Boards of Canada: 'IN a Beautiful Place out in the Country"

Still haven't really checked out this group, although they've been on my proverbial radar fora while. This is entrancing, contemplative music, with a somewhat lonely feeling somehow carried by the sombre chords played with the tone of an organ. Shortly after these chords are first introduced, we get some gentle, electronic percussion with a bit of a groove to it, but nothing obtrusive. Vocals are repeating the same phrase over and over and fed through a vocoder, to sound remote and alien...I quite like them. I believe this would work very well in the context of an album. As it is, not much happens here, but it's an effective mood piece with an atmosphere I really liked. Strangely memorable despite (or because of) its simplicity.

The Boards of Canada vocals were oddly enough reminiscent of the band I was already thinking of posting here, although I am posting the original version, where they don't use them. Be patient, it takes a bit to get going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPymqvtb ... A90085D815

Kraftwerk - "Geiger counter"

It might not be a huge suprise, but I'm a massive Kraftwerk fan. when I was in Germany I used to listen to "Trans Europe Express" every time I got on a train . I've always liked the fact that there is so little overt emotiveness in their music, its so beautifully cold and serene. At this phase in their career they were still rooted in the kind of Krautrock/Motorik scene as Can, Faust,Ash Ra Tempel, Amon Dull II and in this track especially, Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. The strand of tongue-in-cheek pop crossed with electronic music that they came up with simultaneously with Devo wasnt the main factor at this point. The Andy Warhol-esque identification with robots and technology was a little while away at this point.

As with most Kraftwerk tracks, the basis is an electronic heartbeat throb with major key melodic phrases repeating for long periods. Layered across this is an almost caracture "earnest German student" vocal style in which short phrases extolling the (apparently) unexamined virtues of progress, efficiency and technology are extolled (or are they?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn8He_bLnF0

Nature & Organisation - Bloodstreamruns

I find this quite ridiculous, if somewhat entertaining. The guy's accent makes me think he spends all his days sighing and reading George MacDonald and Oscar Wilde. "Aahhh, bellissima"! Haha, awful Italian accent, too. There's something very silly about all this weepy melancholic stuff... I can appreciate it for what it is, but it still strikes me as ridiculous. South-of-England-existential-angst is the general impression I get. I actually wish there was more focus on the music (which is frankly rather good) than on some bloke reading aloud and sighing. Honestly, this is probably good for what it is... but I find it too po-faced to take seriously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYf_5c7zQs4

@ Scorntyrant re: Kraftwerk

[/spoiler]

FEAR - Responsibility

I had never listened to them before because I thought they'd be your run of the mill punk band. But this song sounds more like a combination of punk and rock n roll. It was heavy and upbeat, but I could never appreciate this style. The bass stood out to me, probably the high point of the song. I enjoyed the bass riffs, as well as the solo. Otherwise, quite average.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQBs0GgAoy4

@ANationalAcrobat

@ Anationalacrobat:

Nature & Organisation is a side project of Current 93. David Tibet's vocals are a real acquired taste, I'll give you that. Also, I dont think this song is being totally seriousl : "4 poorly painted cardboard horsemen" etc.

Destroyalldreamers - Victoire Sur Le Soleil

To be honest a lot of post rock bores me to death. I mean I love Godspeed You! Black Emperor (which don't really seem to sound like other bands tagged post rock) and a few other bands, but a lot of it seems really repetitive and the bands end up all sounding the same. I can't say these guys veer to far off from the format, but they seem to put a lot more emotion in it than similar bands. The almost ambient melodies are wonderful, really ethereal, and the bass, which is high in the mix, has a really enjoyable swing to it. I have to say I really enjoyed this one and I'd be interested in hearing more from the band.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7K72X4eo_s&ob=av3e

Brilliant, beautiful, wondrous, enchanting and totally enthralling. The icing on this sumptuous cake is the understated, but gorgeous vocals of Elizabeth Fraser (sp?), but that is not all as the the actual music here is beyond amazing. The depth and balance of the presence this track has is boundless in it's endless array of layered brilliance. The wonderful, scratchy (sampled?) drumbeat, or heartbeat of Teardrop is the main focal point, but is expertly counterpointed with stunning and stirring, lush keys, swirling around the "heartbeat". The fact the film clip is so seamlessly like the tone of the song is magic in it's own right. They may have better songs in my eyes, but that does not mean this is a down-point by any measure. Pure genius.

Can't explain why, but I imagine David Lynch listening to this. SO sexy.

