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So along comes LIFE AFTER THE DICTATORS…an album of ten songs, six of which I’ve finally got round to uploading. They started life as, well, short stories really. I tend to work and rework the words to songs until they make sense to me, if nobody else. The words come with snatches of melody that build up & up and solidify as I write. Then I find some musicians and say: “play this then, mate”. For some time before we hit a studio to record the songs, I’d been pulled back more and more to the late sixties, early seventies and the simplicity of the music that was around then. Let’s say, I love Radiohead or (sometimes) Coldplay because they impress me - so clever and accomplished - but for delight, I’d find myself wandering back to Blood On The Tracks, or Let It Bleed, or Transformer and so on. You get the picture. So simplicity was the order of the day. To this end I decided - NO KEYBOARDS - only acoustic, electric and bass guitars, and drums and percussion. I also wanted to make the songs all slightly different, each one nodding towards a different genre. Finally, because exasperating musicians is real fun, there was to be no editing of the music tracks, no pro-tools wizardry. One bite of the cake, guys. Of course I allowed the vocals to be tracked up till I sounded like a male voice choir, but life isn’t fair like that, is it? So JUST A MOMENT is mean and moody. Started life with the name ‘Calling Mr Cynical’. This guy has been around the block a few times and is just at the point of jumping off. Sitting on the dock of the bay, doing a little whistling. BURNING ALL YOUR SOUVINERS is about making the jump. Being lucky enough to have someone’s hand to hold. Deep dark velvet really does remind me of…? LIFE AFTER THE DICTATORS, well, Iraq and all that stuff. What is it about Dictators? Can’t live with them, fall apart without them. Why do we need to be told what to do? I may also be speaking about the beloved here too. SIGNS is an out&out rocker. Created with more than half an eye towards playing live. Because you can never really tell when somebody wants something you want too. POST MORTAL is a dark song about a suicide pact. It came from a story I read in a newspaper about a guy who convinced his girl to suicide with him. I tried to imagine what was going on there. The song turned out to be bigger than me. SOMEONE ELSE is the final song on the album. A bluesy number. Over the top. Like the guy who sings it, although HE disappeared without a trace a long time ago. I’ve come to the conclusion that these songs are best listened to when under the influence of a huge quantity of alcohol. Well, that’s how the songs were written. And I believe this to be true of all music to tell truth. Chris
Influences
Velvet Underground. Lou Reed. Rolling Stones. Joy Division. New Order. Elvis Costello. Ian Dury. Radiohead. The Clash. Joe Strummer. The Pistols. Television. Pink Floyd. Suede. The Pixies. Ramones. John Cale. Brian Eno. Peter Gabriel. Blur. Bobby Dylan. David Bowie. Loudon, Rufus & Martha Wainwright. Ry Cooder. Johnny Cash. Bob Marley. UB40. REM. The Pretenders. White Stripes. The Stranglers. Talking Heads. Stiff Little Fingers. Van Morrison. Dr John. Nick Lowe (who wouldn't have me as a friend, but never mind). Miles Davis. Otis Redding. Sam Cooke. Squeeze. James. Paul Simon. Kate Bush. The Eagles. Joni Mitchell. David Byrne. Roxy Music. The Cure. Patti Smith. Thomas Dolby. Echo & The Bunnymen. The Housemartins. Tom Waits. Leonard Cohen. The Pogues. Neil Young. Stevie Wonder. Portishead. Pulp. Iggy & the Stooges. Iggy on his own. Sparklehorse. The Waterboys. Santana. Prefab Sprout. Divine Comedy. Lyle Lovett. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Lambchop. KD Laing. Jonathan Richmond & the Lovers. Dusty Springfield. Joni Mitchell. The Pretenders. Brian Wilson. The Beach Boys. Bruce Springsteen. Pink Floyd. Tom Waits. The Walker Brother. Scott Walker. The Wailers. Miles Davis. Portishead. The Smiths. Orbital. Underworld. The Kinks. Richard Thompson, Blondie. Leonard Cohen. Amongst others.
