I'm kind of sick, so my thoughts aren't that organized, but that was a very good show.
Owen opeened. I have a live recording of him at Vienna, and he's...awkward and shy, usually. But he was really branching out in a bashful sort of way. No self-deprecation, no confusion...some exhaustion, but also quite a bit of energy. So his playing was top fucking notch, like amazingly. I knew everything when it came, mostly because the show was a lot like the vienna concert. I felt kind of alone there up front (JMV had a later ticket...I wish I had bought you that section 2 ticket the lady had), among a bunch of Mountain Goats fans(I only knew one song Guff had sent me; my summary of the period when they came on is that they were good but not what I wanted at that mentail state and I was also sick and restless so I didn't listnen to all of it, they did a fine job) being there for Owen.
He played a lot of very, very ambitious stuff from his new record, and that came along very very well. It's shaping up to be amazing, from what I've heard live and on demo. Across the board, though, he approached each song with as much vigor as he could muster. He plays with his boyfriend now, and they make a very good team. It's hard to find a guitarist that can finger pick the same line of a bowed violin doing 16th notes, but Owen's dating one. Nice, huh? They're all cute and shit (I wanna take 'em home).
Owen was on synth and violin and voice, with his loop pedal and his exactness. Thomas was on guitar and percussion and vocals + whistling. Just...goddamn, hearing some of those songs live are religious. His records are pretty good, yeah; but the joy of seeing him life is connecting with the process of musing, evolving right there in front of you with every push on the loop pedal. It helps for me that I've done so much research / fangirling on the guy (for Arcade Fire and Great Lake Swimmers, I've listened to it) that I can connect to him personally as well as through his music. So I got to enjoy his personality and process, as well as the beautiful music he let out. He's a very sincere musician, skilled and exact.
I got to meet Thomas right between the acts. I had been trying to catch owen and failed, so I sort of waved at Thomas saying "Goodbye," but he actually came over and we had a conversation. I talked about the Vienna show, and I would've liked to have talked more about his musicianship and their interplay, because it was so effective. But it was just light wonderful chatter. He's a lot more open and amiable than Owen (who clearly has a lot of pathos and shyness going on, bless him)...yeah, I think he pitches. Anyway, very nice conversation. I told him my name.
Mountain Goats set: above. It was really nice, but I wasn't looking for loud guitars at that point in time. However, anyone who said they're bad live are exaggerating. They're ok live.
Afterwards I was sort of wandering about when I, at the help of others, found their tour bus. I sat down near it and struck up a conversation with a guy about the music and about percussion as well. Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said Owen was walking by (unaccompanied by any adoring fans, the absolute SHAME!) and I gave him my love. It was more awkward and fangirly than I would've liked, but I felt I expressed what I was feeling. He hugged me and said he couldn't stop looking at my hair. I left in all smiles. If I am more lucid tomorrow I am going to feel gooooooooooooooood.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Stream of Consciousness First Impressions: Kaz's Pack, pt. 2
John Vanderslice - Radiant with Terror
I've heard this man's name somewhere before. I love the build here, the hypnotic sway of "back and forth back and forth" lends to a greater swelling, punctuated by the slightly distorted acoustic twang and those...glockenspiels? That takes courage, to use glockenspiels. Great sense of rhythm to grow, it's understated but very very grand. Nice chords, I guess. Why double-track those lyrics, really? Still, to get so much flow and build out of such a simple, radiant (ha) intro is quite the feat. Percussive weirdness is sorta strange, not as effective as he'd like it to be. Still, this song soars really really far. Wow, he's tight, those quickstops are nice. I'm glad it's as short as it is; he knows that you can't drag that on too long. The brightest star must flash for the shortest time, right? Unless you're a quasar or something. But this is wonderful! Great, hypnotic build, quite a lot of variation on a simple theme.
Mando Diao - The Wildfire (if it were true)
To be honest, Mando Diao is awesome and wonderful when I manage to not listen closely to it. I love his grooves death, and this song is no exception. The synth part, stretching past everything, really rounds out the song. But the acoustics and drums make a fine set of percussion. I wish the rhythm electric did more then arpeggiate chords; it's those kinds of things that could give his songs the variety and inspiration which I'm looking for in him. Really nice bass notes in the pre-chorus part. The chorus soars really well, and from a non-analytical perspective this is fantastic. But it's not fulfilling, sorta like a chocolate cake with crusty frosting. The drums could be fit better into this particular groove, it doesn't flow as smoothly as some of his other things. More onbeats, more melody, etc. Great pop writer, just enough for me forgive the saxophones on the chorus (hehehe). Basslines are really inventive, that's a plus, but not appropriate in many parts.
Manic Street Preachers - Be Natural
Accordion unfolding of a strange jazzy chord, then switching into that guitar progression...I use that one one a lot, I to iv, it creates a sense of sighing and opening. The drum use is sorta typical late-80s use, but they're pretty inventive I guess. Very subtle use of synth. Wow...once things get going, the drums are a huge asset. Occasional subtle doubling of the guitar melody, which is in itself wonderful. Great bass/drum work on the verse part, I like the swirling lyrics especially because they contrast with the guitar line really effective. Is that an accordion? It's a strange but wonderful addition. Nice guitar arpeggiations on the second verse, used in a really growth/melody method. Drums compliment everything perfectly. Woah, beat driven breakdown is surprising and well-executed...this is like the typical epic rock without all the crap about it. It feels more sincere, even a bit smaller. Guitar/vocal/rhythm guitar interplay for this song will be the thing I take away; it's able to soar only because there's such an unfolding and shrouding of a melodic line. It's not really my style, as it sort of borders on classic rock stylings (clearly influenced by the more modern stuff), but I like it a lot for what it is. They just toss in this wonderful bits of brilliance. They know how to vary dynamics too, which is good, hehe.
Mew - Snow Brigade
Oh, sweet, a chance to get into these guys more like you asked . Sonic rumblings and unstated sorts of things going on. There's an interplay in this noise which I like, is all their music so abstract. Those are chords. What's coming ne- OH. Violins and then these guitar lines again INCORPORATING those noise bits. Holy shit, that is fantastic drum work, making a perfect groove. The guitars don't need to overstate anything. They round it out really nicely on the prechorus. They make some strange choices for chords, and it's a bit harsh when that monster groove comes back in, which even the floaty lyrics and the echoey pizzicato can't fix. There's a...self-indulgent sort of melancholy in the lyrics, but whatever. Wow. That's fantastic breakdown, great guitar work and intervals, perfect use of drums to contrast while the guitar does its lyric weirdness. Good hits on that synth, nice swelling noise. They have the best sensibility about noise and what the ear hears that I've heard in a while. I wish they rounded out the vocals a bit, but that's just me. They're good! Am I correct in hearing the Norwegian / northwestern european influence? This song goes on a bit long, and it can't wholly fit together for me. But it's a great tune, great tune. Ahhh, fadeouts. Classic.
