Archive
Jónsi & Alex – Riceboy Sleeps
Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi Birgisson and his boyfriend Alex Somers have been working on visual art since 2003, and the Riceboys Sleeps is now hitting earbuds around the globe. Their song “Happiness” was on the Dark Was the Night compilation earlier this year, and their full-length self-titled album comes out on July 21st. It can now be pre-ordered on Amazon or the deluxe edition from http://www.jonsiandalex.com/. They’ve been giving away Boy 1904 for new people who sign up for their mailing list.
DOWNLOAD: Riceboy Sleeps – Boy 1904 (MP3)
Track listing:
1. Happiness
2. Atlas Song
3. Indian Summer
4. Stokkseyri
5. Boy 1904
6. All The Big Trees
7. Daníell In The Sea
8. Howl
9. Sleeping Giant
~Dan – np: Miles Davis – Aura
tons of news
Nine Stories!
In this episode: The new Masada Quintet with special guest Joe Lovano, the Jenny Owen Youngs‘ video that I somehow missed, Nellie McKay‘s Election musical, Fanfarlo for $1, the deaths of JazzTimes & Jeff Hanson, the resurrection of Futurama, a new Wussy video, and Asthmatic Kitty’s most excellent Library Catalog Music Series…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The new Masada Quintet with special guest Joe Lovano just came out for June on Tzadik Records. It’s the original Masada Quartet (John Zorn on alto sax, Dave Douglas on trumpet, Greg Cohen on bass & Joey Baron on drums) plus pianist Uri Caine… plus special guest tenor sax Joe Lovano. Holy cow!!! It’s the first official studio release from the Masada Quartet since 1999’s י [Yod] (or 2005 if you count the unreleased/rarities compilation Sanhedrin). This album is bound to be at the top of my “best of” list for 2009.
This video from Jenny Owen Youngs came out in September 2007. How did I miss it? It’s a brilliant singer-songwriter cover of rapper Nelly‘s “Hot in Herre” (so take off all your clothes). I bought the iTunes single… great stuff:
Nellie McKay is writing a musical based on the book/movie Election. Read more about it over on Brooklyn Vegan blog.
Fanfarlo just put on their debut album, Reservoir, for $1. Fanfarlo is a London-based band founded by Swedish musician Simon Balthazar. Nice textured indie pop… think Sigur Rós meets Sufjan Stevens. The album, in full, is available for only $1.00 until July 4th, 2009 at http://www.fanfarlo.com/.
The economy took another print-media victim. This time it’s the death (or “temporary suspension”) of JazzTimes magazine. The 38 year old magazine couldn’t maintain readership in the new era of online content. It’s a sad day, as it was a great magazine. I hope it’s able to come back later in some form or another under new ownership, as mentioned in the Howard Mandel article.
Whispy singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson died last Saturday (6/5) after an accidental fall on his cement-floored apartment in St. Paul, MN. Jeff was known for his feminine vocal style and songwriting/sound similar to late indie rocker Elliott Smith (who also died young). He had three great albums out on Kill Rock Stars. I hate to sound selfish, but I’m bummed I missed him when he recently came through Portland. We lost another one, far too young…
In “Oh Sweet, Futurama’s On” News, the resurrection of Futurama is eminent. Much like Family Guy, the popularity soared even after being originally canceled. Futurama had some straight-to-DVD movies recently, and it will return with new 26 episodes on Comedy Central in the winter 2010.
A favorite band of mine from Cincinnati, Wussy, has a new “acoustic from an RV” video of “Maglite.” They recently put out their 3rd full length album, and it lives up to the quality and momentum in their prior two albums (plus 1 EP). Check out the video and then check out the album at Shake It Records:
Asthmatic Kitty’s most excellent Library Catalog Music Series just came out. The naming of the series sounds… boring. However, it’s really great instrumental music. There are three issues thus far: 900X: Music for Lubbock 1980, Law of the Least Effort: Music for Measurements, and Casey Foubert/James McAlister: Music for Drums. My favorite is the 900X one. Really, really good electronic, post-rockiness. If you liked a more “sane” version of Sufjan Steven’s Enjoy Your Rabbit, I bet you’d like the LCMS. Check it out at Asthmatic Kitty Records.
~Dan – np: Fanfarlo – Reservoir
How do you say “four” in Icelandic?
(Jónsi with Sigur Rós in Portland, Oct 2008)
Well, 2009/2010 is bound to be a good period for things Sigur Rós‘ related. I had heard about the first three, but just found out about the fourth item. It was the icing on the cake…
- Sigur Rós singer/guitarist Jónsi Birgisson and longtime partner Alex Somers are on the cusp of releasing the audio debut from their collaboration Riceboy Sleeps (they released a small arty booklet a year or two ago). The first leak was on the recent Dark Was the Night compilation (with Sufjan Stevens, My Brightest Diamond, The National, Iron & Wine, David Byrne, The Decemberists, etc). Read more about Riceboy Sleeps here.
- Jónsi also has a solo album in the works. While being called “ecstatic,” being the voice of Sigur Rós, I doubt it’ll fall too far from the tree. Read more about Jónsi solo here.
- Keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson also has his musical pen in the solo work well… he’s writing the score for the film Odine. Read more about Kjartan’s score here.
- And… Sigur Rós are in the studio working on their 6th (traditional) studio album, the follow-up to last year’s Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Not much in as far as details, outside of it being “melodic but much less noisy and more ‘out there’ than previous albums.” This excites me, as I loved Takk and Med sud, I loved-loved-loved-loved the more “out there-ness” of Ágætis Byrjun & ( ). This album is expected sometime in 2010. This was originally posted on sigur-ros.co.uk.
