Nice e-mail from Dee Dee of Dum Dum Girls this morning (me and a several thousand others) with details of a new song from the upcoming second album, Only in dreams. Yesterday we had literature courtesy of Handsome Furs in the shape of a William T. Vollmann novel, today it's poetry. I've been doing this a lot lately, but I'm going to reprint the e-mail because it's so far from run-of-the-mill.
"Liebe,
"Bedroom Eyes," the first proper single off of Only In Dreams, will be released shortly in mp3 format and eventually as a 7" with a dreamy b-side cover. It was the last song I wrote before we holed up in our LA practice space for two weeks before recording. It's a special sort of confusion and frustration brought on by lack of sleep.
I remember reading the following poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti as I saw trails and tripped out a bit before the pills finally kicked in. Love within the context of insomnia and separation? Kinda my thing.
Thin are the night-skirts left behind
By daybreak hours that onward creep,
And thin, alas! the shred of sleep
That wavers with the spirit's wind:
But in half-dreams that shift and roll
And still remember and forget,
My soul this hour has drawn your soul
A little nearer yet.
Our lives, most dear, are never near,
Our thoughts are never far apart,
Though all that draws us heart to heart
Seems fainter now and now more clear.
To-night Love claims his full control,
And with desire and with regret
My soul this hour has drawn your soul
A little nearer yet.
Is there a home where heavy earth
Melts to bright air that breathes no pain,
Where water leaves no thirst again
And springing fire is Love's new birth?
If faith long bound to one true goal
May there at length its hope beget,
My soul that hour shall draw your soul
For ever nearer yet.
- Dante Gabriel Rossetti"
"Liebe", that's great. Plus she's obviously a hopeless romantic. Her vibrato voice is given free and glorious rein on this track, although I must say on first few listens the song as a whole doesn't seem to scale the heights of I will be. However, this is the Dum Dums we're talking about, so full judgement will be suspended until the album sees the light of day.
Dum Dum Girls - Bedroom Eyes by subpop
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Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Handsome Furs - Bury me standing (Sub Pop)
In the ongoing project to plough through the summer music mountain at UOH Towers, I came across this gem from Canadian husband and wife duo Handsome Furs, Dan Boeckner and Alexei Perry, a tune which we had on the show a few months back.
It's taken from their current album, Sound Kapital, on Sub Pop, their third album which came out at the end of June. I haven't heard the whole album but I'd be surprised if it gets any better than that song, (mostly) electronic music with a kind of renegade, rock 'n roll spirit. Touch of Depeche Mode about it, actually, speaking of renegades. And there's hope for married couples everywhere when you watch this footage from the band's performance at the Capital Hill Block Party festival in Seattle earlier this summer.
There's a degree of conviction about them on stage that's very endearing. Plus they seem to enjoy each other's company, which is a good sign in a marriage. Their bio on the Sub Pop website is interesting too.
http://www.subpop.com/artists/handsome_furs
I particularly like the description of the influence they've drawn from the developing world - Eastern Europe, China, South America - both in terms of difficult lives lived and music made. As opposed to the very often much less difficult choices faced by bands in the western world.
They also run a tour blog, which features some high quality prose by wife Alexei. You can find it here.
http://handsomefursmusic.tumblr.com/
I'm going to reprint this entry, from August 24th, St. Louis, because it says a lot about the kind of people they are.
The first gift Dan ever gave to me was William T. Vollmann’s enormous novel “The Royal Family.” It is a seedy account of a prostitution ring in California but it is also tremendously romantic and dirty and tender. It will always be one of my favourite books and it was the best pick up line a girl like me could ever receive. At a coffee shop in St. Louis, Dan passed a table with a young beautiful man reading just this opus and he gravitated towards it. He let his hand fall on the book cover before he even introduced himself. He struck up a conversation with Scott Thomas Smith about words and private investigation and punk rock that could only occur between the chance encounters of sublime minds. I arrived with our espressos and Dan introduced me as his wife made possible by the pages now before him. It was sunny and, for freaks, we were all feeling pretty friendly. And so, of course, we guestlisted this perfect specimen of humanness for our show at Off Broadway, uncertain that he would be interested by our little band but hopeful that he might take the chance. Scott Thomas Smith arrived with a beaten brown folder. It looked like it had been permanently living beneath his arm, against his side, held like another sort of limb between his real limb and body. It looked like a part of him and, yet, he offered it to us. It is not always easy to show thanks. Especially when you are the recipient of an unknown package. But we smiled and knew we were lucky and did our best to make the right sort of impressed faces because we were rightly and truly and wholly impressed. And then we stole away with it. Excited. Upstairs and backstage, I removed its elastic and began pulling out the ink-stained contents from its accordion jaws. A CD-R of his band Jet Black Airlines. His novel “Down With Strangers,” penned when he was nineteen. A dedication, with disclaimer, scrawled on the inside cover personally addressed to us both with our names spelled correctly. His zine “Skeleton Car Keys” that includes a “Feminist Babe of the Month” centerfold featuring Emmaline Pankhurst. Two shorts titled “To Understand the Enemy” and “The Political Re-Education of a Clean Cool Dude.” And finally a full-length screenplay, handled “Hiroshima.” I hugged Dan. It was the only thing I knew to do. I felt so overjoyed. I felt like I’d been given something of myself. Like something I would have made, cocky but also uncertain of its worth. As I looked through its pages, falling in love with each typewriter-written word, I felt like I had been given another organ. One that might make me live better – not longer but fuller. And this gift launched our night. And this gift was shared with the audience, through our joy, and the audience gave it back. Like they too had pieces of me that they had mended and made stronger and returned. I didn’t feel like I had room for it all in my body but I made room. I feel more like myself. And if I now face “Death By Life,” (another of S.T.S’s genius titles), I will die happily lived.
I love that, "accordion jaws". Literature, politics, punk rock. Serious people, this pair.
It's taken from their current album, Sound Kapital, on Sub Pop, their third album which came out at the end of June. I haven't heard the whole album but I'd be surprised if it gets any better than that song, (mostly) electronic music with a kind of renegade, rock 'n roll spirit. Touch of Depeche Mode about it, actually, speaking of renegades. And there's hope for married couples everywhere when you watch this footage from the band's performance at the Capital Hill Block Party festival in Seattle earlier this summer.
There's a degree of conviction about them on stage that's very endearing. Plus they seem to enjoy each other's company, which is a good sign in a marriage. Their bio on the Sub Pop website is interesting too.
http://www.subpop.com/artists/handsome_furs
I particularly like the description of the influence they've drawn from the developing world - Eastern Europe, China, South America - both in terms of difficult lives lived and music made. As opposed to the very often much less difficult choices faced by bands in the western world.
They also run a tour blog, which features some high quality prose by wife Alexei. You can find it here.
http://handsomefursmusic.tumblr.com/
I'm going to reprint this entry, from August 24th, St. Louis, because it says a lot about the kind of people they are.
The first gift Dan ever gave to me was William T. Vollmann’s enormous novel “The Royal Family.” It is a seedy account of a prostitution ring in California but it is also tremendously romantic and dirty and tender. It will always be one of my favourite books and it was the best pick up line a girl like me could ever receive. At a coffee shop in St. Louis, Dan passed a table with a young beautiful man reading just this opus and he gravitated towards it. He let his hand fall on the book cover before he even introduced himself. He struck up a conversation with Scott Thomas Smith about words and private investigation and punk rock that could only occur between the chance encounters of sublime minds. I arrived with our espressos and Dan introduced me as his wife made possible by the pages now before him. It was sunny and, for freaks, we were all feeling pretty friendly. And so, of course, we guestlisted this perfect specimen of humanness for our show at Off Broadway, uncertain that he would be interested by our little band but hopeful that he might take the chance. Scott Thomas Smith arrived with a beaten brown folder. It looked like it had been permanently living beneath his arm, against his side, held like another sort of limb between his real limb and body. It looked like a part of him and, yet, he offered it to us. It is not always easy to show thanks. Especially when you are the recipient of an unknown package. But we smiled and knew we were lucky and did our best to make the right sort of impressed faces because we were rightly and truly and wholly impressed. And then we stole away with it. Excited. Upstairs and backstage, I removed its elastic and began pulling out the ink-stained contents from its accordion jaws. A CD-R of his band Jet Black Airlines. His novel “Down With Strangers,” penned when he was nineteen. A dedication, with disclaimer, scrawled on the inside cover personally addressed to us both with our names spelled correctly. His zine “Skeleton Car Keys” that includes a “Feminist Babe of the Month” centerfold featuring Emmaline Pankhurst. Two shorts titled “To Understand the Enemy” and “The Political Re-Education of a Clean Cool Dude.” And finally a full-length screenplay, handled “Hiroshima.” I hugged Dan. It was the only thing I knew to do. I felt so overjoyed. I felt like I’d been given something of myself. Like something I would have made, cocky but also uncertain of its worth. As I looked through its pages, falling in love with each typewriter-written word, I felt like I had been given another organ. One that might make me live better – not longer but fuller. And this gift launched our night. And this gift was shared with the audience, through our joy, and the audience gave it back. Like they too had pieces of me that they had mended and made stronger and returned. I didn’t feel like I had room for it all in my body but I made room. I feel more like myself. And if I now face “Death By Life,” (another of S.T.S’s genius titles), I will die happily lived.
I love that, "accordion jaws". Literature, politics, punk rock. Serious people, this pair.
