Would you like to hear an amazing album? Does some melancholy, soothing sadpop sound okay? It’s nothing spectacular. It’s not trying to be. And that’s why it’s beautiful. It’s the kind of music that you’d normally sit and read a book to, or fall asleep to, but you can’t. You can’t focus on anything but the songs.
Good Night and Good Morning - The Book Writer
Beautiful! And you can download it on CLLCT, hooray!
I fucking love Jib Kidder. Shit’s raw as hell, and you never know what the fuck is going to happen. Dude’s got more samples than you can shake a gangsta-ass stick at. His most recent release (as far as I can tell) is All on Y’All Da Mixtape, which is out now on States Rights Records with a killer Pen & Pixel-style cover (seen above). All on Y’All (not the mixtape) will be out on States Rights in December according to the Kidder’s virb profile (click on the album links on the side to hear preview tracks from all his releases).Here’s some tracks:
Jib Kidder - Flip Flap (from All On Y’All Da Mixtape)
Jib Kidder - Bounce Rock Skate Roll (from All On Y’All Da Mixtape)
Jib Kidder - The Return (from “Grown/Groan” States Rights Records Compilation)
Buy All On Y’All Da Mixtape from States Rights Records or from iTunes
Put together by CLLCT’s Secret Chief (Luke!), better known by most as Secret Owl Society, this Lo-Fi compilation, The Roaring Nineties, covering the greatest hits of the 90s, is like most compilations, brimming with some amazing songs, some good and some bad. To keep this two-disc, twenty-six track beast at bay, I’ll just describe some of my favorites and mention a few others.
The Brooke (a tiny ocean) has graced us with two (that’s right) two awesome covers, her cover of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” being my favorite. Just an acoustic guitar and her dream-like voice, she manages to recontextualize this song, not in its sound or delivery, but in its emotional impact. It hits almost ten times harder than it did originally.
Shelby Sifers, along with help from the Sarcastic Dharma Society, cover Del Amitri’s “Roll To Me” a song I remember instantly, but don’t ever recall the original band’s name (or even the song title). Shelby manages to cover some new ground, articulating her voice in ways that sound more down-to-earth than ever before. It’s sweet and gives us a glimpse into an alternate universe where she would be selling millions of albums and the world was a better place.
Tinyfolk’s cover of the Elton John classic from the hit Disney film The Lion King, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” starts off a bit slow, but the Usher-influenced ending is totally perfect. If you like Bill and Valley Forge era Tinyfolk, this is a good reflection of that style with a hip-hop twist.
Dustin And The Furniture’s take on Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” was probably my most anticipated cover on The Roaring Nineties and it is everything I hoped it would be and more. It is acapella, focusing solely on Dustin’s “sleepy brown bear” voice. What more could you want?
Uggamugga’s acoustic cover of “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls is so hilariously cute. Sung almost off key and featuring boy/girl vocals, there is something so infectious happening here.
Fudge’s almost acapella cover of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Suck My Kiss” is so ridiculous you have to love it. Featuring a chorus of kazoos, handclaps and vocal sound effects, it reminds me of Weird Al Yankovic at his most insane.
Perhaps the most stunning cover is SFIAS with The Anchorites’ cover of Donna Lewis’s only hit, “Love You Always Forever.” Essentially a wall of noise, they only hint at the melody lying deep within the chaos. It is beautiful, heartbreaking and sublime.
Now I’m sad to say that both of Patrick Ripoll’s covers didn’t do much for me, although the first bit of “How’s It Gonna Be (originally by Third Eye Blind)” is actually quite cool and very different for Patrick, it sort of teeters off aimlessly. I do like the nice use of the Amen Break though.
Both Fire Island, AK covers are a bit dreary and I wanted to like Manipulator Alligator’s cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls” more than I did.
But, I can see what some of the artists were doing here. Some were trying to take these glaring monuments of mainstream ideology and turn them into what they are, manufactured dribble. I think that’s taking the easy route. Many of these songs, no matter how manufactured still spoke to us and the best covers here are ones that reflect the deep loving or enjoyment we had of these songs back when we were growing up.
Sold to raise money to help maintain CLLCT, the amazing community of artists and musicians that ALL OF YOU should be a part of, it is now available to download for free! Enjoy!
