Ah, we’re back to the comfort of Candle Records output. This time we’re listening to the one album from the very appealing combo of Jodi Phillis (ex-Clouds) and hubbie Tim Oxley.

It’s raining today in Melbourne town (well, on and off). This album is perfect for such inclemency.

Both Phillis and Oxley are blessed with sweet voices, and this CD is jampacked with harmonising on tender, slow and emotive tracks. There is a mix of acoustic and electric, whistling, strings and gentle percussion.

This album has a small feel.  By that I mean that it is intimate and slight.  It is also warm and inviting. This is the sound Will Oldham often toys with before getting all cantankerous and experimental.

Everything about this album is well-measured and subtle.  It is certainly well-titled, as curling up with a big glass of red on a chilly night would probably be its ideal context.  Thankfully it isn’t as morose as the ‘blue’ implies.

File under: A nice drop worth cellaring

2008 was het baardenjaar. Dat had natuurlijk een aanloop en ook de uitloop is nog duidelijk zichtbaar, we mogen dus best van een baardendecennium spreken.

2008 was opvallend omdat het toen de nieuwe hippe bands waren die het haar welig lieten groeien op het gelaat. Denk aan Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Band Of Horses en TV On The Radio, om het maar niet te hebben over gearriveerde baarddragers als Will Oldham, Devendra Banhart, Dennis Wilson en ZZ Top.

Simon Reynolds  verklaart in The Guardian de terugkeer naar de baard als een verlangen naar de wildernis, als een protest tegen de moderniteit. Flavorpill zet simpel de vijftien engste en bekendste baarden ooit op een rijtje.

Good article from the Guardian on the prominence and meaning of beards in noughties indie music.

Here’s the conclusion:

But if face-fuzz has become an epoch-defining signifier in leftfield rock, what exactly does it signify?

Let’s look again at Fleet Foxes’ He Doesn’t Know Why, where the group sound like angels but look like satyrs. Here, beardedness is tantamount to a visual rhetoric, almost a form of authentication, as though the band are wearing their music on their faces. The video is a symphony of shades of brown. There’s even livestock mingling with the band as they play, goats whose tufty throats accentuate the band’s bewhiskeredness. The promo’s earthy colour-palette and the group’s greasy beards amount to a blatant case of the image following the music’s lead, together invoking a hallowed era of rock history: 1968-69, the first time that rock grew bearded. On He Doesn’t Know Why, the sound and visuals are equal parts Crosby Stills and Nash, and The Band.

With Fleet Foxes’ 2008 debut album featuring ditties about red squirrels and meadowlarks and song titles like Ragged Wood and Blue Ridge Mountains, it hardly takes Roland Barthes to decode the band’s beards as the literally facial expression of a perennial American yearning for wilderness (a longing seemingly felt most fervently by those who didn’t grow up anywhere near rural areas). In this symbolic scheme, facial fur = fir (and pine, spruce, maple, shagbark, hickory, et al), while Gillette = the timber industry, or perhaps “mountain top removal” mining. In a silent but eloquent protest against modernity, Fleet Foxes have turned their chins into miniature Appalachian forests.

So much of the music I listen to strains for authenticity – I think the writer is right to see beardedness as an extension of this.

Read the whole thing

Spot the real man

var nettopp på Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy-konsert

Etterpå fikk jeg signert plata mi. Fyren foran meg i køen spurte hvor han “hentet inspirasjon fra” og hvordan han selv kunne “skrive bedre låter”?

Bonnie satt helt stille. Ventet noen sekunder. Så stirret han inn i øynene til fyren og sa – med sterk overbevisning: “Go into the woods”.

by: Levi Shand

Had the pleasure this week of watching The Guatemalan Handshake and came away feeling vindicated for authoring years of hill-jack logic…”Handshake” raises fugal voices which rise and die in service to a driving theme; “driving” figuratively being “rural expectations” and literally meaning demolition derby racing and the omnipresence of Mr. Turnipseed’s orange 1981 Commutacar.

I don’t know…can’t even really nail down a theme; not of right mind to do so at present…I’d like to think the film’s not so easily dissected into conventional parts…Romantically, it would be more Jello-y than that, smokier, or amorphous, that thing I so enjoy but can’t name. “It”.

So here’s a prototype soundtrack, a “secret” soundtrack, as composed by David Wingo. The original soundtrack, as of today, hasn’t been released but there are rumors, etc. If you get the chance, watch this film.

