Straight Outta Norway: Therese Aune
Since it is the end of the year and none of the trusty blogs that I read are posting, I have basically been hunting the Scandinavian-esque interwebs looking for tasty morsels of auditory delectability. Here is one. Like a Norwegian Coco Rosie/Regina Spektor or something. Listen more here.
News from Finland: Keramick and Lobo
Given my love for all things Scandinavian, I have been a little confused at the lack of coverage on the Finnish side of things. And, as a matter of fact, there are a lot of great bands from Finland! For example, Keramick and Lobo are a duo hailing from the nations capitol Helsinki and consists of Jussi Mikkonen and Visa Mäkinen. Their music is heavily electronic but has textures similar to the Notwist (and other Kid A influenced softspoken electro bands). The video's snowy landscapes match perfectly to the cozy soundscape of the song and somehow makes everything feel really warm. Also, if one were judge a band by their listed influences on myspace Keramick and Lobo would win. Who else cites Air, Grizzly Bear, MF DOOM, R. Kelly, Bon Iver, AND Tom Waits? No one.
Scott's Favorite Albums of 2009
I will preface this post with the traditional disclaimer: by no means is this list attempting to be an objective collection of the year's best music; it is simply the albums that I enjoyed the most over the last twelve months. Brandon's list should be coming soon too.
2009 was a great year for music. The top three albums on my list are not original; you can count on seeing them near the top of many lists this month. So I would kindly refer you to the rest of my list, which I hope is an unique contribution to the blogosphere discourse.
New Fredrik on the Way
My roommate Andrew has been listening to Fredrik's Na Na Ni all week. It's a perfect cold-weather album that made it into my top 5 of 2008. The best description of Fredrik's sound? Organic. I am still not sure how they manage to manipulate electronic percussion into sounding like creaking tree boughs. The songs cycle like homespun cloth and have an addictive movement that mimics the twirling of an antique music box (I know, right?).
And as I was taking a spin around the blogosphere this morning I stumbled upon some news! Fredrik is preparing to release their sophomore album in January. Its titled Trilogi. Two tracks have been released to the internet so far, and from what I've heard, Fredrik's sound has been preserved while their melodies have taken a turn towards the melancholic.
The darker songs suit them, and though the joyous anthems of Na Na Ni will never become tiresome, the change is welcome.
The album will be released 1/26 on The Kora Records.
Here is the first single from Trilogi (2010):
and from Na Na Ni (2008):
Catch a video and another mp3 from the new album at Stereogum
Video: Mos Def - Supermagic
More and more, hip hop forgoes any notions of an album as a coherent whole, as a statement in and of itself. Instead, artists' write in favor of "the hit" single. However, Mos Def is amazing. And while that is a non-sequitur, his most recent album is not. Each song is creative and well carried out, varying in structure and length making for a very accomplished and dynamic listen. Among many other things, the album has rapping in spanish, lots of middle eastern sounding instrumentation, and a variety of subject matter giving it a sense of relevancy that goes way beyond sex, guns, and drugs. Although these things do make their appearances, it isn't always in the glorified way mainstream rap portrays them. I posted this Fallon performance a couple weeks ago, so here is a more constructed version of what Mos Def can do. The video is for the first song off the album is called "Supermagic" and does a lot to elaborate the sheer intensity of the song. Pretty much just Mos Def staring at you, spitting lyrics and coming at you. Its kind of terrifying until you realize he really looks like that guy from Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy...
Mountain Man: Mountain Man (2009) Review.
I feel weird listening to Mountain Man on my ipod. The ironically named band of three women folkies have produced an antiquated record that sounds like a cassette recording of your hippie neighbor's backyard vegan barbecue. The songwriting is exceptional; harmonies slide back and forth in a traditional folk style, sure to evoke some scene from "O Brother Where Art Thou?".
Mountain Man walk a fine line between Sacred Harp (think Cold Mountain OST), gospel, and Gregorian chant that makes for quite an eclectic mix of tunes. Opener "Animal Tracks" finds all three singers weaving their voices together; their slurring style recalling the rawness of Bon Iver's debut. One feels, in some nostalgic sense, that the lyrics of the chorus could not be sung in any other way ("And the sweat will roll down our backs / And we'll follow animal tracks"). It has the sound of some lost childhood anthem of adventure, sung in unison as the three women trudge through the forest. For such a humble recording, its quite devastating.
On the other side is "Bathtub", a short (2 min) ceremonial song that takes a few listens to appreciate. The opening acoustic guitar is ugly; octave notes, slightly out of tune, played with a harshness that is only matched by the sheer power of the vocals. The forcefully sung chorus eventually falls into a gorgeous chord, ending with the three-part harmonized: "And the bath water's still running." The otherwise petty line holds a significant weight that sends chills down the spine.
