Of Montreal - The Past is a Grotesque Animal

I just love this track. I probably listen to it at least once a day at the moment, usually on the walk from the ferry to work. 11m 53s gets me to my desk at a nice pace.

The reason that it’s a _mood_indicator is the relentless build up of tension through out the track. It starts out with a swirling synth, a couple of guitar squeals and a thumping bassline to set the tone. Then a simple guitar riff kicks in. This simmers for a minute or two before you get caught up in the narrative. World weary and caustic (there’s a bit of that going around) lyrics propel you forward.

Then the mousey girl screams violence. And the track that you thought couldn’t be wound any tighter, be put under any more stress gets turned up another notch. Such beautifully timed backing vocals increase your sense of unease, unease you feel for the protagonist. You identify with his angst, you’re right there with him except you’re not sure how you got there.

But there is hope. Dyer know, no matter where we are, we’re touching by underground wires?

Foxboro Hot Tubs - Stop, Drop and Roll!

The Foxboro Hot Tubs, the next band in the ever increasing line of 1960 revival bands to release a short, hook heavy, harmony laden, straight up rock and roll album. And Foxboro Hot Tubs also follow Radiohead and Niggy Tardust with this self released internet only 6 track EP. But what marks them apart is that it is (was) free - completely, catch free, 100% free.

You might have also read the name over that last number of weeks in any of the music press, because know one knows who Foxboro Hot Tubs are. It’s widely understood that they are these guys. Two listens later, and you’ll hold that truth to be self evident.

So, if you have 17mb of bandwidth left, and you fancy some brand new old fashioned rock and roll, look no further than ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’. The best free thing since those oxford boys changed the music industry for ever. Or not. Is it still a big deal, or have we all moved on?

THINK: The Stooges meet Greenday in 1960
READ: Conjecture and wonder
WATCH: Fan made Hot Tubs vidoes. (why would you?)
LISTEN: Stop, Drop and Roll. (Thank me later)

Ida Maria - Oh My God!

I recently received an email updating the mood of one of my facebook friends. Turns out he was excited. And then I got to thinking……
So this is how we’re feeling round these parts. Hope you’re right there with me. Enjoy.

Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild

During the whole WMD fiasco Eddie Vedder and Sean Penn became close friends. And it was Sean Penn that asked Eddie Vedder to pen his first solo affort. Into The Wild was written specifically for a new film telling the story of a young man who gives all his money to charity and hitchhikes to a new life–and his eventual death–in the wilds of Alaska.

Vedder collaborated closely with Penn during the shoot, and they sent eachother work in progress throughout the project. Personally I think who better to sing songs of pathos than Vedder. The whole subculture of EMO sprang from Vedder impersonators in my opinion. Vedder himself said ‘The story is so inspiring, just so inspiring, and the images were inspiring, and it was so easy to focus that it really became kind of an out of body experience. It went real quick and instruments were being handed to me and we were just doing all the takes real quick, and then we’d send it to Sean and he’d find places for it, and ask for a couple of more. It just kind of grew that way.’

If you love Vedders voice, as I and many others do, then you’re predisposed to love this album, its change of pace from demanding Hard Sun to banjo plucked interludes. The lyrics too show Vedder stripped and bare.  This album is difanately an OST, but it stands on its own merits too, and is a worthy addition to any music collection.

THINK: It’s Eddie Vedder. Nuff said.
WATCH: Penn and Vedder discuss Into the Wild
READ: Into the wild myspace
BUY: Into the Wild at amazon

The Radio_update Radiohead watch I’ve been on has ended far sooner than I would have guessed. I had anticipated months of cryptic clues together with a rumour mill endlessly churning out track lists that would send everyone on a peer to peer freny. But, this is Radiohead we’re talking about, so they subvert expectations again. Nice one Boys.

Their new album In Rainbows is available from this website as a digital download from 10th of October. But wait, there’s more! You decide how much it’s worth! There are two packages, the firstis a Discbox which includes the album on CD, 2 x 12″ Vinyls, an enhanced CD, the album as a download, art work and lyrics book all in a (no doubt) spiffing hardback case. The second is just the download - and you decide how much you think it’s worth! On ya Boys!

Tracklisting below.

CD 1 AND VINYL
15 STEP
BODYSNATCHERS
NUDE
WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI
ALL I NEED
FAUST ARP
RECKONER
HOUSE OF CARDS
JIGSAW FALLING INTO PLACE
VIDEOTAPE

CD 2
MK 1
DOWN IS THE NEW UP
GO SLOWLY
MK 2
LAST FLOWERS
UP ON THE LADDER
BANGERS AND MASH

But Wait! There’s MORE!
If you’re not content to wait 10 days, the good news is that all the above tracks have been played live at one time or another. And through the power of the interweb, you can wrap your listening holes around them here!

Thank me later.