:either/or

I heard Hafdis Huld for the first time on Aurgasm quite some time ago, which means it’s high time that I wrote about her on here. She’s Icelandic, which made me assume that her music would at least be inside the realm of “weird,” and indeed, it is. It’s not as odd as Bjork, though, which is to say that I actually derive enjoyment from Hafdis Huld’s music. She has a very calming voice which suits her slow songs well. It is the charm she displays on songs like Ice Cream Is Nice that makes me a fan.

Sadly, these songs are only 64 kbps, which I realize is pretty crappy! Hopefully they’ll be enough to get you interested enough in her music to check it out further.

From Dirty Paper Cup
Ski Jumper - (MP3, 1.5 MB)
Tomoko - (MP3, 1.5 MB)

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Orion Rigel Dommisse is my favorite musician on Greg Weeks’ label Language Of Stone. She isn’t as psychedelic as most of the artists on that label, though her music has too wide a variety of instrumentation to be considered traditional folk. It’s not so much instrumentation that it overwhelms you, but more than enough to keep you wholly interested. She had quite a folk all-star line-up on her album as well: Greg Weeks on synths and guitar, Margie Wienk of Fern Knight on cello, and Jesse Sparhawk on the harp. You don’t get such people playing on your album unless you’re pretty damn talented, which Orion is. She has a slightly odd voice, though one that’s still very pleasant. Her lyrics are considerably darker than most you’ll find in folk music these days, which is a delight for the more morbid among us.

While three of the songs on her album What I Want From You Is Sweet have “death” in their titles and one has “suicide” in its title, the songs are generally far from depressing. They are certainly downbeat, but not depressing. Her song Drink Yourself (To Death) has an amazing chorus in “Drink yourself to death so I don’t have / have to see you again / I know, my love, it sounds cruel / but I’m not the one killing you.” Alright, that’s a little depressing, but it’s sung so beautifully that I barely notice. Her song Fake Yer Death is almost amusing as it goes into detail about, well, you know. To end on a more positive note, she’s writing songs for her next album which I suspect will be just as great as her first.

From What I Want From You Is Sweet
Fake Yer Death - (MP3, 4.7 MB)

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I thought I had already made a post about this band, to which I was quite ready to link within this very post. Turns out, my slackerness is even greater than I thought, as that post was basically in my ‘todo’ queue, and did not technically even exist. Nevertheless, this CD came out in the interim, so here we go.

Someone described this band as “world-punk”, and I can’t really disagree, though the concept of “world” music seems to bring to mind bamboo flutes and whale songs – not exactly the most thrilling fare, generally. This record is a collaboration with Tamir Muskat, so it’s got a crazy Middle Eastern bent to it, which seems immediately reminiscent of Balkan Beat Box. They’ve never shied away from unconventional rhythms and instruments, leaving surprises on each disc, but on The Golden Hour, it feels like even more of a reinvention.

This isn’t particularly surprising, given how frontman Tod A recently “took a protracted leave of absence from an idiot-run America, the cut-throat music business, and the Western world in general,” visiting Thailand, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia. His odyssey was certainly productive, and I hope they continue in their current direction.

From The Golden Hour
Borneo - (MP3, 5.0 MB)
Hey Clown - (MP3, 5.0 MB)
Electric City - (MP3, 6.5 MB)
Already Gone - (MP3, 5.6 MB)

From Ponzi Scheme
So Long, Superman - (MP3, 3.5 MB)
Another Perfect Catastrophe - (MP3, 4.0 MB)

From Psychopharmacology
Psychopharmacology - (MP3, 3.9 MB)

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The first thing I ever heard about New Zealand’s Liam Finn was that he was trying to be the happy version of Elliott Smith. Whenever someone is compared to Mr. Smith, I feel an obligation to check out their music, though it’s always matched by my expectation that it won’t be up to par. However, in Mr. Finn’s case, there is actually some merit to these comparisons. If his voice was more similar to Smith’s, it probably wouldn’t be too hard to pass off the song Second Chance as an obscure Smith b-side. But regardless of comparisons, this is a pretty strong showing for a debut album. With songs like Second Chance, Energy Spent, and Music Moves My Feet, he is certainly one of the more talented songwriters I’ve come across this year.

