A Derogatory Term

Before I say anything I would just like to say a big thank you to Adso – I have not only really appreciated your posts but I have thoroughly enjoyed every single one, as I am sure everyone else has. Lets continue:

I have just come out of a very depressing time of my life and I feel that you are the only people I can speak to. It was a time of confusion, sorrow, insecurity and most of all disappointment in myself. I am talking about the quarter life music crisis I found myself in since my last post. I had plentiful new album/new sounds but felt nostalgia for the past. I thought this frustration would be eliminated by one of my favorite sounds from yesterday releasing a new album (Maximo Park) however this just slipped me deeper into despair as I felt absolutely no connection to the album unlike the love affaire for the last two. I was in a very dark place and blaming myself for these emotions. I thought I may have lost my ear as my passion for music evaporated into the mist of my adolescence. I soon realised that I had not lost anything I had just stopped looking. A combination of the amount of new music I was trying to get through and the shortened amount of time I was trying to get through it caused an inevitable re-evaluation of my close interpersonal relationship with my first love.

I can now safely say that we are back together and striving more then ever. Time has been my friend and for this I will forever be grateful to the one dimension we can never conceptualise. It was actually one of Adso’s posts which included ‘White Lies’ that kicked this off and that album in combination with the following, has made me start to anticipate Splendour In The Grass in a couple of weeks with shaking hands and an open grin.

Doves – Kingdom Of Rust

I have had this album for quite some time however it was only after my crisis I really started to appreciate it. I know The Doves are spoken about very highly amongst the music elite and although I have been very slow to get onto the bandwagon the seat that was left vacant has given me a smooth ride all the way to Belongil Fields. Speaking of rides their opening track ‘Jetstream’ is certainly one of them. Whaling guitars and effects builds to a bouncy break, which layers itself with distortion as it reaches out for ‘Jetstreammmmm’ – I can already feel it. I have also added Kingdom Of Rust and Still Going’s remix, which I think brings it into disco perfection.

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The Doves – Jetstream
The Doves – Kingdom Of Rust
The Doves -Kingdom Of Rust (Still Going Theme)

Art Vs Science – EP

I am sure that if you are from Australia you have definitely heard the hype behind Art Vs Science. Winning Unearthed last year they were given the opportunity to play at Splendour In The Grass and fade away like so many bands who were able to get the most people to vote for them. Unlike the others Art vs. Science brought originality and popularity to the table which is often hard produce at early stages of ones career. I intentionally missed their support spot at the Datarock gig so I was able to appreciate them inn full at Splendour… Ok I have always been an honest person I missed them because I wanted to get more fucked up and used that as an excuse. I heard they killed it and I was pissed I missed them. So now I cannot wait to see how they produce this concoction of sound live.

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Art Vs Science – Parlez Vous Francais
Art Vs Science – Friend In The Field

Children Collide – The Long Now

Children Collide are the most recent band I have gotten into and I can thank mainstream radio/TV for this pleasure. Their song Chosen Armies was haunting me a couple of weeks ago like Casper on crack. I first saw the film clip when flicking through Channel V and was unable to turn away, slightly because of the music but mainly for how cool the clip looked. The song stayed in my head yet I forgot who they were until 6am on a Saturday morning when I was returning home from bible studies in a cab and I heard nova so lightly start to belt out the opening guitar riff, I immediately stopped talking shit to the cab driver reached for the volume sat back and simply Waited. I am guessing if the first two times I heard these guys were on Channel V and Nova then they must already be very popular. Their sound is one that many of us grew to know and love in the 90’s before it got stale – I think they have left the perfect amount of years to bring back the grungy punk rock for all of us to enjoy with guilty pleasure.

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Children Collide – Chosen Armies
Children Collide – Cannibal
Children Collide – Social Currency

The Middle East – The Recordings Of The Middle East

This was a band I became aware of from a couple of people at work one who saw them live and said it was one of the most incredible live shows she has ever seen and the other who did not get off my back until I listened to them. I do thank you both and I hope they bring the children’s choir to Splendor, which I heard accompanied them during their last gig in Brisbane. I don’t know too much about them but I believe the album I got was released a few years ago before some line up changes and they have just recently released an EP with some of the same songs which has been gaining air play on Triple J. Their track Blood is one that I think the majority of people will like as it is non-conformational and perfect to sit back and ponder to what they might actually be singing about.

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The Middle East – Blood
The Middle East – Fools Gold

And as Adso mentioned in his last post I to have also been listening to The Temper Trap’s new album. I will let Adso speak about it in his next post as I am still at the early stages of appreciating it. It does sound amazing though and they will be wicked at Splendour.

Well that is it for some of the Splendour bands I have been getting into recently. I think it may be one of the best festivals I have ever been too as there is just so many people I want to see. Adso you should def come, just make it happen.