~Dan – np: Dave Douglas Quintet – Live at Jazz Standard, 12/8/06 (Set 3)
limited editions up the ying yang
(photo by xPyralisx)
Holy cow… I got (Porcupine Tree, No-man, Blackfield frontman) Steven Wilson‘s double-disc+dvd uber-deluxe edition of his first solo album Insurgentes in the mail today. Holy cow. Like, seriously… wow. Gorgeous artwork. Utterly gorgeous. If most albums are just normal, this one is a Hyperbole Department’s Executive Management. Check out http://www.swhq.co.uk/ for a trailer or two for the album. The limited edition only had 3,000 pressings (for the 2CD/1DVD version) and 1,000 pressings for the (2CD/1DVD/vinyl version). Alas, the normal album will be well worth the cover price as well (and out in Feb 2009 on KScope)… Steven Wilson is one artist in the rock scene that truly excites me lately.
I also got a notification for “not enough postage” on the Sigur Rós uber-deluxe edition of Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. Gotta pick that up at the post office tomorrow and bring my $3.28 to resolve the postal inequity.
I’ll post reviews with pics over the weekend, while I’m chillin’ the empty cavities where my wisdom teeth used to be.
~Dan – np: MSNBC Countdown Keith Olberman – 11/24/08 podcast
-and then after it ripped to my iTunes-
Steven Wilson – Insurgentes
art
Sigur Rós photos (Portland 10/6/08)
Sigur Rós pictures from the Portland show on Monday, October 6th are now posted over at my review of the show:
https://jazzsick.wordpress.com/2008/10/07/sigur-ros-pdx2008/
REVIEW: Sigur Rós @ Arlene Schnitzer Hall (Portland, OR – – 10/6/08)
FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW are at the BOTTOM
This was my third time to the Arlene Schnitzer Hall. It’s a great venue, and while I thought I would have gotten a better ticket via ordering from Klink (the Sigur merch site)… well, I was further to the back and left than I would have liked. It was still a good spot for pics and hearing some wonderful music.
The opener, Parachutes, is a band I got into sometime in 2007 due to a linkage to Sigur Rós via the MySpaces. I was excited to see them on the bill. They were obviously influenced by Sigur Rós. I mean… obviously. But in my world, that’s not a bad thing. They had 8 or 9 players, and at one point I know 10 people were playing with them. Again, very Sigur Rós-y, slow build, xylophone, strings, bombastic drums, keys, soft vocals. They played about 40 minutes, and I enjoyed them very much. I picked up their EP for $5 (usð)… i.e.- a steal. Unfortunately, my pics of theirs didn’t come out, as they didn’t have as much light on stage as Sigur Rós.
Now on to Sigur Rós…
Sigur Rós was… Sigur Rós. This was my 5th time seeing them, and while some may consider there to be the law of diminishing returns, with Sigur Rós the diminishments are such minutae that it’s not even diminishing anymore. Their shows are like taking a nap on a cloud during a rainstorm… or something. It’s completely surreal, mesmerizing, powerful, gentle, sublime, and… shiny.
(not my pic… obviously)
It’s funny to me, that with their non-English song names and their non-English singing… I still knew about half of the song titles within the first few chords. I think it’s osmosis or something, as I’ll admit that I don’t listen to them all that often (or often enough to know all of their song names). Anyway, thanks to the SR forum, I was able to fill in the remainder of the setlist (see below)…
10/6/08 Portland Setlist: (as noted on the SR forum)
- Svefn-g-englar *fav of show*
- Glósóli
- Ný batterí *fav of show*
- Fljótavík *
- Við spilum endalaust *
- Hoppípolla *fav of show*
- Með blóðnasir
- Inní mér syngur vitleysingur *
- Svo Hljótt
- Heysátan
- E-bow – on setlist, not played
- Viðrar vel til loftárása – on setlist, not played
- Sæglópur
- Festival *
- Gobbledigook * *fav of show – confetti kaboom*
- encore: All Alright *
- Popplagið *fav of show*
* For pronunciations of the songs and album name from their most recent album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, go HERE (blog link with audio).
Overall, this was an amazing time. Every time I see Sigur Rós, I am blown away. This was their 2nd to last date on the North American tour (and their last date in the United States for this tour); so they’ve been getting a lot of practice lately. They were on top of their game, and put together an amazingly mesmerizing show
The Appropriate Linkage:
- http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
- http://www.myspace.com/sigurros
- http://www.myspace.com/parachutesmakesongs (the opener)
- Sigur Rós @ NYC MoMA (46 minute pro-shot concert video)
- Official Video for “Gobbledigook” (1st single – video contains nudity)
- Official Video for “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur” (2nd single – from concert footage)
~Dan – recently played: Yoshie Fruchter – Pitom
SIGUR ROS CONCERT PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2008 Daniel Temmesfeld,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution
iRandom {28 Aug 08}
Some random listening this morning from the iPod’s shuffle option…
- Mogwai “Kappa” from Government Sessions
This was fortuitous, as I’m going to see Mogwai in Portland next week. :) The Government Sessions was my first experience with Mogwai.
- John Scofield “Whatcha See is Whatcha Get” from Up All Night
A little bit too hotel lobby jazz for me compared to some of J.Sco’s other stuff… but great for reading through employee benefit audit guidance.
- Frank Zappa “The Moon Will Never Be the Same” from Joe’s Xmasage
More of the avant-garde meanderings from FZ. Short, but not sweet.
- Sigur Rós “Bíum Bíum Bambaló” from Angels of the Universe
This is easily my favorite track from this soundtrack / score.
- Silverchair “No Association” from Freak Show
Ah, from their good ol’ gah-rung-ah era…
- The Sheds “Rootwings” from You’ve Got a Light
Cincinnati quirfolk duo… but one of their more straight forward songs… they haven’t put anything out lately, I don’t think. I may have to poke by their website when I get home tonight. http://www.theshedsmusic.com/
- Tim Sparks “Where Are You My Lover?” from Tanz
Gentle guitars on this overall beautiful Tzadik release.