Mountain Man's self-titled debut album is only seven songs long, none of which cross the three minute mark. Totaling about 16 minutes of music, the record feels compact and subtle, as if it was secretly recorded and never meant to be heard. You feel as if you've been listening in on an intimate rehearsal; some notes are out of tune, the sound isn't mastered well. You find yourself turning up the volume on softer sections only to be blasted with the sharpness of an elevated refrain. But it is exactly this dynamic physical connection that gives the album it's charm.
8.5 out of 10
Mountain Man :: Animal Tracks (from, Mountain Man [2009])
My Favorite Albums of 2010
2010 Was the Best Ever!As best as this year as been for music, with all the leaks/rumors of albums for next year I am beginning to think that 2k10 might be even bester. Stereogum just posted their 25 most anticipated albums of 2010 and while their list is fantastic and and very blogcore, mine is a little different/personalcore. With few exceptions, all of the bands below hold onto the notion of an album as a cohesive and coherent form and are apt at producing music within the constraint. While some people are all worried about this particular form, I prefer simply to enjoy it and not worry about its sustainability. For this reason and in no particular order, I am looking forward to contributions from:
New Beauty: Soft Cat
So, my favorite blog of the year is definitely the Swiss Delicious Scopitone. Most of their articles are both in French and English (for easy reading!) and they find the most consistently beautiful lo-fi gems (so hot right now!). Most of the posts are small witty narrative pieces that tie the song titles into a description of the music without telling you how to situate the music within the greater context of music forever (which is nice).
The most recent post is on a band from Baltimore called Soft Cat who sound a bit like an atmospheric Akron/Family circa their self titled album. They create subtle and fragile compositions that slowly unfurl using mainly guitar and voice, but they also use many different (well placed) orchestral and percussive instruments. Their melodies are often slow developing and quite heartbreaking, located somewhere between Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes. If you like what you hear, give em some love; their myspace currently has just over 1,000 plays.
mp3: Silver Babies in the Sun - Soft Cat (Highly Recommended!)
mp3: It Won't be Long - Soft Cat
First Aid Kit Cover Fleet Foxes
[via]
The Swedish Duo First Aid Kit also recently did another video for La Blogotheque walking around outside and playing music. Easily one of the best Fleet Foxes covers I have ever seen.
Mos Def ft Talib Kwali W/ The Roots and Dirty Projectors
[via]
I know there has been all this whatnot about hip-hop and indie music having a secret love affair recently but it seems like kind of a stretch. Sure, Jay-Z went to a show, Solange Knowles covered a song, Chiddy Bang sampled everyone ever, but these things are not as much evidence of a real embrace as much as capitalizing on a new market.
And yet, just when I was going to hang up my Sherlock Holmes detective cap and call it another mystery solved, I came across this video. Now, I am not sure how good Jimmy Fallon's show is, but he has The Roots. and he is good at having them play with interesting people. which counts for something. The Mos Def/Talib Kweli song is already really good on its own and The Roots add at a lot of instrumental depth. But instead of stopping there Fallon somehow got the ridiculously good combination of Amber Coffman and Haley Dekle of the Dirty Projectors to sing the back up vocal from the song. Their voices are so recognizable and distinct that it adds a whole other dimension to the song. THIS is the sort of love affair that I want to watch. Keep it comin, Brooklyn.
Nellie Nguyen – Oak Tree
Apparently this is the only recorded material Ms. Nguyen has but it is a beautiful melodious folk song all the same [via].
will smith?
bahahahahha. some portland (i think?) hipsters doing a will smith medley. just for you guys. and whoever reads "look at this fucking hipster".
Big Fan of Phantogram
Phantogram.I just wanted to jump on this before it was old news. I was bumbling around the blogosphere the other day and stumbled upon a new-ish band from New York called Phantogram.
I haven't really stopped listening to them since (minus an interlude for the new Yeasayer track, which is pretty sweet).
I've been trying to think of ways to describe Phantogram's sound, but I will let them speak for themselves:
"We wanted to incorporate all our own influences and created our own sound that's a combination of Serge Gainsbourg, sampling and Detroit hip-hop. How I explain it to the customers who come into the restaurant where I work is that we sound like a combination of Kanye West and Radiohead" - Singer, Sarah BarthelWell I don't really hear the Gainsbourg, but I can get behind the Kanye/Radiohead description. Phantogram has attempted to layer two genres that are rarely successfully combined (If it's safe to call Kanye West and Radiohead genres)--and they pull it off.
As far as other influences, lets just throw in School of Seven Bells, Beach House, The xx, TV on the Radio, and M83 for good measure.
