Indie Music Chatter

My friend Dodo just tagged me with a music meme, which I have to admit I love answering…

What Music Are You Currently Grooving To?

Most of the artists I’ve talked about in this blog are currently in my playlist. This would include Chow Chow, Tom Waits, Tegan & Sara, Film School, Mixtapes and Cellmates, Au Revoir Simone, and The Rumble Strips. Other artists that are on my playlist (I may blog about them) are The Go! Team, Ariel, Jubilee’s Child, Chet Baker, The Aluminum Group, Plane and the wonderfully named DD/MM/YYYY.

What, If Push Comes To Shove, Is Your All-Time Favorite Album?

I hate absolutes. There are just so many good things in the world that it is practically impossible for me to just name just one “ultimate” all-time fave. So I’ll just mention some of the albums I think should be considered as an all-time favorite in everyone’s list — Nirvana’s Nevermind, U2’s Achtung Baby, Tom Waits’ Closing Time, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, The Stone Roses’ debut album, and The Beatles’ White Album.

What Was The First Record You Bought? And Where Did You Buy It?

The first record I bought with my own money ( that’s a pretty big distinction there) would be The Police’s Synchronicity. It was a second hand tape with a battered liner. I bought it from a high school classmate who probably nicked it from his older brother.

Which Musician Have You Ever Wanted To Be?

Again, an absolute — which means I give more names. For sheer genius, it would be Kevin Shields. For tortured vision, Kurt Cobain, For pomp it would have to be Bono, for coolness cranked to 11 it will have to be Chet Baker.

What Do You Sing In The Shower?
I haven’t sung in the shower in ages, having a family limits your private rock star moments. But I have to admit that I’ve been singing Snow Patrol’s You’re All I Have whenever I’m alone in my work area at home.
What Is Your Favourite Saturday Night Record?

Hands down it has to be Tom Waits. Closing Time, The Heart of Saturday Night and Nighthawks at The Diner. Three albums’ worth of broken down blues and honky tonk jazz is a perfect companion to a glass of good cognac and a darkened room.

And Your Sunday Morning Record?

I have a hyperactive three year old who knows what he wants. This means my Sunday mornings are spent listening to The Backyardigans and those products of a ’shroom trip, The Wonder Pets.

Ariel, Jubilee’s Child,   DD/MM/YYYY

It is quite surreal to discover a new band whose music you are so excited about only to hear some tragic news about them. I recently heard Chow Chow’s album Colours and Lines and immediately fell in love with their wonderfully unique sound. I was thinking to myself that this band has a great future and that they will likely create a lot of buzz for their great material. The euphoria I felt for listening to a great band while they are just on the brink of breaking out came to a very abrupt end though when I read that Chow Chow’s vocalist Thomas Ian Smith died almost a month ago. It is hard to reconcile what I am feeling right now. On the one hand I am excited about this band that is brimming with potential, but devastated to know that it is a potential that will never be realized.

To Thomas Ian Smith, rest in peace.

Chow Chow, Thomas Ian Smith, Colours and Lines

Synthpop is mostly a hit-or-miss affair for me. There are some synthpop artists that I like, but there are also some that technically play glorified elevator music. I think the biggest problem of playing synth based music is that there is a big risk of coming out with something that is soulless, as bereft of soul and character as the plastic contraption that makes the music itself.

Au Revoir Simone, fortunately, does not fall into that trapm especially with their second album Bird of Music. The trio (consisting of Erika Forster, Annie Hart and Heather D’Angelo) crafts near-simple synth-based pop that grabs your attention because of its quirkiness. The use of synthesizers and a drum machine actually help bring that quirky quality to the fore. The vocal quality of the trio (yes, all three sing) perfectly complements the music itself. Their delivery actually mirrors the best qualities of Los Angeles based twee pop band Call and Response, only with a more disaffected air. In fact, the whole “going through the motions” way of their singing and the band’s name made me think that they are are European band.  I was quite surprised that they are actually from Brooklyn. Who would’ve thought New York will give birth to a band that oozes silly naivete and innocence.