- Frank Zappa “Flakes” from Beat the Boots #7: Saarbrücken
Two FZ tunes in the 10-song spin… what are the odds? Well, actually, they are 1,110 available FZ songs out of 14,678 non-replacing permutations (all songs currently on my iPod) would be a 0.57% chance for 2 FZ to land somewhere in the first 10 spins (unless I did the math incorrectly – which is highly likely, as my stats book from last term was borrowed from a colleague). Anyway… fun song, complete with a pretty bad, but funny, Bob Dylan impression.
- Caedmon’s Call “I Just Don’t Want Coffee” from I Just Don’t Want Coffee -EP-
This one has different lyrics from the Warner debut version. It’s one of the more compelling, and thankfully not Jebusy, Derek Webb-penned early Caedmon’s tunes. Derek Webb is a great songwriter. Even though I have philosophical differences with him, I still love him and his music.
- Yann Tiersen “Soir de fête” from Rue des Cascades
Yann, you wiley devil. Great instrumentalism with the grounded feel of folk music, but the fun of a circus parade.
Well, I shant type robustly about the 11th and so on shuffled tune… even thought I want to (#11 was Estradasphere and #12 was Isis). Anyway, that’s just a peak inside my ears this morning… check any of them out on iTunes or the Amazon.
~Dan
ha’fway
(Sub)consciously prompted by this music blog, here are my favs of the first half of 2008… it’s all bound to switch around by year’s end:
Artist Album (label)
- The Secret Chiefs 3 play Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 9: Xaphan (Tzadik)
- The Bar Kokhba Sextet play Masada Book Two: Book of Angels, Vol. 10: Lucifer (Tzadik)
- My Brightest Diamond A Thousand Shark’s Teeth (Asthmatic Kitty)
- Opeth Watershed (RoadRunner)
- Earth The Bees Make Honey in the Lion’s Skull (Southern Lord)
- Dave Douglas & Keystone Live at Jazz Standard, 4/10/2008 to 4/13/2008 (2 sets each night = 8 CDs worth, each set downloadable within 24 hours of the performance… cool stuff…) (Green Leaf)
- Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (XL)
- Reptet Chicken or Beef? (Monktail Creative Music Concern)
- John Zorn’s The Dreamers (Tzadik)
- King’s X XV (Inside Out)
- Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) Secrets of the New Explorers -EP- (Umami)
- Ashes Divide (Bill Howerdel of A Perfect Circle) Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright (Island)
- Mike Patton A Perfect Place (Ipecac)
- Puscifer V is for Viagra – The Remixes (Puscifer)
- Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey Lil’ Tae Rides Again (Hyena)
- Bill Frisell History, Mystery (Nonesuch)
- Steven Bernstein (of Sex Mob) Diaspora Suite (Tzadik)
- Hiromi Beyond Standard (Telarc)
- Stebmo Stebmo (Stebmo)
- Bobby Previte & New Bump New Bump: Set the Alarm for Monday (Palmetto)
- Swami Late Plate (Previte & Saft) Doom Jazz (Veal)
- Porcupine Tree We Lost the Skyline -EP- (Transmission)
- Raquy and the Cavemen Mischief (Meef)
- Aimee Mann @#%&*! Smilers (Super Ego)
- Kaki King Dreaming of Revenge (Velour)
The 2nd half of 2008 promises to bring some potential great ones, too… Medeski Martin & Wood play John Zorn’s Masada Book Two, 3 other Medeski Martin & Wood albums (later in the year), Secret Chiefs 3 Book of Souls (maybe), God of Shamisen debut, Extreme Saudades de Rock, Mike Patton‘s Mondo Cane, Mike Patton & Dan the Automator’s Crudo, a new Sufjan Stevens (just speculating, since it’s been a while), Ben Folds is working on one, Ani DiFranco always has something coming out, Jude‘s Cuba, Jon Madof‘s CircuitBreaker debut (and maybe another Rashanim?), The Tango Saloon‘s Transylvania, new Tristeza, Over the Rhine Live from Nowhere III, David Bazan full-length, George Hrab (maybe?), SFJazz 2008 with Dave Douglas & Joe Lovano and others, Frank Zappa‘s One Shot Deal, another installment of the John Zorn avant-metal trio of Mike Patton/Trevor Dunn/Joey Baron… and I’m sure another dozen or more that I’ll dig from Tzadik.
they’re taking over
I don’t mean to make this a Sigur Rós-centric blog, but here’s Stereogum‘s great report from Bonnaroo 2008:
They (i.e. Barbara Streisand) say people who need people are the luckiest people. But you know who really are the luckiest people? People who have a ticket to see Sigur Rós this summer. It’s not that I haven’t seen ’em before, but it’s been 24 hours and I’m still paralyzed from the 1AM bliss fest of their set Saturday night in That Tent. Here’s why you should sell all your possessions to secure a ticket to see them right now:
- The current setlist is a catalog-spanning beast, showcasing hallmark moments from each of the band’s style shifts, from the dark and dank Ágætis byrjun, to the slowest-of-core unpronounceabilites of the ( ) stuff, to the triumphant Takkisms. (Saturday brought “Svefn-g-englar” [the “it’s you-oooo” song], “Njósnavélin” [the “yu-silo” song], “Olsen Olsen,” “Hoppípolla,” “Glósóli,” and non-album crowd fave “Hafsól” [the drumstick-on-the-bass song]).
- The Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust stuff crushes it live, comes with lots of horns, ups the band’s overall joy quotient, and really seems to have loosened them up, as people, even more. Last night these included “Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur,” “Godan Daginn,” “Vid Spilum Endalaust,” “Festival,” “All Alright” (the one in English!) and of course “Gobbledigook.”
- Umm, “Gobbledigook.” Which winds up having 12 people on stage (fully clothed, sorry), a drumline powered by amiina, confetti guns, and, most notably, a wildly grinning Jonsi.