All genre confusion aside, Phantogram just write good songs. Barthel's voice is dynamic and nuanced as it soars over thick beats and subtle electric guitar lines. The songs are crisp and fresh; new but utterly familiar. I highly recommend it. Lets just start with the first two tracks of their forthcoming LP Eyelid Movies:
Phantogram :: Mouthful of Diamonds
Phantogram :: When I'm Small
Kings of Convenience: Soirée de Poche
And as a side (bottom?) note, I need to mention that I absolutely love La Blogotheque, and not just because they are French and I like to pretend I can read French. I love them because they make videos like this all the time. "Les Soirées de Poche," according to the website "sont des concerts acoustiques et intimistes organisés par la Blogothèque dans des lieux privés." Love it.
CANT you dig it?
The Weird Looking Bass Player Can Sing Too, You Know.Chris Taylor, the bassist for some band called The Grizzly Bears (I think they are from New York?), has started a label called Terrible Records and it's going to take a lot more than this song to live up to the name.
What song?
Well Chris Taylor also is venturing off on a "Grizzly Bear side project that sounds just like Grizzly Bear" called CANT. This guy has some self-esteem issues.
Cheer up Chris!
Well I have given the song a listen and it is good. Mr. Taylor has produced both Grizzly Bear albums, and it certainly shows here as he strikes out on his own. For those of you keeping score, I would mark it in the "Yellow House" category... which of course is a great thing.
CANT :: Ghosts
Alela & Alina: Harmonies Good for the Soul
Alela and Alina: Alliteration Abounds!So, big news in the folk world (which consists of more people than just myself, turn out), is that Alela Diane and Alina Hardin are teaming up for an EP! It is called "Alela and Alina." Duh. It's being sold as a "companion album" to Diane's (excellent) album released earlier this year To Be Still.
There are six songs total on this ep: some old, some new. The three I have heard are absolutely lovely, my favorite being "Bowling Green"
While I must admit that I had not even heard of Alina's name before this glorious event, I gave both her and the duo a good listening to (based on the sole theory that anything Alela is involved with must be pleasant to the ears) and I was not disappointed. Alina has a soft, whispery voice, and a simple guitar to accompany her. Together, their voices find their home. Somehow they just fit perfectly. It is beautiful to behold.
The EP is available now via Rough Trade Records and there's even a special 10" vinyl. But, buy quickly. They are only printing 100 copies!
(plus, their song, "The Rake" correlates with my homework reading, so this can't even be considered procrastination. Thanks guys!)
This Week in WTF?
Mix and Match! Flea, Thom Yorke, Weezer, Lil' Wayne, Danger Mouse, James MercerSo, this week has been a doooozy for WTF collaborations. First of all, Thom Yorke, from Radiohead or something, will be playing two shows with his "solo" band in L.A. the Sunday and Monday. The bass player in said band is none other than Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, which makes me go "...?" The band also includes Radiohead's producer Nigel Godrich who is like the George Martin of Radiohead. According to Thommy, the strange band is just “for fun” and in a truly inspired comment he said, “We don’t really have a name and the set will not be very long cuz .. well .. we haven’t got that much material yet,” on Radiohead's blog. Brilliant. Plus I think he reads teen girl novels. I hope this means Radiohead's next album is completely mid 90's funk and they will all wear cock-socks during shows.
But wait! The fun continues. You know how Weezer is all weird and goofy and does whatever they want? Well apparently Rivers Cuomo got cough syrup enthusiast Lil' Wayne to rap on a song for Weezer's forthcoming (and radically titled) album, Raditude......?... OH! Get it? Like Weezer and Weezy? Perfect sense, right? Again, in rather inspired comment, Cuomo said "Any other rapper would've just done, 'Yay, we're partying! Let's drink and have fun,' but [Wayne] gave it the edge I was looking for." But really Weezer doesn't need any help in that regard. I mean, what is edgier than "Pork and Beans"?
And finally, the most promising of WTF collaborations. You know Danger Mouse, the guy who created The Grey Album, produced DangerDoom, and is half of Gnarls Barkley? He is definitely now in a band, tentatively called Broken Bells, with The Shins crooner James Mercer. This one makes me go "...?..!" So yeah, they have a release planned for early 2010 on Columbia Records.
Via P4k, "Mercer and the Mouse are apparently in it for the long haul and already have plans extending past their first album." Legit!UPDATE: somehow I left out the other indiefolkie/hip hop collab. GZA and Devendra?!? As DiS writes:
So, though their mutual respect and the prospect of them working together is fairly clear, just what sort of material they'll produce is not. Rapping over folkish guitar lines and arrangements? Or some ROUGH BEATS backed by some ethereal whining? Or, perhaps, just something completely left-of-field like, I dunno, them covering the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein. We can't rule anything out at this stage but we wait with a ridiculously high level of anticipation.YES!
