You Can't Put Your Arms Around An Mp3

Lush "Lit Up" Flexi-disc

I love Lush. Great band, beautiful harmonies and melodies, and though they ended tragically, I still consider them one of the better bands of the 1990s. Here is one of their rarest items--a flexidisc package that came out in early 1994, containing a demo of "Lit Up," a song soon to be found on their album Split. The next is a fun take of the "Rupert the Bear" theme song.

This collection also came with a fun fan-club note for the fans about the recording process, a family tree of Lush, a wonderful drawing of the band, and lyrics to all of their songs. I had the flexi but not the inserts, but I found a collection of them all, and have made them available for you to enjoy. So...enjoy!

Listen To: The Lush "Lit Up" package

Harold Budd and Clive Wright Candylion

Your humble correspondent has a deep respect for Harold Budd. For years, Budd has provided yours truly with transcendentally beautiful music. His piano-based ambient style is simple, yet quite powerful. Since the end of his retirement, Budd has become something of a collaborative spirit, and it's for the best. He's worked with Ultravox's John Foxx, with Robin Guthrie, and with Guthrie's band, the Cocteau Twins. More recently, he's teamed up with Clive Wright; last year's A Song for Lost Blossoms was a wonderful return to form.

The duo recently released Candylion, a second helping of collaborative excellence. Considering Budd's style hasn't changed in 30 years, most of the time your humble correspondent often finds it difficult to really recognize any changes in Budd's gorgeous, tried-and-true ambient style, and the same can be said for this one as well. Beautiful, unhurried melodies of piano, keyboard, and guitar blend together in a style that is true to the definition of 'ambient.'

If you're not familiar, this review might seem to give short shrift to the record. It's not, however; Budd is someone you should know, and this is as good a place to start!

Listen To: "Ribbons Everywhere"

Candylion is available now on Darla Records

Neutral Milk Hotel "Everything Is"

Before he was the J.D. Salinger of the indie-rock world, Jeff Mangum was human. Talented as he may be, he wasn't born with cult-like status. So like most 1990s indie-rocking kids who cared little about fame, Jeff and his band would oft appear on small, obscure labels. One of these I happen to own, and that is the "Everything Is" single, on Cher Doll. If it wasn't for the Neutral Milk Hotel release, you probably wouldn't know the label even existed.

Its a song that would later appear on a CD-single but I believe this version is not the same as that. It's a lovely little ballad; okay, so it's a little clunky, and there's a little field recording at the beginning, but all in all this is an early Neutral Milk Hotel jewel. You can hear Mangum's songwriting skills start to blossom, though this song might not have the same appeal to the coffee-drinking indie yuppies who helped to make In the Aeroplane Under the Sea a classic.To me, this version is as exciting as anything Kurt Cobain ever did.

Listen To: "Everything Is"

Sally Shapiro "Time to Let Go"

Sally Shapiro is a mysterious woman; word has it that she's painfully shy,(Sally Shapiro is not her real name) she doesn't conduct many interviews, and that she has no desire to perform live. She is the vocal side of producer Johan Agebjorn, but what she does, she does well. Musically, she reminds me of a Swedish Sarah Cracknell; the music behind her is often murky and emotionally detatched. Her voice, however, is warm and inviting. A rightfully beloved recipient of blog love two years ago, her album Disco Romance is a downbeat but inviting collection of pop perfection. Who cares if she doesn't play live; music this good stands on its own merits.

Listen To: "Time to Let Go"

Disco Romance is available now on Paper Bag Records

His Name is Alive "Melody Farm"

 

Back in the mid 1990s, His Name is Alive's Warren Defever undertook a spilt 7" trilogy with friend and confidant Davn Brainard's Princess Dragonmom. The three singles had three distinctive themes; my favorite of the three is the "Melody Farm" version. Why is that? It's Karin Oliver singing Neil Young's "Harvest" as recorded on a cylinder tube--in other words, it sounds like something from 1898. The song begins with a fun and funky instrumental version of a song you might know if you listen to vintage country music, and also contains a nice little surf instrumental conclusion. It's a strange--but fun--little curiosity, from a mind that has created a lot of strange--but fun--curiosities.

