On the live performance note, the reason they became so popular so quickly was because of an absolutely mind boggling performance they did for kexp. This was before they had song names, and the band just destroys the stage, literally in some cases. I highly recommend checking it, it’s intriguing to see these guys in their infancy already being so good at performing together.
Absolutely. I was lucky enough to see them supporting Shame in early 2018 with the 40 or so people who also arrived early and it completely changed my taste in music. I went around telling all my friends who like music that they had to see this band even though they hadn't released anything at all. The second time I saw them at End of The Road festival, still before the KEPX set, they'd already gathered enough word of mouth interest to fill a decently sized tent.
I saw one of their earliest gigs when they supported Preoccupations in June 2018 in London. I just remember thinking how amazing the drummer was and wondering who they were, cuz the music was crazy and unexpected. And now they're really important and big all of a sudden. I feel very lucky to have seen them in their infancy now. I met Preoccupations afterwards and got loads of albums signed by them as well. Drummer complimented me on my This Heat shirt as he entered the venue when I was smoking outside. Good gig.
@@moronsmorons8913 Yeah he wasn't a great lead player and his harmonic palete was limited most of the time, but limitations often make for great art, and in his case he turned out songs like "Sweet Jane" and "Pale Blue Eyes" with like five chords each. Edit: he was also being hyperbolic and humorous. I can only think of a couple songs of his that use less than three chords. He was driving the point home about simplicity being effective.
I'm glad you mentioned seeing how seeing John L live would be both aggravating and exhilarating. finally got to see black midi live about 2 weeks ago and when they performed this song, it was ridiculous. Everyone in the theatre was enthralled by the opening prog/jazz section, but when the song got quiet and atmospheric, a certain tension grew over the crowd as we all waited for that chaos to come back. You absolutely nailed this review and so many technical aspects of the album. Because of the variation shown throughout this album and their other projects Schlagenheim and Hellfire, black midi have absolutely proven to me that they are easily the most technically proficient band making music right now. Great video, you NEED to see them live sometime.
This statement shows that he’s way too harsh on Primus. Yes, Primus isn’t for everyone but they aren’t a forgotten band at all. They were popular in the 90s and they had hits like Jerry Was A Racecar Driver, My Name Is Mud, Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver, John the Fisherman and Tommy The Cat. If Primus wasn’t mainstream, then other bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Faith No More and Ween wouldn’t be popular in the 90s as well.
You are absolutely one of my favorite people on youtube, you're so good at coming up with an overarching question about an album, and then answering and expanding on it in such an organic way. Just incredible stuff man, keep up the great work!
13:51 this is even more funny as it is the way they usually play it live. Coming out of the breakdown into a cover of another song before jumping right back in for the end of the song.
I'd go with: 1. black midi 2. Black Country, New Road 3. Squid But I don't know, it feels kinda silly ranking them I guess I'll listen to all of them in different moments
To be honest I don’t get the Squid hype. I feel like a lot of their songs start to sound similar after a while. They’re not a bad band by any means but I feel like they’re not doing anything even close to what the first two are doing. Like someone mentioned, I think a band like Shame are more noteworthy.
Geordie is the lead singer, but Cameron is the one who sings on Diamond Stuff (and Slow). As far as the John L Primus comparison, I totally agree, I noticed it back when they did their Boiler Room set before the song was finished. It's also great to hear how it's evolved. I would say that Hogwash and Balderdash is even more Primus-like like you also said, it's kind of insane. I don't know Primus that much, but it's pretty unmistakable, and I think they've said Primus is one of their influences. As for Geordie's singing, it's... something. Even with the lyrics right beside me a few songs I still have no idea what he's saying. I've learned most of the lyrics off Schalgenheim, but this album is definitely a tougher nut to crack. Regardless their jazzy improv in their live sets is so insane, Geordie's lyrics kind of get lost in it which can be unfortunate, but as a whole it's fantastic. The KEXP playing of Dethroned in particular is absolutely phenomenal, I wish the horn section was on the album, it's just perfection.
Also, there's a few moments in the album that give me total King Gizzard vibes. I've only listened to Flying Microtonal Banana, and I'm also not versed with technical music stuff, but Diamond Stuff guitar totally sounds like Billabong Valley unless I'm just dumb and without a doubt Dethroned has some Melting and Open Water vibes. I'm not sure if it's the techniques, the notes, or how the sounds are produced but I gotta get a second opinion- it's a little uncanny.