New Documentary: Sufjan in "All The Way From Michigan Not Mars"
This is a video in promotion of a new movie documenting the collaborative effort between Sufjan, Denison Whitmer, and Rosie Thomas that became the latter's These Friends of Mine. Via the excellent blog on all things Sufjan, All Good Naysayers:All The Way From Michigan Not Mars a DVD featuring Rosie Thomas, with Denison Witmer, Sufjan Stevens and Sheila Saputo, will be released by Factory 25 on October 27th. Additionally, a limited edition package with the DVD and LP will be released which includes “never-before released Apartment Sessions with Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer that evolved into Thomas’ 2007 album, "These Friends Of Mine.”I have heard a lot of versions of this song and this is easily the most chilling and heartbreaking and beautiful.
Pre-order DVD at Insound.
New Grizzly Bear Song
I definitely think Victoria Legrand should just join Grizzly Bear. Or maybe all of Beach House could join forces in some Grizzly House Beach Bear collaboration. Anyway this song is lovely and slow and sounds like Yellow House. Also, here is a great article on Grizzly Bear's artistic trajectory.
Sufjan Explosion! New Songs Debuted Live
Sufjan Related Things Happened This WeekAt a recent concert in Ithaca, NY, everyones favorite Michigan bred musician debuted several new songs (like a couple other awesome musicians)...and the internet went nuts. The man hasn't written a proper album in 4 years and counting, though he has released a superb collection of Illinoise era b-sides, an epic collection of christmas songs, a long orchestral piece with visual accompaniment and a string quartet reworking of his 2001 electronica album, Enjoy Your Rabbit. While that may seem like a lot of output for most artists (and it is, certainly), it is ultimately unsatisfying coming from a man who is so gifted at the art of crafting albums proper.
All that being said, the most dynamic of the three new tracks he debuted, entitled "There's Too Much Love," doesn't find Mr. Stevens exploring new territory as much as combining all of his old ventures into one grand epic work. This formula isn't even entirely new for Sufjan, as his contribution to compilation-of-the-year-contender Dark Was the Night, entitled "You are the Blood," suggests a similar approach. However, whereas "You Are the Blood" sounds more apocalyptic than anything else, "There's Too Much Love" is downright catchy at its core (at least the first half is). It certainly unites the majority of Sufjanisms including self-critical/conscious lyrics, electronica, a combination male/female vocals, a plethora of harmonies and vocal echoes (feat. Cryptacize's Nedelle Torrisi), fusion orchestral-and-pop arrangements, measured instrumental chaos for compositional counterpoint, jazz instrumental interludes etc. The first half of the song sounds big and inclusive in the vein of Illinoise, until it drops into a more intimate, reflective Seven Swans type instrumental (with the brass section doing their best be-bop impression) during the second half. Not to mention the song itself is seven minutes long, which is a length Sufjan has more often than not transcended since he began playing (the heartbreakingly gorgeous) "Majesty Snowbird" live a few years ago. See for yourself:
If you like it and want more, here are videos + mp3s of the other two songs, courtesy of jp'sblog. And if that still doesn't complete your Sufjan fix, you can read his interview of former bandmate Shannon Stephens, who released her first album in 10 years on Asthmatic Kitty this week.
Sufjan Stevens - "You Are the Blood" - Dark Was the Night
Sufjan Stevens - "There's Too Much Love (live)" - Unreleased
Los Campesinos! New Song, Video, Member, Album
Los Campesinos! Do Things!Los Campesinos have been busy as ever recently and as always, we are invited along for the ride through their incessantly updated genius of a blog. First on the list is the replacement for their departed member Aleks Campesinos! who decided to go back to school. It turns out the replacement is none other than lead singer Gareth Campesinos!'s younger sister, Kim (aka the red head to the side). You can (and should) watch their hilarious football-draft-parody about it here.
And, as previously reported, the Welsh septet is working on their third LP (in only 2 years!) which supposedly is about "shagging and death," which is great. The album is to be called There Are Listed Buildings. While there is no release date for the album as of yet (rumors suggest we have to wait until next year), we get a little taste of their recent work in the form of the single "The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future." The track finds lead singer/lyricist Gareth exploring darker themes and more distressed characters over the same energetic instrumentals that we have come to love the Campesinos! for. Overall the result is a more mature sound delivered as passionately and sincerely as ever, which bodes well for the future longevity of the band. The song will be available on a single sided 7" (the band is all about 7"s) on the bands upcoming tour of England, and for a limited time thereafter.
Here is also a video for the song, created by Ellen, the Campesinos!'s bass player.
The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future from Los Campesinos! on Vimeo.
Mp3 - Los Campesinos! - "The Sea is a Good Place to Think of the Future"
Amazing! Birds on Telephone Lines Make Beautiful Music
Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.
