Seems that filmmaker INGMAR BERGMAN lost his chess match with death yesterday. Here's a song that serves as an ode to one of his most famous films, as well as one that celebrates his native Sweden (and name-checks the man himself).
The UK's CHERRY GHOST on MySPACE.
Ireland's THE THRILLS on MySPACE.
[I had the most disastrous night of my life last Thursday, and I'll be trying to dig myself out from that in the days ahead. I fully expect to have new music up for you on a daily basis, but I probably won't have much time or inclination to write about the artists. In the meantime, enjoy the tunes....]
METRIC recorded GROW UP AND BLOW AWAY in 1999, but it didn't see release until this past June. Better late than never, I guess.
A bit of chamber pop for you today....
At a certain point, inevitably, these much-buzzed-about British bands begin to sound an awful lot alike....
At first glance, this may seem like a joke post. Not so, I say!
When I first started doing the blogging-thing back in 2005, it seemed to me that BISHOP ALLEN were getting an undue amount of attention from the "establishment" bloggers. If memory serves, YOU AIN'T NO PICASSO was leading the charge at the time. Yet, despite my best efforts, I couldn't seem to find the necessary wavelength. Vibe. Groove. Whatever. At a certain point, I resigned myself to the fact that I would never "get" Bishop Allen.
Well, here's one way to beat a leak. Montreal's STARS won't officially release their latest long-player, IN OUR BEDROOM AFTER THE WAR [ARTS & CRAFTS], until September 25. But, for the impatient amongst you, there is good news. You can purchase the album -- or songs from it -- right now by going [HERE].
I put this this mix up many moons ago, but every now and again I'm asked to re-post it.
As I continue to methodically make my way through my old mix CDs, I keep stumbling upon random pockets of nostalgia....
The UK's ART BRUT remind me a bit of PULP and early BLUR. Superficially, at least. But I'm not sure I cotton much to EDDIE ARGOS' talk-sing delivery; he's certainly no JARVIS COCKER. But, then again, who is?
When I first wrote about HELLO SAFERIDE (aka ANNIKA NORLIN) in May 2006, I likened her sound to a cross between AZURE RAY and NINA PERSSON. In retrospect, I'm guessing I threw Persson into the mix primarily because Norlin, like Persson, is a Swede.
In November 2005, I wrote about Austin indie rockers OKKERVIL RIVER thusly:
JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN is led by JOAN WASSER, of Brooklyn (by way of Connecticut by way of Maine). Ms. Wasser played concert violin as a young adult before easing her way into the idie-rock scene -- first as a session violinist, then as a guitar player and singer. As an aside, she was also once involved -- professionally and romantically -- with JEFF BUCKLEY.
THE PERISHERS are a four-piece from Umea, Sweden, and they want to rock you -- ever-so-gently. THE HIVES, these guys are not.
Because I want to get a couple more songs out to you today -- and because my energy is flagging -- I'm going to do something I never do: Directly regurgitate some press-release propaganda for you to parse for yourself. Most importantly, of course, the songs are waiting for you at the bottom of the post.
I can't say that I approached the new SMASHING PUMPKINS record, ZEITGEIST, with a great deal of optimism. BILLY CORGAN's placing an ad declaring his desire to "get his band back" seemed typically self-serving and overblown. And when all is said and done? No JAMES IHA. No D'ARCY. Hell, no MELISSA AUF DER MAUR even. Quite a reunion, hey?
Who the hell knew that OMD was still a going concern? I sure as hell didn't.
For your Saturday night/Sunday morning: a bit of retro-styled electro-pop by way of SOVIET. Which is an American enterprise, not a Russian one. And not a British one, either -- despite the fact that Soviet obviously wants it to sound that way.
WHITE RABBITS. From New York City. Album: FORT NIGHTLY. Available. Now.
I was a bit delinquent in my CD-mixing duties in June, so I don't think a "traditional" Best of the Month mix is possible this time around.
ORENDA FINK -- once one-half of the Saddle Creek folk-pop outfit AZURE RAY -- has hooked up with a new group of cohorts to form ART IN MANILA.
I'll have a mix available for your downloading pleasure here on Friday, but it won't be the Best of June, as would normally be the case. That particular mix ended up clocking in at about 37 minutes -- with most of the songs already having been featured on this blog.
Tuesdays.... Only marginally better than Mondays. So what better day for a bit of "operatic glam rock." By way of Sweden. To lift your spirits. Put some spring in your step. Some swish in your hips.
British Columbia, Canada's IMMACULATE MACHINE are a dual-gendered, indie-rock trio with multiple ties to the THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS. At the most basic level, group members BROOKE GAULLUPE (vocals/guitar), KATHRYN CALDER (vocals/ keyboards), and LUKE KOZLOWSKI (vocals/drums) share a record label (MINT) with their more famous countrymen. They've also shared producers with them and supported them on tour. Ms. Calder, specifically, has filled in for NEKO CASE both on the road and on disc (TWIN CINEMA). Oh, and... Calder just happens to be A.C. NEWMAN's niece -- a fact the two of them discovered only recently.
TIGER LOU