Summer Reading: Rip It Up and Start Again: Post-Punk 1978-1984

After reading the introduction to Simon Reynolds' Rip it Up and Start Again, I was struck by how lucky I am to live in the internet age. If I want to learn more about a genre of music, I can just do a search on Wikipedia to get some basic information, stream song clips on a site like YouTube, and determine within a short period of time whether I like an artist, for absolutely no money whatsoever.

Reading the book, you get a real sense that the technological limitations of the late '70s and early '80s made sure that only devoted fans knew about the thriving post-punk scene. Reynolds' description of the problems British independent record labels had with distributing their bands' albums, as well as the common theme of bands never really reaching a huge mainstream following, gives the impression that, in order to become an expert on the music, one had to put in a huge amount of time, money and energy into it.

You can tell from his vast knowledge on the topic, though, that this presumed difficulty never stopped Reynolds from passionately diving head-first into the scene. The music journalist, who, according to his author bio in the book, was a senior editor at Spin, and worked for The New York Times and The Village Voice, encapsulates his excitement in the introduction, writing, "I never bought old records during that period. Why would I have? There were so many new records to buy that there was simply no earthly reason to investigate the past."

It's Reynolds' combination of a fan's enthusiasm and a historian's research skills that makes Rip It Up such a success. He takes the reader through post-punk's rise and fall chronologically, touring notable scenes such as those in Leeds, Manchester, New York, and more, as well as giving concise but excellent summaries of the outputs of major players (Joy Division, Devo, Talking Heads) and lesser-known musicians (Durutti Column, early Throbbing Gristle, the Pop Group) alike.







Some of the most fascinating parts of the book have less to do with the music and more to do with the business and philosophical sides of the genre. As mentioned before, Reynolds gets into extensive detail about how British independent labels such as Rough Trade, Mute, and Factory operated under creative, co-operative business models that allowed them moderate success for a limited period of time. He also examines the genre's interest in philosophy and literature (Dadaism, the Situationist movement, the works of figures like Bertolt Brecht, Phillip K. Dick and J.G. Ballard) and how then-current social and economic changes influenced bands. One notable example of this was how the perceived cultural and very real economic declines in late-'70s Manchester shaped its music, from the gloomy dirges of bands like Joy Division, to the rough, cutting sound of The Fall.







The second half of the book tackles post-punk's influence in the 1980s, as the genre began to wane both critically and commercially. Trademarks of the genre, including melodic basslines influenced by genres like funk, dub and reggae, angular guitars and driving beats, were expanded upon by ska-influenced bands like the Specials and Madness, indie-pop groups like Orange Juice and Josef K (both from Scotland), and synthpop groups like the Human League. Readers drawn to the book to learn about topics such as No-Wave, Gang of Four or the Mekons may be disappointed with the second half, but it's definitely interesting to see how bands tried to conform to or flee from the ideas of their post-punk forebearers.







What people get out of their book depends a lot on their taste. I know I was left asking why there was more coverage on a band like Frankie Goes to Hollywood than on the Birthday Party, Siouxsie and the Banshees or New Order, but the idea of the book isn't so much to catalogue every important artist as to get a feel for the time and understand how something as uncommercial and sparse as post-punk could evolve and influence highly produced music like New Pop and Rock. The book also shows how important the genre was in advancing music as a whole; as Reynolds notes, Gang of Four was a huge influence on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and U2 was tremendously inspired by Joy Division. Overall, Rip It Up... reads like the definitive roadmap to a genre and time that was never documented as widely as it should have been, and Reynolds covers every twist and turn concisely yet substantially. Definitely a must-read for anyone looking to get into the genre.







(Cover design by Jesse Marinoff Reyes; Cover photographs by The Glenn A. Baker Archives).

For more information about the book, the author and the genre, visit http://www.simonreynolds.net/

Summer Reading: Please: Fiction Inspired by The Smiths

A friend of mine recently started doing a summer reading series (you can find that here, by the way) where she recommends books that she's enjoyed in the past, many of them dealing with Canadian politics. I liked the idea, so I figured I'd poach it and use it here. I'm going to try to write about each book I read until the beginning of September, regardless of whether I like it or not.

In the past few weeks, I've been tackling three books: Rip It Up and Start Again: Post-Punk 1978-1984 by Simon Reynolds, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner by Alan Sillitoe, and the one I'm writing about now, Please: Short Fiction Inspired By the Smiths. Two of these three are about music, but rest assured that I intend to tackle fiction, biographies and other reading material that doesn't have to do with bands or songs. Without further adieu, though, here are my thoughts on Please.