Opening Track

The River

Photo Album

Dinner Montage

Where the Fuck is Donald pt.1

Bacon Ride

Traffic Lights

Inchworm – Danny Kaye

Phone Booth

Ethel Firecracker

Hell Yeah – Nitro Tokyo

My Arm is Broken & My Dad Hates Me

Morning in Field

Where the Fuck is Donald pt.2

Mashed Potatoes – W. Clay

It’s Raining Fire

Bitchkisser

Obituary & Funeral

Guatemalan Regula – Will Oldham

Bitchkisser

Turtle

Sunshine Marimba – W. Clay

Mr. Turnupseed is Psyched

Derby

Separate Itineraries – Ken Byrnes

A Hawaiian word meaning “foreigner”; this term, which predates Captain James Cook’s 1778 arrival in Hawaii, has also come to refer more generally to Caucasians; another Hawaiian nickname for white people—especially tourists—is “shahkbait”; you don’t want to be called shahkbait; some time ago, I found myself in Maui—with my father; we spent a few days at a hotel called Mama’s Fish House, by the beach in Paia (a laid-back town that’s home to Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson); my dad enjoyed himself in Paia; he ate; “I appreciate any culture that makes Spam a staple,” said my dad; I tried to keep dad from ordering dessert after every meal—pineapple upside down cake, coconut pie, haupia—but in my heart, I knew it wasn’t a battle worth fighting; rather, I knew I couldn’t win; my dad has a big personality—and Type 2 Diabetes; on our last day in Maui, we woke up at dawn to drive the winding Hana Highway; we visited a famous break called “Jaws” and watched local surfers from the safety of the shore along with other oglers; a Rastafarian with a longboard gave us the finger and called us “shahkbait”; road signs were, mostly, missing (supposedly yanked down by locals to discourage adventurous haoles—like us); we stopped at a wayside park called Kaumahina, which had a stunning view—and a prominent sign reading “no soliciting”—but dad and I were more interested in the family of feral cats that comingled with a band of aggressive, wild chickens; I fed the chickens bits of my apple core; dad gave them Hershey’s kisses; the next day, we drove to the airport in Kahului; with an hour to kill, we went to a shopping center with a Borders and a Starbucks; my father and I got into a fight when he ordered an Iced Caffe Mocha and an Old Fashioned; I asked him not to eat so much dessert—at least in front of me; he reminded me that he’s my father, that I can become patronizing and idiotic, and then he proceeded to order a second Old Fashioned; I couldn’t watch; I went to Borders and looked at a picture book about large jungle cats; two hours later, my father and I boarded different flights; on the plane, I kept mentally replaying the incident in Starbucks, and I became upset for being so controlling; my father likes doughnuts, it’s that simple; he’s 63; I should’ve let him eat his Starbucks doughnuts in peace; at one point in Hawaii, the last day of the school year was known as “Kill Haole Day”; Kill Haole Day seems to be a tropical cousin of “Beat Up a White Kid Day,” which coincides with May 1^st—May Day; Beat Up a White Kid Day has been a long-standing tradition in Cleveland public schools; seriously; while I am no supporter of random violence, this seems to be a fascinating inversion of traditional race/power dynamics; in “Maximum City,” Suketu Mehta’s analysis of Hindu-Muslim violence in Mumbai, he writes eloquently about “the powerful wish of minorities all over the world to be the oppressor rather than the oppressed”; for me, this is a troubling, cynical thought; I’d prefer an alternate path, one where—as Will Oldham (aka Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy) sings: “You do what you want/And I will do what I want/I’m now free of master and everyone/servant of all and servant of none”; that being said, I’m not one to speak: my father and I recently had a two-hour-long quarrel about a box of Thin Mints.

I was only going to stay 2 nights in Milan but I’ll stay an extra one as the hostel is good, I’ve not had enough time to see what I want to here and I’ve still got loads of working out to figure a route to Madrid. Getting to Andorra directly from the French coast doesn’t look likely so I think I’ll have to go inland to somewhere like Toulouse.

I’ve now booked 2 nights in Nice instead of the 3 I’d originally planned. I may well book an extra one but it just depends on the what I figure out route wise. I’m looking forward to a rest from the constant planning when I get home!

Now I’m waiting for a tram into the city centre where I will get a connecting one to the San Siro. I should be able to see the joint AC/Inter Milan museum at least but I’m hoping to get on the stadium tour as well.

There’s a fella from Perth working at the hostel who is an interesting guy and looks like Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy. He’s done 14,000 miles in a battered old Leyland van and had plenty of adventures along the way.

There’s also another strange bloke who does the cleaning. He walks round like a druid with his head permanently facing the floor. Even when cooking or using the laptop (which he tilts and stands over while typing). A weird one he is.

Last night I cracked my travel mirror. Now believe this if you will but the last time I broke a mirror was 7 years ago. Great eh.

I just saw a shop called ‘Fugazzi’, not the best name considering it’s selling jewellery! Donnie Brasco fans will know what I’m on about.

I did to get on the San Siro tour, €12.50 with museum access. It was okay. The museum is quite small and annoyingly you’re not allowed to take pictures and the tour basically consists of the dressing rooms and the pitch. The Nou Camp tour is much better as is the Eastlands one.

