Mogwai

I think it's important to draw the distinction between Mogwai's live performances and their recent studio recordings. The live Mogwai shows that I have seen were quite possibly the loudest concerts I have ever attended, complete with eardrum rupturing walls of distortion and all. Their recent recordings are strikingly opposite, showing a much mellower side of this predominantly instrumental band from Glasgow. Here we get to see Mogwai calm down and present some sonic landscapes that are even as pressed glass, quiet, and pretty. For those curious, the title of their album 'Come on Die Young' is apparently a handy Scottish phrase which you can use to intimidate people with whom you are about to get into a fight.

Links of note:

Mogwai's official homepage: http://www.mogwai.co.uk, including some of their tour diaries, which are a riot.

Quite good fan page: http://surf.to/brightlight.

My review, 3/18/01, El Rey Theatre, LA.

If you'd like, you can email me here: richard@hearingmusic.com.

Oh, and all content on these pages is copyright Richard Lewis.