I met Wayne twice – once at a Lollapalooza, back in say, ’94. I was working at our record booth and he was eating at a picnic table nearby and I didn’t want to bug him. I was just passing, being very quick and complimentary, as I was a big fan at the time, and he still came off a bit smug. Their live shows used to be the best. I remember once looking forward to a show, must’ve been off Clouds Taste Metallic, and being sick with a fever, not feeling good enough to go, knowing I wouldn’t be able to drink or take anything else either, but ending up going anyway, and it was literally one of the best shows of the year – more Christmas lights and bubble machines than you can ever imagine being possible.
Michael Ivens used to shop at the record store I worked at, and later at the one I o/o. Super cool guy. But with the departure of Jonathan Donahue and then Ronald Jones, Wayne and his “talented” cohort, Steven Drozd, have churned out some pretty unexciting stuff, all under the banner of “weird,” and all at the luxurious expense of Papa Warner. Although, I’m proud of Papa Warner for sticking with an artist over the long haul – you don’t hear of that much anymore. And while I don’t think Wayne is the “enemy,” just like I hated those “blur are shite” shirts Mogwai wore all those years ago (really, Blur is your enemy, really?), I guess I just think he’s a bit phony. I got the opportunity to pan the release of The Soft Bulletin in Alternative Press under my co-worker’s name, who let me review it for him. In hindsight, I was wrong about what I said in that review, as that really is a great album. But a “getting back to basics” is, in my humble opinion, what this band really needs. (and don’t get me started on Mercury Rev either…)
Anyway, eight or so years later, I got the chance to meet Wayne again, and what I wasn’t wrong about is that Wayne is kind of a dick. On two separate occasions, he was aloof and distant. For what reason? Why put yourself out there just to put fans off? It was weird, since I got on well with other rock-stars of his caliber throughout the years. Is anybody else sick of his schtick? The shit’s just b-o-r-i-n-g. Could we have a Clouds Taste Metallic II? I wouldn’t dare ask for a Priest Driven II or a Hit to Death II – those feats would surely be impossible to replicate. Is it that Wayne does not know how to play guitar anymore? Has he forgotten how to write a good song? Oh, and does anyone know if he has he gotten rid of that white suit with fake blood yet? (Written while wasting my time listening to the new The Terror which is supposed to be “really dark” and “really good,” from what I’ve read. Not true. Although the UK bonus track, “Sun Blows Up Today” is what I’m talking about: refreshing and fun.)
Dunno why I had to crap Wayne negative today. Oh, and him performing mostly naked on Fallon with Drozd's wearing a cape last week just reinforces my point(s) - bad gimmicks, bad tunes. The lights and tubing, however, were awesome. Now please strap on a guitar again and write some new old pop jamz!
Forthcoming:
Neil Michael hagerty band & the howling hex – the hildreth tapes 3xLP (golden lab) july 2013 – w/ liner notes by matt valentine (1st 75 copies includes CD of bonus material)
Seaworthy + taylor deupree – wood, winter, hollow (12k 1075)
Illuha – interstices (12k 2028)
Frank bretschneider – super. Trigger (raster-noton 149)
Deep magic – reflections of most forgotten love (preservation 37)
Michael mayer – mantasy remixe 3 12” (kom 273)
Float riverer – float riverer (golden lab 23)
Va: greek rhapsody – instrumental music from Greece 1905-1956 2CD (dust to digital 27)
Sensate focus – 1.666666666 12” (focus 1.666666666) w/ v. delay
Julianna barwick – nepenthe (dead oceans) august 2013
Matt john – the keys (cocoon 034)
Matias aguayo – the visitor (comeme 003)
Mark ernestus meets ben zabo – wari vo dubwise / dana dubwise 12” (glitterbeat 002ep)
Ariel pink – thrash & burn (human ear music 001)
Joh tejada – somewhere 12” (kompakt 264ep)
Marsen jules trio – presence acousmatique (oktaf 005)
Boards of Canada – tomorrow’s harvest (warp)
New this week:
Groupshow – live at skymall (staubgold 122) may 2013
Geir jenssen – Stromboli 12” (touch tone 48) may 2013
Rale – probability a: three studies for compositions of infinite length (senufo edition # forty two) may 2013
Messages – mirage (root strata 95) may 2013
Reuben sawyer – constricting realities (constellation tatsu) may 2013
Roman flugel – even more (clone/jack for daze series) may 2013
Missed (still interested):
Derek rogers – don’t stop bereaving (Bridgetown #82) april 2013
Grabbed:
Mark kozelek & jimmy Lavelle – perils from the sea (caldo verde 24) may 2013
Svarte greiner – black tie (miasmah 023) april 2013
Quicksails – Mayville dream (spectrum spools 027) april 2013
Alan licht – four years older (emego 166) april 2013
Coma – in Technicolor (kompakt cd 106) may 2013
David grubbs – the plain where the palace stood (drag 551) april 2013
Lee noble – ruiner (bathetic records) may 2013
Glenn jones – my garden state (thrill jockey 326) may 2013
Nicholas bullen – component fixations (type 115) may 2013
Sightings – terribly well (dais 043) april 2013
Portable – albatross remixes (sud electronic 13) may 2013
Primal scream – more light 2CD (first international) may 2013
Pastels – slow summits (domino wig185) may 2013
Breeders – lsxx 3xCD (4ad 3308) may 2013
Aquarelle – august undone (students of decay 100) may 2013
Older stuff:
Leech – tusks (100% silk) February 2013
Miracles club – light of love (ecstasy) march 2010
Miracles club – light of love remixes (cutters) may 2011
Miracles club – a new love (Mexican summer) august 2012
Miracles club – u & me / ocean club (cutters) November 2012
Metaboman – ja/noe (music Krause 005) February 2013
Sightings – end times (fusetron) 2005
big ups to Jesse for Miracles Club and new Grubbs.
