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Lindstrom & Prins Thomas
What do I mean by that title? Could it be the early 90's UK act? Well, I started listening to Disco Inferno's 1994 album D.I. Goes Pop over the weekend and it's definitely good, but I'm not quite ready to talk about it here yet. There's a ton going on with that record - sample-heavy post-punk that's quite beautiful in some spots and quite strange in others - and I'm still sorting it all out.
So maybe I'm talking about the "disco inferno" sample that the Swiss duo Gallopierende Zuversicht drop about 33 minutes into this excellent 76-minute live set of theirs? Nah, that'd be a bit too random a reference - but do download that live set if you didn't grab it when I first posted it this summer. It's totally hot, especially when you consider it was done on gear on they built themselves - no laptops or anything fancy, just lots of buttons and wires.
The disco inferno I'm thinking of, though, is the one that's been ruling my headphones the last couple weeks. I can thank not one but TWO new albums that I'm really excited about:
Kelley Polar - Love Songs For Hanging Gardens. Polar seems to have dropped the "Quartet" in his performing name but whatever he goes by, the music on his debut LP (out on Environ on November 11) is nothing short of stellar. Immaculately produced and put together with Polar's vocals prominent in almost every track, it sounds a bit like a cross between Metro Area and the Junior Boys - but with more strings, more harmonies, and more pop. (The Metro Area comparisons are to be expected - Morgan Geist co-produced the record.) I'm loving pretty much every song on this right now, including "My Beauty In The Moon" - currently available on Fluxblog. From the early reaction I've seen, I sense we'll be hearing lots more about this album.
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas. I've talked about these guys here a few times before and in light of everything else I've heard from them - a couple killer singles, a mix, their LCD Soundsystem and Juan Maclean remixes - I found this album (out on Eskimo on November 14) disappointingly downtempo on first listen. But once I adjusted to it, I found myself completely and utterly hooked. Every element knows its place in these songs, making for irresistable moments like when the synth, bass, guitar, and handclaps dance off each other perfectly in the third minute of "Plukk Og Pirk" (MP3). That song is one of the record's danciest (which says something), but the other eleven tracks are just as well-crafted and memorable.
A few other quick notes:
Luomo will be making a rare live appearance at Rothko on November 5. Huume recently reissued Luomo's first album Vocalcity, well-deserving of the 9.7 rating it got from Pitchfork. (If they hadn't messed with the cover art on the reissue, it might have scored even higher.)
DJ Koze has never played in the U.S., but I hear his first visit to New York is the works. People say Koze is like Kompakt's version of a hip-hop DJ live, arguably the label's biggest talent behind the decks. Can't wait to find out.
Many thanks to the anonymous source that sent us the Chaturbate picture below of the Rapture's setlist from last Friday's Bowery Ballroom show!
No Sex For Ben / Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks / Down For So Long / Heaven / Get Yourself Into It / Frequency / Sister Saviour / The Devil / People / Killing / The Sound / Don Gone Do It / House of Jealous Lovers // The Coming of Spring / Echoes
(We're going just off the setlist for the new songs.)
Jason's Favorite Songs: March
The SXSW 2005 Showcase bit torrent consumed much of my March listening time. Containing over 750 songs, it took me several months to listen to every song, but I choose most of my favorites in March. Here are my picks from the showcase, plus some other great tunes I enjoyed last spring.
Southern Bitch - "Free Man Now" (from SXSW 2005 Showcase): A dirty southern rocker from this Athens, GA band. Listen to "Free Man Now" (MP3) from the SXSW site.
Talking Heads - "Girlfriend is Better" (from Speaking in Tongues, 1983, Sire): David Byrne's show-stopping appearance with The Arcade Fire at Irving Plaza in February inspired me to become more familiar with the Talking Heads' 1983 album Speaking in Tongues. Byrne and Arcade Fire collaborated the uplifting "This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)", but "Girlfriend" makes the playlist. Either way, you can't go wrong.
Man Man - "Zebra" (from The Man in the Blue Turban With A Face, 2004, Ace Fu): The Arcade Fire are also responsible for introducing me to the gloriously daft Man Man. When I saw this Philadelphia band open for the Arcade Fire, again at Irving Plaza, my reaction bounced from bewilderment to appreciation and ended up in annoyance. But I was curious enough about Man Man's drunken pirate shanties to listen to and become a big Jasminlive fan of The Man in the Blue Turban With A Face. Listen to "Zebra" (MP3) from the SXSW showcase.
