Posted by: loftandlost | February 3, 2010

A Wintry Cheerio From Me (Featuring Midlake)

Right, I’m off for a few days of snowboarding. First time in four years (aside from an odd little episode in Richmond Park1), so it’s likely to be painful and hilarious in equal measure.

To celebrate this wintry event, I thought I’d post this from Midlake, whose new album “The Courage Of Others” is a thing of dark, wintry beauty. I’ll write more about it when I see them live later this month, but for the meantime, here’s “Acts Of Man”, as performed live for The Guardian (courtesy of the marvellous Bella Union Records). Hope you have a great week and I’ll be back Monday. Or possibly Tuesday.

1 I realised looking at this that I’d missed the site’s first birthday, on 31st January. Anyone who knows me IRL will know this is entirely like me. I am truly the world’s most forgetful man. Sorry, blog, I love you very much and I won’t do it again.

MP3: Acts Of Man (Live) by Midlake

Buy “The Courage Of Others” (CD/MP3)

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Posted by: loftandlost | February 2, 2010

Yeasayer? No, I Sayer.

Always look out for the bright new thing. That’s going to be the advice I give to my son when he gets a bit older, along with “No, drinking that mescal really isn’t a good idea”. Yeasayer have been getting loads of good press for “Odd Blood”; people saying it’s this year’s Animal Collective.

I think that’s about right. Animal Collective always struck me as a band with big brains but little soul, and without the keen sense of melody and tone that makes ostensibly similar bands like Grizzly Bear so damned wonderful. So it is with Yeasayer. Now, I’m the kind of guy who needs to compare and contrast, and here is my Yeasayer C&C:

Erasure meets TV On The Radio.

Prancing Electro keyboards? Check. Dramatic, wrought vocals? Check. Juicy horn parps. Check! At times, they sound like a particularly outre Pet Shop Boys song.

Well, It's A Better Cover Than The Last One

The album’s out on 8th February; maybe once I’ve heard the whole thing properly it’ll start to settle in. But I tried that with Animal Collective and it just didn’t click. In other words, everyone else raves about them whilst I sit on the sidelines going “What are you all on about?”. In the meantime, try “Ambling Alp” for yourself (below), and if you’re still Yea-Curious, you can download “O.N.E.” from their website here (you need to give your email address, which seems a fair trade).

MP3: Ambling Alp by Yeasayer

Pre-Order “Odd Blood” (CD)

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Posted by: loftandlost | February 1, 2010

Popular Songs, Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo are one of those bands that have always made me feel suspicious. That famous Onion story from some years ago1 “37 Record-Store Clerks Feared Dead In Yo La Tengo Concert Disaster” absolutely nailed it for me. There’s the whole indie schmindie aesthetic that made me want to run away screaming “Hair clips! Ribbons! Aaaargh!”. I did once venture out into Tengoland and got “And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out”, but “You Can Have It All” aside, it didn’t really make much of an impression.

The Annual Spot The Drummer Contest Was Not A Success

But last year, I thought I’d give “Popular Songs” a try. It’d had good reviews, some stating that this was probably their most complete album ever, and the omens were good. And you know what? It’s really good. Didn’t manage to listen to it enough to be able to call it an album of the year, but I’m listening to it more and more and finding new depths. The sheer variety – from Sonic Youth-esque 12 minute guitar freakouts to dream-pop to bossa-nova to indie-schmindie Belle And Sebastian songs (but done exquisitely well) – makes for a great album.

And this morning, after listening to the new Yeasayer album (see tomorrow’s post, if you’re a time traveller), I needed something a bit more pleasant to listen to. What came up? Yo La Tengo. So there you go; if a newish band comes squawking out of New York with music they hope is new and shiny (but ends up coming across as plain irritating – you can see where I’m going to with this), then listen to an old New York1 band to salve the pain. I can safely say I’m through my Tengophobia.

I’m now going to start going back through their catalogue, starting with the aforementioned “And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out”, freshly copied to my new iPhone. Any suggestions?

1 Ok, Hoboken. You can see New York from there.

MP3: Avalon Or Someone Very Similar by Yo La Tengo

Buy “Popular Songs” (CD/MP3)

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 31, 2010

Klamath Feel The Noise

Coming home from another drubbing at the hands of a hated enemy, I was scrolling through my new iPhone, looking for something suitable to ease the pain. Midlake? Far too minor key. Hot Chip? Too cheery. Mark Eitzel? That’ll do nicely. There’s something in his tone of voice; that soft, gentle warmth that envelops you even as he’s singing about how he’s been drinking too much and he’s down on his luck and all that. Just what you need when you’re hacked off spending a grand a year watching a bunch of overpaid tossers fanny about.