Au Revoir Simone, Call and Response, Los Angeles

Here is the new video from two of the ladies I admire most int the indie world, Tegan & Sara. I just love every single release that they have come out with and I am so stoked about listening to their new album, Con. The video above is for their new single Back In Your Head, which, of course, is from Con. Enjoy!

Tegan & Sara, Con, Back in your head

I’ve been hearing a smattering of news and views about the San Francisco based band Film School. Unfortunately, I never got around to hearing any of their works. The band has been around since 1998 but even though they are being touted as artists “on the brink of stardom” because of the attention that they have been getting from music fans I never got to hear any of their work.

A few days ago though I got a chance to get an advance copy of Film School’s third album Hideout. I was quite eager to hear what all the buzz was about so I decided to bump this album up my scheduled playlist for the week and started listening to it. First impressions? I was blown away by how tight Film School’s sound is.

The band has mastered a dark pop sensibility that reminds of you of all the best qualities of shoegaze, new wave and indie pop. the darker texture of the songs actually help distinguish it from the day-glo happiness that some bands seem to revel in. I am particularly reminded of 80’s band Darkside who have also mastered the swirling guitars and dreamy production values that Film School so adeptly use. I particularly love the instrumental flourishes that the band try to incorporate into every song, most notably in Two Kinds. The cello-like synth backdrop paints a more melancholic atmosphere but at the same time gives it an ethereal beauty. Special mention goes to Compare, the part where the guitars first come in gives me goosebumps every time and this very jaded music fan seldom experiences that. So props to them.

You can now count me as a big Film School fan.

Film School, Hideout, Darkside

I’m still in a Yeah Yeah Yeahs mode because I can’t get enough of their Is Is EP. It’s safe to say that this is one of the best releases this year and it further cements the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ reputation as one of the most important bands in the world at present.I’ve decided to post an “old” video from the band, the one they made for Maps — which is one of their most popular songs. Watch Karen O shed tears on the video. She said those are real tears she shed because her boyfriend was supposed to be in the shoot but he was three hours late and they were about to go to Europe on tour right after the shoot finishes.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O, Is Is

The Eurovision contest in Europe is probably one of the kitschiest music contests in the world. I dare say, that it probably is the kitschiest. The bands that perform here are some of the best and worst examples of europop.

Despite it’s reputation though I have to say that Eurovision is one of those trainwrecks that you still want to watch. It’s like a road accident — you know you’ll probably lose your lunch by the sight but you still want to look. Even Morrissey, the king of irony, sees something weirdly appealing about it. he has mentioned that he wants to become England’s entry to Eurovision.

I blogged about The Ark a couple of posts back. Well, the band actually participated in the last Eurovision. Watch The Ark in all their gay glory in this Youtube video.

Morrissey, The Ark, England

I am currently going crazy over the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP entitled The Is Is. Their blistering brand of garage punk just keeps getting better and better. the funny thing about this EP though is that the songs were made in 2004 when the band was touring in support of their first full length Fever To Tell. The songs here are so much stronger than the songs in their sophomore effort Show Your Bones. Not to disparage the second album,which is another strong effort for the band, The Is Is possesses a rawer sound that suits the YYY’s brand of music better. The five-song format also allowed the band to come out with a very focused set of songs. No fillers here, thank you.

Oh, and Karen O still gets my gonads boiling everytime.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Is Is, Fever to Tell, Show your Bones

I was looking for a CD for my son this afternoon. He just came back from pre-school and it has become daily routine for me to play soft music while he drinks his milk. The whole process relaxes him enough that he falls asleep in less than twenty minutes — something that was quite difficult to do before I discovered this “trick.” I started with Mozart during the first week but I was pleasantly surprised that he loved Chet Baker’s Music for Lovers when I played it to break the monotony. He has come to call it his “favorite music”. Needless to say Dada is quite proud that his son has an inherent taste for good music.

