Oasis? They're A Joke, Say The Kaiser Chiefs

The return of the Kaiser Chiefs signals the start of an autumn in which many of the big hitters of British rock are gearing up for major releases. After a year that has been largely dominated by soul divas such as Duffy, Adele and Estelle, the next few weeks will see new albums from Oasis, Keane, Razorlight and Snow Patrol.

Chatting over mugs of tea in the bar of their London hotel, though, a clutch of confident Kaisers appear to welcome the competition.

'We know what a lot of other bands are up to, because we read the papers and we're still interested, as fans,' says Nick, 30. 'But we don't worry about them; we do our own thing.'

'We're also going strong while so many other guitar bands have fallen by the wayside,' adds Ricky, also 30. 'People think that we look on other bands as rivals, but we don't. I listen to groups like Bloc Party and the Arctic Monkeys with great interest. They spur me on, especially the Monkeys. They're a great band, and they make us work harder.'

One group with whom Ricky and his bandmates have had a more fractious relationship are Oasis. Noel Gallagher has made a string of disparaging remarks about the quintet, recently claiming in a Radio 1 interview that he never liked them, despite the fact that he 'did drugs for 18 years'.

The Kaisers themselves dismiss Noel's barbs with typically bluff Yorkshire humour, while pointing out - quite reasonably - that he insults them only to whip up support for his own records.

Guitarist Andrew 'Whitey' White says that the band can brush off Gallagher's jibes as long as they are delivered with a touch of wit.

'He's come out with some pretty uncomplimentary things, but he's also an extremely funny man. He said we were the new Freddie And The Dreamers. So I took a look at Freddie And The Dreamers on YouTube and I have to agree: we are a bit like them.'

'Noel hasn't said anything I'd find offensive,' adds Nick. 'I bumped into him at King's Cross Station recently and it was all fine. It's like a boxing match. We punch each other and then we shake hands and hug at the end. We just don't meet the next night to talk about the fight.'

Read the full interview here.

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Rolling Stone's Hate Affair With Oasis Continues

From the fine folks that gave Paris Hilton's album 'Paris' 3 stars I present you with another shit review of an Oasis record ......

Dig Out Your Soul - Oasis, 2 and 1/2 Stars out of 5

From the beginning, Oasis' greatest strength and most glaring weakness has been shamelessness — the belief that no classic-rock riff is too timeworn, no Beatles allusion too banal to merit blasting out at top volume. At its best, this brutish approach has produced some transcendent music ("Live Forever," "Wonderwall"), but as years have passed and gray hair has sprouted in the Gallagher brothers' moptops, the self-parody has often seemed less charming than wearying. Oasis' latest is heavier on groove than normal, and there are a couple of gripping moments, especially Liam's stately, Lennonesque ballad "I'm Outta Time." But for the most part, Dig Out Your Soul is an almost comically generic Oasis release, from its preponderance of plodding midtempo rockers ("Bag It Up," "Waiting for the Rapture") to the vaguely Indian raga-flavored psychedelic anthems ("To Be Where There's Life"). Then there's the issue of Liam's "philosophizing" — he's entered the Maharishi phase of his Beatles worship, clogging songs with beatitudes like "Space and time and here and now/Are only in your mind." Got that?

Click here to read some comments left by Oasis fans.

Source: www.rollingstone.com

Another Dig Out Your Soul Review

Finally. The new Oasis album is here. And it rocks!

For those of you less enthused by the artsy-fartsy, t-shirt-and-tie, skin-tight jeans-wearing "indie" bands dominating the UK scene of late, new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, is just what the doctor ordered. Yes mates, Rock n Roll is f*#king back!

In the early 90s, Oasis stormed the stage , so to speak, kicking aside the English shoe-gazing bands of the time, taking over from where the grunge era left off. They did so with great rock songs, celebrating life, rather than singing about how sh*tty everything is.

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and mixed in Los Angeles by producer Dave Sardy, Dig Out Your Soul sees a return to those happier times, packaged with better musicianship from a band that is clearly very confident in what they're doing - as they should be.

The opening track "Bag it Up," introduces Liam's classic snarling vocals set to a stomping beat that "throws the kitchen sink" at their recent (more subtle) sound.

"The Shock of the Lightning" and "Waiting for the Rapture," mix the old fashioned Oasis formula with a more mature, groove based, and, at times, bluesy rock ‘n roll sound.

