Read & Listen

Islands - Vapours
[Anti-, 2009]

New album by Canadian indie-rockers Islands is a definite joy. Easy but not airy, cheerful but not too noisy. On their third LP we’ll notice the return of the drummer J’aime Tambeur (who wasn’t there on the second album). By the way, compared to their sophomore Arm’s Way (2008), Vapours sound more joyful (and, hence, less gloomy). In general, the sound can hardly be called indie anymore - when a whole cohort of bands and artists follow the route of guitar-and-electronic sounds. Still, Nick Thorburn and co maybe can’t be called unique, but they’re surely not stealing anything. Disarming the Car Bomb, On Foreigner, Switched On - these tracks and more make you listen in. Attractive rhythms, energetically saturated guitars and decent lyrics - all this is not far-fetched, but genuine and organic. Not boring at all.

Read & Listen:
Islands Myspace
Islands - Vapours mp3 (from Pitchfork)

October 6 a new album by French dreamers Air, Love 2, will be released on Astralwerks. The minimix is already available for listening.

Air // Love2 mini-mix by Stayloose

Stones Throw offers (a one-week only) free download of Koushik’s new album, “Beep Tape”. The review coming soon!

Koushik - Beep Tape

GusGus – 24/7
[Kompakt, 2009]

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re now at the unique object of the vocal dance minimal, the 6th studio album by the Icelandic band GusGus (Daníel Ágúst, Veiran and President Bongo). What I love the most about it is these groovy funnels that appear in the metaphysical space of this type of music. Most often it comes without vocals, but not this time. In terms of lyrics, 24/7 is doomed to be quoted:

I feel like dancing on the thinnest ice.

If I can’t find love I guess I’ll hate.

GusGus sound has changed a lot since This Is Normal, one of my favorite albums of the time. But still, they’re the same in terms of masterful creation of a special atmosphere around the music. Walking in circles turns out to be getting up the spiral – and in the end you find yourself on top of the world. A subtle, inexpressible state of semi-trance. This fragility is exactly dancing on the thin ice that can be broken any second.

On Take Me Baby another magician Jimi Tenor contributes his vocals, brining more weight to the otherwise upbringing Agust’s voice. And in general, 24/7 is a mass of synthetic ropiness with deep diving.

Add This Song

Read & Listen:
GusGus on Myspace
Interview with GusGus

The song of the day is from someone who is best at touching the heart and soul. The video only adds to this effect.

We think the same things at the same time
We just can’t do anything about it.

It was a slippery, slippery slope…

Thom Yorke, “Harrowdown Hill” from Bent Image Lab on Vimeo.

Гостевой пост на блоге Сергея Вовка - о музыке, кино и слиянии без поглощения.
Depeche Mode meets True Blood

A new track by The Mary Onettes, Puzzles, is a pure dreamy solemnity. Swedes from Jönköping can write music with the real feel of the 80s and 90s. With the verve that doesn’t make you sick. And though the intro to the song sounds almost like “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer, the song is still a wonder.

Waiting for the single on September 30

Do you feel strange on the inside?

The Mary Onettes - Puzzles mp3

Labrador

the xx – xx
[Young Turks, 2009]

This is the type of music that I’m ready to call perfect from the first listen. Pop, but without glucose overload. The lyrics are mostly about sex, love and youthful moments of joy. The xx stay somewhere in-between twee, indie pop and mainstream pop. The debut album of 20-year-olds from Southern London is somewhat of grey shades, but not merging with the background.

Guitars sound like raindrops outside the window. Lightness of songs, instrumental laconic build also provides for the beauty. But the best thing that xx give is vocals. Romy Madley Croft and Olivesr Sim sound like twins – very similar and in line, complementing each other. This is the music of the times when R&B is already a tradition that gives rise to new branches and substyles.

It’s very hard to describe where exactly the magic is. It’s probably their distancing and lack of selfishness. Everything about xx is very calm, without any desire to attract mass attention. A tranquil, soft music, stories told within a sofa – when the flow of time slows down, and you fall out of your usual rhythm and into a parallel reality. Please teach me gently how to breathe – can be about sex or about anything else. It’s totally your choice. The music, once again, lacks selfishness, flows into your mood.

The xx - Basic Space

Read & Listen:
The xx on last.fm
The xx on Myspace
The xx - Crystalised mp3

Jega - Variance
[Planet Mu, 2009]

Variance is one of the most interesting albums of the year, from LA-based Dylan Nathan. He’s been writing music since 90s that can be categorized as pretty close to Aphex Twin. Because the first version of the album leaked in 2003, it took Jega six years to rewrite it all from scratch. That’s what I call a man of principle.

Variance is built of two parts. The first one is filled with balearic rhythms, relaxed mood, ambient and occasional rap. There are lots of pop samples, not without the addition of IDM steel chips. It’s a more sunny side of Jega. The second disc is much darker, it’s all sinister and eerie. No light lives here, it’s more about metal shine and noir. All in all, the album is a kind of diptych - with parts so far from each other that after the first disc you might not really want to descend to the Hades of the second one.

Read & Listen:
Jega website
Jega on Myspace