Archives : all posts by Dan

Women - "Cameras"

This band's name makes it awkward to talk about them, which I'm sure is intentional. Women are from Alberta. Women are men. Women made Women. It's a very interesting little record. Women decided to make it only 29 minutes long. But not in that "19 tracks in 18 minutes" bark punk kind of way. No, it's half songs half ambience, which is both very effective and inevitably a bit too clever. "Cameras" is the introduction to Women, and to Women. And it's pretty exciting. Only a minute long and I want to listen to more Women.

Women - "Black Rice"

One of the four straight-ahead songs on the album, Black Rice is easily, casually (like a runner strolling over the line) the best. It comes out of a track of 3 minutes of pink noise, and it's a gorgeous smooth ride in an air-suspension old car. One of those big old ones. Through the light on an old tree-lined street. The thumping clapping drum, the tubular (yes, I did) bass, the piano plinks, they're all kind of carrying you, they're happening, but not to you, you're just floating. You're growing.

[Site]

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Elsewhere: At McSweeney's, Walter Murch presents an article from 1896 written by a man reporting on what it's like to see a movie. It's completely marvelous, serious, fascinating, scary as hell.

Titus Andronicus - "No Future"

A speaker as big as a house, enough furniture to get drunk on, and a screen door to keep the bugs out. A slow dance with the wolfman, four aspirin, a shooting star and a swimming pool. A dark grass field, noise complaints, tagging a tot lot and begging for sex. Wasted allowance, shock value, breakfast and sleep. [Buy] [Previously]

Now, Now Every Children - "Everyone You Know"

Inside me there lives a 15-year-old girl named Helen who is living this completely separate life to me; she has a bastard of a boyfriend, a poor diet, bad posture, she watches figure skating and Idol (secretly) and Gossip Girl and Criminal Minds, she has a gym membership and doesn't use it, a cell phone and overuses it, a smile with dark edges and eyes that always dart for the floor, too-small breasts and an obsession with animal rights that manifests no further than giving herself nightmares by going to disturbing websites. This is her favourite song, but other than listen to it together, we don't really hang out. She's got her own things, you know? [5$]

Urinals - "Hologram"
Urinals - "Hologram (live)"

One brother is creepy, he walks around the schoolyard late at night when all the kids have gone home, he takes extremely long showers, he smokes, quiet and long, on the porch every night, just looking at the dark street. He's young looking, but he doesn't tell anyone when his birthday is, so no one knows how old he is. I've never seen him with a girlfriend, but I don't think he's gay either. The other brother is a lot easier to understand. He speaks a lot clearer, he has bright eyes, and it seems like he's always partying. He'll make you an omelette if he's having one, you know? He likes sports, he has a really pale girlfriend, and he can fix a lot of stuff. But he also smokes, and I also couldn't say how old he is, and, now that I think of it, they both kind of have this same quiver in their voice, this hint of hollowness, that's kind of like they're dead. [Buy]

Digital Leather - "Perfect Copy"

Rubber sidewalk, maroon garage, "Wheel of Fortune", looking glass.
Bending board, Humber College, keep a secret, jell-o gold.
Tantric banking, "Hello, World!", lumber pile, New York Shitty.
Servant school, Lake of Post-Its, german shepherd, Halloween.

[Site]

Jumbling Towers - "Gamble"

I urge you to follow the grim extended come-hither finger from the caped and shadowy Jumbling Towers, all haunted stomp and flash-eyed flourish. Because they deliver on promises made. His voice is part snake part fireworks, part challenge-to-a-duel part running-out-of-fuel. And his band around him creeps jangling and moaning through dawn.

Jumbling Towers - "Classy Entertainment"

Listen again.

You're brought running through woods, branches whipping your face, by the hand.

Towards wildfire clearings, where the flames are contained and the chorus is safely celebrating.

Back on familiar grass, you may have damp dew cheeks, your friends may be around, but the memory of that wizard still remains. You check your phone for pictures, but they're all blurry and orange.

[Site]

An Horse - "Warm Hands"

The back of the CD case says this is called "Warm Hands", but when I put it in my computer, and it does that thing where it looks up the tracks, it comes in as "Scared as Fuck". I don't like one title more than the other, in fact I quite like both titles being the title, simultaneously. Because to me the song is about two things at once; running away and sticking it out. "I'm not really scared" can be said by someone running with tears on their cheeks just as much as it can by someone with drunken fists clenched and swaying. And tonight, in the sink of a national holiday, I really feel for this song's hero. There's something young and intrepid in her novice lilt and shout. Something similar to that dippy place where your collarbones meet. Soft, gorgeous, rested in a ridge. I can hear her sing this song to herself at night on hallway streets and to dark black parks, to keep whatever forever away. [Buy]

Hologram - "Mommies"

I've posted Hologram before, but I'm not sure I made my point. They have a 5$ collection of songs that will change your life. They won't turn you from something into something else, but they will change your life the way an icicle changes a whole house, or a safer bike route changes your whole scenery's dayscape. They're a brilliant band because they're impeccable, they don't make mistakes. I won't let them. [Buy]

This blog has a very certain palette of themes. Growing up, yes, that's one. Connections between people, the smaller and truer the better, sure. But today's theme is home. StG's home, for instance, is Montreal. We have not always lived here, some us lived away for years, some are still away, but here is where it was born and still lives. It was born out of excitement and inspiration and a delight for music, for writing, for work, for each other and all the rest.

And from an amber apartment in Montreal, comes this city's newest shimmering gem; Adam & the Amethysts and their first album Amethyst Amulet. Today, and tomorrow, are dedicated to this bright and grinning debut.

Adam & the Amethysts - "Bumble Bee"

When I saw Adam & the Amethysts play their first live show, the songs were all about home. Adam comes from Thunder Bay, and every song either related to or was described as completely unrelated to, but yes indeed indirectly related to, Thunder Bay. I didn't ask about any truth or anything about this song, because I was too caught up in the rumble of that marching drum. There's a subterranean kind of power to this song. It's a song about what's under ground, about what flows underfoot, under the bridge. And what else is this riverbank, with its rocks and its rushing, rolling water, but home? A light green fluorescent white cotton-poly sheeted home lined in chrome-bars at waist height and machines machines machines. But never, despite wanting to, despite being perfectly able to, does Adam ever explode, it's all held in, it's all kept rather civil. Civil and shaking.

[Site]
[Pre-Order]

Golden Boots - "Days Are Night"

May I say something before you begin? May I say that your boots are glorious. Your shirt is thin, it almost billows when you walk. Your teeth, the ones that you show when you give a little smile, they're very shiny. Before you begin, can I just add that standing next to you is like standing with someone in a phone booth; close feels closer, and your breath feels nice. Can I say that I loved this immediately? Like, right away, no second thoughts. I think you're stuck in a muddy old bar, in a basement and I want to stay. Okay, you can start now. [buy the double EP EV/Coyote Deathbed Surprise]

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Festival - "Valentine"

This is like the musical version of old-timey fireworks. Dark tall grass, a hillside in lantern light, old dresses with underdresses, and three layers of slips under that. Candy-crusted apples, sweaty glowing skin, hand-holding, and yips of excitement. The sky lighting up with cracks and streaks like absolutely nothing you've ever seen. [Buy from Drag City] (thanks, Damian)

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Lykke Li was, as if I may, completely bangin'.