Tag: Mp3s
I've mentioned a few times that John Roger Olsson from IAT.MP3 act The Grand Opening was working on an ambient album with Linus Larsson and now I'm happy to report that said album is done and in my hands (well, on my computer) and it's absolutely fantastic. It fulfills the textbook definition of post-rock: using typical rock instruments to create decidedly non-rock music. Said album "Leve Hogrän" does a lot of things, but I can tell you with all certainty that the one thing it doesn't do is "rock." Face it, the quiet/loud dynamics of most post-rock has been a cliché for a long time now, so it's nice to hear someone embracing one end of the spectrum. The track I've posted today, "In the shadow", is the group's own personal favorite and it's easy to understand why as it's got a little bit of everything: dreamy soundscapes, languid guitar melodies, a cohesive full-band moment in the mid-section and even a bit of wordless vocals towards the end. I think I like this even better than JRO's other post-rockish project Will Gambola Sing and those guys are pretty damn good. Also, please note that this project is currently unsigned, so if you might be interested in putting it out, I suggest you get in touch.
Linus Larsson and John Roger Olsson - In the shadow
Lamont's "Take a bow" cribs heavily from The Clash's "Lost in the supermarket", serving to emphasize just how disco/pop the original song really is. It's kind of a bummer to hear such a blatant ripoff of a classic tune, but Lamont, to their credit, almost pull it off. If you're gonna steal, might as well aim big, right? The Clash sarcastically state "I've got my giant hit discoteque album" when, ironically, that's pretty much exactly what Lamont is going for. I applaud their attempt at a novel distribution scheme and really do enjoy the rest of their album, but it's hard for me to look past this. To take something so iconic (The Clash are, after all, "the only band that matters") and completely suck the meaning out of it, is inexcusable. I only hope it wasn't intentional.
Lamont - Take a bow
As mentioned on Saturday, the new Record of the Month for December is Jonna Lee's "10 pieces, 10 bruises", a very pretty and understated album that reminds me a bit of "Emmerdale" or "Life"-era Cardigans. The music is very sweet on the surface, but there's always a tender melancholy underneath. There's a touch of that same sort of retro/lounge vibe as well, though far less kitsch in Jonna's case. "And your love" is her latest single and it's a duet with frequent collaborator/current tour partner Ed Harcourt. Subdued and breathy, the piece slowly builds on its steady rhythm, layering increasingly languid melody lines on top of one another until the foundation set by the acoustic guitars is barely audible. The simple syncopation lends the tune a slight edge of urgency, but it never sounds hurried. As they say themselves, it finds its way. Listen carefully at the end and you'll hear Jonna exclaim "That was amazing!" Hard not to agree.
For Scandinavian tourdates, go to myspace: https://www.myspace.com/jonnaleemusic
Buy the CD here or here.
Jonna Lee - And your love (ft. Ed Harcourt)
We're supposed to get our first snow here today. It doesn't snow much here, but I'm happy to get anything. Really, anything will be better than the endless cold, dark and dreary rainy days that are the norm for the Pacific Northwest. As the song says, "hey blizzard light up the sky, light up the ground" - that's what I want to happen. I want it to blanket my world with a luxurious shine.
In The Bear Quartet's world, the blizzard is far more cathartic. Matti calls to be buried completely, to disappear in the snow's cold embrace. The song is a slow walk into bleakness, not exactly the mood I'm after, but still, quite beautiful. Like the snow itself, there's danger lurking within said beauty. Don't get too comfortable.
Note for completists: this is the later version from the "I don't wanna" EP, not the original from "Cosy den".
The Bear Quartet - Blizzard
Lack, one of my favorite modern hardcore acts, has a new split 7" with Beta Satan (preview clip here) plus a new album on the way early next year. They've progressed an immense over the years, so I figure it's a good time to check in again with where they came from. Their 2001 debut "Blues Moderene: Danois Explosifs" is considered by many to be the finest post-Refused album emulating the Swedes' angular, polyrhythmic style. Personally, I'm a much, much bigger fan of the 2005 follow-up "Be there pulse", a far more melodic and progressive album. The huge gap between records gave them ample time to regroup and reemerge as a band with their own distinctive sound. However, there's certainly something to be said for that first album. I think it actually holds up much better than Refused's "The shape of punk to come" as it's far more streamlined and fierce. The jazzy bits and electronica dabblings that seemed so amazing and groundbreaking at the time of its release, come off as tired now. What Lack manages to do, is refine all the other bits that made Refused so good. Sure, there's tons of other 'core bands that can out-tech them, but that's not the point. That whole riff-salad approach doesn't appeal to me anyhow, especially if you don't have anything to say. For Lack (and Refused too, for that matter), that's not a problem. As to where their career takes them next, guess we'll have to wait and see.
