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April 28, 2006
green and white diatoms spin on your teeth
So many of the more prominent elements in this song slide around, or are eroded, or blown away. The guitar chords refuse to stay in one place for too long, kind of whirlpooling around. The bass vibrates so forcefully at times that it shakes off all the other instruments (including the singer's voice). John McGlinchey sings about a girl who's never satisfied, and her boyfriend who is totally oblivious- at times (the chorus) his vocals overlap in slightly incongruous harmonies (more Animal Collective than Beach Boys), and he sounds distraught, anxious, and wild. 'Spider' is like a really pleasantly sour candy, you know- exciting in its contrasts.
John mentioned that 'Spider' will, at some point, appear on an EP of his solo stuff. But for the time being, he's drumming for and producing the music of Nouveau Riche (two entries down). Obviously, quite a talented guy.
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I have been enjoying Sunset Rubdown's "Shut Up I Am Dreaming" for the past few days. Spencer continues with his tradition of revisiting older songs ('Snake's Got A Leg Part III', 'Swimming' (quick snippet of 'The Dust You Kick Up is Too Fine'), and some of the lyrical themes that he's touched on before are explored more fully (particularly in the almost-title track, 'Shut Up I Am Dreaming of Places Where Lovers Have Wings'). I'd like to more about this later...anyway, for the time being, you can either pre-order the physical copy of the album at Absolutely Kosher, or download it early from Emusic. Dan at StG has put up a remarkable video he made for the song 'Us Ones In Between'. Go watch it, it's perfect.
Posted by Kevin at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
April 26, 2006
chortled
This Wes Anderson ad was fantastic (borderline self-parody):
Posted by Kevin at 12:09 AM | Comments (0)
April 25, 2006
lost a laundress
Even though Matt Fluxblog just wrote about them a few weeks ago, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say something about Nouveau Riche's music, especially since the band is (mostly) from Philly. 'Wait a Minute' has the same kind of bright summertime semi-porous pop appeal as some of Fannypack's more elastic songs, with more of a focus on a live-band approach (which serves the material well, I think). Put aside that amazingly bouncy groove they build (for a second), and listen to Dice Raw and Nikki Jean's great lyrics- the two capture, from opposing sides, one of those strangely public-private moments: when some chance instance of quick eye contact with a stranger gives way to over-the-shoulder glances and second thoughts, etc. Dice Raw unabashedly exclaims, "I think you're cute and got a big butt/I just want to get to know it/I hope saying that don't blow it", and spins out a vision of his and the girl's potential future, involving Porsches, crazy dinners and a hundred kids- to which Nikki retorts, "no, I ain't got a number/no, I ain't got a man/no, you got a short attention span", and even better, "all you know about me is the way my jeans fit/when you tell me that you want me/yeah I know you mean it". The best part comes at the end, when she says she knows that the guy can't see her for more than just 'a piece of ass', and that's why she doesn't stop to listen to his pitch (the way Nikki Jean sings this whole verse is so impressive, it reminds me a little of that scene in P.T. Anderson's "Magnolia", when April Grace's character (Gwenovier, the reporter) is interviewing Tom Cruise's T.J. Mackey and has to gently curb his ridiculously chauvinistic behavior). Then, as if to emphasize this point, at the 4 minute mark the band lets loose with an absolutely pummeling jam, frustrated drums and a shuddering bassline.
You can listen to some more of Nouveau Riche's stuff at their other website, and you can find out more about upcoming shows, etc. over here. Their EP should be available soon. On Friday, a song from someone intimately involved with the band (the drummer).
Posted by Kevin at 12:16 AM | Comments (0)
April 21, 2006
ha cha cha
Good news. Brian from Hand Held Heart says that the Liars-Blood Brothers split EP of Doors covers should be done within the month. Also by that time, they should have their Skull Skull (members of Liars and Young People) 12" ready to go too. 2 crazy records at once, it's almost too exciting.
Also, Cities' self-titled debut album came out this week. Check out what I said about their amazing song, 'Capitol', right here, and then head on over to Yep Roc to check out the first single from the album ('A Theme'). You can buy the album right here.
