[kj] fully on topic / the isis crisis

[Alexander Smith]

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 

> ]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.

>

> A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps!

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