The Man Himself

Speaking of pay, I read an interview with the charming Mr Eitzel toward the end of last year in which he stated that he was pretty much bankrupt; couldn’t afford to tour with a full band and was living from one month to the next. So, in honour of one of the finest singer/songwriters the US has produced, please listen to the song below and then go and buy the album from which it comes (“Klamath”). You can have it autographed and everything.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Maaarrrrkiiiieeee, happy birthday to you.

MP3: Why I’m Bullshit by Mark Eitzel

Or buy “Klamath” from Amazon here.

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 30, 2010

New Year New Phone

Ok, I’m starting to push it with these New Year titles. This is the last one, I promise. But what a treat! For me, at least. Because I’ve finally got a new iPhone – one of the sparkly white ones – with 32Gb1. So I can put all the new music that’s coming out onto it without removing a whole bunch of old stuff2. Huzzah!

Vision Joanna Newsom

As a celebration of this momentous event, I put a live recording of Joanna Newsom from earlier this month, from those lovely folks at Fan Made Recordings. Considering it’s recorded from the audience (rather than the mixing desk), the quality is decent as can be expected. And it has to be said too, it’s not particularly easy listening to new material from an artist quite as complex as Ms Newsom, as it takes time to seep properly into your brain.

All worth a listen though. You can download the whole set from the link above, in preparation for the triple album (Triple!) out next month. Go on, have a listen. It’ll get your brain prepared for the real thing.

MP3: Have One On Me (Live) by Joanna Newsom

MP3: Soft As Chalk (Live) by Joanna Newsom

1 I was waiting to see if a new iPhone would be announced at the same time as the iSanitaryTowel, but it wasn’t. I reckon a new iPhone will be out in the summer, with that there A4 chip. And what’s all this immediate backlash about the iPad? I might get me one of those, especially if I can get a Bluetooth audio connector thing so I can play music in the kitchen from it whilst lying on the sofa surfing the web. Honestly, people these days want everything handed to them on a plate (or tablet); getting themselves so worked up about what they wanted from it that when Steve Jobs announced an iTouchOnSteroids, everyone’s upset. Seriously, get over yourselves. It’ll be nice to use. It’ll look good. It won’t crash (much). You’ll enjoy using it. The end.

2 It really hacks me off when I’m on the tube and I want to hear an old favourite – say, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”, but I can’t, because I’ve taken it off to make room for Yeasayer’s new one. Which happened just the other day. And precipitated this existential crisis.

Pre-Order “Have One on Me”

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 26, 2010

New Year New Music Part Seven – Joanna Newsom

Ooh, another biggie. I’ve been an enormous fan of Joanna Newsom after seeing her support Smog at the Conway Hall in London some years back. Having never heard her before, we were all perplexed by this winsome lady in full Renaissance garb strolling onto stage and playing a harp beautifully whilst wailing in an unconventional manner.

You Rawk!

Which is lovely if you like that sort of thing. Which, unbeknownst to me beforehand, I did. Isn’t music great? Anyway, she’s got an album coming out called, perplexingly, “Have One On Me”. No, me neither. It’s a triple CD. Triple CD! I haven’t got time to listen to all the stuff I reallly like at the moment without some eccentric beauty foisting about twenty thousand new songs on us. Enough!

Sorry, rant over. The first track from it has crept out onto tha Interwebz, and jolly nice it is too. To be honest, I’ve only listened to it the twice and so far, I rather like it, but I can’t hand-on-heart say it’s the best song I’ve ever heard. ‘Tis good, though.

As for my views on the picture that come with it, well, I’m not going to comment. You’ll just have to download the track and see for yourself.

MP3: ‘81 by Joanna Newsom

Hat tip to Tsururadio!

Buy “The Milk-Eyed Mender” (CD/MP3)

Pre-Order “Have One on Me”

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 23, 2010

Last Year’s Music – The Twilight Sad

In my Albums of the year post at the tail end of 2009, I mentioned that there were a bunch of records by bands I loved that I hadn’t got round to listening to yet. This week, I finally got round to listening to The Twilight Sad’s second album, “Forget The Night Ahead”. Long-term readers may recall me getting earache following their tinnitus-inducing show at the ICA. Quite frankly, it was worth it.

The Sun! It Burns!

