SATURDAY TO CUM SHAPES TO

April 28th, 2012 at 11:11am
Kip Wingerschmidt

NYC has been in a splooge-filled flutter this week largely due to the Refused reunion shows that hit on Sunday and Monday. Only a scant few of us didn’t get to see one of these seminal events, but rest assured if you’re among the shmucks who didn’t make it out there are still tickets available for July’s Refused show at the new Williamsburg Park outdoor venue. Sadly, I’m talking to ME.

But did you know that the title of the most-famous Refused album The Shape of Punk to Come is a reference to the classic 1959 Ornette Coleman album The Shape of Jazz to Come?

Well that Ornette album, much like the Refused one, was seriously challenging in its day (and frankly, even today) and I for one think it’s a mighty cool homage for a hardcore band to pay to one of the pioneers of free jazz. There are even some nice jazz shoutouts including a “jazzy” walking bassline in the third track and vibraphone (allbeit along with electronics & non-jazzy drums) in track five.