Why I chose to read the book:
I chose this one on an impulse. I'd been bored one evening, and so I drove to the local bookstore to browse titles. I'd already been reading two other books at the time, but when I saw this book, it looked obscure enough that if I were to leave it, I'd probably never find it again. It was only $15, so that was also an incentive.

My reasoning was also that the book would be fun regardless of its quality. Any Smiths fan will tell you that the band's music is great, but it's also very melodramatic. I thought that the authors writing these stories would either take the band's touching, witty and relatable lyrics and turn them into memorable stories, or else write fan-fiction so overwrought and strained that it would be a fun read on a cheesy level.

Who is important in these stories:
The book was edited by Peter Wild, and there are many authors featured, including Alison MacLeod, Willy Vlautin and David Gaffney, just to name a few. It's also important to know about the band that inspired the stories, too. Wikipedia can explain the subject much better than I can, and there are songs by the band embedded below for anyone who might want to hear them. For another factual biography, check out Alan Cross's audiobook The Alan Cross Guide to Alternative Rock Vol. 2, which is so good, I'll probably plug it again very soon.

What I liked about the book:
Despite my initial expectations, there was nothing in Please that veered into campy, overwrought drivel. This being fiction based on The Smiths, your opinion on whether the stories are too melodramatic will vary based on how much you like the band, but at the very least, the book never gets close to being as bad as it could be.

The best stories are the ones that take on their own unique narrative voices. Back to the Old House (by Graham Rae) is written A Clockwork Orange-style, with the narrator speaking in a thick Scottish (I think) accent spelled out phonetically on the page, making it pretty difficult to decipher. The story succeeds despite this and its familiar plot, largely because of the casual, reminiscent feel of it, like a guy retelling an anecdote in a bar.



Similarly, A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours (Peter Wild) has an ending that could be considered audacious, overblown, and even offensive to anyone who’s voted Tory in the last little while, but the fact that it’s told by a sycophantic, scheming campaign worker makes it too cartoonish and satirical to take seriously.



Oscillate Wildly (Alison MacLeod), meanwhile, reflects on the life of a man dying of cancer, surrounded by his family. I’m a sucker for these kinds of stories, so it may just be that the author perfectly pandered to people like me, but I found it to be pretty heart-warming.



I mentioned earlier that I’d been reading Sillitoe’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, and the plot of Sweet and Tender Hooligan (Charlie Williams) reminded me of it, if only because both involve working-class youths breaking into houses and having something crappy happen to them as a result. Hooligan works because it effectively conveys each of the emotions that its adolescent hero Bean experiences; the sickening regret of the misdeed he’s committed, his confusion in dealing with the world and with girls, and his need to fit in with the robbery’s mastermind, Joe.



There is a Light That Never Goes Out (Helen Walsh) ramps up the adult subject matter (stop reading this paragraph if you’re sensitive to this kind of thing; seriously, you’ve been warned). It reads like Boys Don’t Cry set in a gay brothel. Again, the narrator’s personality really improves the story, making it feel like a guided tour through the seedy underbelly of the sex-trade. It’s definitely one of the harder stories to read just for its subject matter alone (although parts of Some Girls are Bigger Than Others, by Jenn Ashworth, come pretty close), but it is one of the better stories in the collection.



Finally, there’s I Want the One I Can’t Have (Matt Beaumont), which pokes fun at the very idea of writing fiction based around the songs of a beloved band. The story never takes itself very seriously, so it contrasts well with other stories that feel like they’re trying too hard to be meaningful or profound.



What I didn't like:
Again, contrary to my predictions, there weren’t a lot of stories that were so bad and cheesy that they became fun to read because of their awfulness. If stories fell flat, it was either because they slogged on or were too boring or serious. As well, since a lot of this fiction was written out of the authors’ unique interpretations of the song, sometimes I found myself wondering what the stories had to do with the songs they were inspired by (the first story in the collection, Ask (Gina Ochsner), falls into this category, even though it’s a pretty good read). I'm not going to name names or get into individual stories I didn't like, but thankfully, nothing was bad enough to sink the collection or make me want to put the book down.