Fanfarlo Covers Neutral Milk Hotel Live
Fanfarlo's version of Neutral Milk Hotel's classic "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" it is a pretty straight forward take on the song (complete with a trumpet and all) and certainly a lot better than that other one I posted. The harmonies help to bring out the more gospel qualities of the song without over loading the track and it still works as a cover simply because of the fact that the original song is so good. Check it:
Elsewhere in NMH news, their label Merge will has announced they will be re-issuing both of NMH's albums on vinyl! This via JP's Blog:
Both albums will be released on 180 gram vinyls and will feature download codes for the tracks at 320 kpbs. Both reissues will not come with any bonus tracks or material but will just be released on their original state. The albums will be released on November 3.Listen - "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea"
Grizzly Bear Video: "While You Wait for the Others"
Los Osos Grizzly from Brooklyn continue their trend of releasing awesome videos for their awesome singles. This one is a little more complex and surreal, featuring a boy in a fencing mask and a ton of other imagisitic (is that a word?) scenes. Mira:
vampire weekend announces new album!
I have been loving Vampire Weekend since I first heard their infinite vibrance and danceability. So, how excited was I when I discovered via their myspace blog that they have a new album being released January 12, 2010 (guess, I dare you)! It's going to be called Contra and it will be out via XL Recordings. Here's to good dance parties ahead.
Kanye Apologizes + Performs w/ Jay-Z, Rihanna on Leno
If you live in a not-internet-gossip cave somewhere, maybe you didn't know why everyone still thinks Kanye West is a jackass. So, if you didn't see it, here is where Kanye stole the microphone from poor little 19 year old country music singer, Taylor Swift, squashing her moment in the spotlight (cause she probably never got attention growing up and all).Anyway, Ye went on Leno yesterday, as previously scheduled, which Jay is mighty thankful for. In the next couple uncomfortable minutes, Kanye gets all sincere and quiet and looks entirely shaken about the whole thing. He ends up dodging a question about what his mom would have thought by saying vaguely "I haven't dealt with pain..."
Then in a brilliantly strange transition, Kanye joins Jay-Z and Rihanna in a performance of "Run this Town" from Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, which dropped on tuesday. Featuring a live band, it was good to see one of my favorite tracks on the new album play so well live. Kanye has to self censor most of his verse (which is the highlight of the song, I think) but that actually seems fitting considering all the not-censoring he's been doing. The whole thing is rather emotional I think.
Jay-Z - "Run This Town" - The Blueprint 3 [2009; Roc Nation]
Jay-Z on Letterman!
Jay-Z is a legend. He basically doesn't have to do any of these TV appearances anymore. Yet he has a great agenda and is keeping himself in the public eye for good reasons. That being said, Hova has other talents as well. Somehow this interview comes off as a perfectly scripted/acted comedy sketch. Only I don't think it is either because I dont think either of them can act that well. Which means its simply a perfectly improved comedy sketch. Only I don't think it was meant to be that. I don't even know how this interview got to be funny. Most of the time Jay-Z looks like a shy, deer in the headlights looking out of the corner of his eyes at dave for direction (but somehow a badass shy deer in the headlights looking at dave for direction). He gives really short answers that kinda kill a lot of Dave's questions, but he seems to be conscious of the comedy in that fact, unlike another one of Dave's guests this year. In the interview itself we find out that Blueprint 3 is "3 times as better" as the other Blueprint album, he is not called Shawn anymore because people stopped calling him Shawn, Lettermen's real name is Dave-Z, Lettermen's marriage is "3 times better" than Jay's,Ha! "Jay-Z everyone! We'll be right back with Martha Stewart." That's gotta be two of the strangest interviews back to back I can think of. All in all, it was a great video though. It's pretty rad how the house band played hard knock life as he walked in. The best part though is when Dave says, "you're married to Beyonce" and some guy goes "Yeahhhhh" and Jay-Z just smiles. Perfect. But speaking of perfect, this man is wise (that's a great segue). I watched this whole 40 minute special from BET and I definitely recommend it for people who feel estranged from the hip-hop world. Jay-Z is a really smart guy, he's not all gangsta badass idontgiveafuck sorta person. Watch it. Unity! Brooklyn! Jay-Z!
Euros Childs Has New Album
Euros Childs, a Welshmen (like some other band I love) who creates intelligent piano based pop songs, released his second solo album yesterday, entitled Son of Euro Child. Though he is supposedly giving it away for free on his website, I couldn't get the link to work. So while I haven't heard the album, his 2008 release, Cheer Gone, is full of interesting compositions and arrangements. For now though, there is this home video of album track "Like This? Then Try This" which I would characterize as a beautifully angular and dark take on a pop song with a few classical flourishes thrown in. Let me know what you think, eh?
Listen at Last.fm
Video: Air "Sing Sang Sung"
Air Gets Animated!As previously noted, Frenchster O.G.s Air are releasing another album (called Love 2). Naturally they are also releasing singles (called "Sing Sang Sung") for said album (called Love 2). Also naturally they are releasing videos for said singles (called "Sing Sang Sung") because that is what one (naturally) does. duh. This post is about that video. The video is as strange as this post. Except in a sort of Super-Mario-3-(for SNES)-meets-Yellow-Submarine-the-movie sorta way, kinda. Terry Gross has nothing on how fresh Air is nowadays.