Anyway, back to my story. Zach had already fallen asleep but I wanted to play a couple more CDs for him while he’s sleeping (I believe in all that subliminal shit). First on my list was Tom Waits’ Closing Time, which I have already blogged about before. I am still nuts over this album and at the rate things are going I may have to request that this CD play incessantly at my wake when I die. I’ll also ask to be cremated with a copy of the CD. After this superb album finished playing I decided to play The Aluminum Group’s Pedals. I absolutely love the folkie electronica feel of this album — and yes, I don’t care that I’m making my son listen to a music group composed of gay brothers. Good music defies sexual preference.

Aluminum Group, Tom Waits, Chet Baker

Kitschy pop can be quite a lot of fun. It takes courage and a healthy self image in order to go out there and play ironic music to thousands of people. The Scissor Sisters and The Darkness are just some of the bands that have actually thrived in this genre. Now you can also count Sweden’s The Ark in the exclusive club of kitschy bands.

I was listening to their album, State of the Ark, today and I was actually having a lot of fun. It proves that you can actually make catchy songs when you do not take yourself too seriously. Their sound is a mix of 80’s pop (think The Cars) with a hint of pop metal. That’s a pretty potent mix right there and it realyl works. The Ark’s rave-ups are quite infectious that I would catch myself humming or singing  “oh padeo oh pa padeo”.

Although I wouldn’t say that this album is a critical success, The Ark still deserves your attention simply for the fact that it would be good to listen to something good and silly sometimes.

The Ark, State of The Ark, Sweden

My mind has been too cluttered lately because of work, various writing assignments and doing preliminary work for a new business that I’m getting into with a couple of friends. A busy mind means that I’m not as open to listening to new music. I never get the chance to really digest what I hear and everything sounds the same at some point. Whenever I’m in this mental state I just pop in familiar music — CDs that I’ve listened to before and enjoyed. It’s a chance for me to stop being too much of a critic and just be a fan.

One of the albums that I revisited today is The Arctic Monkeys‘ debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. The title’s still a handful for me but the songs have actually aged well. I think the songs actually sound better compared to last few times I’ve heard it. It could be a tired mind making things more palatable or it could be because the last few albums that I’ve listened to last week pale in comparison to the Arctic Monkeys’ tight songs. Whatever it is, I am loving it.

Arctic Monkeys, critic, debut

Time for a little break guys but something that’s still music related. A friend of mine asked referred me to this Youtube video of English comic David Armand’s “interpretive mime” of Natalie Imbruglia’s song Torn, which incidentally was written by Phil Thornally, a former bassist and producer for The Cure. The clip is hilarious and further supports my belief that English comics are a cut above the rest.

The Cure, Torn, Natalie Imbruglia

One of my current music related obsessions is music history. I have been voraciously reading artist biographies and interesting music related books. I also love watching the various rock documentaries that have come out over the last couple of decades. I loved UK/DK as well as the Ramones’ documentary, End of the Century.

One docu-film that I am excited about is Beautiful Noise, which is about Shoegaze — probably one of my most favorite music genre.  This new documentary attempts to trace the development of shoegaze and how the works of such pioneers as My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain influenced artists that came much later like Trent Reznor and Wayne Coyne (who both appear in the film). I am so stoked to see this movie! I hope filmmaker Eric Green, who is currently editing the film, will finish post production soon.

documentary, Beautiful Noise, Shoegaze

Joanna Newsom, one of the brightest stars of the pyschedelic folk movement, recently announced that she will be going on tour in Europe. The elfin faced artist has already announced ten dates in her European tour that will bring her to such countries as Germany, Austria, England and even the Czech Republic (who knew!). So if you’re living in Europe, reserve your tickets, polish your harps and prepare for the awesome Joanna Newsom.

Joanna Newsom, Germany, England

Beth Ditto is proudly carrying the torch for all of the brave and controversial women rockers who came before her. If you still doubt if Beth Ditto can rightfully claim the rock chick crown then just look at the daring cover she agreed to do for NME.

It takes a lot of guts to have your picture taken nude flaws and all. It’s pretty obvious Beth has a healthy body image and more than that, she is giving girls all over the world a clear message that you don’t need to be reed thin to feel sexy.

Beth Ditto, NME, women rockers