Toadcast #42 – Noise Please
Oh deary me. A somewhat slurred podcast this week. I recorded this on Friday night after coming home from sharing about seven pints with my boss at Proper Job, who is a thoroughly decent chap and doesn’t get out for beers as often as he used to due to an unfortunate breeding accident in which his wife had a baby, thus confining him to the house. The lesson – gentlemen, for the love of god, don’t let them breed!
So I came back to the house and wanted to play some loud music. I popped a bottle of beer, bought some munchies and mumbled my way through a pile of loud, rambunctious songs that I played far too loud as I sorted out the playlist, and great fun it all was too. I asked about modern rowdy music this week, and Bart kindly recommended some bands, a couple of whom I assume I may have been a little quick to dismiss in the past, so I am going to have another go at them.
Looking through the playlist, I find one thing sticking out more than anything else: how the hell can you tell a Sex Pistols demo from a Sex Pistols recording?
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01. The Libertines – What a Waster (02.56)
02. The Von Bondies – Shallow Grave (08.59)
03. The Bellrays – Blues For Godzilla (12.05)
04. Ian Dury & the Blockheads – Ballad of the Sulphate Strangler (17.49)
05. The Damned – Thrill Kill (23.07)
06. Hoggboy – Left & Right (29.31)
07. Liars – Mr You’re on Fire Mr (35.33)
08. Monster Magnet – Kiss of the Scorpion (37.57)
09. The Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK (Demo) (43.24)
10. The Fall – Two Librans (49.47)
11. The Small Faces – All or Nothing (Live) (53.41)
12. The Detroit Cobras – Hey Sailor (59.44)
not to split hairs and semantics, but there are huge differences, to my mind, between “loud”, “rowdy”, “punk”, and “noise”. When I think of loud and rowdy i tend to think mostly of garage rock. Punk is much more about politics, resistance, and process (there a lot of punk bands that aren’t particularly rowdy or even that loud or noisy); and noise is much more about art and experimentation (there are lots of noise bands and artists that aren’t very rowdy, loud or punk). Sure there’s overlap, but I think what is important is the intention – on both the band/artist’s part and the listener’s – are you making the music or listening to it because it is loud and rowdy or because of the politics or aesthetics? You mentioned macho dickheads at punk shows before – they are probably there because it is loud and rowdy, for example, not for the politics or aesthetics. Just my two cents.
Wot no Bon Jovi? However, i’m proud to say this the first podcast that i have ever downloaded…..my current impression is that it’s a bit like being in a bar with Matthew with out the ability to go ‘no no no no no, you’re talking pish this what i think…..blah blah blah!’
good work…..tho i would suggest that you should have had some Thee Hypnotics on the playlist….anyway…i’ll get back to my listening.
Forgot to say . . .I am glad to read the noisier punk-ier stuff is entering Toad Hall!
Not a big Monster Magnet fan, but this is otherwise my second favorite Toadcast thus far – surprised that I love that Von Bondies song, and I’m tickled that you like the Damned.
Oh, and it appears that the difference lies in John Lydon’s sounding more vicious in the demo version than the album version of the song.
Great show and what you said at the start about the great upsurge in new rock bands around 2001/2002 has, against my usual anti-nostalgia stance, actually got me looking back fondly at those years (I know, only 6 years ago but it was a great time in my life then). I’m digging out a few cds from that time right now.
That Fall song is amazing.
Q: How the hell can you tell a Sex Pistols demo from a Sex Pistols recording?
A: Recording has added Chris Spedding. Oooh, controversial.
oh, and of course That Fall song is amazing. ALL Fall songs are amazing. Without exception. All 450 of them.
Hello Tommy, nice surprise to see you posting on here.
We’ve been on the same bill more than once – but you might know me better as the drummer in Scott Renton’s band!
I suspect your wit and insight will be right at home here!
Christ, he’s not that bad is he?
Hey Hi Dylan
Nice to (virtually) see you again. I remember your wicked beats and weren’t you responsible for ‘Archbishop Desmond Tutu’? I’m playing the comedy circuit these days. In fact I’m just off to The Stand to play ‘Dear Ringo’ amongst others. See you around.
Is this the same Tommy who does ‘The Foul’? Always a joy when that comes on my mp3 player!
Yes, Milo – the very same. It’s also the Tommy who does They Might Be Gannets.
Hey Matthew, while I didn’t listen to the podcast (not a fan of loud stuff), I did hear the intro and had to drop by quickly to comment on your beer choice. I was suprised that you had a bottle of Goose Island IPA from Chicago. I’m actually just working my through my first six of Goose Island (the harvest ale is YUMMY!).
Anyway, completely unrelated, but I thought it was interesting.
Cheers!
Not unrelated, it was bloody excellent. Fine, fine beer, which proves the rule that despite the fact that every beer exported from the States is undrinkable shit (hence your justifiably awful reputation), the stuff you keep for yourselves is genuinely excellent. Apart from Scotland, I have yet to sample better beer than American beer.
lol!
Well put. I imagine Mrs. Toad brought the beer back for you?
Finally go round to actually downloading one of these – now I really should have managed to tune my radio into your radio show while I was still living up there. Fucking great selection. I’ve decided you sound rather like Dylan Morran as well – take that as insult or compliment as you will. Loved the Von Bondies and Bellrays tracks – brought me back to the end of my school days with a little well deserved attitude. The Noisettes are my current favourites as the blues/punk bands go.
I think there’s no way not to take that as a compliment. Drunk and mental – that’s what we aspire to around here!