The good folks over at 2threads.com and Altec Lansing have asked a bunch of music bloggers to share our ultimate summer playlists with you, the people of the internet! Though the weather here in Sydney hasn’t exactly been that of a perfect summer just yet, there is hope yet and I chucked together a list of 10 songs that make me want to go driving in my car, windows down, ice cream in hand and best friend in the passenger seat.
With the exception of ‘Lust For Life’ which was released in 2009, these songs were also all released this year so I think it’s a good way to round out what has undoubtedly been a fantastic 12 months of music. Here is the track listing, and if you click below you can download my mix for yourself – it’s a zip file, around 55mb and all tracks are in mp3 format. Remember that a good mix should always be listened to in the order that the mixer intended, so keep your paws off the shuffle button!
The National has never been a flashy band, and if it were even possible, as time goes by they’re getting more modest. It’s a pretty unusual route for a band to take – most musicians start out small and develop their sounds to be bigger, and yet this Brooklyn band has done the exact opposite with excellent results. The band has been around for over a decade now but only started to gain momentum within the last few years with the huge critical acclaim of 2007’s Boxer, and their fifth and latest record will certainly earn them plenty more accolades with its raw and beautiful heart.
There is an overarching theme of hurt and redemption in the album’s lyrics, starting with the repeated refrain “it takes an ocean not to break” in the lo-fi guitar-drenched buzz of ‘Terrible Love’ and heading into the loneliness and fear described in ‘Sorrow’ (“I don’t want to get over you,” croons Matt Berninger), ‘Anyone’s Ghost’ and ‘Afraid of Everyone’, which features the vocals of Sufjan Stevens. Cliché as it may be to express these kinds of feelings lyrically, they feel perfectly truthful in this context – the relative simplicity of the backing music probably has a lot to do with that, as rather than being exorbitant in accompaniment The National opts instead for basic drums and two-layer harmonies that are precise rather than flowery.
There is little pretension here, and the more moody songs are counteracted nicely with numbers like ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’, which returns to the ‘Squalor Victoria’-like school of deep vocals contrasted with a constant instrumental roll and some handsome piano flourishes, and ‘England’, in which modest horns and Scott Devendorf’s thoughtful drumming accentuate a tale of a loved one far away. One of the album’s most intensely intimate moments, though, is ‘Conversation 16’, which features an ethereal seven-part choral backing by Richard Reed Parry of Arcade Fire that sounds a little like it could have been in Edward Scissorhands. Though it’s hard to pick a highlight in an album full of highlights, this would probably be mine – it’s an honest reflection on growing older and keeps coming back to the refrain “I was afraid I’d eat your brains…cause I’m evil”. Berninger became a father prior to the release of this album, and perhaps such reflection is only fitting after such large transitions are encountered in life.
It seems that with every album, The National is getting more and more focused. Berninger has perfected his vocals to a point where it begins to feel like the voice is more of a sonorous instrument than a human facet, and instead of the fairly broad mix of song types found on pre-Boxer albums, High Violet is made up of a rather specific sound that is coherent from song to song. The tunes are tied together more cohesively, which is one of the commonalities between High Violet and Boxer, but the fact that the songs on this record are also somewhat thematically linked means that it also signifies a step up for the band.
If you plan to listen to this album, make sure you are prepared. By the time the album rounds off with the breathy closer ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’, featuring Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, I was completely and utterly drained. This is not an easy listening experience, and yet for anyone who has ever experienced any kind of hurt it is an intensely personal and cathartic one that serves to beautifully illustrate the point that no matter what life throws you, no matter how dark the world may seem, there is always liberation and hope to be found in the form of a song, or eleven.
Since the band’s inception in 1993, Quasi has always centred primarily on the musical partnership of Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss. American Gong, their eighth studio album, is the first in which they’re joined by a third member – bassist Joanna Bolme, known as one of Stephen Malkmus’ Jicks (alongside Weiss), joins the fold here and from first track ‘Repulsion’ it’s evident that this is not the Quasi of old. The production is a lot slicker than past records, and Weiss’ vocals don’t feature as prominently, but what really shines from this album is the band’s sheer diversity. The aforementioned first track brings some gritty rock and roll to the table, ‘The Jig Is Up’ is a mostly acoustic number that showcases the softer side of Coomes’ vocal abilities, penultimate track ‘Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler’ relies almost solely on the singular titular phrase to push it through five atmospheric minutes and ‘Death Is Not The End’ takes things to a darker place, with its minor key and jangly keyboards painting a rather desolate picture.
