Indie Music Chatter

I recently blogged about my love for Girl Talk. I think he is one trippy DJ. Today though I have another reason to anticipate anothe Girl Talk release because of the announcement that he will be remixing Of Montreal’s song Gronlandic Edit, a cut from their new album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

The best thing about it though is that it will be free download. The guys at Pitchforkmedia scored this exclusive. There are no definite dates on when it will be released at the site so just check back on the site from time to time.

Girl Talk, Pitchforkmedia, Of Montreal


I immediately fell in love with The Kooks from the moment I first heard their debut album Inside In/Inside Out. I just think that their album was absolutely sensational. There were perfect pop moments in that album that I can safely say helped shape my memories of 2006 — the year they released their CD. Almost a year and half since the album’s release and I am still in love with their songs. I just absolutely adore Naive. Give it a listen…

Matt Sharp’s post-Weezer band The Rentals was one of those bands who really made moog synthesizers cool enough for the more mainstream listeners (in other words, those who barely know Stereolab or Yo La Tengo). Their last album, Seven More Minutes, was released way back in 1999 and since then nary a peep has been heard from the group.

Well, eight years after their last album The Rentals are back with a new EP entitled Last Little Life. The trademark Rentals sound is still there — the electronic flourishes that punctuate the songs, the groovy moogs have even returned although they don’t sound as cool now what with bands like Ladytron coopting the intrinsic soul of electronic moog-based music.

The new Rentals EP is supposed to be a warmup for a full length album that the band will release next year. A number of shows are already confirmed as they will either headline or support other bands. This is a good thing because they really need to go on the road to reacquaint themselves with a new generation of music listeners who may have forgotten about them already.

The Rentals, Seven More Minutes, Ladytron, Yo La Tengo, Stereolab

Sally from Living Without Meat tagged me for my first ever meme a couple of weeks ago. Having had some problems with my internet connection over the past week, it totally slipped my mind. I finally remembered about this today so here it is… Seven random facts about myself:

1. I’m a rabid collector. I’ve been collecting various stuff for practically my whole life. I’ve collected comics, action figures, CDs, stamps and even IP telephone cards. I’ve drastically cut down though to just the occasional action figure and of course my CD collection

2. I love my son to pieces. His name’s David Zachary, he just turned three and he has a funny way of saying “I love you” (Ayuvyu!)

3. I’ve passed a kidney stone last year. It was both a terrifying and mind-boggling experience. Terrifying because when the first attack came I thought I was going to die from the pain. Mind boggling because a stone can actually pass through the body.

4. Zach is actually my second son. My wife and I had a first born but he only lived for a week. He would’ve turned five this year. I still miss him everyday…

5. In a nod to Sally who tagged me for this meme, I used to be a vegetarian but had to stop for a number of reasons. But after seven years I am now taking the first steps towards going vegetarian again. Yey, me!

6. My wife is the editor in chief of a women’s magazine. I’m really, really proud of her

7. I love asian horror movies. I think they’re the bomb!

Now, here are the details for this particular meme: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

I’m going to tag two first but will add over the next couple of days:

Dodo at Is It Safe?

Mike at FPSRantings

Luscious Jackson fans are surely a happy bunch this year. Last February, their greatest hits compilation was released. Then a couple of months after, it was Jill Cunniff releasing her solo album City Beach. Now it’s Gabby Glaser’s turn as she releases her own solo album Gimme Splash this month (tomorrow to be exact).

I’ve always loved Luscious Jackson. I think they’re one of the coolest all female bands ever. I have loved Jill’s solo from the very first time I listened to it — in fact, it’s safe to say that it will be included in my “Best Albums of 2007″ list. I am currently listening to some of the songs on Gabby’s forthcoming album at her MySpace page and from what I have been hearing this is also going to be one solid album. I can’t wait to hear the whole album!

Gabby Glaser, Jill Cunniff, Luscious Jackson, City Beach, Gimme Splash

Ok, The Smashing Pumpkins may not be considered as indie artists. Billy Corgan, for all of his “indie” posturing, is as indie as Aerosmith. But, nevertheless, I respect the band and their music. Siamese Dream is a classic and so is Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness.

It was with great anticipation that I was waiting for Zeitgeist, the Pumpkins’ comeback album. Tarantula was not that bad and I was hoping that the whole album will have stronger cuts. But that anticipation has turned to revulsion for me — and I think it’s safe to say that recent news about the album’s release has also turned off many fans of the band.

According to a recent report, Zeitgeist will have four, yes, four different versions. Three of the versions will have bonus tracks and the fourth one won’t have anything. Here’s the deal, the first two versions (with two different bonus tracks) will be available at Target and Best Buy. The third version will be available on iTunes, while all of the other retailers will have to settle for the fourth vanilla version of Zeitgeist.

