The Music Thread.

[gmac]

that guitarist with the emo-fringe moping around was Russell from Bloc Party

[Ashley]

That fringe always amuses me.

 

Although king of music fringes is blatantly Keith from We Are Scientists:

 

 

Truly legendary.

 

Ummm new album next month. Yes, on topic!

[Fierce_LiNk]

that guitarist with the emo-fringe moping around was Russell from Bloc Party

 

Hahahaha. Brilliant. I love Bloc Party.

 

If I was at that gig, I would have died screaming like a little sissy girl.

[Goafer]

that guitarist with the emo-fringe moping around was Russell from Bloc Party

 

Fuck me, it was. Feel a bit sheepish now.

[gmac]

he's playing on the whole UK tour with them, I saw them in Glasgow last week.

[Fierce_LiNk]

That's hot. Ash Party.

 

I want to see them again, one day.

 

 

That's another one of my favourites by them.

[Paj!]

I gave Mumford and Sons a listen today after seeing them on Jools Holland and reading about their associatiion with Laura Marling. They came across like a less good, but still maybe worth it, male Laura.

 

It was just really..blah and uninteresting. The elements to make it interesting were there but it was all mixed together into a stodgy pie.

[dan-likes-trees]

I hate M83's latest album. Their others were marvellous.

 

Why the hate?

 

That fringe always amuses me.

 

Although king of music fringes is blatantly Keith from We Are Scientists:

 

 

Truly legendary.

 

Ummm new album next month. Yes, on topic!

 

He does have a pretty epic fringe. If I were gay..

 

In other news, looking forward to the new'un. Recently decided that After Hours is one of my favorite all out indie songs ever.

 

Album of the moment - Caribou's new one

 

	Audio

[Dyson]

After Hours is brilliant. Love the video too.

[or else you will DIE]

I need to get some of Charlotte's Solo stuff. I haven't had a proper listen to eet.

 

seriously do. i found her 2nd and 3rd records to be incredible. blows anything ash have done right out of the water imo, and i used to be a huge ash fan.

[Paj!]

Swanlights, Antony & The Johnsons new album, comes out in October.

 

I'm floored by your sound, I'm floored by your sound.

[chairdriver]

I'm listening to The Dull Flame Of Desire as we sit, and I'm quaking.

[Paj!]

In honour;

 

One of my favourite songs ever, I think. Or one of the most affecting.

[Ashley]

Oi, Bush lovers.

 

Hotukdeals inform me that some demos and rarities can be found here, but may be old news to you.

 

In new news to me. Had a listen to the new Nada Surf on Spotify (included a song called 'The Agony of Laffitte', Spoon also have a song named that hmmm) which was nice but will listen again. And Hole's new album is up. Listened to one or two songs and reminds me of old Hole, but in a nice familiar way. Will give it a proper listen tomorrow.

[Paj!]

It seems Diana Vickers has covered Hit by The Sugarcubes (Bjork's big band before she went solo) on her album.

 

It's an...interesting choice. But Bjork she is not. And no matter what you feel about Bjork, she has a phenomonal range and control to her voice, which Diana breathing and gasping doesn't emulate. It's really bad in comparison. I'm all for making covers your own, but considering that hook in the original is there for the plucking, why not make more of it?

[Dan_Dare]

That's shit

[Razz]

Yeah that's a shite cover. Cover's aren't ever good when you just try to sound like the song you're covering.

[Fierce_LiNk]

I gave Mumford and Sons a listen today after seeing them on Jools Holland and reading about their associatiion with Laura Marling. They came across like a less good, but still maybe worth it, male Laura.

 

It was just really..blah and uninteresting. The elements to make it interesting were there but it was all mixed together into a stodgy pie.

 

Blah and uninteresting are two words I would never associate with Mumford and Sons. I was listening to some of their songs this afternoon, really can't get enough of them.

 

I used to hear Little Lion Man playing on the radio allll the time when I was in Belgium with Ine. It would play in her Dad's car, in the kitchen, everywhere. Also, there's a fruit and veg shop where I live that is called Pumford and Sons. That band seems to be following me everywhere:laughing:

 

seriously do. i found her 2nd and 3rd records to be incredible. blows anything ash have done right out of the water imo, and i used to be a huge ash fan.

 

Whaaaat? Better than 1977? I...don't think I believe you! Now I'm going to have to listen to her stuff.

[Ashley]

Yeah that's a shite cover. Cover's aren't ever good when you just try to sound like the song you're covering.

 

Yeah that's a shiterio coverino! Ehhhhhhh bambino cover's aren't ever-a-goodio when you just try to sound like the songarino you're-a-covering!

 

(context: Razz is Italian (and apparently Flanders) and I'm rubbish at humour but bored)

 

But I also recently listened to Mumford and Sons and enjoyed it but only one or two jumped out at me. I forget what now...

[chairdriver]

My sister just texted me this:

 

"I'm at water sports camp, so all I do is sing Crawled Out Of The Sea, and feel stunning about myself."

 

 

I'm lauding. Emily, I'll follow your lead to the letter, and I make this claim that I'm not ashamed to say I know you better. And what I've seen is just a beam of your song that banishes winter.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2010 by chairdriver

[Razz]

Yeah that's a shiterio coverino! Ehhhhhhh bambino cover's aren't ever-a-goodio when you just try to sound like the songarino you're-a-covering!

