Streaking Towards The Horizon With Sigur Rós

Today I am immersed in the rapturous sounds of the new Sigur Rós album, "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" (translated "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"). I have been playing it continuously for the last few days, and a few tracks are already threatening to break into my highly volatile "Top 25 Most Played" playlist in my iTunes library.

It contains the appropriately titled and jubilant album opener "Gobbledigook ", an infectious and organic sounding little ditty that may inspire some to do the same as what is depicted on the album cover. The second track, " Inni mer syngurvitteysingur" continues in a similar vein, topping off a quick one-two punch that invokes a celebratory and tribalistic fusion that lets you know you are on new terrain here.

There are numerous tracks that are uncharacteristically economical and less grandiose than is typical for this tribe of Icelandic craftsmen, though thankfully the band still has a few lengthy ethereal soundscapes to keep the mood firmly rooted in outer space. There are also crackling acoustic guitars on a few more minimalist and sparse numbers that help make this album more varied than on previous outings.

The track "Festival" is a good fusion of the varied elements throughout the album. It is a nine minute center piece and magnum opus of the album that starts of as a jaunty invocation and than switches gears mid way through into a slowly building call to the heavens, gradually mutating into a thundering and triumphant crescendo .

For me Sigur Rós has been one of the most exciting and engaging bands of this nameless decade. Their music works on a very primal and emotional level, refusing to be easily categorized or subjected to rational analysis. It is one part spectacle, and two parts pure transcendent bliss. Needless to say it takes me to my happy place.

Even if the thought of pasty white unclothed Icelandic flesh frolicking in the sun scares you, I highly recommend immersing yourself in this album this summer. It holds the possibility of being able to enhance the moment wherever you may be and might even take you to a far away landscape when you need a quick escape from the mundane.

(For a free download of Goobledigook and some older tracks link here to the band's site, or check out their MySpace page to hear a few tracks from the album )

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2007

Here are my favourite 10 albums of the year. It was a good year for music really, and it was somewhat painful having to narrow it down. They are not ranked individually within my list, rather they are all noted for elevating my soul for various reasons throughout the year. Lots of links are provided .... Enjoy!

Amiina - "Kurr" - The album title comes from the Icelandic word for birdsong, which is an apt description for this tranquil and transcendent album from this female quartet. For an experimental album it is surprisingly warm, drawing you into a richly textured aural landscapes. This is the album you want to play at night as the soundtrack to your lucid dreams, the ones where you are flying unfettered and free from the restraints of gravity. Also, any album that includes wine glasses, musical saws, metalophones and glockenspiels deserves a closer examination. (Video Links; Hilli, Icelandic TV Performance).



Blonde Redhead - "23" - This is nostalgia music reminding me of other 4AD and indie bands of yore that were my musical mainstay in the late 80's and early 90's. The album is dense and impressionistic and is both alternately playful and brooding at times. Kazu Makino's voice is a beguiling instrument weaving in and out of the richly textured production. Some of the tracks remind me of a more accessible and melodic version of My Bloody Valentine. This is surreal dream pop for the 21st century. (Video Links; 23, Dr. Strangeluv)



Crowded House - "Time On Earth" - Musically there is nothing ground breaking here, but what you do get with this Crowded House reunion is more finely tuned and thoughtful song writing from Neil Finn. The songs alternate between starkly melancholic numbers and some of the more upbeat pop gems that Crowed House are best known for in their past work. Neil Finn's ruminations on the fragility of life and the trials of human relationships, in combination with his penchant for a good pop melody make this album a subtle though engaging affair. (Video Links; Don't Stop Now, Silent House, She Called Up)


Gogol Bordello - "Super Taranta!" - This latest offering from Eugene Hutz and his merry band of global gypsy punks is a chaotic and joyful assault on the senses. It is a life affirming journey through the global village, as seen from the eyes of an immigrant to the new world. The accordion and violin add an element of warmth and compliment the frenetic guitars and the thickly accented, almost shouted vocals of Hutz. The aesthetic of the album is summarized perfectly in these lines from the opening track Ultimate; "There were never any good old days/ They are today, they are tomorrow/ It's a stupid thing we say/ Cursing tomorrow with sorrow." (Video Links; Wanderlust King, Supertheory of Supereverything)


Iron & Wine "The Shepherd's Dog" Sam Beam returns with a more full sounding, less low-fi affair than on his previous releases. His whispery vocals are complimented here by a muddy and organic backing band, functioning as the perfect soundtrack to his surreal lyrical journey into Americana. The album has a mesmerizing and dream like quality and after multiple listens it weaved its way into my consciousness. (Not too many great videos on YouTube, so check out the bands My Space page for some songs from the new album)