Links:
The Brooke (a tiny ocean)’s site
Shelby Sifers on Myspace!
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Dustin And The Furniture on Myspace!
Uggamugga on Myspace!
SFIAS on Last.fm!
*anyone know anything about Fudge? I can’t seem to find anything on them.
I first found Belly Boat thanks to Tinyfolk, who is an absolutely wonderful lovely fellow for uploading their music.
Belly Boat is two girls that are quite possibly faeries. They make wonderfully strange music reminiscent of the Microphones* on LSD, and they make it with piano tunes and sweeping accordion bleats.
You can download Dear Robert Hanoy at CLLCT! Hooray!
*Also, they totally were on an album with Phil Elvrum. That alone is worth a listen.
Hey, look who’s back? Mr. “I’m gonna post on this blog every day, seriously”. Well, here I am. I’m sorry I’m late, but my alarm didn’t go off. For months.
To quote Michael Iaconelli, “Never underestimate the power of the hook.” Showtime at the Apollo knows it, Tony Todd knows it, and twee folksters Kiki & Peepee (Kendra Senrick and Stephen Hollinger respectively) sure as hell know it, as evidenced by their addictively catchy debut album “The Sun Floods The World With It’s Vomit”.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have reservations about the twee. I’m weary of the twee. Suspicious of the twee. One side of it is just that I’m a miserable bastard, out to kill everyone’s good time. The other part is that I really value honesty in music, and the fact is that twee and sincereity don’t often go together. It seems like there’s always some kind of irony attached, and it can be hard to tell just how firmly the tongue is planted in the cheek. Kiki and Peepee are a notable exception. Kendra Senrick may have a voice that’s as adorable as kittens re-enacting the Civil War, but her songs often come from a real place of pain. In the incredible “Yellow & Backwards”, Kendra uses jaundice as a metaphor for feeling lost, lonely, and different with a refrain of “What stood on this spot?/Who helped me here? I can’t remember/I was born in November/I came out yellow and backwards/I am still yellow and backwards/I will always be yellow and backwards”.
But if there’s one thing that matches Kiki & Peepee’s introspective lyrics, it’s their energy. With a majority of the songs clocking in at under 2 minutes, The Sun Floods The World With It’s Vomit is a fast paced and frantic pop romp. Part of what makes the energy so strong are the hooks (if songs like “My Day Off” and “Gummy Worm Heart” don’t get stuck in your head, I’d see a doctor immediately) but a lot of credit has to be given to the skilled drumming of Stephen Hollinger. His fast and swinging percussive style keeps each song fresh, fun and completely awesome to dance to.
This energy is best experienced in the form of their explosive live shows. Mere words can’t do their live performances justice. Seeing Kiki and Peepee live is something akin to spending an evening with the cast of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’. There’s going to be drinking, screaming, singing, and laughing at the things in life that hurt us the most, all at an intensity that can be overwhelming to the unprepared. While “The Sun Floods The World With It’s Vomit” can’t quite hit with the same power, it makes up for it with it’s more experimental sound collages and spoken word tracks like “Charlie” and “Knee-Deep-Deco”. These are always interesting but, more importantly, they do a good job tempering the rest of the album’s fast-paced pop.
Kiki and Peepee’s “The Sun Floods The World With It’s Vomit” isn’t available online, but if you contact them, I’m sure they could mail you a copy for about 7 bucks or so. And for such a great collection of pop music from such an amazing band, it’s well worth it.
Mp3’s:
Kiki & Peepee - Yellow and Backwards
Kiki and Peepee - Becky’s a Prize
I first heard Patrick “Redbear.” while playing the all-too popular MySpace music friends six degrees of separation game. When I saw this guy Patrick wearing an Evil Dead t-shirt, listed as a friend of the band Real Live Tigers, I had to drop in and see what Redbear was all about. I clicked on his MySpace, where my ears were greeted with a song that instantly made my day. “My Ghost Love Jam” was impeccably described on YouTue as a “ragtime version of Antony and The Johnsons.” I of course added him as a friend and proclaimed my love for his songs almost immediately. Cut to my first house show experience playing live in Champaign in which I overheard Issac “Blanketarms” and PJ “Super Famicom” also proclaiming their love for the bear. It was clear by then that upon returning from my spring break tour, that I had to meet up with the red-haired mammal in person. When I did, I instantly could see why he had a following, and as a result of his personable personality and enthusiasm for the house show scene, managed to formulate a music community with friends that magically congealed in an affluent suburban area not too far from Brookfield Zoo. Since then, it’s safe to say that I’m more excited about seeing DIY bands perform in garages, basements, and living room rather than the Metro. Experiencing shows at both The Glass Haus and The Foster Home is exactly the type of communal bliss that can reaffirm your faith in the arts.
