Luke Haines: 21st Century Man/Achtung Mutha

Cult British rocker Luke Haines is to release a cookbook featuring his favourite recipes.
The former The Auteurs frontman previously used his blog to share tips on how to prepare dishes including rabbit stew, ackee and saltfish, and Moroccan wild chicken.
Now his best-loved meals will be collated into an e-book, titled Plate The F**k Up, which is scheduled for release later this year (13).
He tells The Mouth magazine, "I did some kind of 'outsider' food writing about a year ago. It's an e-book thing I've got called Plate The F**k Up. It's rock 'n' roll essays mixed up with recipes. That's going to be out later in the year."

OD'ing on this album. The psych folk flourishes really make it for me. I love all the silly pan flutes, fingerpicked acoustic and other such accoutrements. I'm glad he's moved a bit from the glam/electro stuff that's defined his solo career. The new sounds really tie this music back to his Auteurs days. I'm a big fan of his use of the xylophone as always.

http://thequietus.com/articles/14708-luke-haines-new-album-ny-in-the-70s-alan-vega-says

Not feeling this new song, and I really didn't feel his "Lou Reed" song that I think is also from this new album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FasitDgQfCk

*sigh*

what is he doing

I can never fully decide whether Luke Haines is an underrated, national treasure or an overrated failure lurching through middle age from one vanity concept album to another.

[...]

3/10

http://www.neonfiller.com/wordpress/?p=10133

http://www.clashmusic.com/news/luke-haines-returns-with-adventures-in-dementia

Pop outlaw and supreme memoirist, Luke Haines remains one of Britain's most delightfully individual voices.

Ever knowledgeable of pop culture, the songwriter is ready to unveil his next project. New mini-album 'Adventures In Dementia' is out on February 2nd - billed as a 'micro opera' it features Luke Haines and Scott King.

First performed as part of Scott King's 'Festival Of Stuff' over two nights in Berlin, July 2014, the work pits two rather opposing figures in British music against one another.

Here's the blurb:

A Mark E Smith impersonator and members of Fall Group are en route to a rock 'n' roll festival. Members of Fall Group are not aware that 'MES' is actually an MES imposter.

Smith is driving a battered Renault 5 and towing a Swift Swallow caravan (possibly under the influence of amphetamine sulphates and alcohol) when he crashes into an Austen Maestro. The Austin Maestro is being driven by a skinhead: Ian Stuart, lead singer of notorious 'white power' band Skrewdriver...

A truly unique prospect, the music more than matches the imagination. New track 'Caravan Man' is based on a rollicking rockabilly rhythm, with Luke Haines intoning some hilarious lyrics which speak of tracing a path across the land in a moveable home.

Backed by some joyously DIY visuals, you can check out 'Caravan Man' below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqzQGemKZfc

Luke Haines (the Auteurs, Black Box Recorder) Talks Aphex Twin’s Syro

http://thetalkhouse.com/music/talks/luke-haines-the-auteurs-black-box-recorder-talks-aphex-twins-syro/

PREVIEW: NEW OUTSIDER MUSIC ALBUM!
'RAVING' (volumes 1- 75) By Luke Haines

'Raving' is the new Outsider Music CD by Luke Haines: An album, a folk-ART statement and instant collector's item. Each of the 75 CDs contains a separate performance of the 12- 14 songs that make up the 'Raving' album/ART statement. Let's put that another way: Luke Haines has recorded this album 75 times (he is very tired). For you. For art. Each CD of 'Raving' is recorded live to tape with minimal overdubs and lasts between 30 – 35 minutes. Mr. Haines plays some of the instruments simultaneously. Here's a bit of blurb about the tracks on 'Raving':

'Marc Bolan Blues' – 'Sitting here with the Marc Bolan blues...' a self explanatory boogie
'The Incredible String Band' – The story of how the ISB discovered Scientology. In song. With Kazoo
Chris From The Stars - A song about a mythological character from teen soap 'Hollyoaks.' The elusive 'Chris' lures the songs narrator into a dance of death. A harmonium drone with tape effects - all played simultaneously.
Herbie Hancock Has An Idea – The synth jazz pioneer is hungry. He needs spicy pizza. Originally titled 'Hungry Herbie.' Features an overdubbed 'Korg Attack' synth' solo.
'68p In My Pocket' – You all know Iggy's 'I've got my cock in my pocket.' You may also know the Velvet Undergrounds' 'Fever In My Pocket.' Well, this is a song about a man who has 68p in his pocket.
Hey Bobby – Bobby is a modern day Mad Hatter. Sometimes he's here - sometimes he isn't. Sometimes he crops up in other songs. That's Bobby for you.
Makin' The Ladies Cry – A man who has an unfortunate habit of reducing every woman he meets to tears. No one knows why.
Drooling – 'I'm sticky like the fluff on your chin. I'm dusty like dusty bin.' Goes the song.
Bomber Jacket – A song that didn't make it on the Auteurs Bootboys album because I could never finish it. Now I have. Some things are worth waiting for.
Impossible Art Band – A spoken word album wrapped up in under a minute. Frank Zappa's entire career reduction. 4 instruments played simultaneously including a reversed backwards piano. (Bobby sometimes creeps into this track)
Rave – After the storm...
New Pagan Sun – A retelling of the 1980 Dart World Championship...

