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SOTD: Parts & Labor - 'Nowheres Nigh' from Receivers (2008)
An unseasonably warm day in Kansas City such as the one we're having today demands something unusually upbeat. Brooklyn-based Parts & Labor have been around since 2002, but it wasn't until 2008's Receivers that the noise/art band really brought together all the elements hinted at in 2007's Mapmaker. While still maintaining their noise roots, the hooks are much more in evidence as evidenced by 'Nowheres Nigh.' It almost might even be called a pop song.
The Yellow Shoes
If you make it to the :40 mark you'll understand why so many people have watched this. Apparently, the boots are to protect his feet from sidewalk salt during the winter, but that doesn't make it less funny.
SOTD: Daniel G. Harmann & the Trouble Starts - 'The Horse & the Sistine Chapel' from Risk (2010)
Apparently I'm late to the party on Harmann and company due to the fact their new album Risk is their sixth release. This Seattle-based band has been doing the circuit for a number of years, but if their earlier work is anything like Risk I'm going to be doing some catching up quite soon. While their bio says others have compared them to Jeff Buckley or Elliott Smith I hear many other things in their music. Part of it sounds a bit similar to Band of Horses, other parts remind me of early Slobberbone, and yet at other moments I'd swear I'm almost hearing Sugar, though I'm sure nobody else hears that and I can even convince myself I'm nuts. The bottom line is that Harmann and his band The Trouble Starts have an instantly familiar sound, yet don't sound just like anyone else.
'The Horse & the Sistine Chapel' is the lead single off Risk. Though a brief tune at 2:05 the song lingers with you. The guitars chime in all the right places while the drums are nice and crisp. And before you know it the song is over. I dare you to try and not hit repeat.
The version of 'Dee' that appears on Risk is a slightly reworked version from the one that appeared on the May 2009 Our Arms EP. The excellent animated video below is mesmerizing.
I suppose it's something few might find interesting, but when I heard 'Dee' it reminded me of another song but I couldn't place what it was exactly. Only later did it come to me: Holland (not the same as the band hollAnd or the metal group of the same name) had a song on their 2003 album Photographs & Tidalwaves titled 'Goodnight Texas.' Though there are many differences, the quiet/soft dynamic works for me in both cases. Once the song works into its full glory past the 3:30 mark the comparison may make more sense.
I was lucky to catch Holland on tour in 2003 while they were opening for The Elms (who were promoting their excellent Truth, Soul, Rock & Roll album). Needless to say, 'Goodnight Texas' was the highlight of their set for me.
In any case, you should check out Daniel G. Harmann & the Trouble Starts as Risk is an excellent release. Here is the band performing 'The Horse & the Sistine Chapel' at the Comet Tavern in January 2010.
SOTD: Jason Kent - 'Slowly Dive in Love' from Jason Kent (2008)
Teen Mom did it to me. The guilty pleasure MTV reality show following the lives and trials of four young mothers infected me with an ear worm that wouldn't go away until it was satisfied. Last week's episode ended with a song by a little-known Canadian, Jason Kent, who must have good friends at the network. It's really too bad it's so hard to find Kent's music as the payoff is definitely worth the effort.
Despite the fact Kent's self-titled debut album was released in 2008, the Teen Mom exposure is probably the first time many people have been exposed to his brand of singer/songwriter tunes. While he occasionally sounds similar to Harvest-era Neil Young, Kent has an understated, simple way of singing that appealed to me quickly. Hearing the piano chords of "Slowly Dive in Love" I immediately perked up as this was far different than the usual MTV show soundtrack. It's a haunting track that seems to beg to be played at the end of a long night. Other tracks are more upbeat and remind one of early Wilco, never a bad thing.
According to maplemusic.com, Kent has has opened for Rufus Wainwright, Neko Case, Arctic Monkeys, April Wine, Melissa Auf der Maur, The Stars, The Dears, The Unicorns, and The Autumn Defense (members of Wilco) among others. Unfortunately, the album is not available on iTunes in the U.S. or Amazon.com. There aren't even any cheap CDs on eBay currently. The only places I found to get the album are through Toronto-based zunior.com (mp3/FLAC) or maplemusic.com (CD). Perhaps with the increased exposure more avenues for obtaining Jason Kent's work will become available.
Don't believe me that Jason Kent can channel Neil Young? Check out this video of Kent performing 'Great Divide' on a Rhodes piano:
'Country Lane' is also found on the 2008 self-titled album.
'America' is another personal favorite from Jason Kent.
What Is Dad Possibly Worried About?!
Look, I know what the mask possibly looks like, but isn't the Dad taking this just a bit too far. There is no way the kid meant anything by creating this mask. It seems like another case of parents worrying unnecessarily. It's certainly not worth moving your child to another school over in my opinion.
Lloyd Cole Acoustic from Spain
I've long been a fan of Lloyd Cole. In my opinion he is one of the most under-appreciated singer/songwriters out there today. His work is consistently strong with great lyrics and generally catchy tunes to match. Cole has recently released a new album, Broken Record, which is well worth discovering.
Love heights? Enough to do this for a living?