This is a great disservice to the fans of the Pumpkins. This is one of the most corporate moves I have seen a band make. To support the big retail chains that have killed off independent music retailers is a slap to the face of many music fans who never, ever buy their music from these stores. This is what has led me to write this particular entry. I hate it when artists like The Smashing Pumpkins take advantage of their fans.

I guess Billy Corgan has dried up his bank accounts and wants to suck the money off his fans. The world is a vampire indeed.

Smashing Pumpkins, Zeitgeist, Siamese Dream, Best Buy, Target, iTunes

The Editors are one of those bands who I immediately fell in love with just by listening to one single. I think Munich was the first single I heard from the band and I was impressed by how mature and fully realized their sound is. Okay, the band kind of rips off on Joy Division right down to the vocal delivery of Tom Smith (who, judging by the way he sings, grew up with posters of Ian Curtis in his bedroom).

These are minor complaints though especially if you hear The Back Room, The Editors’ debut album. As I’ve said, the maturity level is quite astonishing and they were able to distill the best parts of early 80’s new wave and made it quite current. They are like Interpol, only more dramatic and orchestral.

I was quite excited to hear that their sophomore effort, An End Has A Start, will be released this month. I was even more excited when I had the privilege to listen to an advance copy of the album. I am still trying to form an opinion about the album. First impressions though is that this is a more dramatic album. It’s also bleaker. Good thing though is that they have built on the sound of Back Room and injected a few more elements to make this album feel like there is a progression in their sound. A few more listens and I’ll be able to form an opinion if this album is as good as or better than Back Room.

Editors, Back Room, An End Has A Start

Yesterday I talked about Tom Waits and how I think that Closing Time is one of the greatest albums of all time. With your indulgence I’d like to talk about another relatively “old” album that occupies the rarefied club of all time greats.

Allow me to talk about My Bloody Valentine and Loveless.

Loveless is consistently in the top ten of almost all “greatest albums of all time” list — and rightfully so. My Bloody Valentine’s technical and artistic achievement with Loveless is incomparable. More than any album, Loveless has achieved that rare transcendence of elevating a song into sonic landscapes. Each song paints a picture in your mind, and you’re just listening to the instruments.

True it could be hard to swallow Loveless at times — some complain that Kevin Shields and co.’s masterpiece is too noisy, or that it has a tendency to meander. But, as I love to say to friends, this is one of those albums where you will need to invest time. You need to wait for that magic moment, when your intellectual mind shuts off and you allow yourself to be carried by the music. What you need is to surrender to My Bloody Valentine and they will hold you by the hand and show you one of the most beautiful sonic pictures you will encounter.

Tomorrow, I promise I’ll write something a little more current. I’m just in this old school funk the past few weeks, rediscovering my collection– revisiting old friends, as I love to tell my wife.

My Bloody Valentine, Loveless, Kevin Shields

I was on a nostalgic mood a couple of nights ago so I decided to take out a few albums that I haven’t heard in a while — mind you these are works that were made way back in the 70’s.

First on the list was Tom Waits‘ Closing Time. And man, I have to say that the power and artistry of this album just becomes more and more potent as it acquires the patina of time. From the opening bars of ‘Ol 55, Tom Waits’ debut still packs the wallop of a freight train. This is one of the strongest albums I have heard both lyrically and musically. Couple that with Tom Waits’ amazing vocal delivery and what you have is an album that consistently stands the test of time.

This early, I am already exposing my son to Closing Time. This is one album that I want both of us — father and son — to bond over. Twenty years from now, when I am old an gray and my son is ready to take on the world, I want Tom Waits’ masterpiece to connect us — to remind us of a time when he was still a small child resting on his father’s chest while we fall into sweet slumber to the tunes of Waits himself.

Tom Waits, Closing Time, ‘Ol 55

I was particularly interested in the comment that Sally posted in my previous blog entry A Trip To a Music Store — and Why I Never Go There Anymore. She was quite correct in her observation — and it’s something that I actually share with her.

One thing I failed to mention in my post is the reason why I still manage to visit record stores despite my frustrations.

