MON., MAY 14, 2007
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Your Music: May 2007
by Todd Burns
"Oh, no! There's only a few days left in the month and I still have some downloads to use up!” Sound familiar? Well, never fear, dear subscriber, eMusic’s crackerjack Editorial staff has the answer. Or, rather, thirty of them. Welcome to the May edition of “Your Music,” a monthly feature where we'll suggest some of our favorite eMusic tracks for your downloading pleasure. And now, without further ado…
Michael Azerrad, Editor-in-Chief
J. Edward Keyes, Managing Editor
Todd Burns, Production Editor
Bows – Cassidy
There's no quicker way to a music critic's gas face than the casual mention of the words "trip" and "hop" in rapid succession. But after the dissolution of Scottish post-rockers Long Fin Killie, Luke Sutherland threw himself fully into the genre, and emerged with a masterpiece on his second try.
Opener “Luftsang” set the tone in its seemingly absurd concoction of bells, harp, string washes and big-room drums. In lesser hands, it falls apart or — worse — thuds like a stiff, sample-based plod. Sutherland, though, makes it sound live, as though the guitarist on “B-Boy Blunt” has accidentally turned his amp up too loud or that “Man Fat”’s drummer was too wild in his playing and bled over onto another channel at the 2:10 mark.
What makes Cassidy so brilliant, though, is its evocation of time and place. Sutherland is a novelist nowadays and you can hear in the lyrics that he gives to Signe Hoirup Willie-Jorgenson or keeps for himself, stories (“Ali 4 Onassis” imagines an affair between the former First Lady and the boxer; “Cuban Welterweight Rumbles Hidden Hitmen” is rather self-explanatory) that are fit perfectly by their aural accompaniment.
The unquestioned highlight, though, is “DJ” which perfectly captures the sound of infatuation — flutes, bells, strings — that builds to a climax where the giddiness is so much that Sutherland can’t even express it verbally: all that comes out is satisfied “ahhhs” before he rights himself enough to let us know that “You’re all I need / You’re everything / You’re everything to me / You’re open skies, butterflies / You’re zero gravity” before giving up once again.
Download: “DJ,” “B-Boy Blunt,” “Blue Steeples,” “Ali 4 Onassis”
Namelessnumberheadman - Wires Reply
It’s hard to understand why namelessnumberheadman has had such a rough time of it. They make great indie rock, full of the sort of ambition that has brought the Arcade Fire such amazing success. Musically, the group takes after the Flaming Lips or Grandaddy — their guitar anthems are often swaddled in synths and electronic effects, helping songs that might otherwise be branded milquetoast to end up sounding totally ingenious. For an avowed indie rock skeptic like me, that’s a marvel in and of itself.
Download: “Opposable Thumb,” “The Hour Has Come,” “Animal Kingdom”
TODD’S TECHNO PICKS
Walter Meego - “Through a Keyhole”
I’m not usually one for the quivering-voiced indie dance stuff. (When you’ve got great tunes, why bother sullying it with someone who wears an ironic ‘80s sweatshirt about as well as he sings?) But there are exceptions — and Walter Meego is one of them. “Through a Keyhole” sounds like a Hot Chip b-side, mixing a lonely piano with a propulsive beat and distended bass. Justin Sconza’s warble somehow holds it all together, whining his way through this Peeping Tom fantasy.
Minilogue - “The Girl from Botany Bay”
Like “Through a Keyhole,” Minilogue’s “The Girl from Botany Bay” starts with an old-timey instrument (guitar rather than piano here), but soon morphs into a prog-house anthem. Its sweeping, epic chords, sanded-down beat and disembodied guitar playing (think Fennesz, in service of a 4/4 rhythm) are all distinct pleasure centers for me — so when you put them all together in one package, I’m pretty much on board no matter where it ends up going. Luckily, the duo has the good sense to write a song, rather than luxuriate in minimalism-for-minimalism’s sake. This is, by far, my favorite dance track released in 2006.