Still, it was good to have a proper look at one of the World’s great football arenas. Sitting in Paulo Maldini’s old seat in the AC dressing room was fun and I also had a little word with Jose to give him a few pointers for improving Inter’s Champions League form, I think he appreciated it.

Before I was playing around with the iConvert app and I discovered I’m 1.933084e-16 lightyears tall. Or if you prefer 0.009090909 furlongs, 1.288e+10 angstroms, 0.3636364 rods, 0.000987473 nautical miles, 1 fathom, 0.06666667 shackles, 1.8288e+09 nanometres, 2 yards. Blimey.

The Cathedral of Milan is perhaps the most impressive Duomo I’ve seen in Italy and that is saying something. The intricate detail in the huge stained glass panes is stunning. This is a must see when here, though the massive oriental tour groups are a bit of a pain.

Milan is well known as a world centre of fashion and I saw plenty of evidence to support that today. To be honest though, victim was a word that sprang to mind often.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’ Fresco will not be on the menu after all. You have to book a month in advance for a viewing! I’d already read this was the case but had hoped that with it being out of season I might be able to wangle in. Not so, as a lad from Vancouver who tried today confirmed for me.

I actually saw a Lambretta today for the first time in the trip never mind just Italy. It was well ahead of me so I didn’t get the model but it was in immaculate condition with a gloss blue/silver paint job. Lovely stuff.

Back at the hostel now but I’ll save my further route planning for the morning, really can’t be arsed at the moment.

I fancied going to see a flick but after checking the listings they’re all dubbed. Philistines! Just say no (to dubbing).

So now I’m drinking a large bottle of Birra Moretti and it’s going down well. The bloke from Perth is a dab hand in the kitchen and is making a big vat of pasta with more ingredients than you can shake a big wooden spoon at, jobs a good’ n. After the grub there is the lad in my room from Vancouver who fancies checking out the local so I’ll have a little mooch with him.

The head-down fella came into the kitchen while we were having a drink. He seriously will not lift his head above a 90 degree angle, he had a glass of juice but used a straw just to avoid raising his swede. Craig (the Perth lad) shares a large room with him and says he even sleeps like that. It’s actually quite sad as it must be a mental thing, but even if that were to be sorted his posture would probably be a permanent mess by now.

TTFN.

by Raymond Morin

Alasdair Roberts has earned his reputation as a respectful interpreter, having adopted and re-imagined many well-known British Isles ballads (see his excellent “Lord Ronald”, from 2005’s No Earthly Man). The Scottish singer/guitarist has deep roots in traditional music, but in the US, he is equally associated with modern indie-rock. Roberts has toured and recorded with many top performers from both worlds, and his own music is something of a hybrid, a blending of those sensibilities. He usually sings in a taut yet gentle tenor, not unlike that of American contemporary and label-mate Will Oldham (Palace, Bonnie Prince Billy). While Roberts and Oldham share certain undeniable similarities in cadence and timbre, it would be a good idea to end the comparisons there… Roberts is on his own path, and through his long association with the Drag City label, has built one of the most consistently satisfying catalogs in indie-folk. The trend continues with The Wyrd Meme, a mini-album that follows on the heels of this year’s full-length Spoils.

This four song set possesses all the hallmarks of the singer’s unique style: flowery, borderline archaic language, traditional or traditional-derived melodies, varied and refreshing arrangements, and clever turns of phrase never in short supply. On opener “The Hallucinator and the King of the Silver Ship of Time”, Roberts paints a detailed portrait of the curious Hallucinator, and her visit from the King of Time, at the bottom of the ocean. Both the narrator’s point of view and the purpose of the meeting are nebulous, yet the imagery is so vivid that it’s hard not to get drawn in.

While that fantastical setting of “Hallucinator…” sounds something akin to a fable, second track “The Yarn Unraveller” seems to describe an imminent separation of the common human variety, one person leaving on a journey while the other is left behind. The song finds precedent in the Child Ballad “The Trooper and the Maid”, which has a similar premise and melodic arc, but as with many of Roberts’ re-castings, there is an appreciable immediacy and warmth that keeps things from sounding dated.

Alasdair Roberts – “The Yarn Unraveller”

Though the collection has it’s share of achingly sad and beautiful moments, there is also a welcome thread of levity woven into the songs. Closer “Coral and Tar” takes the form of a lullaby, and contains some real gems of wordplay, as Roberts mixes up self-deprecating humor, modern asides and naturalistic themes. Alliteration-rich lines such as “I’m no pine, I’m a man in my prime and I’m pining” and the twisting “…to join with the pine and to join with the oak in their blood oath to choke up the garden” are classic Roberts… seemingly world-weary, but with a wink.

The Wyrd Meme is a short yet worthy addition to Alasdair Roberts’ healthy discography. Existing fans won’t find any real surprises, but they will most certainly not be disappointed, and for the uninitiated, Meme would be a fine starting point.