From I’ll Be Lightning
Second Chance - (MP3, 3.4 MB)
Remember When - (MP3, 2.8 MB)

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The band I have for you tonight is one that e-mailed me way back in February, Admiral Twin. Four months later is as good a time as any to write something about them, I think. They’re a great power-pop band out of Oklahoma, which surprises me as much as it does you. They have a few albums under their belts, and while I haven’t heard any of them, it is likely one of the reasons why their music seems so comfortable. They don’t sound like they’re trying too hard, and they’re not playing random music and hoping for the best. Instead, they’re fully in control of their musical destiny and it shines through in their music.

From The Center Of The Universe
In My Veins - (MP3, 3.1 MB)
Renegade Planet - (MP3, 3.5 MB)

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The Robot Ate Me is a band I’ve been intending to write about for at least a year or so, so I suppose it’s high time that their number came up. They’ve never been a band that really resonated with me, which is to say that although I like a few of their songs, they’ll never be one of my favorite bands. They play what could loosely be defined as indie soft rock; something like Death Cab for Cutie, but much better. Earning them some extra points is the fact that they’re giving out some free songs on their website, which is something that every music blogger appreciates. First up is the mellow Bad Feelings from my favorite of their albums, Carousel Waltz. After that, you get The Genocide Ball which sounds like a song The Scarring Party might play.

From Carousel Waltz
Bad Feelings - (MP3, 2.7 MB)

From On Vacation
The Genocide Ball - (MP3, 2.5 MB)

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For those of you not in the know, Emma Pollock was one of the singers for the now-defunct band, The Delgados. While they released quite a few good albums in their time, I think Emma’s solo album, Watch The Fireworks, completely and utterly puts them to shame. This is partly due to my strong preference for her beautiful singing, which I felt was criminally underutilized on many of The Delgados’ albums. She’s not just an incredible singer, though; she writes the most intelligent lyrics you’ll find in modern pop music, and the music itself it outstanding.

If I’d bothered with making a best-of list last year, Watch The Fireworks would almost certainly have topped it. If you’ve yet to hear the album, do yourself a favor and start now with Acid Test.

From Watch The Fireworks
Acid Test - (MP3, 2.7 MB)
The Optimist - (MP3, 3.4 MB)
Paper & Glue - (MP3, 2.6 MB)

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Ex Reverie is a psych-folk band that you might remember from when I talked about their EP, Phronesis, a while back. They released their full-length debut earlier this year, The Door Into Summer. The song that their label offers up, Dawn Comes For Us All, is easily my favorite song of the year. It’s hard for me to do anything else while listening to it. With its deep bass, excellent lyrics, and perfect singing, it is impossible to not be captivated. While I am not a fan of outros, this song has an excellent one, very much inspired by Greg Weeks. That isn’t too much of a surprise, as he played on the album, which was released on his label, Language Of Stone. You can expect to hear me gushing about more of the artists on that label in the near future.

From The Door Into Summer
Dawn Comes For Us All - (MP3, 9.3 MB)

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If all the differences in music I’ve been posting lately strikes you as a bit erratic, that’s because it is. I’m having a bot pick bands out of the list of bands I want to write about. Kind of prevents me from going “well I need to write about THIS band” before writing about another band. It’s all random, and I think that will help boost my productivity. As always, send me your music recommendations at eitheror.hugh (at) gmail.com. I’ve got some great stuff in my inbox lately, but there’s always room for more. One of the bands that found its way to my inbox lately is Dream Bitches, and I dig their retro-pop sound. They have the harmonious melodies of retro-pop but their lyrics do not match the flowers and lollipops image that retro-pop generally conjures. That is, their lyrics are quite a bit deeper than that.

Anyway, if that wasn’t enough to entice you to listen to these catchy, perfect-for-summer tunes, perhaps their excellent cover of Belle & Sebastian’s Me And The Major will. And if that doesn’t, well, I tried!

