Credit: Garry Sharpe-Young
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'Album of the year?' Arrogant or just cocky?
Actually, a bit of both. This is a very, very good album but seeing as it's only February 'Album of the year' seems to stretch ambition a bit far. …or maybe not. See, thing is, I'm listening to this thing sixth time around and it's just getting more infectious on every spin.
Skew Siskin have developed the 'thump' factor to a high degree. These are songs and riffs that are aimed straight at gut level. They have taken a very basic Rock n' Roll formula and successfully blended it with some very modern influences. It's Bon Scott with a vagina, Jagger before Jerry, Marilyn Manson with a bigger dick, Lemmy with…oh - it is Lemmy!
Last time I interviewed Lemmy he didn't want to talk about Motorhead but spent a good portion of our chat extolling the virtues of Skew Siskin. The old boy even had a tearful glint of pride in his eye too.
Skew Siskin obviously not only understand the very essence of Rock n' Roll, they are one of those rare breed that can transfer it successfully to cold digital. This record lives and breathes unlike most you'll ever hear. You can forgive every lapse into AC/Dcism, every Rose Tattoo lick, every Hanoi slant because this is the real deal. Don't ever believe though, that Skew Siskin are some lumbering retro bloozers because 'Album of the year' contains some exceptionally nu-phat monsters such as 'Hate Lies', 'Strike Me Blind' and 'Girl On A Mission'. Want to know why Manson ran out of strong material? Skew Siskin wrote it first.
Here's hoping that 'Album of the year' gets its just commercial rewards and is not consigned to the dank world of 'lost Rock classics'. It deserves so much more. When major labels churn out such neutered pap masquerading as hard Rock and Skew Siskin are releasing records like this through independent albums it makes you wonder just how the music world got to be so bloody arse about tit. Stop bitchin' about downloading - sign some decent bands. Skew Siskin are staring you in the face.
I love this record. Exceptional - purchase is obligatory, satisfaction guaranteed.
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Nina C. Alice
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Nina C. Alice in her own words about "Album Of The Year".
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1. WE HATE:
What is religion doing to people? For so many it's like opium. Religion is an excuse for hatred, wars and whatnot, all in the name of God. What God, may I ask?! "We all need someone to hate".....yeah right, life would be so boring if we would love one another, right? Human beings can be so low but that's part of human nature. Think about the 11th September attacks and what it did for you. You don’t just sit there muttering to yourself, “Okay, so they wanted to kill us because their God told them to”. No, you really hate those people who kill innocent citizens in the name of ‘God’. This is what religion can lead to, if followers blindly obey a leader abusing 'God'. And now we all have a reason to hate. It will never stop, hatred breeding hatred. I hate that.
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2. GIRL ON A MISSION:
When we were recording the album, I watched one of my all time favourite movies: “Joan of Arc” by Luc Besson. I love Milla Jovovich, the way she performed the title role and how the film was directed. My blood rushes when I see her army doing what she wants. I too enjoy being a leader, which is what I am when onstage. It's exhilarating yet scary to feel the power over an audience and to be able to tell them what to do. When they obey, you know you’re in charge and you have the responsibility to keep them under control. In the other hand you’re a target, so as a leader you’ve gotta be strong and have an iron will! My mission is my music.
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3. SHAKE ME:
Here we go: Sex and Rock ’n' Roll. Or did you expect something intellectual coming with this title...haha! The fun we had writing the lyrics. How many words can you think of without mentioning THAT word… We got Lemmy on board backing me up on vocals. His voice adds to the wild feel of this Rock ’n' Roll trip.
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4. ALL FIRED UP:
I imagined my ideal Rock ’n’ Roll lover. How I would feel about him and what I would do to have him. I’d be a really cool chick yet too hot to handle! I’m ready to rumble and get all fired up, so the guy has got to be ready for some action right now! And I'm not talking about burning down the houses or shooting someone down literally. I’m talking about the soul. Talking about how to impress someone and make him feel hot for me, the moment I'm hot for him!
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5. HATE LIES:
I hate lies. Welcome to the music business paradise. This is about the artists and what goes on, the ups-and-downs behind the scenes. The illusions bought, sold and sometimes lived. We create something and become what we think we should be in order to be successful. Maybe we can’t get rid of the masks anymore. I've seen it happen… Some musicians take themselves too seriously and forget that it's only about the music and not their “oh-so-important-persona”. It makes me laugh when people suffer in their self-made “paradise” because in reality it’s a trash-can filled with cheap illusions. But then again, it can also be a lot of fun and you just need to know how to deal with it so it doesn't control you. You've gotta be masters of the games you’re playing.