- The mariachi band that parades the stage during “Sé Lest” has a pretty great outfit.
- They are the best band in the world.
Read the entire Stereogum Bonnaroo entry **HERE**, plus check out some YouTube videos from the show there as well…
~Dan – np: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog – Party Intellectuals
((O)) planets have aligned ((O))
I’ll be in Portland* on Monday, October 6th for work.
*-Portland, Oregon. Maine, quit asking!! It’s not gonna happen.
Icelandic ambient/post-rock/rock band (pick one) Sigur Rós will also be in Portland on Monday, October 6th… for work at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (downtown).
I just got a ticket to their workplace to see what their daily grind is like. This’ll be my 5th time seeing them… and I’m stoked. Each time is surreal / magnanimous / phosphorescent / pah-nah-men-ah.
Sigur Rós can come see me at my work for free that day, because that’s how *I* roll. Jonsi, call me. ::gestures::
May & June Music
Here are 10 May & June CD releases that I’ve been digging… in approximate order of release…
King’s X – XV: While some people kinda nay-sayed it, I give this one a thorough three thumbs up. Of course, I’m a long-time KX fan, and while some of their albums don’t suit me well (um… Black Like Sunday), I think this album is pretty well rounded. I might’a chopped the opening track “Pray” (not normally a good sign to chop the lead-off), but I think the rest of the album does any King’s X fan well. It’s got the great bass rumble from Doug, and a great mix of lead vocals not just from Doug but also a handful from guitarist Ty Tabor… and even one from drummer Jerry Gaskill (only his 3rd or 4th lead vocal track for King’s X… yay!). I think this album will stack up well in their vast catalogue.
Bill Frisell – History, Mystery: Great double-disc from jazz guitar great Bill Frisell. He also brings along a few favorite players of mine… Bungle / Zorn / Secret Chief 3’s Eyvind Kang on viola and Sex Mob & Electric Masada drummer Kenny Wollesen. Also on the CD are Ron Miles (cornet), Hank Roberts (cello), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Tony Scherr (bass), and Greg Tardy (clarinet / tenor sax). I saw Bill Frisell, Eyvind Kang, and Rudy Royston last week in Eugene (review is here), and they played a few tracks from this record. Truly outstanding… and not like an uncashed check.
In other Bill Frisell May & June release news… the re-issue of the 1987 News for Lulu trio album with John Zorn & George Lewis is awesome. I think I was expecting more avant-garde music, but it’s really concise/interpretive takes of compositions by jazz historical figures Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Freddie Redd, and Sonny Clark. It’s out on one of my favorite Swiss jazz labels, Hatology. More News for Lulu is due in Jan 2009.
Aimee Mann – @#%&*! Smilers: Heard about this record last fall, then forgot about it. I don’t know why I always forget about Aimee Mann, then she usually delivers more than I was expecting. @#%&*! Smilers starts out strong (my fav track is “Freeway”), and stays pretty consistently good throughout. I think it’s her strongest albums since Bachelor No. 2 (and Magnolia), even though Lost in Space and The Forgotten Arm were both strong efforts, too. I’m trying to forget about “the holiday album” (shiver / barf).
Hiromi – Beyond Standard: I hadn’t heard of Hiromi until sometime in late 2007 when I re-joined BMG for the brazillionth time. I needed to fill out a Jazz order, I heard some clips of her last one (Time Control), and it kicked my ass. I mean, piano jazz can be good (read: Thelonious Monk and early Herbie Hancock), but I tend to gravitate to brass (John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dave Douglas, John Zorn). Anyway, Hiromi is somewhat of a prodigy. She’s blazing fast at times, gentle at times, and completely off the hook other times (in the good way, obviously). Her Sonicbloom band is just short of brilliant. I wish I was up in Seattle a few days ago for her multi-day run at the Triple Door.
Demians – Building an Empire: This was an impulse purchase, and I needed something to fill out my Opeth order. Demians are a progressive rock band from the UK. They are in the vein of Porcupine Tree (i.e.- good songs, non-lame vocals). Check ’em out if you get a chance. They’re the sleeper / sneaker-upper album of the year so far for me. Like Abigail’s Ghost for me last year, there always seems to be some good prog-rock that strikes my fancy, even if I’ve been generally tired of the genre as of late.
Opeth – Watershed: Pretty much everything Opeth has ever done is pretty good to me. They’re sort of not death metal, but not not death metal. Lush vocals, death metal growl, acoustic & thrash guitars, ethereal effects and drum blast beats. It’s a concoction that’s both powerful and beautiful. This album is one of their best produced albums since the Steven Wilson production days (SW’s just too busy, but still remains friends). And luckily this one sheds off the keyboards that I felt plagued their last one (Ghost Reveries). Quality death metal for the 21st century… SIDENOTE: Testament‘s new one (The Formation of Damnation) is also great metal for 2008.
Alanis Morissette – Flavors of Entanglement: This will probably come off as a horrible thing to say, and I mean nothing sexist about it (it could happen to a male artist, too), but Alanis’ music is soooo much better when she’s not happily in a relationship. Her long-time relationship (for entertainment standards) to Ryan Reynolds came to a halt recently, and what do you know? She turned out her best emotion-filled album in a LONG TIME. Her last two “new” efforts (So-Called Chaos & JLP Acoustic) were OK to me. This one is right back on track (even though I think “Straightjacket” and the b-side “On the Tequila”… um… don’t seem to fit). It’s sad that some people have to suffer for their art to be better. Again, nothing sexist about it – – I’m bettin’ the next Silverchair (or other Daniel Johns’ side-project) will be better as well… for similar reasons (even though the last 3+ Silverchair records have been amazing without relationship turmoil).