Mission of Burma - This is not a Photograph
My dad got me into these guys, they're wonderful. Great basswork, especially with the drums. Great guitar groove, but the groove of the whole feels a bit halting until we get farther in. Wow, great use of noise to keep things going. Very good punk work here. This is not a photograph, etc. Like a lot of punk, all I have to say is that I like it and it's fun and exciting, and in this case pretty artful.
American Music Club - Myopic Books
I love the atmopsheric quality. Very plaintive lyrics, simple acoustic works, quietly glowing, evoking. Like the piano atompshere to...hell, this sorta borders on ambient, or at least has roots there. I love the Dino Jr. reference, but as funny as it is, the guy manages to be almost dull, but not quite. Anyway, nice out there piano intervals. The hand drums fit in really nicely, because hey, we're just walking around this street praying and thinking. But it's ok, I'll find a bookstore. The chords on the acoustic are really nice, getting all the right intervals. There's no chance music going here, just a sort of pure musing, arcing up. Maybe the worst is over...these guys remind me of Bell Orchestre somewhat. Like the breakdown, like a point where you stand still and don't look at anything while your thoughts go everywhere. What is the nature of happiness, is the point, I guess. Flashes on, flashes off, like being visited. I really like this, my girlfriend would really dig this.
Atmosphere - Panic Attack I think I heard some asshole on /mu/ saying good things about this or something, plus a good friend recommended it. I like the groove alright, it's a bit weak in parts. But it's building and getting momentum. Wow, I like his rhymes and sonorities. He knows how to vary things, make syllables shorter to create a tension, all while the guitar held note soars over. He pays a lot of attention to what he's doing. His chorus looses some power for me, because I don't really like the beat as much as other grooves. Drums aren't meant to be that subtle and offbeating in this kind of pattern. Love the noise flying through things. He's making a real statment, trying to make things real. Yeah! He's good. Nice changes under the samples. Um, yeah. Cool.
I've heard this man's name somewhere before. I love the build here, the hypnotic sway of "back and forth back and forth" lends to a greater swelling, punctuated by the slightly distorted acoustic twang and those...glockenspiels? That takes courage, to use glockenspiels. Great sense of rhythm to grow, it's understated but very very grand. Nice chords, I guess. Why double-track those lyrics, really? Still, to get so much flow and build out of such a simple, radiant (ha) intro is quite the feat. Percussive weirdness is sorta strange, not as effective as he'd like it to be. Still, this song soars really really far. Wow, he's tight, those quickstops are nice. I'm glad it's as short as it is; he knows that you can't drag that on too long. The brightest star must flash for the shortest time, right? Unless you're a quasar or something. But this is wonderful! Great, hypnotic build, quite a lot of variation on a simple theme.
Mando Diao - The Wildfire (if it were true)
To be honest, Mando Diao is awesome and wonderful when I manage to not listen closely to it. I love his grooves death, and this song is no exception. The synth part, stretching past everything, really rounds out the song. But the acoustics and drums make a fine set of percussion. I wish the rhythm electric did more then arpeggiate chords; it's those kinds of things that could give his songs the variety and inspiration which I'm looking for in him. Really nice bass notes in the pre-chorus part. The chorus soars really well, and from a non-analytical perspective this is fantastic. But it's not fulfilling, sorta like a chocolate cake with crusty frosting. The drums could be fit better into this particular groove, it doesn't flow as smoothly as some of his other things. More onbeats, more melody, etc. Great pop writer, just enough for me forgive the saxophones on the chorus (hehehe). Basslines are really inventive, that's a plus, but not appropriate in many parts.
Manic Street Preachers - Be Natural
Accordion unfolding of a strange jazzy chord, then switching into that guitar progression...I use that one one a lot, I to iv, it creates a sense of sighing and opening. The drum use is sorta typical late-80s use, but they're pretty inventive I guess. Very subtle use of synth. Wow...once things get going, the drums are a huge asset. Occasional subtle doubling of the guitar melody, which is in itself wonderful. Great bass/drum work on the verse part, I like the swirling lyrics especially because they contrast with the guitar line really effective. Is that an accordion? It's a strange but wonderful addition. Nice guitar arpeggiations on the second verse, used in a really growth/melody method. Drums compliment everything perfectly. Woah, beat driven breakdown is surprising and well-executed...this is like the typical epic rock without all the crap about it. It feels more sincere, even a bit smaller. Guitar/vocal/rhythm guitar interplay for this song will be the thing I take away; it's able to soar only because there's such an unfolding and shrouding of a melodic line. It's not really my style, as it sort of borders on classic rock stylings (clearly influenced by the more modern stuff), but I like it a lot for what it is. They just toss in this wonderful bits of brilliance. They know how to vary dynamics too, which is good, hehe.
Mew - Snow Brigade
Oh, sweet, a chance to get into these guys more like you asked . Sonic rumblings and unstated sorts of things going on. There's an interplay in this noise which I like, is all their music so abstract. Those are chords. What's coming ne- OH. Violins and then these guitar lines again INCORPORATING those noise bits. Holy shit, that is fantastic drum work, making a perfect groove. The guitars don't need to overstate anything. They round it out really nicely on the prechorus. They make some strange choices for chords, and it's a bit harsh when that monster groove comes back in, which even the floaty lyrics and the echoey pizzicato can't fix. There's a...self-indulgent sort of melancholy in the lyrics, but whatever. Wow. That's fantastic breakdown, great guitar work and intervals, perfect use of drums to contrast while the guitar does its lyric weirdness. Good hits on that synth, nice swelling noise. They have the best sensibility about noise and what the ear hears that I've heard in a while. I wish they rounded out the vocals a bit, but that's just me. They're good! Am I correct in hearing the Norwegian / northwestern european influence? This song goes on a bit long, and it can't wholly fit together for me. But it's a great tune, great tune. Ahhh, fadeouts. Classic.
Mission of Burma - This is not a Photograph
My dad got me into these guys, they're wonderful. Great basswork, especially with the drums. Great guitar groove, but the groove of the whole feels a bit halting until we get farther in. Wow, great use of noise to keep things going. Very good punk work here. This is not a photograph, etc. Like a lot of punk, all I have to say is that I like it and it's fun and exciting, and in this case pretty artful.
American Music Club - Myopic Books
I love the atmopsheric quality. Very plaintive lyrics, simple acoustic works, quietly glowing, evoking. Like the piano atompshere to...hell, this sorta borders on ambient, or at least has roots there. I love the Dino Jr. reference, but as funny as it is, the guy manages to be almost dull, but not quite. Anyway, nice out there piano intervals. The hand drums fit in really nicely, because hey, we're just walking around this street praying and thinking. But it's ok, I'll find a bookstore. The chords on the acoustic are really nice, getting all the right intervals. There's no chance music going here, just a sort of pure musing, arcing up. Maybe the worst is over...these guys remind me of Bell Orchestre somewhat. Like the breakdown, like a point where you stand still and don't look at anything while your thoughts go everywhere. What is the nature of happiness, is the point, I guess. Flashes on, flashes off, like being visited. I really like this, my girlfriend would really dig this.
