A New MOTM Thread
Posted by: matthewr on 26 July 2002
(As I couldn't find the last one)
Those of you who have the good fortune to visit Jawed's will well know that moment when, after a few pleasurable hours listening to other guests' music, the person who is on their first visit naively says "Why don't you play some of your CDs Jawed?". Obviously said person learns their lesson pretty quick but by then everyone has had to listen to some vague hissing noises with the odd random click and pop and the local dogs have run off into the distance yelping.
It comes as some surprise then to find myself listening to "Life is Full of Possibilities" by Dntel and liking it a lot as I suspect Jawed would approve wholeheartedly. It is decidedly of the clicks, cuts & glitch school of electronicana but unusually (I guess) for this genre its full of fantastic tunes. Specfically its full of beautiful, lush ambient electronic epics with vocals by a variety of US Indie luminaries (a bloke from Slint/For Caranation, Ben from Death Cab for Cutie, the lovely Rachel Haden from That Dog). Its possibly the only album I've ever heard that could be featured in Wire and yet will have you singing along.
You'll find a couple of very brief Real Audio clips at Anywhere Anyone and The Dream of Evan and Chan, more samples and info at Epitonic and a glowing review at the excellent Pitchfork Media
Matthew
Those of you who have the good fortune to visit Jawed's will well know that moment when, after a few pleasurable hours listening to other guests' music, the person who is on their first visit naively says "Why don't you play some of your CDs Jawed?". Obviously said person learns their lesson pretty quick but by then everyone has had to listen to some vague hissing noises with the odd random click and pop and the local dogs have run off into the distance yelping.
It comes as some surprise then to find myself listening to "Life is Full of Possibilities" by Dntel and liking it a lot as I suspect Jawed would approve wholeheartedly. It is decidedly of the clicks, cuts & glitch school of electronicana but unusually (I guess) for this genre its full of fantastic tunes. Specfically its full of beautiful, lush ambient electronic epics with vocals by a variety of US Indie luminaries (a bloke from Slint/For Caranation, Ben from Death Cab for Cutie, the lovely Rachel Haden from That Dog). Its possibly the only album I've ever heard that could be featured in Wire and yet will have you singing along.
You'll find a couple of very brief Real Audio clips at Anywhere Anyone and The Dream of Evan and Chan, more samples and info at Epitonic and a glowing review at the excellent Pitchfork Media
Matthew
Posted on: 26 July 2002 by Former member
Sounds splendid. Found four more samples on Amazon.com. Ordered. Thank you.
Posted on: 26 July 2002 by matthewr
Gulp. Hope you like it more than the Sparklehorse.
Matthew
Matthew
Posted on: 26 July 2002 by Former member
I like the Sparklehorse (besides which it only cost me a fiver).
Sometimes you can hear a few samples and think "that's it", which is what happened with Dntel. I rater like that sort of electronica, and the vocal bits were great.
The only bad thing was that, whilst I was on Amazon, I checked out a recommendation from them for the Circulatory System CD (weird-sounding 60's ish pop) and fell for that too.
Besides which, I've been very good, all day. Writing a wretched report and trying not to watch the cricket, so I deserve it. Ahem.
The suggestible type, moi?
Sometimes you can hear a few samples and think "that's it", which is what happened with Dntel. I rater like that sort of electronica, and the vocal bits were great.
The only bad thing was that, whilst I was on Amazon, I checked out a recommendation from them for the Circulatory System CD (weird-sounding 60's ish pop) and fell for that too.
Besides which, I've been very good, all day. Writing a wretched report and trying not to watch the cricket, so I deserve it. Ahem.
The suggestible type, moi?
Posted on: 26 July 2002 by Martin M
quote:
"Life is Full of Possibilities" by Dntel
Looks good. Ordered, got free shipping with Moodyman and Kruder & Dorfmeister albums.
Thanks.
Posted on: 29 July 2002 by Former member
Dntel arrived this morning - good service form Audiostreet. It's superb.
Difficult to pin down exactly - bleeps and burbles, some lovely vocals - but it fits together beautifully. Cheers, Matthew.
The Ciruculatory System CD arrived at the same time (that makes 10 or 11 that have come inthe last 7 days, the wife is definitely looking askance...).