*Note Youtube disabled embedding for this video. Watch it here.
I definitely think it does the song justice. Easily one of my 10 favorite videos this year. When will they stop? This is Air's 7th album this decade and they all have been pretty solid if not downright awesome examples of chill-core at its finest. I am expecting to see at least a few hits on best artist/album of the decade lists when we get there. Stay Tuned. Love 2 out October 6th
Buy Love 2
Air - "Sing Sang Sung" - Love 2
Amazing! The Beatles do Shakespeare
A Midsummer Night's Dream via Liverpool and screaming teenage girls OR two of the best artists (or groups thereof) ever to walk the earth in one moment...g-d bless youtube
Amazing! Beck, MGMT + Devendra cover Leonard Cohen
There seems to randomly be a lot of buzz about Leonard Cohen recently for no good reason as far as I can tell (other than that he is always amazing). But this is definitely the most amazing. Beck a wonderful man for doing his record club project and his Velvet Underground covers were awesome. This is just like that. Watch.
Taken by Trees Covers Animal Collective: My Boys
I have really been enjoying Victoria Bergsman's aka Taken By Trees's debut album East Of Eden recently. Besides having a lovely Scandinavian voice that lazily croons throughout every track (ahhh!..love) and besides being named after one of my favorite books, the album includes a rather creative take on the decades 9th best song. "My Boys," sticks with the repetition of the original but this time it sounds like hand claps and bongo drums. The insistent bass in the original becomes a synth key here, and the whole thing suggest tropicalia. Bergsman handles the melodies magnificently and now here is the video of it:
Psychologist from Britain Writes His Own David Bowie Song!
Once upon a time this psychologist from Britain, lets call him Dr. Nick Troop, loved David Bowie. He also made music himself and really wanted to be heard. So, logically, he carried out an entire textual analysis of the most "successful" Bowie songs, complete with psychological mumbo jumbo and a variety of exceptions in order to justify a youtube video of himself singing his heart out (because youtube videos need to be logically justified. duh). Apparently Herr Troop, studied the lyrics and and chart position of each of David Bowie's 26 albums, and from this analysis, made the "Ideal" David Bowie song. So here it goes. Presenting "Team, Meet Girls; Girls, Meet Team"(...so I actually like this song...)
Riceboy Sleeps Awakes, Makes Food
Frontman of Sigur Ros makes Original Icelandic CuisineOne of my favorite things is when artists make things for their friends and family for the holidays and then later share it with everyone. Another one of my favorite things is food. That being said, I thought it was a good bit of news when Busymcbusyson himself, Jónsi Birgisson (from that one band) and his boyfriend Alex Somers not only make music, but cook things as well (ahhh! RICEboy Sleeps, I get it now). Originally a gift for friends and family during the 2007 holidays, the cute couples 'Good Heart Recipe Book' is now available for all on their website.
Being the socially conscious (and economically down) Icelanders that they are, the book features 18 "easy and simple to make" recipes that "gather fresh and beautiful ingredients," including Thai Coconut Curry, Noodle Rainbow Miso Soup, and Pistachio Pate.
The best part about this whole thing is that they also made a cooking show type video for demonstration which includes Jonsi squeezing lemon juice out of a lemon with his teeth. The alliterative dish is called "Macadamia Monster Mash" which sounds and looks amazing. Watch:
The book is available here online and here in PDF download.
The album at Amazon
The music at Myspace
Riceboy Sleeps - "Atlas Song" - Riceboy Sleeps [2009; Parlophone, EMI]
The album at Amazon
The music at Myspace
Riceboy Sleeps - "Atlas Song" - Riceboy Sleeps [2009; Parlophone, EMI]
Dirty Projectors New EP and "Stillness is a Move" Music Video
I am not sure how I managed not to post this video when it was actually fresh, but better late then never I guess. Three quarters into the year, it is clear that The Dirty Projectors brilliant opus Bitte Orca is not going to get old anytime soon. And so, to celebrate that fact (?), here is a video for one of the most hipster acclaimed tracks on the record, "Stillness is a Move." The vid features synchronized jumpsuit dancing, lonely Dave Longstreth playing guitar by himself, then the same dave leading a llama (al paca?) up an epic mountain, and TDP's best vocalist Angel Deradorrian rocking out in a suit that looks like lamb chop; pretty much what you would expect. Definitely check it out.The Dirty Projectors have a new EP set to come out September 28th on the wonderful Domino Records entitled Temecula Sunrise (which is coincidentally my favorite track on the album). The EP will be released on 12" vinyl, the B - Side of which features all new material!
