Thursday, January 18, 2007
chris 30-26
30 "in the morning."
junior boys.
so this is goodbye.
[domino].
"too young."
the perfect synthesis of glitch and pop sweetness. it's like if the postal service wrote songs you could make love to, rather than writing songs in response to not getting any. the kickdrum swoops backwards into your brain and the slits and swipes of the production make the vocal breathing percussion tingle in your ears and speak depths of sexual tension and frustration to the simple yet neverendingly problematic question of: "why does age matter?"
29 "way out."
ellen allien & apparat.
orchestra of bubbles.
[bpitch control].
"way out is hard."
i can't help but think of this song as a response to the dumb-dude-just-doesn't-get-it jerktronica of the aforementioned junior boys song. rather than getting uptight, ellen does exactly what the title says: finds a way out. it may be just as dark and tense as the narrator's faux reality in "in the morning," but it's also smooth, revelatory, and slightly/continually blooming. this is as techno as orchestral/epic electronica gets, with beeps and non-stop kick-claps, but the processed bass-heavy strings and the mildly distorted guitar hint at a life without another like oneself (that is, a life worth living).
28 "party."
el perro del mar.
el perro del mar.
[control group].
"i just want to be a part of you."
like benoit pioulard recently demonstrated, and now el perro del mar, singer-songwriters would really be taken more seriously and would be a lot less boring if they learned how to multi-track their boring guitars and boring vocals. luckily el perro del mar has one up on benoit because her voice is NOT BORING AT ALL. the waver, the quiver, the sexy hesitance crawl up my spine like a weeping spider. and then the chorus of specifically placed boop-boops and la-las back her up like an army of "fuck yous, we're going to party by myself"s. the right-left division of the electric and acoustic guitars make this the perfect anthem for when you're trying to be yourself, but you can't help but be yourself. division of the self is the new unity of the self.
27 "peloria."
decembers architects.
,apiary ennui and curiosas. the brew shakes.
[say & stay said].
"good riddance to genius."
originally recorded in 2001 (finally released in a VERY small dose in 06) and it shows. i heard this band do a live session on radio k's local music show when i first moved into the dorms and i remember unpacking my ridiculous vhs collection and hearing this band and thinking "oh man do all minneapolis bands love mineral and the dismemberment plan?" unfortunately, they didn't, but i never forgot this band and when i received this cd just weeks before retiring my post as music director at radio k, this song floored me and brought every moment i've loved about music throughout my entire college career rushing through my head and my heart, and i died from being just THAT emo.
26 "tuscan."
ecstatic sunshine.
freckle wars.
[carpark].
moment @ 0:33
ah, youth. poorly recorded and poorly played rudimentary guitar hooks plague this song and yet it literally implants copious amounts of ecstatic sunshine into my ears. with only two electric guitars stuck on an exact clean/distortion combo, this song goes through more phases than the moon, never getting complicated, but never concentrating on one delightful phrase for more than is necessary. it's so freaking simple and doesn't really tug at anything or stick with you yet it's the most refreshing instrumental song i've heard this year.
i'll bring #s 25-21 to you right quick! keep checking in and thanks for humoring me. ¶ posted by chris at 5:32 PM
30 "in the morning." junior boys.
so this is goodbye.
[domino].
"too young."
the perfect synthesis of glitch and pop sweetness. it's like if the postal service wrote songs you could make love to, rather than writing songs in response to not getting any. the kickdrum swoops backwards into your brain and the slits and swipes of the production make the vocal breathing percussion tingle in your ears and speak depths of sexual tension and frustration to the simple yet neverendingly problematic question of: "why does age matter?"
29 "way out."
ellen allien & apparat.
orchestra of bubbles.
[bpitch control].
"way out is hard."
i can't help but think of this song as a response to the dumb-dude-just-doesn't-get-it jerktronica of the aforementioned junior boys song. rather than getting uptight, ellen does exactly what the title says: finds a way out. it may be just as dark and tense as the narrator's faux reality in "in the morning," but it's also smooth, revelatory, and slightly/continually blooming. this is as techno as orchestral/epic electronica gets, with beeps and non-stop kick-claps, but the processed bass-heavy strings and the mildly distorted guitar hint at a life without another like oneself (that is, a life worth living).
28 "party."
el perro del mar.
el perro del mar.
[control group].
"i just want to be a part of you."
like benoit pioulard recently demonstrated, and now el perro del mar, singer-songwriters would really be taken more seriously and would be a lot less boring if they learned how to multi-track their boring guitars and boring vocals. luckily el perro del mar has one up on benoit because her voice is NOT BORING AT ALL. the waver, the quiver, the sexy hesitance crawl up my spine like a weeping spider. and then the chorus of specifically placed boop-boops and la-las back her up like an army of "fuck yous, we're going to party by myself"s. the right-left division of the electric and acoustic guitars make this the perfect anthem for when you're trying to be yourself, but you can't help but be yourself. division of the self is the new unity of the self.
27 "peloria."
decembers architects.
,apiary ennui and curiosas. the brew shakes.
[say & stay said].
"good riddance to genius."
originally recorded in 2001 (finally released in a VERY small dose in 06) and it shows. i heard this band do a live session on radio k's local music show when i first moved into the dorms and i remember unpacking my ridiculous vhs collection and hearing this band and thinking "oh man do all minneapolis bands love mineral and the dismemberment plan?" unfortunately, they didn't, but i never forgot this band and when i received this cd just weeks before retiring my post as music director at radio k, this song floored me and brought every moment i've loved about music throughout my entire college career rushing through my head and my heart, and i died from being just THAT emo.
26 "tuscan." ecstatic sunshine.
freckle wars.
[carpark].
moment @ 0:33
ah, youth. poorly recorded and poorly played rudimentary guitar hooks plague this song and yet it literally implants copious amounts of ecstatic sunshine into my ears. with only two electric guitars stuck on an exact clean/distortion combo, this song goes through more phases than the moon, never getting complicated, but never concentrating on one delightful phrase for more than is necessary. it's so freaking simple and doesn't really tug at anything or stick with you yet it's the most refreshing instrumental song i've heard this year.
i'll bring #s 25-21 to you right quick! keep checking in and thanks for humoring me. ¶ posted by chris at 5:32 PM
