CHOICE TRAX #6: PANSY TWIST by HUGGY BEAR

DOES IT MAKE YOU MORE A KID IF YOU WANNA OFF A PIG?

DOES IT MAKE YOU MORE A PIG IF YOU WANNA OFF A KID?

????

I hate the word 'indie'

It's easy to make fun of Pitchfork but at the end of the day, I do read the site like some sort of bible. An article from their decade in music section recently caught my eye- one concept from it in particular. So here is an excerpt from Nitsuh Abebe's "The decade in indie" which I find nice and resonant:

"...both categories: both mainstream, populist indie records and weirder, rowdier sounds. Most of the time, those things have gone together really well; the sense has been that the average "indie" listener would like a bit of both, some pop records to sing along to and some stranger ones to be wowed by, plus plenty in between. That's probably still true of most of you! But now, more than ever, there's also this tension between the two, and a feeling of sides-taking."

I really hate using the term 'indie' (it's as appropriate a genre name as 'alternative' was in the 90's.) but I wholeheartedly agree with what Abebe wrote- people seem to be into music either for the push of the envelope or for something that sounds nice. I'd like to think I swing between these in a nice balance but hey, who knows. It's definitely something to think about.

Being Frank

I am heading to Frankly! at the Powerhouse on Saturday and I am super psyched about it. I am especially looking forward to seeing Jamie Stewart, probably one of my all-time favourite artists. I hope I don't go too nuts and embarass myself! (I definitely will.) I'm also looking forward to seeing Tenniscoats and I Heart Hiroshima... I haven't seen I<3H since pre-Shakeytown so I am probably out of loop with what they play these days but as long as something from their first 2 EPs gets a go I won't mind!

Choice traxx #5: Capricorinations by Mika Miko

Capricorinations by Mika Miko is utterly obnoxious. The vocals involve some chick yelling unintelligible nonsense until halfway through the song, when another chick starts yelling as well. The music involves a spastic rhythm section, the bass bouncing around like slinky, the drums sloppily stomping out a steady beat. The lead guitar stabs at the air just as sharply as the bass is smooth. The song should really be considered just an epic mess up of noise and written off as some high school girls' experiment with punk... But I can't stop listening to it. Highly recommended.

I have no fun.

The new album from Vivian Girls is pretty great stuff. Like their debut, it takes a while to sink in but once it does you finally realise the purpose of the repeat button. I argue with my friends a lot about what makes music good- is it lyrics? Technique? Emotion? Or is it just a spur of the moment, "I like this," sort of thing?
I think Vivian Girls present a strong case for music that's not the most original sound in the world, and maybe not technically astounding, but somehow manages to just win you over and sounds right.
I think I might have had too much coffee and am bordering into the wanky territory (actually this is a topic I would like to cover further more in the future) of What Makes Music Good so I will just end it with a hearty recommendation: Vivian Girls' "Everything Goes Wrong." Top stuff. Can't wait to see them in October.

OCCULT!

Here is a cool video for a good song by YACHT who are on DFA a.k.a. the most consistently amazing record label in the world.

Choice Traxxx #4 THIS HAND by six organs of admittance

I am not really one for folk music. In fact, I kind of generally despise it. John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd, dudes with dreadlocks and bongos generally do nothing for me. For some reason however, I am completely enamoured with the music that Ben Chasny makes under his Six Organs of Admittance moniker. Generally as folk as they come, the albums are coated with twangy drones, sitars and delicate finger picking. This song in particular is a favourite, with ramshackle percussion and low notes on the guitar painting a picture of Chasny standing around in the desert like some sort of lost shaman. It sounds ridiculous, but just give it a listen, there's something odd at work here and it might be kind of magic.

got no car/got no money/i got nothin'/not at all

Here is a playlist featuring a lot of the stuff I have been listening to for the last four or so weeks.


