Entries from August 2009

August 27, 2009

Dieter Moebius – Kram

Dieter Moebius – Kram (Klangbad)

Dieter Moebius, having been a part of Harmonia and collaborated with Brian Eno, here takes us on the kind of journey one would imagine taking with a slightly grizzled experimenter. There is gentle menace alongside the blueprints of some of his former works, but he is more than capable of creating [...]

August 24, 2009

Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling

… means ‘I Have Got To Feeling’.
Nice one, Will.I’m.

Also, get a hyphen in your name. What’s an Eyed Pea?

August 19, 2009

Sleeping States – In The Gardens Of The North

Sleeping States – In The Gardens Of The North (Bella Union)

Markland Starkie has taken his time with this Bella Union debut, and it’s been absolutely worth the wait. Rarely are listeners likely to hear a writer who gives such balance to the realms of pop and folk music and the trappings therein. It is at [...]

August 16, 2009

Dave Cloud & The Gospel Of Power – Fever

Dave Cloud & The Gospel Of Power – Fever (Fire)

With intimations this fiery, unfocused and sickly, it’s easy to find ample entertainment in Dave Cloud’s reasonably barmy incantations. Questions about this veteran Nashville Arthur Brown-alike might include the following for the uninitiated: Is he singing in tongues? Why does he have two voices? Does he [...]

August 14, 2009

Japandroids Videos

Getting dangerously interested in Japandroids now. Head here for a total shed-load of interviews and performances. The interviews feature a blond man.
Here’s a funtime video that isn’t at that link:

Amazing. Myspace. Review. Review.

August 13, 2009

Hecuba – Paradise

Hecuba - Paradise (Manimal Vinyl)

Hecuba are, if nothing else, utter experts at conjuring a menace that seeps. The boy/girl duo of a filmmaker and an actress are more than competent at maintaining that menace and mutating it gently into serious unease – the buzzing free-form ending of ‘Even So’ is a scintillating climax. Intense darkness surrounds [...]

August 10, 2009

Telekinesis – Telekinesis!

Telekinesis – Telekinesis! (Morr Music)

The best summer records are more than just simple, jolly songs played on acoustics with a little bit of fuzz – you have to capture all elements of the season. The sitting down, the water, the sweat of activity, maybe some romance if you haven’t already cracked a bottle. This is [...]

August 7, 2009

Why Did No-One Tell Me About How Amazing Grizzly Bear Are?

Seriously, I mean, PM prides itself on being pretty clued up on “what’s happening”, but for some reason we totally ignored Grizzly Bear. We even saw them at ATP for about twenty nice-enough minutes, but obviously not the bit of the set where they did THIS:

Which is obviously tremendous. Been sent [...]

August 6, 2009

Blindfold – Faking Dreams

Blindfold – Faking Dreams (Cinepop)

Four Icelandic friends set out to create an emotional brand of guitar expressiveness that resonates, above all, emotionally. They’re characterised by their slowly-progressing, rarely-digressing soundscapes and the high-register vocals of their front-man, Biggi. Remind you of anyone? DOES IT?
That’s not fair. Though there are a few too many similarities between Blindfold [...]

August 1, 2009

The Heavy – The House That Dirt Built

The Heavy – The House That Dirt Built (Counter)

With a Ronseal title like The House That Dirt Built, the listener would expect some serious scuzz, some dusty, taut rock ‘n’ roll, an erring on the side of well-greased punk. We get that, with bells on, we get that. But we also get a confusing amount [...]