[kj] fully on topic / the isis crisis

[Neil Perry]

Seems a fair enough write up Alex. I quite like a bit of Isis (the band, not
the child).

n

2009/5/12 Alexander Smith <vassifer at earthlink.net>


>

> Hah, Isis. I had a bit of an Isis crisis, if you will today.

>

> You fellows might enjoy today's quandary: So, you'll remember that I'm

> still writing shit for The New Yorker's Goings On About Town section.

> Basically, my task is to compose "pithy, funny and infomative" blurbs about

> upcoming shows. Easy peasy, right? I've been doing it since 2001, and I'd

> honestly do it for free. It's a walk-in-the-park.

>

> So, today, my editor John sends me a list of upcoming bands that will be

> playing in the area over the next couple of weeks. I pick out four or five

> and start writing. The bands I write about usually tend to be the types of

> bands that your average New Yorker reader would NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS

> consider going to see, but whatever.

>

> One of the bands I pick to write about is a frowny  and (to my mind)

> frankly ludicrous progressive metal band from Boston called Isis. As my

> friend Rob likes to say, "they're the kinda thing you like, if you like that

> kinda thing." Here's what I wrote (and submitted) to my friend/editor John:

>

> June 2: Isis

> Though their name might conjure up corny images of Egyptian mythology (or,

> conversely, a tepid live-action superheroine from 70's Saturday morning

> television), Isis isn't  your run-of-the-mill metal outfit. The Boston

> band's sound does indeed feature de rigeur genre trappings like chugging

> guitars and gruffly-barked vocals that border on the tuneless, but Isis'

> music comes imbued with lengthy, ambient passages that would probably

> confuse or bore less discerning headbangers. The bands latest album,

> <i>Wavering Radiant</i> is equal parts raging heaviosity and contemplative,

> cinematic sprawl.

>

> Fair enough, right? Pithy and informative and blah-blah-blah.

>

> Five minutes after I hit "send," John writes back with the below, single

> line:

>

> "Do you know that I named my second born Isis????"

>

>

>

> ...a fact which I'd totally forgotten.

>

>

> I'm a tool.

>

> Alex in NYC

>

>

>

> On May 12, 2009, at 4:24 PM, flumedc at aol.com wrote:

>

>

> Right.  I thought about that Alex interview in our time together.  If

> there's an acrimonious bone in his body, it didnt show last week.  At one

> point Geordie stepped out for a cigarette (imagine that) and Paul just

> heaped genuine praise on Geordie's sound and technique and how often he's

> copied without due credit.  We all agreed that there are loads of bands that

> owe their sound to Geordie's style.  Some have adapted it and moved it

> forward.  I asked him who he liked - he listed Mastadon, Isis, Ohm - and the

> like.  And dub is still a big thing for him and everyone else.

>

> Me too.

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Leigh Newton <angrytomhanks at yahoo.com>

> To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net

> >

> Sent: Tue, 12 May 2009 4:02 pm

> Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic

>

> In the interview Alex did with him a few years ago, you get the sense that

> it was almost a 50/50 split between Big Paul and Jaz when it came to lyric

> writing as well as overall themes.

>

> http://www.nightruiner.com

> http://www.myspace.com/thesunthroughatelescope

> http://www.myspace.com/lauderdale

>

> ------------------------------

> *From:* "flumedc at aol.com" <flumedc at aol.com>

> *To:* gathering at misera.net

> *Sent:* Tuesday, May 12, 2009 2:34:17 PM

> *Subject:* Re: [kj] fully on topic

>

> Yes.  I hadn't chatted much at all with Paul prior to this - and he's

> really well spoken and thoughtful.  We discussed his sculpting work and

> restoration projects, splitting time between his different places and the KJ

> summer tour and how hard it is to make plans.  What sticks most in my head

> is him saying "if you're in for a penny, you're in for a pound" when it

> comes to a new recording venture.  As best I could gather, it spells a whole

> lot of time away from home and the stresses that it brings are not taken

> lightly at this point.  Turns out that his wife and mine have probably

> crossed paths at some point in the past - or will in the future -

> (commercial building/contruction/econ development sector).  Pretty funny

> considering that my ex knew Geordie's ex too from Detroit days. Hmmm.

>

> It's pretty clear that Paul had a bigger hand in the writing and whole

> direction in early days that he's given credit for..especially lyric

> writing.  But he's dead on humble about it and really genuine.

>

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Bob Barathy <bbarathy at btinternet.com>

> To: A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!) <gathering at misera.net

> >

> Sent: Tue, 12 May 2009 1:14 pm

> Subject: Re: [kj] fully on topic

>

> Great news - thanks for sharing. Did Paul have much to say?

>

> boBToo

> www.killingjoke.co.uk

> www.teamkinetic.co.uk

> www.bobtoo.co.uk

>

> -----Original Message-----

> *From:* gathering-bounces at misera.net [mailto:gathering-bounces at misera.net<gathering-bounces at misera.net?>

> ]*On Behalf Of *flumedc at aol.com

> *Sent:* 12 May 2009 17:56

> *To:* gathering at misera.net

> *Subject:* [kj] fully on topic

>

> Sorry to all for the repeater posts on my Heaven report - guess it was a

> factor in using my BBerry to send a post - not sure why that happened.

>

> In the meantime, I'm back and thought I'd share what little info I had from

> my time with Geordie and Paul (and great to meet you Matt at lunch in SoHo -

> thanks for the advice on that market and pub in Southwark - we hit it!).

>

> Had dinner with Geordie on our last night in town; in sum - There's good

> cause for optimism for new material - in rehearsals last week they have new

> songs in development - more than what we heard so far (TimeWave and Fresh

> Fever From the Skies) and Geordie is pushing for the recording process to

> move along.  Likely to commence with pre-production in Youth's place in

> Spain in late summer or fall (the heat is a factor!).  No point in

> speculating any further than that but it was clear he wants another cd out.

> So if that's not something to hoist a pint of Bombadier to, then I don't

> know what is!

>

> Stay tuned.

>

> ------------------------------

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