Dead
January 18, 2008The site is dead. Please view the Soul Drift Music Archives for more reviews & an explanation.
New Site & Best Album of 2007
December 18, 2007It’s been a while again, but I have been busy with essays/exams & also preparing to totally revamp this here music blog! In the next few days I will be transferring my domain to a different host & will be able to finally give this website a real home. On top of that I will be adding more content, changing the layout & generally making everything better. Hopefully the new design will be up for the new year.
For now, I would like absolutely everyone who comes by this site to leave a comment telling me their favourite album(s) of 2007. I can then compile a list for the opening of the site :)
I hope everyone has a great Christmas/holiday!
Gig Review: Stereophonics
December 9, 2007
13th November at Nottingham Ice Arena.
Photograph by Michael.
The night was fantastic! The Enemy were the support band, & they were fairly good, despite having some technical problems (too much feedback - ouch). Highlight of their set was definitely ‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns’, plus the problems seemed to go away after that song (perhaps they sorted out the electric guitar when they swapped it for an acoustic during that song). Not a bad support act, doubt I’d go and see them headline as I find their music a bit samey.
Stereophonics were amazing! They rocked from the opener, Bank Holiday Monday, to the end with Dakota. They are just pure entertainment & class. Plus they reminded me of home! They played all the great old songs, such as Bartender and the Thief, A Thousand Trees, More Life in a Tramps Vest, Pick a Part, Just Looking, Mr. Writer, Local Boy in the Photograph, Vegas Two Times, a solo version of Maybe Tomorrow & a rather awesome medley consisting of Hurry Up and Wait, Have a Nice Day & Traffic. They also played newer songs such as Superman & Deadhead, & brand new songs My Friends, Daisy Lane & It Means Nothing. I’ve probably missed out a fair few songs - anyone got the setlist?
Kelly Jones made a lot of jokes throughout the night, but I can’t for the life of me remember what he said. I seem to remember him talking about us all getting drunk on a Tuesday night & calling in sick to work the next day… & the fact that there are ‘a lot of sh*t hotels in Paris & Wales’!
All in all, a great night. I just wish we had been standing instead of sitting - kinda takes away the atmosphere!
Three Years Gone
December 8, 2007
Image from SMI.
A bit late in the day (in Britain at least) but crank up some Pantera and/or Damageplan in memory of Dimebag.
Gig Review: Kings of Leon
December 8, 2007
7th December 2007 at Nottingham Ice Arena.
Photograph by Michael.
I had been so excited to see Kings of Leon again after their outstanding performance at Oxegen earlier this year, & last night they did not disappoint!
The support was Manchester Orchestra, an indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia. I quite liked them, some songs were a bit slow, but their set didn’t drag at all & it seemed like they were only on stage for ten minutes rather than the half an hour or so that they played!
Kings of Leon were just amazing from the moment they hit the stage. The crowd was going nuts before they even played a note! They started the set with Slow Night, So Long & barely stopped until they got to the end of Trani (at least I think it was that song, please correct me if I’m wrong!), where Caleb threw down his microphone & walked off before the encore. That’s what I like about Kings of Leon, there’s very little chit-chat & they get straight to the point - the point being amazing music! They played around twenty songs all together. From what I can remember they also played (in no order): King of the Rodeo, Milk (the disco-ball-light-show towards the end of this was breathtaking), Taper Jean Girl, The Bucket, Four Kicks, Razz, Molly’s Chambers, On Call, Camaro, McFearless, Black Thumbnail, My Party, Ragoo, Fans, Holy Roller Novocaine & for the encore they played Knocked Up & Charmer. I’m fairly sure I’ve missed out a song, but I’m sure someone will tell me what it is eventually.
I was pleasantly surprised that they played Knocked Up for the encore; I wasn’t expecting to hear that live again. Although all the songs sounded great & they played most of my favourites (although no Red Morning Light or California Waiting - boo), I think three tracks stood out to me this time. The first has to be Arizona, as it made me well up. I think that it is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve heard live, & it is also a song that means a lot to me personally. I think that the sunset backdrop while they were playing it was very appropriate. The second has to be My Party, because the bass sounded bloody awesome! I hadn’t really noticed how good the music sounded before. The third was Molly’s Chambers, just because I’ve had it stuck in my head for the last week & I was grinning the whole time they played it.
Come to think of it, I was grinning from start to finish. They are an amazing band & I can’t wait to hear their next album, & hopefully see them for the third time in the not too distant future!
DisCOVER Music Monday
November 12, 2007
Keeping with the cello theme this week…
I’m not a fan of Muse, but I think that Zoë Keating’s cover of ‘Time Is Running Out’ is awesome! I really do love how she uses the electronic sampling while playing live, it’s very cool.
Another great cello-rock band, Break of Reality, do an absolutely awesome job of covering System of a Down’s ‘BYOB’ - it’s really impressive!
View the original by System of a Down
Finally, this one was completely predictable… it is, of course, Apocalyptica. I wanted to put up their cover of Faith No More’s ‘From Out Of Nowhere’, but YouTube doesn’t seem to have it :( so I guess you’ll have to make do with one of many Metallica covers! I think this cover of ‘Until It Sleeps’ is my favourite they’ve done, it’s very beautiful. Sorry for the Corpse Bride video…
Zoë Keating
November 11, 2007
As many of you know, I am a sucker for the cello & love anything experimental with the instrument. At the moment I’m adoring the track ‘Exurgency’ by Zoë Keating (which you can download for free here). It’s just over 8 minutes long, but don’t let that put you off. If you like the cello as much as I do, you will not regret it!
