Indie Music Chatter

I just recently discovered Cherry Ghost and I have fallen in love with the music of Simon Aldred. I’ll make a more substantial post about Cherry Ghost soon. But in the meantime, I’m posting the band’s appearance in Jools Holland’s show — one of the few bands who have appeared on the show without even releasing a single to the public first. Watch them play the wonderful People Help The People.

Radney, a good friend of mine, recently gave me a copy of Magnitude the 2-CD remastered retrospective of the 80’s UK band The Wild Swans. What can I say? It’s a blast from the past! The Wild Swans never really got big worldwide. Only those who were immersed in the “new wave” movement of the early to mid 80’s would actually know them. They never had a hit single and their popularity among the new wave cognoscenti started out as second hand recognition because this group was composed of members who would become more popular in other bands, namely, Paul Simpson with The Care and Jeremy Kelly with The Lotus Eaters.

Magnitude collects The Wild Swans’ two albums. The debut Bringing Home The Ashes as well as Space Flower. These albums have been remastered and additional tracks were added to each album. As retrospectives go, this is a great buy. Firstly, because Wild Swans albums are so rare now (remember, they never really became massively popular) and second, the collection is a nostalgic glimpse into 80’s music — the ones that are cool, mind you and not the cringe inducing music of The Jets or Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam.

The Wild Swans, Lotus Eaters, The Care

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Now playing: Eisley - A Sight To Behold
via FoxyTunes

Here’s a great performance of Jens Lekman as he sings A Man Walks Into a Bar. How can one man write such wonderful songs?

I recently acquired a couple of albums from the band Devastations, and I have fallen in love with their dark sound. Devastations is like The Tindersticks trading in their suave undertones with something more sinister — something Like Nick Cave and his barroom experimentations. There is a certain slinky sexiness to their sound that can also turn foreboding and dangerous in some songs. The band only plays within the boundaries of these aforementioned grooves/textures — a formula that they have established for the band. I have to say I like their sound. Devastations is the kind of band whose album you will play on a dark, chilly afternoon.

Devastations, Nick Cave, The Tindersticks

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Now playing: The Devastations - An Avalanche Of Stars
via FoxyTunes

Talk about indie music and the usual suspects almost always come from Canada, the US, the UK and Europe. Unfortunately, Asia never gets the attention it deserves. The region has some of the freshest and most innovative bands that are just waiting for a bigger audience to discover them.

Take for example the Philippines’ Up Dharma Down. This quartet has, to my mind, singlehandedly elevated indie music in the Philippines. They play a kind of dreampop/jazz/triphop hybrid that is so accomplished, so sophisticated you will almost cry from frustration because they really deserve to be heard by a far bigger audience than the lucky mofos in Manila.

The band has one of the tightest sounds I have ever heard from ANY band. And that includes any single one of the bands in the US or the UK. It is mature, deep, many layered and highly nuanced. Every single song from the debut Fragmented is like a warm wash of sounds that envelop you, tickling your senses and leaving you wanting just a little more…

If you guys want to discover for yourselves what I’m talking about just make a Google search on Up Dharma Down because a number of sites have cropped up that feature some of their songs. Prepare to be amazed.

Philippines, Up Dharma Down, Fragmented

I love women rockers that reek of menace and danger. I think these kind of women are sexy and they really turn me on. The confidence and swagger they present on stage and also bring with them wherever they go is like musk that attracts me to them. It’s no wonder I am so obsessed with rockers like Polly Jean Harvey, Allison “VV” Mosshart of The Kills, the girls of L7, and to some extent even Kathleen Hanna (who has managed the almost impossible task of mixing girly cuteness with rocker danger).

These are the women that populate my music reality. These are women who are so confident in their femininity that they can choose to flaunt it in ways that can be seen as subliminally subversive. Even their music reflects this confidence and sexual assuredness — qualities that no man can dare equal.

I’ve mentioned in past blog entries that I am a huge Pinback fan. One of the biggest reasons I became a fan is because of Loro, a song off their This is Pinback album. I think it is one of the greatest songs ever written. The youtube “video” above is not really a video, but it features the whole song so I think it fitting to put it here so that more people can listen to this exquisite tune from the band.

Pinback, This is Pinback, Loro

A friend of mine recently sold some old turntables in his collection. I’ve always been interested in going analog but the initial investment of getting a turntable and LPs deterred me. Anyway, I just asked this friend about the equipment he was selling a few questions just out of curiosity. Before I knew it, he sent me a linear tracking turntable and a few LPS to try out. Well, to cut a long story short, I eventually bought the turntable and I’m now in the process of collecting LPs.

I have to admit, all the claims made by turntable enthusiasts really have a kernel of truth in them.  Audio is just more lively, brighter and has a much wider soundstage. Separation is also more defined.

What am I trying to drive at? Well, I’m now hankering to get some LPs of my favorite artists, that is, if there are any available pressings. I think the music of Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart will sound exceptionally well in analog. So too the music of The Arcade Fire.

I knew going analog was going to be the death of my wallet.

turntable, analog, Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart, Arcade Fire

My friends and I have been talking about the new Rilo Kiley album Under the Blacklight. This is the second album of new material for the band, which is fronted by one of my indie girl fantasies — Jenny Lewis.

I still haven’t fully absorbed the album but I do love what I am hearing. the songs here are very strong, and are quite adventurous. The band is still tightening their sound here and there but in general, all of the songs are very good and the characteristics of the Rilo Kiley sound is still pretty evident, and you can hear a level of maturity that shows the band is not afraid to play around with their formula.

Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis, Under the Blacklight

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Now playing: Jens Lekman - Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo
via FoxyTunes

A couple of months back, I blogged about my collection of The Cure Deluxe Edition CDs. I consider the Deluxe Edition releases a great bargain and a must-have addition to any music collection.

I still lack the Faith Deluxe Edition to complete my Cure Deluxe Edition catalogue (Well, there’s still that Deluxe Edition of the self titled album but that’s not really a priority), but it looks like I’ll have to save up for two more albums. Robert Smith announced that next year, Wish and Disintegration will get Deluxe Edition treatments. I am so excited about this because these are two of my most favorite Cure albums of all time. I can’t wait till ‘08!

The Cure, Wish, Disintegration, Deluxe Edition

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Now playing: Lee “Scratch” Perry - Curly Locks
via FoxyTunes

I recently read about the reissue of Lee “Scratch” Perry’s three seminal albums. The Apeology reissue is a great chance to listen to one of dub and reggae’s foremost visionaries at his strangest. The three albums in this reissue (RoastFish and Cornbread, Super Ape and Return of Super Ape) are some of the strongest examples of how Perry sees music as well as wonderful glimpse into his whole thought process as a musician and producer. You want to talk about the indie spirit, well Perry embodies the whole indie ethos. This is a guy who did everything based on his own unique vision — no compromises, no bargaining.

One of the biggest things that irritate me is when I hear someone say that they love reggae and yet could only cite Bob Marley and frigging UB40. There is more to reggae than Marley and Perry is waiting there to welcome you with open arms.

Lee “Scratch” Perry, Bob Marley, Apeology

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Now playing: Eskimo & Sons - No Elephant
via FoxyTunes

Here is Jens Lekman’s video for You Are The Light. I’m still on a Jens Lekman music binge!

Jens Lekman. You Are The Light

Man, I am so stoked!

I just recently discovered the music of Jens Lekman and I am mightily impressed. I got hold of a copy of his forthcoming second album Night Falls Over Kortedala and I have been playing it non-stop the whole day. You rarely hear an artist that is so confident, so self assured in his music. This is music that is made as much for his listeners as for himself. It’s personal without being morose or too obscure. A crowd pleaser without being too formulaic.

Lekman’s music sounds like a blenderized version of chamber pop, sixties music, electronic folk, with a hint of 70’s balladry. It may sound like a weird combination but Lekman manages to assimilate all the best qualities of those genres to produce a sound that is familiar enough to make you feel at home when you hear it and yet still wonderfully unique that it’ll pique your interest once you’re engulfed in Lekman’s inventive arrangement and tongue-in-cheek use of diverse instruments and found sounds. Lekman flits from song to song with an almost childlike enthusiasm, one moment he sings a song that is just carried by the strong melody because of the sparse arrangement, but then the next song is filled to brimming with sonic layers that you feel that you’re twirling in an aural kaleidoscope. All through this though you hear Lekman’s tender voice (which sounds like a weird cross between Stephin Merritt and Terry Callier), which serves as the focal point and the thread that connects all of these songs together.

Night Falls Over Kortedala is that rare work that sounds less like an album but a wonderful sonic journey that uplifts you and leaves you wanting more.

Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala

One of the most embarassing things to happen to an avowed music fan is to actually miss an important piece of information with regards to music. And what makes it doubly embarrassing is that the information involves a band of which you are a big fan.

That’s just what happened to me today. I am a HUGE Buffalo Tom fan. I think that all of their albums are great examples of American rock — brash, atmospheric and earnest. I have all of their albums in my collection and, in fact, always mention Let Me Come Over as one of the finest albums ever made. So it came as quite a shock to me to find out that they released a new album last month. Three Easy Pieces was released last July 10 and I completely missed it.

I’m not going to make excuses for what happened but to put it in perspective, this album of new material is a follow up to Smitten, an album that they released waaay back in 1998. for the next four or five years, I would periodically check if they have released any new CDs. But except for a Greatest Hits package (which I always consider as a sign of an impending breakup) no new material came out from the Bill Janowitz and company. I guess, subconsciously, I thought that Smitten would be their last album.

Sometimes, it’s good to be wrong. Oh, and welcome back Buffalo Tom. Pleased to make your acquaintance once again.

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Now playing: Buffalo Tom - three easy pieces
via FoxyTunes

Buffalo Tom, Smitten, Three Easy Pieces

Over the past couple of days I’ve been immersing myself with the music of Joy Division. I’m doing this to prepare myself for my planned attendance to a screening of Anton Corbijn’s Control, the biopic of the late Ian Curtis.

I’m an avowed Joy Division fan. But if you ask me how many of their albums I have I’ll tell you that I only have one. It’s actually the Heart and Soul 4 - disc set that encompasses the whole dicography of Joy Division (which is, obviously, tragically short). Call me a half-hearted fan if you want but I deliberately bought this CD set because I knew that it will be very hard to track down each and everyone of the band’s releases. Some may think of this as a Cliff’s Notes version of their discography, to which I have to voice my contrarian opinion. It may be true with some of the other artist retrospectives released by money grubbing record companies. But Heart and Soul, to me, is like a trade paperback — a tidy collection of the whole run of a comicbook (or a particularly memorable story arc). This collection is supposed to contain every single release the band made during their very memorable, but very short time together. I think that this noble attempt to compile everything in one manageable package is commendable and is a great service to Joy Division fans and serious music listeners.

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Now playing: Film School - On & On
via FoxyTunes

Joy Division, Ian Curtis, Anton Corbijn