Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Beauty, Brilliance and Bitterness

As a committed reader of TBM (and yes, we do have them) rightly noticed we have been doing a little programming recently! I realise that sounds rather technical and all, so I must admit it was nothing special; more a cut and paste job of some existing code, but it looks nice nonetheless. Anyways if you glance across to your right you'll see some rather cryptic links to sites that I personally find interesting and I hope you will too, Dear Readers. Right, on with discussion of the titular themes of this post...

Now, I'm fully aware that naming a record as 'beautiful' may well come across as slightly absurd, since it's not usually a word us humans attatch to inanimate objects. However, in this instance I'm going to keep the word as I think it describes perfectly a favourite record of mine that I've recently rediscovered: Crowded House's Together Alone. From the combination of pedal steel and acoustic guitars that begin album opener 'Kare Kare' (written about the beach that recording sessions for the album backed on to), through to the engaging, personal nature of closing track 'Together Alone' - complete with Aboriginal chant and tribal drums - its the kind of album that really draws you in and positions you as though your sat there with Neil and the guys as they take you on this wonderous journey of perfectly-written and pitched MOR rock. However, the associations of 'MOR' seemingly degrade this record, since Matchbox 20 this isn't. For starters, it's dark in places: 'Private Universe' and 'Walking on the Spot' dealing with the need to be alone and the break-up of a relationship respectively. And whilst 'Black and White Boy' allows the band to show off their rock credentials, 'Distant Sun' remains, in my opinion at least, one of the greatest songs written (NB: There's a funny story involving this song and myself from my Uni days. If anyone wants to know more then drop me an email).

Whilst the brilliance I mention above could be applied to the aforementioned record, it is instead reserved for discussion of Mark Gatiss' excellent contribution to Who on Saturday, The Idiot's Lantern. I've stuck my neck out a few times since its transmission and labelled it the best episode since they brought the whole programme back, and the reasons for this shall be explained momentarily. It was, however, without doubt the best episode since The Parting of the Ways. So what made it so good? Firstly, the story was expertly pitched, plotted and written. It felt as though it had crammed a lot, but not too much, in to its forty-five minutes. The main thread involving 'The Wire' (Maureen Lipman providing one of those pitch-perfect guest roles where they don't overplay it (a la Mr Lumic) and treat it seriously), an adversary perfectly suited to both the historical setting and the medium of television itself, was excellent since it not only involved both The Doctor and Rose, but allowed both of the characters to do what they do best, and allowed Tennant to do something more than act a bit smug for the whole episode. This was supported by the thread involving the break-up of a family home, exposing the darker side that runs beneath that idealised, nostalgic view of the 1950s remembered by films like Grease and such programmes as Coronation Street. Moreover, this thread allowed for a nice character moment from Rose at the end, telling the lad to go after his father. Additionally, Euros Lyn's direction was superb, accentuating the oppresive feel of the 'family' home. Oh, and nice links to The Ring and King Kong in solving the problems.

Finally, and I do realise this post has gone a bit, the bitterness I mention is in relation to Keane's rather fab new single, Is It Any Wonder? In short, I didn't realise they had it in them! On the evidence of their debut album, Hopes and Fears, and the appearance of the guys in interviews, they come across as the kind of band who are great at writing reflective ballads that ascend above the usual crop of their peers (Embrace, and The (dreadful) Feeling, for instance), but this newie shows us there's another dimension to them. Bit like when you listen to The Bends and realise Radiohead can one minute offer something as wondeful as 'Fake Plastic Trees', and then in the next breath snarl at you with the power of 'Just'. All in all an intriguing, and impressive, return.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Happy Birthday, Bronze Medal!

OK, so this is a couple of days late, but it's time that we wished this haven of all things Indie, Tea and Time Lord its first happy birthday. Yes, Dear Readers, it was one year ago on Tuesday that The Bronze Medal took its first steps into the world with a post called 'An Unearthly Child'. At that point, I was unsure how long things would last but we've made it a year! We're now about 8th on Google if you search under the terms "Bronze Medal", "Idlewild" and "Cyber Control" (look, I was bored one night) and have reached that age when we can take our first steps in to the world, and begin rejecting our inheritance of Gormenghast (mental note: stop making jokes that only you, and about two other people, understand). Anyways, if you'd like to leave any wishes of good luck for the future of this glorious refuge from the world, they'll be much appreciated.