St Vincent on David Letterman
Just to add fuel to the St Vincent obsession that's been going on around here for the last few weeks, she appeared on the David Letterman Show last night to perform Cruel (that's the video we talked about here the other day). I know it's not unusual for Letterman to be slightly nonplussed by the musical guests on the show, but in this case he seemed to be genuinely at a loss, confused. Maybe it was the fact that Annie Clark looked like a model, wearing a black party dress, with what looked like a cape trailing behind, while she knocked out complex math-pop guitar riffs that buzzed with a distortion and tension generally absent from your average party dress-wearing model. Or that in elegant, soft-spoken tones, she wondered how the children could be so cruel. Apart from her other, many and varied talents, I think her ability to confound Mr Letterman should also be applauded.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Future Islands, new video
What better way to start a new week than with some new music from Future Islands, from their their new album On the water which is coming out on Thrill Jockey in October. The words "eagerly" and "anticipated" spring to mind and proceed to rub up against each other. Woo-hoo. We thought this last year about their debut album.
Future Islands - In evening air (Thrill Jockey)
Credit to Grand Snr for mentioning this in dispatches some months back. You could call it electro-pop. Of the highest order. Bracing synth patterns, pounding basslines and insinuating vocals from Sam Herring (who bears an unexpected and uncanny resemblance to early Tom Waits in places). For example, the innovative steel drum sample on Tin man. Repetitive in the best possible way, like all great dance music. Infectious and impossible not to love.
*Incidentally, their new EP Undressed is an acoustic affair featuring piano at the core and, with added cello, is equally compelling.
This new tune has another irresistible lizard-like bassline and more heart-melting melodies. The vocal growl is dialled down slightly, to "tender". It's still great.
Future Islands - Balance by thrilljockey
The video by Jay Buim has the ocean, two kids on the road and a fairground at night. It all makes sense with the music, really.
For no other reason than it's one of my favourite songs ever, let's have this too, same director. Jesus, it makes me all weak.
Future Islands - In evening air (Thrill Jockey)
Credit to Grand Snr for mentioning this in dispatches some months back. You could call it electro-pop. Of the highest order. Bracing synth patterns, pounding basslines and insinuating vocals from Sam Herring (who bears an unexpected and uncanny resemblance to early Tom Waits in places). For example, the innovative steel drum sample on Tin man. Repetitive in the best possible way, like all great dance music. Infectious and impossible not to love.
*Incidentally, their new EP Undressed is an acoustic affair featuring piano at the core and, with added cello, is equally compelling.
This new tune has another irresistible lizard-like bassline and more heart-melting melodies. The vocal growl is dialled down slightly, to "tender". It's still great.
Future Islands - Balance by thrilljockey
The video by Jay Buim has the ocean, two kids on the road and a fairground at night. It all makes sense with the music, really.
Future Islands - Balance from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.
For no other reason than it's one of my favourite songs ever, let's have this too, same director. Jesus, it makes me all weak.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
St Vincent video for Cruel
Another day, another strange and beautiful chapter to the story of Annie Clark of Dallas, Texas, that is St Vincent. The first official video from her new album Strange mercy just surfaced, directed by Terri Timely. That's actually two people, who I've just learned have made music videos for Joanna Newsom, Darwin Deez and The Little Ones, as well as working with St Vincent a few times before. This particular piece features lots of stately tracking shots and buttoned-up performances, which are spookily at odds with the film's themes of abduction, imprisonment and torture. An average day for St Vincent, says you. Meanwhile, the tune has more of her trademark distorted guitar arpeggios. One memorable shot in the video has her playing a guitar solo in the boot of a car with a sack over her head. Baroque pop is right.
There are some nice notes here by Annie Clark about the video shoot, courtesy of The Huffington Post.
It was an absolute pleasure working with the Terri Timely directing team for the third consecutive video. The cast and crew and I shot three gruelling days in a row at locations both north and south of San Francisco. Everyone kept such a generous attitude for the duration even as the coffee started to wear off, the California summer winter came through, and the delirium set in.
The first day we shot all the grave scenes at Ian and Corey's studio. Set design did a brilliant job building a "grave." This consisted of three 20-foot tall flats covered in cow manure, ammonia, dirt, sand, tree limbs, which I was lowered into via forklift. I think I still have some of this grave dirt in my shoes. At nightfall, we went to shoot at a local gas station -- one of those places that maybe used to be an Exxon or Sinclair but is now locally owned -- which is probably the only reason we got access to shoot there well into the early morning hours.
Cassidy, the delightfully mordant little girl featured in the video, was cracking me up between takes, wheeling herself around in the prop wheelchair and showing me how to use her Playstation handheld to take pictures of people and then comically distort their faces. Very intelligent, very special child. Bjorn, the perfectly-acted dad/bereaved husband, instructed me on how to make the abduction scene more believable by not anticipating that he was about to throw a sack over my head. Luckily, it didn't take much method acting to honestly react to, well, having a sack thrown violently over my head and my body thrown into the trunk of a car.
The next day, we started at the Mare Island location. Mare Island is a mostly abandoned naval base just north of Oakland. The mansion where we shot was one in a row of six or seven identical officer's mansions, each in various stages of upkeep, ranging from eerily pristine to complete disarray. The one where we shot was somewhere in the middle. Set design was so meticulous that it was actually impossible to tell what was brought in for the video and what was a haunted holdover from the 1960s when the mansion was used to entertain esteemed guests of the naval brass. These two days are a bit of a blur, but I know in the midst of things I got dunked in water by a 10-year-old child, watched an amateur pyrotechnics demonstration, had some great laughs with the great girls working in wardrobe, learned how to ballroom dance (sort of), and felt incredibly grateful to be working with such talented and sweet people. The rest of it... well, I'll just have to watch the video to remember...
Nice phrase that, "delightfully mordant". It could almost be a description of her own music.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Scott Solter - The great cold (Hidden Shoal)
More new music from the Hidden Shoal label from Perth. It's the lead track from American producer Scott Solter's new release, One river. You may already know Scott's name as one half of experimental pop duo Boxharp (who we are very fond of around here), aswell as producer/recordist/mixer/remixer for the likes of St Vincent, Superchunk, Neon Indian, John Vanderslice and The Mountain Goats, among others. This piece has the air of a serious ambient work, channelling both inner and outer space. Gravitas would be a word. I'll leave it to the label for a more detailed description.
'The Great Cold' Is an invigorating five-minute immersal into one of the seven gorgeous flowing passages that comprise One River. Chilly, gaseous tones swell and recede, all the while shadowed by a ghostly high note. The icy stillness is occasionally punctuated by a discreet found sound, which acts as a kind of pivot point between focus and diffusion. Solter creates an unforgettable atmosphere, which becomes all the more moving when experienced as part of the complete album.
Scott Solter - 'The Great Cold' by Hidden Shoal
Here's the accompanying video, made by Mark and Laura Solter, which is a brooding triumph of close focus and micro-imagery.
You can download the track and video on this link. The album comes out at the end of September.
http://bit.ly/thegreatcold
'The Great Cold' Is an invigorating five-minute immersal into one of the seven gorgeous flowing passages that comprise One River. Chilly, gaseous tones swell and recede, all the while shadowed by a ghostly high note. The icy stillness is occasionally punctuated by a discreet found sound, which acts as a kind of pivot point between focus and diffusion. Solter creates an unforgettable atmosphere, which becomes all the more moving when experienced as part of the complete album.
Scott Solter - 'The Great Cold' by Hidden Shoal
Here's the accompanying video, made by Mark and Laura Solter, which is a brooding triumph of close focus and micro-imagery.
You can download the track and video on this link. The album comes out at the end of September.
http://bit.ly/thegreatcold
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Rachael Dadd - Bite the mountain (Broken Sound Music)
We've mentioned Bristol native Rachael Dadd twice in the last few weeks, first in relation to her new single Balloon, and then in advance of her new album. We've had the album, Bite the mountain, on around the UOH cabin for the last couple of weeks now and it really is a wonderful piece of work (It was largely recorded, apparently, while travelling around Japan, and the sleeve cover text reflects this influence.) On the face of it, it's a version of English folk music (the songs generally concern domestic or pastoral situations, with close-at-hand details), but let it sit a bit longer and strands of classical, jazz, world music and even some avant garde tendencies come to the surface. The single Balloon is a tune of uncomplicated beauty about a birth, which has an appropriate sense of wide-eyed wonder at the world. The stop-start piano waltz Moth in the motor begins straightforwardly enough, but goes on to hint at jazz inflections (not unlike the way Nick Drake does), before a totally unexpected wigout of dissonant strings. There's the delirious accordion and clarinet two-step of Hedgehog, complete with spoken Japanese outro. A chilled-out banjo leads the way on In the morning, but the steel drum that joins out of the blue midway through adds a lovely convivial atmosphere. There's a bit of a Tropicalia shuffle about the triangle rhythm of Rice triangle. And The wind & the mounatin has one particularly sublime crescendo of vocal harmonies and clarinet lines. Throughout, Dadd's expressive, lilting voice safely navigates the troubled waters of kooky/twee. And the variety of musical textures - warm clarinet, fingerpicked Spanish guitar, earthy ukulele, droning cello, twinkling percussion - although constantly surprising, are blended effortlesly. It's heartfelt and adventurous (an unusual combination) but never tries too hard. This album is just a joy.
Balloon
Dirty Projectors vocal technique
As an add-on to yesterday's post about the physical release of Mount Wittenberg Orca by Dirty Projectors & Bjork on Domino Records, here's a great piece of video - part interview, part workshop - of David Longstreth discussing, and Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian demonstrating, the vocal techniques at play on Mount Wittenberg Orca, as well as DP's previous album Bitte Orca. Go straight to about 7 minutes in to hear the women do their thing. It's a little bit staggering.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Dirty Projectors + Bjork - Mount Wittenberg Orca (Domino)
More good news. One of my favourite releases of last year is finally getting the physical treatment on Domino. Details here. This is what I thought of it at the time.