Lack - Achilles and the tortoise
As promised, today's featured track comes from Trio Mediaeval (or Trio Mediæval, if you like), a vocal ensemble with members from Norway and Sweden that specializes in early music, often infusing the style with modern arrangements and techniques. The group is currently on tour in support of their latest release on ECM, "Folk songs", a collection of exactly that - traditional Norwegian folk music - and I'll be seeing them tomorrow night at Town Hall in Seattle. I expect it to be a fairly subdued affair as the venue is an old church (really, the perfect place to see and hear this kind of music) and I doubt anyone will be jumping out of their pews to cause trouble. Definitely the kind of show where talking during the performance is simply not tolerated. Also, though their repertoire does include a few numbers with rowdier subject matter, I don't suspect they'll be anything like the boistrous Mediaeval Baebes. Even the addition of percussionist Birger Mistereggen, as on the recording, will do little to change that. Mistereggen's contributions are mostly subtle and very textural. A little jaw harp (as on today's featured track) or some light drumming, but that's about it. This is primarily spiritual music, apt for meditation and reflection, not dancing and drinking. Actually, one of the most exciting aspects of tomorrow's performance is the pre-show lecture. There's such rich history and strong craftmanship involved in this music, merely listening is not enough. So for now, enjoy the piece I've posted today and I'll be back this weekend with a full report.
Trio Mediaeval - Det lisle bånet
"Dude!" That's my immediate, uninhibited reaction on putting on the new Truckfighters album "Phi" and hearing opening track "Atomic". That guitar tone is so thick and meaty - totally lacking in definition (can you hear the individual notes in each chord? nope, no way. attack? forget about it.), but more than heavy enough to inflict serious trauma. Nothing sharp about it at all, it's pure brute force and absolutely perfect for the kind of music they make. Less like a club, more like a wrecking ball. The impact is less precise, but still powerful. If there's only one thing to appreciate Truckfighters for, it's that damn tone. Stoner-rock perfection I say! Oh, and the song ain't bad either - the obvious Black Sabbath worship (that solo part!) is ever-present, but it's tempered by more progressive, modern touches ala QOTSA. You get the swagger without the tedious retro trappings that doom many others of their ilk. Quality rawk that's heavy as hell, that works for me.
Truckfighters - Atomic
Holiday Fun Club have got to be one of the most authentic sounding postpunk revival acts. Not the best, mind you, just the ones that sound the most like they recently awoke from a 25-year hibernation. Besides getting the guitar tones right on, they've also got that tightly wound, anxious feeling that's crucial for the genre. There's a paranoia that pervades everything, even a song about something as benign as going out for drinks in Hamburg. The skronky sax sure helps, too. Aside from a few subtle electronic flourishes in the background, if someone told me this came out in '81, I'd believe 'em. As a new release, that makes it good, not great. I appreciate the craftmanship and attention to detail, but why bother? Retro new wave is an oxymoron. Let's move forward!
Holiday Fun Club - Hamburg in the night
Promise and the Monster in a word: haunting. For awhile, I had her CD sitting on my desk next to Kongh's "Counting heartbeats" and it's amazing how similar the cover art for the two albums are. Kongh, a band on Trust No One (the label run by Switchblade drummer Tim Bertilsson), play loud, crushing doom which of course is far from the quiet, reserved sounds of Promise and the Monster, but they both evoke similar feelings of despair. The dark woods, the serif font, represent it well. As the best doom bands know, heaviness is not always related to volume and distortion. It's the space between that's often darkest.
Promise and the Monster - Sheets
"Ghosts for laundry" is quick little pop nugget off of 1995's "Holy holy" album. This is Bear Quartet in their classic indierock guise: you get a bit of tape manipulation at the end of the track, but the song itself is straightforward guitar-rock, very fitting for the time period and complete with slightly off-key vocals. Even the lyrics aren't too obtuse or depressing - who hasn't sat up late at night doing laundry alone, wondering about ghosts or other supernatural creatures? This is especially true for doing laundry at some deserted 24hr laundromat, as it's even more strange and isolating, all the better for the imagination to run wild. Who knows if any of the characters that you actually do run into there are living or dead? Sometimes it's hard to tell.