As you will soon see, although I went through a tough time in my relationship with music we are back together and stronger then ever and the below albums are testimony to that.

Datarock – Red

Adso has already made a recent post about Datarock but I felt I had to talk about them too and post a few of my favorite tracks off their album. I believe that this album is better then their last and we all know how good that was. The range of styles they explore and succeed with throughout ‘Red’ is quite amazing. Every single track is as catchy as the last and all as interesting as each other. A few of my favorites as the moment would have to be the opener ‘The Blog’ with its social commentary and insight about the internet mixed together with retro synths and a punky chorus. “Molly’ an ode to obviously one of their favorite Rangas from the 80’s – Molly Ringwald. I personally cannot really relate to their adolescent obsession however they probably do not have many rangas in Norway. ‘Back In The Seventies” has to be my number 1 track at the moment and has moments of ‘Roxanne’ throughout. Just like Who Made Who earlier in the year I just wish Datarock came to Brisbane after their album release however knowing them I am sure I will see them again soon.

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Datarock – The Blog
Datarock – Molly
Datarock – Back In The Seventies

Placebo – Battle For The Sun

Placebo is one band that I have never given a chance. I have only ever heard their singles, which have always been classic rock pop songs. Battle For The Sun is the first full album I have listened to and now all I can think about is going back to their catalogue and appreciating all the tracks I have obviously missed. In a world of minimal beeps and glitches the sound of big rocking distorted guitars and beats from a world class band get my teeth grinding harder then any solely produced electronic track ever could. I believe that one sign of a great album is when the last track is one of the best – you will find that some bands these days throw all their good tracks at the start (Empire Of The Sun, MGMT) and you can be fooled into thinking they are a good band rather then a band with a few good songs. Placebo’s final track ‘Kings Of Medicine’ is a stunning rock ballad that they obviously thought fit perfectly at the end of their album no matter what the executives recommended.

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Placebo – Kings Of Medicine
Placebo – Battle For The Sun
Placebo – Ashtray Heart

Grace Jones – Hurricane

Well I am sure nearly all of you have enjoyed Aeroplane’s remix of Williams Blood – to me it has definitely been the remix of the year. It is because of this fact that I am a little confused as to why it took me to about May this year to get her album. I guess I was imagining something very different to the remix, more old school. I was very surprised to realise that Aeroplane took a very hands off approach to the song and the original chorus is probably one of the toughest parts out of either version. Her album is very modern and very interesting and she is clearly extremely talented. I love tracks like ‘Corporate Cannibal’ as her voice just oozes respect as she uses spoken word to remind us of the corporate hell some of us are drowned in.

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Grace Jones – Williams Blood
Grace Jones – Corporate Cannibal
Grace Jones – Hurricane

Kissy Sell Out – Youth
As many of you know who have read this blog for a long time Kissy is probably the one/producer DJ whom I have held very high up even above some bands. I have been following Kissy’s footsteps and his eventual rise up the stairs of respect for about the last 3 – 4 years. His album I have been looking forward to for just as long and you can imagine when I heard he was going to turn his sound into a live show I was ecstatic with excitement as to the possibilities of his sound live. His live debut was last year during the European summer and I heard nothing but absolutely terrible reports of his live show. I still kept faith and he slowly started to release a few sneak previews of songs on his album on his Myspace – it did not really sound like the Kissy I grew to love and I somewhat refused to listen to anything until the album came out. Then the album came out and I read some of the worse reviews I have ever seen anyone give. Kissy played live in Sydney about a month ago and from this impression of his new songs and live show I did not even make the trip down to see one of my former idols – what sort of fan am I? When I got Kissy’s album I went in with little to no expectations waiting for annoying vocals and the synth work all but gone. On first listen I heard those annoying vocals but I also heard a shit load of his trademark synth work – it was everywhere. On further listens the vocals stopped being annoying and became catchy and unique – I then understood the direction and sound. Kissy did not forget about all his old friends treating us with a few glorious electro instrumentals. I read somewhere ‘Another Electro Pop Album’ – I completely disagree. To me ‘Little Boots’ and ‘La Roux’ are just another shitty electro pop album. Kissy is something much more complicated which they obviously do not understand.

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Kissy Sell Out – Youth
Kissy Sell Out – Harriet
Kissy Sell Out – Through The Leaves
Kissy Sell Out – Bubs & Bizzle

Peaches – I feel Cream

Well for a girl who does not really respect herself she gains some serious respect from some of the best electronic producers in the world. I have always enjoyed Peaches and both times I have seen her live she has been highly entertaining. I Feel Cream really lifted the bar as one of the true electro albums of the year. I guess that is what happens when you get some help from Soulwax, Simian Mobile Disco, Digitalism, Drums Of Death and more. The track for me is definitely Simian produced ‘More’ which is basically a 3 and a half-minute build up for a minute of electro insanity. Please DJ’s play this one for me, as I want to dance!