It seems only right that on our birthday, we take a look back at some of the things we've learnt over the past year. Firstly, it suddenly struck me yesterday that paying for black bin bags is actually just throwing money away. Why can't they be free? If you stop and think about it, it's probably the most pointless use of money ever! Also, something I strongly believe, and can account for from personal experience, is that call centres do not work, to either the people working in them or the people having to speak to someone within one. On the side of the worker (sounds a bit socialist, eh?!?), people don't like to be reduced to statistics. It may be wonderful to be able to pour out such statements as how many times you pressed delete over the past week and train you on typing, but it makes you feel as though you are constantly being watched. And that's what is happening. It's quite alarming to suddenly be asked one day why you disappeared for eight minutes the previous day, and somehow you feel a bit embarassed admiting you couldn't deal with it anymore. So in short, they don't just reduce you to a statistic but they invade on your privacy as well. One of the main things that distinguishes humans from the other wonderful species on this planet is our ability for compassion, understanding and tolerance. Unfortunaltely call centres erode this. Moreover, for the person calling, the fact you end up talking to someone who has just completed three weeks of intensive training means that no-one really knows what they're talking about. They're simply reading from a pre-prepared script that erodes individuality. Finally, due to the pressures placed on the people working inside them, you end up having to deal with people as quickly as possible, thus reducing all interaction to a transaction. Thus, look up 'dehumanising' in the dictionary and you should see 'call centres' listed there.

I've also become increasingly fascinated by the subject of time and temporal theory over the last year or so, to the extent that a friend remarks that I'm the only person they know who uses the phrase "space-time continuum" continually and in a serious manner. I just think it's such a fascinating thing though. To think that at any moment in the above-stated continuum you have the ability to mould that into what it is, the fact that this abstract thing can at times move so quickly and yet move so slowly at others, and that you're the only person experiencing time in that way at that moment. It's truly fascinating.

Personally though, its nice to be at this point in time. There are certainly some things to look forward to in the future, not least the fact that I appear to be reaching my career goal. Suppose I should make it public that for the next three years I'll be living in Cardiff, undertaking my PhD and teaching first-year undergraduates in my old department. That's actually quite scary when you stop and think about it as its one hell of a responsibility, but I'm quite happy to think I'm gonna have another three years in the Bute. In fact, a big cheesy grin has just come over my face.

Finally though, I want to thank everybody who reads this for reading it. Your support and enthusiasm is very much appreciated and keeps the thing going. Oh, and a very Happy Birthday to Mr. Edward Easton for the forthcoming weekend.

Cyber Control's Top 5 Records to Celebrate Our First Birthday:

The Young Knives - She's Attracted To
The Zutons - Pressure Point
People in Planes - Narcoleptic
Maximo Park - Going Missing
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars

Friday, May 19, 2006

Capturing the Market

The Rakes, Cardiff University Solus - 11/05/06

There is, to all intents and purposes, a golden rule to playing live: you open with an anthem, play another one mid-way through your main set, and finish it all with another. On tonight's evidence, The Rakes have learnt this golden rule, opening with the 90-second ode to status anxiety, 22 Grand Job, dropping anomie-toned, O.C.-featured, chant Retreat mid-way through and finishing it all off with the punk rock (and FIFA 2006-used) Strasbourg. This implies a key point about The Rakes though: how far they've come in the past twelve months. About this time last year they played to a mildly enthusiastic Barfly crowd as part of Xfm's (sadly failed) experiments with this fair city. Since then they've troubled the chart three times, and managed to whore themselves out to various student-friendly licencing opportunities. Not that this means they've sold-out. Oh no, The Rakes have grown into something more confident and popular, whilst maintaining that dirty, distorted energy that so many bands seem to leave behind in the equally dirty, grimy toilets of the indie club circuit.

