Archives : all posts by Dan

1) re Wolf Parade
The new song sounds great - it's actually very loud on my iPod. Still lacks the oomph that i feel it probably needs -- lots of Wolf Parade's stuff works so much better live than it has (so far) on recording. It's music that really needs to jostle you, synths sneering way up inside on ear, drums pounding your ribs. Molars has a great review of the Philly gig.

Really beautiful words, Dan - esp. the cartoon bit.

2) "apostrophes instead of 'g's"

3) You have made out that Front Row thing to be much more interesting than it was, but thank-you for your support. I felt pretty boxed-in by the questions, but I suppose they wanted me to say the sort of stuff I said. What I really wanted to talk about was the way different bands get different boosts from the Net (with specifics), and also the three things that the internet offers music-folks: a) EXPOSURE to artists/songs/genres that individuals wouldn't have heard; b) SAMPLING to let consumers check out things before buying or going to a show; c) instant COMMUNITIES that don't rely on a band having an infrastructure... Instead of it taking years for a band to have an official fan-club to organise big fan things, it takes one month and a geocities account for people to find each-other.

When I saw Wolf Parade last week I stood right infront of Spencer and I was also amazed at the amount of sweat dripping off his face. He made puddles on the floor...it was ridiculous. Later on that night I met Dante and Dan and they were really nice. Dan was also covered in sweat (and beer). They are incredible live. Thanks for the mp3!

oh man! new wolf parade! i saw them play in new york a month or so ago, and they blew me away, so so emotional and loose and unhinged and just great, great, great. thanks so much for this.

Ah! Sorry I'm late here, but I have to comment about and commend yesterday's post. I love Phantom Buffalo, I've been recommending Shishimumu to...probably just about everyone that seems to appreciate music.

I happened upon them when I was rumaging through stuff by that other "The Ponys," which is, as you said, what they are sometimes (were formerly?) called. Not a Ponys fan, I was pleasantly suprised as Shishimumu's sedation kicked in.

Now, let me see if I can remember...apparently reason that the record is such an aural experience is because Shishimumu was first recorded on analog tape and then transfered--with high-quality recording equipment--to a digital setting. So for me, that explains where where its rich authentic sound come from.

My favorite track is most probably "Silverfish." But.."most probably," because it is hard to pick a contender for that title, and that is where I agree with you that it is a great *album.* The tracks fit together quite nicely.

Anyhow, 'scuse the length, and probably lack of articulation (imma lazy today), it's just finally great to see someone else acknowledge the quality of this record.

(And aside: to Gramophone's staff, thanks for the everything, the scoop on things wonderful is much appreciated.)

:)

Oh darn, I'm sorry, this should have gone in the box below...
Ah well.
Wolf Parade, I wrote the band off at first, but I think they're growing on me.
I'm hearing...what Beck might have become. Maybe?

dan- love the new track. i've heard mixed things about the wolf parade live performance, but this is really interesting stuff. they're such a good band, and these kinds of shambolic last chances are exactly what they do best. also how cool is that little cover??

sean- i thought you did a great job, given the circumstances. i don't think "they" care to understand "us" in any real sense. something as absurd as arctic monkeys comes along and they want to square it away. and i guess that's kind of how it works in the mainstream, squaring everything away into it's little compartment, packages to be bought and sold. but like you said that isn't what this is really about, it's bigger than that. and like the music here... you either get it or you don't.

Thank you for the Wolf Parade track. I saw them this past Thursday-- god, they put on an amazing live show-- and they played this. (And actually, did you guys post their live CBC recordings or mention them here at the beginning of the summer? I know I first heard/head of them from a blog, and I think I may have you to thank for turning me on to this band.)

Also, thanks in general. You guys tend to post pretty awesome stuff pretty far ahead of the curve.

It was you. And it was February. (I was curious so I played with your archives.) I can't believe I'd had those two songs for so long and failed to become obsessed until September, when I got their whole album.

Right. Well, thanks again. =D

Hey, i liked the Front Row thing! What's more, if i hadn't heard it, i might never have found about this here wonderful, wonderful blog. I just spent the last hour happily listening, reading the cracking descriptions and getting spun off on tangents...

nice work lads. chuffed to see that Sean is here in Edinburgh too, so i can get pointed towards more great local stuff.

Just listened to the Front Row thing and I thought you came over well, Sean - you can never get over your own full agenda on stuff like this, as I've found to my cost. If the beeb don't completely fuck it up, you've come out well. And you've got a great radio voice.

cody, dave - thanks. you're right that i shouldn't be so critical of myself, given that I muddled through all right! i just had all these notes of other bands, movements and critics to mention, but ultimately barely got to say anything more than Said the Gramophone's name.

jonny - hallo! welcome! maybe i'll meet you some time.