My Brightest Diamond – A Thousand Shark’s Teeth: Stringier and less rock than her previous outing… yet still artistically sinewy with lush vocal gravity and brilliance. Shara Worden doesn’t enlist Sufjan Stevens this time around, but brings in Inlets‘ multi-instrumentalist Sebastian Krueger and the Osso String Quartet to fill out her sound. This is a great record and a great addition to the AwRy / My Brightest Diamond catalogue. I look forward to seeing her live this year (if she hits the PacNW). The best explanation/description I have for her voice is… purely sublime.
For those who don’t know of Shara Worden (i.e.- My Brightest Diamond), here’s a live video from her last (gorgeous) album (a song called “Disappear“). Her voice is goosebump inducing (for me at least):
Thanks to Eithan‘s blog for the reminding me of that gorgeous performance / video.
Clodplay (aka Coldplay) – Viva la Vida or A Really Long Pretentious Title: I wasn’t gonna buy this right away… but the opening week sale was a good one. Clodplay seems to be taking what Radiohead did a decade ago (or U2 two decades ago) and simply watering it down (more and more). And they’re far more asshole-y about it (or at least Chris Martin). With that being said, I still like ’em. I just don’t ever really feel the need to see them live …EVER (too expensive… which is saying something coming from me). OK, I take that back. If they were touring with a reunited Faith No More (FNM opener or closer) or Pink Floyd (PF closer)… I’d go to that show.
But, anyway, good album. The sale price is still about $2 too much. My recommendation… get it used for cheap. Unless you’re a rabid Clodplay fan. I imagine it’ll grow on me, eventually… the last one didn’t though. Meh. PS- “Yes” (#6) is a fantastic track. They need more like that…
Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: Technically not out until next week, the download version came early this week… I postponed my usual “front of the line” Smodcast listening for new Sigur Rós. Right off the bat, it’s more “accessible” than their previous (I thought/think people who said that about Takk were/are on… crakk). This one’s slightly more rocky and less atmospheric, but still very much a Sigur Rós record. Perhaps what I feel makes it more “accessible” is that the songs actually feel like songs to me — not just Hopelandic meanderings (which I also love). I’m only once through, but I really dig “Gobbledigook,” “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur,” “Við spilum endalaust,” “Festival,” and “Með suð í eyrum.”
Fav of the above? Opeth, My Brightest Diamond, Hiromi, and Sigur Rós are my current cream of the crop for the ones above… but they’re all pretty damn good. Regardless of my comments on Clodplay, too… it’s a good one. Even though they’re totally 2nd wave brit whine rock. ;)
Oh, and Secret Chiefs 3‘s Xaphan beats them all out for best album of the past 2 months (I guess that’s why it got its own blog).
~Dan – pp: Tiptons Saxophone Quartet – Live on KEXP Sonarchy Radio (podcast link)
np: Bill Frisell, Eyvind Kang, Rudy Royston – Live at the Shedd, Eugene-OR, 6/7/2008 (thanks Mike!)
whoa… lot of tags on this post. Eh, that’s what you get for a mega 10-album hustle. Oh, and yeah, “Clodplay” is the correct spelling of their name. ;)
new Sigur Rós pronunciations
Icelandic for Beginners, Tape 1
These foreign language help mp3s are originally from their MySpace page…
How to pronounce Sigur Rós’ new album name: CLICK HERE (small mp3, 140k)
Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
English: With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly
How to pronounce the album’s track names: CLICK HERE (small mp3, 279k)
| 1. | Gobbledigook | 7. | Ára bátur | |
| 2. | Inní mér syngur vitleysingur | 8. | Illgresi | |
| 3. | Góðan daginn | 9. | Fljótavík | |
| 4. | Við spilum endalaust | 10. | Straumnes | |
| 5. | Festival | 11. | All Alright | |
| 6. | Suð í eyrum |
the Sigur Rós announcement (27 May 08)
OK, well, the Sigur Rós announcement isn’t that the album is called ñækíð εή а ŧræé… it’s called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (eh, I was close, huh?), and it’ll be out June 24th in the U.S. The album name means “With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly.” Seriously. Go HERE for more info on the album. Pre-ordering begins June 2nd from sigurros.com.
So, MSIEVSE would be the shorthand for the album? Quality. Or maybe just Medsud…
Tracklist:
| 1. | Gobbledigook | 7. | Ára bátur | |
| 2. | Inní mér syngur vitleysingur | 8. | Illgresi | |
| 3. | Góðan daginn | 9. | Fljótavík | |
| 4. | Við spilum endalaust | 10. | Straumnes | |
| 5. | Festival | 11. | All Alright | |
| 6. | Suð í eyrum |
More Nakedness:
~Dan
Sigur Rós’ new album is called… “ñækíð εή а ŧræé” …?
Naked, tree-dwelling Icelandic band Sigur Rós will have “an important announcement” on sigurros.com on Tuesday, May 27th (noon UK, 7am EST, 4am PST)…
My guesses for what the news is all about…
- They found someone with a ladder; so they expect to come down from the tree shortly.
- They’re dissolving and forming two separate KISS cover bands.
- They are only touring cities next time that have active volcanoes within 20 miles of the stage.
- Their new reality television show got picked up by ABC. It’s about 4 guys who live in the same house, and get along really, really well. In the premiere episode, a fight almost breaks out when they fight over who’s going to wash the dishes. The resolve it by all pitching in… aw….
- They are announcing their next album name and release date… (the most likely guess)
~Dan
Another Wave of Fave (2007)
My Other Favorites of 2007 Recaps:
* Fav Concerts of ’07 are recapped *HERE*
* Fav Local / Vinyl / Internet-Only / Podcasts of ’07 are *HERE*
Well, this “Round 3” is decidedly less flashy (sans pics)… I’ve got too much homework to do to be putzing around on my 2007 pontifications… :-) I have included MySpace links for artists represented on MySpace, whether officially or fictionally represented (just click their names and check out their stuff).