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6. LIPS:
Lauren Bacall, a model-turned-actress, had her filming debut in her early twenties with in "To Have and Have Not." In her defining role as a sultry woman, she delivered to Humphrey Bogart her famous lines, "If you want anything, just whistle. You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? Just put your lips together and blow." It fits so well with the music, the seducing woman aiming for gold, knowing what she wants and how to get it! Is there a nicer way to give someone a hint with a brick? No. I don’t think so.
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7. WHITE TRASH:
I lived in a white trash area in LA for a while and always knew I had to write about it. The scenario is very fascinating. It’s like a cult. It's full of noisy, sometimes disgusting, people who seem to love smelling constantly of beer and ketchup. They have the white trash food, the white trash clothes, the white trash lifestyle and the white trash manners. There's a bunch of websites about it. Very funny to see how Madonna was given the cowboy hat and jeans by her fashion advisor to look the white trash part! You must live a low and poor lifestyle to be properly white trash. Wearing a cowboy hat doesn’t make you that. You need to blow up your brains with whiskey and beer; chew bubble gum; eat corn, cold baked beans out the can and oily sausage; keep a gun in your mobile home; swear all day; have a bad taste in everything; believe you’re the person God waited for… They can be fun and a great audience too, but you wouldn’t wanna live their lives if you aren’t already.
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8. JESUS OF COOL:
How to become a messiah and start your own religion! A great way to get rich. You only need your Bible and to preach. Praise the Lord and all good things will come to you. Not! Give me your credit card number and I'll forgive you your sins! You can watch me on TV and I'll sell God to you. I’ll sell you the Devil too, my friend. Again, religion makes people suffer, makes them think they‘re worth nothing if they go on sinning, or if they continue using their brains! When will they wake up? Come to me now. I am the messiah of Rock ’n’ Roll where you can do what you want. You’ll love it. I just know!
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9. 2 MUCH 4 U:
I love to walk into a room and make sure everybody looks at me. I like to catch their attention and have them wait for my next move. Make them step back. Make them fall in love with me. I could be the tattoo on your skin, your star, your queen of the scene, and I'm perfect for you because I'm too much for you and that’s what you're looking for.
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10. THE GODDESS:
The Goddess of Groove is back in action. Show some respect. Really, if there is a God then there is a Goddess, right? Every girl should be treated like a Goddess, if you ask me. She knows what to do and how to make you feel good. Men who have found their Goddesses are the luckiest guys in the world. Now it’s time to worship each other and have major fun. This song is a real good-time Rock ’n’ Roll piece and you should get up, dance, shake your hips and wave your hair. When I sang the lyrics, it was exciting and I felt like a Goddess myself.
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11. STRIKE ME BLIND:
A whole universe of feelings about someone you adore but he hides out. You try to reach out to him but he's on a different planet. You try to find him but he becomes someone else. You sit down and wonder why he’s so spaced out and so far away from what’s going on. But you find yourself always blinded by his light, by the beauty of his soul. The music puts you on a space trip that matches perfectly with the words. Sit back and dream away about someone you love with sweet suffering.
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12. WAR & PEACE SONG:
When you love someone from the bottom of your heart and this person is going through a personal war, you really feel for them and want to help. You want to stop their pain and show you’re there, caring and listening. It’s a dramatic song that shows the beautiful side of my soul. I want to say, “Everything is alright but don’t go walk away or hide. You gotta work yourself through it.” I love this song.
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13. GOOD MAN:
I've met some people in my life who promised this-and-that but were never reliable. I asked myself, what’s the reason? Is it because they like to just hurt people on purpose? Are they just crazy? You just can’t figure it out with some of them, and it makes you think they’ll suffer if there’s a God. It happens everywhere and everyday. Everybody's been fooled in one way or another. One lesson to learn, not a nice one but it shapes you up for life!
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14. TORN APART:
Anger and sarcasm. "Now, while you're pissin', the world gets torn apart". It's about how people always manage to fuck things up for others as well as for themselves. It's about mankind and how we destroy the world with our ignorance and arrogance. I wouldn't say this song is anti-politics, because every person on this planet has to realise that we're all responsible for our own actions which start at home. Before you walk out and blame anyone, you should start with yourself. So should all those people in the governments. But that's maybe too much to anticipate. I'm not saying it's right for them to do this, but I can understand when they completely fuck up because of the system. Often people don't learn how to live, no one taught them.
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