On record, a lot of the DIY musicians put out as much material as possible, which I encourage since I actively do the same. But can one achieve a track-for-track masterpiece? Many have come close, especially since Real Live Tigers put out the best record of last year. Redbear’s first record Love Songs For A Nihilist ended with a couple of improvised goofy ditties that merely tickled the funny bone instead of the heart, unlike just about every song that preceded it. Patrick has possibly grown tiresome of playing his “older hits” because he’s evolved beyond singing about Hootie and toast. I hope he doesn’t ever completely dismiss favorites such as “Fiber!” and “Brains!” But there’s a sense that he’s steering away from his roots and letting grass grow, reaching new heights in the process. His follow-up, Hollywood Taoism, is anything but a sophomore slump, which was expected even before listening to it. Hearing the songs live were always a treat, and unlike his debut, it isn’t just primarily a guy playing his nylon-stringed guitar. There are breathtaking arrangements here. It’s hard to decipher exactly what the intent is by including a few instrumental interludes here and there, other than a tip-of-the-hat to the ear-piercing noise of Einsturzende Neubauten as well as keeping in check with the Phil Elvrum influence. The sweeping harmonies and kitchen-sink-knock-on-wood rhythms also climb to the top of Mount Eerie, but never come across as derivative. The songs here are draped in buzzy fuzz, choir-like vocal layering, and the click-clack clatter of tribal beats. The results are otherworldly despite the lyrics touching base with the mysticism of nature and the human body’s uncertain place in an ever-changing universe. There are vivid descriptions of seasons changing and keeping an open heart behind a world that seems to be closing in on us.
Standouts include show staples that receive a massive makeover due to unexpectedly sublime instrumentation. There is no denying how infectious a lot of these songs are. “Walks Among Us, Life On A Map,” and “Don’t Haunt Me Yet,” are arguably his strongest tracks to date. The latter benefits from a glued-to-your-skull chorus refrain, “Now tell me something / how do I get to be like you?” That kind of simplicity was served well on the first album, but there’s also complexity and ideas behind a song like “Forest of Legs II,” which connects mind, body, and spirit in anything but a New Agey milieu. One of my favorite moments is featured in “Forest” with the line “Do you feel the tension between the trees and the moon?” Another gorgeous number is the achingly personal “Cook County,” which is one of the more tear-jerking moments as well as the most relatable.
The way the record ends is an acquired taste to the least. Does the title track add or subtract from the listening experience? For those who don’t require an easy “comedown” to put your mind at ease for closure or you enjoy the sound of rhinos fucking around with an effect processor, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the conclusion of the record. I’m more of a fan of traditional pop songs so I would’ve been doused with satisfaction had it ended with “Circular,” but this is a tiny, forgivable quibble. I simply love everything else about Hollywood Taoism. Nobody is making music like Redbear is right now. I had gotten to the point where I was unsure if originality was even attainable until I listened to this and the new Portishead album back to back on a 5-hour drive in stormy weather. Both are interchangeable for my favorite records of 2008 so far. Neither are chock-full of verse/chorus/verse aesthetics, but instead, choose to defy and challenge the listener to think and feel on such a visceral and cerebral level that you almost have to check and see if you’re not living inside a dream (or a nightmare) that you never want to wake up from and are dying to analyze as it occurs. Hollywood Taoism is the perfect encapsulation of the mind of myth of Redbear. I had sensed from my first live encounter that there was something special about this kind of songwriting, and this 2nd effort is a step up from the last and definitive proof that Patrick is the real deal. And we’re all the better for baring witness to Redbear’s vivacious imagination and freakishly unique perspective of this chaotic, yet invitingly beautiful vision of the world we reside inside.
It may not be fair to review this album since I’m on it, but James Eric has compiled a great collection of artists covering the hilarious and heartbreaking Magnetic Fields.