From Coke-and-Spiriters
Bad Luck Bill - (MP3, 2.8 MB)
Me And The Major - (MP3, 3.1 MB)
Mother’s Day - (MP3, 3.5 MB)

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A few months ago, I got a relatively unassuming e-mail from the band Kingsbury, telling me that I’ve written about some of the bands they like (Calla and Radiohead in particular) and that, perhaps, I would like their tunes as well. As luck would have it, I do. Perhaps this is because they actually let the bands they like influence their music, which is a good thing to do when you have good influences. Corpse is a very Calla-esque song, Desert Inn sounds influenced by both, and The Great Compromise is back to Calla again. Some could take that to mean that since Kingsbury is arguably derivative of these bands that they’re somehow less talented. I, for one, would disagree with that. To make music at the quality necessary to be considered derivative of those bands takes a level of talent that most bands can’t even imagine. Judging by the state of music today, most bands don’t even try. Not only does Kingsbury try, but they clearly succeed.

From The Great Compromise
Corpse - (MP3, 3 MB)
Desert Inn - (MP3, 2.4 MB)
The Great Compromise - (MP3, 2.7 MB

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This just in, I have way too many bands I want to write about. After this post, there’ll still be ten bands bookmarked, and that is just outrageous. I’ll try to whip through at least a couple over the next few days. First up is Thee More Shallows, a band hailing from one of my favorite musical cities, San Francisco. 3hive classed them into slowcore rock, which I suppose fits fairly well. You can tell it’s rock music, but it’s certainly not rock ‘n roll. It will not get anyone excited on the dance floor. In fact, it has about as much intensity and vigor as that of a confused turtle. On the other hand, there isn’t much that’s more lovable than a confused turtle.

From More Deep Cuts
Freshman Thesis - (MP3, 4.6 MB)
2 AM - (MP3 4.5 MB)

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I wrote about The Interiors nearly two years ago, but things have changed since then, as well they should. Back in those days, they only had a three-song demo, but what a demo it was! Songs like The Bug and I’m So Happy blew my mind in the greatest of ways. As for the present, their self-titled debut will be released in a mere ten days on 54-40 or Fight (who released a great Pseudosix album, among others). As I am with every band that starts with a demo and then moves on to a full-length, I was worried that they’d take the good songs from the demo, add in some mediocre songs, and call it an album. Thankfully, that isn’t the case!

That isn’t to say there aren’t some songs on the album that I don’t particularly care for, but at least they’ve added some great ones. Wingman and Ghosts, for instance, are completely awesome rock songs. Highly intense songs that don’t go over the top, and not going over the top is very important if you don’t want to annoy people. Modern classics like The Bug and I’m So Happy are for those who get rocked most by lyrical prowess. All in all, expect to see this on my great albums of ‘08 list, assuming I ever get around to making one!

From The Interiors
Wingman - (MP3, 4.9 MB)

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Ho ho ho, it is that time once again where I write about a bunch of enjoyable artists that don’t have too many songs posted around on the wild woolly world, or the Internet as it is better known. I tend to take extended hiatuses and then do a flurry of posts, as if to make up for it. We probably lost three of our regular readers in the last hiatus, which is probably about half of them. Maybe those writers I brought on board to fill in these gaps will do something, eh? But until then, enjoy the tunes as they come in.

Fern Knight - Sundew - (MP3, 4 MB)

While checking my e-mail one day, quite some time ago, I was quite excited to see an e-mail from Margie Wienk. For those of you who do not nerd out on folk music quite so much as I do, she was on Espers’ debut album, and on my favorite Greg Weeks album, Blood Is Trouble. Anyhow, Ms. Wienk herself is a band called Fern Knight, which I hadn’t really paid much attention to, which I felt somewhat ashamed for after listening to the song she included in the e-mail, Sundew. You owe it to yourself to check it out if you dig modern, but traditional, folk music.

Jeri Rossi - I Left My Heart But I Don’t Know Where - (MP3, 3.2 MB)

I’m not going to claim to know anything about this artist, but this song is absolutely outstanding. If you can make it past the first 25 seconds of weirdness, you can tell it’s about to kick into an awesome song… and it does! It sounds like 70s noisepunk, which apparently sounds awesome.

Man Man - Top Drawer - (MP3, 4 MB)

Man Man’s last album clocked in at a respectable #12 on our (well, my) best of 2006 list. Their latest album, where Top Drawer comes from, won’t make my best of 2008 list, but that’s because there’s not more songs like this on the album.

