love hides in narrow corners

Oh drats! I missed my blog's first birthday!! %*&£^$*&£^&*"$(&%"^&(*"^$. Well, while I could console myself on the fact that I was actually still in Europe during the actual first birthday, but to think it slipped my mind even after coming back.


Anyhow, on to what has been procrastinated on for too long. Wonderful folks from Holiday for Strings, particularly Pony, dropped an email with a promo of their entire album. Here's what's said about them on their site, "The group's music is a subtle mixture - post rock, kraut rock, pop, disco, and dub music all turn up in their experimental recipes.".

On to the music itself, I have to admit only two songs really caught on to me initially, kinda like instant gratification. With the number of songs available out there, songs that fail to hook you in say the first minute is just tossed out. That's the world we live in - instant gratification. Nevertheless, I'm glad I gave "Favourite Flavor" a listening chance based on how much I liked Two of You and Particles. Their songs are worth the listen as it grows on you.

Particles has that bouncy playful vibe at the start, as they make use of various sounds to provide an almost systematic feel to the song. The rapid beat almost seeming like it needs to etch itself within one's memory, providing a solid foundation upon which the song builds upon. Past that bouncy playful feel, the song develops more into one shrouded in mystery, as if a plan, maybe sinister, is in the works.

Particles is one of the three instrumental tracks, taking it's place as the 5th track on the album, while Shelter Island and I Cry take 7th and 9th respectively. Shelter Island reminds me a little of The xx with the minimalist approach (and coincidentally, Shelter and Island(s) are two individual tracks on The xx's eponymous album). And if I wasn't really paying attention, the tang-ing sound would have really made me think of a certain chinese instrument. Very soothing and pleasant down tempo song, short of being ambient, that I could really listen to over and over. In a similar vein, I Cry is pretty down tempo too and enjoyable, but with it's roots seemingly of the electronic sort.

Unwilling/Not Able has a slow twinkly build up for all of 3 and a half minutes before Magnusson's baritone vocals appear, a solid contrast to the lightness of the build up. But it doesn't last, giving way to yet more repeated synths. Cue complementary female vocals courtesy of Titiyo which seems to add a different dimension to the song. A song which many may not be able to appreciate due to the song clocking out at 8:33, many mainstream songs last 4 plus minutes tops. The whole building up and evolution of the song in that 8:33 is actually a beauty, like an exploration in process, searching for the unlimited end, the horizon. Maybe it's similar to HFS as a band, searching for the identity that best represents them.

Love feels purposeful and yet when singing about something as unfathomable as love as Magnusson intones "love comes when you least expect it", he seems lost and almost like a little boy. But that's the truth of the matter, and the entire song conveys it perfectly. New wave influences are present in Light Years Ahead as the spacious song fills the emptiness around you. Finally, the titular song is almost as much an experimentation as it is an ode to the prog-rock gods.

Go on this exploratory cosmic journey with Holiday For Strings, and let "Favourite Flavor" grow on you. So what's your flavor?

Holiday For Strings - Two of You

Holiday For Strings - Unwilling/Not Able Dance Mix (mp3)

Holiday For Strings - Shelter Island (mp3)

every house not a home but dare do i roam

It's a pretty fine day, and for me a fine day is where the weather isn't sweltering, hot and humid. A layer of stickiness and ickiness all over isn't my idea of fine. So anyhow, I'm just sitting here now wondering how come I never did mention Band of Horses' first single for "Cease to Begin". And where from comes the impetus, but an episode of Fringe?

Band of Horses - Is There A Ghost
It's an awfully lovely song, melancholic and melodramatic all at once. And just how do they do it with two simple lines "I could sleep when I lived alone/Is there a ghost in my house?" - beats me. Nevertheless, I love the eerily random yet curiously funny video where it's an almost literal explanation of the lyrics, and the video slowly evolves to quite the hilarious ending, but amidst all, the female protagonist provides the best of turns.

Band of Horses - Blue Beard
Good ol' slow rock. Grand orchestration with such meaningful lyrics, it makes me feel warm and secretly good on the inside. Ben singing as the song chugs along slowly, allows the lyrics to sink in and come alive in your mind. The white snow outside the house, a blanket of soft whiteness. Neon glow of the bar sign hanging lazily on the outside.

