if you wanna win, put boobie in
It's amazing how four interminable hours of work (a laughable amount to complain about I know, but I'm telling you it can be absolutely soul-crushing down there with no natural light [1] and nothing to do but verify, verify, verify addresses and phone numbers of former students who, chances are, have no interest in making the huge gifts my employer is after) can melt away after picking up a few new records. [2] The latest cash-in from my own personal indie rock gods Pavement came out today: a 2-cd expanded reissue of 1994's classic Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. I also picked up the Friday Night Lights soundtrack, which features new material from Texan post-rock icons Explosions in the Sky. As a matter of fact, Michelle and I saw that very film earlier this evening [3] and we both enjoyed it. The music fits the film very well, and added, for me at least, a measure of something like gravitas to the essentially unfortunate feeling I get from high school football in my home state. [4]
I haven't yet had a chance to really listen to either disc yet, but since I'm on the topic of new music, it's time for me to give overdue shout outs to a couple of bands you may've already heard of. If you haven't, it's cool, but there's no time like the present. First is the Unicorns, an unhinged Canadian rock band that oscillates between the bizarre and the sublime. I've been listening to Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? [5] quite a bit of late and the best term I can think of to describe it is sui generis. [6] These guys sound like nothing else (or at least nothing else I've heard), and that's what makes their music so exciting to listen to, time after time. Even when you know where these songs are going, it's still kind of surprising each time that it happens. If you're feeling adventurous, give the Unicorns a chance. Their next album will probably sound nothing like this one. [7]
The second and final spotlighted (lit?) band also hails from the Great White North and are apparently leaving the east coast devasted by their live performances. [8] They're called the Arcade Fire and their upbeat first full length is called Funeral. Since I hear blogs are supposed to have links, here's one to the Merge Records site, where you can stream a few tracks. That is if you're scared to get on the P2P networks due to those stickers they're putting on CDs now. This is much more straight forward rock music, but done in a really compelling fashion. At times they get a little bit Bright Eyes on us [9], but the pretty music gets us through that. Plus, on the last track the female lead sounds kind of like Bjork! But don't get the wrong idea; these guys rock like beasts. [10]
In other business, the game described in the previous post is called "Odell Lake." I googled for an image capture or some such nonsense because Michelle didn't believe it was real, but all I found was that apparently this game is impossible to find. Which is of course odd considering the surplus of Apple IIes being used today. And in other news, Ashley is sick but don't worry fellows: she's going to the clinic tomorrow and should be clean and back on the circuit in a few days. Marvelous things they're doing in medicine, simply marvelous. [11] We give Ashley our best wishes, but remind her to contact all of her most recent partners after her results come back (it's only polite, after all).
Footnotes:
[1] And no Natural Light (trademark)
[2] Yes, I am in college and still buy non-digital music frequently. Gotta support the scene bros!
[3] For free!
[4] After all, I'm first and foremost a basketball man. But go Coyotes!
[5] An awfully good question, I might add
[6] meaning, 'altogether unique'
[7] For better or for worse; Pitchfork has recently reported that the band is "going hip hop" and has formed a production team, a la the Neptunes or DFA.
[8] I am pledging, right here and right now, to never describe a performance by a rock band as being "incendiary," unless, of course, a fire is actually started.
[9] Read: "weepy"
[10] Stephen Malkmus said that once.
[11] And all because of stem cells, you know. You did know that? Good for you!
I haven't yet had a chance to really listen to either disc yet, but since I'm on the topic of new music, it's time for me to give overdue shout outs to a couple of bands you may've already heard of. If you haven't, it's cool, but there's no time like the present. First is the Unicorns, an unhinged Canadian rock band that oscillates between the bizarre and the sublime. I've been listening to Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? [5] quite a bit of late and the best term I can think of to describe it is sui generis. [6] These guys sound like nothing else (or at least nothing else I've heard), and that's what makes their music so exciting to listen to, time after time. Even when you know where these songs are going, it's still kind of surprising each time that it happens. If you're feeling adventurous, give the Unicorns a chance. Their next album will probably sound nothing like this one. [7]
The second and final spotlighted (lit?) band also hails from the Great White North and are apparently leaving the east coast devasted by their live performances. [8] They're called the Arcade Fire and their upbeat first full length is called Funeral. Since I hear blogs are supposed to have links, here's one to the Merge Records site, where you can stream a few tracks. That is if you're scared to get on the P2P networks due to those stickers they're putting on CDs now. This is much more straight forward rock music, but done in a really compelling fashion. At times they get a little bit Bright Eyes on us [9], but the pretty music gets us through that. Plus, on the last track the female lead sounds kind of like Bjork! But don't get the wrong idea; these guys rock like beasts. [10]
In other business, the game described in the previous post is called "Odell Lake." I googled for an image capture or some such nonsense because Michelle didn't believe it was real, but all I found was that apparently this game is impossible to find. Which is of course odd considering the surplus of Apple IIes being used today. And in other news, Ashley is sick but don't worry fellows: she's going to the clinic tomorrow and should be clean and back on the circuit in a few days. Marvelous things they're doing in medicine, simply marvelous. [11] We give Ashley our best wishes, but remind her to contact all of her most recent partners after her results come back (it's only polite, after all).
Footnotes:
[1] And no Natural Light (trademark)
[2] Yes, I am in college and still buy non-digital music frequently. Gotta support the scene bros!
[3] For free!
[4] After all, I'm first and foremost a basketball man. But go Coyotes!
[5] An awfully good question, I might add
[6] meaning, 'altogether unique'
[7] For better or for worse; Pitchfork has recently reported that the band is "going hip hop" and has formed a production team, a la the Neptunes or DFA.
[8] I am pledging, right here and right now, to never describe a performance by a rock band as being "incendiary," unless, of course, a fire is actually started.
[9] Read: "weepy"
[10] Stephen Malkmus said that once.
[11] And all because of stem cells, you know. You did know that? Good for you!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home