Buy the 12″ or CD from Drag City
Buy the 12″ or CD from Insound
Alasdair Roberts’ Website
Alasdair Roberts’ on Myspace

Who? Frontier Ruckus

What? snowed country town melancholy, the farmers are locked in their barns, and they just have their banjos.

Sounds like? Timesbold, Whip, Will Oldham, Bonnie Prince Billy

Winter is to be seen at the horizon. If you don’t watch out, it’ll catch you. I heard from a friend that it was snowing in the United States. This seems like the beginning of an eternal winter. Luckily there is Frontier Ruckus.

It keeps you warm, evne if it’s sad. It’s something you should drink during heavy snow storms, while you’re thinking you can never get out of this. that nature finally has shown you that it’s stronger.

I’m not posting any songs from their album The orion Songbook. No, i’m just posting the demos that are freely available on their websites. Just the demos are amazing already. You can perhaps imagine how the album is. If so, go buy it here or here

Frontier Ruckus – Animals need Animals (demo version)

Frontier Ruckus – Ephiphanies & Revelations (demo Version)

You find a lot more demo songs here.

PS: still no reactions on my trade list plan. I guess it’s too complicated. (or should i tag them all?)

Den kom på tyska redan 2006. Nu är den släppt på engelska. Biografin om Johnny Cash – i illustrerad form! Den är den tyske serietecknaren och illustratören Reinhard Kleist som ligger bakom boken med namnet “Johnny Cash – I see a darkness”, som är en låt och ett album av Will Oldham (utgivet under aliaset Bonnie “Prince” Billy). Cash spelade in låten till sitt album “American III: Solitary man” från 2000.

Historien i boken berättas av Glen Sherley, vars låt “Greystone chapel” löper som ett tema i boken. Sherley satt på Folsom Prison när Cash gjorde sin legendariska konsert på fängelset 1968, under vilken Cash spelade Sherleys låt. En del av handlingen i boken kretsar kring berättelsen om konserten på Folsom Prison. Boken är inriktad på femtio-och sextiotalet, som utgör den mest intensiva och händelserika, men också mest smärtsamma tiden av Cashs liv. En stor del av berättelsen grundar sig på några av Cashs låtar som Kleist integrerat i form av illustrerade noveller.

Kanske kan vi hålla tummarna för att det frejdiga bokförlaget Reverb, som t ex gett ut svenska översättningen av Johnny Cashs självbiografi, sätter tänderna även i den här och ger oss en svensk version inom överskådlig framtid…

Passa även gärna på att rösta på vilken låt Johnny Cash du gillar mest i bloggens omröstning till höger.

Bilderna kommer från Reinhard Kleists hemsida

Ibland är Daytrotter.com en riktig liten fyndlåda. Kort beskrivet så bjuder Daytrotterfolket in artister till sin studio för att spela in spontana, alternativa versioner av sina låtar. Varje dag publicerar sajten en ny session, och i arkivet finns namn som Death Cab For Cutie, Bonnie Prince Billy och Fleet Foxes. Det gratis att lyssna, och är du medlem kan du dessutom ladda ner filerna till din dator.

En personlig favorit från senare tid är Tallest Man On Earths banjotolkning av Dylans I Want You.

Minor Majority prøver å riste av seg melankolistempelet med albumet Either Way I Think You Know . Det blir nok ikke like lett, men kjenner du historien om forgjengeren Reverend Lovejoy? Minor Majority var opprinnelig bare et sideprosjekt, og her har jeg samlet mitt stoff om begge bandene.

”Nothing’s gained by heartache” synger Reverend Lovejoy. Gruppas melankolske poplåter er bevis på det motsatte.

- Du bør helst bli flau første gangen noen hører teksten du har skrevet. Tekster skal være så personlige at du føler det som en utlevering, mener Jens Herman Ruge.

Selv om gruppa påpeker at den også har glade poplåter på repertoaret, er det liten tvil om at savn og tap dominerer i Reverend Lovejoys musikk; her er både tapt barndom og mange tapte kjærester.

- Det er lettere å få et oppriktig uttrykk hvis man skriver om noe som er trist. Mange har evnen til å skrive gladpop, men når jeg er glad er jeg ute og drikker øl eller kaster frisbee i Frognerparken. Det er når jeg er tristere til sinns jeg setter meg ned og skriver musikk, forteller Pål Angelskår.

Dannet på ferie
Reverend Lovejoy er i dag en kvintett, som foruten Ruge og Angelskår består av Harald Sommerstad, Herman Schultz og Brage Frost Urstad. Flere av gutta spilte sammen i Familien Bra fra 1996, men foruten en del spillejobber kom gruppa aldri ut av øvingslokalet. Det var først under Ruge og Angelskårs tre måneder lange Mexico-ferie i 1998 det ble vind i seilene.