This is another tricky one to pin down. Amaerican, soft voices, acoustic (mainly), lo-fi to some degree, bits of Jellyfish (though not in a power-pop sort of way). It's good, but following after the Dntel, it definitely suffered in comparison. I'll post further thoughts once I've given it a few more listens.
Difficult to pin down exactly - bleeps and burbles, some lovely vocals - but it fits together beautifully. Cheers, Matthew.
The Ciruculatory System CD arrived at the same time (that makes 10 or 11 that have come inthe last 7 days, the wife is definitely looking askance...).
This is another tricky one to pin down. Amaerican, soft voices, acoustic (mainly), lo-fi to some degree, bits of Jellyfish (though not in a power-pop sort of way). It's good, but following after the Dntel, it definitely suffered in comparison. I'll post further thoughts once I've given it a few more listens.
Posted on: 29 July 2002 by matthewr
Nick,
Glad you like the Dntel (and the Sparklehorse which is actually far more representative of my tastes). I played Fireworks at a frighteningly loud volume on Saturday and managed to get the neighbours banging on my door which was vaguely satisfying.
Matthew
Glad you like the Dntel (and the Sparklehorse which is actually far more representative of my tastes). I played Fireworks at a frighteningly loud volume on Saturday and managed to get the neighbours banging on my door which was vaguely satisfying.
Matthew
Posted on: 02 August 2002 by matthewr
Is this the Circulatory System album you are talking about:
It got a rave review at http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/c/circulatory-system/circulatory-system.shtml
Matthew
It got a rave review at http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/c/circulatory-system/circulatory-system.shtml
Matthew
Posted on: 02 August 2002 by Former member
That's the one. It's bloody hard to describe. Definitely has a bit of a sixties hippie feel to it though.
I've played it a couple of times this week and it's very good (though I prefer the Dntel - different sort of thing though).
Because of the difficulty I have describing it, it's one I'd struglle to recommend unless I really knew the person's taste well. Try and have a listen to some samples - they grabbed me...
I've played it a couple of times this week and it's very good (though I prefer the Dntel - different sort of thing though).
Because of the difficulty I have describing it, it's one I'd struglle to recommend unless I really knew the person's taste well. Try and have a listen to some samples - they grabbed me...
Posted on: 10 August 2002 by Former member
since i last read the forum, and noticed not many MOTW except this one of Mathews:
What I bought recently :
Flaming Lips - yoshimi battles the pink robots, what can i say, just marvellous
Aretha Franklin - Respect best of (as one who likes her music but has no idea of what to buy from her portfolio, this is an excellent "welcome to Arethas world"
Gomez - in our gun - its good but not great, I really liked the last two they did and i remember Joel passing the name onto me, this one just doesnt seem to have got that much further on first listening
Spacemonkeyz versus Gorillaz - Laika come home
Its a reggae interpretation of the original gorillaz album, i was won over by the influence of terry hall (or so the sticker stated on the cover). Like it but i imagine it wont be a big seller.
ClemSnide - your favourite music - needs more listening
The handsome family - through the trees not listened yet
Orbital - back to mine - interesting but not WOW
Gemma Hayes - night on my side. not heard of her so i bought it on reviewers comments on the case, lets say i think i made a mistake
I didnt buy the springsteen on the notion that i must hear it first, some of his stuff is shall we say a bit vague and emotionless
Tarik
What I bought recently :
Flaming Lips - yoshimi battles the pink robots, what can i say, just marvellous
Aretha Franklin - Respect best of (as one who likes her music but has no idea of what to buy from her portfolio, this is an excellent "welcome to Arethas world"
Gomez - in our gun - its good but not great, I really liked the last two they did and i remember Joel passing the name onto me, this one just doesnt seem to have got that much further on first listening
Spacemonkeyz versus Gorillaz - Laika come home
Its a reggae interpretation of the original gorillaz album, i was won over by the influence of terry hall (or so the sticker stated on the cover). Like it but i imagine it wont be a big seller.
ClemSnide - your favourite music - needs more listening
The handsome family - through the trees not listened yet
Orbital - back to mine - interesting but not WOW
Gemma Hayes - night on my side. not heard of her so i bought it on reviewers comments on the case, lets say i think i made a mistake
I didnt buy the springsteen on the notion that i must hear it first, some of his stuff is shall we say a bit vague and emotionless
Tarik
Posted on: 10 August 2002 by Former member
Tarik !!!!
