they are not the new Arcade Fire

If everybody is somebody then nobody can be anybody... or something. That's a lyric [or at least a rough approximation of a lyric] from some song whose title has long since been lost in the many cubicals and compartments of my mind. The point is... everybody loves Tapes 'n Tapes. Everybody. And maybe a bit too many people love them. It seems that everybody who's anybody in the blogging world talks about them, reveres them, etc etc. So... just in case you haven't heard them, I will let you hear them. I'm not sure what I think of them. They've been hailed as the new Arcade Fire. I beg to disagree. Here's my opinion [written in short-sentences - I do like to be succinct].



Opinion on Tapes 'n Tapes:

They're good. They're pleasant. They're catchy. They're ordinary. Better than most. Nothing amazing. I see potential.

And more specifically:

Insistor is a good song and catchy if you can get over that country sort of rhythm going on at the start. I say this 'cause it bothered me at the start.
Cowbell can be cool to sing along to.
Omaha does that slow sentimental - look! we have hearts! - thing that every band does everynow and again. The equivalent of an unplugged session, if you want to put it that way. I like it though.

So, my opinion? Cool band but I think the hype put me off 'em a bit. Don't let me put you off though. Listen to the tracks and if you find depths which I can't, do share them. I'm too jaded. That's all.



Tapes 'n Tapes

Insistor
Cowbell
Omaha

All songs are off their new album, the loon. Hope you like them.

Stay... please. I'm sorry.

So, I tried to fix some stuff there now on this blog. It just wasn't happening to be honest. I was editing blogger code [although since I don't understand it at all, you could say I was copy and pasting blogger code as opposed to actually editing it] and well, trying to fix links and stuff. To no avail. If you've noticed that when you click on the permanent link for a post, then the sidebar no longer has previous posts or anything. Hmm... well, just use your back-bar on your browser/keyboard. Works wonders so it does. I'm making another mixtape! A nice sleepy one this time... I finished High Fidelity. Good book. Although I read it really fast due to having seen the film already so knowing exactly what happens... bah. I hate that.

So... isn't Regina Spektor amazing? She is, isn't she? Well, there's a live track of her's called Loveology. It's really fun, but also quite sad... remove the "ology" from some of the words and you get: Kiss. Love. Stay. Please... I'm sorry. Forgive me. It's really bloody amazing, while being good fun. Makes me laugh. It might make you cry.



Regina Spektor

Loveology
Uh-merica

...no point giving you just one MP3, is there? Both songs are very fun. Enjoy.

El Perro Del Mar

So I look outside and...

It's snowing! What the hell? It definitely shouldn't be snowing. There was no warning. It's the 16th of March. Surely it should just be raining. Not that I'm complaining... it'll brighten up an otherwise dull and uneventful day. Although it must be said it was sunny earlier. This snow falls and it looks like ash through the window. Maybe the window's dirty or the snow's dirty, but hey, as long as it falls and as long as it settles. Anyway, weird.

Some girl Sarah once went to the beach. She looks out and she saw a dog. She was pondering things. Her creativity returned to her. Throughout that week she repeatedly saw the dog. It was the salty-sea dog. So she thought it made sense to name herself, as an artist, after it. I give you El Perro Del Mar, which is Spanish [I think] for The Dog of the Sea [I think]... That's it... That's all I can remember from the bio I read the other day.



El Perro Del Mar

God Knows (You Gotta Give To Get)
Party

The first song is a nice throw-away track, perfect for mixtapes and the like. The second is slightly darker, a bit ominous, but still - I dunno - pleasant?

Anyways, that's it. I'm away. Snow's frickin' amazin'.

Post-It! a reminder for myself

So this is as much to remind myself as anyone else, but you might be interested. Ever done your own research? Heard someone's name mentioned and thought "wow! sounds good! let's see what it's all about!"? In the process found your new favourite artist? Well, this is like that. Now, I'm going to post links for myself [and maybe you?] with reminders...

Jagjaguwar MP3's - why don't I go there more often? I like Minus Story, after all.

El Perro Del Mar - She's got a lovely lovely voice. She also did a split with Jens Lekman and he's amazing. Do a post on him 'cause he did a split with José Gonzalez. And he's well-loved.