M.I.A. - "Kala" This is hip-hop for the globally minded, representing a refreshing perspective outside of the mainstream, including stories of third world refugees, and those often defined as the "other". The album also has a party like vibe at times and has a frantic and engaging pace. The range of samples and instrumentation is staggering to the imagination, including everything from Bollywood film scores to the "Guns of Brixton" by the Clash. Also, any album that includes both a partial cover of the Pixies' Where is My Mind and also samples a didgeridoo for a bass line is alright in my books.(Video Links; Paper Planes, Jimmy, Bird Flu)


The New Pornographers - "Challengers" - On their fourth album the Pornographers continue to thrill and perplex with their ability to craft the type of songs that have that rare ability to get stuck in your head while at the same time being somewhat indecipherable. This is a more subdued and subtle offering from this talented collective. It is an album that sneaks up on you after a few listens and will eventual embed itself inside your brain. A more grown-up, though no less engaging outing, full of the richly textured hooks and dynamic vocal interplay between Neko Case and A.C. Newman. (Video Links; Challengers, My Rights Versus Yours)


Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - "Raising Sand" - This collaboration was the surprise of the year for me, and upon reflection it makes perfect sense. The harmonies between Plant and Krauss are amazing and they approach each obscure cover version with a rare combination of reverence and restraint. The production by T Bone Burnett is crisp and minimalist, bringing the artists dynamic voices to center stage while adding new, albeit subtle, sonic dimensions to two artists that are already established in their own right. (Video Links; Album preview on YouTube)


The Polyphonic Spree - "The Fragile Army" - On their third album Tim DeLaughter's symphonic rock collective have created a jubilant call to arms. It is a brazenly hopeful record that avoids sounding trite and addresses the need to come together in turbulent times. One of the standout tracks, Running Away is a giddy celebration of being deeply smitten with another person and much like the rest of the album it is endearingly direct and earnest. This is the album that took me to my "happy place" in 2007. (Video Links; Running Away, The Fragile Army)



Spoon - "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" - Clocking in at 36 minutes this is a tightly crafted indie-pop masterpiece that flies by quickly, demanding repeated listens to grasp what the band has accomplished in the studio on their sixth outing. The songs are deceptively simple and there is actually a lot going on in each track, therefore listening with headphones is essential in this case. The album as a whole had the rare ability to stick like goo into my brain and I played it continually all summer. The blue eyed soul meets indie rock found in Your Got Yr. Cherry Bomb is probably one of the most infectious tracks of the year. (Video Links; The Ghost of You Lingers, The Underdog, You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb)

BACK AS BLACK (Welcome Back Black Francis)

SOME FIRST IMPRESSIONS WHILE LISTENING TO "BLUEFINGER" BY BLACK FRANCIS

Today, a big welcome back to Black Francis (aka Frank Black). The endlessly cheeky auteur returns to his Pixies-era moniker, stating that "I couldn't get the Pixies back into a studio, but I would transform into my alter ego of yesteryear."

His new album (out as of Tuesday) is called Bluefinger, and is a tribute of sorts to the late Dutch artist Herman Brood. After only one listen I am impressed with the energy, wit and vitality of this album. Leave it to Frank to blatantly and unapologetically make a record that flaunts his passion for his own offbeat muse.

The opening track "Captain Pasty" is a slightly muted, though raucous number that immediately goes for the jugular. Playful lyrics also abound. On "Tight Black Rubber" he bellows "I'm all killer, no filler" and "Mary had a little lamb, the shit was pure as snow". Throw on some backing vocals from Kim Deal and this track would easily fit alongside many Pixies classics.

"Angels Come To Comfort You" is a jaunty number that chugs along as Francis sings about Brood's final days, referencing the hotel that Brood died in; "Now the Hilton hotel in Amsterdam/Good enough for John & Yoko man/Now you got the key to #902/Angels come to comfort you". The song ends with Ambulance sirens as the guitar slowly fades out.

The artist formerly known as Frank Black has had a prolific and varied post-Pixies output, and the increasingly slight odds of new material with his old band should not be cause for concern in light of what he is obviously capable of producing himself.

Needless to say, I am having a helluva lot of fun listening to this record so far. It was a much needed boost of hope today. One constant for me over the years is that records still have the power to make me giddy, excitable and believe in the transcendent power of art. I am not sure that a good rock record can save your soul, but it can certainly elevate it. Thanks Frank... er Francis, I mean Mr. Black.....