Quasi is quite a difficult band to categorise due to their infinite stretch of musical ideas; American Gong is more accessible than some of their older work but does compromise some of their past characteristics, most notably their past DIY feel and the awesome use of the Rocksichord, which hardly makes an appearance here. Regardless of any hangups, though, this is a wholly coherent release that serves as a good starting point for anyone keen to dig their claws into the complex but wonderful world of Quasi.
I’ll admit that prior to meeting my current boyfriend, I was pretty indifferent to Blur – to me they were that band that had that one “woo hoo” song that was on that one car ad when I was growing up, and sure, it was a decent song, but I never gave them much of an afterthought.
But once I met Peter that had to change – this is, after all, the guy who went halfway around the world last year and saw 5 of the band’s reunion shows. Craziness. And so I picked up all of their albums, had a listen, chose my favourites, and while they’re still not my favourite band I certainly have a wider appreciation for them than I once did.
It’s been 7 years since the band released any new material (the last being that year’s excellent Think Tank), and excitingly they are back now with a new single ‘Fool’s Day’, recorded and released for Record Store Day and pressed onto 1000 limited 7 inches. Have a listen above and if it takes your fancy, download it from their website on either mp3 or uncompressed WAV.
Melbourne trio Otouto, comprising Kid Sam’s Kishore Ryan and sisters Hazel and Martha Brown, makes music that is equal parts abstract and beautiful, as they prove on their debut album. The band, which has been slapped with the ‘art-pop’ tag, ignores convention in songwriting and syllabic structure, with the sisters’ ethereal vocals counteracted by the often harsh synthesiser sounds, dissonant guitar, unusual melodic and harmonic lines, and creative use of kitchen utensils for extra kookiness.
First track 'Astronauts' can almost be broken into sections, with soaring vocals over rolling drums and guitars eventually lulling into a climactic slowness. 'Cartoon Shoes' has a more conventional guitar basis and tune, while the strange ode 'W. Hillier', about an imagined drowned man, has a unique speak-sing element to it over a faint buzz, and 'MB Hugcase' offers a 50-second mesh of wordless open electronica.
No two songs on this record sound alike – while they all borrow from similar schools of musical thought, each song has its own distinctive personality, thanks largely to the often absurd lyrics (on ‘Sushi’, the band muses “I mistook a man eating sushi for a man putting on a fake moustache”). What is really admirable about this album is that it lives up to its ‘art’ label by deliberately pushing the envelope and trying for sounds that are different, but still manages to be entirely listenable and never once shows any hints of ostentation. This is a stellar first release from an exciting young band, one which mixes elements of all that is great about experimental, electronic and pop music to culminate in a new and adventurous listening experience.
TRACK LISTING:
01. Astronauts
02. Cartoon Shoes
03. Low Dan
04. Twelve Ten
05. MB Hugcase
06. Autumn
07. W. Hillier
08. Tennis Players
09. Sushi
10. Plum
On the first day of 2007 I started chatting to a fellow named Taylor Everett thanks to the wonders of Last.FM – he was, back then, a fresh-faced 16-year-old with a startlingly mature taste in music but who did also enjoy the odd pop punk band (if you don’t you’re not a human. Seriously).
Fast forward three years and Taylor, who hails from College Station, Texas, is busy making music of his own – though to be fair, that’s been an ongoing venture since before we started talking. He has released a bunch of albums independently and continues to make them, first going by Hand Me That Piano and, more recently, Eaux Neaux.
Taylor has asked if I would feature his latest album for free download on Shakespeare’s Sister. Misery Swimmingpool was self-released by Taylor last month and sees him do a complete 180 from the work he was doing as Hand Me That Piano. While before he was focused on being a acoustic singer-songwriter, this first release as Eaux Neaux finds Taylor Everett’s interests turned sharply towards the fusion of electronic and pop.
MISERY SWIMMINGPOOL
01. Thinking of You
02. Disappointed
03. Always the Same
04. Questions
05. I Cheated on You
06. Stupid Plaid
07. New York City
08. Taken Away
09. Apartment
10. Untitled 25
11. Information
12. It's a Trap DOWNLOAD (78.5MB, includes digital booklet)
For more information and further downloads, keep yourself updated at eauxneaux.tumblr.com.