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

First time listening to this kind of stuff (no idea how to call it, honest), and even though I can't say I'd spin it on my free time, I gotta admit that it has it's charm. The singer indeed has a very sensual tone and mannerisms, always keeping it subtle and soothing, and succesfully engaging the listener. Also, have to remark that, despite the fact that there's not exactly a lot going on from an instrumental point of view, it isn't really called for; the background composed merely of violins (I think.....), occasional samples and very acute percussions is more than enough, as this is clearly vocally oriented music. The atmosphere is pretty cool too; dark, but not sinister. "Mournful" isn't really the best word to describe it either, nor is "melancholic". I just think there's an interesting sense of loss in this piece, of tragedy..... Maybe I'm looking a bit too much into it? Well, whatever, I like it. And sorry if the review is a bit short, but it's just that I don't really know how to describe this in real detail.

Here is something from a band who's really well known (and loved) here in Argentina. Let's see what you guys think about it.....

La Renga - "La Balada Del Diablo Y La Muerte"

I like this. Very laid back feel with the clean guitars and a nice harmonica solo in the opening. Kind of a bluesy tone to it throughout, especially the guitar soloo, which is has a lot of emotion even in the faster tapping sections - trust me, that's hard to do. I only caught snatches of the lyrics (really bad at understanding sung Spanish), but what little I did hear sounds great. Regardless, the singer has a fantastic tone, raspy but smooth at the same time and with a real depth to it. The slower section after the solo with just drums, vocals and harmonica kind of made the song lose its momentum, but the powerful chorus afterwards made up for it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj2l-emoW2g (Song doesn't start until 0:56)

DJ Shadow - Scale it back

Somehow I'd always associated Shadow with people like DJ Krush, Vadim, that whole Ninja Tune instrumental turntablism genre. Not sure if this is a red herring among his discography, but its not what I expected being a quite downtempo track with piano and vocals. Really not my thing at all - out of that genre I've always been drawn towards the more ominous, queasy side of their music and this is playing up an almost smooth R n B aspect. video was pretty awesome though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3x7v_bi ... ure=relmfu

Arditi - "Sons of God"

Crap, why do I keep getting the Nazi bands? Well, I think it's a Nazi band - the comments make it out as one, the song title and band name have some fascist connections, and a little research reveals some possible connections. That said, this isn't all bad, aside from the dodgy ideology. The intro is nice - that string sound is so brooding and evil, and it creates a really ominous tone with the marching drums and wind sounds. The choir part also helps create a really nice, ominous tone. The problem is, the song just loses its way after a while and turns into a load of repeated atmospherics and repetitive speeches, making it kind of a drag to sit through. I can't really hear what the speech is saying, but maybe that's for the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uA6oy46e4o

Genesis - Back in NYC

I've been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn't understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where, uh, Phil Collins' presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group's undisputed masterpiece. It's an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. Christy, take off your robe. Listen to the brilliant ensemble playing of Banks, Collins and Rutherford. You can practically hear every nuance of every instrument. Sabrina, remove your dress. In terms of lyrical craftsmanship, the sheer songwriting, this album hits a new peak of professionalism. Sabrina, why don't you, uh, dance a little. Take the lyrics to Land of Confusion. In this song, Phil Collins addresses the problems of abusive political authority. In Too Deep is the most moving pop song of the 1980s, about monogamy and commitment. The song is extremely uplifting. Their lyrics are as positive and affirmative as, uh, anything I've heard in rock. Christy, get down on your knees so Sabrina can see your ass. Phil Collins' solo career seems to be more commercial and therefore more satisfying, in a narrower way. Especially songs like In the Air Tonight and, uh, Against All Odds. Sabrina, don't just stare at it, eat it. But I also think Phil Collins works best within the confines of the group, than as a solo artist, and I stress the word artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtbqFNxIHyI

I will admit that this whole "new wave" movement is something that I really enjoy, even now when it has been somewhat eclipsed by younger acts taking this blueprint and moving ever faster forward into the dystopian future that awaits us all. This man in particular has always been at the forefront of this movement shaping sounds to his own desire, with stunning results. To younger, less enthusiastic listeners of today listening to the myriad of electronic acts around today are at times ignorant and dismissive of what came before to help cement and isolate a genre into it's own distinct style - and this is a shame, as they are missing out on some ground breaking material, which was very different for it's time. I'm digressing, and possibly rambling, so I'll be more concise eh? This is genius, molding music from pure electronic, and organic instrumentation, to create a beast entirely his own; keys hold their own here with swirling movements in and around the colder, more solidified chords forming a wonderful undertone to everything else, to a point where they actually effortlessly carry this tune throughout. The vocals are decidedly Numan, and if you don't know what that means, it has a certain...distance to it, perfectly complementing the, at times, disconnected feel of the music - dreamy at times, distant, but still commanding attention. I love this, even now.