Listen To: "Melody Farm"

Juice Newton "Queen of Hearts"

Ahhh...Juice Newton! Specifically, her wonderful hit "Queen of Hearts." I have quite specific memories of this song, mainly that it was a big favorite at the skating rink. See, on Saturday mornings, from about 8 to noon, parents would drop off their kids at our small-town skating rink, for safe, wholesome fun. It was a time set aside for elementary kids, and there were always a TON of us there, skating, playing video games, foozeball, and eating snacks. Personally, I spent most of my time playing Galaga, Pac Man, Pole Position, and Defender. When this song came on, however, I'd hit the rink, skating to my li'l heart's content! A good memory, this song. Is it pop? Is it country? You decide. All I know is that hearing it makes me smile...

Listen To:"Queen of Hearts"

Available on Juice Newton's Greatest Hits

The Durutti Column "Snowflakes"

In 1984, Factory Records subsidiary Les Disques du Crepuscle released a double-album of dark, cold songs, entitled Ghosts of Christmas Past. While released at Christmastime, the album wasn't necessarily a Christmas record, but the music found within could easily soundtrack a bleak midwinter.

Label stalwart Durutti Column's music easily fit in with this format; Vini Reilley's gentle melodies are perfect for grey days. His selection, "Snowflakes," is quiet and serene; indeed, his playing sounds like a gentle snow falling. A prolific master of simplicity, this simple song stands as one of his best compositions. Like gossamer, "Snowflakes" really needs no discussion; it's simply beautiful for being thinly beautiful.

Listen To: "Snowflakes"

Ghosts of Christmas Past is available now on LTM Recordings

Electronic "Disappointed"

When New Order went on hiatus in the late 1980s, new bands formed. Peter Hook formed Revenge, Bernard Sumner formed Electronic, and Gillian Gilbert and Stephen Morris formed, ahem, The Other Two. Electronic was perhaps the truest to New Order's sound, and their debut album, released in 1990, proved satisfying to those longing for New Order or disappointed in Revenge. Sumner formed the band with Johnny Marr, and did something smart: enlisted Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant to sing both backup (as heard on "Getting Away with It") and as lead vocalist ("Patience of a Saint" and on "Disappointed"). I'm fond of "Disappointed" because it sounds like both vintage Pet Shop Boys and New Order. Okay, more like PSB, but that's a moot point. The duo would make a few more records, but none quite as satisfying and as refreshing as the first album. Still, it's an underrated classic; "Disappointed" was a single release, but was featured on the eclectic Cool World soundtrack.

Listen To: "Disappointed (7" Single Mix)"

Interview: Wooden Birds

 

 

One of my favorite bands in college was Texas's own American Analog Set. They had the ability to "rock" without actually "rocking out." Their hazy, slightly stoned mellow sound really fit nicely with my location (West Texas), and they evolved into a rather interesting band, and made some excellent records, and the only record of theirs I didn't like was their swansong. But with a discography of five outstanding albums, a compilation of their singles, and a few EP's, one not-so-good album would never take me away from my devotion. That they broke up after releasing a record entitled Set Free seemed to indicate that they knew they had reached the end of the road.

Of course, when a band splits, fans await the next new band. Andrew Kenny took a little time, but he came back with The Wooden Birds, a band that contains the sweetness of his voice, but doesn't sound much like American Analog Set. Instead, the music is stripped-down, folksier, and reminds me a bit of Elliott Smith. The band's Barsuk debut Magnolia is an excellent debut; and much like American Analog Set's debut, The Fun of Watching Fireworks, it is somewhat humble and inconspicuous, but promising of greatness to come.

And, for me, what better band could I interview first for my return?

I guess the first thing I have to say is, "Welcome back!" I recently listened to Hard to Find, and I kind of get the hint that the direction you've taken with Wooden Birds was one that you were hinting at towards the end of AmAnSet. Was the more stripped-down and folksier direction something you wanted to do with that band?

That 's a really fair question. But Hard To Find is a only collection of songs recorded all over the place from 2000 - 2005 and, to me, the only direction they point is back to the three albums that the AmAnSet released over that time.

However, I think you're right that the Wooden Birds is a different animal for sure and that animal is a bit folksier. Before that animal was a Wooden Bird, I did have a few ideas about what the new project would be about. I wanted the music to be simple. I wanted the songs to be constructed from a tidy collection of instruments that would define the sound of the project, and I wanted them to sound wooden and near, whatever that means. As the sound of the bass and guitar and percussion emerged, the Wooden Birds were born. I also wanted the songs to be fun to perform and after 3 months of touring, I can honestly say I still have favorites.

Ooh and thanks! It's good to be back.

Speaking of, Wooden Birds sort of made its debut to the world at SXSW at the same time American Analog Set reformed. Was that awkward, or did doing that really serve as a transition for you from the past to the present?

