NUMBER ONE HUNDRED & TWENTY FIVE.
November25
I just had my first listen through to Avey Tare (AKA David Portner from Animal Collective)’s new LP Down There. Tare’s first official solo full length carries you through a murky world of sound that is both honest and otherworldly. As his myspace puts it: Wait for sundown and turn it up loud. Take a ride on Tare’s haunted boat and let yourself be guided through deep sloshy rhythms, waterlogged bass, and moonlit breaks in the canopy that reveal a crisp crystalline pop buzz.
Overflowing with musical ideas and sound scapes, Down There is in many senses a furthering of the musical architecture laid down by Merryweather Post Pavillion - but here Tare has stretched his experimental dance music musings to new watery depths. Each song is pieced together by floating field recordings that sound as if they’ve been put through every type of phaser pedal known to mankind - further adding to the shimmering, submerged atmosphere of Tare’s sonic universe. And on that note don’t resist. Let your ears go for a dip.
The video above is the first single Lucky 1, hand drawn and animated by Abby Portner, Tare’s sister.
For Sony’s latest ad campaign the decision was made to turn the campaign’s attention away from colour to focus on sound. To demonstrate this, Seydisfjordur, a small village in Iceland, was filled with speakers and music from the likes of Death In Vegas, Bob Dylan and the Guillemots was played into it for a week…
The Middle East’s new video for ‘Blood’.
Most beautiful thing I’ve seen this week.
Justin Vernon (with the Bon Iver boys) and Lykke Li hanging out in a park? Holy crap.
NUMBER SIXTEEN.
May28
Nineteen instruments. Or pseudo instruments. Each on a separate video. All in B-flat.
This is an amazing concept.
NUMBER TWELVE.
May14
Ever have one of those days where the same thing keeps popping up on your radar? Prior to today I’d maybe heard of Passion Pit, however never got as far as giving their stuff my aural attention… but today their presence seemed to hit me over the head at every turn, screaming ‘listen to ussss!’ First off, I picked up a copy of the latest Vice and Passion Pit’s ep Chunk Of Change scores a 7 in the usually snide review sections. Not bad for a six track first effort. Then I receive Two-Thousand’s e-zine in my inbox, and what do you know, a review of a different Passion Pit album. Then the clincher, a friend in California updates his facebook status to passion pit: dope band. So, thinks I, probably enough coercion for one day to get on the kids’ myspace profile. Yes?
Turns out these five guys from Massachusetts have a new album coming out in a few days and, following a short google session, I discover that apparently there’s some sort of hype going on around them… who knew? In fact Pitchfork go so far as to say about the new full length release Manners, “Make a version of ‘Oracular Spectacular’ where the non-singles aren’t completely worthless: This is the mission Passion Pit has chosen to accept on their debut LP”.
The album is full of strong tracks, the kind that make you want to stay out at the Art Factory til the early hours. I’m digging Michael Angelakos’ whiny vocals, and the sweet synthy instrumentation. Here’s hoping this blog entry is the vehicle for pushing some other good music lovers over the edge into Passion Pit territory.
NUMBER ELEVEN.
May12
So, Brian Eno (who is, amongst other things, credited with inventing the ambient genre) is curating the inaugural Luminous festival at Sydney Opera House as part of Vivid Sydney 2009. And headlining his list of artists are New York alternative super-group Battles.
Frothing.
Tonto - Battles
NUMBER SEVEN.
April25
On a short trip to New Zealand last month, I was stoked to get along to a gig at Cassette, featuring the remarkable Lawrence Arabia, better known as James Milne of former Brunettes and Reduction Agents fame. Milne has been based in the UK for quite some time now, touring alongside artists such as Feist, Okkervil River, Camera Obscura and NZ’s Ruby Suns and Liam Finn, so it was a complete stroke of luck to be in Auckland on the final night of his New Zealand tour, off the back of the new album Chant Darling.
Whilst there is a lot of local talent in New Zealand, I’ve yet to heard another artist match the aural britzkrieg/lovely pop of Lawrence Arabia, and the tracks off his new album are well worth a listen. Support provided by the ultra cute twee folk trio, Teacups, complete with camel-faced headwear, was also a particular treat.
Photo credit: Einstein Music Journal
NUMBER SIX.
April24
Splendour In The Grass 2009 Line Up
Bloc Party, The Flaming Lips, Jane’s Addiction, MGMT, Hilltop Hoods, Grinspoon, Midnight Juggernauts, The Specials, Sarah Blasko, Augie March, Josh Pyke, Friendly Fires, Little Birdy, Birds Of Tokyo, The Gutter Twins, Manchester Orchestra, Yuksek, Bob Evans, White Lies, Kram, Yves Klein Blue, Decoder Ring, Lost Valentinos, Leader Cheetah, Jack Ladder, The Middle East, Polaroid Fame and Glass Towers
