easycure

I don't dislike Agnelli... I just don't pay attention to him at all, he doesn't say anything to me, neither good nor bad. Regarding the operation, I can confirm that I do sense a bit of a stink behind it. Nothing takes away from the fact that the "teatro degli orrori" is a so-called alternative reality today among the most famous (and at least for me, among the least significant) that Beatrice Antolini was leading on the cover of Mucchio Selvaggio a few months ago, and that Benvegnù and Parente have been on the scene for years with decent hype. But then, what sense does all of this make? If it was truly a choice of quality, subjectively speaking, someone less (relatively) famous would have ended up there by chance. Instead, no one. It feels a lot like a promotional choice for this lineup, indeed... with this, who cares... it just sounds a bit hypocritical to me.

It's true, I'm falling into "victimhood" too :-D but still, it's a fact that, whether we call it underground, alternative, independent—horrible definitions all of them—this hidden world of groups under independent labels exists all over Europe, of course in the States, etc., etc., and yet in any other country I see a completely different attitude towards this world. Clearly, many Italian groups mimic those abroad. The Okkervil River went on a world tour while our local Midwestern bands are ignored by everyone; I challenge anyone to say (not that I'm crazy about either band) that the Midwesterners are worse or more depersonalized than the much-lauded Okkervil River, which has fundamentally similar roots. Or take someone like Black Eyed Dog; it’s true that neither Okkervil River nor the mentioned Italians are doing anything new, and they're not particularly bold, but unfortunately, this is the case everywhere. I don’t see why we should take it out on Italian groups for this. Moreover, as a scene today (I'm generalizing, read between the lines "obviously not everyone"), they are, in their own way, much more creative and, in their small way, bolder than the many mediocre English acts that have been pestering us relentlessly in recent years (objectively counting on a media blitz that no Italian independent group could ever compete with). I think of the Jennifer Gentle up to "Valende," the fantastic Father Murphy (one of the best albums of the last few months not just at an Italian level for me), Katarro, Elghor... and the list could go on. On the other hand, there may also be victimhood from the artists, but damn, the Italian audience is pretty conservative and definitely seems never to be satisfied (as if there were some great tradition to uphold. Did the Italian bands of the '70s invent anything extraordinary??)

I don't know... who was it? Psychopompe, who had started one of his latest reviews by highlighting the "dangers" of foreign admiration... I feel like the review, while not comparing things to abroad, but perhaps, in an even more trite manner, to the "good old days" (the '70s), falls a bit into that... which I actually liked, hey, it's very well written and beautifully controversial, and I like controversial things. It's just that rather than focus on the operation, which is somewhat debatable, he attacks the groups, and perhaps some distinction was needed there... let me try to explain. Point 1) the operation, although it might have some "sensitizing" importance towards a certain realm of forgotten Italian music, is a bit hypocritical underneath. Because in the end, these so-called "independent" artists are, among the independents, the ones who have, coincidentally, gained a bit of notoriety, success, front-page attention, and even some money. So is it really about sensitizing or about publicity? Or perhaps even worse, self-publicity for Agnelli? Point 2) Speaking of groups, however, there are the Zen Circus, who have been breaking their backs for 12 years without anyone paying attention to them, and it doesn’t seem to me that they make such irrelevant music, even compared to many foreigners. There’s Antolini, who may or may not be liked, but she has her own style, and if only all indie groups were at that level. Then, true, there’s Teatro degli Orrori, which is pure crap, but like, really, terrible crap, yet perhaps some nuance was needed. Not for anything, but many of these people struggle to make a living, and if they had just a little more support, they could start to instill hope in the other hundreds of bands touring Italy today. Many of which, it’s useless to deny, are also complete crap 100% (unfortunately, the new new wave trend has reached here too, as usual late) but there is interesting stuff out there... in short, I don't know, in Italy it seems today there are more bands than audience. And yet reading on Debaser, there are curious people out there... but if these are the attitudes :-)

great rece lewis.. I don't have this, but I don't think there's any doubt about the quality

it looks interesting! nice tip

mmm heard something, they didn’t tell me much, but we need to listen to them again! anyway, great review, it's right to talk a bit more about underground Italian bands.

x supersoul: great mention! there's one thing missing though that the Ramones had: super surfy melodies that have said and done so much (the Ramones surf+ultra distortions combination was quite bold, you'll agree). The so-called "clichés" are sometimes well-deserved because some bands that made history did so for a reason. If we want to play the game of "the more unknown the band, the cooler it is just for that," go ahead; I can’t even imagine what’s more clichéd though (just to stay on topic).. :-D anyway, I repeat: great mention!

mmmmm, well, at the very least, the Ramones were ALSO involved (as were the Heartbreakers, if we want to add more names). And frankly, it doesn’t seem to me that we can say “only on a commercial level.” Moreover, if we want, the Ramones were (among) the major founders of punk. As for Pere Ubu, whatever you want, but the Ramones were born and raised with the precise musical intent of messing with the baroque tendencies of the previous 5 years, much more so than Pere Ubu, who had much more intellectual aims. Mine was purely a casual remark, though; I didn’t mean to open up more avenues for debate :-D Baroque Cure? meh meh... they were born ultra dry, continued without ever straying from the song form, and when they slip into the kitschy, as they do especially in Kiss Me, they do so with a significant dose of irony. No, I wouldn’t say they “come very close” at all :-)

Um, I missed almost everything. Maybe it's for the best. In conclusion, long live the Ramones, who in '75 swept away the baroque crap of the early '70s. Deep Purple included, of course ;-)

wow what a mess! :-D