Winter Sdtk
01. No Hope Kids by Wavves
02. Screaming Hand by Jay Reatard
03. I Wanna Be A Girl by King Khan & The Shrines
04. Not a Problem by Black Lips
05. Welcome to the Working Week by Elvis Costello
06. No by Vivian Girls
07. Do You Like Me? by Fugazi
08. Perfect Skin by HEALTH
09. The Mansion by The Microphones
10. Scarlet Fields by The Horrors
11. Walkabout by Atlas Sound ft. Noah Lennox
12. Just in Case by Micachu & The Shapes
13. Priority by Mos Def
14. Walkinonit by J Dilla
15. Sovereignty by Japandroids
16. How Am I Not Myself by Shocking Pinks
17. Flowers & Trees by The Bats

:)

IF YOU LIKE...

Recently Triple J undertook a poll to see what the "Hottest 100 Songs of All Time" were. The results were pretty predictable for 90's generation rock music listeners- Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Jeff Buckley and Radiohead holding a lot of high spots. HOWEVER! it soon became apparent that there were no female artists in the top 100 at all! I just think this is crazy. Some callers in to the radio station suggested that female artists don't have the same emotional impact or that they don't "do epic ballads." I am going to try and prove these people wrong by recommending female artists every now and then so that people don't forget about them in future polls.
So. First off, an easier? one.

Female Artists you might like if you like Radiohead.
Radiohead are pretty great! I agree with you! If you like Radiohead chances are you have probably already checked out some similar artists and chances are some of them may have been female artists!

The most obvious starting points would be collaborations- the two that spring to my mind in particular are duets between Thom Yorke and both PJ Harvey and Bjork.
PJ Harvey, earlier work some sort of crazy guitarbeast and later more atmospheric would be an artist I would highly recommend to anyone, not just Radiohead fans! Her album "Is this desire?" would be a great starting point, it has probably all of the sounds that she has done before and is more in-line with the end-of-the-world mood of Radiohead.
If you don't know who Bjork is, you are missing out. She is off the hook. There isn't really anyone making music like her. I don't even know what genre to call it. The album "Homogenic" is generally considered the most favoured among fans (I think?) but my favourite is the more glitchy "Vespertine."

A band with such a viverse variety of sound as Radiohead is hard to relate to other artists and as such there are probably hundred of female artists which Radiohead fans might like depending on which albums or sounds they prefer. One band however which springs to mind for keeping the same claustrophobic and downbeat atmosphere is Portishead. Beth Gibbons and co. craft some really top notch stuff, and I would highly recommend them as well as the two artists above.
Their latest album in particular, Third, has a huge variety of sounds and is a must listen. I would also recommend Beth Gibbons' solo album.

Thus ends my first female artists showcase... let me know other recommendations or suggestions that I didn't touch upon!

choicetrax#3- not a substitute by jay reatard

This choice track is only one minute long, but it's worth just as much as that nine minute Islands' epic. For the unfamiliar, Reatard does short, punky but earnest rock numbers. So far, I have only managed to pick up his Blood Visions album and the Matador Singles compilation but I have no complaints- every song seems to hit a winning riff or dig a line into your head for you to sing along to.
Not a Substitute is short even by Reatard's standards, but it isn't missing any impact. The verses- "It's not a substitute, it's not a substitute for you!" give way to an exploding chorus of "Missing you!" in a blissful fuzzout. The song ends just as quickly as it starts so a repeat button is a must.
This live version is a lot busier and seems slightly faster than the version on Blood Visions but the second chorus is a winning moment.

"Where'd" era

WEIRD ERA CONT. versus MICROCASTLE! I can't decide which one I like better?
When I was a teenager I made a compilation of all my favourite tracks from both sides of some double albums, like Mellon Collie, The Fragile,... actually I think that is it? I don't think The Cure's long late-80's ones really count as double albums anymore.
ANYWAY I thought I might do it for Microcastle/Weird Era cont. by Deerhunter. Just for old times sakes. After picking and choosing for a while however I realised that it was kind of pointless- they are too different. Weird era is all track-based compilation style whereas microcastle is a right-proper album and stuff.
SO YEAH THIS POST WENT NOWHERE. I will endevour to update with a choice track or two soonish. In my excuse I had a brief stint of no-computer as my laptop died.
For those of you interested I am now blogging FROM A MAC.

choice traxx #2- This Here Music by Ty

I'm not really in the know when it comes to subgenres, but as far as hip-hop goes this is typical of What I Like. Spacey, danceable beats, synth lines that are both retro and futuristic (see: soundtrack to PSX game Ape Escape) and rhymes that aren't about shooting people or bitchez 'n ho's. It's both breezy and thoughtful, and the self-confessed "shameless plug" from Arrested Development's Speech only adds to the track's odd playfulness. Somehow though, there is an overall sense of negativity and tiredness- a lot of the talk of dreams and goals sounds fake, as if Ty is just trying to convince himself as he sails on the H.M.S. Hardship.