Thanks so much for putting and spiders up on here. I was the bass player. Kelly Caldwell, the singer, has three solo releases since "in the woods" came out.

Not to pick on anybody, but shouldn't any band attempting relationship-rock (if such a distinction needs to be made, between pop music that merely concerns itself with relationships and those that obsess over it) have spent some serious time with the Go-Betweens? No one in indie pop has yet matched the archness of their humor. It's a small difference, but it ends up making all the difference. Their lyrics weren't afraid to acknowledge that everyone seriously interested in their songs (and this includes both song characters and listeners) might, in fact, be doomed to idiocy. The scene still suffers from too many songs content to float on simple melodies with lyrics that keep spitting out the same old unbalanced equation of hope and resignation ("I know a thousand ways to leave this place...we get by") that keeps getting summed in too-simple choruses ("we hold our hands and fight"), as if that logic actually works. I'm reminded of that scene in High Fidelity where Cusack wonders if he listens to miserable music because he is naturally a miserable person, or constant exposure to this music is making him miserable. I don't think of it in terms of exposure, but if you keep listening to treacle, you must have somehow made the decision to endorse the treacly pop viewpoint. Is it just by dint of overexposure that the music becomes a larger force in our lives, a kind of politics? If so, that process would turn pop into propaganda and listeners into sympathizers. It's like a romantic refinement of punk rebellion, more senseless than sense. Now the question I have to ask myself is this: should one approach pop music expecting to meet anything more than a fallacy?

yes - Rosebuds(,the) are superb.

1) I really like the Beautiful New Born Children song. And what you write, Dan, is most correct.

Todd -

2) Obviously life's not really that Hornby binary - the impact of music (or whatever) has a much more negotiated effect. Chicken-and-egg, something resonates with me because I feel it, and I feel it because that viewpoint has resonated. So yeah, pop music's propaganda - just like all aspects of our life are propaganda - but it's mediated by my mind and experiences, my heart and my memory. A treacly "It'll work out, la la la" chorus won't teach you to believe that, but in the right circumstances it might confirm, or jangle sympathethically, with your intuitions.

2) The Go Betweens vs The Cure, say, or Belle and Sebastian vs the Kings of Convenience, is a very old kind of battle. Is the specific more true than the general? Who knows. The specific certainly captures the nuance of the real, but it is also less easily adapted. I've much more often felt a deep and resonating Trueness to the sound of "Why Don't We Do It In the Road" or "I Want To Hold Your Hand", than "Surfing Magazines" or "Me and the Major" (although I love both the latter).

Concerning Barthes and band interpretation, were you referring to Roland Barthes Author/Writer, Death of the Author essay? If so, you should also look at some of his music writing (which you might already have). I quote John Storey quoting him here: http://eng226.blogspot.com/2005/03/revolution-rock.html

Excellent two songs, btw.

Always a fan: jnp.

I didn't mean to make it a pissing match between two bands (although my post was originally how I prefer Yo La Tengo to the Rosebuds, go figure); I was using both bands as examples of slightly different approaches -- not better or worse, per se. What I meant was more subtle, not entirely a judgment of aesthetics, i.e. lyrics using different levels of irony. I would like to tease out the critical dimensions of this thought somewhere else. Admittedly, using the comments box is probably not the best way to begin that process.

Sean, I can't agree that all aspects of our life are propaganda; I don't know if I read you right there. To me, that's a worst-case scenario. Even if the edge looks dizzingly close sometimes, I still think that point is a long way off; if it ever happens, that kind of stranglehold would take a radical technocratic revolution -- still sci-fi to me.

Picking "Surfing Magazines" is, of course, hitting the band at their weakest point. I was strictly thinking Tallulah when I mentioned them, and concede the point that "Surfing" is just as fluffy as anything out there. Classic Go-Betweens, I should've said (which in turn would beg another debate).

Thumbing through A Whore Just Like The Rest, Meltzer swears that there was actually a time "before choreographed, telegraphed insincerity was the name of the rock-roll game; before, in any event, it was compulsory." I would like to think that the indie scene could provide an environment like this again, where you don't have to throw up a huge screen of sarcasm and run a million-watt BS meter to put on a show at which the kids can knowingly nod. Sometimes it still does, but there's still plenty of ill-conceived effort wasting good potential. There needs to be established a ground where people can think before they make their next move and don't have to worry about how market pressures, without becoming total puritans about it. Dischord worked that angle, but that's only one approach for one scene, and I don't think their kind of success is easily duplicated, nor would it work for a lot of bands and fans. (Anyway, is there a dream label like this around today? Arts & Crafts? I don't know, I'm asking.)