Favorite EPs
1) Porcupine Tree – Nil Recurring
2) Holy Fuck – Holy Fuck
3) Kelly Evans – Easy
4) The Album Leaf – Green Tour
5) Auragami – +/-
6) Sia – Lady Croissant
7t) Sarah Masen – Magic That Works
7t) Sarah Masen – A History of Lights and Shadows
7t) Sarah Masen – Woman’s Work is Alchemy
8 ) Múm – The Peel Session
Favorite Compilations/Re-issues
1) Secret Chiefs 3 – Path of Most Resistance: In History and Presence
2) Ani DiFranco – Canon
3) Sigur Rós – Hvarf-Heim
4) Peter Mulvey – Notes From Elsewhere : solo acoustic
5) Derek Webb – One Zero (Acoustic & Remixes)
hm) Nick Drake – Family Tree
Favorite Live Albums
1) Dave Douglas Quintet – Live at the Jazz Standard
2) Ken Andrews – Never Say Never – Tour CD
3) Ellery – What I’ve Said Out Loud
4) Dub Trio – Cool Out and Coexist
5) The Cracow Klezmer Band – Remembrance: Live in Warsaw
hm) Ani DiFranco – Boston, 11.10.06
hm) Over the Rhine – Live from Nowhere Farm, Volume Two
Favorite Music-related DVDs (huge tie for 5th, obviously a rigged election… or a sign of getting too many DVD for xmas from family)
1) Sigur Rós – Heima
2) Silverchair – Across the Great Divide
3) That1Guy and the Magic Pipe – Live in the Land of OZ (late-late 2006 release)
4) Ellery – An Evening with Ellery
5t) Ben Folds – Live at MySpace
5t) Estradasphere – Palace of Mirrors Live
5t) Incubus – Look Alive
5t) Kaada / Patton – Live
My final two rounds (Fave Instrumental & Fave Vocal Albums) should be posted next week or so. Yeah, I know. Whatever. :-)
~Dan – np: Crunchy – Loserville
Music is Best. -FZ
1) Lala is fantastic… it helps having a rabid music obsession and living on a doctoral stipend a possibility.
2) Nellie McKay is playing the Shedd Institute this Friday. M & I have tickets. I’m sooo stoked. I heart Nellie. I’ll post a review-blog afterwards. Other shows in the near future (hopefully for me) are… Melt Banana (see below), Múm/Talkdemonic (see below), John Zorn’s Moonchild (Mike Patton/Joey Baron/Trevor Dunn), Iron & Wine (early Dec), David Bazan (mid-Dec), Do Make Say Think (maybe)…
3) Melt Banana (from Japan aka MxBx) are coming to Eugene’s W.O.W. Hall (~5 miles from me). And it’s $10. They’re a hardcore/noisecore/screamo band (the 2 songs on their MySpace player are not really indicative of their overall sound, IMO)… like John Zorn’s Naked City with less jazz or Mike Patton’s Fantômas with more velocity/ferocity… and Japanese “singing.”
4) Icelandic electronic-soundscapers Múm are coming to Portland’s Crystal Ballroom, and Portland instrumental band Talkdemonic are opening. It’s cheapish, but I don’t know if I am going, yet. We shall see how this month progresses… but it is a show that excites me. Múm are like a more electronic Sigur Rós, in many ways (to me)…
5) Shortly after 1999 or 2000, when I heard about them from a 1¶ blurb in SPIN, Sigur Rós quickly became one of my favorite bands of all time. Their new 2-CD collection, Hvarf-heim, is going to have one CD of “hits” and one CD of acoustic songs. Also, out on the same day, their Icelandic concert documentary DVD, Heima, looks bucking frilliant. The trailers (here -and- here) are astounding when it comes to colors and cinematic vision, IMO.
6) Radiohead are “selling” their new album, In Rainbows, as a “pay what you can” for the download version. They’ve also got this for the physical product fans (decidedly not pay what you can):
Tracklisting:
CD 1 AND VINYL
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE
CD 2 AND VINYL
MK 1
DOWN IS THE NEW UP
GO SLOWLY
MK 2
LAST FLOWERS
UP ON THE LADDER
BANGERS AND MASH
4 MINUTE WARNING
Ooo… shiny…
~Dan
Favorite Music of 2005
Admittedly a lot of swapping around from my 1st Half Recap… but here are my thoughts on 2005’s Music… as of now…
TOP 20 ALBUMS of 2005
1) 
Sigur Rós – Takk (ambient & angelic), released Sept ’05: This Sigur Rós album didn’t catch on with me as quick as their two prior albums, but after several listens, it gains the top spot for the year. I still don’t agree with many people’s assessment that it is “more accessible,” but regardless, they continue to make captivating music. Web: http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/
2) 
Porcupine Tree – Deadwing (modern progressive), released Apr ’05: I saw Porcupine Tree live twice within about a month of owning this disc. I think it spun in my rental car in Chicago about 8 times… then it finally sunk in. I still hold In Absentia or maybe Lightbulb Sun as my favorite PT CDs, but Deadwing made music listening in 2005 a lot more enjoyable. Web: http://www.porcupinetree.com/
3) 
Sufjan Stevens – Invites You to Come On Feel the Illinoise (quirky folk), released July ’05: Wow. 12 months ago, I had only heard a few (boring) songs by Sufjan. Now, I’m hooked. His quirky, banjo-driven, xylophone-infused group-folkrock stylings really make me happy. His show at the Southgate House in Newport-KY this year was easily one of my top two concerts this year (Sigur Rós in Ann Arbor being the other). With two states under his belt (Michigan being the previous state album), I wonder how the remaining 48 will turn out… Web: http://www.sufjan.com/
4) 
Glen Phillips – Winter Pays For Summer (pop singer-songwriter), released Mar ’05: This was in the top spot for the better part of the year. A great follow-up album to his solo debut Abulum. As of early December, Glen’s also in the studio for a follow-up to this one… yay! Web: http://www.glenphillips.com/
5) 
Eisley – Room Noises (rocks more than Sixpence), released Feb ’05: Another “hadn’t heard of them 12 months ago” band. I can solely blame the Paste Magazine DVD sampler for this crush. Anyway, I’m looking forward to great music from Eisley in the years to come… assuming they can keep their sibling rivalries in check… :) Web: http://www.eisley.com/
6) 
Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine (jazzy, sultry broodstress), released Oct ’05: Long-awaited… not as jazzy or cohesive as When the Pawn, but still a stellar performance. I dig this version of the album over the earlier Jon Brion/leaked version, but I do dig the Jon Brion-produced tracks that sandwich this record the most (go figure). Overall, this album was mostly worth the wait… now if only she’d tour on her own and not part of the Clodplay: Cloding Up the Great Indoors Tour ’06… Web: http://www.fiona-apple.com/