Whilst The Rakes seem to anchor their set in 'classic gig' way, they seem to have (thankfully) ignored the usual consequence of 'classic gig' formula: that things have a tendency to drop between these high-points. This is because the band are relentless. Everything is played at breakneck speed, so that the crowd is constantly pogoing around for their lives, even to the more reflective tracks like Binary Love and We are all Animals and the new stuff that no-one really knows. And whilst those not at the front are furiously jumping around as their lives depended on it, those sandwiched into the railings at the front are doing their utmost to immitate Alan's trademark dance moves.

If you asked me to remember the set-list, I couldn't. It was that good that all of the songs seemed to bleed into each other, although I remember being pleased when they played (personal favourite) Violent. There also has to be a passing comment on the rather ace support from The Young Knives, apart from all I can remember about them now is that recent MTV2-friendly sngle Here Comes the Rumour Mill is just as good live as on record, and that the singer looks like Mark from Peep Show with longer hair.

So then, ladies and gentlemen, The Rakes have grown in stature and status and, on tonight's evidence at least, cornered the ears of the current batch of undergraduates around the country. If they could quickly write a song about the lecturer strike, they could well have a number one on their hands, but then again, they're a bit too cool for that. Even if I still maintain their guitarist looks like (the genial) Stan Cullimore from The Housemartins...

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

The Magic Number

"No more. No less. It's the magic number"

What number am I talking of, dear reader? Why, that'd be three of course! Immortalised as having magic powers by De La Soul (and, I think, some form of hippy band in the 60s or 70s before that), influential in the naming of this website, and now the number of BAFTA awards the Good Time Lord picked up at the weekend. I'm ecstatic, quite frankly! Over a year ago, before Rose was transmitted, and I was a nervous mix of hope and fear for it all, I said that what I really wanted was for us to get recognised in some form, and if that could be a BAFTA that'd be ace. There it was, a silly pipe dream that I thought was never possible. Now, twelve months down the line, we didn't just get one! Oh no, we got three of the things: one from the industry for being ace, one from the viewers for being ace, and one for having the best writer in television attatched as Executive Producer (my close pal RTD, I doubt he remembers me, but he probably remembers the hat). So there we have it! Industry and viewers on our side! Enjoy it whilst it lasts, as I'm sure that somewhere someone is viewing it as further evidence of the debasement of culture (a sci-fi show, the best thing on television? But where is the single play? I can hear them now...) and sharpening up the knives for some form of backlash. However, for now at least, the offices of BBC Wales have something that designates Who as the bestest thing on telly, and it makes me proud.

Dunno if I'm going to get the chance to write again before Saturday, so if I don't just a quick note that the Cybermen are back this weekend! Apart from the fact their not from Mondas! Nor are they from Telos! They're from an 'alternate Earth', and they're the devious creation of Trigger from Only Fools and Horses! Who sits in a wheelchair! No, in all seriousness I'm glad they've turned their back on the whole backstory/continuity thing, or else we'd have ended up with something akin to Attack: all geeky sub-references that only mean anything to those three people in the audience who were/are that bothered about the history of the Cyber Race. Quite frankly, all you need to know is that they're big, they're metal, they're very rational and they basically take the idea of replacing malfunctioning human organs with replacements to the extreme. Oh and they should utter the immortal phrase of "Yes, Leader".

Aside from that, little to report of any consequence at the moment. Just plodding along with life and writing things, clutching the new Snow Patrol quite closely as it's very good. A bit floaty in places, but a real grower that contains four or five set piece songs that deserve to be heard.

Cyber Control's Top 5 to Take Your Mind Off the Return of the Cybermen:

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Panic! At the Disco - The Only Difference Between Suicide and Martyrdom is Press Coverage
Snow Patrol - Make This Go On Forever
Idlewild - Satan Polaroid
Snow Patrol & Martha Wainwright - Set the Fire to the Third Bar

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Patrolling the Airwaves

Snow Patrol, Cardiff University Great Hall - 03/05/06

Not so many years ago Coldplay seemed to corner the market in indie balladeering, and grew to become one of the biggest bands in the world. Now with the welcome news (last album notwithstanding) that Mr. Martin is taking his over-infalted ego off somewhere for a few years, if there's any justice in this world Snow Patrol should amicably fill that gap in the market. They've made one hell of a new album in Eyes Open and in singer Gary Lightbody they have someone to match Martin in morals but completely overshadow him in that important area of personality. He jumps on to the stage with such an enthusiasm and energy before even playing a song that its hard not to get behind him, and he's down to earth. This band have had to work hard to get here and so appear genuinely grateful for their chance, something Gary makes clear tonight before launching in to the wonderful An Olive Grove Facing the Sea (also known as the kind of heartbreaking ballad they've always written but didn't get the promotion at the time).

