Sleaford Mods

connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
Still a bit disappointed with the new album. I get that they're going for something a bit more raw and gritty than the extremely focused Austerity Dogs but some of it just seems a bit half-arsed. The best bits are as good as anything they've done but it doesn't quite hang together as an album.

Is there an element of self-sabotage here?


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connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
bandshell said:
I'm at this stage atm. Sounds like Pitman if he fronted one of Jez's bands in Peep Show.
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Actually, there is a bit of a Jez/Super Hans vibe to Chubbed Up and Divide & Exit! At least on first listen. But honestly, there's a deep musical intelligence at work here. Just to pick an example, "Double Diamond" has some of the best lyric writing I've heard in years in any genre. I think my problem with Divide & Exit is that it doesn't have anything as expansive and complex as that or the best tracks on Austerity Dogs. But it's a deliberately scruffy and claustrophobic album, so that's kinda the point. Basically, Divide & Exit is the Ghettoville to Austerity Dogs' RIP. It's a in-you-face bum trip.

 
philblackpool

philblackpool

gamelanstep
padraig (u.s.) said:
undoubtedly my favorite Sleaford Mods lyric is

"the fookin ills ave eyes"

cult 70s indie horror retransmuted into like, Danelaw Shakespeare
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Many thanx to Padraig for plugging my obscure blog! Re: my sometime appearances, I sporadically come on here for a while, add my thoughts to all the threads, get limited good reactions, ask questions, get no replies & then retreat again minorly disheartened! Anyway, I popped on to look for something else & spotted this thread...

My only correction for Padraig is that the lyric, from memory, is "The eyes have hills", talking about long-term druggies, as in their eyes are popped out of their heads the whole time, a familiar image at least where I live & also comparing them to the horror movie. Its that sort of 'packing in' of lyrical content that I think is really exceptional with this band :) Since I last came on here, I've started writing some stuff for Record Collector mag & I crunched much of my long-winded blog entry down into part of my review of Divide & Exit in the most recent issue (slightly marred by a missing word or two in the last line).

Le Tigre - good spot, not thought of that.

Terry Callier - I was referring to the sung stuff on the early albums. Think most of it is on youtube. Re: those albums, they are full of samples, so they've been retired, but there is a sorta vinyl double comp that has just appeared with the best bits on. I've got the first two CDs. Originator & SPECTRE are very difficult to locate now.

I mentioned Pitman in my blog ;-) The closest resemblance in some ways, but yes although Pitman made some good points, Jason is truly bitter & next level in that sorta vein, it builds & builds over the records.
 
philblackpool

philblackpool

gamelanstep
By the way, slightly off-topic, re: me saying above that I've started doing some bits for RC mag... Part of the idea was to bring in some more varied dance music coverage, so as I know many music bizzle people flock here, do PM me if there is anything I can possibly assist with (needs to be about two months in advance of release ideally), whether new stuff or reishs. Needs to be stuff readers of RC have conceivably either heard of or that they are likely to enjoy & can be explained to them & reviewed effectively in quite a short space, but have had stuff in on Alpha & Omega, Aim, Thievery Corp, Sleaford Mods, Luke Bainbridge's acid house book (very good read) & The Orb so far & stuff forthcoming on the excellent new Hyperdub comp & also Venetian Snares. Probably would have got the new Traxman album (also rather good) in as well, but it arrived too late...
 
D

DannyL

Wild Horses
ts that sort of 'packing in' of lyrical content that I think is really exceptional with this band

Agreed. The only that really got me recently was "no surrender, no surrender, animal!, five day bender" - seems to me to reference the whole Unionist connection with football, the way "no surrender to the IRA" was a terrace chant, and the way that terrace culture fed into the early years of raving. Seems like a microcosm of some key trends in British youth culture right there.
 
philblackpool

philblackpool

gamelanstep
I really like that you think "Ha its a joke, the name's just off some local graffiti", but that Jason has genuinely been through punk, mod, acid house, living the styles but getting hacked off with them & moving on, trying to make sense of it all & being disappointed with what's been done in their names. Very honest group (almost painfully so at times, especially on some of the earlier stuff) - even if the exact scenarios didn't happen, its all so detailed that you know there's a real level of experience & understanding there. Stand out a mile at the moment.
 
connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
I figured that the blatant sampling of really obvious classic rock songs was one of the reasons the early albums have not been reissued and why the band would tolerate the appearance of a bootleg compilation. Shame, though. I've been able to locate about half of SPECTRE online and - if the rest is as good as the bits I've heard - it might be even better than Austerity Dogs.