7) 
King’s X – Ogre Tones (melodic hardrock), released Sept ’05: 25 years and still counting… damn. I’ve been a King’s X fan for a longtime (not all 25 years, though), but their last two efforts left me nonplussed. This latest one, however, hits me square across the mouth — in the good way. Fantastic return to form, Jetydo! Web: http://www.kingsxonline.com/
8 ) 
Coheed and Cambria – Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV – Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness (geekcore, emo-pomp), released Sept ’05: There are so many cheesy aspects to C&C’s sound and marketing that make me cringe (it’s such an over-the top geek-and-wank fest)… yet their sound simply sucks… me in. To quote a drummer from an unrelated band, “balls and chunk is where it’s at!” Web: http://www.coheedandcambria.com/
9) 
Beck – Guero (folk-tronic), released Mar ’05: One of the best Beck albums in years… reminds me a lot of Odelay. Really funky, and it fits the “folk-tronic” badge well. And he’s got a remix album of it coming out soon (entitled Guerolito)… Web: http://www.beck.com/
10) 
Opeth – Ghost Reveries (swedish death metal), released Aug ’05: The last three Opeth records had Porcupine Tree Steven Wilson at the production helm. Perhaps he was too busy supporting his own band to help the O out, but this album came out a-OK anyway. Sometimes the keyboards sound… um… dumb… but luckily there is enough thrash and growl to cover it up. Hail Satan! Hail Satin! Hail Stan! Web: http://www.opeth.com/
11) 
Dredg – Catch Without Arms (passionate hardrock), released Jun ’05: From out-of-nowhere… I heard (and liked) Dredg’s song on the Stealth Soundtrack, even moreso than the Incubus songs that I bought the soundtrack for in the first place. Then I saw Dredg open up for Coheed & Cambria in Columbus on 9/30/05, I was hooked. Powerful melodic rock, with an ecstatic drummer and great vocals. Web: http://www.dredg.com/
12) 
Foo Fighters – In Your Honor (power-pop rock), released Jun ’05: Pure double-album pop enjoyment. Dave Grohl continues to impress me with his relentless delivery of great rock tunes. It seems effortless for him. Kurt is missed, but after its all said and done, I think Dave might win out as being the better pop songwriter… Web: http://www.foofighters.com/
13) 
The Mob – The Mob (hardrock übergroup), released Nov ’05: A supergroup made up of a bunch of ’80s washouts (from Winger and Night Ranger) and also Doug Pinnick from King’s X (“and also” meaning he’s not included in the “washout” category). Doug sings on most of the album, and it doesn’t really sound dated like I thought it would (mainly due to Doug’s involvement, mind you). It’s got some classic rock / hairband overtones, but again only “overtones.” Overall it’s a great record!! It can be had directly from the Italian label for as much as Amazon is hocking it for… but there’s a slight “PSOL“* issue. Web: http://www.kingsxonline.com/
14) 
Ben Folds – Songs For Silverman (piano pop with fuzz), released Apr ’05: Ben continues his solo path, while bringing back the sound very reminiscent of “The Five.” His new bassist and drummer definitely harken the sound of Darren and Robert from BFF. This album is solid, which is usually expected from the songwriting likes of Mr. Folds. Web: http://www.benfolds.com/
15) 
Tristeza – A Colores (experimental twitchy instrumental rock), released Nov ’05: Tristeza continues on even after Jimmy LaValle’s departure to dedicate his time to his solo effort, The Album Leaf. Both bands, Tristeza & The Album Leaf, have a similar style. I dig ’em both. If you like mellow, yet ecstatic, instrumental-tronica… you’ll dig ’em, too… Web: http://www.trstz.com/
The Squirts – Squirts II: Resquirted (fantastic melodic rock with a dumb name), released sometime in 2005: I always loved The Mustard Seeds… a melodic, pop-sensible hardrock band from SoCal. They only released two albums… :( But, but, but… ringleader Matt Bissonette is a busy muthafunka. 2005 alone saw three Matt Bissonette-related releases, and one of his side bands, The Squirts, has a really close to Mustard Seeds vibe (as do two of his other sidebands, Jughead and Raising Lazarus). Walrus, take note. Anyway, this Squirts album is pop-rock delight. Catchy throughout and chunky when it matters. The last track, “Lobster,” is reason enough to buy the CD. Yeah, I know, dumbass cover art (and band name for that matter), but it’s really, REALLY GOOD. And it’s completely indie… a purchase directly benefits Matt Bissonette and his family. Web: http://www.mattbissonette.com/17) 
Ani Difranco – Knuckle Down (the folkstress who needs no description), released Jan ’05: This album is probably Ani’s most solid since Revelling / Reckoning. The packaging is superb as well… which is something she’s taken a shine to as of late. Web: http://www.righteousbaberecords.com/
18 ) 
Erin McKeown – We Will Become Like Birds (pop singer-songwriter), released Jun ’05: I bought this album due to Peter Mulvey guest vocalling on it. I continue to enjoy this album for the other 11 songs that are sheer singer-songwriter pop-delight. Web: http://www.erinmckeown.com/
19) 
Copeland – In Motion (power-pop rock), released Mar ’05: One of my rock heroes is Ken Andrews. I got into him backwards… first ON, then Failure (then Year of the Rabbit, in the correct order). Regardless of all of that, I noticed his imprint on Copeland right away, almost subconsciously. Anyway, I stuck around due to the great vocals (vocals are usually the “make-it-or-break-it” with me). Mr. Marsh’s vocals are a delight for me. Web: http://www.thecopelandsite.com/
20) 
Headphones – Headphones (melancholically sung synth-pop), released May ’05: I dig David Bazan’s Pedro the Lion music a lot. This seemingly one-off project with TW Walsh was great as well… casio-sound and all. Web: http://www.headphonesmusic.com/
*- PSOL = PayPal for Speakers of Other Languages.