Maria Taylor - A Good Start - (MP3, 1.9 MB)

last.fm has been on my ass lately about recommending Maria Taylor, better-known as half as the band Azure Ray, to me lately. After finally getting her albums, I can see why. Enjoyable anti-folk.

Neko Case - If You Knew - (MP3, 5.7 MB)

I’m not sure why I didn’t fall in love with Neko Case the first time I heard her solo music, but regardless, I am thoroughly in love with it now. This song single-handedly got me over my last breakup, and for that, I am forever grateful.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Think I Wanna Die - (MP3, 3.9 MB)

This song is the only one I like on SSLYBY’s new album, but that’s OK. A paradoxically upbeat and catchy song with clearly a depressing theme.

Your Funeral - I Wanna Be You - (MP3, 2.5 MB)

Another artist I know nothing about. Either way, old punk music is great and anyone who thinks otherwise is just a damn goober.

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When I don’t write on here in a while, it usually means I’ve lost my normally impassioned love of music for the time being. Or I’m just lazy. This time, it is a combination of both. Either way, here is a post that may help to quench your thirst for musical knowledge. For our more devoted followers, it is no secret that I have a thing for ladies with sexy voices. On that note, Saint Bernadette’s singer is a sexy brunette with a soulful voice that makes my heart weep from pure, unadulterated joy. If that wasn’t enough (and it is for me), the songs themselves are similar enough to be catchy but not so much that they make you lose interest quickly. The ones from their new EP, I Wanna Tell You Something, are easily my favorites, but the ones from their debut, In The Ballroom, are no slouches either! All in all, a very enjoyable musical experience.

From I Wanna Tell You Something
Love Is A Stranger - (MP3, 4.3 MB)
One In A Million - (MP3, 4 MB)

From In The Ballroom
I Own The City - (MP3, 3.1 MB)
Sidestep - (MP3, 2.9 MB)

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I have not posted a mix since July last year, can you believe it? I barely could, even though procrastination is something I am quite skilled at. That is not a good thing, but better late than never. Enjoy the free songs, you slackers. You should try something more productive, like playing chess on a logride. You’ve probably never even thought about trying that, you were busy slacking so much.

British Sea Power - Waving Flags - (MP3, 5.7 MB)

This is a damned good song by a band I’d written off. Their debut was quite good, their follow-up sucked, and their latest has this song, so it can’t be all that bad. The song’s good enough to motivate me to check out the rest of the album, which is high praise coming from me.

Conner - Cold Feelings - (MP3, 5.9 MB)

It’s a catchy little tune, and while it sounds quite British, the band hails from Kansas. God bless America. Strangely enough, at the end, it starts to transform into another song, but gets cut off. It is kind of like one and a half songs in one.

De Rosa - New Lanark - (MP3)

This is quite low-key, and by that, I mean it will put Doug to sleep. It reminds me of a band I’d love to get back into by the name of Slut. Searching for their music can be rather challenging sometimes, as one might imagine.

Jon McKiel - War On You - (MP3, 4.7 MB)

McKiel’s voice reminds me a lot of David Bazan’s voice (of Pedro the Lion), which is a good thing, but still strange. The whole song reminds me of Pedro the Lion, actually.

Mazarin - Louise - (MP3, 5 MB)

Apparently it is passe or some such to write out lyrics to a song in a review, but I like them, so tough noogies. I’ve always had a soft spot for spiteful and cynical lyrics, so I loved “I know that you don’t care / So tell me why you ever acted like you did”. Not to mention the song itself is a pretty nice, slow, indie number.

Neil Leyton - Hyperventilating - (MP3, 3.2 MB)

This sounds like a high-energy Canadian indie-pop song, and that’s because that’s exactly what it is. Enjoyable, and I quite like the chorus.

Sgt. Dunbar & The Hobo Banned - Goin’ Nowhere - (MP3, 4.9 MB)

Not only is the name of this band outstanding, this is a good stoner rock song. It almost creates a new genre, indie-stoner-rock, but that title would just be ridiculous. Just listen to it and you should see what I’m saying.

Thao - Beat (Health, Life And Fire) - (MP3, 2.3 MB)

I don’t know why Thao Nguyen has decided to go by Thao, but if you like catchy folk-pop, you will like this song. Since I love catchy folk-pop, I love this song. In fact, I go slightly crazy for it.

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