One of the best mix CDs I've ever made was for a mix-swap held by The Diskettes'/Popsheep's Dave Barclay, interlacing gangsta-edged hip-hop (50 Cent, Dre, etc) with sad, soft songwritery stuff (Julie Doiron, Little Wings, etc). It was a little mischievous, admittedly, but really I did it because the juxaposition worked so well. Murmurs and ache interrupted by synths, gunshots, tough mutters.
Anyway, I gave my mix to some mystery-person, and never heard any feedback. I suspect they 'lost' it. I, meanwhile, received an angry-woman sampler, ripe with Bikini Kill, PJ Harvey and Ani DiFranco. Which I lost.
Clipse - "Ride Around Shining". There's a great reason that people are talkin' about the soon-to-be-released Clipse album, Hell Hath No Fury: it's really, really good. Hot as coal, hard as a hammer, charmingly devilish. On a blogger messageboard, Matthew wrote a good summary of what makes Pusha-T and Malice tick-tock: "they've skipped right by the 'anti-hero' default of most rap and straight to this mustache-twirling villainy, and that's why their characters are so seductive." This track's not the catchiest on the record but I can't get enough of the Neptunes' beautiful & menacing main riff. It's a deliciously slow harp arpeggio; a sound that's held resounding, resounding, while the boys glare and glower. And pose. [buy]
Leaves From Off The Tree - "Barbry Ellen". Leaves From Off The Tree is an album by, and project of, Meg Baird and Helena Espvall (Espers), and Sharron Kraus. Nine traditional folksongs, beautifully and simply rendered. "Barbry Ellen" is entirely unaccompanied, just three women's voices in plaint. It's a strange lament: what wrong did the narrator commit? Mere "hard-hearted[ness]"? Not recognising a love that was before her? Or was she cruel? The song does not say. All we have is the melody, full of want, and these three singers - solemn, sad, compassionate as dawns. [buy]
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Elsewhere:
A little while ago I jumped the gun and wrote about the outstanding new Of Montreal album, due early in 2007. You can now stream the whole thing. Pre-order it and get a limited edition bonus EP for $3.
Perhaps you remember Felix Lajko, the hungarian/yugoslavian/gypsy violinist who fiddles sparks? The guy who I praised to the skies here and here? Well, he's been added to the bill on the Dirty Three-curated All Tomorrows Parties festival in England in April (alongside the likes of Silver Mt Zion, Smog, Josh Pearson, Low and Nick Cave). Are you thinking what I'm thinking? (Oh, and YouTube has videos!)
I didn't think that Herman Dune's "I Wish That I Could See You Soon" could conceivably get any better, and then... I saw the video. It's one of the greatest films I've seen this year. (I wish I had friends like Y, O and U.) Herman Dune also recently appeared in the Blogotheque's Concerts à emporter series, and there's an amazing bonus video of David and Neman (?) serenading Chryde's little baby boy.
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The end of the year is coming up and I am again choosing my favourite songs of the year. Inevitably however there are things I've missed. So, here's the challenge:
Email contests@saidthegramophone.com the greatest-song-of-2006-that-I-haven't-heard.
There are currently 48 songs in my end of year long-list; if the song you send is not already in that long-list, and makes the cut for the short-list, you will win a CD from my pile-of-prize-CDs (Arcade Fire, Antony and the Johnsons, something like that).
How do you know what I haven't heard? You don't. But if it's been posted on this blog, is from a talked-about indie/mainstream release, or has been really popular on other blogs, chances are I've heard it. Then again, my awareness of chart singles this year has been abominable - so a lot of big-name hip-hop and pop stands a fair chance of being new to me.
Other rules? Entries should be sent to contests@saidthegramophone.com with the subject line: END OF YEAR CONTEST. Please do not point to or name a song: attach the mp3. Deadline is 11:59 pm on Monday, December 4. Please no more than two entries per person, and please no more than one song by a given artist. And please, send only the best! This isn't about great albums: it's about splendid, beautiful, fun and devastating stand-alone tracks.
Best of luck!
(img by tra selhtrow)
Posted by Sean at November 28, 2006 4:00 AMThis new Of Montreal release is addictive. I'm hooked and can't wait till it drops.
AC
Posted by Andrew at November 28, 2006 10:03 AMThe best songs of 2006?... quite hard to choose. Waiting to see the final top!
Posted by bassplayer at November 28, 2006 4:58 PMIs the adding of the pictures new (aside from said-the-guest-artist-things?)? Very pretty.
Posted by Anca at November 28, 2006 10:57 PMDamn you, Michaels! Not only is that the song I was hoping to eventually write about, you ran with part of my thesis! Ahh! You dastardly man.
And I think it IS the catchiest song on the record, but that's neither here nor there.
Posted by Matthew at November 29, 2006 12:10 AMBooked ATP today, and it's all because of you, Mr StG. :)
While plenty of it interests me I've seen most of the bands I like before; the only reason I'm traipsing across the Irish Sea for it is Felix. And I think he'll be worth the price of admission alone.
So I'll see you down the front in the pit! I'll be the Irishman dancing with tears in my eyes (living out a memory of a love that died...and all that). ;)
Posted by Robert P, Dublin at December 1, 2006 12:50 PMlooking forward to your new list for 2006. I burned 20 songs from your 2005 list on a cd and listen to it all the time.
Posted by drew at December 2, 2006 3:40 PMBeirut's Postcards from Italy, Arrah and the Ferns' Skylark, and Swan Lake's All Fires.
Posted by Kirsten at December 4, 2006 11:37 AM1. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - Rent a Wreck (I'm pretty sure this was released in '05, but didn't hit the states until this year)
2. Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
3. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Turn Into (One of the most overlooked, underrated albums of the year, IMO.)
4. Be Your Own Pet - Bicycle, Bicycle, You are My Bicycle
5. Fucked Up - Baiting the Public
Posted by Ben at December 4, 2006 3:24 PMjoanna newsom's "emily" was breathtaking, M. Ward's "Chinese Translation" had some great lyrics, and Tokyo Police Club's "Nature of the Experiment" was catchy as all get out.
Posted by Jake A. at December 4, 2006 3:59 PMshut up i am dreaming by sunset rubdown
Posted by hudson goldsmith at December 4, 2006 6:03 PM"photocopier" by fujiya & miyagi
Posted by Gabe H. at December 11, 2006 11:18 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