Hybrism - the record label El Perro Del Mar is on. Lots of MP3's. I'd say they're good.

Cat Bird Seat - good blog [with its own record label]. Find and download all good songs. Especially Hemstad.

Motel de Moka - hey, dance tracks. Everyone's likes dancing. *Note: learn what looks like Spanish to read some of the posts

Jens Lekman - free MP3's are where it's at. I think I have all these. But maybe not?

Bunch of Beatniks - lots of MP3's. Maybe some treasures? But then again, maybe it's all trash.

On another note... Punctuation is something I rarely use properly on this site, and I don't know why. Too damn lazy I guess. And it's probably annoying... but I'm not reading it, so it's all good.

Get Him Eat Him

A revelation came to me today - there now in fact: effectively, I could talk about nothing on here. As someone who was famous enough to be quoted once said: "I have nothing to say... and I am saying it... and that is poetry". Yip. So I'm listening to Analphabetapolotholy by Cap'n Jazz and it's fairly good. Although there now I remembered about an obscure-yet-brilliant artist [who I haven't fully listened to yet] who I'd rather be listening to. The name? Jaga Jazzist.



Anyway, here's some MP3's... today's artist is Get Him Eat Him. One of their members writes for Pitchfork. If you gimme a second I'll found out which one... Matt LeMay. So, there's an interesting fact for you. It's always good when rock critics become artists themselves. They know what's right, what sounds good, but can they conjure up that sound themselves? Personally, I believe so, since I quite like Get Him Eat Him... anyway, there's not much of a bio on the site [that I can find within 3 minutes, at any rate], and I'm too lazy to find one elsewhere so be content with the music. It's good stuff...



Get Him Eat Him

Exposure
Mumble Mumble
Leaders in Doubt
No Not Nervous [highly recommended demo]

Notes:

#1: Pity about the [insert adjective/leave blank] name.
#2: They seem like a blogger friendly band. Maybe we'll try and get an interview.
#3: Cap'n Jazz do a barely recognisable cover of Take On Me. It's interesting. And one of the riffs from one of the songs from this album sounded like... wait for it... Biffy Clyro.
#4: Buy Geography Cones.

Stellastarr*

So, this new single of theirs is making all the rounds on the blogosphere, and rightly so. It sounds to me like a catchy kickback to 80's pop-intelligent rock. They're also kicking off an expansive US tour in just under a weeks time, along with The Editors. If you're in the area, you should go along, since both bands are definitely worth seeing. Here's the dates:

3.20.06 - Boston, MA (The Roxy)
3.21.06 - South Burlington, VT (Higher Ground)
3.22.06 - Montreal, QC (Cabaret du Musse Juste Pour Rire)
3.24.06 - Toronto, ON (Phoenix Concert Theater)
3.25.06 - Cleveland, OH (Agora Theater)
3.26.06 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom) – only stellastarr*
3.27.06 – New York, NY (Bowery Ballroom) – only stellastarr*
3.28.06 - Brooklyn, NY (Warsaw)
3.29.06 - Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
4.01.06 - Philadelphia, PA (Trocadero)
4.02.06 - Baltimore, MD (Sonar)
4.04.06 - Norfolk, VA (The Norva Theatre)
4.05.06 - Carrboro, NC (Cat's Cradle)
4.06.06 - Athens, GA (40 Watt Club)
4.07.06 - Orlando, FL (The Social)
4.08.06 - Miami, FL (Studio A)
4.09.06 - St. Petersburg, FL (State Theater)
4.11.06 - Nashville, TN (Exit/In)
4.12.06 - Columbus, OH (Newport Music Hall)
4.13.06 - Detroit, MI (Magic Stick)
4.14.06 - Covington, KY (The Mad Hatter)
4.15.06 - Columbia, MO (Blue Note)
4.16.06 - Chicago, IL (Metro)
4.18.06 - Minneapolis, MN (Fine Line Music Cafe)
4.19.06 - Lawrence, KS (Granada Theatre)
4.21.06 - Denver, CO (Bluebird Theatre)
4.22.06 - Salt Lake City, UT (TBD)
4.25.06 - Vancouver, BC (Richard's On Richards)
4.27.06 - Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)
4.28.06 - Portland, OR (Dante's)
4.29.06 - San Francisco, CA (Mezzanine)
4.30.06 - Indio, CA (Coachella)



Stellastarr*

Love and Longing - the new single
Sweet Troubled Soul
Sweet Troubled Soul - James Iha Remix

...Update?

