Grinderman, Grinderman (Mute)

Before we start, my not entirely interesting Nick Cave story: 10 years ago, he came into the shop in which I was working and enquired about a Sony Playstation.  He wanted one, clearly.  “But,” he asked, “will it work on my shitty little TV?”.

Anyway, it is now my turn to ask a question: are we still interested in the output of Nick Cave?  I’m guessing he is asking a similar question, by the way he has esconced himself within a new band.  This is Grinderman, not Nick Cave, not Nick Cave and the Grindermen, and most certainly not Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (although there are a couple of Bad Seeds involved)

This is a filthy record.  Filthy in sound, all fucked-up, scuffed-up, scuzzed up, noise and distortion, tinny drums and howling feedback.  Filthy of mouth too, sweary and sex-obsessed (a bit rapey, even); songs are called “No Pussy Blues” and “Love Bomb” for heaven’s sake, as if possessed by the twin spirits of Jon Spencer and Tom Jones (ewwwwwwwww!).  Nick works himself up into a filthy evil-Otis tizzy on “Honey Bee”, fa-fa-fa-ing as if it will call down old Nick himself.  I have no idea what the likes of the delicate and decidedly unfilthy “Chain Of Flowers” is doing on here, and I suspect it too is a bit scared.

In answer to his question, yes, it should have done.  In answer to my question, yes, I think we should be.  Nick Cave has dug himself out of a bit of a middle-aged rut with Grinderman.  The rock and roll muse has revisited him, hallelujah, and he has been possessed again by some of his madder youthful demons.  Grinderman is a filthy riot, and heads are going to be ripped off when they do this thing live. 

Listen to “No Pussy Blues”, featuring Nick Cave killing an electric guitar, here
Listen to more at their myspace page here.