Posted by Kevin at 06:26 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
Catullus versus Horace
This song is a story told through thrown notes: eighth notes that stick to your shirt, sixteenth notes that get caught in your hair, the rare whole note that slips over one of your fingers like a ring. But it sounds like a triptych in a way, with that energetic burst at the beginning, those smooth, quick chords dissolving into a bass pulse and some descending phrases, the extremely lyrical and piercingly gorgeous middle section (airy and intricate), and the slower, more mournful ending, full of broad, polished harmonics and pinched-together strings. 'The Infinite Game' is full of craft, style, and substance, and it will not disappoint.
Layne Garrett is one-half of the improv duo Cutest Puppy In the World (featured previously), and puts out some of his other solo stuff under the name Space Superiority Is Not Our Birthright, But It Is Our Destiny. The 'Infinite Game', however, was part of a limited 2 song mini-CD (the other song, 'The Laws of Nature Are Changing' is an awesome 20 min. long Ferrari-esque piece) that Layne released under his own name- since recording it though, Layne has mentioned that the song has actually stretched past the 10 minute mark, which is v. exciting news. Hopefully the extended version will see the light of day soon, on a widely available release. In the meantime, you can check out some of Cutest Puppy in the World's songs right here, and order their fantastic album, "Finfolk", from the very cool people at Sockets CDR.
Posted by Kevin at 11:20 AM | Comments (0)
April 17, 2006
descriptive grammars tickle
Noteworthy:
Aa have a very cool video up for 'Thumper' (talked about here), featuring lots of their fantastic artwork (including the savage girls, an anthropomorphic elephant, and lots of flowers). Please go check it out, it's definitely worth it (plus this mix of 'Thumper' is a little different from the one I had up here in January). Aa's playing out a few times next month too, swing on by their other website to check out the details.
Speaking of great bands going on tour, Excepter are mounting what looks to be the lengthiest tour they've ever done, starting with a date in Philly (yes). JFR and Co. have gone all high-tech with their live streams now, moving the whole operation to a different site, where they've currently got streams 31, 32, and 33 available for your listening pleasure.
Posted by Kevin at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2006
mistook urgency for necessity more than once
This is a rerun, but what can I say, I love this song. Not so fond of what I wrote about it last April, but the song has really stuck with me- it's that toy piano that makes 'Industry and Snow' such a jewel, but I can quite articulate why that's the case. **Thanks to everyone who pointed out the broken link- should be fixed now**
A while ago, there was a piece in the Believer about the strange but compelling aesthetic appeal of abandoned, crumbling factories (n.b. it was in Believer 11, and the piece was called "The Acropolis of Northern New Jersey", by Angela Starita), and the industrial archeologists who do not just appreciate but cherish these structures. Ray Raposa, the talent behind the Castanets, seems like he could be one of those people for whom an old, semi-windowless tire factory would be a thing of beauty.
The song starts off quietly, just Raposa and his guitar: "all buried in the industry and snow I saw you, they're breathing down the backs of all those hills". He sings very matter-of-factly, as if he were stating a case to the crickets outside his porch. Then there's a small and awesome interlude with a toy piano, which gives the song a weird, delicate, missing-tooth feel. The ending of 'Industry and Snow' is bracing- like a bucket of cold water dumped over your head unexpectedly (slide guitars, squealing static, revelrous drums).
Interestingly enough, Raposa, like Sufjan Stevens, is also a fiction writer, and is said to be working on a novel that will explore many of the themes that "Cathedral" (the debut LP that 'Industry and Snow' is taken from) addresses. [BUY]
Posted by Kevin at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2006
Policeman tied to a bear's back, floating in the river
Neglected: if Molars were a child, it would be surviving in the house by itself, on old lollipops, potato chips, thick pink wall insulation, food coloring, various cake decorations, and handfuls of nutmeg. Haven't abandoned this yet, just in the middle of looking for a new job and paying taxes (complicated this year, what with the many, many compulsory real estate sales I had). Also still recovering from running a 10K this past Saturday, my legs feel like they were steeped in hot petroleum jelly and then sewn back onto my body. Some songs that are great:
I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Lights (they've outdone the segmented, dark elegance of their EP- this song is a porcelain chair that is also somehow inexplicably comfortable)
Long Blondes - Autonomy Boy (Kate Jackson has an unbelievably sexy voice, and this band has released nothing but perfect little pop songs (so far))
Soulwax - E Talking (Nite Versions) (Sean and some of the other R5 people have played this song after almost every show I've been to in the past 6 months. It's kind of addictive (that bassline), and really endearing, in a sweaty kind of way)
More to come, at some point.
Posted by Kevin at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)