Dirty Projectors + Bjork - Mount Wittenberg Orca (http://www.mountwittenbergorca.com/, donation download)
Stunning collaboration with proceeds to the National Geographic Society project to create international marine protected areas (payment is by donation), and recorded live, for the most part, in The Rare Book Room bookshop in New York. David Longstreth informs that the idea stemmed from a whale sighting by DP's Amber Coffman from a ridge in California (Mount Wittenberg). Bjork sings the part of the mother whale, Amber, Angel Deradoorian and Haley Dekle the kid whales and Mr Longstreth the part of Amber (!). Overall sound a little reminiscient of Ennio Morricone in places (which we love around here) - the glorious build-up of closer All we are, for example, with its vocal stylings and counterpoints (only a few other instruments feature otherwise, namely sparing bass, handclaps, some guitar accompaniments). And as the title suggests, sounds not unlike a continuation of the DP's last album Bitte Orca. Affinities also with Bjork's Medulla. Feast your ears, for example, on the glorious all-female vocal of On and ever onward, avant garde but so engaging. The whole thing comes in at under 20 minutes, but it's one of the releases of the year, whatever the cause.
And here are live performances of two more songs recorded at the Housing Works Bookstore & Café in New York City in May 2009. It really is stunning stuff and one of the best set of pop music noises put on record in the last few years.
All we are
Sharing orb
Serge Gainsbourg - some extras
A couple of other notes to add to the Serge Gainsbourg post yesterday. For anyone in the Los Angeles area, next Sunday would be a good day to get down to the Hollywood Bowl. They're throwing a special event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of SG's death, which features a mouth-watering line-up consisting of Jean-Claude Vannier conducting a full orchestra, as well as Beck, Sean Lennon, Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear), Victoria Legrand (Beach House), and others. Full details here. FFS, I think is the appropriate abbreviation.
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4575
Funnily enough, it had passed me by that this year was the 20th anniversary of his death. But this gorgeous looking box-set release by Wrasse Records seems like another worthy tribute. Nice to see they've included 2 full CD's of his songs and scores for films in there.
20th Anniversary Box Set
And finally, I also came across this fine article from the Guardian by Nick Kent, which deals with Gainsbourg, the person, from late in his life, as experienced at first hand by the author. Here's a flavour.
These days, you read a lot about Serge Gainsbourg - the genius, the subversive, the playboy lover - but the Serge Gainsbourg I had the misfortune to encounter was a raging alcoholic above all else. Alcoholism clouded his moods, actions and work to such an intense degree towards the end of his life that he became another person altogether: Gainsbarre, he called his alcoholic alter-ego - a dissolute, disgusting, death-fixated individual perilously close to clinical insanity.
It's an honest and balanced account, giving due credit to the man's achievements in pop music. (Incidentally, Serge did not apparently accept the mantle of genius for himself.) But as I was saying in yesterday's post, the tv footage of him from the 1980's does make slightly pathetic viewing. (I'm not going to post the famous Whitney Houston footage here, you can dig that out for yourself, and make your own mind up as to whether it constitutes the actions of a rebel or a loser.) So as I said, from a musical point of view, I prefer to focus on the career highpoints of the man. This is certainly one of those, from the Birkin years.
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tickets/performance-detail.cfm?id=4575
Funnily enough, it had passed me by that this year was the 20th anniversary of his death. But this gorgeous looking box-set release by Wrasse Records seems like another worthy tribute. Nice to see they've included 2 full CD's of his songs and scores for films in there.
20th Anniversary Box Set
And finally, I also came across this fine article from the Guardian by Nick Kent, which deals with Gainsbourg, the person, from late in his life, as experienced at first hand by the author. Here's a flavour.
These days, you read a lot about Serge Gainsbourg - the genius, the subversive, the playboy lover - but the Serge Gainsbourg I had the misfortune to encounter was a raging alcoholic above all else. Alcoholism clouded his moods, actions and work to such an intense degree towards the end of his life that he became another person altogether: Gainsbarre, he called his alcoholic alter-ego - a dissolute, disgusting, death-fixated individual perilously close to clinical insanity.
It's an honest and balanced account, giving due credit to the man's achievements in pop music. (Incidentally, Serge did not apparently accept the mantle of genius for himself.) But as I was saying in yesterday's post, the tv footage of him from the 1980's does make slightly pathetic viewing. (I'm not going to post the famous Whitney Houston footage here, you can dig that out for yourself, and make your own mind up as to whether it constitutes the actions of a rebel or a loser.) So as I said, from a musical point of view, I prefer to focus on the career highpoints of the man. This is certainly one of those, from the Birkin years.
Monday, August 22, 2011
A Winged Victory for the Sullen - follow up
As a follow up to the recent news about the new album by A Winged Victory for the Sullen on Erased Tapes, here's a video teaser for the album just released. It features footage from a recording session at the DDR Studios in Berlin, no less.
And with a little bit of digging, it turns out that music is taken from the second track to be released from the upcoming album. It's called Requiem for the Static King Part One. Listen to it in full here.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Requiem For The Static King Part One by erasedtapes
Seriously, on the basis of just two tracks, this album is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the year.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – DDR Studios Trailer from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.
And with a little bit of digging, it turns out that music is taken from the second track to be released from the upcoming album. It's called Requiem for the Static King Part One. Listen to it in full here.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen - Requiem For The Static King Part One by erasedtapes
Seriously, on the basis of just two tracks, this album is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the year.
Serge Gainsbourg
I've been going back through one of my favourite DVD's, Serge Gainsbourg: D'autres nouvelles des étoiles, a 2 x disc compilation of tv appearances, broadcasts and interviews from 1958 to 1989, which Mercury/Universal brought out in 2005. It's fascinating stuff and gives a thorough overview of every stage in Gainsbourg's career, from the early jazz-influenced tunes, to lush string orchestrations, and on to later reggae experiments. (As with everything, I'm sure you might find a free download somehere, but the extensive sleevenotes and credits make it well worth the purchase price.)
It was Mick Harvey's Gainsbourg cover albums of the 1990's (interpretations is probably a better word), which my friend Grand Snr turned me on to, that gave me a proper obsession with the man. Those were Intoxicated man (1995) and Pink elephants (1997), both on Mute Records. This was the first time (that I know of) that Gainsbourg's lyrics had been translated into English in that kind of length and detail, and set to music. The strong elements of sensuality and surrealist poetry that shine through give the music another dimension. Like these lines, from The ticket puncher (Le poinconneur des Lilas).
To kill the boredom in my vest
I've extracts of Readers' Digest
and
I've had enough, I've had it with this bullshit,
Down in this cesspit,
I'd like to be on the trapeze, leave my cap and cloakroom keys
Very punk, those lyrics, but playful at the same time.
I came across this fascinating detail, given by Jane Birkin in a Vanity Fair piece in 2007 by Lisa Robinson, which reveals much information about the man not obvious in his songs.
I never saw him take a bath. He was the cleanest man I ever knew, he knew how to wash all the bits, but in 13 years I never saw him take a bath, I never saw him go to the loo, I never saw him completely naked, the children never saw him naked—and they tried like mad. He was very pudique. (The closest translation of this word in English is shy, modest, discreet.) If he had seen me giving birth to Charlotte, it's possible he never would have slept with me again, and I wasn't taking that chance. He always paid his taxes early: he felt he was an immigrant—his parents were from Russia and as such he should behave correctly. He wanted shoes that felt like gloves, so I got him white Repetto ballet shoes, which he wore without socks. I bought him jewelry and encouraged him to keep a three-day stubble on his face. He sat in gilt chairs after fashion shows and picked out dresses for me—Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy. Every New Year's Eve we would go to Maxim's and he would liken it to being on the Titanic because everyone was so much older, and I would nick the ashtrays and the cutlery.
Some of those phrases read as if they belong in a Gainsbourg song, which is appropriate as Jane Birkin was basically his muse for the years they were together. It may be news to you, as it was to me, that Serge was a shy man, although that's not the whole story as he was full of contradictions. You don't need to understand French to hear the explicit intent in this all-time classic duet with JB, released in 1969 (this is one unfortunate omission from the DVD by the way - presumably it was too hot to handle for tv at the time).
Because the song has become so notorious over the years (banned in several countries), it's easy to take it for granted as a piece of music, or treat it as a novelty piece. It is one of pop music's greatest treasures. And although the songwriting is great, it's important too to give credit to the gorgeous, sensitive, swirling arrangement by English composer/conductor Arthur Greenslade. I love that liquid bass too - a definite precursor to the Melody Nelson sound. (By the way, apparently the footage in that video is part of Jane Birkin's own Super 8 collection.)
Also from that Vanity Fair piece, another quote from Serge -
I prefer ugliness to beauty, because ugliness endures.
Based on the women who were part of his life, it seems more likely that comment was directed at himself. And it seems he never thought of himself as handsome or beautiful, which meant he had a very shy manner. Something which his demeanour in this interview with Denise Glaser confirms.
That interview was done at the time of his sixth album, Percussions , in 1965. You'll have to get your hands on the DVD to get the benefit of subtitles on that, but at about 3m30s in that clip he explains why the strong African influence on that album. Something that's very clear on this song from the album.
By the way, as has been pointed out elsewhere, this song is a copy of Babatunde Olatunji's Akiwowo, so Serge was not above using the material of others. You can compare here.
One of the real treats of the DVD compilation is the complete collection of short films made to accompany each track (directed by Jean-Christophe Averty) on the concept album Histoire de Melody Nelson from 1971. It's an album that's another glorious musical highlight of the SG-JB years.
That dominant bass sound and sublimely unsettling string arrangements by Jean Claude Vannier (also co-writer on two album tracks including Ballade). You'll find plenty more detail on the concept and background to that album in this article by Sylvie Simmons, which is extracted from her book Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes (Helter Skelter) (a book I haven't yet read but, I'm thinking, a must for Gainsbourg fans).
I must say I find some of the footage of Serge from later in his life pretty poignant. I remember reading somewhere that he lost his way somewhat after Jane Birkin left him. You could certainly read that into the later footage, especially when you compare how vibrant he looked during the "Birkin" years (or maybe it's just what comes to all of us later in life). Like in this interview along with JB for example, from 1971 - the Birkin section (about 19 minutes in) is contained on the DVD compilation.
