The Best Alternatives

by Chris Hayes

With a few exceptions, I am having a very hard time finding anything worthwhile to listen to when I turn on the radio. "Alternative Radio," or whatever it calls itself, does not make sense to me. To what is it an alternative? It sounds like an alternative to talented bands that push boundaries and write music that was not already perfected ten to twenty years ago by people such as Tom Petty, the Cure, Depeche Mode, and U2. There is nothing new or cutting-edge about ninety-percent of the tunes on the radio, so I feel sorry for the artists who actually have paved the roads for musicians today. Their "influential records" didn't make jack compared to the cash the Matchbox 20 or Dave Matthews albums make. For the record, I am not one of those "indie" listeners who like whatever isn't popular just to be different. I simply have good taste. Therefore, I don't like what is on the radio.

However, there is always a dim light peeking through the disgustingly heavy rotation of Beck and Alanis singles. Currently, it is Placebo's "Pure Morning." The wicked opening vocals "A friend in need is a friend indeed/A friend with weed is better/A friend with breasts and all the rest/A friend who's dressed in leather" are layered over an equally evil music track. The heavily industrial drums and percussion are blended with numerous guitar rhythms and textures that enter and then leave at sudden intervals, making a sound experience that is unexpected and memorably catchy at the same time.

"Pure Morning" is the first track on the London trio's second album, Without You I'm Nothing. Placebo released their first record in 1996 (released on Caroline in the States), having it go Gold in the UK and having moderate success in the US. Placebo now has the support of a major label, Virgin Records, to help with publicity and record sales. "Pure Morning" has already stirred mainstream interest, with moderate rotation on radio and MTV, with the video for the second single, "You Don't Care About Us" already on the Internet, close to release.

Without You I'm Nothing is a musical mood swing. It epitomizes anger and confrontation, as in "Pure Morning" as well as "Every You and Every Me," which screams of emotional boredom: "Sucker love I always find/someone to bruise and leave behind/all alone in space and time," but naturally shifts to a somber introspection of the soul, in "Ask for Answers" and "Summer's Gone."

"The first album was a very sexual record," says vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Brian Molko, "packed full of youthful vigor and lust. The new album is introverted, more of a post-coital depression - the comedown. It deals with an ever-pervading heartbreak and loneliness that seems to be in the air. The morning after is usually more analytical than the night before, and it's often more painful."

In addition to being lyrically intriguing, the entire album is amazingly written. Each song at its root is a solid form, combining well thought-out hooks with strong melodies, as well as interesting and provocative lyrics. These elements hold the album together throughout its twelve tracks (and one hidden instrumental track) that make it a roller-coaster of sound.

Each track has its own identity and personality, some reminiscent of early Nine Inch Nails Industrial Metal ("Brick Shithouse") to others of melodic straight-forward pop ("You Don't Care About Us") that hint at the Dambuilders' hit "Shrine." Each song is its own entity, separate from one another, creating a new sound experience that is different from track to track, yet never losing its place in rock and roll. Placebo has gathered sounds and textures from multiple sources, electronic as well as organic, and used them in a differentiating device to separate the songs from one another as well as Placebo from other bands.

Placebo has successfully cut an album that pushes the boundaries of rock a bit further than they were by having well-written songs that are equally well-composed and produced. These factors should put Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing in the CD player of "indie" listeners as well as everyone else.

Portishead have never tried to fit in. The British trio has always been on the cutting edge, leading the way and setting the standard for trip-hop, as well as modern rock. Since their stunning 1994 debut, Dummy, Portishead have forged one of the most eloquent and unique sounds in modern music, gaining listeners and devoted fans from all musical genres: rock, R&B, hip-hop, and jazz.

This is because Portishead are all of these, yet at the same time, none of them; something that can only be comprehended by listening to their music. Portishead's musical innovation does not stop in the studio. Their latest release Roseland NYC Live proves this.

To christen their second album, Portishead, released in 1997, Portishead held a special engagement performance at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City as well as a ten-month world tour. The Big Apple gig featured a line-up that included the live band as well as a thirty-piece string section and a five-piece horn ensemble. Roseland NYC Live captures this unique show as well as two songs selected from dates on their tour. To be perfectly honest, I am not a fan of live recordings. I own maybe five live albums; I find them pointless. Most live shows are simply reiterations of what is done in the studio; and it usually doesn't sound as good, both in performance and sound production. I pity those who shell out forty or fifty bucks for a bootleg of a Dave Matthews or Pearl Jam concert. However, Portishead have not surprisingly evaded this outcome. Each track is delicately crafted, beautifully combining the ingenious sounds of Portishead with the timeless sound of a full orchestra. The album weaves in and out of songs from both of their albums in the natural flow of a live show, making it a greatest hits record with some integrity. However, what grabs me most about this recording is masterful production. Portishead did the production themselves, and for good reason. Each song plays with the subtleties of sound that is present in their studio albums. The layers and textures are deep, and present new surprises at each listen.

Each track is delicately mixed, being cautious to not shove the orchestra down the listener's throat, as if to say, "We have a full orchestra and you are going to hear it." Instead, the orchestral sound hovers over the top of each track like a beautifully haunting ghost, waiting for the perfect moment to make itself known.

Roseland NYC Live demonstrates, once again, Portishead's ability to create something wonderfully different. Unsatisfied with just creating today's most imaginative sounds, they had to redefine the meaning of a "live album." MR

This article was published in the 18 November 1998 edition of The Michigan Review (Volume 17, Number 4).
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