Who should read it:
Most of the stories themselves were pretty good overall, and anyone could get into them regardless of whether they like The Smiths. I think this kind of book works on two levels, where everyone can get something out of it, but some authors add in little Easter eggs that will definitely appeal to the band’s fans. I don’t know if I’d buy something like it again, but if you can find it at a local library (you can’t in Ottawa), it’s definitely something I’d recommend as light reading.

To conclude, here's "Some Girls are Bigger Than Others", by The Smiths.



(Photo Credits:
Cover design by Milan Bozic; Cover Photograph (C) Stephen Wright/Getty Images).

Polaris Prize: Reactions to the Shortlist.

Wednesday saw the announcement of the 2010 Polaris Music Prize shortlist. The award, now in its fifth year, gives $20,000 to the album voted by music bloggers, journalists and others to have the most "...artistic merit", according to a press release from the Prize's website. Past winners have included Owen Pallett, Patrick Watson, Caribou, and Fucked Up, and both Pallett and Caribou are up for the prize again this year. The winner will be announced at a gala event at the Masonic Temple in Toronto on September 20, and if things are anything like they've been in the past, said gala will feature performances from each of the nominated artists.

You can find the rest of the shortlist in this Exclaim! piece.

All the necessary details aside, the reason I'm so pumped up for these awards is that the Polaris Prize gives exposure to some of the best artists in Canada. Other major music awards here, like the Junos or the MMVAs, don't really take the time to represent independent artists outside of a small category or two. As a result, there's more of a focus on units sold than on the quality of music (which explains why Nickelback always clean up at those shows). The Polaris Prize has also acted as a good barometer for up-and-coming talent in the past; K-Naan was nominated for the prize in 2006 and again last year, before his song "Wavin' Flag" took off and was used to promote charitable aid to Haiti and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

As for my reaction to the shortlist, I can't say that I'm really shocked by any of the nominees. Like in the past, there's nothing here that I find polarizing; there are bands on here that I'm not really into, but I can still see the merit in them being nominated. I'm most happy to see that the Besnard Lakes, Broken Social Scene, and Owen Pallett are up for the award, but I'm definitely looking forward to hearing and revisiting some of the other nominees as the date draws closer.

While I wasn't shocked by who got nominated, I was a bit surprised at who got left out, specifically longlisters Zeus and Holy Fuck. Zeus's Say Us received warm reception when it was released earlier this year, and the fact that they've never been listed for the prize before would've brought more new blood into the mix. Previous nominees Holy Fuck's Latin also got pretty good reviews. Aggregator site Metacritic lists the album as having a score of 75/100, only two points less than Broken Social Scene's Forgiveness Rock Record, which made it onto the shortlist. It's not unfathomable that neither make the cut, but I'd expected that at least one of them would get on the list.

There are other issues to consider when thinking about who should've been put on the shortlist. One of the more noticeable ones is returning nominees. Last year's list included five previous nominees and one previous winner, and this year's list includes three previous nominees and two past winners. I know that the award is looking for the best album "...based solely on artistic merit", but considering the fact that Polaris is supposed to represent an alternative to other Canadian awards where the same group of artists clean up year after year, having repetitive shortlists would definitely be a problem. That's what makes the whole thing tricky; there needs to be a happy medium between representing newer artists and making sure the very best albums are nominated. Where that medium lies, I haven't a clue (Hell, my three favourites are either returning nominees or past winners). This year's list of nominees includes a variety of different genres (indie rock, baroque pop, bluegrass, rap, electronic, etc.), so it's still pretty inclusive, regardless of how many of them have been up for the award before.

So that's pretty much it for right now. I intend to write about the Prize again as the gala draws closer and after I've heard every album on the list. In the meantime, if you want to hear more from each of the nominees, a potential primer may be this week's CBC Radio 3 Podcast with Grant Lawrence, which is doing a special this week on the nominees. You can find that here. Otherwise, you can find a song from Dan Mangan, off of his shortlisted album Nice, Nice, Very Nice, embedded below.

FIRST! (Plus: Fifty Questions Answered)

It's taken a month, but I'm finally writing something here on this so-called "weblog", or 'blog' as the kids are calling it. I've been bouncing ideas around in my noggin for the last few weeks, but I'll probably just write about whatever strikes my fancy, so expect a lot of posts on what I'm reading, listening to, thinking about, watching, etc.
Right now, however, as a way of breaking the ice, I will answer fifty questions about myself. I got these from typing "50 Random Questions" into Google and then hitting the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button, so if these seem like I haven't pre-read the questions or haven't thought this through well enough, it's because I haven't, and I haven't.

