Blaqk Audio - Cex Cells

[brandondrury]

As many of you know, I've got strong roots growing up with synth pop in the 80s. Of all my friends, none of them have much interest in New Order, Pet Shop Boys, The Cure, etc (except for my brother who received the same upbringing).

Anyway, fast forward to 2007. I've grown into becoming a big fan of AFI. After seeing them live, I was VERY impressed and that simply doesn't happen much with me. I'm too jaded! The last AFI album went a decidedly electronic route that pissed off lots of their old hardcore punk fans, but made my year. (It was my favorite album of 2006).

Well, the AFI singer and guitar dude have plunged all the way into the world of electronic pop and have made one kick ass record. I'm hearing a lot of Depeche Mode on this album, but so much more.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a new AFI album because the songwriting sounds pretty much identical to me as the AFI songwriting on their last album. The music is simply presented in an electronic way.

I've been listening to the record non stop. I love it. Anyone that really likes AFI and can stand the electronic thing, this album is highly recommended.

Brandon

[siski]

I've just had a listen to some of their songs on myspace, some of them have very eary 80's overtones. There seam to be a few bands plagerising the 80's with a twist like The Kaiser Chiefs etc...

From time to time I do a bit of DJ-ing and "Blue Monday" is a still a guaranteed floor filler.

Checkout the Film "24 hour Party People" it charts the rise and fall of "Factory Records" who signed "In blood" Joy Division/New Order. Its a cracking movie.

Si

[bubba]

WTF:
I gave 'em a listen. There was only two songs on My Space. I really like what they are trying to do. They even succeed sometimes. Sounded good to me. "Stiff Kittens" was a lot better song than "Seminal Fluid Love" (may have misspelled that one). Thanks for the heads up. Carry on fellas.

Peace: bubba

[brandondrury]

While not every song is what I would consider to be a "single", I think the album is very very solid. It's worth my money and I don't have any!

I'm not sure how a electronica "purist" would respond to the album. I listen to just enough (usually older stuff) so that I don't get bored with the cliches. This album certainly has some of the electronic music cliches, but that doesn't bother me if the song is singalongable.

Brandon

[Smidgelton]

AFI started incorporating the electronics in their "Sing the Sorrow" album. That album really was what flung them into the mainstream audience. Ironically, it's also my least liked AFI album. Not because of its mainstream success, I just only enjoy a couple songs on it. The Art of Drowning is their best work in my opinion.

The Blaqk Audio stuff isn't bad. I feel kinda gay listening to it though. When I think about it, I guess I feel kinda gay listening to AFI sometimes too....

[brandondrury]

it's also my least liked AFI album

Interesting. I think it's an excellent album. Not perfect, but damn good.

The Blaqk Audio stuff isn't bad. I feel kinda gay listening to it though.

You should have went with me to the Pet Shop Boy concert. I've never seen so many 40 year old guys with their fishing buddy in one place in my life....including the lake.


Unfortunately, this "gay feeling" is a casualty of the major label marketing machine. They create divisions in humans. They've found it to be more profitable to create guys that like rock music style #1, rock music style #2, techo style #1, techno style #2, country 1, country 2, etc.

I was a rock music #2 kind of guy in my teen years until I went back to my music roots in my formative years where electronica stuff dominated. When I was in "rock music #2" phase, I bought a lot of great albums. I also bought a bunch of mediocre crap. In fact, I probably bought more total cds (mediocre crap and great albums) to justify my "rock music #2" status than if I would liked "music". It's not a whole lot different than the arms race during the Cold War. (I just finished The Rise of Globalism). When faced with an "enemy" we like to spend money on a "cause"....like nuclear weapons or a Gravity Kills album.

There is one benefit to this though. When the Cold War / Rock Music #2 phase is over, you get to discover all the great music you may have been missing and get a boost in the economy by selling shit to Russia.

Brandon

[Smidgelton]

Yeah I see your point. I guess I might be a metal music #2 kind of guy and I and I acknowledge the fact that I have and probably will continue to buy mediocre crap metal CDs. But I also own music from Justin Timberlake, Jack Johnson, KT Tunstall, Natalie Merchant, John Mayer, Dido, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, and so on. So I guess I'm not totally blindsided by the major label marketing machine.

[brandondrury]

Justin Timberlake, Jack Johnson, KT Tunstall, Natalie Merchant, John Mayer, Dido, Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, and so on.

But you feel gay listening to Blaqk Audio??!!

Listen to "Hell Is For Children" by Pat Benetar....or ever worse "The Anxiety Song". Gay will be the least of your problems. The only solution is to grab a pencil and jab out your ear drums...or just hit stop on the cd player.

The way I see it, the day you become 100% impartial to any one genre to at least some degree is the day you are done. I'm close.

It felt really weird at the Pet Shop Boy shows (besides the obvious homo nature of most their fan base) but just because there weren't any guitars or drum kits. It felt out of place.

Sticking with the topic....
There are times when I feel weird for listening to a song by myself. It's not the "oh no! people might think I'm stupid because I listen to X", but it's more of a "Do I want to know that I'm the kind of person who listens to this?".

Brandon

[seansdadj]

I did listen to a few songs from the blaqk audio album, I have yet to buy it & listen to it fully!