THE MUSIC WAS OK BUT THE FRESH AIR WAS BETTER

So there's a few songs that are well-worth sharing for your listening pleasure, which I probably should have got around to earlier. First let's start once again with Los Campesinos! I can't get enough of them. I've come to the conclusion that it's not just the melodies that I've in love with, nor is it the relentlessly catchy instrumentation - the whistles! the reckless guitar! the xylophone bashing! the violin! No, what brings me back to the music perhaps more than anything are the observational lyrics - they're so effortlessly clever! witty! funny! silly! surreal! joyous! ridiculous! I'll throw out some samples from their double A side single and you can decide for yourselves:

"When you play pass the parcel with human body parts, somebody might get head, but someone will get hurt"

"Yea, it's great that you can blow smoke rings, but you won't taste her lips if you do get to kiss her"

"Team Campesinos trick or treating on your driveway in the middle of August, one of us dressed as a zombie, one of us dressed as a pirate, one of us dressed as a ninja, four of us dressed as school girls" [of course, the knowledge that the band contains only three female members adds to the silly, surreal yet true humour]

"So now we're gonna smash this place up, deck it out in fairy-lights until we are content"

"I'm stitching up each one of your pockets so when we are together maybe you'll look a little less bored / I'm sticking your fingers into sockets to kick-start your little heart and maybe stick your tongue in a bit more"



Los Campesinos!

We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives
Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s)

Love it. Sincerely do. More info for the curious: We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives is "a whimsical anti-war song". Don't Tell Me To Do The Math(s) contains the lyric "if only you could give your life to literature just DON'T READ JANE EYRE!" This lyric was explained by Gareth Campesinos! at the gig where I saw them previously: "this song is actually about my favourite book, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, and if you've read the book you'll understand that this lyric isn't actually about hating Jane Eyre. We hold nothing against that book. *laughs* Though I do think all the Bronte sisters were slags!" If that interests you, then read about how the BronteBlog took offense to the lyric, and Gareth's subsequent explanation, here. [Buy]

-----

Also on the note of Los Campesinos! : their support band for the five-date tour of the UK, Sky Larkin, are probably worth a listen, as they were highly enjoyable at the time. Quirky, poppy, and sometimes punky, featuring keyboards, as well as the usual guitar, bass and drums.



Sky Larkin

One of Two
Keepsakes
Somesault (notes!)

-----



Anyway, moving on. As we all know Bloc Party have about ten to fifteen (I'm not sure of the exact number, as I haven't counted) assorted B-Sides from their new album. Depending on what form you bought the album in, and where in the world you bought it, you're likely to get a different B-Side. Some of them are really impressive too. Like this one:

Bloc Party

England

Atmospheric and tragic - but real, honest and sincere. [Buy]

-----



As far as the Bright Eyes EP, Four Winds, is concerned, I think I agree with the majority in saying that the title track is indeed the best. Enjoy it:

Bright Eyes

Four Winds

Britt Daniel and Conor Oberst

You Get Yours

Of course, as we all wait in hope that the new Bright Eyes album, Cassadaga, will be nothing short of spectacular, Conor Oberst has been collaborating with Jimmy Tamborello for one track off the forthcoming Dntel record. Although, since I don't really like posting leaks, I've given you the slightly older collaboration done with Britt Daniel of Spoon. I love Conor Oberst's voice. Actually. [Buy / Buy]

-----

Sorry about the lack of anything close to insightful commentary, but I've been awake since four a.m., completed a comparative essay for English Literature, gone grocery shopping, had dinner and now I'm about to relax and watch TV. Je suis fatigué. However, all the songs posted can speak for themselves. Whether it be the sad reality of Bloc Party's vision of England, the surreal and ecstatic songs by Los Campesinos!, the similarly quirky songs of Sky Larkin or the miserable, doomed viewpoint of Conor Oberst, I'm sure you'll enjoy them all. All Los Campesinos! and Sky Larkin photos taken by myself, more here and here.