Noel Gallagher's track "Falling Down," already re-mixed by the Chemical Brothers, is destined to be a classic with it's simplicity, soulful vocals, and psychedelic lyrics.

High Quality. There's no other word for the production and arrangements throughout the album. Liam Gallagher's voice at times is pure genius, mixing up the classic rock n' roll vocals with a softer approach when needed.

"I'm Outta Time," is the only ballad on the album. Give this one time, because once it gets inside your head, you just can't help but admire the deceptive brilliance!

Dig Out Your Soul will grow on you, with Noel Gallagher's songwriting beaming with the enthusiasm of the glory days of Definitely Maybe, their critically acclaimed debut LP.

Liam Gallagher's three tracks are immediate and simple. Gem Archer (guitarist) and Andy Bell (Bass) offer insightful lyrics set to a heavy and groove-based sound. Songwriting chief Noel Gallagher's tracks are by far the best.

Now, we don't really give a piss whether or not you like these brooding, hard-living, stage-fighting brothers (god knows they sure don't). The Gallaghers are in fact rockstars, the last of a dying breed, who, time and time again, have the ability to write classic songs. And you can't argue with genius.

Liam Gallagher said it best himself: "If you like, it buy it. It you don't, then don't." Simple as that.

Source: la2day.com

Win A Limited Edition Oasis Goodie Bag!

ilikemusic has one, very special, limited edition Oasis Goodie Bag to give away! The goodie bag includes a tote bag, pin badge, cigarette amp, playing cards and a 7" of the single The Shock Of The Lightning!

Click here to enter the competion.

Source: ilikemusic.co.uk

Win An Amazing Oasis Collector's Item - A Super Deluxe Boxset.

For the first time ever, Oasis are releasing a collectors edition box set of their new record (RKIDBOX51R). A strictly limited quantity of these box sets will be available through the band's web site at www.oasisinet.com and at selected retail stores.

The superbly packaged set (weighing in at a hefty 3.7 kilos) is the only place fans can get all the songs, remixes and audio visual material recorded for Dig Out Your Soul. It includes:

- The album on CD
- Bonus track CD with 9 tracks and remixes
- DVD featuring 40 mins of footage including exclusive behind the scenes making of the album and video for 'The Shock Of The Lightning'
- 4 x heavy weight vinyl records containing the album and bonus tracks
- Deluxe 24 page hardback book
- Mp3 download of the album (oasisinet only)

Fans can see the boxset on YouTube www.youtube.com/oasisinetofficial Plus the band have signed 20 copies of the boxset which will be sold at random from Oasisinet.com.

CLOSING DATE: Thursday 30th October 2008

Source: www.skysports.com

Tickets Still On Sale For The Oasis UK Tour

Tickets are still available from seetickets for the following Oasis UK Arena shows

Sheffield Arena 10/10/2008
National Indoor Arena 13&14/10/2008
Wembley Arena 17/10/2008
Odyssey Arena, Belfast 29&30/10/2008

For more information click here

Source: www.seetickets.com

Liam Gallagher's Dyeing Secret

Noel Gallagher has lifted the lid on brother Liam’s beauty secrets — and claimed he dyes his hair.

Noel said: “Liam’s been dyeing his hair for a while. And he wears make-up. I’ve seen him in eyeliner at parties looking like something from A Clockwork Orange.

“And he knows about his moisturiser. I think he’s trying to head off old age but it’ll catch him.”

Noel, on the other hand, reckons he’s happy to grow old gracefully.

“It doesn’t bother me. I guess because I’ve never traded on my good looks like Liam.”

After revealing Liam’s little secret, Noel also felt the need to confess one of his guilty pleasures — Coldplay.

Speaking to Absolute Radio’s Christian O’Connell yesterday, he said: “I like Coldplay. I struggle though ’cos I’m in a band with three other guys who hate Coldplay.

“The trouble is when I try to defend them I’m like, ‘Listen, this song sounds like The Beatles’ then Viva La Vida comes on and that sounds like bloody Annie Lennox Walking On Broken Glass! I can’t defend them.”

