OFF to Poland

A number of years back a festival was unleashed on the summer circuit, with a view to shaking the branches of those old festival oaks.  Some of them have been spewing out the same old family friendly line-ups for decades, to keep their Radio 1-loving audiences happy for too long.  It is essential for new and exciting festivals, offering challenging alternative music to emerge from the shadows every now and again.

Primavera Sound has catered for an alternative audience for a number of years, but the festival I’m referring to is Poland’s OFF Festival.  Since 2006 it has established itself as one of the foremost representatives of true alternative music (and its fans) on the summer festival circuit. It manages to attract exciting off-kilter bands who receive little or no exposure at bigger, hype-driven mainstream festivals. 

Situated in Katowice, south Poland, it was the brainchild of Artur Rojek, who created and now heads the festival. Any festival starting out has to rely on home-grown talent and OFF was no different in this regard, with line-ups largely comprised of Polish bands at the beginning.  Nowadays there are bands from all over the world, and importantly those from Poland’s very own pool of musical talent.  There is no sense of genre discrimination with everything from r 'n' b and hippy metal to folk and noise rock/pop.  Over time it has grown in stature, attracting bands such as Iggy and the Stooges, Swans, Thurston Moore, James Chance and the Contortions, The National, Primal Scream, Gang of Four, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mogwai and this year My Bloody Valentine and The Pop Group will appear alongside a list of other great bands, in another strong line-up.

Acts of this calibre help attract more attention for OFF! festival, and it is sure to expand in the coming years.  Hopefully it will stay true to its roots and continue distinguishing itself from its competitors.  And considering the standard of acts on offer, it is the best value-for-money ticket you could ever wish to buy, with 3-day tickets costing about £30. The Katowice air is sure to be thick with corruption come August 2, and I for one can’t wait to be a part of it.

For this year’s full line-up and more information about the festival, visit the festival site:

http://off-festival.pl/

Visit my facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/DarkandDirtySounds

By Garrett Hargan

Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork

Josh Homme said upon leaving Kyuss, he had an urge to create “sexier sounding music.”  This resulted in the birth of Queens of the Stone Age.  From that point he had a three album plan put in place;

Album 1. Create a new sound.

Album 2. Fan the music out by getting weird and sexy at the same time. 

Album 3. Refer to the first one and take it to places it’s never gone before. 

Judging by this 3-step hard rock manifesto, QOTSA’s sixth and newest album, Like Clockwork, should be taking us on a sexy time-travelling adventure, whilst still retaining their core sensibilities.

California’s very own, hip-shaking ginger Elvis (Homme) has always had an ear for a groove, creating danceable hard rock, with an eye to attracting a gender-inclusive fan base.  He grew up in the desert, in a competitive environment where bands, never dreaming they’d play to anyone outside their town, still strove to out-do each other by creating something better or different to the rest.  This attitude has stuck throughout his career; he keeps people guessing and tries to avoid repetition.  Both on Queen’s records, and the now revered desert sessions, which see Josh invite world-class musicians to the legendary Ranch de la Luna recording studio.  Once there, original songs are written on the spot, recorded in one take, never to be performed again. 

There seems to be something about the barren, sun-scorched landscape, which fuels creativity for its occupants (Arctic Monkeys being the latest group consumed by its mystique, having moved there after recording with Homme). Maybe copious amounts of tequila and the magical powers of mescal aid the process.  Either way, that magic seems to be sprinkled over this album.  Chugging bass lines, from Michael Schuman on Keeping Your Eyes Peeled, a prowling beast of a song, opens proceedings and loudly announces his first recorded contribution with the band, having joined during their last tour.

On the whole this album shares DNA strands more in common with songs like Auto Pilot and In the Fade from Rated R or Make It Wit Chu from last album, Era Vulgaris, than it does with their heavier artillery.  And for the first time, rather than dipping their toes, the band immerses itself in gentler songs.  For instance, Homme’s falsetto is put to good use on mid-tempo, I Sat by the Ocean (I sat by the ocean & drank a potion to erase you/Face down in the Boulevard, yet I couldn't face you.”) Followed by, If I Had a Tail, where Josh remains at his smoothest vocally.  And the sentimental piano-based track, Fairweather Friends, on which Elton John (yes, the same Elton John) guests, unveils Josh at his most vulnerable.

That’s not to say there aren't plenty of crashing cymbals and soaring guitars on show, which add depth to the already sinister vibes underpinning the album.  My God is the Sun is the hardest-hitting song on the album, unsurprisingly with Dave Grohl astride the drum-stool, doing his damnedest to bust through the skins.  Kalopsia utilises keyboards, in a song that has a fantastical quality, with Josh making full use of his vocal range.  There is the gentle side followed by the hard edge, and the music changes in time to suit each.  He sings in someone’s defence, lashing out against their detractors; “Oh why the long face?/You've got it all wrong/Forget the rat in the race/We'll choke chain them all.”

Smooth Sailing catches Josh and Co at their bravado fueled  balls out best with some funk added to the mix, as he sings about blowing his load “over the status quo”, and doing the damage “that needs gettin’ done”, showing he’s still wielding a sharp-edged blade.  It is all rounded off with album title-track, a tender song, and fitting way to end a their most emotionally-charged album to date.

QOTSA take a militant stance against blandness and repetition, continually pushing musical boundaries, whilst always delivering the grooves, because above all else, Homme and his mob of fun-time misfits want their audience to dance and have a good time.  Whereas past albums seemed to reluctantly include lighter moments, for the first time slower, melodic songs have taken centre stage, opening the door to endless possibilities for future albums.  And as we've come to expect from their nuanced sound, sparks and explosions are never far from earshot, this album being no exception, with some finely crafted desert rock shrapnel lodging itself in your ear drums throughout.

https://www.facebook.com/DarkandDirtySounds

By Garrett Hargan