Low Frequency in Stereo - "Man Don't Walk" (from SXSW 2005 Showcase): From the Austin Chronicle: "Enter Low Frequency in Stereo, a dapper quartet from Haugesund, Norway. Their latest album, Travelling Ants Got Eaten by Moskus, is space rock distilled into a lo-fi beat-driven sound. Live, that sound is bigger than Oslo. The songs are largely instrumental, save for one rollicking Cure-esque number sung by keyboardist Hanne Andersen." The writer of that article must be referring to "Man Don't Walk" (MP3), that features a stunning, barely-hanging-on vocal that reminds me of how Bjork sung on early Sugarcube songs.
Caribou - "Lord Leopard" (from Milk of Human Kindness, 2005, Domino): "Lord Leopard" is a brief pleasure; it's not much more than a minute-and-a-half of staccato drums and a scaling piano. Its purpose on Milk of Human Kindness is to serve as a bridge, but as a destination it is quite appealing.
Tom Vek - "Nothing But Green Lights" (from We Have Sound, 2005, StarTime International): This track remains my favorite from Tommy's excellent debut album.
Robyn Hitchcock - "Television" (from Spooked, 2004, Yep Roc): A delicate love song to T.V. The music may be calm and beautiful, but the lyrics full of Hitchcock's trademark warped perspectives. "You're the devil's fishbowl, honey / I undress before your lies," Robyn sings before promising eternal devotion. "Television, I'm so sorry / If I turned you off back there / I'm so small in your dimension / My kid will look like you I swear."
Masha Qrella - "I Can't Tell" (from Unsolved Remained, 2005, Morr Music): While perhaps not the best choice to highlight Unsolved Remained, "I Can't Tell" is a brooding, low-key delight.
U2 - "Seconds" (Live from Red Rocks, 1983): It was the Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky video that cemented my love for U2, circa 1984. I'm still holding out for a extended DVD release of this landmark show.
Back Porch Vipers - "When I Get Low I Get High" (from SXSW 2005 Showcase): From the SXSW site: "You've been abducted by aliens and transported back in time to a tea pad in Harlem, 1935. Benny Goodman, Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and Charlie Christian are backing up Ella singing "When I get Low I Get High". Man, the smoke is thick! You step out onto the back porch for some air; it's suddenly SXSW 2005 and the Back Porch Vipers are swinging with a 30's vibe and a viper theme. You smile!"
A colorful burst of techno pop
This is part two of my 11-part series recapping some of the songs I enjoyed this year, month by month. See the January edition here.
Ada - "The Red Shoes" (from Blondie, 2004, Areal): A colorful and amusing little burst of techno pop. From Pitchfork: ""The Red Shoes" features a distorted animal cry, which-- along with a thumping bass line and shimmying dot-matrix squelches-- pins the song nearer Boards of Canada than Luomo. The track even delivers a chorus-- a set of pulsing, "Drop It Like It's Hot"-style synth changes that explode out of the bare, steely beat." Read more about this jasminelive album on Discogs.
New Order - "Krafty" (from Waiting for the Sirens' Call, 2005, Warner Brothers): As with almost all great New Order songs, "Krafty" has Barney's silly lyrics, a massive sing-along chorus, and Hooky's brilliant bass playing. I'll admit to a degree of myopia when it comes to judging new music from bands like New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, etc. These were among the groups I cut my "indie" teeth on back in the day, so I'm more willing like just about anything they do. So is "Krafty" a genius song or is just me? I'll stand by my genius assertion.
Andrew Bird - "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left" (from Andrew Bird and The Mysterious Production of Eggs, 2005, Righteous Babe). Download a live version (MP3) of "Nervous Tic" from Andrew's appearance on KXCI FM, Tucson.
Tribeca Grand
Last weekend's Rapture show at the Tribeca Grand was enjoyable but not really very memorable. I was excited to see them again and hear some new songs, but it was hot and sweaty and way packed, and the sound wasn't great. (Bands there are occasionally great, but the space works way better with DJ's.) The Tribeca Grand show just feels like a warm-up gig now though. The band was fantastic Friday night at the Bowery Ballroom, playing easily the strongest set I've seen from them. The setlist still had lots of new, but there was more old this time and it all sounded great.
They started with a new track before sliding into "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks," a song that'll never get old to me. The new stuff is bit funkier and more electronic than Echoes, and a new keyboard player sits in on a bunch of the songs. Mattie Safer trades in his bass for the keys on a couple new ones as well. Safer seemed slurring drunk on Friday but didn't miss a beat with the music - the whole band was quite sharp in fact, as was the sound. (Loved being able to hear Luke Jenner's guitar so clearly.) The old stuff consistently delivered - especially a live band version of "Killing" (way better than with drum machines) and raucous takes on "The Coming of Spring" and "Heaven" (both of which didn't make last week's cut). The weakest of the bunch was ironically "House of Jealous Lovers," which never quite clicked - more the exception than the norm though. The crowd was nuts and the band seemed to feed off it, reminding me why I listened to Echoes so much two years ago.