I prefer to remember him in his prime like that - here's a few great examples to finish.
From 1959
With Brigitte Bardot
From 1963
With JB
It was Mick Harvey's Gainsbourg cover albums of the 1990's (interpretations is probably a better word), which my friend Grand Snr turned me on to, that gave me a proper obsession with the man. Those were Intoxicated man (1995) and Pink elephants (1997), both on Mute Records. This was the first time (that I know of) that Gainsbourg's lyrics had been translated into English in that kind of length and detail, and set to music. The strong elements of sensuality and surrealist poetry that shine through give the music another dimension. Like these lines, from The ticket puncher (Le poinconneur des Lilas).
To kill the boredom in my vest
I've extracts of Readers' Digest
and
I've had enough, I've had it with this bullshit,
Down in this cesspit,
I'd like to be on the trapeze, leave my cap and cloakroom keys
Very punk, those lyrics, but playful at the same time.
I came across this fascinating detail, given by Jane Birkin in a Vanity Fair piece in 2007 by Lisa Robinson, which reveals much information about the man not obvious in his songs.
I never saw him take a bath. He was the cleanest man I ever knew, he knew how to wash all the bits, but in 13 years I never saw him take a bath, I never saw him go to the loo, I never saw him completely naked, the children never saw him naked—and they tried like mad. He was very pudique. (The closest translation of this word in English is shy, modest, discreet.) If he had seen me giving birth to Charlotte, it's possible he never would have slept with me again, and I wasn't taking that chance. He always paid his taxes early: he felt he was an immigrant—his parents were from Russia and as such he should behave correctly. He wanted shoes that felt like gloves, so I got him white Repetto ballet shoes, which he wore without socks. I bought him jewelry and encouraged him to keep a three-day stubble on his face. He sat in gilt chairs after fashion shows and picked out dresses for me—Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Givenchy. Every New Year's Eve we would go to Maxim's and he would liken it to being on the Titanic because everyone was so much older, and I would nick the ashtrays and the cutlery.
Some of those phrases read as if they belong in a Gainsbourg song, which is appropriate as Jane Birkin was basically his muse for the years they were together. It may be news to you, as it was to me, that Serge was a shy man, although that's not the whole story as he was full of contradictions. You don't need to understand French to hear the explicit intent in this all-time classic duet with JB, released in 1969 (this is one unfortunate omission from the DVD by the way - presumably it was too hot to handle for tv at the time).
Because the song has become so notorious over the years (banned in several countries), it's easy to take it for granted as a piece of music, or treat it as a novelty piece. It is one of pop music's greatest treasures. And although the songwriting is great, it's important too to give credit to the gorgeous, sensitive, swirling arrangement by English composer/conductor Arthur Greenslade. I love that liquid bass too - a definite precursor to the Melody Nelson sound. (By the way, apparently the footage in that video is part of Jane Birkin's own Super 8 collection.)
Also from that Vanity Fair piece, another quote from Serge -
I prefer ugliness to beauty, because ugliness endures.
Based on the women who were part of his life, it seems more likely that comment was directed at himself. And it seems he never thought of himself as handsome or beautiful, which meant he had a very shy manner. Something which his demeanour in this interview with Denise Glaser confirms.
That interview was done at the time of his sixth album, Percussions , in 1965. You'll have to get your hands on the DVD to get the benefit of subtitles on that, but at about 3m30s in that clip he explains why the strong African influence on that album. Something that's very clear on this song from the album.
By the way, as has been pointed out elsewhere, this song is a copy of Babatunde Olatunji's Akiwowo, so Serge was not above using the material of others. You can compare here.
One of the real treats of the DVD compilation is the complete collection of short films made to accompany each track (directed by Jean-Christophe Averty) on the concept album Histoire de Melody Nelson from 1971. It's an album that's another glorious musical highlight of the SG-JB years.
That dominant bass sound and sublimely unsettling string arrangements by Jean Claude Vannier (also co-writer on two album tracks including Ballade). You'll find plenty more detail on the concept and background to that album in this article by Sylvie Simmons, which is extracted from her book Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes (Helter Skelter) (a book I haven't yet read but, I'm thinking, a must for Gainsbourg fans).
I must say I find some of the footage of Serge from later in his life pretty poignant. I remember reading somewhere that he lost his way somewhat after Jane Birkin left him. You could certainly read that into the later footage, especially when you compare how vibrant he looked during the "Birkin" years (or maybe it's just what comes to all of us later in life). Like in this interview along with JB for example, from 1971 - the Birkin section (about 19 minutes in) is contained on the DVD compilation.
I prefer to remember him in his prime like that - here's a few great examples to finish.
From 1959
With Brigitte Bardot
From 1963
With JB
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Brian Eno and the words of Rick Holland
Brian Eno's new album, Drums between the bells, his second on Warp, came out last month. In fact, it's a collaboration with poet Rick Holland. I've just heard a few tracks from it on a sampler, but one tune in particular has really stuck with me. It's a beautiful slice of drifting guitar and synth kosmische, with a straight-faced female spoken word monologue, describing the view, in a sort of impressionistic fashion, from the top of a skyscraper in New York - "from the top of this high rise, people as small as the pigment in your eyes." It's surprisingly romantic given the delivery, with a dizzy, swooning quality to the arrangement.
Brian Eno - pour it out (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records
I don't know who's responsible for the vocal but the delivery reminds me a lot of Berit Immig from Berlin-based band Omo. They released one of my favourite albums of the last few years in 2009, The white album on LoAF. Many of the tracks on that album explore that same kind of contrast between a deadpan vocal and expressive backing track.
By the way, there's also some interesting writing on Eno's website, what's being called a dialogue between Eno and Holland. Expect opinions on modern art, interaction between words and music, philosophy of culture, among others. I particularly like this one-liner from Eno -
Your life is filled with gadgets because you can afford them
(Rule: every object takes up your time. Ask yourself what it gives you in return)
That's up there with Eno's Oblique Strategies. Read more here.
http://re-view.brian-eno.net/
Brian Eno - pour it out (taken from Drums Between The Bells) by Warp Records
I don't know who's responsible for the vocal but the delivery reminds me a lot of Berit Immig from Berlin-based band Omo. They released one of my favourite albums of the last few years in 2009, The white album on LoAF. Many of the tracks on that album explore that same kind of contrast between a deadpan vocal and expressive backing track.
By the way, there's also some interesting writing on Eno's website, what's being called a dialogue between Eno and Holland. Expect opinions on modern art, interaction between words and music, philosophy of culture, among others. I particularly like this one-liner from Eno -
Your life is filled with gadgets because you can afford them
(Rule: every object takes up your time. Ask yourself what it gives you in return)
That's up there with Eno's Oblique Strategies. Read more here.
http://re-view.brian-eno.net/
Friday, August 19, 2011
St Vincent playing Dublin in November
The great St Vincent will be playing in Dublin on November 13th, at The Workman's Club, as part of a 12-date European jaunt. In the meantime, her new album Strange mercy comes out on 4AD on Sept 9th. Her band for the tour will be Toko Yasuda (Blonde Redhead, Enon) on mini moog, Matt Johnson (Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright) on drums and Daniel Mintseris (Marianne Faithful) on keyboards. Exciting eh? Any excuse (none needed really) for some St Vincent video action. Here are three Take-Away Shows shot by Vincent Moon in Paris for La Blogotheque in 2007.
Perched sideways on a railing on the street and still pulling off an intricate guitar pattern - what a woman she is.
I love the way she eschews the French kissing-on-the-cheek etiquette there, entering the apartment (you ain't kissing me...). But as for St Vincent reclining on a bed purring "Marry me", the less I say about that, the better, I think.
And apart from the woman's musical (let's agree to call it) genius, the camera kind of loves her too.
By the way, you can download the lead track, Surgeon, from her upcoming new album for free on this link. It's great, as you'd expect.
http://bit.ly/r1a9IX
Perched sideways on a railing on the street and still pulling off an intricate guitar pattern - what a woman she is.
I love the way she eschews the French kissing-on-the-cheek etiquette there, entering the apartment (you ain't kissing me...). But as for St Vincent reclining on a bed purring "Marry me", the less I say about that, the better, I think.
And apart from the woman's musical (let's agree to call it) genius, the camera kind of loves her too.
By the way, you can download the lead track, Surgeon, from her upcoming new album for free on this link. It's great, as you'd expect.
http://bit.ly/r1a9IX
Letter from Belgium - LFB003 (free download)
The latest offering from the Cork ambient artist continues the strong form shown on last year's EP's. I liked LFB001 a lot, here's what I thought of it at the time.
Letter from Belgium - LFB001 EP (self-release, free download)
Elegaic guitar and synth instrumentals from Corkonian Alan Healy, employing Pajo-esque structures with field recordings (including some classic Hollywood moments if I'm not mistaken). Highlight for me is Christmas Eve, which drifts beautifully over melodramatic cinema dialogue, until the unexpected arrival of out-of-context 8-bit noises puts a different complexion on things. LFB002 coming soon apparently, which should be well worth watching out for too.
For some reason LFB002 passed me by at the time, but it is still available to listen and download for free on LFB's bandcamp, along with the 3rd edition. Go here.