Todd: I think I dig where you're taking this, but really what it comes down to is that you just need to look harder. Irony may (unfortunately) still be the hand most frequently played, but it's by no means the only one. As much love as I have for Dischord and what that label has done/meant, it hardly has the monopoly on sincerity--not now and not ever. StG has archives, you could start there.

Yeah, Dischord was a bad good example -- a talented, long-standing stable for the D.C. post-hardcore scene, but also historically an easy target. The negative view is that they're so limited as to be just a glorified clique, and who would advocate emulation of that? The ex-sXe assocations, rightly or wrongly, don't help this common impression. Throwing out Dischord, I was trying to think of a joint effort among musicmakers, in a kind of guild mentality, and that's one that everybody knows.

And yes, irony is just one example, but it's a very big thing, not just in any one scene, but in the culture at large. It's in the air we've breathed since birth. George Bush (like it or not) knows irony. The intelligent use of it is another thing. To what ends -- is a bigger question. I think of it as a tool that can, among other things, pry art from the jaws of mass indifference, but how, when, and why would have to considered unique to each situation. I guess it would be more honest to post an argument for the Go-Betweens' use of it than to attempt to prove the negative with comments on the Rosebuds.

Finally, it sounds like a good idea that we should read more Barthes. I haven't read Death of the Author, but I've found his writing very hard to digest. Speaking of French theory, I hear Attali's Noise is both readable and enriching. Anybody concur?

(After doing some homework) Attali seems like very workable theory. Bookmarked: http://cjtm.icaap.org/content/20/v20art5.html
It's all Foucault to me, applied.

everybody on earth is political

no, everybody on earth is bisexual. only elected and appointed officials are political.

The first song has officially made my day. Thanks!

I take it Agent Simple really, really likes Magnetic Fields.

He's channeling the hell out of Merritt, that's for sure. Still and all, neat!

I dunno. He makes me thing of The Diskettes, if the Diskettes discovered full percussion and electronic instruments.

I wouldn't want The Diskettes to make those dicoveries, since they're just fine as they are. If they did I would shout "Judas" the next time they came to the UK... actually, that would be pretty cool.

But I'm glad someone's doing it. Agent Simple makes me smile.

I went through the e-mailing/ordering process to get this EP; here's the heads up. Agent Simple sent me to Bedroom Records, who in turn sent me to http://shop.hellosurprise.com/ (not .net, as listed on the Bedroom website). You can order the Agent Simple EP and anything else from Bedroom Records here with Paypal (I threw in the Holding a Peach EP, too).

thank you so much, dekadetia. you're nice.

You're nice!

agent simply great.

like listening a conversation between magnetic fields and scotland yard gospel choir - you can hear them bouncing ideas of each other, laughing at each other's jokes.

thank goodness for songs like this which make the rain seem, well, less rainy.

it's amazing

I hear some Jonathan Richman in there, too; a little bit in the unadorned vocal delivery but even moreso in the bouncy near-innocence of the lyrics and the feel-good strumminess of the guitars. Good stuff!

Architecture in Helsinki didn't rule the school!? :( They were the bestest most fantastic thing I saw this year... (Well yeah, Arcade Fire, blah blah blah.)

You forgot Busdriver, who also took the stage during the Islands set to run us through a little Corn'Gangg preview.
Oh and Architecture cancelled due to van problems.
Biggest dissapointment of the weekend.
Oh but what about Holy Fuck? They made me feel like I was revisiting The Intonation fest with Out Hud.

Oh well great stuff all around.

Well that van-tragedy explains it! How sad.

I am very excited to get home and listen to these. It is most cool that NEW STUFF was discovered during the festival and not just the realisation that "oh, yeah, beck's pretty rad".

The "string section" of Islands are actually permanent members Sebastian Chow and Alex Chow (no relation), both from McGill, and I believe (though don't quote me on this) that the band is static at the moment.

I think I'll make a post about how Beck's pretty rad, just to prove that I'm on the leading edge of music trends. Or did you know that already?

I don't think the Plywood song is much like Primus, really. The bass and drums are all wrong.

The Telefauna song (I almost typed "saung") is awesome. Love the laid-back funk on the guitar and the random odd sound effects.

the islands show was fabulous, but i unfortunately missed architechture in helsinki. i definitly agree that the sampler cd was by far the best part of the weekend- i really liked the song by socalled- and the fact that hes playing on the first night of rosh hashana- get it? klezmer hip hop- i laughed.

