Also skimming through the stuff on No York!, some of these songs are really great, do you know if there's anywhere I could get an instrumental version of the album?
There isn't one, unless someone's broken into Blu's apartment and stolen his laptop and I don't know about it.
This was what I meant by most of the instrumentals sounding like they were supposed to be standalone.
So, a brief unrelated aside: While not a bad album by any means, I must break critical rank and say that I think that Strange Mercy is Annie Clark's weakest work to date. I think most of the blame lies on the instrumentation not matching the ambition of the arrangements, particularly on tracks like "Surgeon". Oh, "Surgeon". It's a beautiful song with excellent lyrical and melodic motifs, but the somewhat weak synth timbres just don't substitute for the kind of swooning orchestral arrangement that the song requires—and which would have been readily provided on either of St.Vincent's previous albums, with change.
Now, the standouts on the album really are standouts. "Cheerleader" and "Strange Mercy" have genuine show-stopper choruses, and "Neutered Fruit" is just so wonderfully weird and discomfiting. But the album as a whole, while it may be growing on me, still does not thrill me in the same way that Marry Me or Actor does.
Now, this said, "Krokodil" is a banger and its B-side "Grot" isn't too shabby, either, so I've not yet lost hope.
Their first three albums are all highly recommendable, in case you're curious. It's a shame Danny Elfman's soundtrack work doesn't have the same level of creativity that his Oingo Boingo work does.
Noted. Dead Man's Party is the album I got (the store I went to only had that one and a Greatest Hits comp, and those are against my religion) and I'm quite enjoying it. From browsing wikipedia, it seems Dead Man's Party is a bit less experimental and more slickly produced than their first few albums.
I guess I'm a sucker for New Wave bands playing white funk. A hypothesis that's supported by my enjoyment of later Talking Heads, Let's Spin by the Swirling Eddies, and Ghosts in the Machine by the Police.
In unrelated news, one of the fellows from that other Plug room got me into Ghost Switch. http://ghostswitch.bandcamp.com/album/lumi Surprise surprise, it's ambient electronic music I actually like.
I like Beethoven better than Bach or Brahms, but most people do, I think.
Generally I prefer Early, Renaissance, Romantic, Modernist, Serialist and Minimalist "art music" to Baroque and Classical. It's not so much a dislike of that period of music as a preference for the more experimental feel of the music from those other periods which I feel was lost to a kind of formalism during that era.
There are some great pieces from that swath of time, though: Mozart's Requiem, some of Bach's organ pieces, the wild virtuosic harpsichord pieces of the French Rococo, various operas and most of the oeuvres of Schubert and Paganini all rank pretty highly for me. I also really appreciate the improvisational bent that many Baroque pieces exhibit, although I feel that this quality is often lost in modern performances.
"Gases in Hell" is way better than the title track honestly, but still, it's a pretty solid release for a group that has historically done nothing but disappoint after their debut.
So, I forgot how much I liked The Ex. And then I remembered: Quite a bit.
In case you're wondering, The Ex are like would have happened if Crass had gone the Minor Threat route after breaking up (see: Fugazi), but with more horns and European-ness.
A more obscure analogy would be to say that they are the angrier Dutch analogue to Dog Faced Hermans, but that generally requires explaining who Dog Faced Hermans are. Then again, the above analogy requires a working knowledge of hardcore and post-hardcore with a vague awareness of anarcho-punk, so it's not much better.
So, as I mentioned, I picked up Vex'd's Degenerate yesterday
A brief review: It's fucking brutal, skirting the territory inhabited by artists like Endif and Terrorfakt, full of ugly noise, alternating quaking subs and pressurized, spastic wobbling, all stapled together with skipping, slamming 2-step drum patterns.
I would tend to agree with you, actually. While Come On, Feel The Illinoise is a strong album with some truly mind-blowing songs and arrangements, Greetings From Michigan is simply a more cohesive and musically well-rounded LP. It also has "Vito's Ordination Song", which I think is a vastly underrated song in Sufjan's repertoire and an absolute masterpiece of dynamics, orchestration and general songwriting - you know, something like perfect. "Chicago" and his reworking of Castanets' "You Are The Blood" are similarly brilliant, but the former is far better known and the latter isn't even an album track, so...
Good album, by the way. I didn't honestly think I'd enjoy it but it was a pleasant surprise. You were right about it being a good one to start with, I found it much more accessible as a whole than what I'd previously heard from Tyler.
If you have not listened to this double LP already, then you really should. It straddles the line between experimental jazz-fusion and prog of the Canterbury school while retaining a very laid-back atmosphere. I think that you will particularly enjoy the second track, "Slightly All the Time", and maybe even find some interesting beat material in it.