Where were you three hours ago?
I think I was at my dad's office, waiting to help plant some flowers, but nothing came about from it, so I wound up going home.

Who are you in love with?
No one at the moment (My mind's open for changing, though, ladies ;).

Have you ever eaten a crayon
Thankfully, no.

Is there anything pink within 10 ft. of you?
There's a pink cup right in front of me, and a pink band button on the bookshelf behind me.

When is the last time you went to the mall?
Right after finishing my last exam this year. I bought the the complete series of the U.K. version of The Office, and a cordless razor. I'm going back tomorrow, though.

Are you wearing socks right now?
No.

When was the last time you drove out of town?
Two or three weeks ago when I went to our cottage with my parents.

Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
No. The last movie I went to was Gunless with Paul Gross a few weeks ago. It wasn't very good.

Are you hot?
Do I feel warm? Somewhat.
Am I attractive? That's subjective, really (which many will take as a "no").

What was the last thing you had to drink?
Orange juice.

What are you wearing right now?
Nothing but a leopard print thong (which is code for jeans and a t-shirt).

Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?
I spray-wash it at a car wash.

Last food that you ate?
A bowl of frozen yogurt.

Where were you at this time last week?
Pissing my time away on a computer, as usual.

Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
No, but I plan to tomorrow.

When is the last time you ran?
About two hours ago.

What's the last sporting event you watched?
Briefly watched: World Cup Soccer, England vs. Algeria
Watched the whole way through: Olympic speedskating with my family.

What is your favourite animal?
Used to be kangaroos; I have no idea what now. I'm a dog-person, so I'll say dogs.

Your dream vaction?
A trip to London, Cardiff, Glasgow, New York, Sydney, Vancouver (I've already been there, but still). Pretty much any big city that's far away from Ottawa.

Last person's house you were in?
Other than my own, I honestly don't know.

Worst injury you've ever had?
I broke my wrist when I was five. I can't remember much about it.

Have you been in love?
That depends on your definition ("WHAT IS LOVE? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more"). I've definitely had crushes on people and been infatuated, but nothing I'd really call "love".

Do you miss anyone right now?
Friends from university and high school that I haven't seen in a little while, be it because of geography, work, etc.

Last play you saw?
I may have seen something more recently, but the latest one I still remember was a high school production of A Chorus Line at Sacred Heart High School.

What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex?
Does a wing and a prayer count?

What are your plans tonight?
I don't have my car, so staying in and doing something.

Who is the last person you sent a Facebook message or comment?
A happy birthday message to someone I met at university.

Next trip you're going to take?
Might be going somewhere in late August, but at this point it's all speculation.

Ever go to camp?
Hockey camp (I didn't like it, if I remember correctly).

Were you an honour role student?
In high school, yes. No Dean's List last year, though.

What do you want to know about the future?
Am I happy? Have I learned anything? Am I successful? (Being a journlaism student, the answer to that last one will probably be a no).

Are you wearing perfume or cologne?
No.

Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?
Yes.

Where is your best friend?
I don't have a best friend, and I won't elaborate further.

Do you have a tan?
I'm as pale as a ghost.

What are you listening to right now?
My iPod just transitioned from "The Tenure Itch" by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart to "The Apocalypse Song" by St. Vincent.

Do you collect anything?
I'll take a band button or a pin whenever possible.

Who is the biggest gossiper you know?
Keith Black. No explanations, just him.

Last time you got pulled over?
I've got a streak going on this one (knock on wood), so never.

Have you ever drank your soda from a straw?
Who hasn't at some point?

What does your last text message say?
I'm pretty sure my phone's in my car, which is gone, so I don't have a clue.

Do you like hot sauce?
No.

Last time you took a shower?
Right after the run I mentioned earlier.

Do you need to do laundry?
Badly.

What is your heritage?
Mostly British, I think, but my maternal grandmother was Welsh. As a result, I know one word of Welsh, which is their word for "quiet." (My nana's catchphrase seemed to be "Let's have some eisht", which is probably misspelled, but I'm going on phonetics here).

Are you someone's best friend?
I'd have to ask, so based on that, I'd hazard a guess at no.

Are you rich?
My parents are fairly well off, middle class people. I, however, am not, and judging from the fact that I'm going into journalism, that will probably remain a fact for at least a little while.

What were you doing at 12AM last night?
I'd just gotten home from work, and was watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Where is the weirdest place you have a mole?
My left pinky. I know, I'm so boring.