Best left combines some lovely, incongruous banjo plucking with a warm bed of synth wash. Travis & Hunter (which we had on the radio show a few months back, and I assume is named after the father and son characters in the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas) starts life as a simple, loping guitar instrumental, gathering fragments of glockenspiel and fuzz, before transforming midway through into an electro workout with live drums and 8-bit melodies. It's like the audio equivalent of watching a butterfly come out of its "shell". zzxz, on the other hand, is a beautifully sparse keyboard meditation over field recording, and achieves a churchlike atmosphere. Fine stuff, this.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
BLK w/BEAR - Sorry about your (remixes) (Front & Follow)
Speaking of labels we love, here's another one. Next month, Manchester's Front & Follow release a series of remixes by BLK w/BEAR (pronounced black with bear, based in Washington D.C.) of a previous F&F release by Yonokiero, Blue apples. I haven't heard the original, but the re-workings are fascinating miniature soundworlds. Casey Jnr, for example, features a clarinet prominently above an oscillating cello loop. Sumimasen creates a slow, subterranean atmosphere with static noise, an electronic hum and what sounds like morse code sampled, with a haunting, melancholy female vocal. Listen here.
BLK w/BEAR - Sorry about your (remixes) by frontandfollow
In addition, the band's live video mixer Renee Shaw has made a film to accompany Casey Jnr. It's suitably dreamlike with melting frames and multiple superimpositions. There's also a giant rabbit and a ferris wheel involved. It's intriguing and I like it a lot.
BLK w/BEAR - Sorry about your (remixes) by frontandfollow
In addition, the band's live video mixer Renee Shaw has made a film to accompany Casey Jnr. It's suitably dreamlike with melting frames and multiple superimpositions. There's also a giant rabbit and a ferris wheel involved. It's intriguing and I like it a lot.
(The) Caseworker - National runner (Hidden Shoal, single)
Jesus, the great music just keeps piling in this month. (Is it the pollen or what?) This is a new single from (The) Caseworker on another one of our favourite labels here at UOH, the Perth-based Hidden Shoal. First things first, we like a band with brackets (parentheses, if you prefer - see what I did there). And the song is about the Ethiopian long-distance runner Miruts Yifter, which I think I'm safe in saying makes it unique in pop music. The press release describes the sound as the "Velvet Underground reared on the Flying Nun label", which is a lovely idea and I wouldn't argue. There is definitely a drone rock foundation but my first thought was The Byrds I must say, in terms of the dynamics of the twin chiming guitars. There's also a beautiful shoegazey feel off the chorus, with a wash of fuzz and banks of backing vocals. Take a minute.
[The] Caseworker - 'National Runner' by Hidden Shoal
Nice eh? Play it again, it gets better every time I've found. Then out of the blue comes the news that they're actually Irish, Conor and Eimer Devlin. New names on me but it seems they relocated to San Francisco some years ago. Ah yes, that West Coast sound.
Get the single for keeps on this link and stay tuned for their upcoming new album.
http://bit.ly/nationalrunner
[The] Caseworker - 'National Runner' by Hidden Shoal
Nice eh? Play it again, it gets better every time I've found. Then out of the blue comes the news that they're actually Irish, Conor and Eimer Devlin. New names on me but it seems they relocated to San Francisco some years ago. Ah yes, that West Coast sound.
Get the single for keeps on this link and stay tuned for their upcoming new album.
http://bit.ly/nationalrunner
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Roll the Dice on The Leaf Label - new album upcoming
The Leaf Label, that wonderful English independent (Efterklang, Oh No Ono, Murcof, Colleen etc.), announced a new signing earlier in the year, the Stockholm duo Roll the Dice, who are Malcolm Pardon and Peder Mannerfelt. Their first album for Leaf, second in all, comes out next month, it's called In dust. As a teaser/trailer for the album, there's a fascinating piece of film made by Frode Fjerdingstad. You can watch below - it's like some futuristic Sergio Leone western, shot by Nic Roeg, with a script by Cormac McCarthy and a foreboding soundtrack of electronic rumbles and whines.
Roll The Dice - In Dust from Roll The Dice on Vimeo.
So far, I've just heard a couple of bits and pieces from the album, including its last track See you Monday. That's a fantastic blend of Steve Reich-like piano repetitions and Kratfwerk-style kosmische, with a great fuzzy, pulsing synth heartbeat. You'll have to wait another while to hear it, but the band have put together an intriguing mixtape for FACT magazine, with material as diverse as Brian Eno, Glenn Branca, Raymond Scott, Daphne Oram, Tom Waits, Sébastian Tellier and Experimental Audio Research, among others. Check it out on this link.
http://www.factmag.com/2011/08/05/fact-mix-271-roll-the-dice/
To whet the appetite for the new album even more, here's another piece of film, set to a live recording the band made in Gothenberg last year, a track originally featured on their debut album.
Roll The Dice - Undertow (live) from Roll The Dice on Vimeo.
It's worth mentioning also that Mannerfelt has been a member of Fever Ray and Pardon has a background in tv and film composition. That all makes a certain amount of sense when you hear the music.
Roll the Dice play Café Oto, London, Sept 20th
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tarwater - Inside the ships (Bureau B)
Here's something you don't hear every day. The title track from the new Tarwater album starts with a low tuba drone and a sample of some tapped acoustic instrument strings (of unknown origin), which are then joined by a very chilled out programmed drumbeat and electric guitar pattern. Then, out of the blue, one minute in, comes the sound of an instrument I've never heard before. It sounds vaguely Middle Eastern or North African, and as if it should be a wind instrument. It plays a quixotic melody that's not a million miles from something you'd hear on bagpipes. It's brief and very exotic to these ears, then it's gone again. The song meanders on, pauses momentarily, at which point a male voice intones "inside the ships" in very good English with a slight accent, accompanied by that tuba again and an accordion (or maybe another bellows instrument). He then proceeds to list what I think are names of dances, like "The Easybone", "The Saturday", "The Quicksand", "The Curious End", "The Chocolate Foam", which are performed inside said ships. The whole thing is electronic music with a beautiful organic and analogue feel, with subtle hooks at every turn and just slightly unhinged. It's quite a trip and is sure to worm its way into your waking moments fairly rapidly, if I know my eggs.
Tarwater - Inside The Ships by Bureau B
Tarwater - Inside The Ships by Bureau B
Dear Reader - Man (Idealistic animals) (City Slang)
I've been working my way gradually through a mountain of music during the radio show's summer break. And here's a nugget that was sitting in my inbox for a while, which has quite an international background. The band is Dear Reader, the main force in which is one Cheri MacNeil, who is South African originally. She moved to Berlin from Johannesburg and I assume that's how she came to hook up with the City Slang people, who are releasing her new album next month. The (almost) title track is available for the price of an e-mail address at this link.
http://dearreadermusic.com/newsletter-2/
In the absence of a listening link, you'll have to take my word for how it sounds. It's an unusual mixture of intimate and epic, all at the same time. Close vocals and rimshot drums on the one hand, huge massed backing vocals on the other. And speaking of epic, I'd have to say the root-note basslines and insistent piano come on like a lower key Arcade Fire. And nothing wrong with that, if you ask me. It's a kind of folk music, but through a baroque pop filter, with some lovely vintage synth touches in support. You can read more about the lyrical concerns of the song, and the album as a whole here, but suffice to say there are some major concepts underpinning it, dealing with loss of faith and the human condition, let's call it. Which is all fairly refreshing to find in pop music, don't you think?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Canon Blue - Indian summer (Des moines)
You might remember a couple of weeks ago, the Efterklang gig with Daniel Bjarnason & Their Messing Orchestra in Cork was mentioned in these pages. Playing guitar on stage that night was American Daniel James, whose own album Rumspringa comes out at the end of the month under his stage name Canon Blue, through Efterklang's label Rumraket and Temporary Residence in the U.S.. James has been a touring member of Efterklang for the last couple of years and the album was recorded with them at their Copenhagen studio. Those other great Efterklang acolytes, Amiina, are apparently heavily involved throughout the album, which is great news. The first song from the album to see the light of day is below - follow the link below for a free download. If you're looking for a genre tag, let's go with orchestral pop. Although I have to say there are intriguing hints of Ennio Morricone in the choral work in this tune, as well as some unexpected traces of Eastern music floating in the background. It's bright and breezy but comes with added layers. Makes me want to hear the whole album, basically.
http://soundcloud.com/rumraket-records/03-indian-summer-des-moines
*For anyone in the U.S./Canada, Canon Blue are about to embark on an extensive 30-date tour, largely with The Boxer Rebellion - details here
Next Stop: Horizon - Wild escape (Tapete Records)
Next Stop: Horizon are Par Hagstrom and Jenny Roos from Gothenberg in Sweden, whose new album, We know exactly where we are going, comes out next month on German label Tapete. I haven't listened to the album through yet but here's what I know about the band based on their new video that just fell into my lap. It sounds a little bit like Tom Waits from around Swordfishtrombones (which is to say that you would think Kurt Weill is also an influence), only much more optimistic. It features an irresistible, sprinting (as opposed to walking) double bassline. It sounds like everyone involved is having a really good time. Along with the prominent bass, brushed drums and a driving piano, the song also includes many oblique bangs, clatters and squeaks. Have a listen here, it'll do you good.
As a further taster for the album, here's a particularly rowdy live performance of another album track from last year. It features a woman (the aforementioned Jenny) playing drums standing up and singing through a megaphone, two things that should be treasured in this world.
*And for good measure, they are giving away the sweet and intriguing opening track from the album, right here. It's full of twinkling glockenspiels and plucked strings, check it out.
Next Stop: Horizon - Iron Train by Tapete Records
As a further taster for the album, here's a particularly rowdy live performance of another album track from last year. It features a woman (the aforementioned Jenny) playing drums standing up and singing through a megaphone, two things that should be treasured in this world.
*And for good measure, they are giving away the sweet and intriguing opening track from the album, right here. It's full of twinkling glockenspiels and plucked strings, check it out.
