Land of Kush, Against the Day (Constellation Records)

[Guy Ian Scott Pursey]

I think Rich has hit it head-on here.

There are so many genres and types of sound out now, I'm also convinced
this griping for another revolution ("punk" or otherwise") is merely
born out of the fatigue and ennui that all this relativism generates.

Some thoughts: Certain people are waiting for something hugely different
to kick everything else out the way - but of course as soon as it
becomes popular, these people lose all respect for it because, of
course, nothing's really changed - not in the way people really want it
too... And they go looking for yet more underground stuff.

If music needs a jolt at all, it can only be as a move away from product
and fashion and, ultimately, music as signifier. There's "fresh" stuff
coming out all the time, that's what powers the machine - perhaps what's
needed is a look at the machine itself. Acknowledging the fact that it
is a machine might be a start...

I haven't heard all of Against The Day - for what it's worth I liked the
bits I have heard - but I have always admired Constellation Records and
their efforts in this respect. Their manifesto (sadly, no longer online)
outlined all the ways in which they were disappointed with music and its
industry. It didn't propose any definitive solutions but it seemed
implicit throughout that the ideas of community and craft were going to
be central; that face-to-face contact and discussion were going to trump
sweeping platitudes in their efforts to achieve something, even if
primitivist and small-scale.

Instead, they left the grandiose and the sweeping to their music, which
at its best is tragic, epic and exhilirating, both on record and live.
The live shows of Silver Mt. Zion and Do Make Say Think alternate
between their songs/pieces and friendly banter between band and
audience; a breaking down of rock-pretence, stage-worship etc. Lofty
music made by down-to-earth people - whereas archetypal so-called "punk"
has always been the other way round, hasn't it?

When they do produce music commodities, they're usually beautiful and
hand-crafted to some extent. More reasons to buy rather than simply
download their products...

Guy



-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
Behalf Of rich
Sent: 05 February 2009 18:46
To: central.oklahoma.mensa at gmail.com
Cc: against.the.dave at gmail.com; pynchon -l
Subject: Re: Land of Kush, Against the Day (Constellation Records)

I think any new injection of a new form of popular music has that
initial jolt of wow--punk for all its valid critique of the excesses
and distance of say prog became a joke rather quickly, at least in the
public sphere--it became so much more than music and more of an
affectation--fashion for instance or that inevitable 'being real' or
authentic. (not to deny that there were some positive influences by
such a spreading); Johnny Rotten ridiculed the punk fashion herd
mentality; Richard Hell was bemused by all the people (intellectuals,
rich brats, usw) who worshipped them because they were thought of as
authentic and street-wise.

rich



On 2/5/09, central.oklahoma.mensa at gmail.com
<central.oklahoma.mensa at gmail.com> wrote:
> Certainly there's enough of all kinds of music out there now, maybe
what
> dave and I would like to hear is something other than shit on the
radio. It
> does feel wonderful to know that millions of people are hearing and
enjoying
> something relevant all at once.
> I'm a youngster, here, so educate me. Was punk really a popular
musical
> revolution or just a particulalry loud and inflated cult scene?
> -d
>
> will this work?
>