Track list as follows:
A Side- Temecula Sunrise
Cannibal Resource
B Side - Ascending Melody
Emblem Of The World
A Side- Temecula Sunrise
Cannibal Resource
B Side - Ascending Melody
Emblem Of The World
Kings of Convenience- Still Awesome
Please excuse the lack of relevance, newsiness, and informativeness in this post....
Sometimes a song you haven't thought about in forever can be the strongest rush of nostalgia.
I just heard Kings of Convenience's "Misread" from their 2004 CD Riot on an Empty Street on KEXP.
Holy shit I love that song. And that CD.
For years now this record has been a staple for my winters.
I immediately think of trudging through six inches of fresh snow on my way to campus in Ellensburg.... loitering outside Starbucks in the suburbs while smoking cigarettes with fingerless gloves.... driving the mountain passes.... too much black coffee.... and a shit-ton of other emo stuff that fits so perfectly with the damp, dreary Washington winter.
Riot on an Empty Street is like a warm fireplace. You should listen to it.
KEXP followed with Belle & Sebastian and Broken Social Scene. I think I have a crush on Cheryl Waters.
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Woah, I just googled it and it looks like this is post is almost timely. Kings of Convenience is releasing a new record on October 2nd called Declaration of Dependence. Their first in five long years. Looks like these Norweigians have an irony fetish as their first album was titled Quiet is the New Loud.
Should Be Famous: Sunnybrook
Track Review: SunnybrookJust came across Sunnybrook, a one man operation from Paul North of Denton, Tx via the chronicle of all things Texan, GorillavsBear. Here's what they had to say:
[North] recently sent over his just-completed debut EP, Water Me Glow. After a handful of listens, the record delivers on all the lofty promise of "Waving Hands," Sunnybrook's glowing, '70s-leaning, Sigur Ros-meets-Seven Swans campfire folk-pop gem. Here's the new album version of that one, and another Water Me Glow standout, the swelling, sentimental "Tiger Bite"Mp3 - "Waving Hands" certainly sounds Seven Swans-y at least in instrumentation whereas the vocals are more akin to Jonsi's ethereal falsetto. And similarly to each of these other artists, the arrangements are intricately (and successfully) layered, creating a palette of music from which your ears can feast upon at any given moment. There are cutesy elements like handclaps and multiple part harmonies (which recalls Woods, perhaps) but instead of feeling near and intimate like Mr. Stevens' album, the track consistently escalates in scope (like a Sigur Ros composition, maybe?) ending in a slight downward arc, slowly shedding layers of instrumentation.
Mp3 - "Tiger Bite" begins with a sleepy vocal line curling up in a bed of slowly strummed guitar chords. Again the composition builds towards an epic scale, adding violin, cymbal rushes, and multiple vocal harmonies part way through the track. Yet, despite the scale of the music the song never gives itself up to bliss. Instead the entirety of the song maintains a quiet intensity. It reminds me of the way Jonsi looks when he sings. It's like the sheer immensity of space the music suggests demands reflection, like being the only human for hundreds of miles and coming across the Grand Canyon. This song could make me cry. I don't think I can say any more.
run toto run covers passion pit. (video)
I had never heard of the band Run Toto Run until I saw this video on My Old Kentucky Blog; as it turns out, they're spectacular. Their music is similar to Passion Pit's: upbeat and poppy, often using more electronic sounds. But in the video, they transform the more mechanical sounds of "Sleepyhead" with a xylophone and a violin. It's the sort of video where the band isn't doing anything too phenomenal, but they look like they're having the time of their lives. Watch and be happy.
Andrew Bird Plays "Anonanimal" in a Cathedral
Say what you will about P4k, but they consistently make things like this video happen. It has always been pretty apparent that Andrew Bird is versatile and talented musician. Multiply that by 20 for anyone who has had the honor to see him live, running around in 'Fitz and dizzyspells.' This video is the most amazing thing I have ever seen him do. No running or anything (though some instrument changing), it is just simply a brilliant composition executed brilliantly. I will stop gushing now. Watch.
Zooey and Joey Love Karaoke
In this video, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel are promoting "Garden State 2." I can't help but find everything Zooey does completely adorably. And speaking of which, I can't help but wonder who would win in a fight between her and Natalie Portman. any thoughts?
This is also amazing.
Three More Things that I Love from Scandinavia
Scandinavia is Better than Your Region.My love for the Northern European region is certainly well documented, so when I discover some lovely new music from three different Scandinavian countries in one week, its a big deal for me.
Everyone's favorite proggy Danish band, Mew (no, not that mew), have released a couple tracks from their upcoming LP, entitled No More Stories Are Told Today I'm Sorry They Washed Away No More Stories the World Is Grey I'm Tired Let's Wash Away, out on August 25 via Columbia.