I love watching people shop around for CDs. I enjoy looking at what people take from the shelves, making my own random observations about who they are through the music they listen to. I particularly love seeing people who get as excited as I am for those obscure releases. I remember this cute girl who immediately grabbed a Sleater-Kinney CD she saw and looked at me with a goofy grin on her face. I felt like we were both sharing a moment without even talking to each other or even knowing each other. I feel that a bond is established when we listen to artists that not a lot of people know about. It’s like secret club composed discerning lovers of good music and the CDs that we buy are the tickets to admittance.

sleater-kinney, CD, blog

I can’t stop whistling the “whistling part” in the Peter, Bjorn and John single Young Folks. Ever since I saw the video (how someone can do something that is both creepy and cute at the same time I will never know) and bought their CD Writer’s Block, I always catch myself whistling that part a number of times every day. I have come to call it the Barry Manilow syndrome — a state wherein a particularly catchy hook or melody manages to lodge itself into your subconscious that you can’t help but sing, hum or, yes, whistle that particular part. Why do I call it Barry Manilow syndrome? Well, just imagine any part of Mandy or Copa Cabana playing inside your head and more often than not you’d find that it will get stuck in your brain. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

But then I’d rather have Young Folks and Peter Bjorn and John’s catchy song play in my mind the whole day long instead of Copa Cabana.

Peter Bjorn and John, Young Folks, Barry Manilow

Jose Gonzalez‘ Veneer was arguably one of the best albums to come out last year. The Swedish-born singer-songwriter released one of the most powerful debuts in recent years. His sparse, almost brutally bare songs evoke the melancholy sadness of Nick Drake coupled with Elliott Smith’s knack for killer melodies.

The recent announcement of the imminent release of Jose Gonzalez’ sophomore effort Our Nature is definitely great news for his growing legion of fans. What’s even better though is that Gonzalez is going to tour this fall in support of the album’s release. The US tour will begin on September 27, two days after the release of Our Nature. James Blackshaw and Savath & Savalas have been announced as the opening acts in some of the tour dates.

I am looking forward to this tour. Jose Gonzalez is a powerful presence on stage and I am hoping that he’d get to play his cover of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart — one of the best covers I’ve heard of that song.

Jose Gonzalez, Veneer, Our Nature, Joy Division, James Blackshaw, Savath & Savalas

Every time I go to a record store I am immediately reminded of why I have sworn off brick and mortar music shops altogether (unless it’s second hand CD shops) and have come to rely on online shopping as my main source of getting my CDs.

I went to “Store One” to get a copy of Black Rebel Motorcycle’s Baby 81 as well as the new Manic Street Preachers album Send Away The Tigers. A friend told me that both albums were already available in said music store. I went inside had a cursory look at the shelves facing the door (the “new releases” section) and not seeing the two albums I went to the customer service booth to ask for both CDs. The girl manning the booth gave me a look that I have become quite familiar with. A look of bewilderment — like I am talking to her in some strange indecipherable dead language or that I have suddenly sprouted horns on my head that are tipped with foam dice. To break the spell, I asked her again and she finally found her tongue with an answer that have become a de riguer partner to her look, “We don’t have those titles.”

I knew that I was being taken for another ride down Bullshit Lane so I took the time to browse through the CD shelves and, true enough, after a mere minute and a half, I had both albums in my hands. Both albums were there and there were multiple copies of each title. I was so pissed that I decided not to buy any of the CDs that day. I just didn’t want to tarnish my memory of those two albums by associating them with a stupid store clerk.

I personally think that the slow death of brick and mortar CD stores all over the world could be partially blamed on inept CD store staff. By not knowing the answer to simple music related questions, they inadvertently turn off potential buyers. In my dream CD store, the clerks are all music snobs like Jack Black’s character in High Fidelity. My staff would sneer at the pedestrian tastes of some customers, refuse to sell wonderful hard to find albums to people who we deem not worthy of the album, and play cool music all day as our public service, educating all of our customers and exposing them to amazing songs from little known artists.

But then I wake up and realize that it will be a long time in coming so I just open my browser, go to my favorite online store and just order another batch of CDs without any fuss.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Manic Street Preachers, CD stores

I recently visited a friend’s blog to see what’s going on with his life. I haven’t spoken to him at length for almost a month so it was great time to check up on his activities. My friend is also into the same kind of music so a visit to his blog is also an opportunity for me to find out about new bands or new music gems that he has recently discovered.

This particular visit had been especially fruitful because he posted a link to a video for one of Yuki Isoya’s songs. Yuki, for those who are not too familiar with J (Japanese) music, was the former vocalist of the renowned Japanese punk/pop band Judy and Mary.Yuki’s video for Sentimental Journey is beautiful in its simplicity. What made it stand out though is the “visual effect” that was used to make the video interesting. I won’t even attempt to describe it. Just watch the video for yourself.

Yuki, Judy and Mary, Japanese music

I recently wrote about Beth Ditto and The Gossip. There were people who read about my blog entry and were really intrigued about the band so much so that they were contemplating about buying the band’s debut album Standing In The Way of Control.

If you want to to take a crack at The Gossip but not yet really ready to commit to an actual purchase then just head off to freeindie.com for access to some free songs from The Gossip.

The Gossip, Beth Ditto, debut album