So, I've been listen to Wire's Change Becomes Us in bits and pieces, and it actually seems fairly promising despite some of my initial misgivings. While their post-Object 47 tendency towards questionable production continues—really, guys, you can turn down the compression now and then—the actual reworking of these older songs (mostly from the live curiosity Document & Eyewitness) has so far proven itself pretty satisfactory. I have yet to hear what they've done with "ZEGK HOQP", "Eels Sang Lino" or my all-time favourite "Piano Tuner" yet, but it should be highly amusing.
I would tend to agree with you, actually. While Come On, Feel The Illinoise is a strong album with some truly mind-blowing songs and arrangements, Greetings From Michigan is simply a more cohesive and musically well-rounded LP. It also has "Vito's Ordination Song", which I think is a vastly underrated song in Sufjan's repertoire and an absolute masterpiece of dynamics, orchestration and general songwriting - you know, something like perfect.
Yeah. On a more subjective level, I think I just like the theme of Michigan better. It strikes me as a meditation on hope in the midst of difficult circumstances—while Illinois has a juxtaposition of individual tragedies and almighty state not giving a damn.
"Chicago" and his reworking of Castanets' "You Are The Blood" are similarly brilliant, but the former is far better known and the latter isn't even an album track, so...
I actually really like Dark Was The Night, Disc 1 (on which "You Are the Blood" appears) as an album.
Hey Section, we talked a bit about Thayer Sarrano last night (she was the one who sounded like Mazzy Star). Well, she has a bandcamp page: http://thayersarrano.bandcamp.com/ I think I prefer King, but both her albums are good.
Also, MAP, the band I mentioned having poor representation on youtube, has a free Best Of compilation on bandcamp: http://thebandmap.com/album/pistols-and-pearls I can't say I agree with all those song choices, but "Everything Is Bad For You" is probably the best thing they've recorded, and it shows off why Crystal Stilts made me think of them.
I just listened to "Everything Is Bad For You", and I can definitely see why you heard Crystal Stilts in them. It's a pretty cool track, and MAP is now officially on my "to listen" list. I can always do with more chill-but-with-a-pulse pop like they seem to be. Thanks again, Meta.
Comments
There isn't one, unless someone's broken into Blu's apartment and stolen his laptop and I don't know about it.
This was what I meant by most of the instrumentals sounding like they were supposed to be standalone.
the lion's share of both albums is like this.Noted. Dead Man's Party is the album I got (the store I went to only had that one and a Greatest Hits comp, and those are against my religion) and I'm quite enjoying it. From browsing wikipedia, it seems Dead Man's Party is a bit less experimental and more slickly produced than their first few albums.
Remember the six B's Bach, Brahms, Bach, Bach, Bach, and Bach.
submitted without comment.
heres a "heap" of "tunes"
http://impulsivehabitat.com/
its a netlabel, focused on avantgarde/field recordings. 60 odd releases i think. everything is free 2 download. not heard a bad thing from them.
knock yourself out
PHARRELL AND JULIAN CASABLANCAS ARE ON THE ALBUM AND IT'S GOING TO BE OUT IN A MONTH AND ERMAHGEEEEEEEEERD
Is Pharrell going to be on it in a co-prod or singing capacity?
Because I like the man's production work but he's possibly the most overrated performer in history.
Still, I do like his vocal work, even though there are better falsettos out there. He's kind of a guilty pleasure.
He's alright when he does that sort of Nelly-ish sing-rapping thing he sometimes does but when he tries to go full-on crooner I just can't stand it.
also he was on Wolf, he was featured on "IFHY".
Good album, by the way. I didn't honestly think I'd enjoy it but it was a pleasant surprise. You were right about it being a good one to start with, I found it much more accessible as a whole than what I'd previously heard from Tyler.
The only song I still can't quite mesh with is "Tamale" which has a good chorus but the rest is just strange. Even "Domo23" has grown on me somewhat.
also Mike G's struggle verse on "Parking Lot" made me sad. Casey Veggies only having a chorus made me sad too.
Yeah. On a more subjective level, I think I just like the theme of Michigan better. It strikes me as a meditation on hope in the midst of difficult circumstances—while Illinois has a juxtaposition of individual tragedies and almighty state not giving a damn.
I actually really like Dark Was The Night, Disc 1 (on which "You Are the Blood" appears) as an album.
one second
And Hitler's birthday!
And 420 BLAZE IT FAGGOT day!
(I can't find Best Coast's new track on Youtube)