Today's Music of the Day is Nancy Elizabeth's Battle and Victory. This album came to me by way of eMusic, after having heard the accordion-driven "Coriander" on Pandora in the recent past.
Pandora initially suggested "Coriander" based on my love of all things Beirut. This makes sense; the track is fairly earthy, features a singer's voice that brings gypsies to mind, and ends with a flourish of brass. The album that features "Coriander", though, is perhaps not what I was led to expect.
Battle and Victory represents a welcome departure from my semi-consistent indie-rock diet, though the connection to Beirut is reasonable. This album, though, only uses sporadic brass, relying on strings, harp, accordion, and Elizabeth's gray, lilting voice to drive its songs. The sound is very old-fashioned, folky almost to the point of evoking a nineteenth-century carnival or something similar. The songs are deliberate and melancholy, without much hope for a brighter day.
This sort of brooding restraint isn't always easy to listen to, but the songs are difficult not to respect. Each track is a small, grey cloud; alone, one might cover the sun momentarily, but combined, they can change the feeling of a particular day.
In short: if you like gloomy strings with a Mediterranean hint, Battle and Victory is a good place to start.
In Other News:
Well, maybe not today.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Birdseed Shirt
Today's Music of the Day is Birdseed Shirt, by Deleted Scenes. This music was acquired via eMusic due to my complete lack of association with the band. As I have almost no background on this album, let's just talk about the sound.
Birdseed Shirt is largely a benign indie record. It features standard instruments - perhaps a little more drumming than, say, a Phoenix record, but probably less than a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album - and a singer with a relatively thin tenor voice. Some bells and piano show up here, as well, and are generally incorporated well. Most of the songs are pretty safe; occasionally the band gets rambunctious - see "Mortal Sin" - but it's a pretty easygoing record, altogether.
This album is fairly enjoyable, if too safe for its own good. If anything, Deleted Scenes could stand to be more irate or wounded - the lively moments here are the best part of the album. Some of the songs are fairly good - "City That Never Wakes Up" has a nice progression, and "Get Your [Stuff] Together for the Holidays" more so - but mostly, the album isn't engaging enough to be memorable. While I don't personally outright detest this album - it would probably be the best Shins album - I can't strongly recommend it, either.
In Other News:
Yes, the blog posts have been brief as of late. Perhaps I'll get excited about something in the near future.
I've been listening to the Handsome Furs this week. Good stuff - this might be what pushes me back into the 500+ word post territory that I poked around in for a while.
Please let the next two days be merciful.
Birdseed Shirt is largely a benign indie record. It features standard instruments - perhaps a little more drumming than, say, a Phoenix record, but probably less than a Yeah Yeah Yeahs album - and a singer with a relatively thin tenor voice. Some bells and piano show up here, as well, and are generally incorporated well. Most of the songs are pretty safe; occasionally the band gets rambunctious - see "Mortal Sin" - but it's a pretty easygoing record, altogether.
This album is fairly enjoyable, if too safe for its own good. If anything, Deleted Scenes could stand to be more irate or wounded - the lively moments here are the best part of the album. Some of the songs are fairly good - "City That Never Wakes Up" has a nice progression, and "Get Your [Stuff] Together for the Holidays" more so - but mostly, the album isn't engaging enough to be memorable. While I don't personally outright detest this album - it would probably be the best Shins album - I can't strongly recommend it, either.
In Other News:
Yes, the blog posts have been brief as of late. Perhaps I'll get excited about something in the near future.
I've been listening to the Handsome Furs this week. Good stuff - this might be what pushes me back into the 500+ word post territory that I poked around in for a while.
Please let the next two days be merciful.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Hospice
Today's Music of the Day is Hospice, by The Antlers. This came to me by way of eMusic, at the recommendation of a friend. No back story today, just discussion about music.
Hospice is a fairly enjoyable and uplifting record, despite falling somewhere between indie rock and moody film soundtrack. There are vocals, but not much to sing along to; they tend to be muted, almost whispered, appearing only to break up the cloudy piano temporarily. Some strings and horns have a presence, albeit in limited supporting roles.
This is a quiet album, one that doesn't force listening, but requires some attention. Hospice is very much in the vein of DM Stith's Heavy Ghost, and this is a good thing. It's not much of a party record, but in terms of atmosphere, it's has a definite presence. While the tracks that make use of the speakers more tend to stand out (in particular, the gorgeous crescendo of "Wake"), the whole album is pretty solid. I wouldn't mind seeing Antlers engage the listener a little more in the future, but there's definitely not much to complain about here.