Cut Copy opened up and were definitely good, but I preferred their Monday set. Friday's set gave them more time, and they used it for a new song that didn't do much for me. The songs in common were all great though - especially "Future" (which started with an "Around the World" sample) and "That Was Just A Dream." A good chunk of each song is prerecorded in their set out of necessity, but Bright Like Neon Love is such a great listen that I really didn't mind. I just wish they'd sneak the "Saturdays" reprise into their sets.
After the Rapture finished up, it was off to Don Hill's for a dose of Optimo with a DJ set from Twitch. We missed the start of his set but still got almost 3 hours, nothing to complain about. And it was a blast - I am incredibly jealous of the Glaswegians out there that get to go to an Optimo party every Sunday. Many highlights to speak of, including "Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks" (like I said, it doesn't get old), a dub mix of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," the Lindstrom and Prins Thomas mix of LCD's "Tribulations," Frankie Knuckles's "Your Love" (a guaranteed winner), and Dinosaur's "Kiss Me Again" (ditto). I have to think Justine D. and Dave P. were psyched with how the first night of their new Don Hill's party turned out, and I can't wait to see what they do next time. As for this one, the last beat rolled in around 4:30 AM, I was pretty much deaf, and it was totally worth it.
Twitch, BTW, will tentatively be back in February. I'm not sure what's on deck for the Rapture, but hopefully we'll see and hear more of them soon. I wondered if they'd still have it after laying low for so long, but Friday's show put any doubts of mine to rest.
The Clientele
Tom Vek - "C-C (You Set the Fire Inside of Me)" (Real Video): In which Tom Vek, dressed as soldier, marches with a snare and is assisted by a dinosaur-like creature holding a drum and an aardvark on a horn. Link via Cliptip.
Download an MP3 of The Clientele's fine "E.M.P.T.Y" (MP3) from Between Thought and Expression; courtesy of Dream of Horses, watch Deerhoof's video for "Wrong Time Capsule" (Quicktime).
The contents of John Peel's singles box (a crate of the famous DJ's favorite 7" and 12" records) are intriguing. I estimate I've heard about 5% of the songs that were most dear to Peel. A list like this cries out for audio samples, a podcast, a box set or something.
Mouse on Mars has just released its first live album, obliquely titled Mouse on Mars Live04. The band chose to release the album on its own label Sonig. "We intentionally didn't go through Thrill Jockey," MoM's Jan St. Werner told Lost at Sea in a recent interview. "We wanted to keep it as self-made and personal as possible." Despite the title, the CD contains recordings from several different tours. Included with the CD is a 20-page booklet and a live clip of "Wipe That Sound." The full tracklisting is: Mine is in Yours / Diskdusk / All the Old Powers / Distroia / Twif / Gogonal / Wipe That Sound / Actionist Respoke / Frosch
Top of the stack: Ladytron - Witching Hour; Lindstrom & Prins Thomas - S/T; The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human; Elbow - Leaders of the Free World; Chicks on Speed - Will Save Us All!
Menomena: News on New Album
Under an Hour, the new Menomena album (releasing November 8 on FILMguerrero records) is subtitled Music for Modern Dance. The witty Portland-based band is not joking around. Comprised of three musical pieces, the album was born from collaboration between Menomena, artist Marty Schnapf and the Monster Squad dance company, founded by Tahni Holt.
"Under an Hour is constructed around the problems and possibilities of momentum in an ever accelerating world," Monster Squad writes on their home page. "The human condition can no longer be viewed as a single entity moving forward along genealogical lines. Instead things are breaking up into several and disparate movements, each with its own momentum."
Under an Hour, the dance work, was debuted at the 2004 Time Based Arts festival (T:BA:04) in Portland, Oregon. Divided into three segments, Water, Flour, and Light, the composition was performed across three days. "Though they left themselves open to the possibility of dwindling crowds and decreasing momentum," Katherine Bovee posted on a T:BA:04 blog. "They instead found a thoroughly receptive crowd and a building momentum." Clips of the performance are available here.
As for the music Menomena composed to accompany the work, the excerpts on the Under an Hour web site (a sample is also on the Menomena MySpace page) are tantalizing. While each provides only a glimpse of the instrumental portions of the songs, there will be some form of lyrics as the album has been labeled with a parental warning.