Tonight's show is perfectly pitched between Snow Patrol's two successful albums: 2003's Final Straw and newie. They mix up the two at will so that a favourite is always around the corner, and this is seen in the opening few exchanges, as Chocloate and Spitting Games are played energetically at the beginning of the set to get the crowd firmly on their side. After that, it's a nice mix of the familiar and not-so familiar, with new tracks Hands Open and Shut Your Eyes sounding like they'll occupy iPod's for the next few months. The obvious highlight of the new stuff though has to be the beautiful Chasing Cars. If Colin Murray reviewed Run as 'the kind of music that children should be concieved to', then surely Chasing Cars goes one better. Its quite possibly the most simple, honest love song this genre has produced, certainly in the last few years. Elsewhere How to Be Dead remains a firm crowd pleaser, and new track Make This Go On Forever adds an interesting, piano-led change to proceedings.

They could have left it with just the main set and it would have been amazing, finishing as they did with the aforementioned Run and current Top 10 troubling anthem You're All I Have (possibly the best end to a set that's come from the current outcrop of young, Indie bands?), but a touching Open Your Eyes and a hectic Tiny Little Fractures meant that the crowd went home with both their eyes, and their hearts, open to the new kings of all things introspective and emotional. A warm welcome back.

Monday, May 01, 2006

New New Bronze Medal

And so we return!

Hello once more, Dear Readers! Fear not, we are still in residence here, just that things have been rather hectic what with the amount of work that has not decreased since the last time we met. I wouldn't mind if I'd done absolutely nothing, but I've worked and worked and worked on things and seem to be getting nowhere. It's just NOT coming together, and thats annoying! It seems either I'm really not getting things, or I'm making things far too hard for myself, or a mixture of both! Eitherways its not particularly good.

I expect you're all dying to hear my opinions on the New Who (or should that be the New New Who?!?), and I hope the following comments on New Earth will provide an introduction. I was planning a big review of each episode, with full analysis and such, but at the minute I haven't got the time or energy to do so. So I duly apologise for that, and can only offer to improve as time progresses onwards. In summary though, I have been exceptionally impressed with all three episodes so far: Tennant and Billie are firing on all cylinders, the stories are fantastic and more ambitious than last year. I can only speculate about how far the series will go because, as we know from last year, they just got bigger and bigger as the season went on! The special effects have been great by and large, a few of the more ambitous effects still look a little unbelievable, but it's still the most unique thing on TV in my opinion. Let's just hope it gets that BAFTA when the time comes...

There are things I wanna talk about, as they may help me calm down and take them in, but I can't at the moment as I don't wanna tempt fate and blow them. Suffice to say that they're the reason why I seem a strange mixture of happiness and nervous adrenalin at the moment though.

New Earth

An ambitous, well-realised, if rather busy beginning to the new series. In short, they tried to do too much in the one episode. What with the hospital itself, Cassandra, the Plague Carriers, the Face of Boe and the Cat Nurses there was just a little too much going on, and it was only after the second viewing that I managed to take it all in. The problem was that a lot of the main narrative thread - the horror of the Plague Carriers and their subsequent release - was lost as it came too late on and wasn't fully realised. Not that it was badly directed, quite the contrary, just came and went too quickly.

The humour was there though! I couldn't stop laughing at the ongoing joke about the shop! And I liked the bits with the lift and disinfectant as well. The constant swapping of Cassandra into various bodies got a little tedious after some initial funny exchanges (I'm thinking of when she first transferred into The Doctor's body especially), but was, in the end, essential to her realising what had to be done. The Face of Boe stuff was 'text-book enigmatic', and sets things up nicely for their next encounter. All in all a solid, if busy, start to the season, and a great place to lift off from!