The Islands song is much, much, much better than the previous Islands songs that leaked. I am now officially psyched about the project (I was not before).

Mike F and Jim Guthrie are both artists with a lot of talent, and I continue to think that they have great things within them.

Your words on the song are really good too. That box you make, your parents watching, is made in time with the piano bumps. side-side-side-side.

I love the chomp of the Think About Life tune. This is kinda how I wish Franz Ferdinand sounded (or perhaps just the way the Daft Punk remix oughta have sounded).

What an amazing Blog. I love it all.

God forgive me, I loved the Kings of Leon show last night.

And Caleb's soooo dreamy.

out.

K

Do you know if the islands will have an album coming out anytime?

Thanks for that Think About Life song- cannot wait to see them when they come through on tour.

Islands are 'apparently' releasing in the UK soon.. TBA. The album rules.

Was I at a different Islands show than the rest of you? Holy Fuck tore the shit up on Saturday night. The Islands set was marred by horrible horrible sound. From the middle to the back of the room you could only hear guitar, some keyboard and the strings were completely lost (this not helped by the fact that one of the violinists avoided playing into a microphone altogther). Vocals were way way too low in the mix. I gleaned that there were some amazing pop songs being played but I'll be damned if I could actually here any of the subtleties that their music obviously needs. I won't even get into the humid room and woefully low stage that made actually watching the band impossible.

But yeah, the song on the PopMontreal sampler is nice.

I was at Telefauna show too - and yeah, they sorta fizzled out. But they got something interesting going on there.

Architecture In Helsinki was cancelled. Their van broke down.

Antony & The Johnsons was hands down the best show of the fest. CocoRosie were the biggest suprise. What an amazing, solid set.

Islands album this fall on Rough Trade.

that gordon thomas song made my life...have you seen pictures of him?!!!

I didn't go to the festival but I did get to Architecture in Helsinki the other night. What a fun and amazing event. They even let my friend and I come on stage for the encore and play our melodicas with them. They are truly great.

I've been going through all my mp3 blog downloads that weren't deleted or categorized. Yesterday i re-found "boogie dancin'" and it's been a delightful 24 hours. Thanks for all the great music you've turned me on to for the last few years.

Listen up - EVERYONE should go to Architecture in Helsinki, whether or not you like the band. SERIOUSLY -- I am serious.

Blocks vs Antony is very tough. I guess you'll have to decide on the night. Blocks will be a blast-uh, but Antony was really surprisingly wonderful in Edinburgh, far more of a cathartic pleasure than I expected.

Am off to work so will listen to songs later. Thanks, Dan.

Gonzales on Monday would also be lovely-warm and sweetness. (Make sure M goes, if she can.) You can say hi to him from the guy who did merch for the Arcade Fire in London. :)

Are you positive about your friday selection? Not that Im saying Kosher Dill Spears etc. are not worth it, however I had to choose The Stars and Donkey Heart over anything else. I mean its freaking DONKEY HEART! They are back from the dead and hopefully rocking as ever. and The Stars make me want to cry, in that beautiful way ( I think...)

Wait- what about Black Mountain? thats friday too, eh? hard times these are... I can't decide what to go to...

RE: Puffy Ami Yumi... I couldn't believe how friggin' HUGE those lasses are when I moved to Tokyo. If a band has garnered a marginal underground buzz in North America (a la Guitar Wolf, Melt Banana, Acid Mother's Temple), then they're stoopid big over here. Thee Michelle Gun Elephant have their own glossy photo coffee-table book, fer cryin' out loud! Puffy would get billed above Destiny's Child, and Otomo Yoshihide makes John Zorn look like some Knitting Factory upstart.

Yeah isn't that Puffy song one of the biggest singles in the history of Japan or something?

Arts and Crafts was my choice for last (Friday) night.. definitely a quality decision. Torquil Campbell even showed up (before playing his show that night? huh) so that was nice. I'm headed to Metric tonight, partially so I can toss things at Noah of the Lovely Feathers for leaving our place a mess and for taking back his washing machine. Ha.

p.s. islands are playing a ton more shows in the coming weeks, including an opener for B.S.S. 10/22

Oh, and Tokyo Police Club rocked the house last night. Verrrry nice, AND they brought cupcakes.

This boat song sort of reminds me of a certain david dondero song!

What show on Wednesday?

The band is preparing to play their best show yet at Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room on Wednesday Sept. 28th. They will be playing with No Fi Soul Rebellion, Martian Memo To God, and The Conversation Heart. Plans are in place to recruit the 3 piece string section for this show. Will it happen? I bet it will.