ALBUM REVIEW - The New Pornographers "Challengers"

Alongside Douglas Coupland, great sushi, and a breath taking never-ending springtime, The New Pornographers in my mind have always been one of the best things to be spawned from Vancouver. Like the city itself, they are an enigma that are hard to pin down. The music made by this talented collective defies easy labeling. After four albums they continue to thrill and perplex with their ability to craft complex pop masterpieces, the type of songs that have that rare ability to get stuck in your head while at the same time being somewhat indecipherable.

This album continues in this tradition, albeit in a slightly more subdued manner than its predecessors. The opening track "My Rights Versus Yours" starts of with the gentle vocal ramblings from A.C. Newman backed by subtle harmonies from Neko Case, building into a mid tempo number full of images such as "the truth in one free afternoon" and a "new empire in rags", which seems to be snapshots of a relationship that reaches a melting point and is forever altered. Lyrically this is more of a string of imagery than a coherent narrative, and could easily be the quintessential post-modern break-up song.

"The Old Showstoppers" sounds like traditional fare from the band full of the usual multiple vocal layers and a gradual build up. Strangely, the title track "Challengers" could almost pass as one of Neko Case's solo tracks, though there is more vocal restraint here. The moody and slow moving base line and complimentary banjo adds to the somber and dream-like state of this song about two people seemingly having to leave part of their lives behind and become "the challengers of the unknown".

"Myriad Harbour" & "All The Things That Go To Make Heaven & Earth" are more traditional Pornographers fare, with the former literally being a conversation among band members and the later being the type of manic punchy number that would have normally surfaced earlier on their past albums, complete with the type of chirpy backing keyboards that have made some of their past songs so endearing and playful.

"Failsafe" is a catchy and sleepy number complete with "How Soon Is Now" inspired vibrato from start to finish. Admittedly, the mid point track "Unguided" sucks some of the momentum away from the album and lost me a little, and at six and half minutes seems out of place in light of the bands usual flare for short perky bursts of brilliance.

From my vantage point the second last track "Adventures in Solitude" would have also made an appropriate title for the album, with its mellow strings, piano and chorus of "we thought we lost you.. welcome back". In many ways this album is a sort of adventure for the band, perhaps consciously shedding some of their power-pop inklings in favour of more melodic and subtle fare.

This is a forgivable and understandable foray for the band on their fourth outing, they are all credible musicians and artists in their own right and sometimes exercising more restraint is a necessary step. I do have to admit though that what has made the band so appealing to me in the past is their penchant for crafting the type songs that bounce around in your skull and eventually stick there like dense, sweet and sticky cotton candy. Some of those moments are here, though the sugar quota has been reduced slightly, and I suppose that this is necessary at times in order to prevent decay.

Album Review: Crowded House "Time on Earth"

The cover of this album says it all. Our "time on earth" is fleeting, precious, and in the case of former Crowded House drummer Paul Hester, ultimately tragic. The image of the blue dragon (depression) devouring Hester, who died by suicide in 2005, sets the tone for this thoughtful and introspective album from a reunited Crowded House.

Musically, there is nothing ground breaking here, but what you do get is more finely tuned and thoughtful song writing from Neil Finn. This album is a natural progression from his last major release, "Everyone is Here" recorded with brother Tim under the Finn Brothers moniker in 2004. In a similar vein, there is a fair deal of reflection in these songs and many of them sneak up on you with a refreshing degree of subtlety. These are the type of songs that grow on you over time and embed themselves for the long haul into your emotional weather system.

The opening track, "Nobody Wants To" appears to have been influenced by Hester's death. When Finn sings "They make it go away/Pretending that its all ok/Broken pieces on the ground/And everyone's tiptoeing round" you get a sense for the regret and loss anyone would feel under such circumstances. The song reflects the all too human tendency to brush over the uncomfortable issue of depression, often with tragic outcomes. It is both haunting and lovely and it is a definite high lite of the album.

A more classic Crowded House moment is the upbeat pop of "She Called Up" which would fit well alongside many of their previous pop gems. Of similar note is "Even A Child" , featuring guest Johnny Marr's familiar jangly guitar work, perfectly complimenting Finn's penchant for a good pop melody. A pleasant surprise is the mid-tempo and slightly ethereal "Say That Again", complete with rubbery backing synths reminiscent of Finn's early forays with Split Enz, perhaps paying homage to his new wave roots.

Also of note is "Silent House", a track co-written with the Dixie Chicks and originally recorded on their Rick Rubin produced "Taking The Long Way" album in 2006. In this case we get a less anthemic , more minimalist version, complete with background distortion and Finn's vocals more subdued than normal. This seems fitting for a song that is about looking back in regret at things left unsaid and attempting to make lost connections down the road.

