Comments on: Lach – The Calm Before http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/ Independent and alternative music in Scotland - with a shitload of gin. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:49:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: rocky http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/#comment-3037 rocky Sat, 23 Feb 2008 01:49:23 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1284#comment-3037 george would have loved that song so much, he does what am i talking about, you have such a way on being inside of your song,and crazy hose is always open, maybe it's woodstock or maybe home has always been your smile-love easy george would have loved that song so much, he does what am i talking about, you have such a way on being inside of your song,and crazy hose is always open, maybe it’s woodstock or maybe home has always been your smile-love easy

]]> By: Drunk Country http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/#comment-3040 Drunk Country Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:45:47 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1284#comment-3040 First Reviews for The Calm Before are coming in already: "I’m just rather fascinated with this album: it’s so familar and yet so hard to pin down.The pace is purposeful, the vocals plaintive, and the lyrics neat and evocative. Buy it."-songbytoad.com First Reviews for The Calm Before are coming in already:

“I’m just rather fascinated with this album: it’s so familar and yet so hard to pin down.The pace is purposeful, the vocals plaintive, and the lyrics neat and evocative. Buy it.”-songbytoad.com

]]> By: Matthew http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/#comment-3038 Matthew Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:44:31 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1284#comment-3038 Considering the monumental ignorance of my review, I'm surprised he hasn't turned his nose up at it. Considering the monumental ignorance of my review, I’m surprised he hasn’t turned his nose up at it.

]]> By: Drunk Country http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/#comment-3039 Drunk Country Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:41:32 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1284#comment-3039 Looks like Lach is using your review as part of his 'the critics respond' mission drive. :o) Looks like Lach is using your review as part of his ‘the critics respond’ mission drive.
:o )

]]> By: Drunk Country http://songbytoad.com/2008/02/lach-the-calm-before/#comment-3036 Drunk Country Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:13:53 +0000 http://songbytoad.wordpress.com/?p=1284#comment-3036 Do you not know the history of <i>anti-folk</i>? I'm not getting in to it in full here, but it's fairly straight forward: Lach* set up his anti-folk festival in the mid-80s in protest after being repeatedly turned down for gigs at a 'genuine' folkie turn out because he was deemed too raucus/loud/non-folkie in his music/guitarorism/lyrics. There's a little bit more to it than that, but the ethos/stance spawned a generous following/genre that fit into this quirky, shouty version of acoustic-based music that has been threatening the fringes of cross-over ever since. Artistic license with the term has always been employed (hence the more 'rockier' of outputs these days), but the 'punk' element remains at the core. I guess the best & simplest way of describing <i>anti-folk</i> is "aggressive acoustic". (early) Beck, Jeff Lewis, Paleface, Hamell On Trial, The Moldy Peaches ergo Kimya dawson + Adam Green et al fall into this bracket (amongst many others), but you knew that already. Kramer, off of Shimmy Disc/Second Shimmy/Bongwater/Butthole Surfers/+ many more, mastered a UK A-F compilation album in '07 entitled <i>Up The Anti</i>, which is worth checking out (for a good cross section of 'styles' & approach from us Brits' interpretation of the genre) <i>if</i> you can get your hands on a copy. *the term anti-folk is reputed to have been coined in about '84 by some artist (name escapes),as a counterpoint to the established Folk City folkie/mainstream gig bookings. Then again, it could be one of those "I was there" claims by one of many who weren't a la Sex Pistols early gigs, etc. As an aside, <i>the other half of</i> has played at an anti-folk festival a few years back, at the invite of Lach, & he knows most of the major players, if you will, in those circles. Do you not know the history of anti-folk? I’m not getting in to it in full here, but it’s fairly straight forward: Lach* set up his anti-folk festival in the mid-80s in protest after being repeatedly turned down for gigs at a ‘genuine’ folkie turn out because he was deemed too raucus/loud/non-folkie in his music/guitarorism/lyrics. There’s a little bit more to it than that, but the ethos/stance spawned a generous following/genre that fit into this quirky, shouty version of acoustic-based music that has been threatening the fringes of cross-over ever since. Artistic license with the term has always been employed (hence the more ‘rockier’ of outputs these days), but the ‘punk’ element remains at the core. I guess the best & simplest way of describing anti-folk is “aggressive acoustic”. (early) Beck, Jeff Lewis, Paleface, Hamell On Trial, The Moldy Peaches ergo Kimya dawson + Adam Green et al fall into this bracket (amongst many others), but you knew that already.

Kramer, off of Shimmy Disc/Second Shimmy/Bongwater/Butthole Surfers/+ many more, mastered a UK A-F compilation album in ‘07 entitled Up The Anti, which is worth checking out (for a good cross section of ’styles’ & approach from us Brits’ interpretation of the genre) if you can get your hands on a copy.

*the term anti-folk is reputed to have been coined in about ‘84 by some artist (name escapes),as a counterpoint to the established Folk City folkie/mainstream gig bookings. Then again, it could be one of those “I was there” claims by one of many who weren’t a la Sex Pistols early gigs, etc.

As an aside, the other half of has played at an anti-folk festival a few years back, at the invite of Lach, & he knows most of the major players, if you will, in those circles.

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