Next Stop: Horizon - Iron Train by Tapete Records
Thursday, August 11, 2011
A Winged Victory for the Sullen
We always look forward to e-mails from Erased Tapes here at UOH HQ, but a particularly nice one arrived today. Have a listen here while reading below - rather than make up a load of other stuff, I've just copied the very well written press release. It makes more sense anyway, because there's a bit of a backstory, which you'll notice includes the late Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), as well as Peter Broderick, two of the people we love most in music.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears by erasedtapes
CONTENT: ‘A Winged Victory For The Sullen’ is the first installment of the new collaboration between Stars Of The Lid founder Adam Wiltzie and L.A. composer Dustin O’Halloran. The duo agreed to leave the comfort zone of their home studios and develop the recordings with the help of large acoustic spaces, hunting down a selection of 9ft grand pianos that had the ability to deliver extreme sonic low end. Other traditional instrumentation was used including string quartet, French horn, and bassoon, but always juxtaposed is the sound of drifting guitar washed melodies. The recordings began with one late night session in the famed Grunewald Church in Berlin on a 1950s imperial Bösendorfer piano and strings were added in the historic East Berlin DDR radio studios along the River Spree. One last session on a handmade Fazioli piano in a private studio on the Northern cusp of Italy, before the final mixes took place in a 17th century villa near Ferrara with the assistance of Francesco Donadello. All songs were then processed completely analogue straight to magnetic tape. Their secret to harvesting new melodic structures from the thin air of existence was for the duo to push themselves to dangerous territory, realising that clear thinking at the wrong moment could stifle the compositions. The final result is seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination. In ‘Requiem For The Static King Part One’ – created in memory of the untimely passing of Mark Linkous – they have taken the age-old idea of a string quartet and then shot it out of a cannon to reveal exquisite new levels of sonic bliss. Of the 13 minute track ‘Symphony Pathétique’, Wiltzie says ‘after almost 20 years of struggling to create interesting ambient drone music, I feel like I have finally figured out what I am doing’. Notable guest musicians include Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, as well as Erased Tapes label comrade Peter Broderick on violin. A Winged Victory For The Sullen is not a side project – it is the future of the late night record you have always dreamed of.
CONTEXT: On May 24th 2007, in Bologna, Italy, Adam was on tour and playing with the late Mark Linkous & his beloved Sparklehorse, on what would be their final European tour. That night Adam invited friend and colleague Francesco Donadello to see the concert, and Francesco's guest this evening was composer Dustin O'Halloran (Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ O.S.T.). Through a strange twist of backstage conversations surrounding passport cache conundrums, and love of Italian gastronomy, a curious friendship began that now has brought forth an offspring of truly curative compositions for the world to savour.
It's just too short, isn't it? You want it to go on all day, it's so gorgeous. And with an ineffable quality - it's hard to put your finger on what's so great about it. Suffice to say, it'll fit right in between Sparklehorse and Stars of the Lid on the shelf.
*Also, don't you just love that description - "seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination".
Honestly, after Johann Johannsson the other week, this ambient-post classical crossover is getting out of all proportion. I think that's a good thing, by the way. I know it's been suggested elsewhere that this is the kind of music that could act as an antidote to "civil disorder" (just Google "riots UK"). I don't know if that's feasible, but without a doubt the world would be a better place if everybody heard this.
The self-titled debut album of A Winged Victory For The Sullen comes out on September 12, 2011 via Erased Tapes Records.
A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Steep Hills Of Vicodin Tears by erasedtapes
CONTENT: ‘A Winged Victory For The Sullen’ is the first installment of the new collaboration between Stars Of The Lid founder Adam Wiltzie and L.A. composer Dustin O’Halloran. The duo agreed to leave the comfort zone of their home studios and develop the recordings with the help of large acoustic spaces, hunting down a selection of 9ft grand pianos that had the ability to deliver extreme sonic low end. Other traditional instrumentation was used including string quartet, French horn, and bassoon, but always juxtaposed is the sound of drifting guitar washed melodies. The recordings began with one late night session in the famed Grunewald Church in Berlin on a 1950s imperial Bösendorfer piano and strings were added in the historic East Berlin DDR radio studios along the River Spree. One last session on a handmade Fazioli piano in a private studio on the Northern cusp of Italy, before the final mixes took place in a 17th century villa near Ferrara with the assistance of Francesco Donadello. All songs were then processed completely analogue straight to magnetic tape. Their secret to harvesting new melodic structures from the thin air of existence was for the duo to push themselves to dangerous territory, realising that clear thinking at the wrong moment could stifle the compositions. The final result is seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination. In ‘Requiem For The Static King Part One’ – created in memory of the untimely passing of Mark Linkous – they have taken the age-old idea of a string quartet and then shot it out of a cannon to reveal exquisite new levels of sonic bliss. Of the 13 minute track ‘Symphony Pathétique’, Wiltzie says ‘after almost 20 years of struggling to create interesting ambient drone music, I feel like I have finally figured out what I am doing’. Notable guest musicians include Icelandic cellist Hildur Gudnadottir, as well as Erased Tapes label comrade Peter Broderick on violin. A Winged Victory For The Sullen is not a side project – it is the future of the late night record you have always dreamed of.
CONTEXT: On May 24th 2007, in Bologna, Italy, Adam was on tour and playing with the late Mark Linkous & his beloved Sparklehorse, on what would be their final European tour. That night Adam invited friend and colleague Francesco Donadello to see the concert, and Francesco's guest this evening was composer Dustin O'Halloran (Sofia Coppola’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ O.S.T.). Through a strange twist of backstage conversations surrounding passport cache conundrums, and love of Italian gastronomy, a curious friendship began that now has brought forth an offspring of truly curative compositions for the world to savour.
It's just too short, isn't it? You want it to go on all day, it's so gorgeous. And with an ineffable quality - it's hard to put your finger on what's so great about it. Suffice to say, it'll fit right in between Sparklehorse and Stars of the Lid on the shelf.
*Also, don't you just love that description - "seven landscapes of harmonic ingemination".
Honestly, after Johann Johannsson the other week, this ambient-post classical crossover is getting out of all proportion. I think that's a good thing, by the way. I know it's been suggested elsewhere that this is the kind of music that could act as an antidote to "civil disorder" (just Google "riots UK"). I don't know if that's feasible, but without a doubt the world would be a better place if everybody heard this.
The self-titled debut album of A Winged Victory For The Sullen comes out on September 12, 2011 via Erased Tapes Records.
Rachael Dadd - New single and album
You may remember Rachael Dadd from this post about her new single a couple of weeks ago. Well there's a video for the A-side Balloon now, which features creeping moustaches, fruit and a turntable in a thoroughly charming stop-motion animation.
It'll certainly appeal to anyone into Lisa Hannigan, for example, but I'd venture to suggest there's more depth to it than that.
And as if you weren't in a good enough mood after that, here's another miniature stop-motion classic showing Rachael turning her hand to art design, badge-making and all sorts. With the lovely Balloon playing in the background again.
I don't know about you, but that makes me go, "I need to get my hands on that"...It's out on August 15th on Broken Sound, along with her album Bite the mountain, which we will speak about again, I'm pretty sure.
It'll certainly appeal to anyone into Lisa Hannigan, for example, but I'd venture to suggest there's more depth to it than that.
And as if you weren't in a good enough mood after that, here's another miniature stop-motion classic showing Rachael turning her hand to art design, badge-making and all sorts. With the lovely Balloon playing in the background again.
I don't know about you, but that makes me go, "I need to get my hands on that"...It's out on August 15th on Broken Sound, along with her album Bite the mountain, which we will speak about again, I'm pretty sure.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Patrick Kelleher & His Cold Dead Hands - Golden syrup (Osaka)
Intriguing second album from the Wicklow native and friends, which takes on the threads of 1980's new wave and goth influences to add more dirty disco and Italo elements. Opener Miracle candle is an underground dancefloor classic in waiting. And previous single Contact sports has an appealing noir pop atmosphere. Gouge has an air of Japan (the band) about it, which is only a good thing. The vocals aren't always successful to these ears (often fed through filters or heavy effects), but the best results are where Kelleher's voice is played straight and allowed to stand on its own merits. The beautiful falsetto vocal (as well as synthesised handclaps and creamy synth washes) of Seen me blue will make you think of Ariel Pink (I think they're calling it hypnagogic pop these days). The underdog Elvis-croon and subdued Joy Division bass riff of Broken up now are a complete triumph, and at 3 minutes leave you wanting more. The stalking, spoken word I don't remember comes on like a science fiction soundtrack, complete with distorted cosmic synth trails. But the album standout is Too many harsh words, which has a soft-spoken, vulnerable vocal undercut by a great rumbling bassline and squelchy programmed drums. An album that bears repeated listening.
http://soundcloud.com/osakarecords/sets/patrick-kelleher-his-cold-4
http://soundcloud.com/osakarecords/sets/patrick-kelleher-his-cold-4
Monday, August 8, 2011
Liz Green - Displacement (PIAS, single)
English folk music with an unexpected twist, in the shape of sensitive oompah-style trumpet and saxophone accompaniment. And a singing voice featuring a great bruised vibrato (without going over the top, there's something of Billie Holiday about it). Wonderfully wistful taster for upcoming debut album.
I like the tapping feet in that.
*The single comes with the added pleasure of an authentically hissy version of the Andrews Sisters classic Bei mir bist du schoen (a Yiddish tune originally), with lovely muted sax wailing in tow.
I like the tapping feet in that.
*The single comes with the added pleasure of an authentically hissy version of the Andrews Sisters classic Bei mir bist du schoen (a Yiddish tune originally), with lovely muted sax wailing in tow.
Other Lives - Tamer animals (PIAS, single)
Title track from the Oklahoma band's upcoming second album. Has a slow-building, epic quality which will be well familiar to fans of The National. Circling, Reichian piano figures and beautiful, ghostly backing vocals are just some of the joys of it. An anthem for people not comfortable with anthems.
*Previous single For 12 is also available to download for free here.
For 12 (like this page to download) by Other Lives
The astronaut-adrift-in-a-post-nuclear-desert themed video for which is here. Love that string arrangement - it makes me think of telegraph wires.