This album is at times a gentle whisper, infused with moments of sweet pop to lighten the load. For every moment of regret there are moments of hope, affirming that life exists in even the darkest places. It is summed up perfectly in "The Heaven That I'm Making" where we are beckoned to consider that "if there is hell on earth, there must be heaven too/ both in one place, not a second to loose". We are left therefore with a choice, and which one do we embrace?

In exploring these dual elements we get a more complete picture of life, and ultimately a more mature and fully realized album made by a songwriter and his band that have had a lot to reflect on during their lengthy hiatus. This is definitely an album for the grown-up crowd, and of course I mean this in the best way possible.

By this point in time Neil Finn's voice has become like a familiar old friend who still has a few bitter-sweet yarns to spin. Time has infused these tales with a little more depth, meaning and urgency, aimed at getting it all out before the clock runs out.

A Few Thoughts Regarding Nick Drake's "Family Tree"

OK, so I understand why the folks at RollingStone didn't give this new Nick Drake treasury a ringing endorsement, and yes, I have to agree that there are indeed some extraneous elements to this posthumous release (i.e the charming, though forgettable Kegelstatt Trio, or the 30 second album intro). Having said all this, there are some very warm and endearing moments to this collection that warrant further consideration.

The low-fi hiss of the old analogue tapes, the occasional clanging of glasses in the background, or murmuring between tracks all combine to make these recordings even more endearing. It is a refreshing break from the digitized slick pop machine of the Itunes era, and I have found myself drawn into the warmth and intimacy of these home recordings, lovingly compiled by Drake's sister, Gabrielle. (Note: her letter to her brother in the liner notes is heart wrenching and beautiful).

Though not used commonly as adjectives to describe Nick Drake's music, there are actually some playful and fun elements to a few of these tracks, including a slightly subversive bar room diddy written by Robin Frederick called "Been Smoking Too Long", and an upbeat version of the traditional tune "Black Mountain Blues". Both tracks have clear & confident guitar picking and you can hear the joy in Nick Drake's voice as he discovers his muse. This is definitely the sound of a young, emerging artist finding his voice and revelling in his artistic abilities.

Also of note are a few covers of Jackson C. Frank tunes, including a mellow and meandering version of ' "Blues Runs The Game", and "Here Comes The Blues", which you can hear as laying the foundation for the development of Nick Drake's song writing a few years down the road.

More of a curiosity than essential canon is the home demo of Drake's own masterful "Day is Done", offering a glimpse of the brilliance yet to come on his later studio recordings. If anything, it provides a snapshot of the artist's growth and development, including his own self conscious nervous laughter in the middle of the song.

A few key tracks have already latched themselves onto me permanently and are refusing to let go. I am sure I will be humming a few of them on many care-free, bare feet in the grass summer days to come. As for Nick Drake's brilliant "official" albums, I'll save those for my reflective Autumn walks, though I am thankful now that I have another season in which to appreciate his music.

Now excuse me as I go out and track down some Folkways recordings to satisfy my newly required low-fidelity cravings!

FROM THE ARCHIVES: My Ruminations on Neil Young's "Living With War Album"

It looks like Neil Young's Living With War Blog is still up and running a year after the album came out, and he even has a clock counting down the remaining days of the Bush presidency (something every hopeful household should have!). He also has postings of other protest songs/videos from artists both from the mainstream and indie sphere. I can't help but admire the energy and tenacity of this man.

Posted below is a copy of the article I wrote on my previous blog when the album came out last year. I was giddy with excitement at the time to hear such a brazen assault against the goons currently holding the reigns in Washington. A year later I am still impressed with what Neil was trying to accomplish, and his ongoing efforts to keep this message alive. Enjoy!


Friday, April 28, 2006

"LIVING WITH WAR" -Neil Young's Hopeful Protest

It is very inspiring to see what Neil Young is doing with his Living With War album. There appears to be a bold urgency attached to this project; the DIY approach, recording it in a matter of 6 days, and using the blogosphere to get the message music out quickly. The low-fi production values enhance this sense of urgency & compliments the topical relevancy of this record. You get a sense that he reached a boiling point and had an incredible burst of creativity.