Mew - "Introducing Palace Players" - No More Stories... [2009; Columbia]
Mew - "Repeaterbeater" - No More Stories... [2009; Columbia]
Now, making the jump from mainland Western Europe, we go to Sweden for the nostalgia-pop duo, Air France (not to be confused with Air, who are a duo from France). The Swedish lads have contributed a song as the second part of a love letter in three parts to their home town of Gothenburg, called "Gothenburg Belongs to Us." The song, which has the same name, is a fairly typical Air France piece of summery synth-pop. Everything they right makes me feel like I have gotten used to living in a foreign place. Part III is a pretty cool video too.
Air France - "GBG Belongs to Us" - A Love Letter in Three Parts
Moving west, we run into Norway's Hanne Hukkelberg who has a video for the title track "Blood from a Stone" from her third full length album. Somehow, despite all of my adoration for Scandinavia, I had never heard of Hukkelberg before but I am sure glad I ran into this. Besides the fact that she looks like Lykke Li, her music, both in the video and throughout her albums, exhibits really catchy pop sensibilities which at the same time tempering all the confection with a sense of archaic longing that I have come to love about certain European acts. Love.
Hanne Hukkelberg - "Blood from a Stone" - Blood From a Stone
Beck Covers The Velvet Underground + Nico: "Sunday Morning"
Beck's website, apparently, will shortly be featuring something called the "Record Club section: a place to follow Beck's ongoing experiment that features different musicians who will record an entire album in one day with him. No songs will be rehearsed or arranged ahead of time, and the only framework to the sessions will be the selection of a particular album to be covered. Every week a new track from these meetings will be uploaded to Beck's site, allowing fans to find something different at Record Club every seven days."
And, if this doesn't sound awesome enough already, the first album he is working on is The Velvet Underground And Nico 1967 album. And if THAT doesn't sound exciting enough, Beck has enlisted the likes of Devendra Banhart, MGMT, Jamie Lidell and Nigel Godrich for upcoming projects on Record Club. Stay tuned for more details.
The Velvet Underground and Nico - "Sunday Morning"
Air has New Album
Air Gives "Love 2" YouBeing as it is the last year of the decade, I have been casually considering what my favorite albums of the aughts (I guess thats what we're calling '00-'09) might consist of. This has inevitably brought me back to Air, most specifically 2004's chillout/sex soundtrack Talkie Walkie. Having been rather prolific this decade, the french duo have been in the news off and on, releasing an album every couple of years and recently, a special edition of their first album, Moon Safari, last year.
The tracklisting is:
‘Do The Joy’
‘Love’
‘So Light Is Her Footfall’
‘Be A Bee’
‘Missing The Light Of The Day’
‘Tropical Disease’
‘Heaven's Light’
‘Night Hunter’
‘Sing Sang Sung’
‘Eat My Beat’
‘You Can Tell It To Everybody’
‘African Velvet’
That being said, it seems Air are preparing to sneak one more album into the decade before it shuts its proverbial doors. The new album is called Love 2 and is set to be released on October 6 of this year. This album marks a bit of a change as, according to Billboard, this album "marks the first time the group wrote, recorded and produced everything on the album" themselves.
If you are anxious to hear what this might sound like, Air is planning on releasing two singles before the album drops, including "Do The Joy" on July 7 and "Sing Sang Sung" on August 25.
The tracklisting is:
‘Do The Joy’
‘Love’
‘So Light Is Her Footfall’
‘Be A Bee’
‘Missing The Light Of The Day’
‘Tropical Disease’
‘Heaven's Light’
‘Night Hunter’
‘Sing Sang Sung’
‘Eat My Beat’
‘You Can Tell It To Everybody’
‘African Velvet’
This song has one of the best hooks I have ever heard. Ever.
Air - Alpha Beta Gaga - Talkie Walkie [Astralwerks; 2004]
Buy Talkie Walkie
Track Review; Modest Mouse - "Autumn Beds"
New Song From Modest MouseSpinner.com debuted a new Modest Mouse song today entitled "Autumn Beds." The song is fairly downtempo and moves along with a consistent hop-and-a-skip drum beat and some sweet banjo action. As we have seen before, newer Modest Mouse songs like "Satellite Skin" seem to try and make the most out of a simple theme and play with it for three or four minutes. However, with "Satellite Skin" I felt like there wasn't enough substance to support the song throughout that time. Maybe because "Autumn Beds" is a more intimate, minor chord type of song it lends itself more to this sort of quiet repetition. Without trying to do too much, they sort of let the song takes its natural course, playing with the dynamics throughout. One of my favorite things about the song is that (singer) Isaac Brock several of the various registers and textures he can get out of that wonderful voice of his again. This song might even be my favorite new Modest Mouse in years (I am on my 6th consecutive listen). I hope its a sign of things to come from my Issaquah hometown compatriots.
Listen to "Autumn Beds" here.
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