After years of operating under the moniker Final Fantasy, Canadian jack-of-all-trades Owen Pallett has bowed to the possibility of trademark infringement and begun to use his own name as a recording artist. Perhaps this change is one of the elements that makes Heartland such a refreshing and welcome change – compared to his Final Fantasy albums, this feels so much more organic and brave.
Pallett has released a slew of EPs in recent years but his last full length as Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds, was released in 2006. Heartland has been a pretty constant work in progress since then so, four years in the making, what results is nothing short of spectacular. Pallett’s voice seems to have developed a softer edge and the music now fits comfortably into the ‘baroque’ genre, thanks to the involvement of the Czech National Orchestra, who provide backing on a number of songs. Take ‘Lewis Takes Action’, for example – over Pallett’s smooth voice, the orchestra layers strings, clarinets, bassoons; and on ‘Red Sun No. 5′ a brass chorus blares defiantly through the speakers. Never before has Pallett achieved such tremendous depth of sound; the use of instruments other than his usual violin and keyboard is a very welcome new addition.
That’s not to say that there’s no trace of Final Fantasy on this album, though. Pallett’s typical sarcastic sense of humour is still there, as evidenced in the lyrics of ‘Oh Heartland, Up Yours!’, and he’s still an ambitious storyteller – the album tells the story of a farmer named Lewis who lives in a world called Spectrum, where Pallett is God. But, also in typical Owen Pallett style, the lyrics are so vague that if you hadn’t been told about the storyline, or if you hadn’t sat down and analysed the lyrics as a whole for a lengthy period of time, it might escape your mind altogether. Listening to the music itself is enough of a treat though – Pallett has said that Heartland is an orchestral work first and foremost, and that should be enough of a drawcard for curious fans.
But it’s ‘The Great Elsewhere’ that really confirms Heartland as Pallett’s tour de force – starting with a forceful string dual punch, it slides into an electronic ostinato as Pallett’s voice soars over it. He’s one of those artists who manages to successfully marry his live and recorded work – his performances consist of him, a violin, a synthesiser and a loop pedal – and this song is one that can be replicated almost exactly live. Before Heartland, Pallett had not ventured much into electronic territory, but we can only hope that it will become a regular feature in his music especially when odd coupled with orchestral arrangements to create a perfect mix of baroque and modern elements.
For Final Fantasy fans, the name change won’t be a deterrent – all it means is that Pallett is coming completely into his own without anything to hide behind. And for those new to the game, Heartland is a fitting introduction to one of modern music’s most virtuosic characters.
TRACK LISTING:
01. Midnight Directives
02. Keep The Dog Quiet
03. Mount Alpentine
04. Red Sun No. 5
05. Lewis Takes Action
06. The Great Elsewhere
07. Oh Heartland, Up Yours!
08. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
09. Flare Gun
10. E is for Estranged
11. Tryst with Mephistophele
12. What Do You Think Will Happen Now?
Vampire Weekend exploded into the music world’s general consciousness at the beginning of 2008 with an eponymous debut album that was bouncy, harmless indie rock with grammatical bones to pick (for the record, I don’t give a fuck about an Oxford comma, either). The one thing that really stood out about that album and the band’s general ethos – their dabbling forays into experimenting with non-Western musical tradition – is further explored on their second album Contra. Word is that the name of this album came from antithesising The Clash’s seminal triple album Sandinista!, both named for opposing Nicaraguan rebel groups. And really, this growing sense of world awareness is nothing but a good thing.
There is a stronger focus here on bongos, layered group vocals – like ‘Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa’ on the first album, the band seems to harbour a real fascination with the foreign in terms of both lyrical content and musical influence, as frontman Ezra Koenig has constantly explained in interviews. There’s an M.I.A sample in ‘Diplomat’s Son’ and an obvious nod to Hispanic culture with opener ‘Horchata’, which starts off with just a voice and builds up to include xylophones and hints of electro, strings and woodwind. There’s also some more classical sounds, like the reverb-drenched string and keys interlude puncturing the otherwise pedestrian ‘Taxi Cab’, and Koenig’s voice is developing more of an accented twang as he progresses as a vocalist, well illustrated in first frenzied single ‘Cousins’ as he races through a fast-paced piece with a frenetic guitar and bass line punching through beyond his voice. And then there are the songs that just pop out simple goods – ‘Holiday’ is a two-minute burst of infectious guitars and a straightforward melody that does nothing if it doesn’t make you want to dance, and ‘I Think UR A Contra’ focuses on Koenig’s vocal ability as he dreamily floats the album to a close over similarly spacey guitars and, to shut off, a final maraca hurrah.