Omer.
Omer.
Posted on: 12 August 2002 by Former member
Ive been doing more listening than any reading or surfing of late, kind of missed the new stuff other than recomendations from people i meet daily so here i was just catching up..
Hows life in old tele-viv? fireworks still going off. Other than that seriuosness, whats with "son of VUK"?
for some really cool music click here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/
you can listen to it using real player
been listening to it all day, very very entertaining
all the best
Tarik
Hows life in old tele-viv? fireworks still going off. Other than that seriuosness, whats with "son of VUK"?
for some really cool music click here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/
you can listen to it using real player
been listening to it all day, very very entertaining
all the best
Tarik
Posted on: 17 August 2002 by Stewart Cooper
Wayne Shorter quartet: footprints
Tom McRae
Low: Things we lost in the fire
Piston Violin Concertos on Naxos (thanks Todd)
Stewart
Tom McRae
Low: Things we lost in the fire
Piston Violin Concertos on Naxos (thanks Todd)
Stewart
Posted on: 19 August 2002 by Former member
Bloody fantastic ! How did I manage to miss that one on Epitonic ?! I seem to have managed to download pretty much everything else from that site onto our office server..
Which reminds me.. I need to do a cull before it runs out of diskspace. I have a good fortnights worth of MP3's on there..
-A-
Which reminds me.. I need to do a cull before it runs out of diskspace. I have a good fortnights worth of MP3's on there..
-A-
Posted on: 19 August 2002 by Pete
Picked up a few things lately...
Flaming Lips/Yoshimi...: more praise, fab album
Tony Levin/Pieces of the Sun: far more of a band album than his last one, the band being other Gabriel alumni Larry "Synergy" Fast and Jerry Marotta, plus Jesse Gress on guitar. More an instrumental prog album than anything else, has some great standout moments (like a reworking of Tequila) and some filler. File under good but not great.
Rush/Vapor Trails: taking a while to make much headway with this. Not actually bad in any way, but whether it's lacking a spark or a side-effect of I'm just not in the mood for anything with the sort of hard edges a lot of this has right now I'm not sure. Working on it...
Joni Mitchell/Blue: never really got into JM before now, more through just not being familiar with her stuff rather than not liking it. Wish I'd got this years ago, it's tremendous.
Fleetwood Mac/Tusk: sort of been after this for a while at the right ptice, and a fiver in Fopp was the right price. Good record!
Patrick Noland/Peace: sparser than the other two, but still beautiful. If you like solo piano that communicates feeling, you owe yourself this.
Pete.
Flaming Lips/Yoshimi...: more praise, fab album
Tony Levin/Pieces of the Sun: far more of a band album than his last one, the band being other Gabriel alumni Larry "Synergy" Fast and Jerry Marotta, plus Jesse Gress on guitar. More an instrumental prog album than anything else, has some great standout moments (like a reworking of Tequila) and some filler. File under good but not great.
Rush/Vapor Trails: taking a while to make much headway with this. Not actually bad in any way, but whether it's lacking a spark or a side-effect of I'm just not in the mood for anything with the sort of hard edges a lot of this has right now I'm not sure. Working on it...
Joni Mitchell/Blue: never really got into JM before now, more through just not being familiar with her stuff rather than not liking it. Wish I'd got this years ago, it's tremendous.
Fleetwood Mac/Tusk: sort of been after this for a while at the right ptice, and a fiver in Fopp was the right price. Good record!
Patrick Noland/Peace: sparser than the other two, but still beautiful. If you like solo piano that communicates feeling, you owe yourself this.
Pete.
Posted on: 20 August 2002 by fred simon
October Road - James Taylor
This Side - Nickel Creek
Soul Of Things - Tomasz Stanko
Live At Yoshi's - Oregon
I love these albums.
This Side - Nickel Creek
Soul Of Things - Tomasz Stanko
Live At Yoshi's - Oregon
I love these albums.
Posted on: 22 August 2002 by Former member
Exceptional ! Fantasic recommendation.
Any more gems like this hiding out there ? Please !!
Alan.