'Raving' will be available to buy on Thursday 26th February, from the Outsider Music Blog website only. Each CD has an individually hand drawn/painted cover by Luke Haines. Each CD is signed by Luke Haines. 'Raving' is an extremely limited release of 75 copies only. Each one entirely different.

Price £75.00 plus P&P

I was in for the ride until "£75.00 plus P&P"

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/outsider-food-and-righteous-rock-and-roll

Outsider Food And Righteous Rock And Roll - A Book By Luke Haines
A few years ago I started writing recipes on my Outsider Music Blog. http://hainesoutsidermusic.blogspot.co.uk/2011_... after 3 Martinis of a Friday night. The recipes took on an hallucinogenic turn, meditations on 'classic' and obscure rock n roll crept in whilst waiting for a 20 minute sauce reduction. I dislike dinner parties, so for each recipe I conjured up a 'guest.' Paul Weller. Marc Bolan, and 1970s British Judo champion Brian Jacks, among many others.
Now has come the time for the realisation of the Luke Haines Cook Book. A fully functional recipe book...but more than that; a lifestyle choice. A statement of intent. Len Deighton thru the looking glass. Mouth watering recipes for the amateur and pro gastro-naut all fully illustrated by the author (Luke Haines).
Over to you dear friends. I need your help to make this happen - to make this book sit proudly on your shelf, to lord it over your other cookbooks, laughing at them, imperious, insane. and rumbly of tumbly. So please contribute by pledging and if you can't pledge then please share this page.
This first edition of 'Outsider Food And Righteous Rock And Roll', will be limited to 500 copies. Each of the first edition will be individually numbered.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR.
Luke Haines has made loads of albums. Google him if you like. If you don't like then don't google him.

Anyone listen to British Nuclear Bunkers yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Ntsyu_PGU

http://i.imgur.com/IwXj0lT.png

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW_ath9-Y0E

I like his new song.

I've spent more time listening to Luke Haines' stuff than the average grunt - much, much more - and good on him for doing what he does, but it's so enervating and goes nowhere. His scorn seems little less limited and blinkered than, say, that of the also-rans on the "mix between Stone Roses and Primal Scream with the swagger of Oasis" thread. Cheap targets. That's the joke, I know, but SO BORING!

I feel like he hasn't written a real song since Black Box Recorder called it quits. He clearly had it in him to write great songs--I guess all of the above did--but whatever he turned into won't let him.

I still enjoy some of his new stuff, though. There's really good stuff on the wrestling album

I'm not feeling the new one really.

Nine and a Half Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling ... was the last decent thing he released for me (I think it's the peak of his solo work, actually.)

Rock and Roll Animals just seemed to rehash most of the best tunes from the Wrestling, but with awful lyrics. I think I've only made it all the way through New York in the '70s once. Didn't even bother with the Nuclear Bunkers one.

Haines has always been about the lyrics for me, and he just seems to have run out of them.

I listened to Black Box Recorder again for the first time in years and some of those songs still hold up really well. I wouldn't put them against The Auteurs' best, but they had a good thing going. The last album was a bit cloying, and they probably called it quits at the right time, but I think they deserve a bit of a reappraisal.

Luke's solo stuff didn't start out strong. The last Auteurs album kind of foretold the direction he'd take his music, opening with "The Rubettes" (a pretty good song); he hasn't really jumped off that path since. I miss him writing about abstract subjects, not just referencing his obsessions and pop culture insights. There's a humanity to the wrestling album that makes it stand out above most of his solo albums. "I am Catweazle, who are you?" That song haunts me. I know it sounds silly, but I feel pathos that's not evident in most of his music.

His cellist from the Auteurs got him righton a Pop Matters or Quietus comment section once. He claimed Luke's biggest flaw is he can't write about the personal. I agree with him.

British Nuclear Bunkers is a waste of time. It's Luke noodling on some synths. It seems like music critics have tried to catch up to his self-appointed legacy and started giving his albums stellar reviews. His latest got a 9/10 in Uncut.

Luke's solo stuff didn't start out strong

I disagree here - I think 'The Oliver Twist Manifesto' is fantastic, and, out of his solo work, is only bettered by 'Nine and a Half Psychedelic Meditations'. I realise I may be in a small group on this one though ...

He's got some great solo songs. Fighting In The City Tonight is as catchy as anything he's ever written.

Baader Meinhof is his best solo album. In fact, it might be the best thing he's ever done.

Just realize I contradicted myself, but I was considering "The Oliver Twist Manifesto" his first official solo album. I think it's a bit cheesy, honestly, perhaps intentionally (?); the album art always shocked me...

Baader Meinhof is unofficially a solo record. Of course, if you believe him, The Auteurs were a solo project as well. I'm not apt to believe that considering he's never written anything that really sounds like an Auteurs song since striking out on his own.

