5 posts tagged “the magnetic fields”
)Top 5 Albums of 2008
1. Beach House – Devotion
Their first album was nice.
Occasionally heavy-lidded and aimless (as in, the mind wanders when
listening), but nice, certainly a curious take on dream pop. Then Devotion
came out and it was like Beach House even further demented the dreamy stargaze domain,
in, you know, a really, really attractive way.
With Victoria’s
sad, velvet voice (not at all, never ever cute,
for godsake), the off-putting pace, the hollow beat, the moodiness, the
sometimes romantic/sometimes painful lyrics, the harpsichord, that Daniel
Johnston cover…it just works. How often do all the pieces fall into
place? It may never happen again. Enjoy, Beach House.
2. The Raveonettes – Lust Lust Lust
So the Raveonettes are getting fuzzier and less defined, and moving further from those neo-noir 60s Phil Spector-inspired melodies into darker territory. Darker, louder territory. Like, seriously loud. I’d probably be less impressed with this album if it wasn’t for the sheer enormity of sound. Every song has a kind of feverish build-up; by the end it’s bye-bye future hearing, hello creepy weird aural enlightenment, or something.
3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Real Emotional Trash
What I like about Real Emotional Trash is that it combines the best of the Pavement core—bizarre/absurdist lyrics and sprawling noise/extended “jammin’/freak deaky guitar rifts. This album sounds very Malkmus; it isn’t the work of a middle-aged rocker desperate to fit in one last reinvention and prove to the twenty-somethings that he’s “still got it.” No, Malkmus hardly seems concerned with too much change; he may choose different directions with each of his solo albums, but there’s always a comfortable familiarity. (And, for the record, he’s definitely still got it.)
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4. Santogold – Santogold
Let’s just get the obvious out of the way: yes, she reminds you of M.I.A. Sure, Santogold sings through her nose, loves a crazy beat, and is scarily supa fly (intimidating to the average-looking), but if you actually listen to her album you’ll realize that she ain’t no M.I.A. Which isn’t to say that Santogold ain’t fabulous. Au contraire, it’s perfect downtown club music (for the mild, hip and white). You can bump, grind, convulse, jump, rapidly move your hands in front of your face, remain mostly still while nodding your head, twirl, whatever. Also, with the absence of any kind of political message you don’t even have to pretend that you care about real things.
5. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion
What an aptly titled album. I’m found of aptly titled things. I wish Animal Collective and Xiu Xiu would take note and start naming their albums “Weird Crazy Things That Sound Like Woodlawn Creatures and Kitchen Utensils.” It would be convenient for writing reviews. Anyway, Distortion is Stephen Merritt doing distortion, which means fuzzy, drone-y guitar that lovers can still swoon to, and sad/silly lyrics like “sober, you’re old and ugly; shit-faced, who needs a mirror” (“Too Drunk to Dream”).
Top 5 Songs of 2008
1. Beach House – “Heart of Chamber” (Devotion)
Honestly, I could have chosen any song from Devotion, but “Heart of Chamber” is the one that gives me the strongest heart palpitations (like remembering a teenage night that never happened). As I said before, it works, and who needs solid logic?
2. Beck – “Walls” (Modern Guilt)
My relationship with Beck is similar to my relationship with thrift shopping: 99% of the time I leave the store irritated and resentful; however, maybe once a year I find something absolutely stunning, like amazingly, disgustingly perfect that I forget about all the previous disappointments. “Walls” is my disgustingly perfect gold lamé romper that I will never wear again.
3. Okkervil River – “Lost Coastlines” (The Stand Ins)
Apparently there are (self-proclaimed) straight men out there that would “go gay” for Will Sheff. Who knew. I cannot make that same declaration, but I will say this: Jonathan Meiburg’s voice keeps me comfortably heterosexual.
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4. Benoît Pioulard – “Brown Bess” (Temper)
His name is Tom (hint: he’s not French). Tom taps into those same otherworldly arrangements that Zach Condon used to convince hipsters that foreign music could be edgy too. “Brown Bess” is just too pretty to ignore. I don’t know what he’s singing (it’s in English; he mumbles, I selectively listen), but similar to hearing a beautiful French phrase, do you even care?
5. Lucinda Williams (ft. Elvis Costello) – “Jailhouse Tears” (Little Honey)
The whole album’s kind of a mess: a few old-school bluesy ballads, some terrible angry rockers, and a truly frightening AC/DC cover (Lucinda, no). However, this duet with Costello makes me smile because I think Lucinda’s being a bit cheeky, no?
Top 5 Bands to Think About in 2009
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1. Sybris
What: Anti-twee
indiepop
Where: Chicago, IL
Think about: “Oh
Man!” (Into the Trees, 2008)
More! http://myspace.com/sybris
What:
Halloween-voiced lad + pop music + geek beats
Where: St. Louis, MO
Think about: “Gamble”
(Classy Entertainment EP, 2008)
More! http://myspace.com/jumblingtowers
3. Alina Simone
What: Folk/punk
Where: Brooklyn, NY
Think about: “Half My
Kingdom” (Everyone is Crying Out to Me,
Beware, 2008)
More! http://myspace.com/alinasimone
4. The Pharmacy
What: Dirty rotten
indie rock
Where: New Orleans, LA
Think about: “Little
Toys on the Shelf” (Choose Yr. Own
Adventure, 2008)
More! http://myspace.com/pharmacy
5. Doomtree
What: White-friendly (read: non-threatening or “not too ghetto”) “smart” hip-hop
Where: Minneapolis, MN
Think about: “Dots
and Dashes” (Doomtree, 2008)
More! http://myspace.com/doomtree
Note: Doomtree is
extremely popular within their home state of Minnesota, but have they crossed the
border? Let me know.
Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
podcast.weheartmusic.com
news.weheartmusic.com
In a letter dated Feb 28, 2007, on their official website, it looks like everyone in the band, The Velvet Teen, have left to focus on other projects (and strangely, one of them have died). But that doesn't mean that the band have broken up, according to that letter.
They have released three full length albums, Out Of The Fierce Parade (Mar 2002), Elysium (Jul 2004), and Cum Laude! (Jul 2006). I don't actually have any of their albums, but I did check out a few MP3s from their record company, Slowdance, for free. They sound like your standard indie boy rock band, but then again, I haven't really listen to those songs.
The most interesting of their songs that I have is their cover of the Magnetic Fields' "No One Will Ever Love You" (which is probably undoubtably one of the best songs off their 69-songs triple-album, 69). The Velvet Teen's version features Joshua Staples singing in a, it's hard to describe, like a woman-sounding voice at the start.
I am also including the original version here, which does not feature Stephin Merritt's vocals, but Shirley Simms. For more information about that 69 album, see 69lovesongs.info.
PS, I dedicate this song to Morrissey, who's birthday is today. Steven Patrick, I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday! :)
vu 
Links: www.thevelvetteen.com
Inspired by Vu's post last week about the Gothic Archies and my purchase last night of their 2000 EP I'm Lonely (And I Love It), I've decided to write about another Stephin Merritt project, Future Bible Heroes, where Merritt collaborates with Chris Ewen (former keyboardist for the 80's band Figures On a Beach) and Magnetic Fields vocalist/percussionist/pianist Claudia Gonson. Merritt's website describes the Heroes as:
Future Bible Heroes is the fruitful product of Ewen's exotic electro-pop instrumentation, replete with samples ranging from Hawaiian birds to computer printers, overlaid with Merritt's exquisite pop songs and humorous lyrical style.
Thanks to Ewen's electro-touch, Future Bible Heroes' songs have a definite synthpoppy feel to them, conducive to remixes and the complete dancefloor treatment. Now, I like "serious" music as much as the next indie kid, but I'm also partial to the 3-minute pop song, upbeat and effervescent and full of synths and driving basslines. Add to that Merritt's witty and (at times) hilarious lyrics and Gonson's sweet yet plaintive voice and voilà! You've got yourself a sparkling little pop gem.
I've included here the title track off I'm Lonely (And I Love It) (with Merritt on vocals) and also a song from their 2002 full-length LP Eternal Youth, 'Doris Daytheearthstoodstill.' Only Stephin Merritt could rhyme "asteroid" with "gas droid" and have it make perfect sense in a pop song.
*Apparently they have released a brand new song 'Mr. Punch' last year, which appears on a Neil Gaiman tribute CD.
The Gothic Archies was first introduced to me via NPR. They are basically a side project of the Magnetic Fields and a book writer, based out of New York. I was pleasantly surprise to find out that the writer, Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, is the author of the series book, "A Series of Unfortunate Events", which was made into a motion picture in 2004
The album they were promoting was their new one, "A Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events", released in October. The album was meant to be listened as a soundtrack to the "Series of Unfortunate Events" books.
I am including two songs: their live version of "Scream and Run Away", which is a lot funner (and funnier) than the studio version, and "We are the Gothic Archies" (which I think represent their style of songs). Be warned: you may be slightly discomforted at the sounds of the deep, deep vocals of Stephin Merritt. I am still not entirely used to his singing style.
DISCOGRAPHY
- Looming in the Gloom (1996)
- The New Despair EP (1997)
- The Tragic Treasury: Songs from A Series of Unfortunate Events (2006)
| W. B. Mook wrote A Series of Unfortunate Songs: Apr 11, 2007 at 12:45 AM |
I noticed the mention of Daniel Handler by those crazy kids over at We (I Still Don't Know Where The Heart Character Is) Music and, wait for it, felt I had to chime in with something from my own collection. One Ring Zero's As Smart As We Are is a collaboration between One Ring Zero and various authors, including Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, and, of course, Daniel Handler. This is his ditty off the album. I highly recommend picking it up...
I can't say that without you thinking I'm trying to sound like Ferris Bueller, can I?
Anyway, I wish I had more One Ring Zero, for they appear to rock.
| frippy wrote: Apr 12, 2007 at 11:03 AM |
[this is good] I have The New Despair, which is quite silly though cute -- the thematic inspiration from Lemony Snicket's series makes Tragic Treasury much better. Stephinn Merritt does sound rather spooky -- I think the Gothic Archies was a side project that highlights the mild irony that Merritt sounds like he should be fronting a gloomy goth band when his one true love is bittersweet bubblegum pop.
This is an interesting cover by one of my favorite band, the Lucksmiths. They covered the Magnetic Fields song (and I have to admit I am more partial to the cover than the original).
I'm not sure where else this song appeared in, but the only format I've got is from the T-Shirt Weather single (which is another favorite).
Also, I'm finally breaking my streak of girl-music. The next couple of entries will be on manly men music.