- I Mexico var det så varmt at vi var nødt til å holde oss inne på hotellrommet til langt ut på ettermiddagen. Heldigvis hadde vi med gitar, og vi fikk tiden til å gå med å skrive låter.

Vel hjemme fant Angelskår og Ruge ut at det var på høy tid å få gjort noe med musikken de lenge hadde drevet med, og en sjutommersingle var målet. Men da duoen spilte låtene for kameratene, ble begeistringen så stor at det hele endte med et helt album, finansiert av gutta selv.

Another Time. Another Place kom ut i fjor, og Bjørn Hauge i platebutikken Big Dipper ble så begeistret for den at han sporenstreks startet eget plateselskap for å få gitt ut herligheten på vinyl. I dag er så godt som hele CD-opplaget på 500 utsolgt, mens halvparten av de 200 vinylplatene også er solgt.

Lofi-tullball
Også flere kritikere lot seg begeistre av Reverend Lovejoys akustiske poplåter, og som alltid når melankolske unge menn gir ut akustisk visepop var Nick Drake- sammenligningene ikke langt unna. Ikke så rart heller, siden duoen hadde lånt en liten tekststrofe fra Drake.

Men på oppfølgeren - Polo is not the issue, darling. Champagne is! (2000) satser gruppa på et rikere og mer fargerikt lydbilde. Duoen er blitt til femmannsband og det er brukt mer ressurser og tid på produksjonen. På samme måte som Elliott Smith har gått fra et hovedsaklig akustisk lydbilde til langt rikere orkestrering etter som mulighetene har vist seg, velger Reverend Lovejoy å distansere seg fra lofi-klikken innen popmelankolien.

- Lofi er ingen musikkstil, og jeg synes mange band slippere lettere unna kritikerne fordi de har dårlig lyd, mener Ruge.

For der artister som for eksempel Will Oldham og Songs: Ohia sverger til et rått og nærmest primitivt lydbilde, velger Reverend Lovejoy å bruke de mulighetene de har til musikalsk vellyd.

- Det er jo viktig å holde tilbake litt, selv i et lite studio er det nærmest ubegrensa med effektmuligheter. Men vi prøver å få så bra lyd som mulig; mange band skjuler dårlige låter bak dårlig lyd, synes Angelskår.

- Målet er et lydbilde et sted mellom Free og The Zombies, drømmer han.

Elskelig prest
- Men hvorfor har dere kalt opp bandet etter den heller følelseskalde presten i The Simpsons?

- Vi skulle egentlig hete Lovejoy, det er fint navn med dobbel positiv klang, og veldig mange filmskurker heter også Lovejoy. Men vi fant ut at Aqua het Lovejoy i starten, så da skrinla vi den planen. Men etter at jeg så en episode av The Simpsons like etter, falt bitene på plass, forklarer Ruge.

Gruppa har sansen for noe krøkkete navn; her er til slutt forklaringen på albumtittelen:

- Tittelen stammer fra en tur til Sør-Afrika, der jeg ble invitert med på polokamp av to engelske damer av ”Absolutely Fabulous”-kaliber. Polokampen begynte klokka ni om morgenen, men vi skulle dra dit først klokka 15. På spørsmål om ikke dette var noe sent, fikk jeg svaret ”polo is not the issue darling, champagne is”, forteller Ruge.

- Men dere spiller krokket på plateomslaget?

- Vi hadde jo ikke råd til å arrangere en polokamp.

Anmeldelselsene: I tillegg til platene jeg har anmeldt nedenfor har Reverend Lovejoy gitt ut Polo is not the issue, Darling, champagne is! (2000), mens Minor Majority har sluppet Walking Home From Nicole’s (2001), Candy Store (2007) og Either Way I Think You Know (2009).

Reverend Lovejoy
Another Time. Another Place
Kreegah! Records 1999
4/6

The Simpsons, Nick Drake og Mexico er de viktigste inspirasjonskildene til duoen Reverend Lovejoy.
Pål Angelskår og Jens Herman Ruge har tatt bandnavnet fra presten i tv-serien The Simpsons, mens låtene på debutplaten ble til under en lengre ferietur i Mexico. Og Nick Drake? Joda, gutta er såpass frekke at de låner et par strofer fra den legendariske britiske sangeren på sporet “Home Again”. Men slik frekkhet er noe jeg liker, og det er mye fin musikk på Another Time. Another Place.

Drakes akustiske og såre viser er et klart forbilde for hele platen, og det er ingen dårlig prestasjon at duoen tåler sammenligningen. Litt Tom Waits-bass i “About Love” og den Elliott Smith-aktige “Bywalk” understreker Reverend Lovejoy som fantasifulle og talentfulle poptyver.