In Short: give this a shot, you'll have to pay attention, but it's probably going to be worth it.
In Other News:
I had planned to be on the road and having dinner elsewhere tonight, and haven't purchased rations in a few days, so the evening meal may be an interesting affair. By 'interesting', I mostly mean 'peanut butter-based'.
Hospice is a fairly enjoyable and uplifting record, despite falling somewhere between indie rock and moody film soundtrack. There are vocals, but not much to sing along to; they tend to be muted, almost whispered, appearing only to break up the cloudy piano temporarily. Some strings and horns have a presence, albeit in limited supporting roles.
This is a quiet album, one that doesn't force listening, but requires some attention. Hospice is very much in the vein of DM Stith's Heavy Ghost, and this is a good thing. It's not much of a party record, but in terms of atmosphere, it's has a definite presence. While the tracks that make use of the speakers more tend to stand out (in particular, the gorgeous crescendo of "Wake"), the whole album is pretty solid. I wouldn't mind seeing Antlers engage the listener a little more in the future, but there's definitely not much to complain about here.
In Short: give this a shot, you'll have to pay attention, but it's probably going to be worth it.
In Other News:
I had planned to be on the road and having dinner elsewhere tonight, and haven't purchased rations in a few days, so the evening meal may be an interesting affair. By 'interesting', I mostly mean 'peanut butter-based'.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Chris Lee
Today's Music That Hopefully Didn't Take Too Long To Come Up With An Album Title is Chris Lee's eponymous possible-debut. This album is something that I downloaded from eMusic at the behest of nobody at all. eMusic may have recommended it to me, for some reason.
Chris Lee features Chris Lee playing guitar and singing. The guitar is bright and gentle; the voice is a warbling, emotive tenor. Occasionally these songs delve into minor keys, but it's fairly predictable. These are precocious love songs, the kind that fit perfectly into the 'Morning Blend' on your local 'adult contemporary' radio station (mine is called 'Capitol 106').
I don't know that I even have a favorite track here. The minute redeeming value on this eight-song album is found in the last track, the I-thought-only-R. Kelly-wrote-titles-this-bad "I Can't Make Love to You Anymore", which has a solid minute of drums and distorted guitar to close the album. Unfortunately, it's just an electric take on the relatively bland progression of the song itself, as if Lee is so sure that this song is a winner that he feels the need to present it in two formats within the track itself.
Chris Lee, I have deleted your album from my computer without any remorse. I view you as a cousin to that preening metrosexual singer from Maroon 5 and I hope nobody buys your album.
In Other News:
Thankfully, most of the other albums I downloaded this album have some teeth. White Rabbits, Nancy Elizabeth, The Antlers, Deleted Scenes - these are all going to have positive reviews. Even We Were Promised Jetpacks, despite their awful name, are pretty fun in a raging and overly Scottish way.
Make it be Friday COME ON
Chris Lee features Chris Lee playing guitar and singing. The guitar is bright and gentle; the voice is a warbling, emotive tenor. Occasionally these songs delve into minor keys, but it's fairly predictable. These are precocious love songs, the kind that fit perfectly into the 'Morning Blend' on your local 'adult contemporary' radio station (mine is called 'Capitol 106').
I don't know that I even have a favorite track here. The minute redeeming value on this eight-song album is found in the last track, the I-thought-only-R. Kelly-wrote-titles-this-bad "I Can't Make Love to You Anymore", which has a solid minute of drums and distorted guitar to close the album. Unfortunately, it's just an electric take on the relatively bland progression of the song itself, as if Lee is so sure that this song is a winner that he feels the need to present it in two formats within the track itself.
Chris Lee, I have deleted your album from my computer without any remorse. I view you as a cousin to that preening metrosexual singer from Maroon 5 and I hope nobody buys your album.
In Other News:
Thankfully, most of the other albums I downloaded this album have some teeth. White Rabbits, Nancy Elizabeth, The Antlers, Deleted Scenes - these are all going to have positive reviews. Even We Were Promised Jetpacks, despite their awful name, are pretty fun in a raging and overly Scottish way.
Make it be Friday COME ON
Monday, July 20, 2009
White Blood Cells
Today's Music of the Day is the White Stripes' White Blood Cells. Like all of my White Stripes albums, I got this one by winning a game of mumbly-peg at a truck stop in Winnipeg. I don't have any scars from this one, by the way.
White Blood Cells follows the White Stripes creed: Jack gets to sing and maul a guitar, Meg creates a percussive canvas, and dirty blues rock ensues. Somehow, it appears that a piano got into the studio during these recordings and sneaked onto a few tracks.