CHOICE TRAXX: Vertigo (If It's a Crime)

I'm starting a New Fun Thing on this 'ere blog: every now and then I will update with what I consider to be a totally choice track! I am inspired by the likes of those "1001 songs you must listen to !!" type publications.
so yeah.

CHOICE TRAXX #1- Vertigo (If it's a crime) by Islands
I really enjoyed the Arm's Way album, and this song is an amazing achievement of an album-closer to finish off the deal. Starting off with some wistful guitar twanging, it moves into a not-too-atypical pop shamble for a couple of minutes before travelling into a dusty canyon of big swooping guitars, twinkling pianos and then pounding drums. The transition that occurs at about the eight minute marks turns the meander into something of a gallop recalling the panic-type violin/guitar playing of early Godspeed! You Black Emperor. The difference between Islands and G!YBE here is that instead of fading into an apocalypse, the guitars spell out some sort of science-fiction twinkling until all that remains is some swooping overhead. Hot stuff.

Air France

In light of the recent holy-shit-disappearance! of a GIANT AEROPLANE the lyrics to AF607105 by Charlotte Gainsbourg are a lot more resonant. She tells us "The cabin is burning, I smile and feel complete" while the piano chimes as if an airport announcement is about to happen. It's both ominous and dreamy at the same time.
All the best to the friends and families of those on board the flight...

Benton Harbour Blues

As I try to fill all of my empty days,
I stumble round on through my memory's maze
of all my past, only the sadness stays.

I went moping down by the bridge
I rode a bike in the snow to the mini-mart
I thought of the ways that I've broke my own heart

It's not for me
to fill the blue sea with tears
but when I think back on all the wasted years
all the good cheer and all the charm disappears

I wore the exact same clothes for five days
the bailbondsman gave me a smile
I was thinking of only my sins all the while

As I try to fill all of my empty days
I stumble round on through my memory's maze
of all my past, only the sadness stays

It's P Week

New Peaches, New Patrick Wolf, new Prefuse 73.
That's pretty much the order of my enjoyment levels of them, too! I am really, really enjoying Prefuse 73. It's fantastic.
Standout tracks off Patrick include Oblivion, The Bachelor and The Sun is Often Out.
Standout Peaches track is the title track, I Feel Cream.
Prefuse 73 doesn't really work on a track-to-track basis... check it out. It's called Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian. I have no idea what that means.

So tonight I am going to some party.

"SOME PUNK. YEAH SOME KID, AT SOME PARTY"
- The Constantines.

Brut

ART BRUT. The band that have that song where he goes, "I've seen her naked, TWICE!" Their new album! It's awesome! It's called Art Brut vs. Satan and you should hear it now.
"Why would you want to sound like U2? It's not a very cool thing to do."

"Troublegum"

OK so thanks to my lovely mum I got a copy of The Mint Chicks new one, Screens, in the post yesterday. I've given it a few listens and I am ready to judge! (This is sort of a joke.)
First off, whole album impressions... It's a lot more subtle than their other stuff. There aren't blaring riffs or chunky guitars everywhere. A lot of sounds like something you might hear coming through the wall of a neighbour watching daytime t.v. (e.g. the opening riffs of 2010). I do like this, but it took a bit of getting used to at first.
My favourite cuts are probably the same as everyone elses': 2010, the super catchiness of Hot On Your Heels (kind of sounds like it could be Queens of the Stone Age if, you know, they weren't rednecks and came from NZ), the weird switching sections of What a Way. Enemies is also great.
The only track to rub me the wrong way so far is Sweet Janine and I'm not sure why.
So overall- definitely a less guitar more synth more 'we are the beatles' type album, but hey! I still like it! So great job, Mint Chicks.
Their website is here if you want to check out information about them or order a copy from NZ.

