Herman Dune - "I Wish That I Could See You Soon" (mp3 removed at label request). Herman Dune's new album is made with major label lucre: horn section, expensive studio, backup singers. But it's also made with familiar stuff: tambourine jangle, sneaker squeak, rhymes like high-fives. "I Wish That I Could See You Soon" hides nothing. It's about wishing that I could see you soon. It's about seeing a photograph and hearing trumpets; it's about talking to yourself; it's about wanting, wanting, wanting; about there being no way to say and nothing you can do. Part of me wants to rerecord it at half-speed, just murmur and lazy-strummed mandolin, singing all the sadness that the song submerges. Herman Dune don't wallow even for a second: they consider the worst-case, they sing it, but then they move on to the more important stuff. To wishing. And wishing is fast enough to dance to.
According to the dictionary:
wish n.
1. To have or feel a desire: wish for the moon.
[Giant is out in October. In the meantime maybe read Herman Dune's MySpace diary post about a visit to Montreal, and dressing up with Julie Doiron at a Flaming Lips show. (Or hear one more mp3.)]
Julie Doiron - "Me and My Friend". This is a sad song. It'll trick you: just a cute girl with a guitar, you'll think. She's singing about swans huddling together. About times when you were dancing and singing. And then: oh wait. Oh shit. That was then. And now you don't see each other no more.
The first snowflake of the year falls in September. It's unlike any other snowflake that will ever fall. It winds its way down to the tip of your freckled ear.
[I found this song on Julie Doiron's MySpace page, but I don't think it's been released anywhere. But you should buy her albums, especially Goodnight Nobody and Desormais, the latter being one of my favourite albums.]
Posted by Sean at September 8, 2006 3:00 AMThanks for the Doiron. Her 2002 album with the Wooden Stars, and especially the song "Gone, Gone" are in my permanent rotation.
And thanks for all else.
Posted by bdr at September 8, 2006 9:19 AMmy first thought....
oh no, REVERB!
fancy Herman Dune will take getting used to, like when John Darnielle put down the boombox for the 4-track. i have no doubt i WILL get used to it but it would help if i had a reverb removal filter in my iTunes...
Posted by bmr at September 8, 2006 3:29 PMMore cute girls with guitars!
Posted by H at September 9, 2006 3:50 AM"Goodnight Nobody and Desormais" i love this work of Julie Doiron's.
Posted by koum at September 9, 2006 10:57 AMI believe there is also a video for this song made by her (ex?) husband John Claytor. Look for it, it's great.
Posted by danica at September 9, 2006 1:20 PMGenre philippics rule, even when couched in the form of pretty little beach tunes. There's no mystery about the Doiron tune, either, but the catch in her voice from lyric one is sufficiently affecting that doesn't matter.
Two thumbs up.
Posted by wcw at September 9, 2006 6:17 PMyay! nice choice on that herman dune song! are you going to see suburban kids with biblical names at cafe royal on wednesday? very exciting!
Posted by stacey at September 10, 2006 7:27 PMThe Suburban Kids With Biblical Names are a Swedish kick-ass band for sure ! Everybody should give them a listen !
They made two great EPs called #1 and #2 and a brilliant album called #3 (that makes sense).
Their pop tune "Rent a wreck" is already a classic.
To me those Suburban Kids are much much better than Herman Dune who are really good though.
Posted by Absolut Noise at September 12, 2006 7:13 AM(linked via kate)
i read the headline as "I LIKE BUGS WHEN THEY BREAK THROUGH A COCOON" and i was like, hey, me too! who doesn't!
also: nice writin'.
Posted by meg at September 12, 2006 7:05 PMHello,
this is a bit too early to give away mp3s taken from Giant. Please take them off the internet ASAP.
Source etc.
Posted by Source etc at September 13, 2006 1:32 PMIf you are the 'real' Source etc, could you please drop me an email? The mp3 here is identical to the one freely available via the Herman Dune website.
Thanks.
Posted by Sean at September 13, 2006 1:48 PMthere use to be two mp3 on the HD site and now its a link to the myspace page... i would think (major)record compagny had figured by now that mp3 are a great way to spread the buzz on a band. I guess they'll never get it...
Posted by Christian at October 7, 2006 2:02 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