I honestly think another reason might be fear of getting sued for libel by one of the "posh twats" who get called out by name on the early albums. Seems like those CDs were made in a state of utter desperation and on the premise that basically nobody would ever hear them.


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philblackpool

philblackpool

gamelanstep
From what I can make out, Jason was in sorta mod/folk/Britpop bands right up until early Sleaford days or thereabouts (hence the folky bits & slightly Callier tone songs on the first album & less so from memory on the second). He was trying the ranting & samples style out as another string to his bow & it just somehow clicked & he switched almost completely over to it (I've a hunch the singing may creep back in again though). I think he's been clear that he's been trying to make a go of a career in music for a long time, so I think he certainly hoped they'd get heard, but they were on a little local label. Nail from Bent did a bunch of the music on Originator & possibly some of the other ones as well, I forget now.
 
connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
In any case, it seems like there are good legal/personal reasons for those albums to remain out of print but it's a shame artistically. Stuart Lee's review of Divide & Exit called it their second album but I make it their seventh. Still amazed that I've only been able to track down about half of SPECTRE online but judging from what I've heard, it's every bit as good as Austerity Dogs. It would be a shame if their reputation came to be based on the sub-par Divide & Exit and stuff like SPECTRE got written out of the story.


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philblackpool

philblackpool

gamelanstep
Yeah hopefully they'll do over some of it, as with Jobseeker.

I've spotted a few little mistakes in reviews, where they've not fact checked. Great to see such near-universal interest though.

I'm in exactly the same place as you on SPECTRE. I would imagine its on p2ps but I've been off them for a few years now for complicated reasons. Steve from Harbinger described it as "long gone" in December.

I think Divide & Exit is pretty smart, its just disappointing after the first half of Austerity Dogs. If you've not heard it, pick up the very recent digital comp of the singles, that's my current-release favourite over Divide & Exit, not perfect but nice & short & very very strong in places.

They've just announced they're supporting the Specials on tour in November btw.
 
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connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
I managed to get a few of the tracks from Soulseek and one or two more from YouTube but it's amazing how hard to track down this stuff is.

Definitely don't want them to record more "do-overs" of old material. The single version of "Jobseeker" is vastly inferior to the one on The Mekon. Would hate to see a similar fate befall "Double Diamond". Rather than waste money on studio time, just hire someone to clear the samples!


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connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
This article confirms what I've read elsewhere: that Jay now works as a benefits advisor. Puts "Jobseeker" in a whole new context!

For those of you interested in early Mods, the Retweeted comp is really worth having. Excellent track selection and a very nice pressing. Plus it's obviously somewhat official as it has sleeve notes by Jay.


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subvert47

subvert47

I don't fight, I run away
connect_icut said:
For those of you interested in early Mods, the Retweeted comp is really worth having. Excellent track selection and a very nice pressing. Plus it's obviously somewhat official as it has sleeve notes by Jay.
Click to expand...

yes, good stuff

btw any chance you could turn off the "Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk" message on your phone? ;)
 
connect_icut

connect_icut

Well-known member
Yep, turned off that signature so now nobody needs to know I have a blood phone.

Anyway, before I got Retweeted, I hadn't heard anything off The Originator. Turns out it's like The Mekon cubed - a distinctly rocky sound and lyrics almost insufferably drenched in self-hatred and degradation.

Still haven't managed to track down a full copy of SPECTRE. Anyone?
 
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