Pop song

A Little Bit by Lykke Li is one of my favourite pop songs of the last year or so. Why is it that swedes are so great at pop tunes? The part in the second verse that starts with "I would do it/push the button/pull the trigger" has such amazing momentum... Blah.
Currently listening to a remix I swiped from here, good stuff.

S.K.

I forgot that Swan Lake's album had come out. What jogged my memory was the news of the NEW SUNSET RUBDOWN ALBUM. Jesus Christ I am excited. But yeah, Enemy Mine is as expected a fantastic album. My favourite is A Hand at Dusk. I love it. I love most things Spencer Krug touches.
Bring on June 23rd- Sunset Rubdown: Dragonslayer.

Lifestyle Horticulture

H'ok so I am finally coming off my intense HEALTH//DISCO addiction.. thanks to a few choice tracks from a few other dudes and ladies. Some of these include: Daniel by Bat for Lashes, a few off the latest Pinback, the new Placebo track...
BUT
The highlight of all of these is some dude who calls himself Max Tundra. I have been listening to the album called "Parallax Error Beheads You" and I really like it! It's like glitchy megapop or something. My favourite part of all of it kicks in a minute or so from the end of 'Which Song.' It sounds like digital bubbles travelling into space.
Max Tundra. Check it.

HEALTH//DISCO

Some of the best electronic/dancey stuff I have heard in some time! I really like all of the remixes of Triceratops, Crimewave, Lost Time... fuck man every track on here is Grade A shit.
Highly recommendedino.
Also, great album cover, I lol at the fact that "all the hits" are featured but they're really not. The original HEALTH album is worth checking out but so far I have found it nowhere near as entertaining as the disco one.
DISCOOO

My 2nd or 3rd Favourite Animal

OK SO I am jumping on the bandwagon a bit with this one, but hollysheet you guys! The new Grizzly Bear album! I think technically it is not out until April but there are some copies floating around the internet. I recommend listening to it in some form or other- it is pretty good!

My favourite moments are how Two Weeks starts off as this light-hearted ditty but by the end of the song it's an epic, over-the-top megadrama. I love the chorus of "Would you always/maybe sometimes/make it easier/take your time." The other favourite I have is Ready, Able, because it is kind of a recall to their last album with all the twinkling noises that sound like harps or something and then it turns into some Doors-like freakout that is totally awesome.

So yeah. The album is called Veckatimest, and it's totally awesome. CHECK IT!.

Shit Blitz

I got a few songs into the yeah yeah yeahs new one before I went back to fever to tell. I don't mean to sound like a pretentious snobbb (I like your old stuff better than yr new stuff! etc.) but man where did they put all that ENERGY!? Listen to "Tick" from Fever to Tell and then "Soft Shock" from the new one! WHAT.

Got you doin' it

The new(ish) Lady Sov song is a winner. Nice 80's video too!

On howling hawks

You guys! I saw Mogwai live last night! It was fantastic. When they started up with "The Precipice" I was concerned they might be a bit boring to watch. Then they cranked the volume to 11 and the lights kicked in and it didn't even matter what the band were doing. Music that is completely overwhelming to be in the same room as! YES!


Would see again! Set highlight for me was probably Like Herod. Even though I knew it was coming, the noiseplosion was well concealed by the drummer sitting perfectly still until the last second. Great job!

Em Pee Pee

OK So hopefully by now you have heard about Merriweather Post Pavillion, which is the new album by Animal Collective. Basically it is the best thing anyone has ever heard ever.
Instead of writing about the album and stuff because I actually kind of agree that is the best thing ever, I am going to do a song-by-song thing, because I haven't done one of those yet.



In the Flowers: Probs my least favourite actually. But still amazing. An excellent way to kick off the album, it starts off with some taking off noises, gets a bit snoozy and you think it's going to be another "Bees" and then it explodes like a fucking bomb. Or a confetti cannon. Something more joyous but equally explosive! Gets a bit of a rave beat going while Avey Tare goes romantic on us all about how he is going to "hold you in time." Kinds of fades into the stratosphere at the end.

