If you’re like me, it doesn’t take much to awaken the slumbering New Order beast within you. At the slightest provocation, he will rise, and your insatiable appetite for New Order won’t abate until you’ve listened to each album several dozen times. During the final stages of this cycle, you’ll find yourself weaning off NO with a little Electronic, Monaco or Revenge, marveling at their unheralded genius. (With the possible exception of Electronic, this is a misconception you will recognize once you sober up from your New Order binge.)
Listen, friends. There is greatness yet to be gleaned from the New Order dynasty!
Your typical New Order fan is aware and appropriately dismissive of the first collaboration between Gillian Gilbert and Steven Morris as The Other Two, The Other Two & You. It’s a pleasant but forgettable album. This is unfortunate, because no one seems to be willing to give the follow up a chance, the oft-brilliant Superhighways.
Released in the fall of ’99, Superhighways finds L’Autre Deux more assured; with a stronger set of songs and a more singular sound. A handful of tracks are sung by Melanie Williams. (Don’t bother looking her up. She hasn’t done much.) The rest are sung by Gilbert. The pair couldn’t be more mismatched, but it somehow works. Williams is a belting, soulful diva, whereas Gilbert is a sort of modern-day Astrud Gilberto, with an endearingly tender, unprofessional voice. The album remains cohesive thanks to a consistent production and sensibility. Both singers strengths are utilized. Everyone’s a winner.
Superhighways is an extremely melodic, mellow-yet-upbeat, housey pop album. After nearly a decade, it’s aged much better than most New Order side-projects. I would listen to it even if it wasn’t connected to one of the greatest bands of all time.
These days, it’s a bit of a collector’s item. Nonetheless, keep it on your radar, because the beast can wake at any moment, and he’s best kept happy.Bonus Fun Fact: Gilbert and Morris most recently collaborated on the score for the mediocre tv movie “Cracker: Nine Eleven.” Incidentally, earlier Cracker series are fantastic.
Howdy Folks! Deerhunter-Microcastle…… RIGHTEOUS!
Pick it up. Listen to it. Listen to it again. And maybe even once more for good measure. I’ve done just that. So much so that my roommates are sick of it, but they just don’t know good music…..
I’ve been waiting patiently for weeks for the wax to arrive at the store, only to sell the last copy before I realised what i had just sold to some now ecstatic customer. Best wishes my good fellow. Some of the songs take my away into what i can only describe as an opium dream. Floating to shimmering guitars, distant echoes beckoning me to follow. So I do. Where I end up is so beautiful and indescribable to the uninitiated. So if y’all are wondering where this place is and what it feels like, well peoples, come on down and purchase the album and as i said earlier, Listen, Listen &Listen!
So this is the only band I’m very proud to say I stumped both Mike and Herb on, which obviously has to be some cosmic fluke in the record store spectrum. They were a killer Northwest 3-piece that used to open for Pavement back in the day, and that seem to be most famous among musicians for the fact that they weren’t famous at all. They crushed though, and I’ve been digging into their catalogue pretty hard. Their drummer unfortuantely died in a car accident in 2005 so they called it quits, but there’s been a push to complete a documentary that had been beign made about them. Which incidentally is how I first heard about them, so maybe it’s working. Either way, I’ve been super digging on their 2002 release Italian Platinum, and here’s one of my favorite cuts, the opener, “Don’t Survive.” One of my favorite lines: “And I love you means I hope you don’t survive the night.” Let’s hope I got this Youtube thing down.
So Aether Everywhere is curating a Kranky Label Showcase this weekend, Saturday the 29th at The Bakery (North end, near the corner of Archibald and N. Winooski) and i highly recommend anyone who’s a fan of the Kranky Records sound (you know… hazy, ambient, slightly menacing, a tad sad, always inspired and engaging… that sound) to attend. It’s going to be good.
Here are some sound bites to wet your appetite:
Boduf Songs – “There’s a thread of unease running through these eight minimalist reveries, a hint of supernatural dread, and yet also serenity and loveliness. They are so quiet that you really have to listen—no car CD, this one—but once you do, you are drawn in to a mysterious other space. ” – Jennifer Kelly (Dusted)
To Kill a Petty Bourgeouisie – “The Patron’s best moments. “The Man With the Shovel is the Man I’m Going to Marry” slowly evolves from a soothing synth pattern into swirl of chattering drum machines and effect-heavy layered loop-cannons of Wilhelm’s tiny voice. On “Long Arms”, buzzing samples and distortions give way to a swelling march that recalls the spacey-headed crescendo rock bands.” – Pitchfork
Ben Vida & Greg Davis – Now a Burlington resident Greg Davis will be playing with long time friend & collaborator Ben Vida (Birdshow, Town and Country)
“Vida has concocted a rich, febrile soundscape populated with buzzing, droning, scything strings, wheezy harmoniums, distant voices and the chatter of insects.” – BBC Music
“Davis is a Carpark vet and a former Keith Fullerton Whitman collaborator, a computer musician with a varied background in classical guitar, jazz, hip-hop, and improv.” -Pitchfork
My initial reaction to the opening track of 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West’s new album, was something along the lines of, “Oh great. Another pseudo-pop song on a hip-hop album with glaring pitch-correction on the vocals. Vocoders sound more natural than this. Why is Kanye opening his album with an annoying, tired cliche?” To my utter amazement and bafflement, the technique was not just employed on the opening track but the entire album.
Kanye West has just released an entire album where he doesn’t rap! He “sings” with the help of a lot of auto-tuning. What’s more, this rather silly approach was inspired by the man’s suffering and turmoil.
I immediately warmed to the album. Not only is it stylistically interesting, the context is fascinating for a number of obvious reasons. An established hip-hop super-star has made an album that really isn’t hip-hop. He’s using this uncharted territory to express his devastation. He’s the biggest megalomaniac in popular music.
I love this kind of stuff. There’s nothing more compelling or an engaging than an artist who totally side-steps expectation to pursue something different. Of course, what really matters is whether or not the album’s any good. The jury’s still out on that one, but I’m going to be spending some time with it.
All right, so I’m not sure if I’ve got this new site polished down yet, but I’m giving it a shot. Avatars and youtubes are beating down my soul but luckily everything Matador records seems to put out lately helps it reascend. Here’s my Top 5 in rotation today:
Pavement: Brighten the Corners-Nicene Creedence Edition – I used to have favorite Pavement albums and then one day they all just melted into one universal pile of affection. Obviously I’m not the only one as this is the 4th reissue for the band and features no less than 24 bonus tracks. Unreleased classics include “Harness Your Hopes,” “Cataracts,” and a killer version of Echo and the Bunnymen‘s “Killing Moon.”
Brightback Morning Light: Motion to Rejoice – Eerie, rhodes driven rock forged in electric slow motion and ideal for any modern opium den.
Jay Reatard: Matador Singles ’08 – Get past the name, quick. Because an acoustic guitar has never sounded more ideal for punk-rock. “Seesaw” is all you need to get hooked.
Belle and Sebastian: BBC Sessions – The best from 1996-2001 on weighs heavily on tracks from If You’re Feeling Sinister. The production quality is phenomenal and the band is even better. Sound from the hayday of mellow perfection.
Lou Reed: Berlin-Live at St.Anne’s Warehouse – This 2006 live performance of his 1973 album, while essentially for fans only, can serve as a comforting step for the novice Velvet Underground fan to reach into the more obscure world of the Lou Reed catalogue. I ‘get it’ more each time I listen. I think.
Welcome to the newly painted fiery pit of Pure Pop! I have some personal recommendations to share… Currently I’ve been on a Tom Waits and Clash kick, but as for new music, The Fleet Foxes are blowing my mind. Check out one of their videos (I am just posting a link for now because I can’t figure out computer language):
Another new release to look out for is The Lines “Flood Bank”. This is a combination of the two LP’s from a late 70′s post-punk band out of London. It is filled with eerie, deep and distant layers of beautiful noise, I can’t get enough of it! Come check it out on the listening station this month!
As far as local music goes, last night I went to the Radiator benefit and unfortunately missed the Fatal Flaws, but I was able to catch the Cave Bees, In Memory of Pluto, and Nose Bleed Island. I must say, all stellar performances! The Cave Bees were rawkin, lots of dancing, lots of fun. In Memory of Pluto is one of my favorite local bands to see (we have their brand new CD “Cutting Open The Fiction” in stock here!). Last night their performance was tight, energetic, and exciting with a couple of thrilling, dark, and dank new tunes! Nose Bleed Island was a grand sight to see as usual. If you are into performance art, this is the local performance for you to see! So come on down and pick up their albums here at Pure Pop!
This is my favorite release of the past month or so. It’s an excellent collection of everything put out by Titan!, an obscure Kansas City label that was only around from 1978 to 1981.
Imagine if Big Star were the biggest band of their time. By 1978, a lot of bands would have sounded like the ones featured on this compilation. It’s all straight-forward, yearning-yet-upbeat rock n’ roll. Clumsy lyrics and the occasional clunker don’t keep this from being an essential purchase.