Source: www.thesun.co.uk

Times Review Of Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul

Pete Paphides

4 stars out of 5

There’s something oddly reassuring about Liam Gallagher’s inability to be anything other than his unswerving absolute self. Asked recently if Oasis had considered putting out their new album as a free download, the monobrowed singer revealed his neophobia in a way that only he could. Eccentrically. “Look, I’m trying salmon, that’s as far as my interest in new things goes,” he declaimed impatiently.

Two days ago, then, when all of the new album appeared (albeit in a non-downloadable form) on their MySpace page, you suspect that Liam may not have even been aware of the fact – less still his brother. Noel’s mistrust of progress has pretty much informed Oasis’s lack of it over the last decade.

While their two most notable rock contemporaries, Thom Yorke and Damon Albarn, have shed skin after skin to keep themselves artistically relevant, Oasis have merely turned up the volume, lowered their heads and peddled workmanlike Brit rock. As Noel Gallagher has confessed, he may never write another Live Forever or Wonderwall. But when your band is a Grateful Dead for the new Labour years then your fanbase will continue to be here now for you, through good times and bad.

Which is something of a mixed blessing. On the cement-footed Don’t Believe the Truth in 2005, Noel Gallagher sounded like a man who could use a little pressure to raise his game. But Dig Out Your Soul suggests that Oasis may be dipping their toes into experimental waters, and enjoying the sensation.

What the online move this week illustrates is that someone somewhere believes that Oasis have produced some music to rival those high-water marks. They’re not wrong. Noel Gallagher is no longer possessive about appearing in the credits of every Oasis song. Liam turns in an unprecedented three contributions, while the bassist Andy Bell and guitarist Gem Archer chip in with one apiece. And somewhere amid the relative seclusion of his rural retreat, Noel’s writing appears to have acquired a renewed sense of urgency.

There’s very little on Dig Out Your Soul that’s as adventurous even as trying salmon for the first time. That said, there are moments where you feel like flinging your arms around the Gallaghers for the modest innovations: the hypnotically sluggish rhythm that pushes along Liam’s stoned vocoder vocal on Get Off Your High Horse Lady; the demonic swamp rock of Waiting for the Rapture, executed with febrile intensity.

It’s an album that maintains an irresistible atmospheric pull for sustained periods – and that’s an advance on anything the band have offered this decade. Certainly, they’ve written nothing that sounds quite like The Turning, a moody five-minute beauty that moves from a tentative electric piano and climaxes with a nocturnal FM rock climax.

At this stage, an Oasis album that totally divests itself of all Beatles influences is asking a bit much. Gem Archer’s sole compositional contribution, To Be Where There’s Life, charges along on a bassline, played by Bell, that may push Paul McCartney’s eyebrows up into the realms of physical implausibility. Falling Down deploys an identical rhythm to the one invented by Ringo Starr on Rain, but it’s being played by Ringo’s son Zak Starkey. More importantly, it sits at the centre of another Oasis song that corresponds to little else in their canon – a rain-lashed, nocturnal hymn to uncertainty and vulnerability.

Of course, vulnerability isn’t something on which the older Gallagher has a monopoly. But the brothers’ ways of showing it couldn’t have been more different. On the rare occasions that Noel has sung Wonderwall it has sounded like a 2am cry for help. The reason Oasis became a social phenomenon, though, was because Liam could sing the same lyrics and sound like a man who could punch a hole through a door to prove how f***king sensitive he is.

But Wonderwall was a long time ago. And if Liam was the same person that he was in 1995, he surely couldn’t have sustained a quiet family life with Nicole Appleton over the years. It’s a view lent some weight by I’m Outta Time. Like every song that Liam will ever write, the John Lennon influence is unavoidable. But, over the course of his most tender vocal to date, he sounds oddly, movingly enraptured. Another first.

Relaxed as Noel is, three Liam classics on one album might have been a bit much to stomach. So it may be no accident that the other two Liam songs aren’t quite up to the same standard. Of Ain’t Got Nothin’ and Soldier On, one was a discarded song unearthed only at the last minute. But which one? Surely the former, a Who-style sonic dust-up of minimal melodic traction?

Actually, it’s the far superior Soldier On. Here, Liam’s reflective paean to perseverance oscillates soberly between a single titular mantra and bursts of keening melodica from Noel, until both dissipate, as if to leave room for closing credits. Could you really have been listening to the best Oasis album since Definitely Maybe? Maybe not definitely. But definitely more than maybe.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk