LA / LBC / OC
Long Beach’s Magic Lantern have finally gone and released a new sonic document after what seemed like an eternity of waiting. Eagerly anticipated by those who have been biding their time waiting for the band to get on with their uber limited cassette only and CD-R releases (their Self-Titled CD-R was limited to 30), “High Beams”, the band’s latest opus [...]
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When it comes to the Two Lone Swordsmen’s kind of music, which for lack of a better word I will risk sounding like an old man and call “electronic”, I am admittedly far from being any kind of authority. I do however, know what I like; imagery. If lyrics are absent or minimal, then the music has to take over and tell the story, paint the picture. Two Lone Swordsmen, also known as Andrew Weatherall and Keith Tenniswood, are able to do just that. Wrong Meeting, the duo’s latest full-length release in what has been a slue of EP’s, singles, remixes and LP’s, is actually their first record to have consistent vocals throughout (supplied mostly by Weatherall). Even with the addition of vocals though, the imagery is there – the vast musical landscape is still there. The vocal style isn’t even impressive, in fact it is fairly monotone, but it’s a good thing in this instance; the singing doesn’t compete with the music, it just adds yet another layer.
Having been together for more than a decade, Weatherall and Tenniswood have definitely cemented their unique style. Though driving electronic beats have always taken the lead in their songs, there is also a rock element to the Two Lone Swordsmen. The new album pushes that element to the foreground. From post-punk to rockabilly influences, Wrong Meeting mixes stark industrial rhythms with the savage warmth of rock melodies. Weatherall’s dark lyrics compliment the piercing futuristic beats; a world is created that I can only describe as Blade Runner meets The Wild One.
The album’s first track “Patient Saints” has an ominous drumbeat that steadily creeps forward, while gritty vocals on “No Girl in My Plan” ride a locomotive rhythm that drives the song at a violent pace. Other tracks that stand out are “Nevermore (Than Just Enough)”, with its straight-up Iggy Pop swagger, and the title track that sounds strangely similar to something Joe Strummer might have written. All and all this is a record that has appeal way beyond any of the constraints associated with what us old folks call, “electronica”.
[Editor Note: MP3 is just a sample clip, since reading that the band asked Buddyhead to remove the same song last month we decided not to even hassle it, though we did find a full length version of "No Girl In My Plan" on Darth Phil.]
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