The funny thing about hearing tracks like “Doonstairs” (ok, “Reflection Of The Television”) on record is how well I remember them. Sure, they are cleaned up of much of the huge wall of noise that is a Twilight Sad live show, but they lose little of their power in their transition to a bunch of bits. “I Became A Prostitute” is absolutely cracking and has been on near-constant rotation on my poor iPhone; there’s something of the grim, cold rainy day in their music which perfectly reflects the current weather round here. The album as a whole seems a bit more sludgy than their debut, a bit more oppressive, but dammit, fine music is fine music.

But they are miserable blighters, aren’t they?

MP3: I Became a Prostitute by The Twilight Sad

Buy “Forget The Night Ahead” (CD)

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 22, 2010

New Year New Music Part Six – Bullets In Madison

The internet is great, isn’t it? Hunting around so good blogs for more information about someone, I stumbled across Count Me Out. I hadn’t visited in a bit, but had always rather liked the site, and seeing that there were some albums he was currently listening to were my kind of thang, as you’d expect, I thought I’d click on one of the records I hadn’t heard of. The link directed me to a free download of the new album (“We Became Your Friends When You Died”) by a band called Bullets In Madison. Ah, sod it, I’ll give it a try, I thought.

Might as well start at the top with “Animals”, I subsequently thought, once it’d downloaded.

And whoo-ee, I’m glad I did. That was on Sunday, it’s now Friday and I must have listened to the album ten times (and it’s been a damned busy week at work). How can I describe it? Well, mystical Americana crossed with motorik Krautrock, haunted by the ghosts of New Order and Television, with a helping of Doves-esque majesty. In short, it’s great. Really great. Funnily enough, I didn’t realise that Brendan, writer of Count Me Out, is actually in the band, which makes the find even better.

I can’t quite believe that we’re 22 days into the new year and I’ve already heard two utterly fantastic records (the other one being by Freelance Whales, of course). What a year this could turn out to be. I shall be reviewing both in the coming days/weeks/months1.

MP3: Animals by Bullets In Madison

1 Because we all know how reliable my timings are. *cough* Pitchfork *cough*.

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 18, 2010

New Year New Music Part Five – Midlake

Here’s another biggie. Midlake’s last album, “The Trials Of Van Occupanther”, was one of my favourite albums of the decade. I loved the old-age feel to the record, it was like The Band jamming with ELO in a theme park about the Wheeler Survey. And they are back on February 1st with “The Courage Of Others”. From what I’ve heard, it’s somewhat more minor key than “Van Occupanther”, but carries over that lovely pastoral 19th Century backwoods town feel to it. You’d expect them to turn up in an episode of Deadwood, singing about how men are doomed to their fate or somesuch.

Midlake Midwoods

Whilst digging around for more information about the new Midlake record, I came across a track by Ellie Goulding on this German blog. Covering a Midlake track is a dangerous thing, given how beautifully the band craft their songs, but with just an acoustic guitar and her voice, she makes “Roscoe” her own. Good work, highly-touted lady, and it just goes to show how good a song it is underneath all the instrumentation and multi-tracked vocals and whatnot.

MP3: Rulers, Ruling All Things by Midlake

MP3: Roscoe (Midlake Cover) by Ellie Goulding

Pre-Order “The Courage Of Others” (CD)

Buy “The Trials Of Van Occupanther” by Midlake (CD)

Pre-Order “Lights” by Ellie Goulding (CD)

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Posted by: loftandlost | January 17, 2010

Sunday Sufjan

Sufjan Stevens, he of the hugely complicated musical extravaganzas, put a secret track onto his last album, The BQE. Personally I find all this secret track thing a bit annoying; if you like the track and want it on your album, just put it on your new album. Or post it on your website for free. Or just save it up for the inevitable rare-and-unreleased compilation.

The BQE, Yesterday

Moaning aside, it’s a lovely sweet song, with all the usual baroque instrumentation, choir, slightly tricksy time signature, and that delicate tunefulness that he manages with apparent effortlessness. He’s a bit good, isn’t he? Right, Mr Stevens, can you please get on with the Great States project, as I’m waiting for Rhode Island1?

Hat tip to Knox Road. Thanks folks!

1 Yes, I know he’s admitted the whole thing was a bit of a joke that went wrong. Still, I’m holding out hope for a 3 hour long song cycle dedicated to Nebraska, all in the key of B# minor. In 15/4 time. On bassoons. Played by goats.

MP3: The Sleeping Red Wolves by Sufjan Stevens

Buy “The BQE” (CD + DVD)

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