Posts Tagged ‘Matt Flegel’

WOMEN – ” Rarities 2007-2010 “

Posted: February 25, 2021 in CLASSIC ALBUMS, MUSIC
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Originally accompanying Jagjaguwar’s tenth anniversary reissue of their 2010 final album ‘Public Strain’ but now getting a standalone release, this five-track EP gathers up rare material from art-rock outfit Women’s brief career between 2007 and 2010. Since the death of vocalist Chris Reimer in 2012 that effectively ended the band, members of Women have since gone on to form the bands Preoccupations and Cindy Lee.

On their debut self-titled album, Women embraced sonic brashness that deeper examination revealed to be tinted with sly pop melody. With the album “Public Strain” the band honed a sound truthful to that reverb drenched noise while allowing the pop sensibilities to surface into clearer focus. Patrick Flegel (vocals/guitar), Matt Flegel (bass/vocals), Chris Reimer (guitar/vocals), and Michael Wallace (drums) went into the studio with an abundance of ideas, working around conflicting schedules and graveyard shifts. With Chad VanGaalen again on production duties, the band laboriously crafted a timeless sounding recording over the dead of winter in Alberta, Canada. The result exploits their usage of harsh, grating dissonance in smaller and controlled doses, using noise as the foundation for richly structured, layered songwriting. Resting upon Matt Flegel’s plodding bass line, Patrick Flegel’s deadpan vocal delivery, and Chris Reimer on bowed guitars and cello, this moody, nocturnal ballad opens the album on a dark note 

A collection of rarities releasing in celebration of Public Strain’s 10th anniversary, courtesy of Jagjaguwar Recordings.

PREOCCUPATIONS – ” New Material “

Posted: January 1, 2019 in MUSIC
Tags: , , , , ,
0

No automatic alt text available.

Preoccupations, the post-punk band formerly known as Viet Cong, released the follow-up to their 2016 self-titled album.

And the circle is complete. Any Preoccupations fan will understand what these words mean, as the band’s latest album, New Material, completes a trilogy that began with Viet Cong (when they were known under that name) and continued with 2016’s self-titled album. Like the previous two, New Material is a dark, bleak, and trembling concept album that shakes the listener to the core.

The hypnotic “Antidote” is like a hallucinogenic, except this place is harrowing and mechanical. Front man Matt Flegel’s loopy and robotic vocals mirror his lyrics about the information overload that destroys and the narcissism that governs us. The eerie and trance-like “Doubt” addresses the notion of how we are followers to the world order. This act of obedience can only be interpreted as “Compliance”, which is a gruelling, industrial number.

Preoccupations, however, are masters of contrast to tell their stories. On “Disarray”, they offer a beacon of light into their darkness – at least musically. It all feels like a dream, but the story is a nightmare, as Flegel solemnly hollers, “Everything you’ve been told is a lie”. These lies are further accentuated on the gripping, stark, and emotional “Manipulation”. The roaring, Joy Division-esque “Espionage”, meanwhile, explains how the manipulation is ingrained into our psyche and morals. We are told we are valuable, which is true until we become expendable and don’t fit the norm. Still we strive for acceptance, as revealed on the mysterious and enchanting “Decompose”.

New Material is more than just an album. It is a psychological and sociological examination of recent history and the state of today’s world. Through different prisms and perspectives while playing on our deepest emotions, fears, and hopes, Preoccupations tell us things we need to hear before it’s too late. They seek to open our eyes before it’s all too late. There are very few bands who challenge people in so many ways, and Preoccupations are the gurus of this unique art.

The new record entitled, New Material, available March 23rd and is accompanied by the lead single ‘Espionage’.

Preoccupations are Matt Flegel (vocals/bass), Scott Munro (guitar/synth), Daniel Christiansen (guitar), and Mike Wallace (drums).

New Material is out now via Jagjaguwar and Flemish Eye.