Darren Kaskie: one member of crushing rock terrorists The Death Of Her Money. Darren Kaskie: also in once a year, drink the bar dry, experiment in audience alienation Booze. Darren Kaskie: freeform end of year rambler. Happy new year.
www.myspace.com/thedeathofhermoney
======================
2010, hmmmm…..2010 has been a pretty shitty year for me. Don’t get me wrong, nothing happened that was really really bad, but it was probably because nothing much happened at all, nothing that excited me as much as in previous years. Probably my own fault for being disorganised and lazy. Am I changing? I seem to have missed a lot, what the fuck is going on with me? I’ve been listening to the same old records I’ve already heard over and over again, I’ve even got into Neil Young in a big way in the last few weeks. Shouldn’t I be searching for newer fresher artists? I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing or not actually, though I have been very much digging the new Wolf People album “Steeple”, even that sounds like it was recorded in 1972.
Still, there is Burzum’s album “Belus” that has truly made my 2010 more tolerable, maybe only because it makes me fantasise about apocalypse in the form of giant scum-eating pterodactyls ripping open the flesh of Newport’s hideous, uneducationable, “socks over the trackies” yobs who are always needing the public telephone but have never got any change or anything to offer the general public in return for their pathetic demands.
Then there’s my good South Walian pals Taint who have now split up, (see, 2010 has really sucked); they released the amazing “All Bees To The Sea” E.P.
That E.P. is so crushing, hypnotic and still refreshing that they were probably being clever ending the band on that sort of high. Life direction differences my ARSE!
Earth’s early recordings from the “Extra Capsular Extraction” and “Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars” releases were compiled onto one disc named “A Bureaucratic Desire For Extra Capsular Extraction”. Does that count as a new release? Well it’s seriously good anyway.
Laura Marling’s album has been played a few times in my car to which I have a habit of trying to copy her line “Until they C—OME” on the opening track “Devil’s Spoke” in her tone. There’s The Roots’ new record “How I Got Over” that’s really starting to grow on me thanks to my lovely ghetto girlfriend.
That’s all I can think of from 2010 though. Don’t get me wrong I have discovered a lot of new music that has been around for years so I haven’t been completely hidden under a rock but I know for a fact that I am missing a lot of records from 2010 here so if anyone wants to be kind and recommend them to me then please feel free.
Away from my home listening the biggest highlight of 2010 for me was at the Matt Groening ATP weekender. I went along not knowing much of the line up and came away totally overwhelmed by how good everything was. Having gone to ATP the year before which just so happened to have my dream line up I wasn’t convinced that this could be better or equal to it for that matter.
Well, it was better in the way that it was totally inspiring and enchanting – there was Joanna Newsom, The Residents, Iggy, Spiritualized, Juana Molina, Toumani Diabate and loads more, it was great!
Other than ATP, Taint’s split up spawned (obviously) a last gig at Swansea’s Sin City that turned out to be the most mosh tastic, crowd surfing fun I’ve had at a gig since I was 17, a brilliant way to bow out.
For 2011, predictions?…..hmmm.. There’s my own band The Death Of Her Money who have our second album “You Are Loved” coming out in the UK (it’s already been released in Europe via Russian label Slow Burn Records) that I’m predicting to become a huge success in Japan, Canada and Cardiff, pfft.
Other records I will be looking out for will be our friends from London Art Of Burning Water (also their second record) that will most probably have daft song titles but also amazing riffs pumped out with intense intent and harsh, head battering tech-rock.
Radiohead will be bringing a new one out, they haven’t released a bad album yet so I cannot see this next one being poo, Aphex Twin I have heard has something coming out, I’m straight onto that if he does, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Deerhoof, Mogwai all have new records in 2011 too so it’s shaping up to be an excellent beginning to teenies.
Overall, in 2011 I for one will be making a lot more effort to keep on track with what’s new and pledge to go to more gigs. I cannot wait for Earth to play in Cardiff in April, and am hoping to get to one of the ATPs too, *note to self* seriously don’t forget to buy a ticket for Mogwai in Feb too, they are incredible live.
Other than music I am looking forward to finally settling in to the David Cameron (or David Cameraman as my nan calls him) era of betrayal, even more inflation, VAT increase and a general kick them while they’re down attitude to the working class, but then what the hell is new when it comes to politics.
Anyway, remember to ignore all that, to party and to have as much fun as your poor body can possible handle, practice safe sex as we don’t want anymore of us on this planet, to turn the tap off while you brush your teeth, use your car less to save your pocket as well as the planet and to come up to me and say “hello, your 2010 review was rubbish”.
Have a great 2011 people.