Låtene ble aldri til med plateutgivelse som mål, men noen av guttas venner (fra gruppa Rumboid) overbeviste duoen at dette burde festes til rillene. Kjetil Fredriksen lånte bort opptaksutstyr og produserte platen, og han skal ha mye av æren for en overraskende helstøpt plate med 13 fine, melankolske popviser. Lyden er bra, med elegant produksjon og modne arrangementer. Sangene er stort sett kledd i akustisk gitardrakt, men heves kraftig opp av forsiktige orgelinnstikk, lett perkusjon og genistreker som det atonale strengekrydderet i “Cold” og et boblende orgel i “Quality”.

Jeg er glad Angelskår og Ruge ble overtalt av sine venner til å lage denne platen. “Nå håper de at noen flere enn de vennene som var med på å lage den vil kjøpe den” heter det i presseskrivet. Like du melankolsk, halvakustisk fra folk som Nick Drake og Elliott Smith bør du Reverend Lovejoy få en sjanse.

Reverend Lovejoy
Tonight, Baby I Am EP
Big Dipper Records/Tuba 2000
4/6

Ut fra intet kom Jens Herman Ruge og Pål Angelskår med Another Time. Another Place; et svært flott, elegant og dessverre fortsatt ganske ukjent album. På denne ep-en er Reverend Lovejoy utvidet til kvintett, og etter noen skremmende førstesekunder (hvor de høres ut som en dårlig kopi av Madrugada) er det klart at hovedfokuset fortsatt er på lavmælt og småsår pop.

Ruge og Angelskår skriver fine melodier, men jeg liker dem fortsatt guuta best når arrangementene er mest nedstrippet. Som kvintett høres det til tider noe spinkelt ut (som i “Fight The Night With Candles”, spesielt rytmeseksjonen er det lite futt i. Denne CD-singlen er en fin pakke, men jeg anbefaler heller nybegynnere å oppsøke debutalbumet.

Minor Majority
If I Told You, You Were Beautiful
Big Dipper Records/Universal 2002
4/6

Pål Angelskår skriver mange – og gode – låter. Så mange at det har resultert i fire album på fem år – to med Reverend Lovejoy og to med Minor Majority. Men jeg har en snikende mistanke om at albumene kunne blitt enda bedre dersom Angelskår bremset litt.

Dette er en ny samling flott melankolsk pop; lekkert produsert, lekent framført og en anelse mer folkrock-preget enn tidligere. Fortsatt god hjelp fra de som bidro på fjorårets flotte debut Walking Home From Nicole’s (2001) skader heller ikke: Karen Jo Fields’ sangstemme, strykeren Kathrine Skaug og Thulsa Doom-trommis Halvor Høgh Winsnes.

Årets plate er like god som debuten, men det har heller ikke skjedd så fryktelig mye nytt i Minor Majority-universet. Det er et kort album (34  minutter) og låter som «Smile At Everyone», «Then You Said Something» og «The Smell of Coffee» føles mer som halvferdige skisser enn ferdige låter.

Denne spontaniteten og iveren er selvfølgelig mye av sjarmen med Minor Majority, men jeg pirres uansett av tanken på hva denne gjengen kunne fått til hvis de hevet ambisjonsnivået isteden for å pøse ut godlåter i raskt tempo.

Reverend Lovejoy
Dead Girl EP
Big Dipper Records/Sonet/Universal 2003
4/6

Schizofrent, men sjarmerende.
Etter Pål Angelskårs suksess med Minor Majority er det ikke lett å si om det fortsatt er et sideprosjekt til Reverend Lovejoy eller omvendt. Sistnevnte oppsto under Mexico-ferien til Angelskår og kompisen Jens Herman Ruge, og duoen debuterte med Nick Drake-inspirert visepop på 1999s Another Time. Another Place. Lovejoy este siden ut til fullt band, og startet en schizofren jakt på det perfekte uttrykket.

“So you finally found what you’re looking for” synger Angelskår, men med tre låtskrivere og fortsatt stilforvirring er det tydelig at bandet ikke helt har bestemt seg hvor det vil ennå. I løpet av fire låter seiler Lovejoy innom lavmælt steelgitar-melankoli, 70-tallspop og 60-tallspsykedelia, men selv om det ikke er like helhetlig som Minor Majority har Reverend Lovejoy sjarm og gode melodier nok til at det skal bli spennende å høre hvordan høstens Way Past Sorry-album ender opp.

Reverend Lovejoy
Way Past Sorry
Big Dipper Records/Sonet/Universal 2003
4/6

Svært så trivelig osloband vender tilbake.
I kåringen ”Norges triveligste band” ville oslobandet Reverend Lovejoy skåret høyt. Bandet ble født da Pål Angelskår og Jens Herman Ruge dro på ferie til Mexico, og debutalbumet var en upretensiøs lekkerhet som var en forløper for bølgen av norske Nick Drake-inspirerte band.