...sooo

I discovered my problem with EZ Archive, yes, EASY Archive [phonetic spelling, woo!]. You have to pay for it. Damn! But I will - eventually. For now though, I don't care. 'Cause I was in the garage and I found my copy of High Fidelity, so I'm reading that whilst trying to find songs for a going out mixtape. It's like the ultimate in mainstream - I almost want to beat myself up with a CD Rack of diverse artists, but hey, if it sounds good, why not? So yea, that's what I'm doing. Just so you know. Nick Hornby is amazing.

Once the mixtape is done, and I have hosting [think four months from now, and you're getting close probably] I will host it, as well as every other mixtape I've ever made. This one was going to be called, Asleep on the Sofa, Drunk, Useless but I figured that's more appropriate for the one that should follow at some stage afterwards. That would be hangover music, this is going out music. So,

After I Got Out of the Shower and Before I Got Into the Taxi

...maybe if I do a mini-series, then number two could be: [I Think] Time Passed Before I Passed Out.

electronica made easy

Well would you look at that. A random image for a random comment. I'm listening to Regina Spektor... still. She writes good lyrics... yup:

They'll name a city after us,
and later say it's all our fault,
Then they'll give us a talking to
Then they'll give us a talking to
'cause they've got years of experience

We wear our scarves just like a noose
But not because we want eternal sleep

Maybe you've fallen over after hearing her voice. Lie down. Chill out.



RF

Difference
Sunday Park
Internal Notes 1

Sometimes electronica is difficult. But then, sometimes, it goes down easy. I hope the sun is shining. I haven't really listened to much of this, just the first song although I did hear it and think "mmm, pleasant". Then all of a sudden, "mmm, good". It was recommended in a mailing-list email from Efterklang. It's bound to be good after further investigation.

P.S. My typo's have become more and more apparent. Typing too fast and thinking too fast simultaneously will do that. Edits are always necessary. Pah.

Regina Spektor

With music and art we will make this world brighter.



So, I am an idiot. Unfortunately. I came up with some great similes last night though... maybe I'll share them later on. They're for a book that I'll never write. One thing... i am actually going to get help on EZ Archive 'cause it's really really annoying me now. Anyway, since I can't use it yet, here:



Regina Spektor
Us
Buildings

I am in love with her voice... officially. And her instrumentation. Think Norah Jones only actually exciting "dinner-time music". Play her music during meal-times with the family and they will all look at you in awe - "Wow! Both appropriate and interesting. Why don't you listen to more nice music like this?"

Oh yes. Enjoy. Highly highly recommended.

"When I first heard her voice I fell over"
"I think he means he fell in love"

Quote unquote the guys from the Transgressive Records podcast who signed her. Check out more here. Todays MP3's are linked from a fantastically experimental and revealing all sorts of all-new music of an electronic or weird, interesting, diverse [read: not mainstream] vein. I've been reading it for a while now: downloading stuff straight away, listening a few months later. Appreciating everything a few months after that. It's that kind of music... the blog is The Man Who Stepped Into Yesterday. When I first heard Polysics, I despised them. Now I think they're unbelievable. Going out music, definitely.

But back to Regina Spektor. Seriously, this girl's like the female version of Jeff Buckley. Always interesting, sometimes the music is annoying and all you want and long for so badly is a nice catchy hook, but she's just footering about doing ad-lib vocals, [maybe ad-hoc, but hey who's checking?] and she's making it all up off the bat and you're thinking "hmm, you make better music when you're taking the piss, than most people do after five years practise on the one song" and then it's all tiring it wears you out and all of a sudden you're thinking - why am I reading this when I could be listening? Or maybe, jeez that was a long sentence, learn to use your punctuation 'cause by now I can barely breathe. When I first heard Buildings, I could barely breathe.