up fleeting images of outback Australia. They probably should have made the album smaller by leaving out some, if not all, of the ep tracks. To my mind the album is strong enough to have done without My Brilliant Career and Give me some good luck. 2 Days to go 'til I see them! | ||
| Catherine Vaughan Member Username: Catherine Post Number: 355 Registered: 05-2005 |
Geoff, the more I listen to Cruel Guards, the more jealous of you I'm getting!! I would love to see them live. I don't know if they'll ever get up this direction - I'll just have to go back to Aus to see them! I've still not ordered the back catalogue - was in the process the otherday, when the computer crashed on me. |