It should have been really awkward but I was too stressed out to feel awkward!! SXSW is such a crazy time here in Austin. The Wooden Birds played seven times and the AmAnSet played once too!

To answer your question, though, I'm glad there was an Analog Set show in the midst of the Wooden Birds debut. I'd been putting the Wooden Birds together as a live band since the beginning of the year and it had been a while since I put a band together from scratch. "What am I doing?", "Is this good?", "Is this music?.. these are all questions I asked myself almost daily. I admit I was a little frightened to begin Analog Set rehearsals because the AmAnSet is one of my favorite bands.. and I was IN it. So the Wooden Birds had a lot to live up to right out of the gate for me. But once things got going, I realized that I was really proud of the Birds also and the AmAnSet rehearsals gave me a good point of comparison for how the Wooden Birds were progressing.

There's a stripped-down nature to Magnolia, and if I didn't know any better, I'd get the feeling that these songs were spontaneous recordings—I hesitate to say "demos" because they're a bit more drawn out than most demo recordings. Were you going for that immediacy, and if so, was it a reaction to any kind of recording styles you might have done in the past?

Well I'm the songwriter for both bands and there's no getting around that. So yes, I did want to create some kind of universe for these songs that would feel different from what I had done in the past. It's dangerous territory to drift into though.. to say it's THIS way because it used to be THAT way. So yes that immediacy, that nearness is something I went for from the beginning, but not just because I hadn't before. I know people talk a big game about "capturing the magic of the demo" and all. I'm one of those people. I used to demo songs by pounding out beats on my guitar top and then playing along. Over time I started liking the way those beats sounded on their own. So when I started work on what would become Magnolia, I began with those guitar-top demo beats and built the album from there. In the end, I really liked it. I think it's a surprisingly beaty album for not having any drums.

So, what's next for Wooden Birds, and for Andrew Kenny?

More touring, hopefully. I am still really pleased with the band we put together to support Magnolia and I'd like the chance to show it off a little more! In the meantime, I'm putting together the songs for the next Wooden Birds release.

Cale Parks To Swift Mars

"Eno with beats." That's what I thought when I first heard Cale Parks's latest release, the six-song To Swift Mars. While what you hear might first be thought of as "lo-fi new-wave," listening to it again shows that the record is a much more complex little beast. It's a varied affair, with slower songs like "Crystal Air" resting aside and between songs that have a groove, like "One At a Time," which offers a nice little beat alongside some rather honey-sweet singing. Parks' vocal range isn't limited, but it's reigned in, making for a subtle yet sublime listening experience. I've seen comparisons to Peter Gabriel, and I see the point. But To Swift Mars is yet another excellent progression for Mr. Parks.

Listen To: "One At a Time"

To Swift Mars is available now on Polyvinyl Records

Heidi Berry "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie"

Heidi Berry's time with esteemed label 4AD produced one good album (1996's Miracle), one superb album (1991's Love), and one masterpiece (1993's Heidi Berry). What happened? That's a really good question. Now a music teacher, her website mentions that she has been writing but has no idea about how or when these songs will be released. Bummer.

As mentioned, 1993's self-titled album was a masterpiece; a mixture of both haunting atmosphere and warm lyrical content, it proved a formidable record with not one moment of dross; every minute was worthy of attention. Released at a time when gentle, dark folk was utterly incongruous to the wider music world does not matter; music this good stands the test of time.

Only one single was released, the beautiful "The Moon and the Sun." A British EP was released, with three excellent B-Sides, the most striking of which is a cover of Tim Hardin's "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie." Berry had already proved an excellent interpreter of others' songs; she first appeared on 4AD as a part of This Mortal Coil, and Love contained a cover of Husker Du's "Up In The Air." Like her previous covers, she truly made this song her own; it would not sound out of place on Heidi Berry; furthermore, it is obscure enough that one might think it her own composition.

Listen To: "You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie"

Lynn Anderson "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"

What do I remember of Lynn Anderson? Well, as a kid I remember an older sister of mine had a paperback of her book bearing the title of this, her biggest hit, I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. I also remember her being a stalwart of both Hee-Haw AND Lawrence Welk. Listening to her on the radio, my dad would turn it up and show for me the violins, explaining to me that they weren't just a classical-music instrument. That's stayed with me all these years.