The songwriting here is strong enough - simple yet effective - and suits the bare-bones instrumental portion of the music. Jack's voice, of course, is much like his electric guitar - a raw, abrasive force, terse and brash at its best moments.
If there is a surprise here, it's that there are so many good-natured songs. For every "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" there is a "Hotel Yorba". This explorative quality is probably what the band owes their longevity to - while this record isn't quite as eccentric as some of their later releases, it's still very listenable and lively without resorting to volume as promotion.
The verdict: this is a fine record, one that stands up well by most any standard. For those who aren't fond of the White Stripes, this probably won't sway them, but they are missing out. This record probably deserves a more detailed post but hopefully the recommendation will be enough.
In Other News:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/adam-yauch-has-cancer-beastie-boys-shows-canceled,30582/
This is a shame.
More music reviews forthcoming! Soon.
White Blood Cells follows the White Stripes creed: Jack gets to sing and maul a guitar, Meg creates a percussive canvas, and dirty blues rock ensues. Somehow, it appears that a piano got into the studio during these recordings and sneaked onto a few tracks.
The songwriting here is strong enough - simple yet effective - and suits the bare-bones instrumental portion of the music. Jack's voice, of course, is much like his electric guitar - a raw, abrasive force, terse and brash at its best moments.
If there is a surprise here, it's that there are so many good-natured songs. For every "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" there is a "Hotel Yorba". This explorative quality is probably what the band owes their longevity to - while this record isn't quite as eccentric as some of their later releases, it's still very listenable and lively without resorting to volume as promotion.
The verdict: this is a fine record, one that stands up well by most any standard. For those who aren't fond of the White Stripes, this probably won't sway them, but they are missing out. This record probably deserves a more detailed post but hopefully the recommendation will be enough.
In Other News:
http://www.avclub.com/articles/adam-yauch-has-cancer-beastie-boys-shows-canceled,30582/
This is a shame.
More music reviews forthcoming! Soon.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Rural Alberta Advantage Live!
On the evening of July 15th, I had the privilege to see the RAA live in concert, at Omaha's Slowdown. It was a wonderful albeit brief show, but easily worth my $8.
I missed the opening act due to a tight schedule on my part and also some road construction that closed part of the highway I wanted to take to the show. No matter; while I'm sure that this band was excellent, this in no way affected my enjoyment of the main show. I think this band was called UUWWVVZ or something similar; they are almost impossible to search for on the internets and may not actually exist.
The second band on the bill was actually a solo act, a sandy-haired man named David Dondero. David Dondero wore a flannel shirt and played a hybrid acoustic guitar, appearing to be in his early thirties. He wasn't a terrible singer, and handled his guitar fairly well. However, he made me wonder if Isaac Brock had any children. Dondero seemed to be unhappy with life in general, and his songs reflected this to some degree. Poor David Dondero, you're supposed to smile on stage.
Anyway, the RAA came out in short order, and they were fantastic. The singer - a twentysomething with fading blonde hair and a kept beard - spoke frequently between songs, telling the audience stories that formed the basis for many songs, and seemed quite personable. The female keyboardist bounced around during songs, and the drummer played like his job depended on his performance. The band held together very well for all of its songs, and was generally a joy to listen to. Note: the drummer and keyboardist were making googly eyes at each other and generally being a cutesy couple during the show; this didn't detract from the presentation but it was evident, to say the least.
If there is anything negative to say about the RAA, it would be the brevity of their show. Being a relatively young band without much of a discography, this is to be expected, but the band clearly enjoyed playing. The singer thanked the audience more than once, and the entire band seemed to be having a good time. I spoke to the drummer and keyboardist briefly after the show, and they seemed genuine and friendly as well. I wish I could have hung around to chat with them further, but most of it would have ended up being The Chris Farley Show anyway.
For reference: The Chris Farley show (with Martin Scorsese)
In short: You should buy the RAA's album, Hometowns, and go see them when they tour again. Wednesday's show was their last show on this tour, but hopefully they will continue making amazing music and come to your town someday soon.
In Other News:
Cool weather in July is generally always welcome.
I got a copy of my birth certificate today! Passport next week, international incident forthcoming! Watch your ass, Canadians!
I missed the opening act due to a tight schedule on my part and also some road construction that closed part of the highway I wanted to take to the show. No matter; while I'm sure that this band was excellent, this in no way affected my enjoyment of the main show. I think this band was called UUWWVVZ or something similar; they are almost impossible to search for on the internets and may not actually exist.
