One for you Bluff... [video=youtube;LloIp0HMJjc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LloIp0HMJjc&ob=av2e[/video]
I can't post vids in work but thought I'd add a review (not mine). I've been listening to this all weekend it's a top summertime album. Peaking Lights album 936 Peaking Lights make sun-kissed music, but they also make sun-cursed music. The duo's sound features dub-inspired bass and hazy, casually unfocused vocals; so far, so summery. Right now, you're imagining a relaxed and groove-driven record, all easy holiday-season charm, something to keep you cheerful through the cold winter months. That isn't quite the case. A subtle feeling of tension emanates from 936. The tension stems from the group's approach the song-writing. Almost every song here sounds thoroughly plotted; from the moment opening track 'Synthy', a swamp of synthesised swooshes and chimes, segues into woozy dub standout 'All The Sun That Shines', you get the sense that every instant has been carefully planned out by the band, perhaps on a large white board with the aid of an elaborate flow-chart. Perhaps this isn't the case at all; perhaps the album was thrown together in an afternoon. Regardless, the effect is the same: the record is both surprisingly dense and surprisingly uptight, given its influences. This isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it helps distinguish the band from their peers, and serves to add another layer to music which might otherwise lapse into mundane pleasantness. Let's not overstate things: the precision of the compositions is often far from obvious. Many of the tracks drift past, deliberately stripped of momentum; if you're not paying close attention, they can sound a little meandering. These are sonic moments made to accompany the smoking of particular herbs. Stop to listen more carefully, though; bring everything into focus, and you'll notice a surprisingly dense collage of sounds: a menagerie of exotic synthesised sounds, dashes of guitar, and vocals which come and go, accenting the music. At its best, 936 is very good. 'All The Sun That Shines', the pretty 'Hey Sparrow', and 'Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)' capture the group at their best, amalgamating loping dub basslines and doe-eyed indie charm. Even at its worst, the album is a casually enjoyable listen. For most listeners, part of the record's appeal will be the novelty value; the group have stylistic peers, but none of them have sold bundles of records. One less than obvious name which might spring to mind is El Guincho; like the Spanish musician, Peaking Lights are fusing dub and electronic music and producing something palatable to indie kids. Their sound is distinct from his, but their music has a similar vibe. In short, then, Peaking Lights are a band worth investigating. Nick Gale http://www.contactmusic.com/album-re...ing-lights-936
Far from boring big Dave! Fantastic weekend actually, was home, sunned out, beers were flowing and just went a bit ham on the music thread!
Regina Spektor has just released her new album "What We Saw from the Cheap Seats". I haven't heard all of it yet but she is great so you should check out any of her stuff. She's a piano-playing singer-songwriter with an anti-folk style and darker lyrics that make her a million times more interesting than her contemporaries.
[video=youtube;htdvdm7cJnA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htdvdm7cJnA[/video] [video=youtube;HRD0ghlFSgk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRD0ghlFSgk&feature=related[/video] [video=youtube;CCpzUWEOPEk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCpzUWEOPEk&feature=related[/video]
Evening fellas! I'm back after a hectic couple of weeks. First post, check out this up and coming artist, absolutely quality. [video=youtube;fY0oPg1h8fQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY0oPg1h8fQ[/video]
Another Album Review. Thee Oh Sees Carrion Crawler/The Dream The opening seconds of Carrion Crawler/The Dream feature the squawking of a saxophone-- the last remnants of Castlemania's woodwind-centered psychedelia sputtering out like smoke from a 1920s automobile that ran out of gas. Just as Castlemania was the apotheosis of Dwyer's cracked vision as a singer/songwriter, Carrion Crawler/The Dream showcases the full-band version of Thee Oh Sees at the height of their powers. Many of the album's songs have been road-tested for over a year, and Intelligence brain-trust Lars Finberg was drafted as the band's second drummer. Instead of disrupting the dynamic, Finberg fits in perfectly, occasionally adding some polyrhythmic flair, bolstering the already tight and rock-solid rhythm section. Dammit, Shoun, and now Finberg serve as the grounded basis that allow the songs to veer off on wild tangents without completely falling apart. Having the bassist and two drummers holding everything in place gives the high end room to explore, a task in part handled by the extraordinary vocal interplay of Dwyer and Dawson. In spite of the former being the creative nucleus of the band, there is no "lead singer" designation in Thee Oh Sees-- Dwyer and Dawson singing nearly every lyric in unison. As Dawson's straight-laced vocal presence stays in line on most of the songs, Dwyer naturally plays the madman, his voice coasting below, zigzagging between, and occasionally even scaling above hers-- the latter reminiscent of the way Black Francis would often take the higher octave over Kim Deal on several Pixies tracks. Dawson provides poppy "ba-bas," while Dwyer shouts his head off on "Contraption/Soul Desert", and she's there to eerily coo while he's practically speaking in tongues on "Crack in Your Eye". But more often than not, it sounds like Dwyer is singing backup for Dawson, a testament to how equal the parts in Thee Oh Sees really are. Scratching away at his strings with bloodthirsty ferociousness, Dwyer's guitar playing is best described in terms usually reserved for feral cats. His solos are not as much foot-on-the-monitor, spotlight-capturing moments as they are products of primal instinct. This is particularly evident on the album's two longform tracks, the two songs that combine to make up the album's title. Much like last year’s "Warm Slime"-- the audio equivalent of a pro-wrestling iron man match-- "Carrion Crawler" and "The Dream" experiment with what happens when you tighten things to a breaking point and then let go. Short blasts of distortion leave their mark throughout the album, guitar tones evoking the image of exploding paint cans in a mid-size room, adding to the unruly spirit of the band's albums and live sets. See, Thee Oh Sees understand the intrinsic value of making a huge mess.
[video=youtube;pl3vxEudif8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl3vxEudif8[/video] Seems appropriate for us today
This is appropriate Dave; [video=youtube;8tSo4IICBTY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tSo4IICBTY[/video] Ok, he's called Brendan but close enough, eh?
