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tween the ribs
by Sean
Please note: MP3s are only kept online for a short time, and if this entry is from more than a couple of weeks ago, the music probably won't be available to download any more.
Hangedup - "Klang Klang". A band made up of viola + drums can go one of two ways. Either it's brainless stabbing at the same cardboard box, random and repetitive, or else it's as fierce as a rabid cat in a burlap sack, a house burning down with sparks spitting round the cornerstones. Up till now, I thought Hangedup were in that first category. With their new album, however, Clatter For Control, we have something altogether freakin' different. "Klang Klang" skates out on sharkteeth with wielded blades, it's rescuing damsels and teaching kids to shoot arrows at peoples' hearts. It clangs and it creaks, it moves faster than you can watch it, it's Constellation Records post-rock with a gypsy curse and a punk-rock haircut. It pushes me over and uses a steel-bristle broom to sweep me into the sea. It might well be one of the best records the label has ever released. [buy (you really ought to)] The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers - "The Eventual Intimate of So Much Nostalgia". The first time I read the band name 'The Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers', I swooned. I thought it was great. At this point, however, I'm not so sure. I think I'm starting to hate it. But that mustn't take away from the pleasure of this song, the track which opens TPATOADS' new record, The Mother of Love Emulates the Shapes of Cynthia. "The Eventual Intimate..." is a tricksy song; in its opening seconds it would have you take it for Cocorosie or The Robot Ate Me. It's brittle off-time acoustic guitar notes, a digital stutter, a dusty lyric - "polaroids that fade away / in time". Soon enough, though, there's the huffing stamp of drums and high-hat, the heavy clomp of electric guitar and bass. Some lunks march in from stage-left, sledge-hammers in hand. I imagine Phil Elvrum on the beach, surrounded by a gang, but the boys don't want any nicey-nicey. Play along, Phil, or there'll be trouble. And Phil plays along, he does, and finds that there's real merit in this nighttime business of crush and crash, that there's a lot to be said with some industrial rock noise, a short burst of thick sound. (He's still a wuss, mind.) That's what I hear. Perry Wright, the guy who actually wrote the tune, says this: " As the title suggests, the underlying metaphor for the opening track is the work of John Hutchison, a controversial maybe-scientist from Canada who uses the collision of high voltage and longitudinal waves to produce a series of phenomena that seem to contradict certain principles of physics. Of the odd phenomena, which include things like midair floatation of objects, reorganization of the crystalline structures of certain metals, and the inexplicable heating and melting of metals while surrounding objects remain unaffected, I wanted to specifically refer to the phenomenon of the unification of two unlike materials without the displacement of either as a compelling metaphor for a wedding."[buy] Comments
I think Prayers and Tears..... are a damn good band. It's nice to hear someone put something more into music these days. I can't wait until the reign of mediocre rock passes. Posted by Nick Bahula at May 31, 2005 5:50 AMI tried to put together a compilation of songs about theoretical physics and astrophysics. They have to be about physics: just having "stars" or "Sun" in the title doesn't count. I may have to relax this requirement, because I didn't get very far. Currently it stands at: 1. Dark Matter - Andrew Bird and I'm far from happy with Track 3[*]. Thanks for the rather oblique but welcome addition of TPATOADS. Any other suggestions from fellow StG readers are welcome. An addition from the physics and cheap guitar dream team that is the Diskettes would make my Gigayear. [*] It's a strictly accurate description of galactic chemical evolution, although this is a clearly an accident, because Moby doesn't know what he's talking about. He claims it is "quantum mechanics for dummies", which is only true in the sense that Blackbird by the Beatles is fluid mechanics for dummies. Posted by Michael Williams at May 31, 2005 10:16 AM
Gonna have to voice my dissent on the Hangedup track. Not bad, certainly some interesting things going on, just a little too monotonous for my taste buds. I think another instrument needed to be soaring over some of that, well, klanging. Is that heresy? And it's probably a little too on the nose, but Constellation's best would have to be something from Godspeed or Do Make Say Think. Their latest is a good start. Posted by chris at May 31, 2005 3:48 PMThat's a fair enough opinion, Chris. The whole Hangedup genre is quite interesting - closer to traditional (ie, folk) dance music, certainly, than it is rock and roll. I think I understand what you mean about wanting something "soaring over", but for me the narrative of the song is in your reaction. It's music to accompany action, life, living, motion, not for sitting stock-still and contemplating. Apples and oranges? Constellation's been doing real well lately. I liked the last Anka etc EP, and the last ASMZ was pretty fantastic. My favourite DMST is "...Landlord...", not the most recent, and I'm not a big fan of GSYBE's albums (just individual songs), but I do think this Hangedup rekkid stands up with the best of them. (It is, however, yeah, different sort of stuff.) Posted by Sean at May 31, 2005 3:55 PMGood point. I can't think of another label out there quite as well associated with sitting still and contemplating than Constellation (perhaps kranky)--and bless their hearts for it. Hangedup is their orange. Is it just me or is there some sort of viola renaissance going on? It sure seems to be popping up a lot lately. Posted by chris at May 31, 2005 6:03 PMThanks for all the work you guys do here! I appreciate the early introduction to the Arcade Fire, watching them rise to inevitable success has been very inspiring~ Also I really dig Devin Davis, who one of you three introduced me to, as well. Please continue~! -yoshi Posted by Yoshi at May 31, 2005 7:03 PMthat hangedup is so incredible i think i might start smoking (cigarettes). Posted by Dan at June 1, 2005 12:14 AMKlang Klang is nucking futs. Posted by Ian at June 1, 2005 8:38 AMThe first song is okay... I listened to if for a bit and liked it, and then it kind of got on my nerves. TP&TOADS is great! I saw them opening for the Mountain Goats, and they were just so crazy and fantastic and different that is was impossible not to like them. Posted by Kaitlyn at June 2, 2005 12:34 PMPost a comment |
 about said the gramophone
this is a daily sampler of really good songs. all tracks are posted out of love. please go out and buy the records!
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all songs are removed within a week or two of posting. said the gramophone launched in march 2003, and added songs in november of that year. it was one of the world's very first mp3blogs. if you would like to say hello, find out our mailing addresses or invite us to shows, please get in touch: montreal, canada: sean toronto, canada: jordan montreal, canada: dan please don't send us emails with tons of huge attachments; if emailing a bunch of mp3s etc, use a service like MailBigFile. if you are the copyright holder of any song posted here, please contact us if you would like the song taken down early. please do not direct link to any of these tracks. please love and wonder. "and i shall watch the ferry-boats / and they'll get high on a bluer ocean / against tomorrow's sky / and i will never grow so old again." we are a member of MBV.
about the authors
Sean Michaels lives in Montreal, where he is writing a novel. His work also occasionally appears at McSweeney's. Follow him on Twitter or reach him here.
Dan Beirne is an actor and writer living in Montreal. He writes fiction fiction fiction on here. It may feel true, but it is never True. He is most proud of his most recent project The Bitter End. Email him here Jordan Himelfarb lives in Toronto, where he is editor in chief of The Mark. Jordan's posts appear at Said the Gramophone only on the last Wednesday of every month. Email him here. Site design and header typography by Neale McDavitt-Van Fleet. The header graphic is randomized: this one is by . 
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