Plus, might I add that few pop songs are as wonderfully perfect as this? Ingredients include an excellent string arrangement, a rather driving beat, an angelic voice singing songs that are really, really sad, and an indefinable charm. "So smile for a while and let's be jolly/life shouldn't be so melancholy/Come along and share the good times while we can" is in the top ten of my all-time favorite lyrics.

Lynn had other hits, but this is one that she will eternally be known for; unlike, say, Jeannie C. Riley--who found her career quickly cemented with one hit--Ms. Anderson has every right to be proud of this, a defining country and pop song.

Listen To: "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden"

Bavarian Radio Orchestra "Requiem for Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, Two Mixed Choirs, and Orchestra"

 

2001: A Space Odyssey is a cinematic masterpiece, and one element of its brilliance is its soundtrack. To me, it's less a film and more of an abstract musical; there's minimal dialogue, and the interplay between score, screen, and story drives the emotional dynamic of the film. The best example of this is the first seven minutes of the movie: it's sheer darkness, with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra's rendition of György Sándor Ligeti's haunting "Requiem for Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, Two Mixed Choirs, and Orchestra" playing, playing, playing, a most disturbing crescendo with no end in sight. Think it's not disturbing? Watch the movie at night with no lights on.In the theatre, it's downright terrifying.

And there's a surprise when the movement ends. I won't tell you what it is, but it's equally upsetting, especially if you've invested your feelings in the previous six minutes.

Listen To: "Requiem for Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, Two Mixed Choirs, and Orchestra"

Music Go Music "Warm in the Shadows"

One of my favorite bands/enigmas/hipster in-jokes is Music Go Music, but their music is certainly no joke. Over the last year, they relesed three superb 70s-inspired 12" EP's, each one better than the one before it.  On October 6th,Their label Secretly Canadian will finally release all of these EPs together on a physical CD entitled Expressions. To get ready for this, they have released a video of a live performance of their song "Warm in the Shadows," which helps to prove that their ABBA-esque sound is no fluke. Check it out:

Built to Spill "Randy Described Eternity"

I>Perfect From Now On, Built to Spill's major-label debut, is the band's masterpiece. Doug Martsch had already released one masterpiece, the excellent, essential There's Nothing Wrong With Love--an album that blended pop songwriting with the big rock stylings found on Ultimate Alternative Wavers. But Perfect didn't really contain such pop nuggets; instead, the album was thick, heavy, and a bit more cumbersome than previous releases, but that doesn't mean it was bad. If anything, the eight songs (totalling up to nearly an hour, with only one song under the five minute mark) are grand epic rockers. It demands your full attention, but when you give it, woo-boy, it'll reward you. "Randy Describes Eternity" kicks things off, and it's instantly addictive, featuring both some great guitar work and some wonderful singing. His howl fits wonderfully over the swirly psychedelic blues-rock behind him; it's sweet like sugar and thick like molasses. At the time, I thought, "If this is what post-grunge sounds like, bring it on!"

Listen To: "Randy Describes Eternity"

Punk-ass educators

In preparing my latest newsletter for my high school students, I did something I've always wanted to do---expose the younger generation to brilliant punk lyrics! Now, I realize that my students will go "who?" when they see the name Blake Schwarzenbach, but I don't really mind; after all, Jawbreaker broke up before some of these kids were even born! (That's enough to make me feel old, but let's not go there, okay?)

But it's a good song. It's "The Boat Dreams From the Hill," the lead track from 24-Hour Revenge Therapy. The lyrics are as follows:

Boat on a hill, never going to sea.
Anchored to a fixer upper's dream.
This boat is beat, never going to be a boat now.
Thirsty, sees the sea from high on ice plant.

He keeps patching it and painting.
Thinking about his pension plan.
But the boat is out to pasture.
Seems it never had a chance.

I wanna be a boat. I wanna learn to swim
Then I'll learn to float. Then begin again.

Boat remembers the carpenter's sure hand.
Missing fishy flutter on it's rudder.
Sold at an auction, on a dolly ever since.
Sometimes rainy days bring boyish wonder.

I like this because, to me, the song's about wanting to pursue one's dreams and the dangers of giving up on them. Or something like that. Song interpretation isn't something I like to do in public (or sober), but I do find this song to be an oddly inspirational one. Whether my kids get it or not--that's another matter. But the big question is....

Does this make me emo now?