Band of Horses - Neighbor
I've got this attachment to their new songs for some reason. It's like on first listen, you feel as if you've heard the song a million times, and it's buried deep inside your head. Or maybe it's the strong imagery their lyrics evoke. I really love it.

i'm caught up in a storm that i don't need no shelter from

Oh dear me.

During my trip, I was listening almost incessantly to songs from 2009, and listening through my 50 Favourites of 2009 list, I suddenly noticed a band and their songs conspicuously missing. For some reason, I had failed to include DP - astonishing. And as I played their songs, it hit me like a train as I realised my folly. So the more I listen, the more I'm thinking, "Just how did it slip through the cracks?"Useful Chamber was already fantastic, but it certainly got better with time, like wine. I hereby dedicate this song to be my favourite of 2009, extremely belatedly.


Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber

Deep sonorous thumps resonate while being punctuated by the high hat, almost like a sense of foreboding. However, you're greeted with measured vocals, as the lyrics roll off like rivulets of water sliding down the window on a drizzly spring day. You sit by the window, staring out as the occasional patter hits the window, cup of hot tea in hand, utterly mesmerised by the song as you are with the dance on the window.

You ponder as he hits the highs in the song, and as he speak-sings, the album title being chanted hits you. Subsequently, melodious ahhs and ohhs that feel like honey to the ears permeate the still air, you drown yourself further in the slow but purposeful beats - almost hypnotic.

The random outburst of guitar strumming and drums again causes a small smile to break across the pensive face, just as clouds give way to the glorious sun, warm rays showering the earth.

This is Useful Chamber for you.

it's yours to find

Delorean - Stay Close
Brilliant and brilliant all at the same time. Their creativity with Balearic pop with breezy riffs and hooks, light and fluffy that it is extremely enjoyable, yet not too light such that they aren't taken seriously. The chants of get up, get up almost serve as a calling, beckoning you to get up and groove to their brand of narcotic dance pop that's all so effortless and well, brilliant, like the summer sun.

Delorean - Real Love
More basque love, soak it up.

Washed Out - New Theory
Literally sounds like the name of this one man show, run by a certain Ernest Greene. Washed out synths with subtle echoing percolate as his voice provides a sense of warm hazy nostalgia over layered and soft textures. You start to reminisce and recall fond memories, only to find the song tailing off pretty abruptly - which cuts your train of thought. The only recourse, is to start playing the song again.

Toro Y Moi - Blessa
Amongst the purveyors of "chill wave", Toro Y Moi and the ilk (like Memory Tapes, Washed Out, Neon Indian, Small Black to name a few) milk the haziness of yesteryears, when music played out on cassettes and vinyls, and dreamy distorted synths upon loops and samples. A word of advice, don't try to figure out the lyrics. Half the time, their obscured vocals barely above a murmur, all that's required of you is to relax and embark on this journey of discovery.

The Saturday Mix #42 - you gotta step up your game to make to the top

Marina and the Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot
Her videos are always so glitzy and glam. She's got pretty damn good control over her range of vocals. A loveable power ballad, singing about vulnerability that a person has but yet puts up defenses.

Marina and the Diamonds - I Am Not A Robot (Doorly Remix)
I'm sorry Marina, I'm just hooked on this uber dope remix. The intro is so upbeat and there's that pert bounce which makes me really wanna get out of my seat and bounce to the beat. The dubby thing going on after is pretty neat, befitting of the overall mood of the song but it does cover the vocals a little at times. It's so unbelievably catchy, and that robotic voice that just repeats the word robot at the repetitive chorus is funky! Really slick remix that in my opinion came undone by the unnecessary extension of doowops and more repeating of the word robot.

Miike Snow - Silvia (Roboberget Remix)
Fantastic remix with plenty reverb going on. "An extended track length (eight minutes), a slightly boosted tempo, and an assortment of futurist synths — some washy and cinematic, others arpeggiated and video game-like — it's a new, but not unfamiliar, incarnation of Silvia, crafted by those who know it best." as said by someone. Right on the dot. I love the 8-bit video-game-ish sounds, it's just wicked.