Other Lives play both the Green Man and End of the Road Festivals in the UK this summer
*Previous single For 12 is also available to download for free here.
For 12 (like this page to download) by Other Lives
The astronaut-adrift-in-a-post-nuclear-desert themed video for which is here. Love that string arrangement - it makes me think of telegraph wires.
Other Lives play both the Green Man and End of the Road Festivals in the UK this summer
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Tune-Yards on Jimmy Fallon
It's been a few months since we've mentioned Merrill Garbus so it's great to come across some footage of her NBC television debut on the Jimmy Fallon show from last week. Not only do Merrill and Nate Brenner put on a storming performance of Gangsta, the first single from latest album Whokill on 4AD, they've also roped in a horn section and houseband The Roots for help on drumming and rapping. In the words of Tony Bourdain, it's a wonderful thing.
*Get a load of that bottle percussion too.
*Get a load of that bottle percussion too.
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Go-Betweens - 1978-1990 (Beggars Banquet)
Back in the days when Comet Records existed in Cork, I got into The Go-Betweens (Comet later became Plugd, which has now moved around the corner from Washington Street to the Triskel Arts Centre building). In those days, Comet used to sell Beggars Banquet releases on cassette for a fiver - and in those Walkman days, cassettes were my medium of choice. And so I found The Go-Betweens: 1978-1990. I was vaguely aware of the band - I think I had heard Bachelor kisses on Dave Fanning's radio show a few times during the 80's. But I didn't own anything by the band. Of course, typical me, to become interested in the band after they'd broken up (in fact, both Grant McLennan and Robert Forster had released their first solo efforts by this time). I think it was the sleevenotes that sold me on it. Each song had a short note from either Grant or Robert. Like this one by Grant, for Bye bye pride -
Cairns is a lazy, small town full of boats and cane fields. It is also unbearably hot. An old army officer once said to me that the heat took away his pride. He then sucked loudly on the straw in his gin and headed out to the first hole. I was his caddy so I followed him.
What an intriguing scene-set that is (and it actually has echoes in a few other Grant McLennan Go-Betweens songs, which we'll come back to later). Once I got the cassette home, I discovered that the song also contained a literal reference to this note, in one of the most outrageously audacious lyrics in the history of pop music -
"The white moon appears like a hole in the sky, the mangroves grow quiet
In La Brisa de la Palma a teenage Rasputin takes the sting from a gin"
Glorious pop music. An amazing mixture of strange but accessible, which is quite rare. Speaking of Bachelor kisses, I nicked the "hands like hooks" phrase to use in a song once - strange but accessible. And those female backing vocals in the chorus always get me where it hurts.
According to the sleevenotes, that song was written in Immigration, on the way back into the UK from the US and Grant's sister reckoned Marianne Faithfull should sing it. Priceless.
Robert Forster has many memorable notes on the sleeve, including this for Man o' sand to girl o' sea, also on Springhill Fair, their third album from 1984 -
In rock 'n roll terms The Go-Betweens always take the checkered flag. This road-running slice of beauty and mayhem - I can distinctly remember turning to the band and saying "let's burn this land". And by Jesus we did.
Hilarious and it makes me love it even more. That and Robert's "guitar" injunction just before the solo.
One of my favourite Go-Betweens albums is Tallulah (1987), which has four tracks on this collection (that album only comes about third usually in most critics' or fans' assessments of the band, which always surprises me, normally behind Before Hollywood and Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express). Including The house Jack Kerouac built, a wonderfully acidic little song with Amanda Brown's stabbing violins, which suited my mood very well when I first heard it in 1991 ("keep me away from her..."). Watch out for the hilarious "Fiddler on the roof" intro to this live version.
Grant's The wrong road is another highlight of the collection, with its majestic string arrangements and cello by one Audrey Riley (who later adorned Moloko records and played live with Cathal Coughlan).
It originally appeared on Liberty Belle and the Black Diamond Express (1986), one of their more downbeat, melancholy albums (Tracey Thorn of Everything but the Girl also notably sings backing vocals on Head full of steam and Apology accepted on this album). Here's the cassette cover which Robert Forster signed for me in 1996 in The Village in Dublin, when he was on his solo tour supporting the Warm nights album. I always dug Lindy Morrison's cowboy hat on that cover. I still can't make out what he wrote though.
Liberty Belle is downbeat apart from the opening song Spring rain, of course, which features one of the best guitar breaks ever in a pop song. I also enjoy Robert Forster's black and white striped tunic in the video - watch out for the lovely gatefold vinyl version of the 1978-1990 sleeve at the beginning.
Cattle and cane is generally regarded as the best song the band ever recorded, from Before Hollywood (1983), which is usually nominated as their best album. Here's a jerkier, more post-punk version than on the album, which possibly gives a clue as to why the likes of The Wedding Present, among others, covered it. (By the way, is that a samurai film playing in the background?! If anyone knows what it is, give me a shout.)
That song is about, or at least heavy with the memory of, Grant McLennan's father. In the sleevenotes, Grant writes -
The song came easily, was recorded quickly and still haunts me.
He's not alone in that, I'm sure. Interesting that he doesn't mention his father on that note. Later though, the note for Dusty in here reads, in full:
This song is about my father who died when I was four.
I always read that as a kind of terse "don't ask me any more about the subject". As well as sad and nostalgic, which words could be applied to many Grant McLennan songs. Incidentally, Wallace Wylie has a great assessment of Before Hollywood here.
http://www.collapseboard.com/brisbane/fading-celluloid-and-fading-memories-%e2%80%93-the-artistic-triumph-of-the-go-betweens-before-hollywood/
Although I can understand why people pick this as their favourite Go-Betweens album, it so happens that I heard Tallulah first (another Beggars Banquet cassette special for a fiver in Comet Records) and bonded strongly with it straightaway - it contains about four or five classic songs. In that article above though, there is a very good point about Lindy Morrison's drumming on Before Hollywood.
"Bringing a tension and control to the entire proceedings, Morrison’s drumming provided the songs with the necessary tautness that allowed the bass and guitar to quarrel and snap."
She is a little bit the forgotten limb of the band. And there's no better example of that description on Before Hollywood than the brilliant Two steps step out, with the most direct and uncompromising of backbeats. (By the way, if anyone tries to interest you again in The Proclaimers' 500 miles, tell them where to go, and play them this.)
That song isn't on the 1978-1990 collection. But the first song on it, Karen, quickly became my favourite Go-Betweens song.
I think it was the bare-bones, garagey guitar and the fact that they could make so much out of so little - very punk rock, really. And lyrics like these helped too -
"Helps me find Hemingway
Helps me find Genet
Helps me find Brecht
Helps me find Chandler
Helps me find James Joyce
She always makes the right choice"
Pure class. Show me a band today who'd have the balls to write a love song to a librarian and not turn it into a novelty gimmick. It was originally the B-side of their first single Lee Remick, released on their own Able Label.
It also appeared on their 1999 release, 78 til 79: The lost album, a collection of their early recordings, most of which were unreleased at the time. Here's a nice piece by Stewart Lee, another huge fan of the band, from 1999.
http://www.stewartlee.co.uk/press/writtenformoney/1999-may16-gobetweens-sundaytimes.htm
It's just over five years now since Grant McLennan's death. There are annual commemorative events held all over the world, like this one in London earlier this year. Robert Forster still plays and releases music and tours occasionally, as well as writing some fine music journalism. Like this piece about fellow Australian Sarah Blasko's last album. Amanda Brown composes music for film, television and theatre, of which more detail here. Lindy Morrison is involved in community music and artists' rights in Australia, as she describes in this interview. And Robert Vickers (I didn't mention him above but he was responsible for the great circling bassline in Bye bye pride and played on three albums in all) is a music publicist in New York. And there's now a bridge named after the band in their hometown of Brisbane. Some funny coverage of the opening ceremony here.
*By the way, the solo albums of Grant and Robert are all worth checking out too. In Grant's case, I would start with Watershed on Beggars Banquet from 1991 (when he was calling himself G.W.), which has some beautiful AM radio-style pop songs on it. I got my copy on cassette for a fiver in Comet Records.
**Here's what I think is the best appreciation of the man written at the time of Grant's death, by Robert Christgau in The Village Voice.
***This fan site is well worth checking too for up to date Go-Betweens related news and events - http://www.go-betweens.net/
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Yann Tiersen - Monuments (Mute, single)
This is lovely, the new single from Tiersen's 7th album Skyline, which comes out on Mute later this autumn. A delicately plucked acoustic guitar, twinkling vibes, a military drumbeat, then accordions and tumbling backing vocals, and later a haze of cascading guitars and vintage synths (something in it for Animal Collective fans, I would have said). And the two-sided, salutary/hopeful lyric
"All monuments of men, they're sinking in vain
Tiny moments of mine, they're floating in space"
We could call it chamber-folk, but let's just enjoy it for the dreamy magic it is. The miniaturist video by Ivan Rusev is great too.
As well as several UK dates in October, Yann Tiersen also plays at Jeff Mangum's ATP in December
"All monuments of men, they're sinking in vain
Tiny moments of mine, they're floating in space"
We could call it chamber-folk, but let's just enjoy it for the dreamy magic it is. The miniaturist video by Ivan Rusev is great too.
As well as several UK dates in October, Yann Tiersen also plays at Jeff Mangum's ATP in December
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Johann Johannsson + Iskra String Quartet, Triskel Christchurch, Cork
And so to another great gig (maybe concert is a better word, maybe not) to end a great weekend of music (go here if you haven't heard about the context for this, The Reich Effect Festival). The Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson came to Triskel Christchurch last Sunday with the Iskra String Quartet (that's a photo - I assume from the soundcheck, seeing as the place is empty - taken from the Iskra blog). I went along as a novice, in terms of familiarity with the man's music - but then going with a blank slate can be an interesting way to approach a performance.