That comparison that was constantly made at the start of this band’s career – to Paul Simon’s 1986 African-drizzled record Graceland – seems so much more fitting now. Contra is a tribute in so many ways to the world that inspires us, and yet at the same time it is distinctly American with its brave blend of contrasting elements. It’s refreshing to hear a young band dabble with so much political and cultural attitude and opinion. The great thing about Contra is that it manages to convey these important matters in a way that is still ultimately listenable, not forceful or pretentious and, most importantly, a lot of fun. And if this is the progression from the first album, it’s a high possibility that album number three will be even more inspired.
TRACK LISTING:
01. Horchata
02. White Sky
03. Holiday
04. California English
05. Taxi Cab
06. Run
07. Cousins
08. Giving Up the Gun
09. Diplomat’s Son
10. I Think UR A Contra
Swedish indie popsters Shout Out Louds are just about to release their third album Work and, a month before the record drops, have thrown a new single out into the world. The band who gave you the crunch of ‘The Comeback’ and the constant roll of ‘Please Please Please’ continue along their usual path with ‘Fall Hard’, a straight pop piece with thumping drums and crystal clear guitars which flick between bubbly and ethereal. As always, the Shout Out Louds bring their appeal with the beautiful intertwined vocals of Adam Olenius and Bebban Stenborg, always charming with their boy-girl vocal interaction. The track also features horn accompaniments and is a diversion from their usually more upbeat style, choosing instead to showcase a serious side of the Shout Out Louds that sounds almost sympathetic, but never hasty.
Mike Kinsella’s fifth album under the solo moniker Owen sees him in a time of change. He’s worked on this record for the last two years, in which time he’s also become a husband and welcomed his first child. It’s easy, then, to understand why the album is called New Leaves – after all, isn’t the old saying “to turn over a new leaf” indicative of changes in heart and direction?
It’s been a good ten years since the days of Kinsella’s former band American Football, and yet each album he’s released since then just seems like a natural progression as he continues to peddle his emotional verse, using those same delicious licks to push it along. But New Leaves isn’t entirely the optimistic venture it might appear to be – though Kinsella is still meandering along a similar acoustic-rock path, his lyrics are still embalmed in a sober bitterness. The title track opens the album as Kinsella sings about a friend who continually “spends the fall turning over new leaves” whilst simultaneously neglecting the needs of loved ones and falling deeper into confusion and a sense of lostness. While the music itself doesn’t offer anything that hasn’t been done before, it’s the earnesty in the delivery and confessional poetry that makes Kinsella such a notable artist – think of the way you felt when you listened to Dashboard Confessional as an early teen, and that’s the kind of honesty that shines from New Leaves (though admittedly with quite a bit less weepy angst). That comparison is not to say that his lyrics don’t have originality, though – “literary romantics – they fuck like Wilde and they’ll die like Hemingway,” he whispers on ‘Good Friends, Bad Habits’. What a line.
The gently rolling music and his shy-acoustic-guitar-wielding-white-boy voice may deceive you into thinking that this is hopeful music about believing, but in the case of a lot of these songs it’s just the opposite – but it moves fast enough to keep you interested, where it could so easily fall into the trap of gratuitous self-pity.
New Leaves is classic Owen in that it mixes despair and the overarching feeling of loneliness with a gorgeous glimmer of hope in the form of soothing, relaxing melody and the uncertain, but ever-present, promise of new beginnings. Kinsella is one of indie rock’s more underrated current performers – he sings songs that are so easily relatable to the average person, and that perfect sense of normalcy is exactly what makes them so special.
TRACK LISTING:
01. New Leaves
02. Good Friends, Bad Habits
03. A Trenchant Critique
04. Never Been Born
05. Amnesia and Me
06. Brown Hair in a Bird’s Nest
07. Too Scared To Move
08. The Only Child of Aergia
09. Ugly on the Inside
10. Curtain Call