Atmosphere - Panic Attack I think I heard some asshole on /mu/ saying good things about this or something, plus a good friend recommended it. I like the groove alright, it's a bit weak in parts. But it's building and getting momentum. Wow, I like his rhymes and sonorities. He knows how to vary things, make syllables shorter to create a tension, all while the guitar held note soars over. He pays a lot of attention to what he's doing. His chorus looses some power for me, because I don't really like the beat as much as other grooves. Drums aren't meant to be that subtle and offbeating in this kind of pattern. Love the noise flying through things. He's making a real statment, trying to make things real. Yeah! He's good. Nice changes under the samples. Um, yeah. Cool.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Unjustness
the new fuck buttons is wonderful and exciting and open and yes, rooted in the dance stuff, but the music still unfolds, creates, excites, evokes, just like the former noise music, but now through a different medium; forgive me please
Stuff I'm Spinning / Piano
I've just been idly plugging things in, too reduced by sickness and fatigue to do some honest reviews. I feel cloudy.
Heartbeat Radio - Sondre Lerche. The guy did some fantastic work for "Dan in Real Life," and some of his other records have some interesting parts to them. When he strips away his rock influences for his acoustic focus, or generally turns down the rock for more lounge-style stuff, I'm often frustrated. His songwriting can be frustratingly convoluted, and although he has a pretty good sense of melody, his lyricism can be frustrating . He has a smooth sound, and occasionally his lounge stuff reaches good points, but the most of "Two Way Monologue" was difficult for me. Same with "Heartbeat Radio," except now he's discovered violins. His arranging in certain parts is good, and "I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today" has some wonderful intervals...but damn, he just doesn't know how to create flow and hang with it.
Tarot Sport - Fuck Buttons. I was really excited when I heard they had a new album, and I'm still working through it. However, my first impression is...disappointment. I don't like the dancey aspect to it. They used the 4/4 bass drum as a sort of pivot before, a basis or a spine, around which the song pivoted, struck against, shone with...I'm thinking directly of "Colours Move," but the regularity of the drums in a few other songs from Street Horrrsing provides a similar effect. I feel like they're...letting up a bit. That's just my first impression; I expect it to grow on me blah blah blah.
Fluent in Stroll - Big D and the Kids Table. The newfound cute self-defined "Stroll" genre is an excuse for '50s throwback and childish lyrics spiced with that same, somewhat annoying, female backup. I loved their earlier stuff, but I don't like the direction of this. Shame.
Kasabian. I'm listening to everything I can find, I love it I love it I love it I love it.
My chopin prelude (Db major for Kessler, the name "Raindrop" is highly inapt) is going awfully. I barely practiced and had no lessons ove the past three weeks. I've lost my technical ability over the parts, and I can barely play the second part of the middle section (with those rich, dissonant, tortured chords). Since it's such good music to hole up to and bash away at, in stress or peace, I think I'll spend my free time remastering certain technical aspects.
This totally leaves open all the texture-related and gesture-related and personal stuff that I should be doing. I need adjectives, and I need to stick with them and express them. I've had a few wonderful discussion about the nature of silence in the piece, and about the strange pivot point of the Ab/G# and its importance/relevance. I can barely do roman numeral analysis and I want to entirely split apart the piece and look for those golden gels and glowly liquids undearneath its placid skin. It has an unmatched range of emotion, but because the 3 statements of theme are so simliar (with the rich opportunity for contrast in the ornamentation), flow is so vitally important. How do you lead up to the creeping terror of the B section? How do you surface from it? How can you emerge from the silence, cascading down the piano in that Db major chord, with such expectation of rising again? To what? Where are we going?
I am thus overpowered by the work.
Heartbeat Radio - Sondre Lerche. The guy did some fantastic work for "Dan in Real Life," and some of his other records have some interesting parts to them. When he strips away his rock influences for his acoustic focus, or generally turns down the rock for more lounge-style stuff, I'm often frustrated. His songwriting can be frustratingly convoluted, and although he has a pretty good sense of melody, his lyricism can be frustrating . He has a smooth sound, and occasionally his lounge stuff reaches good points, but the most of "Two Way Monologue" was difficult for me. Same with "Heartbeat Radio," except now he's discovered violins. His arranging in certain parts is good, and "I Guess It's Gonna Rain Today" has some wonderful intervals...but damn, he just doesn't know how to create flow and hang with it.
Tarot Sport - Fuck Buttons. I was really excited when I heard they had a new album, and I'm still working through it. However, my first impression is...disappointment. I don't like the dancey aspect to it. They used the 4/4 bass drum as a sort of pivot before, a basis or a spine, around which the song pivoted, struck against, shone with...I'm thinking directly of "Colours Move," but the regularity of the drums in a few other songs from Street Horrrsing provides a similar effect. I feel like they're...letting up a bit. That's just my first impression; I expect it to grow on me blah blah blah.
Fluent in Stroll - Big D and the Kids Table. The newfound cute self-defined "Stroll" genre is an excuse for '50s throwback and childish lyrics spiced with that same, somewhat annoying, female backup. I loved their earlier stuff, but I don't like the direction of this. Shame.
Kasabian. I'm listening to everything I can find, I love it I love it I love it I love it.
My chopin prelude (Db major for Kessler, the name "Raindrop" is highly inapt) is going awfully. I barely practiced and had no lessons ove the past three weeks. I've lost my technical ability over the parts, and I can barely play the second part of the middle section (with those rich, dissonant, tortured chords). Since it's such good music to hole up to and bash away at, in stress or peace, I think I'll spend my free time remastering certain technical aspects.
This totally leaves open all the texture-related and gesture-related and personal stuff that I should be doing. I need adjectives, and I need to stick with them and express them. I've had a few wonderful discussion about the nature of silence in the piece, and about the strange pivot point of the Ab/G# and its importance/relevance. I can barely do roman numeral analysis and I want to entirely split apart the piece and look for those golden gels and glowly liquids undearneath its placid skin. It has an unmatched range of emotion, but because the 3 statements of theme are so simliar (with the rich opportunity for contrast in the ornamentation), flow is so vitally important. How do you lead up to the creeping terror of the B section? How do you surface from it? How can you emerge from the silence, cascading down the piano in that Db major chord, with such expectation of rising again? To what? Where are we going?
I am thus overpowered by the work.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Comedown
I've been crashing all of today, half because I was up till 2 and got up at 6:30 for classes.