Honorable Mention:
Tori Amos – The Beekeeper – Audioslave – Out of Exile, Clodplay – X&Y, The Mars Volta – Frances the Mute, and Derek Webb – Mockingbird.
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TOP 5 Eps of 2005
1) 
Iron & Wine – Woman King (whispy americana), released Feb ’05: If I didn’t force myself to split “Fav Albums” from “Fav EPs,” this EP would probably crack the Top 5 Fav CDs of 2005. Great songs, great vocals… it got me back into Iron & Wine. Web: http://www.ironandwine.com/
2) 
The Album Leaf – The Red Tour -EP- (electronic-fused organic instrumental rock), released Jan ’05: Originally available on TAL’s 2004 tour, but not commercially available to the rest of us until early 2005… this great EP whets the appetite for their follow-up to In a Safe Place which should be out sometime in mid-2006. Web: http://www.thealbumleaf.com/
3) 
Iron & Wine with Calexico – In the Reins (whispy americana stops over in a bordertown), released Sept ’05: More of an Iron & Wine record than Calexico. Sometimes the combination works, and sometimes it seems awkward. Luckily, again, it’s more I&W… overall a great CD for 2005. Web: http://www.ironandwine.com/
4) 
Euphone – V (jazzy groovy post-rock), released Apr ’05: I saw Euphone open up for Sunny Day Real Estate in 2000. They were a primarily instrumental band, and when there was singing, the drummer sang. They had a nice vibe and were on indie Jade Tree. I love their records. This EP caught me by surprise. Its five songs clock in at only 13 minutes. However, I could listen to it on repeat for hours. It’s not instrumental anymore either. It’s also a completely solo effort by the drummer (Ryan Rapsys played all instruments & sang). It’s very well recorded for being basically a “bathroom”-type recording. Very well received! In concert, I hear he drums, sings, and plays organ. Wow! Chicago peeps… check him out sometime. Web: http://www.recordlabelrecordlabel.com/
5) 
Pristina featuring Sarah Masen – So Alive (indie alt-electronica), released May ’05: Well, it’s been 4+ years since Sarah Masen released any music. She is desparately missed, but this Pristina single/EP with some Sarah Masen vocals hit the spot for now. Sarah, got anything in the works? Web: http://www.pristinamusic.com/
Best Use of a Horse’s Ass (or Horse’s Ass Paraphernalia)
Over the Rhine‘s Drunkard’s Prayer
Best Instrumental Album
Tristeza‘s A Colores (runner-up: Mogwai‘s mostly instrumental Government Commissions)
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Best Soundtrack/Score
Thumbsucker Soundtrack featuring The Polyphonic Spree & Elliott Smith (runner-up: Screaming Masterpiece Soundtrack featuring a dozen+ great Icelandic artists)
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Best Debut Album
Eisley‘s Room Noises (runner-up: Headphones‘ Headphones)
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Best Concept Album
Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On Feel the Illinoise (runner-up: Coheed & Cambria‘s Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV – Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness)
/
Best International Release (US label)
Sigur Rós‘s Takk… (runner-up: Porcupine Tree‘s Deadwing)
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Best International Release (non-US label) i.e.- harder to get ahold of…
Múm‘s Loksins Erum Við Engin (runner-up: Yann Tiersen‘s Les Retrouvailles)
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Best Local Album
The Times‘ Begin from Cincinnati, OH (runner-up: Shrug‘s Whole Hog for the Macho Jesus from Dayton, OH)
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I heart CDBaby. Support local / indie music!!
Best Indie Album
Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On Feel the Illinoise (runner-up: Ani Difranco‘s Knuckle Down)
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Best Album Packaging & Design
Fantômas‘s Suspended Animation and its 30+ page spiral calendar with illustrations by Japanese artist Yoshimoto Nara (runner-up: Ani Difranco‘s Knuckle Down)
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Best Album Artwork
The Iron & Wine and Calexico collaborative In the Reins -EP- painting (runner-up: Sufjan Stevens Invites You to Come On Feel the Illinoise‘s cease-and-desist-inducing “Superman cover”)
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Biggest Disappointment
Gary Cherone‘s solo debut Need I Say More -EP- (he didn’t need to say more, he just needed to say it better)
Worst Album Art (for an otherwise stellar album)
The Squirts Resquirted… great album, very Matt Bissonette/Jughead/Mustard Seeds-y, yet dumb, dumb, dumb cover…
and since I didn’t want to end on a sour note, here are three more “Best Of” winners…
Best Use of Nature on an Album Cover
King’s X‘s disguised trees on Ogre Tones (runner-up: Copeland‘s sleek In Motion)
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Best Book on CD
Noam Chomsky‘s Imperial Ambitions (runners-up: George Carlin‘s When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? -and- Al Franken‘s The Truth (With Jokes))
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Best Album named “Suspended Animation“
Fantômas‘s Suspended Animation definitely over Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci‘s first solo album under the same name
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yes, I like lists… and the “concatenate” function…
~Dan – np: nellie mckay‘s “the big one” from the forthcoming album pretty little head (early front-runner for Best of 2006)
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
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