Siden este duoen ut til fullt band med større rockeklo, men deres tredje album er blitt forsinket som følge av Angelskårs uventede suksess med sideprosjektet Minor Majority. Liker du Minor Majority bør du sjekke ut Way Past Sorry, for det er utvilsomt to sider av samme melankolske sak. Reverend Lovejoy er hakket hardere, mørkere og bredere – med referanser til klassisk britisk rock og amerikansk countryrock.

Flere melodiske perler står i kø, men det gjør dessverre også enkelte halvtraurige rockere. På omslaget er bandets symbolske trehjulssykkel ødelagt. La oss håpe dette ikke er bandets svanesang, for dette er gamle venner det alltid er stas å få besøk fra.

Minor Majority
Up For You & I
Big Dipper Records/Sonet/Universal 2004
5/6

Etterlengtet fulltreffer fra popmelankoliker.
”I get a little stronger every day” synger Pål Angelskår i “She Gave Me Away”, og det har vært en fornøyelse å følge hans karriere siden debuten med Reverend Lovejoy i 1999 – og frem til han i år står frem som en av Pop-Norges fremste melankolikere.

Tidligere har det alltid hengt noe uferdig eller ubestemt ved både Reverend Lovejoy og Minor Majority, men med Up For You & I er fokuset knivskarpt. 11 vakre, varme, småtriste, mørke og sparsomt orkestrerte popperler, pakket inn i et gnistrende elegant lydbilde og Jon Arild Stiengs minimalistiske og effektive gitarspill.

Angelskår har vendt tilbake til den enkle ideen og gjennomførelsen bak Reverend Lovejoys debut Another Time. Another Place, men med fem år og like mange albums erfaring i bagasjen. I en tidligere anmeldelse skrev jeg at Angelskår kanskje burde bremse tempoet for å spikre fulltrefferen, men her viser han at det går an finne godformen ved å haste mot mål – og at han ganske riktig er blitt en sterkere låtskriver og musiker for hver dag som har gått.

Minor Majority
Reasons To Hang Around
Big Dipper Records/Sonet/Universal 2006
5/6

En ny vinner fra forbløffende jevn og god låtskriver.
”This is how we sound, this is how we grow,” synger Pål Angelskår, og siden han i 1999 platedebuterte med hobbybandet Reverend Lovejoy har han vist seg som en låtskriver som med hjelp av samme oppskrift bare blir bedre og mer selvsikker for hver plate han gir ut.

Minor Majority (MM) var opprinnelig et Lovejoy-sideprosjekt, men da ”mor” gikk mot mer tradisjonell norsk kjellerrock ble MM viktigste drivkraft for Angelskårs melodimelankoli. Fjerdealbumet er både en videreføring og utvikling av 2004-gjennombruddet Up For You And I. Den Leonard Cohen-aktige rødvinsmelankolien er fortsatt sterkt til stede, mens en sterk Neil Young-fascinasjon er mer nytt av året.

Her lånes Youngs munnspill i ”Alison” og, mens gitarriff knabbes fra ”Cortez The Killer” i ”You Were Saying”. Kreative tyvlån, såre stemninger og tåredryppende tekster gjør ingen sommer alene, men koblet med Angelskårs svært sterke låter, behagelige sangstemme og Andreas Berczellys knivskarpe lydbilde er det liten tvil om at MM har klart det igjen.

That’s right, this week’s post is going to be about Will Oldham. (I got a new album by him this week and will eventually talk a little about it, after a slightly vitriolic reminiscence.) You might know him by one of his other monikers- Bonny ‘Prince’ Billy, Palace Brothers, Palace Music, or Palace Songs. But, what it comes down to is that he’s a balding man wearing eyeliner. At this point I should admit to harboring just the slightest hint of animosity (that phrase should be read with that high-pitched tone that implies sarcasm, especially the word ’slightest’) towards him and his crew. When I worked at a movie theater/pub/bar/concert venue/dark evil pit of wanna-be-corporate hell, Will had a three-night gig at said location. He had/has huge indie/hipster (woah- the slashes are getting out of hand- I’ll tame it down for the rest of the post) cred, and seeing as how this was in Portland, three nights was a given. If memory serves right I worked the first two nights and actually paid money to be there the third. At the time I was a fairly new fan- I had one record called  Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Sings Greatest Palace Music. Yup- he made an album of one of his incarnations covering another one. Pretentious, oh my yes, but also enjoyable. I highly recommend it. (Apparently the critics don’t agree- read one of the only reviews of that album with anything positive to say here.)

I know at this point you’re expecting some juicy rock-n-roll star tidbits, but honestly all I remember is not liking him, or really any of the people who were with him. Maybe he was a little rude after the shows when we were trying to clean up and get out of there, maybe none of them tipped, or maybe it was the EYELINER. Who did he think he was, Bob Dylan in 1976?(  )So ever since that fateful (only to me- I’m sure he has no idea and could care less) encounter I’ve had mixed feelings about Mr. Oldham. Some of his albums have long periods of monotony where every song sounds the same and there is no discernable melody, but his voice is very evocative of a certain kind of loneliness, that kind that goes beyond just being alone and touches on that hard-to-imagine-or-describe place where we briefly realize the shortness of our lives and the futility of trying to figure out our “place” or “purpose” in the world and have to lay on the floor. Or maybe that’s just me….