The Bear Quartet - Ghosts for laundry
I was listening to this Mari Boine's 2001 album "Eight seasons/Gavcci jahkejudgu" earlier this week and my wife had a revelation. "Isn't it interesting," she wondered, "how plains people have such similar music?" The Nordic tundra isn't exactly the American mid-west, but I think the comparison works. This particular track features a bluesy guitar riff that's not very folk at all, but listen to those plaintive melodies (no pun intended) and hear how well it fits. It's just as much "Home on the range" as herding reindeer is to cattle. The indigenous Sami people might not consider themselves cowboys, but they sure sound like 'em sometimes.
Mari Boine - Duottar rássi (Tundra flower)
I've got to make this quick due to family/holiday obligations, but I didn't want to let the day get away from me without posting something. Every time I do an interview for my radio show, I always ask my guest to pick a song or two to play. It's an easy conversation point and it's fun. One of my favorite things about doing my show is pushing my tastes on a new audience, so I fully expect everyone else to get the same sort of thrill when handed such an opportunity. This week's show features Pontus Levahn from Torpedo/Tiger Lou as my guest and one of his song picks is "Walk with me instead" from Stockholm-based artist Simon Ryman. Simon's name is vaguely familiar to me, but I don't think I had ever given him any serious attention before and that's got to change now because this track is fantastic. Like Pontus says on Simon's myspace page (and further expounds on in our interview), the songs are rooted in traditional singer/songwriter styles, but they also stretch beyond into new territory. It's a little bit like (older) Nicolai Dunger, maybe with a bit of BRMC. It's definitely got that same fuzzy, droning blues thing going on. Familiar, yet new. Check it out and if you're a Sirius subscriber, be sure to listen in to this week's show on Saturday (12 noon ET, replay at midnight).
Simon Ryman - Walk with me instead
I've got an extremely fresh song for you today from Swedish shoegazers Talking to Drake, a track that was just finished this past weekend if what the band tells me is true. As to the story of Talking to Drake, I really don't know much of anything except that Martin Senter from Seven Feet Four plays drums and even that piece of knowledge is kinda useless since that band is a poor reference point for the music TTD make. TTD is much more akin to the languid dreaminess of Sonores, a slow-burning darkness that gradually unfolds and envelopes your senses. It's the kind of music that's best suited for headphones. In fact, for full appreciation, I suggest you block out the distractions of the outside world as much as possible - turn it up and close your eyes, let it carry you away.
Talking to Drake - I knew
It wasn't too long ago that I would never ever consider listening to big-beat techno music, but like a lot of people I know in my age group that had the same sort of punk/hardcore upbringing, the times are a-changin'. It's still unlikely that you'll see me on the dancefloor at the club, but I wouldn't rule it out completely. As for the root cause of said change of heart, I can't say, though my gut feeling tells me that dance producers are getting better at crafting tunes that work just as well at home as in the club. They're definitely experiencing a lot more crossover success in areas they weren't appreciated before, something best exemplified by the so-called "blog house"/modern remix culture. I'm still fairly lukewarm on most of that stuff (adding beats to tepid indierock is still akin to polishing a turd), but I know what I like and what I like is Danish producer Kasper Bjørke and his new record "In gumbo". Not only is lead single "Back & spine" (posted today) incredibly infectious, the entire album is consistently good the whole way through. That's a rarity in this single-driven world. Now don't expect me to start posting this sort of thing on a regular basis (there's many, far better sites for that, I can't keep up), but don't be surprised if it happens more often. Good music is good music is good music, that's all there is to it.
Kasper Bjørke - Back & spine (Fidel Astro remix)
As far as Isis derivatives go, Come Sleep does a pretty good job. It helps that they stick to the band's heavier mid-period sound (see "Celestial" or "Oceanic") as opposed to their drawn-out, more atmospheric (read: more boring/indulgent) recent work ("Panopticon", "In the absence of truth"). Come Sleep does sometimes exhibit a more melodic approach ala Khoma/Koma as well, and I think that also works to their advantage. There's a crapload of bands out there taking the mid-tempo heaviness formula and running with it, but too few of 'em stick with the basics: writing decent, straightforward, heavy songs. Come Sleep gets that right and it's essential. Hardly original, sure, but they fill a niche in the scene that's strangely vacant. One could certainly do far worse.
Come Sleep - Be the end