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Peaches – More
Peaches – Talk To Me
Peaches – Mommy Complex

Fever Ray

Unique an aural treat as it sounds so sweet. Laced with individuality and beauty; dripping with distant euphoria so unfamiliar, so far from The Knife that sliced the piece, so deep. Left with nothing but cuts, oozing blood, rising Fever and the sun’s Ray turns the earth for another day.

Fever Ray – When I Grow Up
Fever Ray – Triangle Walks

Death Cab For Cutie – The Open Door EP

Well this little EP was quite the pleasant surprise a few weeks ago. The single Little Bride is quite a classic Death Cab song however the second track ‘My Mirror Speaks’ is what you’re after. The angst’s of Ben Gibbard’s interpersonal struggle with himself is explored throughout the lyrics and summed up perfectly with an acoustic guitar at 2:25. This is a band I need to see again.

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Death Cab For Cutie – Little Bribes
Death Cab For Cutie – My Mirror Speaks

Silversun Pickups – Swoon

Yeah one of those bands where the only things you hear is a single and every one saying good things about them. So question is to you my friend why did you not get their first album then??? Why have you not heard every single one of their earlier songs?? You are clearly missing out and now I realize just how much after listening to their new album that is combusting with pressure ready to explode over my perception of rock (I was talking to myself by the way).

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Silversun Pickups – No Secrets This Year
Silversun Pickups – Panic Switch

Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – II

If you are not into really cool shit all the time then you only have one other chance to like this sort of music – being in the right mood for it. I am into cool shit but unfortunately I do not have the time to be into cool shit all the time like this album. But luckily for me I knew it was good and I was in the right mood to enjoy it on several occasions and have grown to really appreciate this music for what it is – unbelievable. I am not sure if I will get any one with this post but I do hope I get at least one who understands.

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Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – Rothaus
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – Cisco
Lindstrom & Prins Thomas – Gudene Vet + Snutt

The Field – Sequenced

Yes this is very unlike me to title a paragraph of my blog with just one track but that is what happens when you do not have enough time to really enjoy the whole album of something that needs a lot of time to understand. I am talking about The Field’s new album “Yesterday and Today” which sounds so beautiful but also sounds so far out of reach to really love. Luckily for me there was one track that hit me when I was in the “mood” I speak about above – that track was sequenced and o my god it shows how powerful one man can be behind his machines. If one man can do this just imagine what is possible for collaborated electronic music in the future.

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The Field – Sequenced

Animal Collective – My Girls

Ok I just speak about how it is so weird that I just post about one song – but then I do it again. O my god I must be so strange!!! Enough of that because there is a legitimate story behind this one you goddamn parasites striving off our heartbeats. I have had Animal Collective album since February this year after hearing all the hype about them. It did not grab me it did not even really touch me enough for me to even think about letting it grab me. Why?? Time again my friend, I did not give it the time it needed, and as we all know songs need time but the really great songs need it more then the others. Why? Because the really great songs are new sounds which are not familiar to our sense of hearing and at first sound interesting but not amazing. If a song sounds amazing first listen then you have heard all the sounds before and although it is catchy it is not a great track. I believe that My Girls by Animal Collective is one of those great tracks and luckily the song and the band has got all the spoils they deserve. So how did this track come back 5 Months after I got the album? Well I found my self in a situation a few weeks ago where I was waiting in a hospital sobering up but the very strong pain killers kicking in – the film clip came on Video Hits in the morning on the common TV Screen. I watched and I could not turn away, I knew who it was and knew I had the album… I went home and listened and finally cherished and understood what everyone was talking about. They are coming to Brisbane in December and will be fucking amazing live but unfortunately I will not be in the country and I believe neither will Adso so we will both have to hear about it from someone else.

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Animal Collective – My Girls

The Gossip – Music For Men

This is one band, which I have always really enjoyed, but I have had some adversity with my tastes along the way. This being a very good friend who I went and saw them live with who really really hated them. I am not sure if they hated the music but I am sure they hated the stinky hot atmosphere and the image of Beth the lead singer. This could be cruel but it is societies perception of things and I do understand where they are coming from. Me on the other hand held the utmost respect for her and her band for what they were doing as I loved it. I love this album it is filled with a funk that rock has been missing.

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The Gossip – Heavy Cross
The Gossip – Pop Goes The World

Finally I really think you all deserve to know that the pictures I post each entry are not just random acts of attention. They have meaning and they are meant to make you feel. They always relate to the title of the post and I will always be the only one who really understands what it all means…

Gravity lets the blood silently escape, as hate is not something that pollinates.
A feeling of wholesome empathy drips my face, as I feel sorry for the human race…….

Thanks

Jimps