My Girls: The track that made everyone realise that this was the greatest album in the world. Once again the sounds at the beginning kind of sound like someone taking off into happy stars. Panda Bear sings and it kind of sounds like a grand announcement, when Avey Tare starts harmonies you start to think this song should be the national anthem of our first space colony (except for the, you know, anti-materialistic lyrics). Then the bass drops it seems to speed up and you are transported to another place for 5 minutes and oh my god I have to listen to that again. Once when I was listening to it, my friend said "how can anyone not like this song?"

Also Frightened: Bouncy, lots of sporadic vocal harmony outbreaks. I love it when it all culminates into a huge "But ARE YOU, ALSO, FRIGHTEEEEENED?" This one kind of breezes past, it's kind of in an awkward position of being in between two really really fantastic song so I haven't flogged it as much as the rest of the album. Lovely washout finish.

Summertime Clothes: Fuck yes. When the bass drops under those stabbing synth noises you can't help but nod along. Some of the best lyrics on the album here, with a simple chorus of "But I waaant to waaaalk arououound with yooou." Avey Tare the same underwatery filter on his voice that was seen previously on songs like #1, but instead of being terrifying it's kind of endearing.

Daily Routine: This one took a while to grow on me. It starts with alarm clock-esque noises and there is a recurring motif throughout of "Just a sec more in my bed!" Musically it's quite strange, I can't really find a beat but for some reason it's not irritating to listen to. Lots of cool echo and stuff going on in this one. The second half of the song it's a giant chillout, which is excellent pacing for the album.

Bluish: A pretty love song. "I'm getting lost in your curls" could be about oral sex. This song has a pretty catchy synth riff and a nice chorus but otherwise it hasn't stuck with me as much as some of the other songs.

Guys Eyes: Arguably my favourite. Panda Bear sings a line, and then it repeats while he sings the next line over the top of it, and so on until there is this epic, bubbling wall of vocals. It then breaks down into ravetown before repeating the process again. It's fucking amazing. Best listened up loud with the bass turned up. The lyrics feature such lines as "So I used my mind and I used my hand it was what I wanted" ... could be about wanking, who knows really. There is some cooldown ambience before...

Taste: I love the opening "WE'LL FEEL! SUB LIME!". This song sounds a bit cartoonish, but the hook sticks in your head: "Am I really all the things that are outside of me?" I wish I could tell what Panda Bear was singing in the background.

Lion in a Coma: This one still hasn't grown on me, it's quite bizzare. Weird saw/didgeridoo sample is not that friendly on the ears. I love it when it drops out and the synths swell up and Avey goes "PLEEEASE don't LEEEEAVE me!" though. No idea what this song is about.

No More Runnin': This song is fucking blissful. Swampy, relaxed, lazy with a nice light melody. Love the giant sliding vocal part.

Brothersport: a.k.a. Brother Sport but I think it looks cooler as one word. This is the song that will eat your soul. It is an infectious disease. Super catchy melody, 2! rave breakdowns, giant bass, sirens, random shouts of "MATT!"... what more could you want in a song? Amazing way to end an album.

OK so this was a bit over the top but seriously you guys, this album is fucking blowing minds around the world for a good reason. NOT ALL HYPE IS OVERHYPE. I give this album 9 Cars out of Ten.

An Actual Eye From An Actual Tiger

Sorry, bit slow on the blogging because my laptop is w/o net while I am out of Brisbane. SO to compensate here is a small list of stuff I have been listening to. Because that is totally interesting and what everyone wants to read.
-The Drones (still)
-Lily Allen (new one is a bit meh)
-Animal Collective (Merriweather Post Pavillion is pretty much the best thing ever)
-Franz Ferdinand (new one is good)
-Morrissey....

ACTUALLY this might deserve it's own paragraph. Because for a long time I have always made fun of Morrissey and revelled in jokes about his pessimistic lyrics and attitude etc. etc. AND NOW I HAVE COME TO FIND I CANNOT STOP LISTENING TO HIM. I love the song "Late Night, Maudlin Street," "I'm Not Sorry," "Something is Squeezing My Skull" and that one about keeping your friends off I think it is the Vauxhall and I album. So the moral of the story is don't make fun of something because one day you might find yourself intensely addicted to what you were making fun of.

The end. "Real" blog posts should be coming later this month.