The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Chris Wilkin (UK)
The song 'I Am Jesus (And You're Not)' is a short 1 minute fast
paced song akin to the The Hives, whilst moving on to the second
track 'The Wreck Of Eddie Fitzpatrick ' is more classic rock
influenced like Led Zeppelin without the uplifting solos. Third
track 'Amnesia Cocktail' is at an even slower tempo featuring horns
and strings. All together this is a very diverse CD that shows a
lot of different musical influences.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Online Scene (UK)
A catchy double A side off of their second album. The great
variation in their music, with influences from Elvis Costello to
REM, combined with their lyrics, instantly sink into your
subconscious and make for an individual sound. The only negative is
the shortness of the single. Definitely a band worth listening out
for in the future.
Audrey Hepburn > King Martha, CD
Album > Reviewed by > MP3 Blog, New Hampshire (US)
One of the crazy things about love is the way it changes everything
we see. This is a love song for a woman that he thinks is 'Audrey
Hepburn come back from the dead', which reminds us that the one you
love is always the most beautiful in the world regardless of what
anyone else might think.
But it's also a cautionary tale, as the love fails to clarify the rest of a complicated life. And the distortions are not limited to seeing beauty through rose-colored glasses - it leads us to make bad decisions, fall into ruin in pursuit of that perfect ideal.
There is no easy answer, except to embrace the complications and hope you come out alright on the other side. And to remember that as much as Audrey Hepburn (or whoever) becomes the standard or the ideal, that's only an image, a projection. Real life is never so perfect, and we wouldn't really want it to be.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > GIGWISE Magazine (UK)
It's a jaunty, skiffle-influenced number that opens this double
A-side from ist, the Leicester band beloved of Scottish author Iain
Banks; the cheerful charm continuing even through the slightly
disturbing chorus , 'Eddie Fitzpatrick is going to hell'. It's all
over in less than three minutes, but that's a marathon compared to
the other track here, which is surely a contender for title of the
year. 'I Am Jesus (And You're Not)' is a 60-second explosion of
Dick Dale surf guitar and super-speed vocals, apparently written as
a dare and now the subject of a semi-serious bid for alternative
Christmas number one. Here's hoping they succeed.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Discheira ElRocco (I)
A Natale siamo tutti pi?br> We're in the middle of a campaign to
bring a real (and independent) song to Christmas No.1 (any and
everywhere in the world) and we need Your help. Con questo proclama
recapitato nella nostra email si presentano gli ist, quartetto
brittanico di rock n roll. Si tratta di un concept album
intitolato. The Wreck of the Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am Jesus (And
You're Not) scritto in response to a conversation with Tom
Robinson, daring us to write short, raw pop songs with stories to
tell. Which is kind of what we were already doing. So, we made them
shorter and more raw. Il meccanismo narrativo ?uello delle storie
scritte dalla parte dei Freaks e i suoni sono rock n roll nella sua
accezione pi?ssica. Il disco si trova qua, con due interessanti
preview in streaming
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Words and Music Blog (UK)
So ? who are ist?...a band based in Leicester (just down the road
from God's Little Acre...
The track: 'I am Jesus and you're not.' (Go to their MySpace site
to hear it). Pithy and sharp ? like the duration ? a snappy 1
minute electronic showerburst driven by an insistent nagging guitar
riff (which reminded me of something which I couldn't drag back
from the memory banks ? until it hit me just now ? surf guitar!),
vocal imprecational put-down with antinomian/sectarian heretical
undertones ho ho(that's not a post-punk Belfast band ? but...maybe
a good name for a cover band, hey, any would-be Feargals out
there?) - a wild ride of joyfully sneering hurled-at-you rapido
lyrics, with the title thrown out as the chorus/hook ? slashing
rhythm guitar and real in-your-face rock and roll drums (cymbal
crashs like dustbin lids kicked over in an alley after leaving the
hostelry...late)...A lot crammed into the 60 seconds ? bursting at
the seams with energy...wearing its influences lightly but adding
to them with a freshness and deftness of step which shows their
originality (unlike most conventional current 'rock' bands who seem
mired in the sludge of the past ? you know who I mean...).
Regarding their sonic predecessors - among many, they name-check
Elvis Costello ? cue standard rant: diamond geezer no doubt but the
fucker can't sing (and they can) and wants to be taken seriously in
his dotage...what did Burt Bacharach make of it all? (oh, hello,
they name-check him as well...interesting...) ? despite that,
there's a taste of the old Stiff rawness that the Attractions had
when he started out and his whiny voice sort of worked for a time ?
this is a plus...maybe that's what they had in mind...
I've had the mp3 on my desktop for a couple of weeks and it nags at me to play it all the time...
These guys have some wit ? there is a song on their MySpace site entitled 'The Wreck of Eddy Fitzgerald,' title of which made me smile (memories of old groaning Gordon Lightfoot's only decent record). If this is what's coming out of Leicester at the moment I'd better hop an Arriva sometime and check it out.
'I am Jesus (and you're not)' is released digitally on 21st February 2007 ? on vinyl/cd 28th Feb 2007...go grab it.
IST does NOT stand for Indian Summer Time, or Springfield Institute of Technology ? as far as I know...Or Ironic Semiotic Transitions...Istianity could be your new religion...I see that they are playing at the Loft in Cambridge on the 17th February 2007...if you're in the area ? go seek further revelation...hallelujah...