But, the other half is because Prop One passed in Maine, and now a large group of society of people who love each other very very much cannot get the institutional benefits, societal stability, and personal comfort that comes from a marriage. I'm slightly heartened by the small margin of the victory, as was true in prop eight; currently, the activism power of Human Rights' groups aren't enough to unseat deep-rooted beliefs and fictions about homosexuality or about queer rights. We'll always have Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and soon New Hampshire, but Maine isn't exactly a hotbed of liberalism. So there was a veto.
One of the frustrating things about all this is the strange state of the queer voice in all this. Of all the 10 states with the highest population of LGB (ignoring our Ts and As and Qs, as usual), none of them have gay marriage laws in place; and of the states with the highest percentage population, only 3 do. And then there's fucking Iowa! If Iowa of all places does it, why not Maine, with the 5th highest percent population of LGB folks?
I'd love to take a greater look at other statistical influences here, like religious focus in certain states compared to the results of propositions like Cali's 8 and Maine's 1, but...I'm too busy crying over all of this.
But, the other half is because Prop One passed in Maine, and now a large group of society of people who love each other very very much cannot get the institutional benefits, societal stability, and personal comfort that comes from a marriage. I'm slightly heartened by the small margin of the victory, as was true in prop eight; currently, the activism power of Human Rights' groups aren't enough to unseat deep-rooted beliefs and fictions about homosexuality or about queer rights. We'll always have Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, and soon New Hampshire, but Maine isn't exactly a hotbed of liberalism. So there was a veto.
One of the frustrating things about all this is the strange state of the queer voice in all this. Of all the 10 states with the highest population of LGB (ignoring our Ts and As and Qs, as usual), none of them have gay marriage laws in place; and of the states with the highest percentage population, only 3 do. And then there's fucking Iowa! If Iowa of all places does it, why not Maine, with the 5th highest percent population of LGB folks?
I'd love to take a greater look at other statistical influences here, like religious focus in certain states compared to the results of propositions like Cali's 8 and Maine's 1, but...I'm too busy crying over all of this.
Concert Review: Toro Y Moi + Jemina Pearl + Islands
First: holy shit.
Second: I spent the entire night in front row directly, Jemina Pearl's head was six inches from my crotch, Nick Diamonds stroked my head and sang the first few lines of No You Don't with me.
It was a wonderful concert! The Flaming Lips concert a few weeks back made me realize that I am never again going to have as wonderful and transcendental an experience as I did then, and that's ok. So I'm coming into concerts more humbly, and there's a lot to like at the show.
I'm in loooove with the Middle East downstairs. It's a dive, the ceilings are slanted, the whole thing is sprawled out, shit just happens there and there's no bullshit in the way of it. Shit without bullshit. Just people playing shows from 9 PM to 12 AM, with 8 AM doors.
I got there at 8:15 or so, after stopping in with my girlfriend. The place has the definition of shitty bathrooms, but I quickly changed into a nifty new tshirt and some nice, simple jewelry. I love the coat check, took a lot of stress of my back. Because I get very...physical at concerts, screaming lyrics and using my entire body as a sort of air instrument, and in this case sort of worshipping the crazy presence of Mr. Diamonds, so it's nice to not have to carry shit. I didn't get to see my friend James there, which sucked and made me feel lonely, but my friend's roomate was there, and we chatted for a while about the music. I'm pretty bad with talking to strangers at concerts, except if I'm pumped and they're inebriated, but I did get into a conversation with one guy. Mostly, I just held my ground and listened to the music while texting in the interim.
Anyway, music. Opener was Toro Y Moi, also introducing himself as Charles. He came on stage in a sweater over a long-sleeved collared shirt, with these really thick glasses, and did his thing for 40 minutes before vacting. A really nice, humble sort of guy, and he did wonderful with the niche he put himself in. That niche was...transamerican synth-pop tinged with hip-hop and a bit of psychedelia, which is a surprisingly fleshed out genre (Rrrrrrrratatat! sorta). But hell, he had really good beats and varied them at good points, was a decent keyboardist, knew how to put a good soundscape (necessary for psychidelia) and good rhythms (necessary for pop) and good beats (necessary for hip-hop). All in all, I was very intrigued and happy with what went on. The guy is also the humblest, nicest guy you'll ever find, if that's a plus. But with his macbook and his korg and a mic...he did quite a bit very well. I was really happy about it.
I spent most of last night diving into Jemina Pearl's newest, and my general opinion of her stuff is somewhat positive. She's agressive and honest, in a refreshing sort of way. Of course she falls so easily into useless cliches, and her powerpop style leads to a lot of undue comparisons (and collaborations) with Iggy Pop. I had no expectations, and what I got was generally good. I knew the songs, and they have a good beat and a few goods riffs, while managing to somehow NOT be total hipster bullshit. I hate to say it, but it was cute. However pissed she is, I still got that vibe: "Aw, here's what Jemina's doing! She's writhing and spitting and kissing her guitar-playing boyfried. how nice" I'll give her a lot of credit for putting all of her spirit out there, even if it was clear that she was...either pissed or tipsy coming into the show. They were tight enough, they were together enough. It was alright. Not my thing. But you know? I think Iggy was there, looking disdainfully at the group. Mighta just been another weirdo with spiky black hair.
There were two disappointments to the Islands show: the fact that their ensemble was so small (no violinist, no bassonist, no freestyler like Bus Driver, just drums, a guitar/synth player, Jamie on Guitar/Synth, and Nick on guitar/vocals; and the sorta obvious fact that they are not the subtle and skilled players that seemed to record Return to the Sea. None of that...really mattered to me. The folks in the front few rows saw the setlist as it was on the floor...and we starting freaking out in excitement.
Switched On [Vap] [Costume]
No You Don't [Vap] [Costume]
Disarming the Car Bomb [Vap]
Tender Torture [Vap]
Creeper [Arm]
Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone [Sea]
Vapours [Vap]
Heartbeat [Vap]
Don't Call Me Whitney Bobby [Sea]
On Foreigner [Vap]
The Arm [Arm]
Devout [Vap]
EOL [Vap]
I'm In Control [Vap]
----
Rough Gem [Sea]
Swans [Sea]
Parts of this were to be expected. They're still early in touring Vapours, so they're of course going to play the whole damn thing; and since Jamie wasn't around for Arm's Way (and perhaps because its quality is slightly lower), they won't do much from it: so if we're lucky, we'd get some key hits from Return to the Sea. Thus, we get 4 fantastic songs from the album, 2 of the best ones from The Arm, and almost the entire Vapours album (missing The Drums, I think, which is fine), which they managed to make very, very cool live.