Really nailed a lot of the points about the album that i feel are underappreciated, we are in a generation wich craves for new landscapes in music whilst ragimg against it and actually call it pretentious and tha band actually interacts with this reality, the last song talks to the worth of the musician inside the industry and its comsequence on the music integrity. This has been reminding me of lynch and just noww came to mind that the band manipulated expectations and plays with the historical placement of their musical culture.. bdilliant stufd. This Chanel is my go to for music review, a organic and loose presentation that lets come across the love and care for the music. Great work
Llegue buscando opiniones del álbum para "entender" por qué me gusta tanto, llevo oyendo el álbum desde que salió y la manera en la que este hombre habla y comenta me encanta, amo como explica todo esta muy bueno el video
Technicality definitely can take away from emotion. It does for most of the metal shredder types but black midi is a different type of technicality, it's chaotic and more out there. Sure it's not the most emotional but it's more about the craziness and songwriting isn't sacrificed at all
usually when i listen to music, i avoid thinking about technicality altogether and just enjoy it for its sonic value. i’ve felt alienated as a listener from a lot of shreddy proggy bands because music like that has a tendency to be pretty sonically bland, but i don’t think technicality in general is an inherently bad or bland thing to strive for. i just personally prefer when immense skill and musical knowledge is used to make something sonically engaging as opposed to being used just for the sake of showing off. of course, there’s a very blurry line between the two and i’m in no way the authority on what music is and and isn’t bland. i just know what i like and i like black midi
Honestly I like black midi for the same reason I enjoy bands like battles. Just bands with a great knack for creating awkward rhythms with plenty of sudden change ups to keep you engaged without it being seen as annoying or too repetitive. I love when bands can weave in and out of unstructured and structured musical phrases and stuff like that. Cardiacs does this a lot too and when it’s done just right, it can be mesmerizing in its own unique way
True, thats when true emotion and inspiration is replaced by a mindless wankfest. But more often than not, technicality enables you to express a wider, wilder, stranger and unique array of emotions.
This is a *great* review and video. I think you are a very articulate, passionate music fan, and it is humbling how open you are about your feelings and your experiences listening to music with your family. I've seen this review as well as the Kero Kero Bonito Civilization II review and I feel like we have very similar approaches to listening to music. Maybe your channel will be a new avenue for me to discover great music. Thanks for the effort and purpose you put into (at least two of) your videos!
Fantastic and insightful review as always. This is probably my favorite album of this year so far. I’ll have to check out The Blue Angel for sure. I would highly recommend their 2019 debut album “Schlagenheim” as well. Anyways, my ranking goes: 1. black midi 2. Squid 3. Black Country, New Road
Thank you a lot for suggesting to watch The Blue Angel, it made my heart hurt to see a once great professor go into a laughingstock and a clown. The second half of the movie really hurt a lot more than I thought it would and you were right about it making you feel miserable afterwards. It was a great movie though.
Ascending Forth is probably my favorite song of the year. The time is used so well to just build everything up at the end. The lyrics are devastating too (I think it’s supposed to be about some artist going to jail because he didn’t obey the kings law or something like that) which adds so much to the emotionality of the song.
I think when the purpose is to constantly go 'outside of the box' , bands can also find themselves in a parallel-to-the-box space that has its own formulaic set of rules. When I end up admiring the time signature or the structured cacophonies then it kind of crawls up its own tract.
Saw this on my recommendations and wow. First time watching a video from you, but this is probably one of the most enjoyable reviews I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There are many things I appreciate about this, such as your extensive musical knowledge, being able to easily breakdown musical elements, and just the overall candor and expressiveness you exude, but I'm most happy that you do minimal research when reviewing. Thanks for the covering this album, I feel like I'm able to appreciate each of these songs even more after hearing you eloquently dissect each track.
1. Black Country (for the same reasons) 2. Black midi (3). Shame (I think they played there) 3. (4). Squid Black midi are just unbelievable, their first album is just as good and i love the croons, they remind me (as well as black country's vocal delibery) of scott walker's and is just the perfect inspiration for post-punks to have
great video, i love the analysis you do. my ranking would probably be black country new road, black midi, squid for favorites but black midi is probably the best band out of them seeing as they have 2 albums out vs the others having 1. cavalcade and schlagenheim both being major hits for me. for the first time is still my album of the year though
I also just got that inverted black country new road album! AOTY! PRO TIP: Go to settings and change your phone to inverted colors. Open your camera and you can look at the vinyl and the booklet in un-inverted colors. Found that one out on my own :)
Hey, this is funny. I like Black midi, and I'm a big fan of Balasevic. I thought you just look similar lol I just stumbled on this video listening Black midi live shows :D
My ranking would be: 1) BC;NR 2) Black Midi 3) Squid This is partly because I come from the Black Country but partly because BC;NR, I think, are musically better. Their are 7 members that work so well together, not to say that the others don't because they absolutely do, but I think their more melodic songs are really pleasing.
