MGMT - Oracular Spectacular. It took me a little while to get into this one, but after putting it in my car's CD player for a few weeks, I've grown to like it. It's shiny modern alternative electro-pop, very much in the same league as the New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene, but with retro-echoes of things as anachronistic as the Pixies and early Prince.
Four raquos : » » » »
Q-Tip - The Renaissance. Another trial in my eternal quest to find hip-hop that I like which wasn't made in 1992: a new record from the guy who made his name as part of one of those early-90's groups (A Tribe Called Quest). Q-Tip is still as fun as he was back in the day, but the music is much more modern - even being so modern as to pick up on the same early 80's revival vibe as MGMT mines. I like it much better than most of the other modern hip-hop I've been sampling, though I'm afraid a lot of that's because it's so similar to ATCQ.
Three raquos: » » »
Rokia Traoré - Tchamantché. I don't have a lot of experience with music from Mali. I have a little Boubacar Traoré (no relation, AFAIK) and some Ali Farka Touré, and what I have is all bare-bones and hypnotic guitar with repetitive lyrics. You can tell this comes from the same place where those two, older, musicians came from, but this has a much more polished and contemporary production - the recording is better, the sounds are much more balanced, and the songs don't do that heavy repetition. It's quite good. Except for a deconstructed version of Billie Holiday's "The Man I Love", I don't understand any of the words (I think she's singing in French, sometimes) but she has a fine voice and the music is great, so it's still a nice listen.
Four raquos : » » » »
Andrew Bird - Noble Beast. I'm still waiting for this to grab me. It feels low on hooks and high on mellow. I can't bring myself to rate it.
Update, also: The Fratellis - Flathead EP. Do you like the new punk-esque sounds of the Hives, the Vines, Artic Monkeys, etc? Well, you might like The Fratellis, too.
9 thoughts on “Listening To...”
Rob Caldecott
This year I have mostly been listening to MGMT – it took me a while too, but I’m hooked now. The new Franz Ferdinand album is also pretty good – much better than their tricky second. I know a few people raving about a band called White Lies here, but they sound just like Interpol or The Editors, but without the … fun? Every White Lies song is about death or the Apocalypse, which is even too much for me, Radiohead’s biggest fan. :)
I heard the new U2 single recently. Have you? Don’t bother if you haven’t because it’s a stinker. I haven’t rated much they’ve done since ‘Achtung Baby’ in 1990, but they should be able to pull a better single out of Bono’s arse than ‘Get On Your Boots’.
Did you bother watching the Grammys? We did, but you probably know why. What a f*cked up awards show that was eh? (we’d never seen it before). Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers? What was that about? Who are those pre-pubescents?
i heard a little of the new U2. and yeah, it was pretty bad. i gave up on them with Rattle n Hum.
Did you bother watching the Grammys?
nah. i stopped paying attention to them way back when they gave Jethro Tull the first “Heavy Metal” grammy – the same year Metallica’s Black Album came out. idiots. and i’m so out of touch with mainstream pop, that none of the awards mean anything to me anyway :)
Ugh
that none of the awards mean anything to me anyway
And the Grammy for Best R&B Electronic Hip-Hop-On-Pop Rap/Blues Compilation A-Capella Record of the Album of the Year goes to….
Ugh
OT – so, this waiting a week between BSG episodes sucks. That is all.
And the Grammy for Best R&B Electronic Hip-Hop-On-Pop Rap/Blues Compilation A-Capella Record of the Album of the Year goes to….
Milli Vanilli!
congratulations, boys! it’s been a long time since your first Grammy (1990’s Best New Artist), hasn’t it? by the way, where’s Vanilli ?
Rob Caldecott
The most recent two episodes of BSG were so utterly brilliant that words fail me. TV heaven – simply some of the best television I have ever watched. Apparently you could put another 45 minute episode together with the scenes they had to exclude, so roll on the DVD box set.
How will they top this?
Ugh
How will they top this?
Let’s hope they do. I have been continually surprised by this show. With many “holy frak did they just do that??!?” reactions along the way.
My one quibble (which I’ve mentioned on this site before) with the show is that last week’s “Wow!” moment sometimes seems completely forgotten in this week’s episode, or at least ignored for a new storyline. I guess that’s the limitation of the 43 minute television format.
Rob Caldecott
The Fratellis? Indie-rock-by-numbers but catchy tunes. I liked their first album for a few weeks in summer 2006. It’s kind of like vanilla ice-cream or painting your walls magnolia – everyone likes it but nobody gets really excited about it. ‘Beige’ as Mrs C would say.
This year I have mostly been listening to MGMT – it took me a while too, but I’m hooked now. The new Franz Ferdinand album is also pretty good – much better than their tricky second. I know a few people raving about a band called White Lies here, but they sound just like Interpol or The Editors, but without the … fun? Every White Lies song is about death or the Apocalypse, which is even too much for me, Radiohead’s biggest fan. :)
I heard the new U2 single recently. Have you? Don’t bother if you haven’t because it’s a stinker. I haven’t rated much they’ve done since ‘Achtung Baby’ in 1990, but they should be able to pull a better single out of Bono’s arse than ‘Get On Your Boots’.
Did you bother watching the Grammys? We did, but you probably know why. What a f*cked up awards show that was eh? (we’d never seen it before). Stevie Wonder and the Jonas Brothers? What was that about? Who are those pre-pubescents?
i heard a little of the new U2. and yeah, it was pretty bad. i gave up on them with Rattle n Hum.
Did you bother watching the Grammys?
nah. i stopped paying attention to them way back when they gave Jethro Tull the first “Heavy Metal” grammy – the same year Metallica’s Black Album came out. idiots. and i’m so out of touch with mainstream pop, that none of the awards mean anything to me anyway :)
that none of the awards mean anything to me anyway
And the Grammy for Best R&B Electronic Hip-Hop-On-Pop Rap/Blues Compilation A-Capella Record of the Album of the Year goes to….
OT – so, this waiting a week between BSG episodes sucks. That is all.
it really does. it’s the first time i’ve had to do it, too. i much preferred getting two or three of them in a row (with pizza, wine, etc.).
And the Grammy for Best R&B Electronic Hip-Hop-On-Pop Rap/Blues Compilation A-Capella Record of the Album of the Year goes to….
Milli Vanilli!
congratulations, boys! it’s been a long time since your first Grammy (1990’s Best New Artist), hasn’t it? by the way, where’s Vanilli ?
The most recent two episodes of BSG were so utterly brilliant that words fail me. TV heaven – simply some of the best television I have ever watched. Apparently you could put another 45 minute episode together with the scenes they had to exclude, so roll on the DVD box set.
How will they top this?
How will they top this?
Let’s hope they do. I have been continually surprised by this show. With many “holy frak did they just do that??!?” reactions along the way.
My one quibble (which I’ve mentioned on this site before) with the show is that last week’s “Wow!” moment sometimes seems completely forgotten in this week’s episode, or at least ignored for a new storyline. I guess that’s the limitation of the 43 minute television format.
The Fratellis? Indie-rock-by-numbers but catchy tunes. I liked their first album for a few weeks in summer 2006. It’s kind of like vanilla ice-cream or painting your walls magnolia – everyone likes it but nobody gets really excited about it. ‘Beige’ as Mrs C would say.