MAYBE POSTCARDS
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.


 

Photo by Sam Spenser

Luke Temple's music as Here We Go Magic is part Paul Simon and part El Guincho, which of course means he sounds a lot like the Beta Band ca. Three EPs. Do you remember Three EPs? The album that John Cusack's character in the High Fidelity movie resolved to sell multiple copies of just by playing "Dry the Rain"? Yes?

Well let me play you two songs and suggest that you buy Here We Go Magic, by Here We Go Magic.

Here We Go Magic - "Only Pieces".
Here We Go Magic - "Fangala".

Certain things, most cities have. Telephone poles, sidewalk cracks, garbage bins, birds, electrical lines, traffic lights that change colour. Some things, only one city has. Mount Royal, the Eiffel Tower, Red Square, Recoleta cemetary. And some things again, we do not know. How special is this intricately wrought fence? How distinctive is this clockface? How far has this bluebird travelled? Can I find elsewhere a manhole that leads to a tunnel that leads to a great & underground hall?

Listening to "Only Pieces" and "Fangala", I feel a similar wonder. How verdant is this song? How new is this rhythm? How catchy is this line? Because it feels so extraordinary. These things have the colours you might expect to find in a thousand different places - but I have not. I find them only here. It may be Beta Band and Paul Simon and El Guincho and Panda Bear; but that's like saying it's fence and clock and bluebird. I know it is these things but - listen! Listen! It is more.

[buy buy buy / website / opening for Grizzly Bear on several upcoming dates]

(photo source)

Posted by Sean at May 21, 2009 12:32 PM
Comments

sean i'm glad you posted these songs, but i'm curious as to how you feel about one you didn't put up, "tunnelvision." maybe "fangela" and "only pieces" are equally gorgeous, but "tunnelvision" is the only song on the album that i could listen to forever. just listening to it once doesn't make sense, like it's more than just a song or a piece of music, it feels like it's a universe, a life. also this video helped alot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2gtxN5cwjA have you seen it?

Posted by sam at May 21, 2009 5:07 PM

holy moly.

Posted by dan at May 21, 2009 5:52 PM

thanks for the post! awesome pic too

Posted by music news at May 22, 2009 8:54 AM

The URL link for fangala cut is misspelled so it does not take you to the song. If you correct the spelling in the address line, it works.

Posted by Dan S. at May 23, 2009 1:26 PM

love the pic!

Posted by Nana at May 24, 2009 1:24 PM

You may correct their "website" link to "http://www.herewegomagic.com/"

Posted by J-F Desrosiers at May 25, 2009 12:21 AM

Heya, Luke Temple...He's dreamy! I like the song More Than Muscle so much! The video is very charming and slaps a big doofy grin on my face every time. You can watch it on my blog here: http://nowiseeyou.blogspot.com/2009/04/kissing-luke-temple.html

Posted by ElGuappa at May 26, 2009 5:08 PM

I will have to check this band out.

Posted by Antique Sterling Silver at June 8, 2009 11:15 AM

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Sean Michaels is the founder of Said the Gramophone. He is a writer, critic and author of the theremin novel Us Conductors. Follow him on Twitter or reach him by email here. Click here to browse his posts.

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