Black Midi and Squid are all dudes, BCNR is 4 boys 3 girls. If you wanna see Greep playing Dethroned and singing, watch the KEXP performance that came out a few days/weeks ago, he's pretty insane. My top would be: 1. black country, new road 2. black midi 3. Squid though with this album for me bm and bcnr are tied i think, and Squid is the one i've listened to the least.
that’s my ranking as well currently. it’s bound to change as i keep listening because all the bands from the scene are really good and legitimately blow me away
I'm with you on the ranking. No beef with any of the bands that's just how I feel about their releases and what they did for me as a listener. I am very excited to see black midi live though. They seem like a live band
Great video and comments, even though I don’t enjoy that album now (maybe later). Conversely, big fan of BC,NR/Squid, and totally buying your common tour idea ;-) ! There is so much good music going on at the moment. Can I recommend the following? . Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_D’s pee at state’ end! (maybe the best of album of post-rock legends, incredible) . Genesis Owusu - smiling with no teeth (young Australian artist mixing rap/rock/soul/electronics with great songwriting/production) . Spirit of the Beehive - Entertainment, death (weirdest pop band I discovered lately, with a unique sound and such a talent for arrangement/production) . The Armed - Ultrapop (great mix between pop and harsh noise/metal/rock) And lately I’ve been listening a lot to Loveless by My bloody Valentine.
That dial you describe has a line in it that can, but shouldn't, be crossed. Where the line falls on the dial depends so much on context, but I refer to it as when it goes from 'expression' to 'masturbation'. When is the technicality serving others versus stroking self? And just like the line from 'artsy' to 'adult film', you know it when you see(or hear) it.
Diamond Stuff is utterly phenomenal. Easily my favourite track off the album; truly a beautiful track. The fragility of it reminds me quite a lot of the beauty of the whole album of In Rainbows by Radiohead. It's just so beautiful.
your "it was amazing" follow up to the description of your family's emotional turmoil from watching Blue Angel made me tear up, i haven't laughed that hard in months, thanks
Great review, however I am surprised that you didn't make any comparisons between black midi and some more avant-garde rock or post punk groups, particularly Captain Beefheart and The Fall, especially the latter
I’d say Diamond Stuff reminds me the most of Radiohead. John L and Hogwash And Balderdash reminds me of Swans. John L sounds like it could’ve came straight from their trilogy set.
Dope review as always professor Skye. Regarding the genre of this current music, with bands like Squid, Black Midi & Black Country New Road I would not call them post-punk anymore (although they are post-punk inspir3d). At this point it's way too inspired in math rock, post-rock, drone and orchestral music. Windmill Scene is it's own mini-genre.
I’d agree with your ranking. I’ve been going to The Windmill for 20 years and it’s funny it’s become the coolest venue. Wouldn’t have predicted it all those years ago.
Diamond Stuff isn't actually sung by their lead singer (Geordie Greep), it's sung by their bassist Cameron Picton, doesn't matter too much though. Great video!! New subscriber here
I think my ranking at the moment is this: 1. Squid 2. Protomartyr 3. Black Country, New Road 4. black midi [Protomartyr are just too good to be left out here :-)]
SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP YOU ARE NOW IN A DEEP SLEEP I fucking love This Heat and I love that black midi are so influenced by them
Yesterday i wrote a review in rym and at some point i complain because i havent seen comparisons to david bowie wich is one of the best things about their music, the emotional depth of the voice at the center. I think john l represents profit muting the artistic drive and the end is the result, where music is consumed to barebones and everybody wants anything more than the abuse of ascending fourth in the popular scene. And its presented in a very universal way wich makes sense because this dynamic applies to the whole of lifd in our society
Man, MAN! Love your reviews, hope there were longer lol. You have to see them live, at least on video. Also, listen to their first if you haven't. What's your take on King Crimson? Because they are technical but also there's such emotion on most of their songs. And consider the podcast thingy! i would listen to that. Anyways, great reviews! cheers from Argentina.