This venue opened last April and so has only hosted a handful of musical events to date. I'd hazard a guess that this is the first time that a combination of volcanic rumblings and brushed strings had been heard in the place. That number resolved into something like aircraft noise, a very un-concert hall type of sound. But this performance was unconventional in several ways, by concert hall standards. The beautiful, swelling, repeating piano patterns were backed with grainy, scratchy - bordering on distressed - visual projections behind the performers*. These consisted of slowed-down traffic footage, construction sites, a man cutting through ice. At times, the music acted like a stately soundtrack to some forgotten world, with hints of Michael Nyman at his most sombre and austere.
Later, a filtered, robotic vocal reciting in Latin and melancholy strings came together to make an incredible emotional pull. Here's the tune, Odi et amo, performed at The Melkweg in Amsterdam a couple of years back.
Interesting too how the audience came to grips with the show, staying quiet through the first few numbers as the musicians played on, as is the classical etiquette, but eventually letting rip with loud applause and cheering, forcing the artists to pause and acknowledge, pop style. Here's another gorgeous, elegaic instrumental from the show.
It's from Johannsson's first solo album, Englaborn, which came out in 2002 on 4AD, and was originally composed as the music for an Icelandic play of the same name, as Johannsson explains on his own website:
"The play is extremely violent and disturbing and basically when faced with the script I decided to work against it as much as possible and just try to write the most beautiful music I could. That approach seems to have worked, at any rate, the music got really good reviews, the leading drama critic calling it "the most beautiful I've heard in Icelandic theatre." I must say I've never had such a strong reaction to anything I've done before; strangers have actually stopped me in the street and hugged me because of it...! Bizarre.. It is gratifying though, because it’s probably the most personal thing I've done. This stuff is very very close to me."
It's certainly beautiful. Overall, it was an intriguing night of music that you might call post- or neo-classical, but wasn't quite comfortable with the "classical" tag at the same time.
*One of my companions was particularly disenchanted with the projections, finding them pointless and pretentious, along with the show in general in fact. Some of the footage did seem random, but I think she was in a minority on the night.
**Johannsson's latest album, The Miners' Hymns, music from which did not feature in this show, is out now on Fat Cat. It's a soundtrack to a film by Bill Morrison. You'll find plenty of details here
http://www.johannjohannsson.com/2011/04/the_miners_hymns_out_on_cd_and.html
and over at Songs to Learn and Sing.
Here's a small sample of the music and visuals from that project - it also sounds brilliant.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Dark Captain - Submarines (LoAF Recordings, single)
This East London band used to be called Dark Captain Light Captain, but they've shortened down (I reckon fans used to shorten the name anyway). Their new single carries on very much where the longer band's material left off. Big beat drums, assorted subtle krautrock-type drones, hushed vocals, raindrop piano and a delicate, spindly acoustic guitar line. It's a beautiful tune and likely to worm its way under your skin very quickly. Out August 30th on CD and download.
http://soundcloud.com/lo-loaf-recordings/sets/dark-captain-submarines
*By the way, the press blurb says "like Fleetwood Mac being chatted up by The Violent Femmes in a bar in which Robert Wyatt is dancing his heart out to minor key club classics". I love this idea and I want to know if this scenario can be created and documented. I'm sure people would pay money for the privilege.
**And for good measure, here's one of the singles from their last album, Miracle kicker, the sublime Jealous enemies.
http://soundcloud.com/lo-loaf-recordings/sets/dark-captain-submarines
*By the way, the press blurb says "like Fleetwood Mac being chatted up by The Violent Femmes in a bar in which Robert Wyatt is dancing his heart out to minor key club classics". I love this idea and I want to know if this scenario can be created and documented. I'm sure people would pay money for the privilege.
**And for good measure, here's one of the singles from their last album, Miracle kicker, the sublime Jealous enemies.
Efterklang + Daniel Bjarnason and Their Messing Orchestra, Savoy Theatre, Cork
So Efterklang came to town over the weekend (that's Rasmus and Casper on stage in the photo above). They brought some friends with them - about 17 in fact. Here's the crowd from a photo taken before their February performance at the CrossLinx Festival in Holland.
I found that photo on Morris Kliphuis' blog, http://morriskliphuis.blogspot.com/2011/07/efterklang-in-cork.html, who was part of The Messing Saxes onstage, I believe. That's Daniel Bjarnason in front, centre of that pic. He's the one who made these arrangements for the Efterklang songs, and also played a Rhodes (I think it was) onstage. Aswell as Casper, Rasmus, Mads and Thomas, the core members of the band, there was also Daniel James (aka Canon Blue) on guitar, Peter Broderick on marimba, violin, vocals, steel drum (has he been listening to Wildbirds & Peacedrums I wonder?) and very possibly some other stuff, Heather Woods Broderick on keys, vocals and flute and a second marimba player who joined for a few songs. Most importantly for me, there was also both a four-piece brass section and a four-piece sax section. I didn't take any video on the night and I haven't been able to locate any footage of the gig posted, so here's some of the preview material again that I posted last week (from the Efterklang website).
And here's a fan's eye view from the Cross Linx Festival in Rotterdam earlier in the year.
Pretty great, eh? And that's how the Savoy gig was too. Offbeat but catchy, downright groovy but cerebral at the same time. Efterklang's music works on several levels but it was a real joy to hear the horns give everything an extra gear (those were Casper's words when I spoke to him the day before, while the band were setting up in the venue - I'll be posting that interview in full next month). And as we've said here before, there's no day that can't be improved with a bit of brass and reed. It's just one of the laws of nature.
Although I'm a huge fan of the band, I wasn't taken as much with their last album, Magic chairs on 4AD. The songs and arrangements were great, but the production was a little polished for my taste. But live, those misgivings go out the window, especially when the songs are put through the aforementioned extra gears. The likes of Morning drift, I was beating drums and Alike were shimmering, honking underground pop classics. I think Alike was my own favourite moment of the night, partly because I watched Vincent Moon's An island again last week and I found the scene where the band (and friends) perform the song quietly moving and joyous, all at the same time (not to mention funny - what other music film features a brushing-the-floor percussion section and popping-the-balloons cymbal crashes). Hearing the song up close in all its brass and reed glory was one of my musical highlights of this, or any, year. The definition of glorious and uplifting pop music, really. And if the reaction of the rest of the crowd in the Savoy was anything to go by - by the time the band finished the gig with a walking circuit of the dancefloor, complete with percussion and honking horns as they went, the people of Cork were chanting, clapping and grinning like loons - I wasn't the only one uplifted.
*Unfortunately, I didn't make it into the Savoy in time to catch much of the supporting bill (I blame the quality of the Murphy's in the Hi-B). We did hear a few minutes of the Messing Saxes, who were being given the adulation of rock stars when we arrived. What's not to love about nothing but saxophones playing rhythm, melody and harmony. We missed Canon Blue and Heather Woods Broderick. I'd love to hear if anyone did see them. (The new Canon Blue single is on my list for this month, more anon.)
**Just to repeat, this event was part of The Reich Effect Festival, organised by Cork Opera House to celebrate 75 years of Steve Reich. Stay tuned for a few thoughts on Johann Johannsson, who was also part of the weekend's lineup.
Monday, August 1, 2011
North Sea Radio Orchestra – I a moon (The Household Mark)
North Sea Radio Orchestra – I a moon (The Household Mark)
What a fantastic album this is, from Craig Fortnam and friends, with a strong core of English folk music and traces of (post) classical, medieval, electronica and even Krautrock in the supporting cast. Opener Morpheus miracle maker has great swooping strings and a vocal reminiscient of Kate Bush (Hounds of love era) from Sharon Fortnam (there’s even room for a Micheál Ó Súilleabháin style piano + glockenspiel trill). The title track is short, sweet, strange, driven by glockenspiel, laptop and harmonium and reminds me a bit of Montreal math poppers Oen Sujet. Heavy weather starts as a piano waltz sea-shanty but spreads its wings into string and oboe interludes and male-female counterpoint vocals, before a rousing, massed-band, chamber pop finish. Arguably the highpoint of the album, the instrumental Berliner luft carries off a motorik Neu groove on acoustic guitar alongside a bubbling Moog, with a memorable mid-section stand-off between opposing string and reed choruses. It’s irresistible dance music, in the way that Michael Nyman’s Greenaway soundtracks are. The second half of the album has more of a pastoral feel to it, including the gorgeous medieval-style ballad The earth beneath our feet. The pulsing Moogs and frantic glockenspiels and guitars of Ring moonlets are another highlight. A work of restless genius, full of compelling, surprising and insanely catchy arrangements. This is pop music of the top drawer variety.
What a fantastic album this is, from Craig Fortnam and friends, with a strong core of English folk music and traces of (post) classical, medieval, electronica and even Krautrock in the supporting cast. Opener Morpheus miracle maker has great swooping strings and a vocal reminiscient of Kate Bush (Hounds of love era) from Sharon Fortnam (there’s even room for a Micheál Ó Súilleabháin style piano + glockenspiel trill). The title track is short, sweet, strange, driven by glockenspiel, laptop and harmonium and reminds me a bit of Montreal math poppers Oen Sujet. Heavy weather starts as a piano waltz sea-shanty but spreads its wings into string and oboe interludes and male-female counterpoint vocals, before a rousing, massed-band, chamber pop finish. Arguably the highpoint of the album, the instrumental Berliner luft carries off a motorik Neu groove on acoustic guitar alongside a bubbling Moog, with a memorable mid-section stand-off between opposing string and reed choruses. It’s irresistible dance music, in the way that Michael Nyman’s Greenaway soundtracks are. The second half of the album has more of a pastoral feel to it, including the gorgeous medieval-style ballad The earth beneath our feet. The pulsing Moogs and frantic glockenspiels and guitars of Ring moonlets are another highlight. A work of restless genius, full of compelling, surprising and insanely catchy arrangements. This is pop music of the top drawer variety.
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