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Queen of Sheba Blog (US)
I get some odd things in the mail, and ist is certainly one of
them. I am Jesus (And You're Not) is brash and freakishly energetic
with the occasional demonstration of admirable dexterity. The rest
of their catalog has more to offer than dexterity: it's a gnarly,
more relaxed Modest Mouse sort of sound, with only a touch of this
reconstructed-new-retro punk sound; and it's good
listening.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Your Standard Life Blog (US)
The UK band ist is working on their 3rd full length CD. In the
meantime why not check out the lead track from a new single being
released February 14. The song is called I Am Jesus (and you're
not). There are more words packed into this 1 minute song than i
speak all day. But it did not take long before I noticed my foot
was stompin' to the infectious beat and yelling 'I am jesus (and
you're not)'. Just don't kick over any tables, kids.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Music for Maniacs Blog (US)
I get spam almost everyday from indie rockers and I usually delete
them, but this song title caught my eye since it fit with the theme
I was working on here. And (god)damn it if it ain't a great
one-minute punk surf rocker by a British band called ist, one of
those all-day tunes-on-repeat.
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > ThaBombShelter Blog (US)
About two weeks ago I was contacted by the kind lead singer of this
Leicester band about their new Christmas single, 'I am Jesus and
You're Not'. The band is on a noble quest that we should all be
proud of. According to Kenton, the lead singer, it's their goal
this year to have an alternative christmas single top the charts in
the UK. And you know, with songs like the two on their digital EP,
I don't see why they can't do just that.
The song they're banking on, 'I am Jesus (and You're not)' is a minute of pure energy and surf guitars. It runs into the company christmas party stark naked with a lampshade on it's head and screams 'Look at me!'. So, like the good rubber neckers that we are, we all turn and look, and just as we do, it's gone. The song is over before you know it and all you can do is just put it on repeat.
The other song on the EP, 'The Wreck of The Eddie Fitzpatrick' is the better of the two, I think. It gives you a more hearty helping of the band, more of a main course, where 'I am Jesus...' is merely an amuse-bouche.
These two songs, put together, form just about the best tasting sampler of a band I've ever heard. It lets you know that the band is perfectly capable of writing 3 minute pop songs, but also that they possess the ability to craft lean mean rock machines. So go pick up the EP and let's try to send this single to Number 1!
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > In Search of Arcadia Blog (UK)
Then we've got ist. This is the kind of band that makes me smile.
They released a straight forward punk rock song called 'I'm Jesus
(And You're Not)' AS A CHRISTMAS SINGLE!!! How insane would it have
been to have that as the Christmas number one? Fucking bonkers. But
if you only have 60 seconds to listen to a song today I would
suggest this one. It's got a surf rock low-end, punk guitars,
and... well that's about it I mean how much can you fit in on
minute! It does contain the fastest sing-talking I've heard since
'End Of The World As We Know It!' Check it out...if you don't end
of getting it here it's being re-released on VALENTINES DAY! ist-
'I'm Jesus (And You're Not)'
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Neil Mason (7digital) (UK)
ist 'I Am Jesus (And You're Not)' Rejoice, officially the first
Xmas single has appeared on indiestore. Any good? Yup. 'I Am Jesus
(And You're Not)' clocks in just short of a minute, but what a
minute. Surf guitars, snarly vocals, the kitchen sink surely isn't
far away. We'd love to see excellent 'The Wreck Of Eddie
Fitzpatrick' as the Christmas Number One. Go on, make our
day
The Wreck of Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am
Jesus (And You're Not) > 7" Vinyl Single | CD Single >
Reviewed by > Here Comes The Flood Blog (G)
The Christmas No. 1 is a big deal in the UK. And let's face it:
there hasn't been a great song riding the top of the charts since
1979, when Another Brick in the Wall (Part II) by Pink Floyd
outsold all other contenders.
But that is all about to change. In the blue corner: The Wreck of the Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am Jesus (And You're Not) by ist, a doubleheader indie rocker single that hits the ground running. It will go on sale December 4, even available on good old 7 inch vinyl if you want.
King Martha > CD Album >
Reviewed by > Alexander Laing (alexanderlaing.com) (UK)
There is an honourable tradition of commendably over-reaching
lyricists in rock music. Kenton Hall acknowledges and claims the
influence of Elvis Costello among others, and Costello is the
tutelary spirit, lyrically, vocally and melodically, of this album.
As with other, unacknowledged influences ? Derek Dick, Lou Reed,
Shel Silverstein, Leonard Cohen ? there are moments you wish
weren't there (when you've set up a rhyme with 'spasm', it's pretty
clear where you're headed, for instance) and there are vocal tics
such as the breathy elongation of syllables that are mannered and
faintly embarrassing. However, that same ambition leads to lines
like:
'She spoke with words of dubious
vintage
Lifted from the pages of glossy magazines
I tried to take the news with grace, I
Spat past sins in her face and
Drank myself obscene.'
Apart from line 4, which is congested and overwrought, that's pretty damn good for a song lyric, by any reckoning.
One of the other influences listed by the band is Neil Hannon, and the music suffers the same sense of pastiche that has dogged The Divine Comedy. It is as if an entire career has been crammed into a single album and there is an inevitable sense of the CD as a showcase of styles. The musical direction encompasses everything from mariachi to Mott the Hoople and while the energy never falters the album reads musically more like a compilation than a coherent and current statement. There's no rule that says it's got to, but with skill like this, it's a shame not to set out the stall with more economy and balance: more is less, in this instance.
The more successful tracks musically are the ones which eschew the rich horn section, which gives the work a distinctly dated and at times sludgy feel, and zero in on sparser and more exposed arrangements. The cumulative effect of much of the album is that it is, in every sense, overblown.
There are plenty of rewards in listening to 'King Martha', and repeated listenings enrich the experience, as you pick your way through the array of references to Nick Cave, Shane McGowan and Joe Jackson and begin to locate the unique voice. Above all else, this is a writer earning his credentials and learning in public, and a fellow writing a review should do nothing but admire the bottle and hope for stricter discipline and a few albums which create and inhabit a sound-world of their own.
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