Longer! Thats funny. One of the few things I think about from time to time is to intentionally keep them shorter, but then it would mess with my whole flow so I just dong
black midi borders noise/math rock, both of which are fairly well-defined genres. it's interesting to know that there's some great music coming out of that area at the moment, but i think black midi is what we would have if progressive rock were to be born today. progressive rock, however, was created by classically-trained musicians, and thus prog tunes tended to follow a classical format as far as structure goes. when it comes to a band like black midi, what i hear are jazz-trained musicians creating in the same way, but of course, the result sounds different, because the jazz structure is so different. also, freeform jazz was developing concurrently with prog-not sure if that's an important distinction, but i think if you fold that concept in the resultant music makes a great deal of sense
1. BCNR 2. Black Midi 3. Squid BONUS. I like Wet Leg idk if they fit in the scene exactly as you describe it but it felt good to include a woman fronted post punk band
".....Does technical proficiency come at the expense of emotional weight?....." Not at the expense of emotional weight, so much as emotional desperation. This vein of rock/pop-oriented criticism has some (underline "some") validity with regard to popular music, where a raw outcry - or the effect of one - is greatly prized. It frequently applies to prog-rock, which tends to be about the notes and their sound, rather than what they mean. It can apply to classical music as well, and for the same reason. But where it falls down is jazz, because the greatest jazz musicians all combined vast skill with overpowering emotion.
![Method Writing: The First Four Concepts - Jack Grapes [FULL INTERVIEW]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ba9jAVzADY0/mqdefault.jpg)
That rumble in John L was actually the sound of a helicopter flying over the studio during a vocal take
The helicopter pilot is also credited on the liner notes for the album. He played the... helicopter.
That is cool. One of my brothers used to be a helicopter pilot.
@@professorskye Pilot is one of those jobs you don't like to hear that somebody *used* to be
@@larsalfredhenrikstahlin8012 Underrated comment oh my god
On the live performance note, the reason they became so popular so quickly was because of an absolutely mind boggling performance they did for kexp. This was before they had song names, and the band just destroys the stage, literally in some cases. I highly recommend checking it, it’s intriguing to see these guys in their infancy already being so good at performing together.
Absolutely. I was lucky enough to see them supporting Shame in early 2018 with the 40 or so people who also arrived early and it completely changed my taste in music. I went around telling all my friends who like music that they had to see this band even though they hadn't released anything at all. The second time I saw them at End of The Road festival, still before the KEPX set, they'd already gathered enough word of mouth interest to fill a decently sized tent.
Similarly to Girl Band. Both live videos shot at Iceland Arirwaves.
remember when Matt replaced his E string mid set. Jeez
Same, saw them twice already and it always blew my mind, cant wait to see them for the third time next year with songs from "Cavalcade"!
I saw one of their earliest gigs when they supported Preoccupations in June 2018 in London. I just remember thinking how amazing the drummer was and wondering who they were, cuz the music was crazy and unexpected. And now they're really important and big all of a sudden. I feel very lucky to have seen them in their infancy now. I met Preoccupations afterwards and got loads of albums signed by them as well. Drummer complimented me on my This Heat shirt as he entered the venue when I was smoking outside. Good gig.
"One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz." Lou Reed
I need to remember that next time I broach this subject!
That was his excuse for his miserable guitar skills.
"Verbally abusing women and playing a guitar whose strings are tuned to the same note is good, actually."
- Lewbert Saxophone Reed
@@moronsmorons8913 Yeah he wasn't a great lead player and his harmonic palete was limited most of the time, but limitations often make for great art, and in his case he turned out songs like "Sweet Jane" and "Pale Blue Eyes" with like five chords each. Edit: he was also being hyperbolic and humorous. I can only think of a couple songs of his that use less than three chords. He was driving the point home about simplicity being effective.
@@moronsmorons8913 he was one of the greatest rock rhythm players ever.
I'm glad you mentioned seeing how seeing John L live would be both aggravating and exhilarating. finally got to see black midi live about 2 weeks ago and when they performed this song, it was ridiculous. Everyone in the theatre was enthralled by the opening prog/jazz section, but when the song got quiet and atmospheric, a certain tension grew over the crowd as we all waited for that chaos to come back. You absolutely nailed this review and so many technical aspects of the album. Because of the variation shown throughout this album and their other projects Schlagenheim and Hellfire, black midi have absolutely proven to me that they are easily the most technically proficient band making music right now. Great video, you NEED to see them live sometime.
i heard a term “postbrexit core” and it’s too perfect to forget
1. black midi
2. black country
3. squid (didn’t really love BGF)
Palm is left out
Idles?
1. BCNR
2. BM
those two higher by far
3. Idles
4. Squid
This was mine before Ants from up there came out. Now BC,NR is #1
"primus, they're a mostly forgotten band now"
that hurt lol
Oh god that's painful
I mean not really and I don’t even like primus
I mean they arent a household name but they are still pretty well known
This statement shows that he’s way too harsh on Primus. Yes, Primus isn’t for everyone but they aren’t a forgotten band at all. They were popular in the 90s and they had hits like Jerry Was A Racecar Driver, My Name Is Mud, Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver, John the Fisherman and Tommy The Cat. If Primus wasn’t mainstream, then other bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Faith No More and Ween wouldn’t be popular in the 90s as well.