Something more modern...

Destroid - Into the Deepest Dark

This is some weird stuff. The Lovecraft quoting is damn cool. This is weird electro industrial stuff, and it has great vocals, very fitting. The rhythm changes only once to keep things interesting, but it's consistently mid paced. This is more about a mood and a trance than about variety. I'd imagine they dance to this in underground, yog-sothoth worshipping clubs. It has the typical na na na na na na na na na na na na thing that you would imagine electro would sound like in your head if you'd never heard electro, but they manage to make it sound dark. Good stuff.

Also, ScornTyrant, I love you for that Genesis review. Let's be best friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyvQJA_vyv4

Hotel Canifornia - the Gypsy kings

you dont fuck with ze Jesus.

which is a funny thing to pop into ones head considering the long-rumoured associated links between the song and satanic themes. I used to work in a cheesy restaurant that used to play the Gypsy Kings. I didnt know if it was my work place in general, but I felt like they had crossed the line. Overall I'd mark the experience zero, the smell of grease and stale beer made me want to pull a piece on the lanes. But it is a great cover, no doubt about it. Not as sweet as my creedence tape, but way better than the Eagles. I fucking hate the Eagles.

Lame Lebowski in-jokes aside, that's some pretty killer latin guitar work. It's always sad when the ubiquity of a musicians work as advertising music or background musak means that you never actually listen to them carefully.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBsKplb2 ... re=related

Prokofiev - Dance of the Knights

My general ignorance towards anthems as well as to film music seems to leave me in a somewhat awkward position; at least judging from the comments on the site. Even though it is easy to appreciate the general skill in the compositional structure, it fails to move me in a too deep manner. It is somewhat interesting how the opening is rather pompous, but tends to break down after a while; a choreography of it in a ballet might help to clear matters up a bit.

The motive receives several crescendo with the full set of the orchestra, while flutes/oboes and the like play the quite interludes. It would be fair to state that the music gives a good impression of the actual style of a dance of the knights. With such a heavy armor it can hardly be expected to move around on stage all the time, and the moments of exhaustion, considering the weight of the armor, are simply mandatory.

While we are at classic, this seems to be quite appropriate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfWDnjdVnW4

Nice, glad you see the genius of his stuff. I'm a massive Numanoid - I have all the albums and have been lucky enough to see him live twice. Its such odd music - so much of it is informed by dystopian sci-fi, particularly Ballard, Dick and Ballard. A lot of its alien sound comes from what he seems to describe as classic Asbergers symptoms - inability to relate to people, identification with objects, "feeling like a robot" etc etc. I think the S/T Tubeway Army LP is my favourite, although everything up to and including "the Pleasure principle" is pretty much untouchable. That said, the stuff he's been doing with Ade Fenton recently is pretty awesome.

@ScornTyrant :

Ottorino Respighi: "Pini di Roma (4/4) Pini della Via Appia"

i've never even heard of this composer before, and that seems strange. THis is powerful stuff, and a perfect example of the fully orchestrated build from the stately and, indeed, almost pastoral, to the heights of grandeur and pride. I'm guessing this is about one of the central thoroughfares in Rome. I admit I don't know much about the geography of the city, but I imagine a procession making their way from the little villas of merchants and public figures with their well tended gardens, to the great triumphal arch and central forum. Along the way our hearts are stirred by the history of the Great City and its vast achievements. As this began the instrumentation was minimal...deep but gently played classical bass drum accompanied especially by flutes and woodwinds weaving gentle chords. As the french horns and other brass instruments enter the fold, things begin to mount...and by the time the strings are introduced fully the chords and harmonies sound huge, epic and heart-stirring. We end on a great, big, triumphal major chord, with all the percussion of the orchestra fully employed to give this the biggest sound possible. Very cool.