I was a bit frustrated at the beginning of Switched On. Yeah, Nick in his white jumpsuit and diamond-studded cape was cool enough, and his batman glasses were even cooler, and his strange and dancey theatricals were nice and all...but I was struck by how...open their sound was. With only 3 guys on instruments (and the drummer on samples as well), there's not a lot of mobility to take everything that was detailed and exciting about their music. They held together well; they had the energy and the synergy, and they played and had fun with it. Nick seems to be a pretty understated sort of guy ("Woo, yeah." "You're awesome, Nick!" "Haha, thanks." "Are we awesome?" "Yes, you are in fact awesome...yes you are. I'd have to say that, though the purpose isn't to compare, that we are in fact more awesome." "Yeah, you're right."), and so it sort of fit. Most of the melodic lines and divisions of part were contained throughout the whole thing; it just took Nick 2 songs to take his cape off and pick up the guitar. No You Don't also showed their limitations, but also their strength of spirit.
It was at this song, Disarming the Car Bomb, that I noticed how every song was being done under tempo, seemingly for the sake of the instrumentalists. Anyway, Disarming annoyed me for the longest time, but live it's pretty nice! Think Ideoteque song become IDEOTEQUE CLOSER. Great beat, great use of drums. The drums were pretty constant throughout the whole thing, he didn't let up much to let things pass, instead just redoing rhythms and going along with a groove. He was on fire, though. It was great. Tender Torture was really good, Nick added in the guitar well, the the versatility of Jamie and the other guy was pretty clear, on synth and guitar.
Creeper was a song that they took a bit of creative liberty with. I think they changed around certain parts, cut out in a few places that weren't cut out, and might've messed with the structure a bit. I expected they'd play it live, and they did not disappoint. What was clear after No You Don't was made abundantly clear now: these guys can do amazing things on simple sorts of beats. Whalebone was great and all...it was sort of a letdown not having any freestyling over the bridge part, but they shortened it and groooved around a bit. All live acts have to face the challenge of muddiness in sound, and they did a very good job at keeping things...lucid. They kept it much more stripped down then Jemina (who is the biggest cause for my current deafness, fuck her boyfriend), but they were so energized that it was easy to get into.
Vapours was all cute and shit, clearly Nick just wanted to be cute and shit too. And so he was. Heartbeat was great, as expected: beat-driven and direct, so great for them (harkening back to the Unicorns, I guess). Don't Call me Whitney, Bobby was fucking religious. I just...everybody knew it, everybody was into it, the drummer made it better, everybody covered the parts of the song, but the sound was rounded out. It was better live. It was short and wonderfully sweet.
On Foreigner, and soon after that EOL, and I'm In Control are all in my mind a) generally bad songs, and b) songs that they did a really good live job in. Think of...Radiohead adding that bassline under The Gloaming in the Hail to the Thief tour. Kinda like that. They just do more with the synths, draw better beats together and make them less...floaty and stupid. The Arm had a few musical fuckups in it, but it had a lot of good pausing and changes of feel, which made it very very seizing and compelling: WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE GOING NEXT WOOO ISLANDDS ARE FOREVER WOOOO.
They left, came back, and played the opening chords of Rough Gem (the fucking tease actually played the opening guitar part for Volcanoes, and then switched. the bastard) and everybody went to and through the roof. It's a classic, it was distributed across iTunes and made famous, and it's just a really good song. They handled the instrumentation well, and let the synth catch a few liens while having hand claps on the quiet "Dun-dun-dun" of the hook. It was slower, but the drums and the synth really fit together nicely. They weren't their best at musicanship
In the few moments that I could actually hear the chords of Swams, I could tell that they were fucking up. A lot. It's a complex and detailed song, one requiring a lot of work and focus, and they didn't have the skill or the composure for their closer. But you know? It was fine. The memory factor was enough. They played it downtempo, making it around 11 minutes, but everything was tthere...fuck, did they add a few beats on the first proggy (major) part after the third statement of the theme, then going into the final (minor) proggy part? I think they did. That fucked me up. But all-around, I was psyched enough not to care about being off by two frets or playing in the wrong key. It was Swans, for christ's sake. It was Swans!
All in all: I loved the concert because I love Islands and Nick's funny and they have a good synergy. Also, Nick has really smooth hands. I think he just wanted to feel my hair.
Anyway, a summary: FUCK YEAAAHHHH
Second: I spent the entire night in front row directly, Jemina Pearl's head was six inches from my crotch, Nick Diamonds stroked my head and sang the first few lines of No You Don't with me.
It was a wonderful concert! The Flaming Lips concert a few weeks back made me realize that I am never again going to have as wonderful and transcendental an experience as I did then, and that's ok. So I'm coming into concerts more humbly, and there's a lot to like at the show.
I'm in loooove with the Middle East downstairs. It's a dive, the ceilings are slanted, the whole thing is sprawled out, shit just happens there and there's no bullshit in the way of it. Shit without bullshit. Just people playing shows from 9 PM to 12 AM, with 8 AM doors.
I got there at 8:15 or so, after stopping in with my girlfriend. The place has the definition of shitty bathrooms, but I quickly changed into a nifty new tshirt and some nice, simple jewelry. I love the coat check, took a lot of stress of my back. Because I get very...physical at concerts, screaming lyrics and using my entire body as a sort of air instrument, and in this case sort of worshipping the crazy presence of Mr. Diamonds, so it's nice to not have to carry shit. I didn't get to see my friend James there, which sucked and made me feel lonely, but my friend's roomate was there, and we chatted for a while about the music. I'm pretty bad with talking to strangers at concerts, except if I'm pumped and they're inebriated, but I did get into a conversation with one guy. Mostly, I just held my ground and listened to the music while texting in the interim.
Anyway, music. Opener was Toro Y Moi, also introducing himself as Charles. He came on stage in a sweater over a long-sleeved collared shirt, with these really thick glasses, and did his thing for 40 minutes before vacting. A really nice, humble sort of guy, and he did wonderful with the niche he put himself in. That niche was...transamerican synth-pop tinged with hip-hop and a bit of psychedelia, which is a surprisingly fleshed out genre (Rrrrrrrratatat! sorta). But hell, he had really good beats and varied them at good points, was a decent keyboardist, knew how to put a good soundscape (necessary for psychidelia) and good rhythms (necessary for pop) and good beats (necessary for hip-hop). All in all, I was very intrigued and happy with what went on. The guy is also the humblest, nicest guy you'll ever find, if that's a plus. But with his macbook and his korg and a mic...he did quite a bit very well. I was really happy about it.
I spent most of last night diving into Jemina Pearl's newest, and my general opinion of her stuff is somewhat positive. She's agressive and honest, in a refreshing sort of way. Of course she falls so easily into useless cliches, and her powerpop style leads to a lot of undue comparisons (and collaborations) with Iggy Pop. I had no expectations, and what I got was generally good. I knew the songs, and they have a good beat and a few goods riffs, while managing to somehow NOT be total hipster bullshit. I hate to say it, but it was cute. However pissed she is, I still got that vibe: "Aw, here's what Jemina's doing! She's writhing and spitting and kissing her guitar-playing boyfried. how nice" I'll give her a lot of credit for putting all of her spirit out there, even if it was clear that she was...either pissed or tipsy coming into the show. They were tight enough, they were together enough. It was alright. Not my thing. But you know? I think Iggy was there, looking disdainfully at the group. Mighta just been another weirdo with spiky black hair.