The second band on the bill was actually a solo act, a sandy-haired man named David Dondero. David Dondero wore a flannel shirt and played a hybrid acoustic guitar, appearing to be in his early thirties. He wasn't a terrible singer, and handled his guitar fairly well. However, he made me wonder if Isaac Brock had any children. Dondero seemed to be unhappy with life in general, and his songs reflected this to some degree. Poor David Dondero, you're supposed to smile on stage.
Anyway, the RAA came out in short order, and they were fantastic. The singer - a twentysomething with fading blonde hair and a kept beard - spoke frequently between songs, telling the audience stories that formed the basis for many songs, and seemed quite personable. The female keyboardist bounced around during songs, and the drummer played like his job depended on his performance. The band held together very well for all of its songs, and was generally a joy to listen to. Note: the drummer and keyboardist were making googly eyes at each other and generally being a cutesy couple during the show; this didn't detract from the presentation but it was evident, to say the least.
If there is anything negative to say about the RAA, it would be the brevity of their show. Being a relatively young band without much of a discography, this is to be expected, but the band clearly enjoyed playing. The singer thanked the audience more than once, and the entire band seemed to be having a good time. I spoke to the drummer and keyboardist briefly after the show, and they seemed genuine and friendly as well. I wish I could have hung around to chat with them further, but most of it would have ended up being The Chris Farley Show anyway.
For reference: The Chris Farley show (with Martin Scorsese)
In short: You should buy the RAA's album, Hometowns, and go see them when they tour again. Wednesday's show was their last show on this tour, but hopefully they will continue making amazing music and come to your town someday soon.
In Other News:
Cool weather in July is generally always welcome.
I got a copy of my birth certificate today! Passport next week, international incident forthcoming! Watch your ass, Canadians!
Monday, July 13, 2009
When It Falls
Today's Music of the Day is Zero 7's When It Falls. This album was given to me by a friend a few years ago, in exchange for an album of my choosing.
When It Falls is a bit spacey, but fairly grounded in its ambitions. It probably falls under the category of 'modern lounge', and might best be considered a child of something like Portishead (among others). In fleeting moments, there are some hints of Sigur Ros, but mostly, this album is a peer to artists like St. Etienne. Most of the tracks are led by a female singer (Sia, I believe) who manages to be a bit sultry without having too much smoke or fire. She leads a bright, benign guitar and no shortage of strings through a dozen brief tracks; the longest here checks in at just over six minutes.
This is a nice album, warm with colors that just waft out of even poor speakers. It's bright and friendly, like a neighbor that shares actual conversation instead of just civil courtesy. It has a gentle familiarity, albeit one that doesn't offer much in the way of surprises or variance in mood. While this may be seen as a strength, the general lack of dynamics leaves something to be desired; the songs are safe, but almost to the point of being interchangeable. The musical talent isn't really missing here, just underutilized; in particular, it would be nice to hear Sia cut loose a little bit. (Yes, I know she has solo music out there.)
In short, this album is nice but overly comfortable, and too pleasant for its own good. If this sort of music is your thing, by all means, go for it, but I won't push this on too many people.
In Other News:
I am itchy today. New soap, maybe?
This week should be busy but good. Support Your Local Catgun might have a bit of an outage later in the week due to my travel to Omaha for the Rural Alberta Advantage show. Woohoo!
When It Falls is a bit spacey, but fairly grounded in its ambitions. It probably falls under the category of 'modern lounge', and might best be considered a child of something like Portishead (among others). In fleeting moments, there are some hints of Sigur Ros, but mostly, this album is a peer to artists like St. Etienne. Most of the tracks are led by a female singer (Sia, I believe) who manages to be a bit sultry without having too much smoke or fire. She leads a bright, benign guitar and no shortage of strings through a dozen brief tracks; the longest here checks in at just over six minutes.
This is a nice album, warm with colors that just waft out of even poor speakers. It's bright and friendly, like a neighbor that shares actual conversation instead of just civil courtesy. It has a gentle familiarity, albeit one that doesn't offer much in the way of surprises or variance in mood. While this may be seen as a strength, the general lack of dynamics leaves something to be desired; the songs are safe, but almost to the point of being interchangeable. The musical talent isn't really missing here, just underutilized; in particular, it would be nice to hear Sia cut loose a little bit. (Yes, I know she has solo music out there.)
In short, this album is nice but overly comfortable, and too pleasant for its own good. If this sort of music is your thing, by all means, go for it, but I won't push this on too many people.
In Other News:
I am itchy today. New soap, maybe?
This week should be busy but good. Support Your Local Catgun might have a bit of an outage later in the week due to my travel to Omaha for the Rural Alberta Advantage show. Woohoo!
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