Owen The Seaside EP

Your humble correspondent had forgotten one of the important rules of consideration when reviewing certain records: the same scrutiny should never be given to B-side records.  I remembered this rule while listening to Owen's single-collection EP, The Seaside. See, this collection of Japanese bonus songs and a four-way split single from a few years ago is a very pretty, excellent representation of Mike Kinsella's work. Except for one song—one terrible song that, well, nearly ruined it for me. People should not be allowed to cover Extreme's "More than Words." Now, your humble correspondent understands that some people like it, and that's fine. It's just not his thing, but I digress, especially considering the gorgeousness of "Heads Will Ache," and the more compelling, stripped down live version of "In the Morning, After Work." If you're not familiar with Owen, start here. Just don't hold song #4 against him.

Listen To: "In The Morning, Before Work (Live)" The Seaside EP is available now from Polyvinyl Records

 

 

new stuff that is worth your time

Your humble correspondent thinks you should be on the lookout for the following forthcoming things:

• Farmer Dave Scher was in wonderful bands like All Night Radio and Beachwood Sparks. After years and years and years of waiting, his Farmer Dave album is finally coming out, via Kemado. Wait a sec--wasn't Sub Pop supposed to release this? Your humble correspondent remembers a Farmer Dave interview stating that Sub Pop would pretty much release anything with his name on it. Guess not...

• Liam Finn, I like. Sure, he comes from a musical family, but don't hold that against him. A new EP, Champagne and Seashells, will be released on September 1s via Yep Roc, and the previews show that it sounds EXCELLENT.

• Conjuring up Jeff Buckley, Antony Hegardy, and someone else I can't think of right now, England's Wild Beasts' second album, Two Dancers, will be coming out September 8, 2009, via Domino Records.

• Icelandic electronica goofsters gusGus return with a new album, 24/7, to be released September 14th via legendary European label Kompakt. This album marks the return of founding member Daniel Agust.

• Speaking of former 4ad artists, the legendary Robin Guthrie has two new records coming out: album Carousel will be released August 28th, with EP Songs to Help My Children Sleep following a month later. Talk about truth in advertising--his songs have helped me sleep for a long time now. The recently released Angel Falls EP shows that Guthrie is in fine form. All will come via US label Darla Records.

• Also, worth noting is that on August 31st, Darla will be releasing a "deluxe edition" of Those Bastard Souls' Twentieth Century Chemical, along with seven bonus tracks. It's good eatin', folks!

• Out on October 5 will be Airborne, the second album by Denmark's Aerosol. It's a gorgeous affair, full of beautiful ambient instrumentals, and will be released by n5md.

Look for discussion of these records in these electronic pages!

RIP Abe Futoshi

Your humble correspondent was saddened to learn of the passing of Abe Futoshi, the amazing guitarist for Japanese legends Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. He passed away after a bout with hematoma. For those not familiar, TMGE was a blues-punk-psych-rock band, not unlike Screaming Trees, Brian Jonestown Massacre, or The Gun Club. For your enjoyment, some samples of their excellent music.

Twenty Things You Should Know About This Webiste and Your Humble Correspondent

1. His name is Joseph, and he's written about music for over a decade.
2. He loves music, but he also dislikes some music, and will not write about that which he dislikes.
3. This website is more a labor of love and less an outlet for shameless promotion of mediocre talent that might be considered "hip."
4. He just made some peanut butter cookies.
5. He thinks you should make a mental note about the categories his posts fall under--they may help explain the rationale behind many of his postings.
6. He isn't here to offend--merely to edify.
7. There are no other people involved in this website--no snothead hipster or boorish blipsters will be found.
8. He believes being passionate is much better than being didacticial.
9. He excells at interviews, though unfortunately doesn't have as much time as he'd like. Therefore, not so many will be found here--for now, at least.
10. He will happily talk to publicists about reviewing their records, and he welcomes their submissions--but does not guarantee that doing so will result in a review.
11. He will not be listing a mailing address, for fears of it being exploited by those who exploit the well-meaning desires of the mediocre--mainly people who sell lists of addresses of publications. And "Indie Bible."
12. He really doesn't want to hear demos. Not that he doesn't care or support those who work hard--it's just that there's very little time in his day to be hearing the music.
13. He will link back to those who link forward. It's how we grow!
14. He will not be attending SXSW this year--or any year, truth be told.
15. He would like to talk about cross-promotions, especially for records he likes.
16. He would also like to add that he thinks you have good taste in music.
17. He has an email address: humblecorrespondent@gmail.com
18. He hopes you enjoy his website!
19. He can't think of a 19th thing.
20. He thinks you should watch this video if you want to know more about the derivation of the website's name: