Monday, November 19, 2007

october album notes and recommendations

beirut "the flying club cup": as always, beirut makes me feel like I should be wandering down a european brick road, overhearing street musicians and music from cafes.

* bon iver "for emma, forever ago": you've got to let this sink in a bit, it doesn't take on the first spin. but really, it's worth it to play it a few times. he may be using cliche chord progressions, but geeze, he does it well. best listened to when inexplicably depressed or missing someone.

chromatics "night drive": slow 80s dance music. the title of the album is actually amazingly appropriate.

* phosphorescent, "pride": if the music on this album assumed a tangible form, it would either be wind or a rocking chair. I just mean, the album exudes a kind of nuanced, calm, peaceful movement like wind. kind of reminds me of iron and wine.

**radiohead "in rainbows": ah, yes. and just in case you've forgotten, this is what professionals sound like. LOVE IT.

saturday looks good to me "fill up the room": review to come; I haven't gotten my hands on it yet.

scott walker "and who shall go to the ball? and what shall go to the ball?": so the question is, where do compositions that are a cross between contemporary-classical and indie-avante guarde-experimental fit in? I stuck down O'rourke's 52 minute work several months ago...and this 4 movement work seems to fit in the same non-category category...but, I actually enjoyed this one. is it because rather than one exasperatingly long piece, it's broken down into 4 movements? maybe.

sir richard bishop "polytheistic fragments": meditative. I wouldn't really be recommending this album, except for the spanish guitar/latin music influences, which are great. the pentatonic uses, I could do without (mainly because I admittedly just don't really understand them).

stereo total, "paris-berlin": this music is great fun, if a bit formulaic. no idea what they're saying, but who cares? images that come to mind: super mario brothers, french people in tokyo, and hello kitty. I think you need only listen to a few songs at a time, otherwise it's sort of like sensory overload (you know: seizure inducing)

sunset rubdown "random spirit lover": more of the same from Krug, but good nonetheless.

* the deadly syndrome "the ortolan": ballad type songs, good balance of instruments. nostalgic. this is a really really great first album - I can't wait to hear their next. and yes, ok, they do sound a bit like arcade fire at times, but they are good in their own right.

the mabuses "mabused": pop/rock/blues/70s music/lots of other stuff. layers of instrument lines, but without getting messy. and after a 13 year silence. really, an enjoyable album.

most disappointing this month:
band of horses "cease to begin"

1 comment:

Grimsrud said...

I was going to write you about that beirut album. the 4th track is super. happy thanksgiving.