Sounds Like
Zombies in drag singing drunken lullabies to cut-throat orphans. On a Wednesday afternoon. In autumn.
CHRISTOPHER STRAVENER: Post-mortal renegade & DNA pirate. Exists primarily outside, or on the edges of, Abstraction. One time associate of the notorious ‘innocence vampires’ thought to be responsible for the Blue Pill Anxiety crisis at the turn of the century. Peddler of crypto-remorse, therefore highly dangerous. Known aliases: Blue Eyed Thug and Psycho In Rags. Avoid. But enough of him...the musicians who played on LIFE AFTER THE DICTATORS were: Anni Firmin who wrote the songs with me. She also play acoustic, electric and bass guitars. Kester Holding and Mark Marcu played electric guitar. Mark Kent played electric and bass guitars. Mick Parker played drums and percussion. It was recorded at Parafanalia by Yinka and Stone. Neil Pickles recorded additional vocals, mixed and mastered the album at Estudio El Bano, London. Tony English at Slowglass designed the sleeve and artwork. Thankyou my friends. Chris.
Thanks for being our new friend! As our thank you / Christmas present to you, we want you to have our new album absolutely free!! We know, it's crazy! Just go to our mypsace page and click on the NoiseTrade widget!! Hurry before the eggnog wears off.
Thanks and Happy Holidays, D, Mitch, Jeff and Jake
Thanks for being a friend. May you have a Happy, Healthy, Warm and Safe Holiday Season and the new year brings you success. May all the hungry get food and warmth. Global respectabillity for all of humanity and world peace. Stay cool my friend! Respectfully, Buddy Lee Lewis
The fairy heard a whisper From across the tidal wave. The elf was at his beginning, A new feeling of not winning, Not knowing and knot spinning, Letting go of the inner, elfish slave.
Filled with sadness and confusion, Letting go of all illusion, Peuking, Feeling, Crying, Reeling, Alone among the crowds Tempted by all the twisted, patient, demon louds Enjoying the twitchy comfort Of all the ancient, numbed out feelings.
He was at a moment of decision With a mind of no precision Hungry, angry, tired and lonely Missing the unbalance In the balance of his mindless, horseless pony.
The fairy walked his mind To his early, painful time When he mourned insanity And all his twisted, manik rhymes.
Once upon a time, When his disease was at its’ full The fairy castle burned itself To the ground with no control.
The fairy wallowed in his pain. The fairy didn’t know. He thought he had lost his “everything.” Depression ruled his world. He couldn’t write. He couldn’t draw. He couldn’t even sing. He couldn’t do “any fucking thing!” He thought his world was at an end Until he met a clean and healthy friend.
The magik of your word is from deep inside your soul. The truest musik comes from deep inside your heart. The tool to use today comes from the absolute of no control. Guitars and drums are merely tools to make your magik start.
Your brain is tired. Your body aches. The musik isn’t gone. Your musik is in a lullaby of sleep. Make no mistake! It will awake with strength to be your morning song.
The tools we use will come and go. Earth mother watches everyday. She knows. The elf will heal and grin and smile For a long lasting, little while. The pain you wear will fade away As your clean will metamorphosise your day.
Be patient little elf of mine. Rebirth is not an easy task. The healing magik takes Its’ “sweet, painful time!”
Vous pouvez maintenant nous soutenir et soutenir notre musique en achetant en ligne le E.P "FIRST STEP TO THE NEW FLESH" sur différents sites et ce, grâce à Still Alive Records.
Merci beaucoup à Still Alive Records et à notre ami Yvan (Vigilante).
Last but not least: merci à vous tous qui appréciez notre musique et qui nous permettez de vivre de bien belles expériences.
You can now support us and support our music by purchasing the online EP "FIRST STEP TO THE NEW FLESH" on different sites, thanks to Still Alive Records.
Thanks to Still Alive Records and to our friend Yvan (Vigilante).
Last but not least: thank you all who enjoy our music and let us live some won
Online Now!