I have a friend who listens only to radio pop and even he knows who Primus are
You are absolutely one of my favorite people on youtube, you're so good at coming up with an overarching question about an album, and then answering and expanding on it in such an organic way. Just incredible stuff man, keep up the great work!
Thanks for the encouragement, it is appreciated.
Completly agree on 'Diamond Stuff' beeing really fire
Love the way you explain the music behind these bands. Nice to know im not the only one completely obsessed with this sound :)
Black Midi has grown so much in me, in a very emotional way. They're definitely one of the best bands to appear.
13:51 this is even more funny as it is the way they usually play it live. Coming out of the breakdown into a cover of another song before jumping right back in for the end of the song.
I'd go with:
1. black midi
2. Black Country, New Road
3. Squid
But I don't know, it feels kinda silly ranking them
I guess I'll listen to all of them in different moments
That's the same ranking as mine, therefore it's automatically not silly, but absolutely incredible.
@@nikkibarron3102 ya I’d go black midi>bcnr>shame>squid
I think BCNR is a bit better tbh as a whole, but I think Black Midi is far more innovative and prolific with their technique
To be honest I don’t get the Squid hype. I feel like a lot of their songs start to sound similar after a while. They’re not a bad band by any means but I feel like they’re not doing anything even close to what the first two are doing. Like someone mentioned, I think a band like Shame are more noteworthy.
You forgot Shame at the 4th place !
The sax player from Black Country, New Road actually played in the horn section in the KEXP show for black midi :)
I FINALLY GOT TO WATCH YOU IM SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE ASCENDING FOURTHS THING IT SEEMS LIKE NO REVIEWER WAS TALKING ABOUT THIS
GREAT REVIEW!!!
i feel like you have the coolest family ever
So do I!
Geordie is the lead singer, but Cameron is the one who sings on Diamond Stuff (and Slow).
As far as the John L Primus comparison, I totally agree, I noticed it back when they did their Boiler Room set before the song was finished. It's also great to hear how it's evolved. I would say that Hogwash and Balderdash is even more Primus-like like you also said, it's kind of insane. I don't know Primus that much, but it's pretty unmistakable, and I think they've said Primus is one of their influences.
As for Geordie's singing, it's... something. Even with the lyrics right beside me a few songs I still have no idea what he's saying. I've learned most of the lyrics off Schalgenheim, but this album is definitely a tougher nut to crack. Regardless their jazzy improv in their live sets is so insane, Geordie's lyrics kind of get lost in it which can be unfortunate, but as a whole it's fantastic. The KEXP playing of Dethroned in particular is absolutely phenomenal, I wish the horn section was on the album, it's just perfection.
Also, there's a few moments in the album that give me total King Gizzard vibes. I've only listened to Flying Microtonal Banana, and I'm also not versed with technical music stuff, but Diamond Stuff guitar totally sounds like Billabong Valley unless I'm just dumb and without a doubt Dethroned has some Melting and Open Water vibes. I'm not sure if it's the techniques, the notes, or how the sounds are produced but I gotta get a second opinion- it's a little uncanny.
or even mr. bungle, which was fronted by mike patton, who also fronted faith no more
Most of the album was sung by Geordie Greep with the exception of Slow and Diamond Stuff which were sung by Cameron Picton.
Really nailed a lot of the points about the album that i feel are underappreciated, we are in a generation wich craves for new landscapes in music whilst ragimg against it and actually call it pretentious and tha band actually interacts with this reality, the last song talks to the worth of the musician inside the industry and its comsequence on the music integrity. This has been reminding me of lynch and just noww came to mind that the band manipulated expectations and plays with the historical placement of their musical culture.. bdilliant stufd.
This Chanel is my go to for music review, a organic and loose presentation that lets come across the love and care for the music. Great work
I agree completely. I like his channel for how he goes a bit more in-depth in how he responds to the music.
And I think this album is brilliant.
Thanks for the kind words. I'm happy when people appreciate my style.
Llegue buscando opiniones del álbum para "entender" por qué me gusta tanto, llevo oyendo el álbum desde que salió y la manera en la que este hombre habla y comenta me encanta, amo como explica todo esta muy bueno el video
Great video! Just discovered the channel and been going through the videos. One of the very best music channels!