One listen through and I'm about as underwhelmed as I expected given the single. The now-standard mix of half-baked pastiches, 'mystical' lyrics and 70s childhood references, with a few silly voices thrown in.

He's been churning the albums out recently (and I can't begrudge the man for making a living), but it does seem like the quality control has slipped.

On the plus side, this thread title inspired me to listen to 21st Century Man for the first time in ages, and it's way better than I remembered!

Not heard the new album yet, but the fear is that his output will be churned out like Julian Cope's these days, recorded entirely solo at home on the cheap with no real drums or engineering skills. Works fine for a known home recording wiz like Martin Newell, but not sure about Haines.

He doesn't really write songs anymore. It also feels like some of these songs come dangerously close to other Haines solo songs, though they're not coming to me on my first listen. It's all a bit of a blur. I miss the Luke that wrote New Wave and Now I'm a Cowboy. :(

Also, there's this pretty annoying synth thing going on in every song. Like, it sounds the same on every song. Not sure what synth he's using, but you'll know it when you hear it.

On the plus side, this thread title inspired me to listen to 21st Century Man for the first time in ages, and it's way better than I remembered!

Doing the same thing.

You're right.

"Petter Hammil" rocks.

The preset programmed drums on the new album are just lazy and terrible sounding. Anyone could have have done a better job making all of them sound better in an hour or so

https://twitter.com/lukehaines_news/status/785563009888518145

Maybe I should Tweet him about his shitty preset programmed drums. Setting him off looks fun.

I'm torn because I do believe the above but found that exchange hilarious and Drowned In Sound is just a bunch of ex-ITV Teletext spazmos who love Comfort In Sound by Feeder

The album could do with some better drum programming though

great Haines bootleg from the 21 C Man tour http://www.mediafire.com/file/x3bq2d0x9waxbm0/Luke_Haines_-_2009-10-05_-_The_Captain%27s_Rest%2C_Glasgow.zip

I still have a lot of time for The Oliver Twist Manifesto: add some of the best bits from the contemporaneous Christi Malry soundtrack and it would be a killer.

I have to admit the line "They're having sex to the 'Kids in America" is a classic.

Baader Meinhof really is an incredible album, isn't it? Think its his crowning achievement, personally, more so than the Auteurs album. Experimental, yet extremely accessible; killer riffs, interesting percussion and string arrangements, and a unifying theme that doesn't over-extend itself. I love it every time I listen to it, and it sounds as fresh today as it did when it came out.

yes. yes yes yes.

^^^^^^^

Yes so good.

Has anyone heard this one yet?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxwY6jfi9Y

Can't seem to find it anywhere.

Wasn't that a freebie on the cover of 'Electronic Sound' magazine? Don't think it's getting a proper release.

Yes. Haven't managed to find the freebie available for purchase *used* or download anywhere. I mean based on that song I probably don't need to hear it, but I'm always curious.

New album is a 'concept album' about horny miniatures that sniff glue or something.

It kind of sounds like the animals album.

Not a patch on an Auteurs, BBR or the Baader Meinhof album, unfortunately.

I'm afraid the man's lost it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEqRi5AFimI

I have this sense of him just laying down his famous whisper vocals for 12 or 13 tracks without any backing and then just writing a bunch of generic music when he wants to throw out a new album. The new songs never have any personality.

This is probably the worst album he’s put his name to. Listening to it is an excruciating experience for me. Seems most music journalists still seem to give him the benefit of the doubt and rate his new ones well, but I promise you this is one truly hideous album.

Gave it a quick listen. Same old really. Doesn't strike me as any worse than the usual fare. I definitely preferred it when he was less prolific but there were albums of the standard of Off My Rocker and 21st Century Man to look forward to.

It sounds like a watered down version of Rock and Roll animals, but sickeningly cynical and vulgar, with little thought for actual songwriting. I miss the Luke that wrote an album of songs rather than a single concept buoyed by featureless music.

He said in an interview when Smash The System came out something about his approach to songwriting these days where he said he kind of dials it in, with it being his job. Tried to find it there for the exact words, but couldn't get it on google.

This is probably the worst album he’s put his name to.

Hoped this was hyperbole ... sadly not :(

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I tend to blow with the wind with musicians I like, which isn't to my credit, but I really couldn't force myself to care enough to finish this album after two tries. It's only 29 minutes long, too! I think it's the most tedious thing he's done if you don't count British Nuclear Bunkers, which isn't really comparable.

Anyone heard the electronic album he did that was given away with that magazine? Worth hearing at all?

I still stand by my opinion Baader Meinhof is one of the greatest albums of the '90s (as are the first two Auteurs LPs).

This is the only track from 'Freqs' I've heard/found anywhere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxwY6jfi9Y

An album of that would not be my cup of tea.

Did anyone see what led Luke to delete his twitter? Apparently he got into a flame war with some writer named Mark Beaumont. Everything Luke said is deleted and I’m trying to piece it together.