Kleenex/Liliput: Live Recordings, TV-clips, & Roadmovie

Kill Rock Stars

There is no doubting the strong influence the (mostly) female Swiss band Kleenex (later renamed Liliput) had on current feminist post-punk rock movements like Riot Grrrl. Their brief period of activity was between 1979-1983, (in which they went through many line-up changes), but the band’s music is anything but dated, standing the test of time and a testament to their innovative and influential sound.

Live recordings aren’t always the best representation of a band’s sound—especially when it comes to avant-garde punk music—when even studio recordings can be a bit grainy and under-produced and aurally challenging (rightly so, as it is punk rock!). What live recordings often capture is the spirit of a particular time serving as documentation and historical reference. This is important for all music, yet especially so for obscure, underground bands that helped shaped musical history but have the potential to fall through the cracks. This is why the Kill Rock Stars CD/DVD release of Kleenex/Liliput’s Live Recordings, TV-Clips, & Roadmovie is an important one.

Compared heavily with The Slits, Kleenex/Liliput have a similar tribal/mid-paced punk sound, with funky bass lines, trebled slightly out of tune guitars, sometimes saxophone, and layered female vocals ranging from the nonsensical baby gibberish to the strong, shrill, and assertive (think Kathleen Hanna of Le Tigre and Bikini Kill). If you have not heard their music before, then a better introduction would be the Kill Rock Stars 2001 re-issue of a double CD containing all of the band’s studio recorded songs.

This current release, which contains two live shows, one recorded in Biel in 1979 (when the band was Kleenex) and one, as Liliput, recorded in Zurich in 1983, has that grainy archival quality best reserved for established fans and music history buffs. Not that the sound is terrible; I was actually surprised at the quality, which is another testament to the band’s awesomeness—sloppy enough to be punk rock, but still bearing the hallmarks of good musicianship, and what would have been an awesome live show. The accompanying DVD contains three songs from when the band was Kleenex in 1978 and three from when they were Liliput. It is again interesting to watch as historical documentation, but to be fair, some of it can be found on YouTube.

Overall, this is an excellent and important release from Kill Rock Stars. You will definitely gain feminist punk points having it in your CD collection, but you probably won’t bust it out as often as the aforementioned discography.

Review by Jyoti Roy

MONO - Holy Ground: NYC Live with The Wordless Music Orchestra

Temporary Residence

MONO is a golden goose. Their live album, Holy Ground, is a golden egg. With three guitars, drums, and sans vocals, they are completely focused on the music at hand. Both their music and performance are intense and entrancing. MONO's sound is a mix of classical and rock, at times gliding with genres such as shoegaze and post-rock. For a better idea, imagine a movie score set to beautiful, dramatic visuals. At times, they remind me of bands such as Dead Can Dance.

On Holy Ground, band members Tamaki Kunishi, Takaakira Goto, Yoda, and Yasunori Takada are joined by The Wordless Music Orchestra. Here we have a literal celebration of strings. The band sets the mood while the orchestra really makes the music fly. Takaakira and Yoda have fun dueling with fingering, distortion, and effects; Tamaki sways with her guitar and ruminates at the piano; Yasunori forever fuels the beat. The Wordless Music Orchestra takes the drama of each song and blasts it into outer space, taking the listener along for the ride.

Each song delights the senses in a different way. My skin bristled with chill during "Ashes In The Snow." The solemn emptiness is felt in "Burial At Sea." "Where Am I" made me think of a lonely person roaming a rainy street at night.

The album also comes with a DVD of the concert, which is great. I think DVDs of live shows are a perfect backdrop while cleaning, crafting, or moving furniture in your apartment. While you're working, you receive the benefit of music and when you're sitting for a spell, there's something interesting to watch on TV. Though the film quality is a bit on the grainy side, it's still a treat to see how these musicians play live. It's easy to pretend that you were actually there.

Holy Ground: NYC Live With the Wordless Music Orchestra is a flawless collection from a skilled ensemble.

Review by Jacquie Piasta