The album I “got” (ie. borrowed from the library, etc…) is called Lie Down in the Light and was released in 2008. I’ve only listened to it in its entirety a couple times, and since I’ve never written about music before, I don’t feel very comfortable or confident right now. It’s not like writing about a book, where you can talk about the plot or the characters. Music has so many more intangibles, and for me whether I like something or not is often based on vague feelings or unexplainable preferences, like “her voice is too breathy” or “everything sounds the same” or “my ex liked them, so I feel weird emotions when I listen to their music and I don’t like it because I want to have moved on with my life and this music makes me feel like I just got dumped again and I’m a strong, independent woman and don’t need a man anyway.” For example.

So here’s my mini-review- good background music for cooking or cleaning or entertaining, with a couple really good songs in the middle. Kind of country, kind of folky, a suprising appearance by a clarinet, and one good bitter break-up song. For a more comprehensive review, check out Pitchfork’s review. Yes, I know Pitchfork is so 2004 (did I use that phrase in an earlier post? Oh well.) but whatever. Suck it.

From vast verandas amidst the Canadian mountain pines, TIMBER TIMBRE channel the insistent, cataleptic shuffle and ragtag blues of their third album. No more the woebegone sparsity of Cedar Shakes and Medicinals; things here are comparitively orchestral. A haunted house of fleeting choirs, corpse-waltz organs, and nauseous GODSPEED! strings, this is how WILL OLDHAM would sound if he’d been born in prospect country rather than Louisville. Highlights include ‘Demon Host’ and ‘Trouble Comes Knocking’, and it’s out now on Arts & Crafts.

TIMBER TIMBRE – Trouble Comes Knocking [mp3]

DEVENDRA BANDHART – Baby [mp3]

GODSPEED YOU BLACK EMPEROR! – East Hastings

BONNIE PRINCE BILLIE – Brokedown Palace [mp3]

-kevin-

I’d be riding horses if they’d let me
Sleep outside at night and not take fright
I would ride the range and never worry
I would disappear into the night

Plus de dix ans que j’écoute ce disque, qu’il est ancré, collé aux parois de ma tête comme peu d’autres. Six chansons, que je connais par coeur, que je chante tant et si mal que je n’ai plus remis le vinyle sur ma platine depuis deux ou trois ans. En le prenant l’autre jour, le mettant, j’avais peur de la déception des retrouvailles. Rien de cela, les morceaux sont encore majestueux, la voix de Will Oldham est rocailleuse, bien plus impénétrable que maintenant et en six morceaux, dont deux reprises, il fait le tour de lui-même. Pour retrouver un enregistrement d’une telle puissance dans sa discographie, il faut compter sur trois albums de Palace (There Is No One…, Day in the wake, Arise Therefore), le premier sous le nom de Bonnie Prince Billie (I See a Darkness), un ou deux qui ont suivi (un peu de Ease Down The road, un peu de Master and Everyone – le reste est dispensable),  une poignée de singles surtout dont le très beau West Palm Beach / Gulf Shores (aussi indispensable que Hope, en fait) et le très élégiaque An Arrow Through The Bitch. Parmi tous, aujourd’hui, Hope demeure tout au panthéon du royaume des chansons sans saison.

]]> http://broadcatching.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/cant-tell-me-nothing-kanye-zach-galifianakis-will-oldham/ Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:43:06 +0000 JT http://broadcatching.wordpress.com/2009/09/16/cant-tell-me-nothing-kanye-zach-galifianakis-will-oldham/ http://rg83.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/kanye-west-cant-tell-me-nothing-feat-zach-galifianakis-with-will-oldham-a-k-a-bonnie-prince-billy/ Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:45:30 +0000 rg83 http://rg83.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/kanye-west-cant-tell-me-nothing-feat-zach-galifianakis-with-will-oldham-a-k-a-bonnie-prince-billy/

Allez tant que vous y êtes, et tant que j’y suis, je vous balance Can’t Tell Me Nothin’, que Galifianakis a réalisé pour Kanye West, grâce auquel tout le monde ou presque sait qui il est. Kanye était fan, Zach lui a dit qu’il ferait son truc mais qu’il ne le verrait qu’une fois fini. Et Kanye a adoré.

Interprété par Zach Galifianakis et Will Oldham (a.k.a. Bonnie “Prince” Billy) et shooté par un de ses potes, Michael Blieden, dans le propre ranch de Galifianakis. J’insiste sur le fait qu’il a complètement conçu le clip, pour ceux qui douteraient encore de l’énormité de ce mec.