Elliott Minor - 'Jessica'
One of the great lies/misunderstandings of the original 1970s punk rock explosion was that musical proficiency - the ability to play your instruments and sing - is a bad thing. I say 'misunderstanding', because lots of the key punk bands were actually pretty tasty players (trust me, that's how musicians actually talk), but were considered to be dunces by the rock press because they didn't play deliberately obtuse jazz skronk in tricky time-signatures. The original idea behind the punk movement was that anyone could be in a band, if they had a forward-thinking attitude, a good look, and (this is the the really important bit) some really good IDEAS.
Of course, down the years that's been obscured by idiots who just want to wallow in their own stupidity, but that's not music's fault.
Which brings me to Elliot Minor, former choristers from York with a public schoolboy sort of name (you oiks might not know that if your surname is Elliot, and you're at a posh school with your elder brother, he'll be called Elliot Major, and you'll be called Elliot Minor). Their soon-to-be breakthrough single fizzes with punk energy, but is structured so's to spiral up toward the very heavens, rather than break down the fabric of society.
And the key to all this lies in their choirboy past. Not just because of the vocal seriousness and harmonic warmth - there's at least one fret-shredding guitar hero in the band after all, so it's not like this is a rock version of the theme to The Vicar Of Dibley.
No, the hint of cassocks and cathedrals comes more from the cunning, well-placed shifts from major to minor and back again as the verse inflates into the chorus and the chorus lifts from one plateau (the "walk into the night" bit) to another ("superstar, you mean so much to me"). Up and up it goes, getting bigger and brighter and more dramatic with every passing bar...and then there's a guitar solo.
If you've ever heard a choral recital, you'll recognise some of the tricks the Minor are using here, and this is where throwing aside the Great Punk Lie is essential. Even though the distance between this and what Muse do is, well, no distance at all, it still has the fresh feeling of a bunch of choirboys innocently making what they know best work in a louder and more vulgar context, and accidentally hitting on a genius idea in the process.
Which is pretty close to the original spirit of the punk thing, ACTUALLY...
Download: Out now
CD Released: August 6th
(Fraser McAlpine)
Comments
4 stars?! are you crazy?! this song is absolutely rubbish [being polite there], their first song was bearable, but this stuff's terrible...
im so gutted, i was meant to see these guys in june but got ill :( stinkng flu.. and now on their tour coming up theyre not going to birmingham. in may i missed ffaf as i had my geo exam the next day and now in december theyre touring and arent coming back to birmingham either. its not fair! :'(
elliot minor rock!!!
It's ok... there's bits of it i really like but overall it doesn't seem that special
I did like 'parallel worlds' though.
Not a bad band.
Ach this is nothing like Muse.. this is just so much more with the awesome :P
The violin rocks
kat, have you seen muse live?! if not do, cus youre opinion of them might just change
Na never got a chance to catch them at smaller venues and they mostly play the SECC now I think.. I only go there when seeing the band is a matter of life and death :P
i dont know how to describe it in words plainer than these kat.. MUSE ARE AMAZING LIVE!! simple as
anyone agree??
kerri, i agree.
jessica is good but i think i prefer some of their other songs, eg jacky jules or running away
AHHHH i've been waiting for this! But I can't find the vid anywhere on youtube, it keeps getting taken off! Elliot Minor are so funny, lolz at the webisodes. who knows what i mean when i say about sausage son and BV night?? Ha.
And muse are pure awesomeness live. You get a brilliant atmosphere anyway!
Don't worry Kerri, my mate Flori's going to see them and she would've taken me, but my parents said no cos at the bottom of the advert in Kerrang! it said all shows 14+ and I'm 12. Grrr.
Anyway, see yaz people. Madina Lake has come on the tv! And here's an interesting fact for you, Fraser. This song was written about Jessica Alba!
bye
xxxxx
ooh I remember my maths teacher went and saw muse ages back actually.. that was possibly what put me off the idea :S
If I ever hear that they're playing somewhere small I'll go... but while they stick to the bigger venues... meh
i dont think youre going to find them in a small venue unless their careers take a sudden dive for the worse, and i dont see that happening. i payed almost £35 to see them at the nec and it was worth every penny. theyre not even one of my favourite bands but live theyre in a league of their own. theyve been the best british live act around for a long time, do you really wanna miss out on that if youve got the chance to see them?
Where's my comment gone? I just looked here, and my comments gone! What the hell!
its those stickin comment stealing goblins. i posted a really long one on the sum 41 blog and it isnt there :(
yay your comment is back :D
the annoying thing for me was that i WAS going to go, i was looking forward to it very much so and THEN the night before i got really bad flu. ARGH! and now theyre not coming back, well, yet atleast.. and mcr are doing four dates later in the year but not near me too, thats even worse :( birmingham is meant to be the second city, so why miss it out?! and atleast youre 12 and can go to some gigs, i wasnt allowed to go to any until i was 16.