The covers here run the gamut from faithful to downright bizarre. Check out Tinyfolk’s take on “I Don’t Believe You,” I’m so strangely drawn to it, but every time I’m like “WTF is going here?” It sounds like a mice and robot orgy.
Fairmount Fair turn “Why I Cry” into an upbeat jungle romp ‘n’ stomp sing-along. The same goes for James Eric’s cover of “(Crazy For You) But Not That Crazy,” as he injects about ten billion watts of electricity into the original and lets go with wondrous results.
Now before you think that everyone here is taking a piss out of Stephin Merritt, its all in good fun and I think he might get a real kick out of this if, or when, he hears it.
There are some also really touching covers, my cover of “Plant White Roses,” for example. No, no really. But seriously, A Lime Tree’s homespun, front porch country cover of “You Me And The Moon,” is really sweet and banjolicious.
But my favorite cover on this album is Your Yellow Dress’s cover of “Absolutely Cuckoo.” This has become a full blown twee number, and you’ll totally fall in love with Carrie Muller’s voice. Her voice bounces just on the edge of the melody and keeps the song racing. Alex Poska ain’t no slouch either and the simple yet effective arrangement keeps it on constant repeat for me.
When James first started calling for admissions on this tribute I hadn’t even heard of The Magnetic Fields, but I was totally won over and consider myself one of the believers. I think everyone on this tribute, regardless of fandom, really pulled out the big guns and made a great album even if you haven’t heard of The Magnetic Fields either.
Mp3s:
Tinyfolk-”I Don’t Believe You”
Your Yellow Dress-”Absolutely Cuckoo”
Links:
Download the whole album for FREE on CLLCT!
Buy a hard copy from James Eric
Tinyfolk on myspace
Your Yellow Dress
The Magnetic Fields on myspace
“Honesty is so addictive/I can’t get enough of these songs” James Eric sings in his song “Off Key?”, a cute tribute to the growing DIY folk scene. That sums up James Eric’s Fire In The Mountains for me. Fire In The Mountains is a rare album, in that is both intimate and lushly produced. For being recorded completely in Mr. Eric’s bedroom, the album sounds beautiful, with all sorts of orchastration, from trumpets to violins to pianos to lo-fidelity electronic sounds. But what makes this album truly special is the thematic string that ties it all together, James Eric’s lyrics.
James Eric is a frank and honest songwriter. Most of his songs are tales from his life, told matter-of-factly. It opens with “Daddy Don’t Cry”, a tale of James on his near deathbed which sets the pace for the rest of the album. While he occasionally breaks away to tell other stories (like his folk/court report “Something’s Not Right Here”), he mostly sticks to what he knows, or at least what he feels. Thankfully, they all aren’t as grave and serious as the opening track. Most notable is the upbeat and catchy “Could’ve Been Like Ben”. With lyrics like “I could have been a mentor according to my English professor/Or assistant to a lawyer, but I got too bored with college” it serves as the James Eric origin story. That’s what’s so great about the album, it’s a comprehensive portrait of the artist, how he feels, where he’s been, where he’s looking to go. It’s all delivered simply and matter-of-factly, with minimal pretense.
Unfortunately, sometimes the very plain and direct lyrics come at the cost of melody. Most of the songs have at least a few clunky lines and phrases where James tries to shove too many syllables where they don’t fit. I have no doubts about James’ talents as a musician and a songwriter, but if I had to pick one thing that could use improvement, vocals would undoubtedly be it. Luckily, with the lyrical style and subjects of the songs, it comes across much more earnest than annoying. In a way, the disregard for vocal melody only serves to add to the conversational feeling that makes the album so special. The album is worth checking out just for it’s rare combination of intimacy and vibrant production. So go on, get to know James Eric. He’s a friendly personable guy who’s made a friendly personable album.
