A band called DeVotchKa. Has anyone else heard of them? I guess they consider themselves "eastern bloc indie rock," and the song I heard last night confirms that. They are a local band to me since they're from Denver. They were featured pretty heavily on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack, but I just really stumbled across them last night. I am going to try and buy their album "How It Ends" at lunch.
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3149 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
to me it have to be King Creosote both 2005 albums Rocket DIY and KC Rules OK it always amaze me to find such great music to be relativly unknown. Beautifull modern folk music with great arrangements and lots of accordion. (Think of quiet Grandaddy )
I've discovered The Sadies' 2004 album, Favorite Colours, and highly recommend it. The Sadies are Nico Case's sometimes backing band, but on their own, they create space/country rock with walls of cascading harmonies. My favorite song is the closing track, "Why Would Anybody Live Here?," featuring Robin Hitchcock on vocals. His voices does boom over any other vocals on the album, but I think it fits in nicely. There is also a three song suite at the beginning of the disc -- "1000 Cities Falling," "Song of the Chief Musician," and "Why Be So Curious," which is broken up by an instrumental called "The Curdled Journey" -- which are also amazing.
Who can tell me a little about this italian/icelandic girl named Emilliana Torrini and her album A Fisherman's Wife I believe it is called. Any good or is she weak? I just caught a vid of one of her songs from the is album on the tube yesterday. She sort of reminds me of Juana Molina a bit but singing in English.
I've been pretty much glued to what might be though of as the also-rans in Randy Newman's catalog for the last couple weeks, ever since I picked up his album Bad Love and the Randy Newman Songbook vol. 1. I've been going back to Born Again and Land of Dreams as well. The only one of his that I can't get into (who told Randy that Synths were a good idea) is Trouble in Paradise, which is frustrating only because of how good it could have been with different production. I'm really hoping that the next Songbook recording is filled with rerecordings of some of his songs from the 80s which suffer from bad production. I'm pretty sure that at this point Randy is my pick for favorite songwriter, and I think his run from his self titled debut album through Little Criminals may be as good a series of albums as anyone has ever put out.
I've picked up Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle this week. I've meant to get it for a few years and after reading countless great reviews. The first half is amazing, but I can't help feeling it really drags through the Green Typewriters section. I'm sure I just need to give it more listens before I "get" the entire thing. The Glow Pt. 2 went the same way. I loved the beginning but got lost in the middle before catching on to the whole thing. I couldn't imagine skipping any part of it now, and that's all I want to do through Green Typewriters. Anyone else have love for this one?
Posts: 1864 | Location: The Coastal Empire | Registered: 24 December 2004
Olivia Tremor Control write pretty good pop songs and then proceed to ruin them by surround them with really annoying noise collages. Black Foliage is even worse in that respect.
-------------------------------------------------- Of the demonstrably intelligent, there are but two: those who commit suicide, and those who atrophy their reasoning faculties with drink.
Posts: 4759 | Location: NE Indiana | Registered: 14 April 2005
Originally posted by Malondron: Tom Waits. Now I am hooked.
Which one hooked you?
Tom Waits is one of those artists I haven't given a fair chance to, but I really like "Road To Peace" and "Bottom Of The World," two of the advance tracks from his forthcoming disc. They are bluesy, literate and lyrical.
I'm not much of a Coldplay fan, but I heard their song "Gravity" this morning and I really liked it. I don't think it's on any of their albums, just a DVD they released.
Il n'y a pas de hors-texte.
Posts: 3149 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Originally posted by Malondron: Tom Waits. Now I am hooked.
Which one hooked you?
Initially "Rain Dogs". I simply adore the sound of that album. And after that novelty wore out, the songs themself jumped out. It is amazingly strong. Then I bought "Bone Machine", but it was in a batch of more instantly rewarding records, and I put it off as slightly disappointing. But after having a few songs turning up in shuffles, I listened to the whole album a couple of times and got kind of blown away. i don't know, the whole combination is totally right for me: Good lyrics, good music, good instrumentation, and good singing with regards to the music. Sure, his voice is not beautiful in itself, but listen to "Dirt In The Ground" and then tell me that he does not sing that song the only way possible, and that it is beautiful.
Posts: 260 | Location: Stockholm | Registered: 30 November 2005
Some new to me bands this year, I have never owned any albums from these bands, but bought something from each this year: The Band Spoon Neutral Milk Hotel Screaming Trees Elbow Smashing Pumpkins Grandaddy Embrace American Music Club Counting Crows
Originally posted by Malondron: Initially "Rain Dogs". I simply adore the sound of that album. And after that novelty wore out, the songs themself jumped out. It is amazingly strong. Then I bought "Bone Machine", but it was in a batch of more instantly rewarding records, and I put it off as slightly disappointing. But after having a few songs turning up in shuffles, I listened to the whole album a couple of times and got kind of blown away. i don't know, the whole combination is totally right for me: Good lyrics, good music, good instrumentation, and good singing with regards to the music. Sure, his voice is not beautiful in itself, but listen to "Dirt In The Ground" and then tell me that he does not sing that song the only way possible, and that it is beautiful.
I love Bone Machine. Probably my second favorite Tom Waits album. You'll probably also enjoy Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years quite a bit. I think the 80s and early 90s, when he was on Island Records, was Waits' best period.
----- Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste.
Posts: 5940 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
I love Bone Machine. Probably my second favorite Tom Waits album. You'll probably also enjoy Swordfishtrombones and Frank's Wild Years quite a bit. I think the 80s and early 90s, when he was on Island Records, was Waits' best period.
I think Small Change is pretty much untouchable ("Tom Traubert's Blues" is incredible live).
Posts: 1652 | Location: Philadelphia, PA | Registered: 15 September 2004
Originally posted by m.leland: I think Small Change is pretty much untouchable ("Tom Traubert's Blues" is incredible live).
A lot of people seem to like Small Change, but I'm not that wild about Waits' 70s albums. They have their moments ("Tom Traubert's Blues" being one of them), but I still prefer his 80s and 90s stuff.
----- Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste.
Posts: 5940 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005