 

(context: Razz is Italian (and apparently Flanders) and I'm rubbish at humour but bored)

 

But I also recently listened to Mumford and Sons and enjoyed it but only one or two jumped out at me. I forget what now...

 

Close, but no biscuit. It'd be:

 

Gia', quella cover e' una merda proprio. Le cover sono sempre mali quando si prova a sounare come la canzone di cui si fa la cover.

 

Or something like that. I always hate it when we use loan words, it sounds awful.

[Ashley]

Close, but no biscuit. It'd be:

 

Gia', quella cover e' una merda proprio. Le cover sono sempre mali quando si prova a sounare come la canzone di cui si fa la cover.

 

Or something like that. I always hate it when we use loan words, it sounds awful.

 

Yes but I was trying to sound like you did, whereas you were actually reinterpreting it in your own way.

 

Ergo mine was a shit cover, as we were saying, and yours was a good one :p

 

 

In random music news; my mother is going to see Westlife in a few weeks (I try not to judge, it makes her happy so whatever eh?) but she told me today Jedward are the support group and I couldn't help but laugh. You lie with dogs (particularly old slightly senile Irish dogs)...

[Fierce_LiNk]

Close, but no biscuit. It'd be:

 

Gia', quella cover e' una merda proprio. Le cover sono sempre mali quando si prova a sounare come la canzone di cui si fa la cover.

 

Or something like that. I always hate it when we use loan words, it sounds awful.

 

Cmaaaaan! You're just making this up as you go along. You just put this on to impress people.

 

I joke!

[chairdriver]

Chairdriver's Choice: Monkey & Bear by Joanna Newsom

 

 

 

 

As though relating a fairy tale to a child, Joanna sings about a pair of acquaintances - the manipulative and exploitative Monkey, and Ursala, the submissive and good-intentioned Bear - documenting their flight from their farm and their "allegiance to a life of service" and their escape into a foreign countryside.

 

Newsom commented that she wrote the oft-cryptic Ys about her own life experiences, and it's pretty clear that this song is about the concept of freedom. The pair's aim is forever to reach the "open country which is steeped in milk and honey" and to reach the "highest hills, groaning in excess", but as the Monkey points out, they have to earn money to live on their travel, so he straps Ursala in leather, and uses her in a form of bear-baiting. He feigns love, and uses her, never intending to let her reach her goal.

While a somewhat passé point of observation, this obviously reflects our current state of society. And very much reminds me of a story we once got told at school:

 

A fisherman lies on the bank of a river, enjoying the summer sun.

A business man approaches him; "Why are you not out in your boat, catching more fish? There is still lots of time left to fish!"

The fisherman replies: "I've caught enough already today to feed my family."

"But if you caught more, you could sell them at the market, and save up for a better net. And then you could catch even more, and buy another boat. And then hire a helping hand, and go on to found a fishing company."

"And then what?"

"Then you would be rich, and you would enjoy life."

"What do you think I am doing now?"

 

At what point does the pain outweigh the gain?

 

Bear feels claustrophobic in this spiral of work, and finds relief by sneaking off at night to seaside caverns to bathe in the water. Having discovered this, in anger the controlling Monkey goes out at night to find her. This part of the story is sung over an incessantly "rising" section of music, which climaxes with the Bear swimming out to sea, scared of the Moneky, upon which Bear's limbs start falling off, and finally "Bear leaves Bear" and "Bear steps clear of Bear" - she becomes the constellation Ursa Major, and the song ends with a stark reminder of Monkey's empty promise: "Sooner or later, you'll bear your teeth."

 

In my opinion, the Bear - pointedly female - represents Joanna herself, and the Monkey represents society, or perhaps the mainstream music industry in particular, it seems well-intentioned but can be oppressive and using. I feel the act of releasing of Ys - her epic magnum opus which rejects the ideals of mainstream music; each song 10 minutes long, devoid of any traditional hook - is summed up by the act of the Bear ploughing out to sea (where she would not drown), and becoming the constellation.

 

Monkey & Bear is the song which best showcases Joanna's incredible creative writing ability (she studied musical composition and creative writing at university), but what's more impressive is how expertly crafted the song is. The lines are weighted so perfectly. The word choice is fucking awesome (my favourite bit: "Washing that matted and flea-bit pelt in some sea-spit-shine, old kelp dripping with brine."), and her vocal intonation of certain words is so cryptic and seemingly random that you begin to suspect there must be some logic behind it. It's just fucking amazing, generally.

 

If I had any authority in the matter, I would genuinely ask her to write the modern equivalent of The Aeneid. Her lyrical ability is genuinely comparable to Virgil.

 

My favourite poem.

 

10/10

Edited May 8, 2010 by chairdriver

[Razz]

^ Very interesting interpretation.

 

In other J-New related news, I've found a new found love for The Book Of Right-ON.

 

"I killed my dinner with Karate, kick 'em in the face, taste the body. Shallow work is the work that I do."

 

She and Tori battle for my heart.

 

EDIT: I just have this marvellous image of her fly-kicking a buffalo in the face, and chomping down fervidly on its carotid artery.

Edited May 9, 2010 by Razz