Technicality definitely can take away from emotion. It does for most of the metal shredder types but black midi is a different type of technicality, it's chaotic and more out there. Sure it's not the most emotional but it's more about the craziness and songwriting isn't sacrificed at all
usually when i listen to music, i avoid thinking about technicality altogether and just enjoy it for its sonic value. i’ve felt alienated as a listener from a lot of shreddy proggy bands because music like that has a tendency to be pretty sonically bland, but i don’t think technicality in general is an inherently bad or bland thing to strive for. i just personally prefer when immense skill and musical knowledge is used to make something sonically engaging as opposed to being used just for the sake of showing off. of course, there’s a very blurry line between the two and i’m in no way the authority on what music is and and isn’t bland. i just know what i like and i like black midi
Honestly I like black midi for the same reason I enjoy bands like battles. Just bands with a great knack for creating awkward rhythms with plenty of sudden change ups to keep you engaged without it being seen as annoying or too repetitive. I love when bands can weave in and out of unstructured and structured musical phrases and stuff like that. Cardiacs does this a lot too and when it’s done just right, it can be mesmerizing in its own unique way
@@thebrisketbrothers8128 I agree. Lots of bands have tried it but I think on cavalcade they mastered the art of controlled chaos
True, thats when true emotion and inspiration is replaced by a mindless wankfest. But more often than not, technicality enables you to express a wider, wilder, stranger and unique array of emotions.
My ranking's gotta be Black Midi > Black Country New Road > Squid
Keep up the good work profman
This is a *great* review and video. I think you are a very articulate, passionate music fan, and it is humbling how open you are about your feelings and your experiences listening to music with your family. I've seen this review as well as the Kero Kero Bonito Civilization II review and I feel like we have very similar approaches to listening to music. Maybe your channel will be a new avenue for me to discover great music. Thanks for the effort and purpose you put into (at least two of) your videos!
I would say:
1) black midi
2) BC, NR
3) Squid
I like them all very much, but I find myself listening to black midi a lot more
Fantastic and insightful review as always. This is probably my favorite album of this year so far. I’ll have to check out The Blue Angel for sure. I would highly recommend their 2019 debut album “Schlagenheim” as well. Anyways, my ranking goes:
1. black midi
2. Squid
3. Black Country, New Road
pog
Thank you a lot for suggesting to watch The Blue Angel, it made my heart hurt to see a once great professor go into a laughingstock and a clown. The second half of the movie really hurt a lot more than I thought it would and you were right about it making you feel miserable afterwards. It was a great movie though.
Its crazy, right? That actor does more saying nothing than most actors can do crying and talking.
Ascending Forth is probably my favorite song of the year. The time is used so well to just build everything up at the end. The lyrics are devastating too (I think it’s supposed to be about some artist going to jail because he didn’t obey the kings law or something like that) which adds so much to the emotionality of the song.
His name is geordie greep
Thanks for the review. Am going to see the 2 Blacks in concert next October/November
I think when the purpose is to constantly go 'outside of the box' , bands can also find themselves in a parallel-to-the-box space that has its own formulaic set of rules.
When I end up admiring the time signature or the structured cacophonies then it kind of crawls up its own tract.
I'm so glad to see a reviewer giving so much praise to Diamond Stuff, It's goddamn beautiful.
Love your reviews
1. Black midi
2. Black Country new road (close second)
3. Squid
Saw this on my recommendations and wow. First time watching a video from you, but this is probably one of the most enjoyable reviews I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. There are many things I appreciate about this, such as your extensive musical knowledge, being able to easily breakdown musical elements, and just the overall candor and expressiveness you exude, but I'm most happy that you do minimal research when reviewing.
Thanks for the covering this album, I feel like I'm able to appreciate each of these songs even more after hearing you eloquently dissect each track.
1) Black Midi
2) BC;NR
3) Squid
Hey I enjoyed your style of reviewing, so I subbed. Keep up the good work, Prof!
The last 3 minutes of Diamond Stuff would make any Radiohead fan happy.
1. Black Country (for the same reasons)
2. Black midi
(3). Shame (I think they played there)
3. (4). Squid
Black midi are just unbelievable, their first album is just as good and i love the croons, they remind me (as well as black country's vocal delibery) of scott walker's and is just the perfect inspiration for post-punks to have
Diamond Stuff is easily one of the big standouts for me. It's got an eerie brooding energy that I love.
Would be cool to see you do a retrospective on bm’s discography! I’m curious about your thoughts on their debut album as well.
My guy looks like he plays rythm guitar on Interpol.
Also, great review.
I like your humility on these.
great review!!!!
Amnesiac is you fav RH album!? Nice! Mine is Kid A followed by Amnesiac.
Their KEXP performance from a few years ago is one of my favorite vids on UA-cam.