Alexander Robotnick - “Problèmes d'Amour (USA Version)”
My favorite track from 1983? Why, I’m glad you asked! A co-worker at eMusic turned me onto this track when it came on to the site not long ago and it quickly vaulted to the top spot in about as long as it took the uncredited French women to sing “Ah Ou Ah” for the first time. By that point, I’d been treated to a pumping electro beat, spring-loaded guitars and synths and a French guy shouting at me about his “Problèmes d'Amour.” Consider me sold — even before the (brief) saxophone solo (!).
J. Edward Keyes, Managing Editor
Bows – Cassidy
There's no quicker way to a music critic's gas face than the casual mention of the words "trip" and "hop" in rapid succession. But after the dissolution of Scottish post-rockers Long Fin Killie, Luke Sutherland threw himself fully into the genre, and emerged with a masterpiece on his second try.
Opener “Luftsang” set the tone in its seemingly absurd concoction of bells, harp, string washes and big-room drums. In lesser hands, it falls apart or — worse — thuds like a stiff, sample-based plod. Sutherland, though, makes it sound live, as though the guitarist on “B-Boy Blunt” has accidentally turned his amp up too loud or that “Man Fat”’s drummer was too wild in his playing and bled over onto another channel at the 2:10 mark.
What makes Cassidy so brilliant, though, is its evocation of time and place. Sutherland is a novelist nowadays and you can hear in the lyrics that he gives to Signe Hoirup Willie-Jorgenson or keeps for himself, stories (“Ali 4 Onassis” imagines an affair between the former First Lady and the boxer; “Cuban Welterweight Rumbles Hidden Hitmen” is rather self-explanatory) that are fit perfectly by their aural accompaniment.
The unquestioned highlight, though, is “DJ” which perfectly captures the sound of infatuation — flutes, bells, strings — that builds to a climax where the giddiness is so much that Sutherland can’t even express it verbally: all that comes out is satisfied “ahhhs” before he rights himself enough to let us know that “You’re all I need / You’re everything / You’re everything to me / You’re open skies, butterflies / You’re zero gravity” before giving up once again.
Download: “DJ,” “B-Boy Blunt,” “Blue Steeples,” “Ali 4 Onassis”
Namelessnumberheadman - Wires Reply
It’s hard to understand why namelessnumberheadman has had such a rough time of it. They make great indie rock, full of the sort of ambition that has brought the Arcade Fire such amazing success. Musically, the group takes after the Flaming Lips or Grandaddy — their guitar anthems are often swaddled in synths and electronic effects, helping songs that might otherwise be branded milquetoast to end up sounding totally ingenious. For an avowed indie rock skeptic like me, that’s a marvel in and of itself.
Download: “Opposable Thumb,” “The Hour Has Come,” “Animal Kingdom”
Walter Meego - “Through a Keyhole”
I’m not usually one for the quivering-voiced indie dance stuff. (When you’ve got great tunes, why bother sullying it with someone who wears an ironic ‘80s sweatshirt about as well as he sings?) But there are exceptions — and Walter Meego is one of them. “Through a Keyhole” sounds like a Hot Chip b-side, mixing a lonely piano with a propulsive beat and distended bass. Justin Sconza’s warble somehow holds it all together, whining his way through this Peeping Tom fantasy.
Minilogue - “The Girl from Botany Bay”
Like “Through a Keyhole,” Minilogue’s “The Girl from Botany Bay” starts with an old-timey instrument (guitar rather than piano here), but soon morphs into a prog-house anthem. Its sweeping, epic chords, sanded-down beat and disembodied guitar playing (think Fennesz, in service of a 4/4 rhythm) are all distinct pleasure centers for me — so when you put them all together in one package, I’m pretty much on board no matter where it ends up going. Luckily, the duo has the good sense to write a song, rather than luxuriate in minimalism-for-minimalism’s sake. This is, by far, my favorite dance track released in 2006.
Alexander Robotnick - “Problèmes d'Amour (USA Version)”
My favorite track from 1983? Why, I’m glad you asked! A co-worker at eMusic turned me onto this track when it came on to the site not long ago and it quickly vaulted to the top spot in about as long as it took the uncredited French women to sing “Ah Ou Ah” for the first time. By that point, I’d been treated to a pumping electro beat, spring-loaded guitars and synths and a French guy shouting at me about his “Problèmes d'Amour.” Consider me sold — even before the (brief) saxophone solo (!).
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