There were two disappointments to the Islands show: the fact that their ensemble was so small (no violinist, no bassonist, no freestyler like Bus Driver, just drums, a guitar/synth player, Jamie on Guitar/Synth, and Nick on guitar/vocals; and the sorta obvious fact that they are not the subtle and skilled players that seemed to record Return to the Sea. None of that...really mattered to me. The folks in the front few rows saw the setlist as it was on the floor...and we starting freaking out in excitement.
Switched On [Vap] [Costume]
No You Don't [Vap] [Costume]
Disarming the Car Bomb [Vap]
Tender Torture [Vap]
Creeper [Arm]
Where There's a Will, There's a Whalebone [Sea]
Vapours [Vap]
Heartbeat [Vap]
Don't Call Me Whitney Bobby [Sea]
On Foreigner [Vap]
The Arm [Arm]
Devout [Vap]
EOL [Vap]
I'm In Control [Vap]
----
Rough Gem [Sea]
Swans [Sea]
Parts of this were to be expected. They're still early in touring Vapours, so they're of course going to play the whole damn thing; and since Jamie wasn't around for Arm's Way (and perhaps because its quality is slightly lower), they won't do much from it: so if we're lucky, we'd get some key hits from Return to the Sea. Thus, we get 4 fantastic songs from the album, 2 of the best ones from The Arm, and almost the entire Vapours album (missing The Drums, I think, which is fine), which they managed to make very, very cool live.
I was a bit frustrated at the beginning of Switched On. Yeah, Nick in his white jumpsuit and diamond-studded cape was cool enough, and his batman glasses were even cooler, and his strange and dancey theatricals were nice and all...but I was struck by how...open their sound was. With only 3 guys on instruments (and the drummer on samples as well), there's not a lot of mobility to take everything that was detailed and exciting about their music. They held together well; they had the energy and the synergy, and they played and had fun with it. Nick seems to be a pretty understated sort of guy ("Woo, yeah." "You're awesome, Nick!" "Haha, thanks." "Are we awesome?" "Yes, you are in fact awesome...yes you are. I'd have to say that, though the purpose isn't to compare, that we are in fact more awesome." "Yeah, you're right."), and so it sort of fit. Most of the melodic lines and divisions of part were contained throughout the whole thing; it just took Nick 2 songs to take his cape off and pick up the guitar. No You Don't also showed their limitations, but also their strength of spirit.
It was at this song, Disarming the Car Bomb, that I noticed how every song was being done under tempo, seemingly for the sake of the instrumentalists. Anyway, Disarming annoyed me for the longest time, but live it's pretty nice! Think Ideoteque song become IDEOTEQUE CLOSER. Great beat, great use of drums. The drums were pretty constant throughout the whole thing, he didn't let up much to let things pass, instead just redoing rhythms and going along with a groove. He was on fire, though. It was great. Tender Torture was really good, Nick added in the guitar well, the the versatility of Jamie and the other guy was pretty clear, on synth and guitar.
Creeper was a song that they took a bit of creative liberty with. I think they changed around certain parts, cut out in a few places that weren't cut out, and might've messed with the structure a bit. I expected they'd play it live, and they did not disappoint. What was clear after No You Don't was made abundantly clear now: these guys can do amazing things on simple sorts of beats. Whalebone was great and all...it was sort of a letdown not having any freestyling over the bridge part, but they shortened it and groooved around a bit. All live acts have to face the challenge of muddiness in sound, and they did a very good job at keeping things...lucid. They kept it much more stripped down then Jemina (who is the biggest cause for my current deafness, fuck her boyfriend), but they were so energized that it was easy to get into.
Vapours was all cute and shit, clearly Nick just wanted to be cute and shit too. And so he was. Heartbeat was great, as expected: beat-driven and direct, so great for them (harkening back to the Unicorns, I guess). Don't Call me Whitney, Bobby was fucking religious. I just...everybody knew it, everybody was into it, the drummer made it better, everybody covered the parts of the song, but the sound was rounded out. It was better live. It was short and wonderfully sweet.
On Foreigner, and soon after that EOL, and I'm In Control are all in my mind a) generally bad songs, and b) songs that they did a really good live job in. Think of...Radiohead adding that bassline under The Gloaming in the Hail to the Thief tour. Kinda like that. They just do more with the synths, draw better beats together and make them less...floaty and stupid. The Arm had a few musical fuckups in it, but it had a lot of good pausing and changes of feel, which made it very very seizing and compelling: WHERE THE FUCK ARE WE GOING NEXT WOOO ISLANDDS ARE FOREVER WOOOO.
They left, came back, and played the opening chords of Rough Gem (the fucking tease actually played the opening guitar part for Volcanoes, and then switched. the bastard) and everybody went to and through the roof. It's a classic, it was distributed across iTunes and made famous, and it's just a really good song. They handled the instrumentation well, and let the synth catch a few liens while having hand claps on the quiet "Dun-dun-dun" of the hook. It was slower, but the drums and the synth really fit together nicely. They weren't their best at musicanship
In the few moments that I could actually hear the chords of Swams, I could tell that they were fucking up. A lot. It's a complex and detailed song, one requiring a lot of work and focus, and they didn't have the skill or the composure for their closer. But you know? It was fine. The memory factor was enough. They played it downtempo, making it around 11 minutes, but everything was tthere...fuck, did they add a few beats on the first proggy (major) part after the third statement of the theme, then going into the final (minor) proggy part? I think they did. That fucked me up. But all-around, I was psyched enough not to care about being off by two frets or playing in the wrong key. It was Swans, for christ's sake. It was Swans!
All in all: I loved the concert because I love Islands and Nick's funny and they have a good synergy. Also, Nick has really smooth hands. I think he just wanted to feel my hair.
Anyway, a summary: FUCK YEAAAHHHH
Monday, November 2, 2009
Random Concerting, and Why It's a Sort of Okay Thing
Although I keep track of my favorite artists through livekick (a wonderful tool; I downloaded iTunes on my windows partition on the pc just to export the xml library into livekick, and I hate Apple!), some of my happiest moments have been concerts somebody has said to be "Hey, shit, wanna come to this concert?"
Best memory like that was Tuesday last November. I was talking with a senior I sort of knew, hanging out in the Chem Lab doing problems and generally chewing the fat. He mentions how he's going to the Of Montreal concert tonight, front row seats. I say I'm happy for him, I know them vaguely. Later in the day, I'm walking down the hall expecting for another frustratingly long night of homework, and passes me by and says "Hey...my friend who bought the tickets isn't here...uh, you wanna go?" I jump on the opportunity...and suddenly we drive into Boston to see Gang Gang Dance open for Of Montreal. Blew my fucking mind, Kevin's a great showman. His wife painted my face and stroked my face with a whip. The senior kid had some vegan cake they were passing about, and got sick. We talked about music, and he clearly identified himself as the kid who jumped on one indie craze and moved to another after a few weeks (modern Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal...that's sorta unfair, he had some Lou Reed). But yeah, I randomly got to go to a concert of a group I didn't know. Gang Gang Dance is now one of my favorite artists, and Of Montreal is up there.
I've had a lot of good experiences seeing concerts of groups I didn't know. The OM concert I jumped in was totally out of the blue, and that was pretty fun I guess. The Anti-Flag show was really really great, even though I didn't know much punk at that point. I saw Sigur Ros just when Meo Sud debuted, and it was an amazing show and I was able to connect with it, even if I only knew Svefn-en-Genglar (err) and some of (). The symphony shows I sometimes go to don't really count, I suppose; but there's been a lot of fun to be had from just saying SURE YES I'LL GRAB THESE TICKETS or I'D LOVE TO GO IN PLACE OF YOUR FRIEND! And I make sure to pay it forward by rarely letting people pay for tickets I buy.
But...damn, there's always something lost. The Black Moth Super Rainbow concerts I've been to have been really wonderful, but I'm just not that well-versed in their entire discography. I'll here a cut here, a cut there, and I'm left to admire these wonderful soundscapes that I...really don't have any emotional connection to. I saw Radiohead and that was fucking AMAZING...but I hadn't checked out In Rainbows before going. It's not like I didn't enjoy everything and wasn't transported by it; but I couldn't understand how much of a religious event it is to see 15 Step live. And some shows just fall flat. I try to give music a chance, but it gets hot in clubs, and I get thirsty and it's too distorted to hear. I spent the majority of the Down concert sorta...hanging out in the back, half asleep. There's so much loss in just going in blind; I'm trying to make sure to listen to the headliner, and the last opener, before going, just for context (kinda failed for Jemina Pearl, though. Eh.)
I bring this up because there's the annual Mighty Mighty Bosstones show that my sister and I might like to go to. I guess it's more about if I want to be in proximity to my sister.
Best memory like that was Tuesday last November. I was talking with a senior I sort of knew, hanging out in the Chem Lab doing problems and generally chewing the fat. He mentions how he's going to the Of Montreal concert tonight, front row seats. I say I'm happy for him, I know them vaguely. Later in the day, I'm walking down the hall expecting for another frustratingly long night of homework, and passes me by and says "Hey...my friend who bought the tickets isn't here...uh, you wanna go?" I jump on the opportunity...and suddenly we drive into Boston to see Gang Gang Dance open for Of Montreal. Blew my fucking mind, Kevin's a great showman. His wife painted my face and stroked my face with a whip. The senior kid had some vegan cake they were passing about, and got sick. We talked about music, and he clearly identified himself as the kid who jumped on one indie craze and moved to another after a few weeks (modern Flaming Lips, Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal...that's sorta unfair, he had some Lou Reed). But yeah, I randomly got to go to a concert of a group I didn't know. Gang Gang Dance is now one of my favorite artists, and Of Montreal is up there.
I've had a lot of good experiences seeing concerts of groups I didn't know. The OM concert I jumped in was totally out of the blue, and that was pretty fun I guess. The Anti-Flag show was really really great, even though I didn't know much punk at that point. I saw Sigur Ros just when Meo Sud debuted, and it was an amazing show and I was able to connect with it, even if I only knew Svefn-en-Genglar (err) and some of (). The symphony shows I sometimes go to don't really count, I suppose; but there's been a lot of fun to be had from just saying SURE YES I'LL GRAB THESE TICKETS or I'D LOVE TO GO IN PLACE OF YOUR FRIEND! And I make sure to pay it forward by rarely letting people pay for tickets I buy.
But...damn, there's always something lost. The Black Moth Super Rainbow concerts I've been to have been really wonderful, but I'm just not that well-versed in their entire discography. I'll here a cut here, a cut there, and I'm left to admire these wonderful soundscapes that I...really don't have any emotional connection to. I saw Radiohead and that was fucking AMAZING...but I hadn't checked out In Rainbows before going. It's not like I didn't enjoy everything and wasn't transported by it; but I couldn't understand how much of a religious event it is to see 15 Step live. And some shows just fall flat. I try to give music a chance, but it gets hot in clubs, and I get thirsty and it's too distorted to hear. I spent the majority of the Down concert sorta...hanging out in the back, half asleep. There's so much loss in just going in blind; I'm trying to make sure to listen to the headliner, and the last opener, before going, just for context (kinda failed for Jemina Pearl, though. Eh.)
I bring this up because there's the annual Mighty Mighty Bosstones show that my sister and I might like to go to. I guess it's more about if I want to be in proximity to my sister.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Islands
I've been listening to Islands non-stop for most of the weekend. I'm seeing their Middle East show in Boston on the 4th, and I'm wondering what to expect. I've been reading about the Arm's Way shows, and how much screwing around they did; leaving the stage and gallivanting around the streets, and letting Bus Driver freestyle in the streets before folks dispersed. I have classes the following morning, so I hope things don't go too late; but hell, it could be fun.
I discovered Islands a few years ago through Keat, although it took me a while to plug them in and give them a serious listen. I've been fangirling over them to anybody and everybody since I plugged in "Return to the Sea" on a long car ride home.
"Return to the Sea" struck me in a lot of different ways. Yeah, I liked the creepyness and darkness that their lyrics contain, but once they overdid it in "Arm's Way," that lost its luster. The tone of the album struck me immediately. They put a lot of work into production, like any good pop album, but there are so many small touches that make the album magical for me to this day: the loose snare on "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby," the wailing at the beginning of "Swans," the slightly detuned whistling on "Humans," the clicky beginning percussion for "Volcanoes," and the untouched piano of "Bucky Little Wing." They paid a lot of attention to atmosphere and tonality, how the album would actually sound in your ear and how important that was. I apprecaite that a lot.
The songwriting is also topnotch.
The arc of the album was the most compelling thing, for me. I maintain that "Swans" is a work of genius, and part of my reasoning for that lies in how it traces the rest of the album. It begins quietly and evocatively, far away from the noise and bluntness of the Unicorns year (there's a huge biographical aspect here, of course), slowly complexifying. Melody, even in the bass part is vital, and they use the drums to allow their song to unfold and curl back, letting the bits of piano or electric or wailing. The first verse / chorus part is balanced in its parts, not letting guitars or noise become the predominant force. In the second part, the piano gets so much more rhythmic importance, and the crazy wailing and the guitars trade prominance and importance. They keep grooving on those same bits, and have a nice breakdown which bleeds back into so much more noise. We get one last, simple restatement, before everything gets back into full force, turning finally into a flat out prog rocky sort of ending. But just after that, all the parts break away into their parts, holding rhythms and bathing in the same noise without much in the way of direction. Where the hell are we? Where did we go in the last 9 minutes?
The song becomes more and more complex and layered, eventually more noisey and rocky, then breaking down, just as the album does. The sardonic "Humans" and creepily light "Whitney" become longer and more beat-heavy songs like "Rough Gem" and "Joggin' Gorgeous Summer," which in turn culminate in "Volcanoes." They're playing around with what pop does; sit back and hop along, or grab you. The end of the album is a huge decrescendo from "Volcanoes": "If" and "Ones" exist in their own, frightening sort of stripped down universe, and "Bucky" is simple in a way that no other song on the album dares to be. Just like "Swans," we built up to the crazy proggy stuff, and then had to face the consequences and results: this after-noise, this openness and use of silence in "Bucky" or the hypnosis of "Ones."
"Bucky," I think, is the best possible way to end the album. The song is simply piano and some vocal backing, and the structure is simple. There's no subtlty, on one hand, and no noise, on the other. The subject matter isn't creepy, like death or cannibalism, but simply stated and sad: racism and friendship, death and departure. It's the perfect cap on the album: "despite all the places and crescendoes we've gone through, let's break everything down and talk about something incredibly organic for a while. you'll have to wait through 4 minutes of rain to hear it, but it's worth it." And it is! It's a strange and exciting end to the kind of journey we've just gone through.
I highly doubt we'll hear much of "Return to the Sea." Even though Jamie's back, they have better songs to play at concerts. The entirety of "Arm's Way" sort of sucks, but has a better beat and must be easier to play; and of course, there's the new album to tour, and a lot of those cuts are very good for live or for radio. I expect "Switched On" for an opener, and somewere in there: "No You Don't", "Vapours" (maybe a closer), "Tender Torture" (definitely), "Heartbeat" (probably), "Disarming the Car Bomb" (likely), "The Arm" (totally), "J'Aime Vous Voir Quitter" (unless this is really a veiled reference to Jaime leaving, in which he wouldn't like to), "Creeper" (clearly), "We Swim" (maybe), "I Feel Evil Creping In" (yeah), and maybe "Rough Gem." Trust me, though, if they throw in "Swans" or break things down for "Bucky," you can be sure I'll be grasping at Nick and Jamie in lurv. I'll be on the sides hydrating during Toro Y Moi, but I'll be up at the front for Jemina Pearl.
So fucking EXCITED!
I discovered Islands a few years ago through Keat, although it took me a while to plug them in and give them a serious listen. I've been fangirling over them to anybody and everybody since I plugged in "Return to the Sea" on a long car ride home.
"Return to the Sea" struck me in a lot of different ways. Yeah, I liked the creepyness and darkness that their lyrics contain, but once they overdid it in "Arm's Way," that lost its luster. The tone of the album struck me immediately. They put a lot of work into production, like any good pop album, but there are so many small touches that make the album magical for me to this day: the loose snare on "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby," the wailing at the beginning of "Swans," the slightly detuned whistling on "Humans," the clicky beginning percussion for "Volcanoes," and the untouched piano of "Bucky Little Wing." They paid a lot of attention to atmosphere and tonality, how the album would actually sound in your ear and how important that was. I apprecaite that a lot.
The songwriting is also topnotch.
The arc of the album was the most compelling thing, for me. I maintain that "Swans" is a work of genius, and part of my reasoning for that lies in how it traces the rest of the album. It begins quietly and evocatively, far away from the noise and bluntness of the Unicorns year (there's a huge biographical aspect here, of course), slowly complexifying. Melody, even in the bass part is vital, and they use the drums to allow their song to unfold and curl back, letting the bits of piano or electric or wailing. The first verse / chorus part is balanced in its parts, not letting guitars or noise become the predominant force. In the second part, the piano gets so much more rhythmic importance, and the crazy wailing and the guitars trade prominance and importance. They keep grooving on those same bits, and have a nice breakdown which bleeds back into so much more noise. We get one last, simple restatement, before everything gets back into full force, turning finally into a flat out prog rocky sort of ending. But just after that, all the parts break away into their parts, holding rhythms and bathing in the same noise without much in the way of direction. Where the hell are we? Where did we go in the last 9 minutes?
The song becomes more and more complex and layered, eventually more noisey and rocky, then breaking down, just as the album does. The sardonic "Humans" and creepily light "Whitney" become longer and more beat-heavy songs like "Rough Gem" and "Joggin' Gorgeous Summer," which in turn culminate in "Volcanoes." They're playing around with what pop does; sit back and hop along, or grab you. The end of the album is a huge decrescendo from "Volcanoes": "If" and "Ones" exist in their own, frightening sort of stripped down universe, and "Bucky" is simple in a way that no other song on the album dares to be. Just like "Swans," we built up to the crazy proggy stuff, and then had to face the consequences and results: this after-noise, this openness and use of silence in "Bucky" or the hypnosis of "Ones."
"Bucky," I think, is the best possible way to end the album. The song is simply piano and some vocal backing, and the structure is simple. There's no subtlty, on one hand, and no noise, on the other. The subject matter isn't creepy, like death or cannibalism, but simply stated and sad: racism and friendship, death and departure. It's the perfect cap on the album: "despite all the places and crescendoes we've gone through, let's break everything down and talk about something incredibly organic for a while. you'll have to wait through 4 minutes of rain to hear it, but it's worth it." And it is! It's a strange and exciting end to the kind of journey we've just gone through.
I highly doubt we'll hear much of "Return to the Sea." Even though Jamie's back, they have better songs to play at concerts. The entirety of "Arm's Way" sort of sucks, but has a better beat and must be easier to play; and of course, there's the new album to tour, and a lot of those cuts are very good for live or for radio. I expect "Switched On" for an opener, and somewere in there: "No You Don't", "Vapours" (maybe a closer), "Tender Torture" (definitely), "Heartbeat" (probably), "Disarming the Car Bomb" (likely), "The Arm" (totally), "J'Aime Vous Voir Quitter" (unless this is really a veiled reference to Jaime leaving, in which he wouldn't like to), "Creeper" (clearly), "We Swim" (maybe), "I Feel Evil Creping In" (yeah), and maybe "Rough Gem." Trust me, though, if they throw in "Swans" or break things down for "Bucky," you can be sure I'll be grasping at Nick and Jamie in lurv. I'll be on the sides hydrating during Toro Y Moi, but I'll be up at the front for Jemina Pearl.
So fucking EXCITED!
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