1. black midi
2. Goat Girl
3. Black Country, New Road
4. Squid
lmao got here trying to listen to diamond stuff, like i was already gonna do the homework XD
great video, i love the analysis you do. my ranking would probably be black country new road, black midi, squid for favorites but black midi is probably the best band out of them seeing as they have 2 albums out vs the others having 1. cavalcade and schlagenheim both being major hits for me. for the first time is still my album of the year though
I also just got that inverted black country new road album! AOTY! PRO TIP: Go to settings and change your phone to inverted colors. Open your camera and you can look at the vinyl and the booklet in un-inverted colors. Found that one out on my own :)
Hey, this is funny. I like Black midi, and I'm a big fan of Balasevic. I thought you just look similar lol I just stumbled on this video listening Black midi live shows :D
My ranking would be:
1) BC;NR
2) Black Midi
3) Squid
This is partly because I come from the Black Country but partly because BC;NR, I think, are musically better. Their are 7 members that work so well together, not to say that the others don't because they absolutely do, but I think their more melodic songs are really pleasing.
i agree tbh
Based
Black Midi and Squid are all dudes, BCNR is 4 boys 3 girls.
If you wanna see Greep playing Dethroned and singing, watch the KEXP performance that came out a few days/weeks ago, he's pretty insane.
My top would be:
1. black country, new road
2. black midi
3. Squid
though with this album for me bm and bcnr are tied i think, and Squid is the one i've listened to the least.
thanks for the precision.
BCNR is so good
that’s my ranking as well currently. it’s bound to change as i keep listening because all the bands from the scene are really good and legitimately blow me away
Diamond Stuff is post-rock at its finest, it sounds like something from an early Mogwai album
You mean grizzly bear’s yellow house
The strings in the first 30 secs of DS reminds me of Slint’s Good Morning, Captain
Yeah me 2, and black country new road have a song I forgot the name but they play a very Slinty note that just stands out so much
@@smoshbooz Athens France
I would say
1.Black midi
2 BCNR
3 Squid
You can see Black midi performance in KEXP to see of the material in this album being played live (sort of)
Don't forget FWF, Warmduscher, Josh Loftin, all through the Windmill. And Lou Smith's videos, check em out.
Shame's LP from the beginning of the year is also a must listen post-brextit release
I'm with you on the ranking. No beef with any of the bands that's just how I feel about their releases and what they did for me as a listener. I am very excited to see black midi live though. They seem like a live band
Great video and comments, even though I don’t enjoy that album now (maybe later). Conversely, big fan of BC,NR/Squid, and totally buying your common tour idea ;-) !
There is so much good music going on at the moment. Can I recommend the following?
. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - G_D’s pee at state’ end! (maybe the best of album of post-rock legends, incredible)
. Genesis Owusu - smiling with no teeth (young Australian artist mixing rap/rock/soul/electronics with great songwriting/production)
. Spirit of the Beehive - Entertainment, death (weirdest pop band I discovered lately, with a unique sound and such a talent for arrangement/production)
. The Armed - Ultrapop (great mix between pop and harsh noise/metal/rock)
And lately I’ve been listening a lot to Loveless by My bloody Valentine.
Great video as always, you gotta check out the collab shows that black midi and BCNR have done together
That dial you describe has a line in it that can, but shouldn't, be crossed. Where the line falls on the dial depends so much on context, but I refer to it as when it goes from 'expression' to 'masturbation'. When is the technicality serving others versus stroking self? And just like the line from 'artsy' to 'adult film', you know it when you see(or hear) it.
Love your insight … you’re a technically profound musiclover!
Too technical for what? Background music at Denny’s?
YES, the vocals on the third track reminded me of bowie as well
Diamond Stuff is utterly phenomenal. Easily my favourite track off the album; truly a beautiful track.
The fragility of it reminds me quite a lot of the beauty of the whole album of In Rainbows by Radiohead. It's just so beautiful.
Professor Skye. You are coolest tastemaker of all time
Man said he’s from WNY. Instantly credible. Hello from bflo.
your "it was amazing" follow up to the description of your family's emotional turmoil from watching Blue Angel made me tear up, i haven't laughed that hard in months, thanks
I feel like Black MIDI is King Crimson’s demented little nephew. I get heavy Fripp/ Fractured/Larks tongue vibes at some points.
16:51 This is the type of dad I want to be one day
Both Mach Hommy and Black Midi reviews I’m gonna have to subscribe
please check out "san salvador - la grande folie", it's one of my aoty
That album is so great. La liseta is my personal highlight.
"Marlene Dietrich" reminded me of The Divine Comedy too. Beautiful song.
You talk about the drums being frenetic with fills: Mahavishnu Orchestra (Billy Cobham).