P.s. Coma Divine has sold out everywhere and is on back order.. I wonder who is responsible for that then ?
Any more gems like this hiding out there ? Please !!
Alan.
P.s. Coma Divine has sold out everywhere and is on back order.. I wonder who is responsible for that then ?
Posted on: 22 August 2002 by Former member
quote:
Originally posted by Alan Ball:
P.s. Coma Divine has sold out everywhere and is on back order.. I wonder who is responsible for that then ?
Freak Emporium say they have it in stock!
Posted on: 22 August 2002 by Former member
Coma Divine will arrive eventually.. It will give me time to work through the rest of the CD's.
A.
A.
Posted on: 22 August 2002 by matthewr
The traditional career path for guitar bands is to start off wonderfully noisy and full of energy and anger and somehow overcome the lack of musicianship, then learn a bit more guitar, peak with the third album and begin a gradual decline into muso noodling hell.
Sleater-Kinney, on the other hand, appear to keep getting better and better and can still get angry with the best of them and the new album "One Beat" is their best yet. Its the usual S-K forumla with a mixture of snarling guitars, searing vocals, lots of in yer face Feminista attitude and great pop tunes all pushed along by Janet Weiss's fantastic drumming but its an althogether a more consistent and convincing than "All Hands on the Bad One". It even manages to be fantastic despite having a song about Spetember 11th ("The President hides while working men rush to give their lives") which is usually enough to have me wretching in the corner.
It is of course a tragedy that are not more famous and richer than the likes of The Hives, The Vines and The Strokes escapes me as they are assuredly more talented. Perhaps the use of the definite article and a short and memorable plural noun is somehow required.
Matthew
I heart Corin Tucker
Sleater-Kinney, on the other hand, appear to keep getting better and better and can still get angry with the best of them and the new album "One Beat" is their best yet. Its the usual S-K forumla with a mixture of snarling guitars, searing vocals, lots of in yer face Feminista attitude and great pop tunes all pushed along by Janet Weiss's fantastic drumming but its an althogether a more consistent and convincing than "All Hands on the Bad One". It even manages to be fantastic despite having a song about Spetember 11th ("The President hides while working men rush to give their lives") which is usually enough to have me wretching in the corner.
It is of course a tragedy that are not more famous and richer than the likes of The Hives, The Vines and The Strokes escapes me as they are assuredly more talented. Perhaps the use of the definite article and a short and memorable plural noun is somehow required.
Matthew
I heart Corin Tucker
Posted on: 22 August 2002 by Matt Gear
"melody AM" - royksopp
"down" - down
"degradation trip" - jerry cantrell
"diorama" - silverchair
"come away with me" - norah jones
cheers
matt
"down" - down
"degradation trip" - jerry cantrell
"diorama" - silverchair
"come away with me" - norah jones
cheers
matt
Posted on: 31 August 2002 by Stephen H
Alison Moyet - Hometime. Not exactly the most prolific of artistes, but a very welcome return. Like the album a lot already.
Elanor McEvoy - Yola. Got a good review in Hi-Fi Plus and it sounded interesting. It's a fantastic album. If you like Cowboy Junkies/Shawn Colvin/Beth Orton type stuff then I reckon this will be up your street. Kind of folk-ish. Her voice is reminds me a little of Toni Childs, but she doesn't quite let rip as much. One of the best albums I've bought recently.
Elanor McEvoy - Yola. Got a good review in Hi-Fi Plus and it sounded interesting. It's a fantastic album. If you like Cowboy Junkies/Shawn Colvin/Beth Orton type stuff then I reckon this will be up your street. Kind of folk-ish. Her voice is reminds me a little of Toni Childs, but she doesn't quite let rip as much. One of the best albums I've bought recently.
Posted on: 31 August 2002 by Nigel Cavendish
I have 4 CDs and my favoutite is the first "Eleanor McEvoy" - which you can pick up for a fiver these days - highly recommended if you like Yola.
cheers
Nigel
cheers
Nigel
Posted on: 01 September 2002 by Stephen H
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for the recommendation. I was planning to get some more of her albums, so I will start with the eponymous one.
Cheers,
Steve.
Thanks for the recommendation. I was planning to get some more of her albums, so I will start with the eponymous one.
Cheers,
Steve.