Zoë Keating is a Canadian-born cellist and composer based in Portland, Oregon. She played second-chair in cello-rock band, Rasputina, from 2002-2006. According to her biography, in her solo performances & recordings (particularly the ongoing project she calls “One Cello x 16″) she uses live electronic sampling & repetition in order to layer the sound of her cello, creating rhythmically dense musical structures. She has been described as a one-woman string quartet & it sounds great!
Her 2005 album “One Cello x 16: Natoma” is also partially streamable here.
All:My:Faults
November 10, 2007
As I’ve been extremely busy recently, I’m very behind on CD reviews. Instead, I thought I’d write a feature & hopefully the review of the new album won’t be too long after.
All:My:Faults are a German alternative/industrial band. They were founded in 2003 by Steve Kiai soon after he left his alternative band, where he sang & played bass. Two years later, after writing his own music, performing in clubs & waiting for the right live musicians to come along, he met Jonas Iscariot who was willing to play a major role in the band.
It is interesting the way the band release music (& they’ve been doing it long before Radiohead & Oasis tried their hand at it). All releases by the band are free under the Creative Commons License & are stored on free publishing websites such as Archive.org.
Their new release will become public in full on 23rd November (it has been “leaked” gradually over the course of the last month on Last.FM) or it will be available to purchase on iTunes one week later. People can buy the release online, download for free or donate some money for it. They’ve released music this way since their first release ‘Secrets’ in 2006. If 100 or more people buy the whole album they will then release a physical CD as a Digipak in 2008 and all downloaders & supporters of the band can get the CD for the shipment price only.
You can download their back catalogue online for free (or purchase them/donate money):
Secrets (2006) - download or buy from iTunes
The Anger Manifest EP (2005/2007) - download
There are also the “leaked” free tracks from the upcoming album ‘neo.NøiR’ on their Last.FM page. I like the new album quite a lot & think it’s definitely worth checking this band out if you’re into alternative/industrial/darkwave.
I will post the link to the full new album on the 23rd.
Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka (1984 – 2007)
November 3, 2007
Made by Desecration
It saddens me to write that drummer, Witold “Vitek” Kiełtyka, of the Polish extreme metal band Decapitated passed away in a Russian hospital yesterday from injuries sustained in a recent road collision. He was 23 years old.
Vitek & Decapitated vocalist Covan were hurt in an accident earlier in the week involving their tour bus & a truck carrying wood in Gomel, on the Russia/Belarus border. Both musicians reportedly sustained serious head injuries in the collision. Members of the Polish band Crionics - who were sharing a tour bus with Decapitated - sustained broken bones & lacerations in the accident. Crionics vocalist/guitarist War-an said yesterday, “our drummer has a broken jaw, our keyboard player injuries to his wrist & I’m suffering from rib injuries. Covan is better as of today but is still in serious condition.”
Soul Drift wishes them all well & a quick recovery.
Here is what some of the metal community has had to say about the tragic passing of Vitek:
“It’s with deep shock and sadness we have received the tragic news of the death of Witold ‘Vitek’ Kieltyka, drummer in Decapitated, and we want to express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We were really looking forward to touring North America with Decapitated, and the news of the accident came as a real shock. We also want to send our best well wishes to Adrian ‘Covan’ Kowanek, who also was injured in the accident, and we sincerely hope that he will recover soon.”
~ Amon Amarth
“Let it be known that we are shocked and saddened to hear about Vitek’s passing. Our condolences to his family and the other Decapitated members. We will be playing for him tonight [at Teatria in Oulu, Finland]. We wish Adrian ‘Covan’ Kowanek a quick recovery!”
~ Dimmu Borgir
“It’s with sad regret I learned this morning of the tragic passing of Witold ‘Vitek’ Kieltyka. I met him on the Nile tour. I was doing sound for Hypocrisy, and Decapitated was sharing a bus with us. He was a real cool dude and very down to earth. We had some good times on that tour. I’m just out of words with what happened. On behalf of all in Kataklysm, our deepest thoughts are with Vitek’s family and friends. We would also like to send positive messages to Adam ‘Covan’ to keep fighting to get better and come back to the stage soon.”
~ Jean-Francois Dagenais of Kataklysm
“I’m truly devastated about this untimely passing. Vitek was without a doubt one of the most talented and hard-working extreme metal drummers around. He was a great inspiration to me, a mind-blowing force behind the kit. To die at such a young age and in such dramatic circumstances is just horrible. My deepest condolences to his wife and child, his family and friends, and to the band. Vitek will be sorely missed. R.I.P. Vitek.”
~ Dirk Verbeuren of Soilwork
“It’s like a bad dream, I knew Vitek and every time Decapitated performed in Chicago area I spoke with him and the guys from the band; we know each other so long before even I came to U.S. I talked with him last time 6 or 7 months ago. He told me how happy he is with his wife and how great is to perform and playing drums around the world, especially in United States. He was so young and so excited about to be a part of metal scene… It’s the most devastating thing happened in the whole metal community - I guess. We lost great young person who was one of the most talented drummers on death metal genre and such a nice joking and laughing person from the bands I know. R.I.P. Vitek. Deepest condolences to his family. I am crying now and my all thoughts are with him in this tough time.”
~ Varyen Chylynski of Against The Plagues
Source: Blabbermouth
DisCOVER Music Monday
October 29, 2007
A bit late on a Monday for this really, but I felt like doing a special DisCOVER Music Monday since Jessicka & Christian (both from scarling.) got married this week in Los Angeles. You can read all about the gothic, out-of-the-ordinary wedding here.
Jack Off Jill - Lovesong
I thought this was appropriate! This track is the “hidden track” taken from the last record Jack Off Jill (Jessicka’s old band) made, Clear Hearts Grey Flowers. It’s definitely different & more upbeat than The Cure’s original - I think I even prefer it!
Soul Drift wishes the newlyweds all the best :)