Great review, however I am surprised that you didn't make any comparisons between black midi and some more avant-garde rock or post punk groups, particularly Captain Beefheart and The Fall, especially the latter
I’d say Diamond Stuff reminds me the most of Radiohead. John L and Hogwash And Balderdash reminds me of Swans. John L sounds like it could’ve came straight from their trilogy set.
If you like diamond stuff, check out Yellow House by Grizzly Bear. It’s really really similar. You won’t regret it!
Dope review as always professor Skye. Regarding the genre of this current music, with bands like Squid, Black Midi & Black Country New Road I would not call them post-punk anymore (although they are post-punk inspir3d). At this point it's way too inspired in math rock, post-rock, drone and orchestral music. Windmill Scene is it's own mini-genre.
I’d agree with your ranking. I’ve been going to The Windmill for 20 years and it’s funny it’s become the coolest venue. Wouldn’t have predicted it all those years ago.
Diamond Stuff isn't actually sung by their lead singer (Geordie Greep), it's sung by their bassist Cameron Picton, doesn't matter too much though.
Great video!! New subscriber here
I like to call it the New Wave of British Prog Punk 😁
I think my ranking at the moment is this:
1. Squid
2. Protomartyr
3. Black Country, New Road
4. black midi
[Protomartyr are just too good to be left out here :-)]
The beginning of Diamond Stuff reminds me a lot of the beginning of Sleep by This Heat from 1981. BM are clearly fans of those dudes
SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP
SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP
SLEEP, GO TO SLEEP
YOU ARE NOW IN A DEEP SLEEP
I fucking love This Heat and I love that black midi are so influenced by them
This Heat is such an amazing band. I can definitely hear some of their influence on Black Midi.
I do remember one of them saying they liked that band
Yesterday i wrote a review in rym and at some point i complain because i havent seen comparisons to david bowie wich is one of the best things about their music, the emotional depth of the voice at the center. I think john l represents profit muting the artistic drive and the end is the result, where music is consumed to barebones and everybody wants anything more than the abuse of ascending fourth in the popular scene. And its presented in a very universal way wich makes sense because this dynamic applies to the whole of lifd in our society
Watch them live, and they all make sense
Pre watch comment: Sick
Man, MAN! Love your reviews, hope there were longer lol. You have to see them live, at least on video. Also, listen to their first if you haven't. What's your take on King Crimson? Because they are technical but also there's such emotion on most of their songs.
And consider the podcast thingy! i would listen to that. Anyways, great reviews! cheers from Argentina.
Longer! Thats funny. One of the few things I think about from time to time is to intentionally keep them shorter, but then it would mess with my whole flow so I just dong
black midi borders noise/math rock, both of which are fairly well-defined genres. it's interesting to know that there's some great music coming out of that area at the moment, but i think black midi is what we would have if progressive rock were to be born today. progressive rock, however, was created by classically-trained musicians, and thus prog tunes tended to follow a classical format as far as structure goes. when it comes to a band like black midi, what i hear are jazz-trained musicians creating in the same way, but of course, the result sounds different, because the jazz structure is so different. also, freeform jazz was developing concurrently with prog-not sure if that's an important distinction, but i think if you fold that concept in the resultant music makes a great deal of sense
1. Black Midi
2. BCNR
3. Squid
man i cant find the bug
I would go as far as to say i had more emotional, spine chilling moments listening to this than schlagenheim
Tied 1st. Black Midi, Squid
2nd. Bc;nr
theyre all interchange-able.
the prog knob? lol dude
post-christmas-cupcake-hand grenades?
1. BCNR
2. Black Midi
3. Squid
BONUS. I like Wet Leg idk if they fit in the scene exactly as you describe it but it felt good to include a woman fronted post punk band
".....Does technical proficiency come at the expense of emotional weight?....."
Not at the expense of emotional weight, so much as emotional desperation. This vein of rock/pop-oriented criticism has some (underline "some") validity with regard to popular music, where a raw outcry - or the effect of one - is greatly prized. It frequently applies to prog-rock, which tends to be about the notes and their sound, rather than what they mean. It can apply to classical music as well, and for the same reason. But where it falls down is jazz, because the greatest jazz musicians all combined vast skill with overpowering emotion.
Dude, it’s literally in the name. They are a Black midi band.
Pressed subscribe literally a second before you said to 😂
Question for you - I am in love with your Franze Kafky poster - where did you get it!
It is a great poster and I'm super happy that I got it when I did. I purchased it at the Kafka Museum (located in his home) in Prague.
1 - Squid
2 - BCNR
3 - black midi
Black midi, Squid, Black Country New Road
Also I discovered each band in that same order. Might have something to do with that lol