It would be naive to suggest that this protest album will somehow contribute towards altering the current destructive direction of US foreign and domestic policy, or help "Impeach the President" as he playfully sings. What he does succeed in accomplishing is providing a surprisingly fresh and raw voice that stands in stark contrast to a culture of apathy, where people's worldviews are shaped by sound bites on corporate media. This is the world he critiques on Restless Consumer";

"Don't need no ad machine, Telling me what I need, Don't need no Madison Avenue
War, Don't need no more boxes I can't see, Covered in flags but I can't see
them on TV"

On the Living With War blog some people have commented around how they found the songs to be depressing, too reflective of the stark global reality of life in the early 21st century. I had the opposite reaction and have found the songs to be quite hopeful. I appreciate Neil's bluntness, which is the perfect remedy in an era of Orwellian euphemisms, where phrases like "friendly fire" and "soft targets" are used frequently to lighten up combat for the masses.

It does not seem that Neil Young is coming from a place of bleak nihilism, but a place where he feels that amidst the folly and darkness of this war there is a place for voices to cry out not only in anger, but in the hope that we can actually learn from history and make better choices. He honestly believes that as a unified voice we can make a difference.

It isn't accidental that he put together a 100 person choir to sing back up. This choir acts like a classic Greek chorus, though rather than foreshadowing a fated tragedy to come they are hopeful voices crying out , saying that we can move beyond the darkness of this current age. This is the chorus of voices on the title track that sing " I make a holy vow never to kill again". This is not the sound of people giving into despair.

In naming the sorrows of our time Neil Young helps liberate us from their tyranny. On "Shock and Awe" he sings "back in the days of shock and awe, we came to liberate them all, history was the cruel judge of overconfidence" and notes the "thousands of bodies in the ground, brought home in boxes to a trumpet's sound". This is not about narrow ideology and partisan politics. This is about being a mature global citizen, willing to analyze our actions and acknowledge our mistakes.

Neil certainly isn't the first to craft a protest album (he pays proper dues to Bob Dylan on "Flags of Freedom"), though there is an urgency and immediacy to this recording that hasn't been seen in popular music for a long time. In many ways it may become a lasting legacy, reflecting an appropriate response to a televised war in the internet age.

In using the available technology of the internet to create dialogue and have his songs heard in advance of any official release he has made this into an event that transcends the actual content of the album. In doing this he has invited us to join in with his choir and create a voice for hope and change, one that will not be content to accept the "golden photo ops" and believe that it is "mission accomplished".

Album Review: Gogol Bordello's "Super-Taranta!"

Admittedly, I have no prior "history" with Gogol Bordello, and I had not afforded them even a passing thought until Bob Boilen & company raved about their latest album, "Super Taranta!" on NPR's "All Songs Considered" summer preview back in June.

The preview included the opening track "Ultimate", which is a chaotic & wonderful masterpiece. The song is refreshing due to it's directness, simplicity and infectious energy. It builds to a frenzied crescendo with a provocative chorus that acts as a call to arms against the forces of legislated nostalgia;

"There were never any good old days, They are today, they are tomorrow, It's a stupid thing we say, Cursing tomorrow with sorrow."

As a first time listener I was immediately drawn into the rest of the album as if it were a fabulous train wreck that I could not keep away from. It was a raw and visceral listening experience. My reaction afterwards (one I have heard repeated elsewhere) was to think that this is indeed what The Pogues could have become had Shane MacGowan remained sober periodically, and had the energy level of the band been turned up a few notches.

What is immediately endearing upon first listen is the off beat phrasing and the strong unapologetic Eastern European accent from singer Eugene Hutz, a former refugee from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Ukraine. He brings a unique perspective and voice to this already diverse gypsy-punk NYC collective.

Quirky songs with equally eccentric titles abound, including "Supertheory of Supereverything" where Hutz describes the Bible as being "unwitty", and sings about his mistrust of disciples, "even if they're made of marble".

Other stand out tracks include "My Strange Uncles From Abroad", a song of loss for a first generation immigrant, and "Tribal Connection", which reminds me of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" thrown into a blender and reconfigured to reflect a weary ambivalence towards early 21st century tribalism and narrow mindedness. Also of note is the slowly building "Alcohol", a straight ahead gin soaked bar room lament that is also a heck of a lot of fun.

Musically, the album functions as the soundtrack to some adrenalin fueled post-modern gypsy circus. The frenetic violin playing, choppy off kilter acoustic strumming and pounding drums are occasionally balanced out by the organic warmth of Yuri Lemeshev's accordion. This is the perfect back up band for Hutz's globe trotting, stream of consciousness meanderings.

This is not an album to walk alone to and enjoy in solitude on your IPod. It demands to be shared and embraced communally with other folks in mood for rapturous celebration. It is a bold and uplifting experience that avoids sounding trite. It functions as a life affirming coup d'état that cuts straight through the bland sentimentality present in much of popular music . I would recommend getting on board the Gogol Bordello express immediately and embracing the manic and joyful ride that this album provides.