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work
Here's some music maths. Catchy lyrics + breezy synths + funky guitaring = please-dance-to-it-synthpop. Alright full marks, thanks!

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work (The Twelves Remix)
The start of the remix sounds suspiciously like La Roux's Bulletproof, which is repeated a couple of times later. Nevertheless, it doesn't take the shine off the magic of The Twelves. Just when you think the songs can't get any better, brazilian duo The Twelves trots along and their electro-disco twist makes it an irresistable hit.

Monarchy - Gold in the Fire (We Have Band Remix)
That's some monster drumbeat.

Monarchy - The Phoenix Alive (Kris Menace Remix)
As mysterious as the band itself (no one knows their identity yet, I think), Kris Menace brings this seriously dope remix to our ears. Thumping bass that threatens to pound your eardrums to bits, even more doowops than the stars in their eyes, this is mind-bogglingly amazing.

we mostly work to live until we live to work

Vampire Weekend - Run
Preppy boppy and fun all rolled into one tight song. Bleeps and bloops scattered about as Erza goes on about taking two, and running away to someplace else, just the two of them, leaving the rat race behind. Behind all the lightness and fun, the song is actually grounded in much starker truths. The you-oohs are just so catchy and downright addictive.

The Big Pink - Velvet
Synths lead this song into full grandiosity as you feel it's entirety looming upon you, the grandeur of the towering vocals contrasted with the echoing voice in the background. Fuzziness interrupts only but for a while, before the song delves deep into the emotions of electro rock, drawing from strength to strength, as the lyrics oddly resonate and find place within you.

We Have Band - Divisive
I love creative funky videos like this. Many of compared them to Hot Chip, and the similarities could be observed. Addictive hooks and catchy repetitive lyrics, they brought a little to mind YACHT as well. Does anyone see a little OK Go! in them as well? But whatever it is, I love their quirkiness and they definitely have a lot more to offer in their latest album "WHB".

Massive Attack - Pray For Rain
It feels tentative, but in a good way. It sets about in an unhurried manner, vocals just above minimal production, yet it belies the gloom and moodiness brought about by the frenetic pace of tribal-esque drumbeats midway through the song, just like the charged air and rumbling before a thunderstorm. But like all thunderstorms, it always breaks and gives way to sunshine, and this is no exception. Around the two thirds mark, the song not as much as transit, and suddenly turns on it's charm and uplifting mood befitting of a sunny day. It rounds off nicely, with dotty synths and baritone vocals and makes you think that the wait for Heligoland was absolutely worth it.

fall left me with this winter so cold

Photo from Bunny Bissoux.

Oh my, it's been a while. How I've missed talking about music. I apologise to the few readers I have for the lack of posts, been a whirlwind of crap since the last post. Was pretty hectic as I was doing some last minute preparations for my europe trip and then now trip's cancelled cos Eyjafjallajokull erupted, and thereafter, busy with trying to get my insurance claims going. Now I'm planning for Japan, trying to leave asap, and fingers crossed, hope nothing like Eyjafjallajokull happens again, otherwise I'd lose faith with travelling and just stick to staying in this island city.

jj - Let Go
Let Go is from their 2nd album, simply titled "jj n° 3". Gently led into by what probably are harmonica samples, we are presented with a stunning introduction to a song that borders on folk, classical, balearic and electronic, maybe even more. Seemingly like a mish mash of genres, everything somehow dovetails beautifully into an enchanting song. Subtle with alluring vocals, the duo of Joakim Benon and Elin Kastlander show no signs of letting up.

Monarchy - The Phoenix Alive
Have a good listen to the latest outfit to hit the electronic scene in UK. A disco-esque vibe that resonates as they barely sing above the synths effortlessly, the pulsating and solid beat akin to sparkling stars in the galaxy apt as they sing of stars in their eyes.

Lusine - Jetstream(mp3)
More ambient music for the senses, the echoing synths going off like dominoes in an ethereal soundscape as tinkly sounds like wind chimes join in the musical medley and permeates the snug cocoon formed by the wonderful sounds, definitely a treat for the sonic palate. Take a walk down the neon lit streets of Tokyo on a cool evening, as streams of people go by, cars flash past, you realise you're only but one amongst many in this metropolis.