30.7.09

Damnation

Remember the mid/late 90s, when people were into that swing phase? Bands like the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Royal Crown Revue, Cherry Poppin Daddies and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were all over the place. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy were in that movie, Swingers. One of the bands I actually liked was the Squirrel Nut Zippers. The reason I'm thinking of this is that the SNZ song, Hell, popped into my head today. So weird. I used to like this a lot and I haven't heard it in ages. My favorite part is where the singer spells out the word 'damnation' (D and the A and the M and the N, A and the T and the I-O-N). I even remember an episode of the X-Files where Fox Mulder walks into a morgue to check on an autopsy. The attendant down there is listening to this song, and (I think) Mulder actually mentions the band's name on the show. I even saw the Squirrel Nut Zippers live one time, but it was a complete shamble. It was the last night of their tour, and they were so visibly tired and out of it that the music sadly fell flat. Oh well, whaddya gonna do?

Listening to this song again, I can say that I still like it. The rest of the album sounds good as well. Kind of a nice trip back, I'm glad the song somehow found its way into my brain on my dreary bus ride home.

Squirrel Nut Zippers > Hell

New Paths...



I just came across this video while searching out Mogwai clips. The editing is perfect, but the subject matter is incredibly heartbreaking. According to the Youtube blurb, the video portion is "
footage from a documentary about one of the largest modern crime inflicted against humanity, namely Hiroshima". New Paths To Helicon Pt 1 is one of my favorite Mogwai tracks, it's very emotional and compelling to my ears. That plus the tragic imagery of Hiroshima really did in my head. Brilliant video, I almost wish I had not seen it.

23.7.09

If you can just get your mind together

I just saw this cartoon and it made me laugh a lot for some retarded reason (gimme a break, it's late at night). Then, it reminded me of the Belly cover version, and I found this video which I'd never seen before. Really cool, except...WTF is the bass player wearing? She looks like some sorta Flashdance reject or something. Hilarious.

Belly > Are You Experienced?

21.7.09

If Cupid's got a gun, then he's shooting

I like this song quite a bit. The lyrics sound really tortured, I wonder if Lykke Li wrote them. She sure sings it like she means it. I'm going to have to investigate Kleerup, I know nothing of him except that he appears to be a big shot producer from Sweden. I like the haunting feeling the music evokes, the strings do the trick. Combine that with Lykki Li sounding like she's on a three-day vodka bender and voila, you have perfection. I like it!

Kleerup (featuring Lykke Li) > Until We Bleed

20.7.09

Nothing's left here but you

When I first read about Asobi Seksu's Acoustic at Olympic Studios album, my first reaction was "uhh, what?". Here you have a band that has made its name on noisy shoegazey ethereal pop music. And now they're turning off the fuzz? Really? I was skeptical but I had to hear it and, surprise, surprise; it works! I think the biggest thing for me is how sweet and strong Yuki's voice sounds when it's not buried underneath layers of guitars. My favorite track is Thursday, which comes off like a bedtime lullaby. It sounds so tender and loving, it makes me want to curl up and drift off to sleep as Yuki's voice echoes softly in my ears. Also on the album is a lovely cover of Leonard Cohen's Suzanne.

Asobi Seksu > Thursday (Acoustic)

14.7.09

You and I, meant for each other

After finding that cool remix in the previous post, I decided to delve a bit more into the world of Sweet Trip. They have a new album coming in September, so I'm hoping they play some local shows. There are some really cool mp3s on their site, my favorite of which is called Noise is a Social Skill. I love the glitchy electronic pop sound augmented by the boy/girl vocals. I also love the distortion and note-bending at the end. This song, to me, is a little genre journey, happily winding its way through indie, shoegaze and electronica. It all goes hand in hand and the result is a breath of fresh air.

Check out downloadables here, listen to more here, and look for their discs over at Darla.

Sweet Trip > Noise is a Social Skill

10.7.09

Never/More

I just ran into the coolest fucking song. It's a remix of Takako Minekawa's Never/More. The remixer is done by some peeps called Sweet Trip who, evidently, are from San Francisco. How cool is that? From what I can tell, the track is on the Japanese version of the Recubed EP, and I have only the American release of that disc. I like the static-y sheen they add to the song, it's like drifting through white-noise clouds on a grey and overcast day. Very lovely. The original version is on her quirky and very cool Roomic Cube album. I might have to see if I can find the Japanese issue of Recubed.

Takako Minekawa > Never/More (Sweet Trip Remix)

9.7.09

Triangle

I just ordered Triangle, the new Perfume album, which is the follow up to last year's fabulous Game. About half of Triangle are singles I already have, but it's not that big a deal to me. I really like this new remix of Edge. It sounds tougher and meaner. You can pick it up over at Yesasia.com, if you're interested.

Perfume > Edge (¡é-mix)

4.7.09

Everything seems like a dream

I love the abstract imagery in this song. The nonsensical stream of consciousness conjures up sadness and yearning for me, and the guitar work is excellent. It's the feeling of being the only one driving on a two-lane road, just a couple hours before sunrise.

Also, the whispering voices is a nice effect. It's kinda like the hush of 3am, when people are still up, whispering promises to each other.

Happy 4th, peeps.

Cracker > Kerosene Hat