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September 02, 2005
Music for the Nice People: Now what're you doing this weekend?
This is how bad I want our NYC readers to go to the Graham Smith/Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice/Alasdair Roberts show tomorrow night (remember?): I'm giving you tracks to show just how much awesomeness you'll be missing if you don't go.
"I Fell in Love" is an Ali Roberts track from the album Farewll Sorrow. It's grisly and morbid and wonderful. The song's narrator lists the body parts of his lady love that he intends to remove and turn into musical instruments ("Of your long fingernails / I will fashion ten quills / To pluck on your veins like a harp"). Of course, at no point in the song is it made clear whether or not the poor girl is supposed to have died before or after this harvesting takes place.
One of these days, I'll get around to writing my treatise on how these new folkers (Ali Roberts, Joanna Newsom) and fellow travelers (Neutral Milk Hotel) use bodies and body-imagery in their songs.
While we're here, I just have to say how much I love the album this track came from. Ali Roberts is often called the Scottish Will Oldham, which makes his old band, Appendix Out, the Scottish Palace. Both of these comparisons are apt. Although Roberts's warble is thickly accented, it still comes from a similar place as Oldham's. Thematically, the two are also kindred. In terms of style and instrumentation, the two are apparently very different (plectrums & autoharps vs. pedal steel). However, that difference melts away when you consider that each of them is just appropriating the vernacular music of his homeland, but to much the same effect.
And in answer to a question someone asked me a long, long time ago. No, I still don't get tired of listening to stuff like this.
"You & Me & Leslie" is a Graham Smith song that I think I've mentioned before around here. It's epic in its greatness. How anybody could listen to this track and not want to cancel whatever plans they may've had for tomorrow night is entirely beyond me.
I don't care if you go to Xiu Xiu tonight ('cept, go to Xiu Xiu tonight), but mos def make an effort to get out to the Mercury tomorrow night for this show, and get there in time to see Graham.
Posted by matt at September 2, 2005 08:59 AM
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