And now, if you all don't mind, I shall change the mood considerably:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJN-wrtuWOg

Abominatrix:

Wishbone Ash - "Warrior"

Woo, Wishbone Ash! A very underrated band in my estimation, and this song is one of their best ("Time Was" is my personal favourite, though). The semi-acoustic opening and solo are some of the best guitar pieces I've heard by a 70's rock band. The acoustic verse kind of saps some of the energy, but it stays interesting with some fantastic cymbal rolls and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Martin Turner and Andy Powell might not be great technical singers, but they can summon up plenty of emotion and bring in a bit of a fantasy theme to this (it's kind of hard to explain). The section after that has more great soloing and an awesome melodic bassline, and it really explodes with the "I had to be a warrior..." choir part. It's so bombastic and triumphant, almost power metal-worthy, and it's interspersed with more excellent leads. I guess what I'm trying to say, if you haven't guessed, is: this is fucking AWESOME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoH5MPIgM7c

Slint - good morning captain

Fantastic! Somehow I'd always grouped Slint in with shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Cranes etc etc. But this is very much along the lines of Big Black or Shellac. Actually, it really sounds like a Steve Albini production job. Very angular and discordant, with that kind of droll everyman vocal delivery. Until around the 4 min mark when that Godflesh guitar wash comes in. A very Amphetamine Reptile records sound - hearing elements of the mutant blues of the John Spencer Blues explosion, bits of Big Black, drums are reminiscent of brian "brain" Mantia's stuff with Ministry and Godflesh. Kinda like an american take on Killing Joke's sound, which I guess you could say that a lot of U.S underground punk was around 88-89.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7WPI4TJImo

Killing Joke - Requiem

I can't say I remember ever really trying Killing Joke, but eh, if this is any indication of their sound I don't think I am missing much. I guess this would be some kind of post-punk, but frankly its a rather boring & stale example. That bouncing rhythm is bordering on annoying while the rest of the instrumentation is rather forgettable to outright dull. The singer for having some a integral part in the sound doesn't really do much to stand out and really is not helping their sound as he should. It'd be more acceptable if the guitars or rhythm had more to offer, but they don't, I think their biggest problem is that the song never really goes anywhere. There really is much better music in this vein, take Theatre of Hate's westworld for example, even Joy Division is more interesting a lot of the time.

Something different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPm-rGqb3LI
Free download and better quality here if anyone wants it.

Interesting observation, and one that I've been pondering a bit lately. I think I've come to like a lot of music that isnt very "busy" for lack of another word for it. A few people have commented on some of the things I've posted here as being "boring" I suppose because they stick to one or two ideas per song and let them build up. I wonder if thats because we are all used to hyper-stimulating OTT metal stuff that has radical tempo changes and frequently goes off in different directions during the song. I guess I've just developed a taste for hypnotic repetition, particularly coming from Dub. Its kinda the point with early KJ stuff given that it draws on that sound so much - more about texture and sound than immediately engaging riffs.

Comaduster: Foam Abbattoir

Sounds like club music. I guess I'd get into it a little at such an environment, but this is totally the wrong time, sitting at my desk with headphones on...it just doesn't please me much. I do like all the noises they use....wooshes, rushes, scifi laser noises, doodlydee beepings. My favourite parts of the song were the breaks that sounded a bit like jungle. Here the beat was changed up from the standard dull electro crawl to something faster and more complex, and the synths took on a bit more of a spastic character and added a dimension of unhinged wildness to the whole thing. The vocals....sucked. Low breathy singing that's probably supposed to make some people swoon, but this guy doesn't even have a deep, commanding voice at all. Also, the slight distortion on the vocals coupled with his technique ensure that every time he breathes there's this nasty rasping sound. Just horrible. Still, not without redeeming qualities, I suppose; if I were in a club I probably wouldn't even be able to hear the singing much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJNBaU5hlw

Irritating that the album version doesn't seem to be on youtube. I don't know what's up with this one; the volume is really, really low. Sorry guys, but turn it up, it's worth it.

Strawbs - "The hangman and the Papist"

I'm only familiar with them through name-dropping in the Neofolk field - Blood Axis covered this and I recall Tony Wakeford commenting about his wish to see their albums re-released.Its not too far fetched to put them in the same category as Steeleye Span - fairly dark British (or in this case Irish) folk songs with a little twist of prog rock a la Jethro Tull coming through from time to time. Although having perused some of their other songs I'm not sure - "you wont get me, I'm part of the union" hehe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrkCTP8a1V0

@ Scorntyrant:

MZ 412/Ordo Rosarius Equilibrio - Algiz-Konvergence of Life and Death

Industrial meets noise. Well, it is quite clear from the beginning where the direction will go to and also the name gives a clear indication of it; MZ 412 is not a particularly unknown band. The track has a certain distinct and militaristic touch, which finds expression through the beats in the background, which add a strange kind of beat to it all. The idea of adding contrasting voice elements to the track shifts the focus from a mere simplistically arranged composition to something more complex. As the music vanishes a clean voice creates the counterpoint and narrates, maybe in a way too nonchalant kind of way some short passages, while in the background the intelligible chaos of noise, beats and textures continue and feeble scream remind on the agony of the horror of war. This juxtaposition of contrasts is quite interesting and this band has been something I wanted to explore, but have never had a chance or time to do so.