I have no problem admitting heights aren't my thing. Tall buildings are fine. And climbing narrow trails in the mountains can be fantastic. However, looking at high catwalks and narrow ledges makes my palms sweat.
The work these guys do is in another league. While the camera motion from the helmet-cam certainly induces some heebie-jeebies (technical term), it's watching the free climbs that really does it. I appreciate the work they do, I just want no part of it!
Belle & Sebastian Preview 'Write About Love'
Belle & Sebastian have a new album coming out on October 12th in the U.S. In anticipation of the new release, the band has released the first in a series of TV-style interviews. The video includes two of the songs from the album: "I Want The World To Stop" and "I Didn't See It Coming" as well as snippets of previous work. Enjoy!
Monterey Bay Aquarium Behind the Scenes
One of the first things Aimee showed us was a Black-footed Penguins, also known as an African Penguin. Karoo was a male we got to spend a few minutes petting and watching explore his environment. The penguin was much softer than I expected. He was incredibly curious about everything. He didn't get off his cart, but was sure to investigate everything within reach. Getting to see a penguin up close was really special.
Karoo initially didn't especially want to leave his chums on the display, so Aimee had to take matters into her own hands.
The other bird Aimee shared with us was a Laysan Albatross. Makana was part of a pilot program to help reintroduce a breeding population of Laysan Albatross into part of the Pacific Ocean. Her family group nested in an area that had been contaminated over several years by U.S. military activites. The plan was to raise youngsters and introduce them to a new island and determine if they would use it as their nesting ground instead of the old island.
During the process Makana got hurt and became unreleasable. However, she became quite the attraction. She is comfortable around people though apparently she generally prefers men. While spending a few minutes with her she began her courtship dance ritual. To keep her happy I attempted to mimic her actions, though I'm sure I failed miserably. She didn't seem to mind however and provided several minutes of entertainment.
Here I'm beginning to match her head bobs and trying to whistle:
The courtship becomes more serious as Makana adds several new motions and sounds to the process. Though her bill is massive and it looks as though it would hurt, the nibbling tickled more than anything. It felt like someone was running their index finger over the palm of your hand. Considering the grip she could've demonstrated it was incredibly gentle.
After I became tired of bobbing up and down I grabbed the Flip to get this super-short clip of her up close. I'll probably never get to experience this again, so it was a genuine treat.
We spent a significant amount of time exploring all the exhibits around the aquarium with Aimee . There were many neat creatures to learn about and view including a special exhibit on seahorses (extremely well done). Time spent at Monterey Bay Aquarium is definitely worth it, whether you have a friend on the inside or not!
SOTD: Gentle Touch - 'Memories' from Gentle Touch EP (2006)
An apparently really great guy, Andreas Sundgren, marked a photo of mine as one of his favorites on Flickr, allowing him to easily come back to it if he ever chooses to do so. When I saw this I looked at his profile and noticed he is Swedish, but lives in Montreal and is co-founder of creative agency Svenska. A section of the Svenska website is devoted to Scandinavian music and artists Svenska promotes in North America. Looking deeper, I was led to The Swedish Model, a collective of seven Swedish record labels that produce a newsletter and jointly promote releases. One of the participating record labels is the fantastically named Songs I Wish I Had Written. Their website has samples of their artists and that's how I was introduced to Gentle Touch.
Right away I must confess I'm not crazy about the name Gentle Touch. It sounds too...something. Make of it what you will. But I can live with a name for music like this! Granted, at the end of the day this is simple pop music, but is so well executed one can easily dive in and ignore any initial misgivings. Sounding like the best of some of the '80s synth-pop groups with a bit more guitar, Gentle Touch combine elements so many of us remember fondly from that era and package it into something recognizable and familar, yet not sounding completely derivative.
Gentle Touch's MySpace page lists all the influences I would expect for a group like this: Red House Painters, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Savage, Clan Of Xymox, Julee Cruise, Book Of Love, Cocteau Twins. I also hear a bit of New Order mixed with the Xymox. There's something from The Railway Children (maybe just a little bit). Honestly, a lot of it reminds me of little-known New Order side-project The Other Two, but that's certainly not a bad thing.
In any case, it's good stuff. Both songs below sound start off a bit beat-oriented, especially 'Smedby', but soon incorporate floating keyboards and soothing guitars to take the edge off. The Gentle Touch EP was released in February 2006. The debut full-length, In Memory of Savannah, followed in March 2008, also on the Songs I Wish I Had Written label. I just wish I had discovered Gentle Touch four years ago.
This video is for Gentle Touch's 'Expectations,' the lead track from In Memory of Savannah. The sound isn't great, but gives an idea of the band in action. You can also download songs from the Songs I Wish I Had Written website.
Through a crack in the shield our eyes look screaming
Yellow wide unyielding lines
Spreading dread leaves roadkill sleeping
We float we fly we gloat we glide we hide we find
We don't deny we've left our destiny behind
But really, this is one of those tunes by one of those bands where it's just better to turn up the song and go with it. On a bright sunny day like this it doesn't *need* to make sense. It just is.
Parts & Labor live in Paris in 2008:
A fan-made video done as a media project assignment. Makes as much sense as the song, but the lightsaber fight is amusing.
"The Gold We're Digging" is from 2007's Mapmaker album.