Zer0

I'm aiming for the Zombie Journal of the Year award

I'll do my upmost best to avoid writing barely a few words, I'm interested in seeing how my writing style has evolved.

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Zer0

This is a Long Drive...

Music and long journeys go hand in hand. Listening to an album or playlist is ideal for passing the time, or to provide the soundtrack for the world rolling by. Here's some albums which provide a great soundtrack for a long journey by road.


Interestingly the title of this double album is derived from its running time, as was their 1997 E.P. 23:03. What the fuck does this sound like you might ask? It sounds like so many things. This album gives genre borders a right screwing over, it crosses so many styles it's impressive. Post-rock, midwest-emo, synthpop, dream pop, shoegaze, indie rock, ambient techno, The Cure (yes I'm including them here as a genre). Perhaps even New Order gone prog. This album is essentially a marketing nightmare, which is probably why it remained so obscure.

When visiting Poland two years ago I had this album on my phone, and it made for a fantastic soundtrack for travelling between cities by bus. The album never impacted me as much outside of that context, and perhaps some songs could be trimmed back somewhat. But something about the nature of this album and its long instrumental passages seems ideal for long journeys.



Unsurprisingly there are no deserts in Ireland. The nearest thing would be semi-desolate bogland found around parts of the middle of Ireland. But if I was to hit the road and go driving through a desert, with windows down and music blaring, this album would be the soundtrack.

The guitars have so much fuzz that it sounds like they are being played through malfunctioning amps fried by the sun. The album's sunburnt and psychedelic nature suggests to me desert as far as the eye can see, passing by eerie ghost towns, and the rusted shells of old cars. If I ever visit the American West and rent a car I will certainly keep this album in mind.



I could almost include Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon & Antarctica here as well. But this album seems to sprawl better than those two albums. Despite this album being less focused, and perhaps not quite as good as the other two albums mentioned, it sounds more suited to road-trips.

For me this album is perfect when you are not in any hurry to reach your destination. The music doesn't sound like it's in any hurry to reach any kind of end or conclusion itself. It takes all the time it needs to build up a particular mood or feeling, and changing it whenever it pleases. Not many bands could sprawl as effectively as Modest Mouse do here.

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Zer0

It's fascinating how much an album can grow on you after several years. It's almost like the meaning of the album and the emotions portrayed on the album become more pronounced after a long period of time. The first time I listened to Hospice by The Antlers was not long after its release towards the latter part of 2009. At the time I thought that it was nothing too special. A good album most definitely but it seemed like just another album release to me. During the latter half of 2009 I was listening to quite a lot of recent indie rock promoted by some of the more well known alternative music websites, but Hospice didn't particularly stand out from the crowd to me like the way it does now.

Perhaps albums with the deepest and most complex emotions running through them take more time to grow on you. Over time Hospice revealed itself to have emotion in bucketloads. Despair, hopelessness, heartbreak, frustration, anger, love and nostalgia all make a welcome appearance to the party. Losing a loved one, friend or relative to illness is something that most of us have probably been through or will eventually have to face. I have stumbled across very few albums which address death in the same manner as Hospice.

Musically this album consists of quiet-loud dynamics which work wonders in amplifying the emotional depth of the album. Songs veer from quiet and subdued moments of resignation to outbursts of despair and frustration. 'Sylvia' is the perfect example of this. 'Thirteen' features a haunting female vocal by an artist whom I have grown to love in recent years. I have this album to thank for introducing me to the wonderful Sharon Van Etten. As enjoyable as Burst Apart and Familiars were, they just lacked what makes Hospice so engaging. But even if The Antlers are only really remembered for Hospice twenty or thirty years down the road, I sincerely hope that this album is regarded as an 00's indie classic of sorts.

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Trollheart

I listened to that just the once. It was such an emotionally draining experience I fear to go back again. I had tears in my eyes and found it a little hard to breathe. Superb album. One day I will revisit it, when I feel stronger.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

Zer0

It didn't have that kind of effect on me the first couple of times I listened to it. It took repeated listens for me to fully appreciate how depressing it was. And yes it is an emotionally draining experience when you are in the mood for listening to it, there is little light to be found.

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Zer0

Zer0's Ten Year MusicBanter Anniversary Special!

On the 21st of September 2007 I was browsing the internet in college, and was looking to kill an hour or two between lectures. So I decided to join a music forum. Not just any old music forum, but MusicBanter! I guess my motivation at the time was to find some people with similar music tastes to myself, but also to discover new music. I was no stranger to online forums by the way, or even discussing music on online forums. But I wanted to join a music specific forum with users who knew their stuff, and there were quite a few members here who did.

2007 was the year that the iPhone was announced, and a lot has changed in the world since then. The overall appearance of MusicBanter has not changed much since I joined. A few extra sub-forums were created and the banner made smaller. But countless members have since come and gone. Some of them memorable for all the right reasons, and some for all the wrong reasons. Some unforgettable and legendary forum moments too.

Granted that I haven’t been a regular member in the past few years due to work and stuff, and have disappeared for long periods. But I always feel a draw to this place and I usually end up discovering something new to listen to. I probably have MB to thank for becoming a fan of the following artists – Porcupine Tree, Riverside, Flying Saucer Attack, Spacemen 3, Yo La Tengo, Brand New, Boards of Canada, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Carissa’s Wierd, Grimes, Stereolab, Swirlies, Lilys, Swans, Bat for Lashes, Unwound, Current 93, The Hotelier, Alcest, A Place to Bury Strangers, Bathory, Elliott Smith, Sweet Trip, Loop, Feist, Arab Strap, The Sound, Low, Eric’s Trip, Have a Nice Life, Talk Talk, Burial, Colleen Green, Cranes, Cat Power, Richard Hawley, Ufomammut, Acid Bath... and loads, loads more, either directly or indirectly.

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