I would like to throw this one into the ring:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYWhdgr61o

xun - "Glassworks"

Ambient music is a bit of a difficult beast for me - sometimes I find it incredibly evocative, and sometimes it's annoyingly slow and dull. This is definitely the former, but with a darker edge. That ringing sound at the beginning and echoey synths have a real bite to them, and sound great on headphones. It almost sounds Oriental to me for some reason. Even though there's no real melody to this and it repeats a lot, it somehow manages to be moving, and never gets dull. Maybe it's the echoes, which give it a really widescreen and sweeping feel, almost like something off a film soundtrack. Great stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpSHC1dqX1o

The Protomen - Light up the Night

Well, this is fantastic. I love 80s New Wave and a few bands inspired by it (including CorpseFister's band Cygnets - little plug there!) and this is gold. It starts with a typical 80s anthem intro; the song itself is very similar to Highway to the Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins. The guitars are very good, keeping the anthemic feel in the chorus with nice meaty powerchords. The bass follows the guitar essentially, which in no way bad. The drums were a little basic, but very inkeeping with the 80s-style sound, sounding a little electronic in parts. The choir near the end of the song joining in was the icing on the cake. Really good track, and a band I now like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2_cVc-8lNU&ob=av2e

Hmmm. kind of hard to put into words just how much I dislike the throw away nature of the pseudo-tough'n'hard posturing of this track. There is just something lacking here, which is glaring. Perhaps it's the retarded lyrics? Maybe the rather stupid film clip? Not exactly sure, they certainly don't help, and that is certain. I don't pretend to know what kind of slum this may have been inspired from, nor do I care, but this is kind of...lame. Everything is rather crisply, and well produced here, but the varnish is very thin - there is ZERO substance to this. What this is is disposable, something that will have no staying power. This is electronic dross, the kind that would be at home in a nightclub packed to the rafters with just legal teens, charged full of hormonal madness, mostly male, who'll no doubt end up in a fight over some girl who may have looked at them in that way...booze and romance, of sorts. I apologize if I haven't described the actual musical content more succinctly, but that is because there isn't much to tell - repetitive lyrics, soft beats, and a drawn out middle section of super sugary synths which was the best part of it....

Well executed, but rather wishy-washy.

Something COMPLETELY different.

Dead Can Dance - "I Am Stretched On Your Grave"

Lisa Gerrard has long been one of my favourite female singers, but I've never quite appreciated Brendan Perry as much. It's quite unfortunate, really, as this track is a great display of his power and range. Good thing he puts in such an emotive performance too, because that's really all this song is - a lot of it is a cappella, with the only instruments for much of it being occasional cymbal washes and a light background synth, until a spooky Celtic flute solo comes in. It almost reminds me of chanting monks, in a way. Not something I'd choose to listen to most of the time, because of how minimal it is, but it's quite intriguing.

And from the other half of Dead Can Dance, we have... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BXNRwxNeNM

Lisa Gerrard - Come Tenderness

I was put off my the opening but the track eventually won me over with excellently produced fuzz and deliciously haunting melodies. The timbre of her voice is pretty unlike most other singers I've ever heard, and I really love the Oriental/Mediterranean tinge to some of the song writing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl_gyMftEqg

So this is Pat the Bunny's new band, eh? I'm relatively new to the whole "folk punk" thing - and even though I like quite a bit of it, I've never been a huge fan of this dude. Dishwasher Union / Johnny the Hobo and the Freight Trains didn't do much for me, but this is quite nice. Really digging the banjo lead going on. His voice sounds a lot better here than anything I've ever heard as well, and the production is good enough that it doesn't bother me but not pristine either. The lyrics are quite fitting and powerful. The very simple, bare bones percussion matches the banjo / acoustic guitar just perfectly. The buildup at the end gets absolutely chaotic. I can totally imagine a bar fight in the old west set to this.

If I had to show someone what folk punk was all about, this might be THE song to characterize it. Nice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVP7rnISjFc

Joyce Manor - See How Tame I Can Be

Short song, and it was good, in the vein of something like Pop Punk (not like Paramore or these young bands, no like those but more like the 80's Pop) I don't know this guy, but it was very good music, simple in parts, the vocals here gets all the attention, the guitars are merely playing simple and catchy riffs but it fits very well with the voice. That's all i have to say

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp8OaKjtmYg