Urm...is it? My laptop has gone dodgy.....it isn't showing my comment! wtf has happened? Oh well. I can more or less remember what I said. And i haven't ever been to a gig. I was meant to go to download, but I didn't. And a while ago i was supposed to see good charlotte, but cancelled at last minute. I only know how good some bands are live by vids on youtube and stuff. btw kerri, ur myspace is well good. It's stupid i can't log onto my myspace, piczo or youtube on this though. They've remained virtually unchanged for weeks. Hopefully on monday I can log on at my dads though. I'll get Jessica on single by monday evening hopefully. And this Jessica vid is probably gonna get taken off youtube like the others ya know, Fraser. Just so you know. And I'm well happy, cos this came on non-stop on the Hits yesterday. Does anyone know what day the Kerrang! awards are? I hope Elliot Minor win best british newcomer.....g2g now. This comment is well long.
xxxxx
i left you a comment on your piczo :) and thanks bout my myspace :D i dunno when the awards are but i voted for elliot minor in the best british newcomer! fingers crossed they win it!
oh and your comment WAS up but now its vanished again so its probs not your laptop being dumb :S
luvin this song!!!! cnt believe its got 4 stars tho...
it needs 5!!!!!! lol....anywayz luvin elliot minor..always have, always will!
milli xx
Grr...bloody goblins! I think we should catch one and put it's profile in a nature book....'has tendencies to make innocent peoples chartblogs comments disappear into thin air' lolz. See ya people xxxxx
missed the tour damn it. my friend went and rubbed it in my face =( i lurve elliot minor they rock! Xx
This in awesome song!!! I absolutely LOVE it!!! How can anyone hate this?!?!?!? You should have given it 5 stars!!!!
Elliot minor rock (hehe my myspace fan site 4 them is called that :D )
you should have given Jessica 5 stars btw
Elliot Minor aaaaarrreee amazing! 4 stars!?! should of been 5! On the my space theres comments saying there HMV have sold out! 5 stars defiently.
Jessica is absolutely BRILLIANT. I love it, should definately have had 5 stars... and if it doesn't get into the top 10, then its a fix!!!!!!!!
This song is awesome!!! Such a good band! And so musically talented!! :)
So chuffed Elliot Minor are Top 20!!! Have just found out they are playing right near me at a new festival, nothing good ever happens in Hampshire! Bring on ButserFest!!!
This is the most incredible song ever!
This song is ace and i cant wait for there album
thank god we have a good band who aren't
manufactured can't wait til the 2nd of sep wen they play at bingley
rock on elliot minor
york lads
lv Rosey from Leeds
Am i the only one who thinks Elliot Minor are absolutly rubbish?
Sure, the first one was ok, but this song really takes the biscuit, it's terrible. D:
I love Elliot Minor!
And this song is just another example of how amazing they are
And they are so awesome live too!
Everyone should check them out.
Truly amazing =]
You gotta love Alex.
Elliot Minor are an awesome band who really deserve the success theyre gonna get ...
You idiots calling them Lame are gonna be kicking urself in a few months ..haha
:]
SMOOSH xx
ELLIOT MINOR ARE THE BEST THING YOUR EARS HAVE HEARD!!!!
from the gorgeous looks to the music i love every bit of it!
they deserve to get a no 1 with Jessica!
I LOVE ED! lol
This song is ace! and so are all of there songs i've heard most of them and you fall in love with the song straight away there amazing ELLIOT MINOR ROCK! seen them in june and Can't wait to see them again in oct :D so excited
these guys are bloody amazing! and litterally the best band ive ever seen live!" i hope the do well in future! THEY SHOULD!
Is there a snail mail address for fans of Elliot Minor?
This guys are absolutely awesome
I've liked them for ages now!!
If you like Parallel Worlds check out their acoustic version
You can tell they were choristers
They're gonna go far
elliot minor r the best!!!!
anyone who says their not hasnt cant of herd their songs, or bin to a gig
theyr the best band by farr
tryin to get to the nxt gig !!!! hopefully =p
cant wait
love them all, but eds the bestt =p
xxx
Everything about Elliot Minor is amazing. Have seen them 4 times in 7 months and will be again in April. We need more of this kind of music. The guys are sooooooo talented and spend ages meeting their fans which is more than can be said for a lot of Bands.
omg! i went to se elliot minor last night at margate and omg u were brill!!!
i love you guys, best band ever!
and i got a hug of Ed and Alex!!!!!
ahhhhh im still sooo happy!
OMG! Look at Elliot Minor now! They are so awesome these days! I saw them live in concert in Falmouth on Mothers Day and they were absolutely brilliant! The play such a wide range of classical instruments but come out with this punk/indie music, its totally unbelievable!
All of their songs deserve 5 stars (:
(Y)
hiya
elliot minor are the best band ever!!
seeing them on april 12th at astoria with ma best freind, sister and her boyfreind!!
they rock wooo!!
xx
I have to admit I dont think that elliot minor are that influential or that edgy, however for someone who has a varied musical taste from Gilbert and sullivan through to Awoken they are a breath of fresh air. Like most late twenties old farts I am getting fed up of the curse of the emo I remember when bands were angry and passionate not depressed and angst riden. So if a band comes along that is tuneful and have musicianship then why not. Remember in the early nineties when you had mettalica playing with an orchestra or Dream theatre with there classical training they were not ridiculled. So why now do we look at a band that might be a bit poppy and emo and condemn them when they have obvious knowledge of music especially when we idiolise musical retards like the libertines, Oasis, and the stone roses.
I seen Elliot Minor On My Birthday On April 9th in the Manchester Academy, they were amazin it was the best thing ever i was right at the front n i touched Alex Davies :D wooo x
elliot minor r the best band going !!
jessica is a ledgandary song!! whooohooooooooooooooooooooooooooo