The Dead C
The Dead C
Anyone like them, and anyone have recommendations?
Re: The Dead C
Yeah like them although can't say I've heard a massive amount of their stuff. My favourites that I've heard are White House, Harsh 70s Reality and the most recent one Patience.
Re: The Dead C
Growing up in NZ with an early interest in experimental music, Dead C and offshoots were an undeniable influence. I'm not a completist, but have most of their stuff - contrary to most, I find Harsh 70's Reality overlong and oppressive. Favourites of mine are the live record Clyma Est Mort (recorded in small-town NZ working men's clubs, presumably indifferent at best, at worst, hostile audiences) and the flying nun/xpressway release Eusa Kills, with its killer cover version of T-Rex's 'children of the revolution'.
Michael Morley's solo work as Gate I tend to hold in even higher regard, particularly the one one he was touring when I first caught him live, 'The Dew Line' (Table of the Elements), which is a mournful and murky batch of songs that I think perfectly sums up the feeling of living in this country. Also worth mention is 'Lounge' which is a guitar-heavy duet with Dave Merritt.. hard to describe; yeh it's noisy, anti-aesthetic but, like the Dead C, perfectly so. There's a certain seriousness and level of intent behind Gate and the Dead C that lends gravitas to the apparent ineptitude of the playing... as I hear it anyway. Having said that, however, the few times I've seen them play (most recently at the Lines of Flight festival held back in March) I can't hear that their sound has shifted or developed in any way over the 20+ years they've been playing, though to expect that may be missing the point. I shared a bill with the Morley/Merritt duo the week before last (the first time they two had played since 'lounge', which I think was from '92) they played note-perfect, as they should've.
If I may be so bold, and while he would probably not appreciate the comparisons, my mate CJA has a body of work that may appeal to those that like The Dead C... he publishes under his own label, root don lonie for cash and has things on a bunch of other labels; favourite of mine are Strangegirls, his duo with Motty aka Smokehouse, though that's pretty far from Morley/Russel/Yeats. I've also put out a couple records with CJA on idealstate, namely Je Serai Une Tombe and nv s ble axe; they might be comparable in essence. While it's difficult to ignore the influence the '80 and '90's groups have had on New Zealand experimental, there's a particular sound generated in this land that's deeper than that - even though the country is small, the geographical isolation works within the nation too, with lots of bubbles of activity working entirely independently yet all quite identifiably 'nz'.
Michael Morley's solo work as Gate I tend to hold in even higher regard, particularly the one one he was touring when I first caught him live, 'The Dew Line' (Table of the Elements), which is a mournful and murky batch of songs that I think perfectly sums up the feeling of living in this country. Also worth mention is 'Lounge' which is a guitar-heavy duet with Dave Merritt.. hard to describe; yeh it's noisy, anti-aesthetic but, like the Dead C, perfectly so. There's a certain seriousness and level of intent behind Gate and the Dead C that lends gravitas to the apparent ineptitude of the playing... as I hear it anyway. Having said that, however, the few times I've seen them play (most recently at the Lines of Flight festival held back in March) I can't hear that their sound has shifted or developed in any way over the 20+ years they've been playing, though to expect that may be missing the point. I shared a bill with the Morley/Merritt duo the week before last (the first time they two had played since 'lounge', which I think was from '92) they played note-perfect, as they should've.
If I may be so bold, and while he would probably not appreciate the comparisons, my mate CJA has a body of work that may appeal to those that like The Dead C... he publishes under his own label, root don lonie for cash and has things on a bunch of other labels; favourite of mine are Strangegirls, his duo with Motty aka Smokehouse, though that's pretty far from Morley/Russel/Yeats. I've also put out a couple records with CJA on idealstate, namely Je Serai Une Tombe and nv s ble axe; they might be comparable in essence. While it's difficult to ignore the influence the '80 and '90's groups have had on New Zealand experimental, there's a particular sound generated in this land that's deeper than that - even though the country is small, the geographical isolation works within the nation too, with lots of bubbles of activity working entirely independently yet all quite identifiably 'nz'.
"Metaphors are effective nine times out of ten and quotations seven times out of ten, but impromptu words come forth every day" - Chuang Tzu
leenoyes.com
idealstate recordings
no-number series
leenoyes.com
idealstate recordings
no-number series
Re: The Dead C
I like a lot Harsh 70's Reality
"Before you play two notes learn how to play one note - and don't play one note unless you've got a reason to play it." - Mark Hollis (1998)
Re: The Dead C
Well, from the Dead C a lot of records are good.
To have a good idea about the band, the compilation "vain, erudite and stupid" is great.
About albums : Eusa kills, Trapdoor fucking exit, Harsh 70's reality, The Whitehouse, Repent, Secret earth, Patience...
To have a good idea about the band, the compilation "vain, erudite and stupid" is great.
About albums : Eusa kills, Trapdoor fucking exit, Harsh 70's reality, The Whitehouse, Repent, Secret earth, Patience...
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john williams
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2010 5:41 pm
Re: The Dead C
I have most of their output and they are one of my favourite bands along with The Fall, The Ex, Wire and Pere Ubu. The only ones I have reservations about are The Damned and Future Artists but even these have grown on me. However, I wouldn't start with either of those two.
Favourites would include:
Trapdoor Fucking Exit
Harsh 70s Reality
Clyma Est Mort/Tentative Power (LP/CD)
The White House
Tusk
Secret World
Patience
Vain, Erudite and Stupid is a good option.
Nice article in Dusted:
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/538
Here's a free 2008 live performance from The Empty Bottle.
http://www.archive.org/details/deadc200 ... aud.flac16
Favourites would include:
Trapdoor Fucking Exit
Harsh 70s Reality
Clyma Est Mort/Tentative Power (LP/CD)
The White House
Tusk
Secret World
Patience
Vain, Erudite and Stupid is a good option.
Nice article in Dusted:
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/538
Here's a free 2008 live performance from The Empty Bottle.
http://www.archive.org/details/deadc200 ... aud.flac16
Re: The Dead C
I don't know much about The Dead C and especially their solo ventures, but after reading this I went and heard this album and it is excellent!patois wrote: Michael Morley's solo work as Gate I tend to hold in even higher regard, particularly the one one he was touring when I first caught him live, 'The Dew Line' (Table of the Elements), which is a mournful and murky batch of songs that I think perfectly sums up the feeling of living in this country.