Stream, Download, Molest, Love, Snuggle With, and Worship “Fire In The Mountains” on CLLCT
James Eric’s Myspace
James Eric’s CLLCT Artist Page
Music Video for “Could’ve Been Like Ben”
MP3:
James Eric - I Hope
Folk has splintered. There’s folk-rock, folk-pop, anti-folk, twee-folk, jazz-folk, folk-salsa, folk-rap, folk-folk, folk-folk-rock-folk and too many other folks to mention. This is not new news. Since the folk explosion of the 60’s, the word hardly means anything at all. What used to describe pop music inspired by traditional music, now means “an acoustic guitar is in there somewhere”. Surely, when Neutral Milk Hotel and the Mamas and the Papas can both be covered with a single term, things have changed. I beat this point into your brains because I need to emphasize how remarkable an artist Joseph Still is. His music sounds like he’s been in a Rip Van Winkle coma since 1953, as if Dylan never happened. And it is wonderful.
The aptly named MineSongs has a thick reverb that dominates the entire album, as if Joseph’s mournful howls were eminating from the depths of the Earth itself. Every part of this album carries the same air of mystery, from the inconsistent tracklists (his album is available various places, and never are the songs in the same order) to the cryptic single letter song titles to a hissing voice that makes the lyrics to his songs near impossible to detect. His raspy voice has a weariness and wisdom that comes from a place much older than himself. The fact that Joseph is only 17 years old is mind boggling and I still have trouble believing it.
Most of the songs rely on Joseph’s considerable skills as a guitar player, but other instruments, sounds, and voices drift in and out of the music as if they were a dream. It’s a dark dark album, but these instances of accordion, organ, and vocal harmonies are warm lanterns that penetrate the night. Listening to this album is like live with a group of folk musicians, in a log cabin, in the dead of winter, in the middle of the night, huddled together, taking turns playing songs to keep your mind off the cold, trying to make it until the sun comes up. And I’m sorry I have to fall back on such flights of fancy, but Mr. Still has left me with no choice. He’s created an intense dreamy album that you float in and out of, that floats in and out of you, that transports you somewhere else.
I’ve listened to this album, in it’s many different mutations, probably over 30 times since I first stumbled upon it, and I will probably listen to it at least 30 times more. It’s eerie production possesses an ambience that makes it a perfect album to listen to as you go to sleep, but the old fashioned song structure and Joseph’s amazing voice make it so engaging that it also works on it’s own terms, listened to straight through. You can drive to it, you can make love to it, and one day, if he’ll permit me, I would love to score a film with it.
My friends, I cannot reccomend any one or two songs, because to take any song out of context would be doing both you and Joseph a great injustice. I will say that if you can listen to “Break” and not feel moved, you probably have your heart installed backwards.
Download, listen to, stream, praise, and vote for Joseph Still’s “MineSongs” here.You will thank me later. Preferrably in cash.
Personality counts for a lot in lo-fi music. Bob Dylan only wrote 2 of the 13 tracks on his debut album, but his voice and guitar playing crackled with life, wit, and a taste of the dry sense of humor to come. Morgan Orion wrote all 9 tracks on his debut album, and it drips with his personality, particularly the sound of his voice. A common flaw many beginning folk artists make is to allow their influences overpower their creativity. There are a million and ten bearded 20-somethings out there who are trying desperately to sound like an Iron & Wine, or a Bruce Springsteen. There is only one Morgan Orion.
One of the great things about Morgan Orion is that he sounds exactly as you would expect him to after looking at him, and he looks exactly like you’d think if you heard him. It’s a friendly, unpretentious, and slightly defeated sounding voice, one that is perfectly mirrored by his lyrics. Songs like “Furniture” and “Seashore” are driven by free-associative imagery like “Sweeping what’s swept up and keeping what’s kept up/it’s not so easily done/the battles are ample but we’re just a sample/of all that’s been lost and won” and “They had a child, the child had another/this young boy was that child’s brother/he looked at his Grandfather with eyes like sailing ships”. His clever wordplay gives the songs a terrific rhythm and energy that no amount of additional insturmentation could duplicate.
With 9 tracks clocking in at 30 minutes, Circle of Allusions is a highly enjoyable and propulsive record that gets in, does it’s job, and gets out. It’s been getting a whole lot of airplay at my place, even as background music it always puts me in a good mood. Do yourself a favor, and check him out.
Also, Morgan is going to be touring all over the place with the duo Kiki & Peepee throughout March. I had the good fortune to see him perform last night at the House of Grey Noise, and they were both excellent. I highly reccomend you see these excellent performers, so check out the tour dates on his myspace.
Download Circle of Allusions from CLLCT here!
Morgan Orion’s Myspace
