Some music
Because I constantly need to validate of my taste in music by posting about it on this blog, here's something about two CDs that have been the rotation recently.
First up we have the self-titled first album from Santogold (aka Santi White). I prefer to call this album sparkle-vomit. Just look at that cover. You may have heard the song 'Creator' in commercials for some awful beer I've never had (Bud Light Lime). Also it was in the season finale of Entourage last year, which I know despite the fact that I hate that show, except for the one where they gamble on soccer with Dennis Hopper.
Anyway, where was I? Clearly the best song on the album is LES Artistes. It's a good example of how this album crosses genres. Everything I just read says its kind of like MIA but less world-music and more 80s. Wikipedia compares her to the Pixies for some reason (Lights out?). I can see similarities to Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) or Debbie Harry more clearly. Also she's from Philly, and used to be in a punk/ska band, so there's that.
Pretentious quote from Pitchfork: "She's a consummate pop songwriter. Santogold might try to separate formula and art, but her album catches fire when she blasts that distinction into irrelevance."
Here's the video for LES Artistes.
Weird.
Secondly we have something that's just a wee bit different: Low's eighth album Drums and Guns. The Duluth, Minn. indie threesome has been around since 1993, although it looks like they have run through a couple different bassists, if the internets are to be believed. Also the two longtime members are married to each other and are Mormons for some reason.
This album is sparse, marked by minimal arrangements and lots of harmony. The sound is described by some as "slowcore" but obviously the band hates that term. The fuzzy organs and drum loops don't make it easy to get into this on the first listen. I'd say the most accessible song is probably 'Murderer'.
Pitchfork Pretention: The original EP from which "Murderer" was taken was Low at their most stark and dramatic; this version stands up ably to the first (as opposed to the unfortunate recut of "Silver Rider" from Great Destroyer), adding an insistent 4/4 bass pulse as well as a subtle guitar loop that works as an effective earworm, and a martial drumbeat that underlines the lyrics and serves the album's theme.
Yeah, here's a video of the song Breaker.
4 comments:
I think that you will enjoy this, though you will probably give me shit about it.
So I was hanging out with my new roommates this past weekend and Blackout Boy decided to come out and play. The best part is when my one roommate came down to the kitchen in the morning sometime to get some water or something. He found me passed out face down on the kitchen floor in a pool of my own blood. I don't really know what happened, but I must have eaten shit right on my chin because I have some crazy scab on it. Luckily , it is all hidden by my facial hair. But the shitty thing was after my roommate woke me up, I went to my bed where i proceeded to bleed all over that. Now i have to just throw away my sheets because of the blood stains on them. I don't feel to bad because two of my other roommates blacked out that night too. Needless to say, everyone was impressed.
-On another note, I heard Rob broke his ankle trying to jump off a balcony or something. That sounds exactly like what that kid needed.
Nothing good, musically, has ever come out of Duluth Minnesota.
How's the new Sigur Ros, goats? I just picked it up from some top men. A little too ethnic for me, on the first listen through.
@TMoney: Who? TOP MEN.
I haven't heard the new Sigur Ros too much -- the video for 'Gobbledygook' is quality with its naked jungle people running around and whatnot.
Also, ethnic Icelandic? That doesn't even make sense.
@ anon: Sounds like its time for some painkillers.
don't be silly, there are no mormons in minnesota.
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