Air

This has probably been done to death, but just in case this coffin needs another nail, the new Air album isn't half bad.

Once you start doing a little research into french music and the influences of these guys it becomes apparent how much they love their influences. Now wearing your heart on your sleeve is not necessarily a bad thing. And in the case of Air they tread some delightful territory with their homages. Yet, spend some time with Serge Gainsborough's work particularly the History de Melody Nelson and you will listen to Premiers Symphonies with new ears.

One of the most enjoyable albums of my recent memory has been their Late Night Tales. A dream of a mix tape in the old sense. Remember when you made mix tapes for a friend, or girl you liked? Favorite tracks that somehow flowed together in a weird wonderful way. Stoner rock next to new wave. The Cure on the same side of tape as Black Sabbath? Good stuff.

In any case this all goes back to a track I wanted to play from the new album Pocket Symphony.

Air - Night Sight

Matthew Dear

I was trawling about the internets, checking old spots and updating myself on the state of the world, as is my habit on weekday mornings. After a long absence philip sherburne has started posting again on a semi regular basis. Having been off the techno tip for a while now it was interesting to catch up and best of all hear about a new album coming out by Matthew Dear.

I really liked Leave Luck to Heaven when it came out. With Junior Boys first album it seemed to presage a return to romantic new wave sounds that in fact have come back into fashion. Imagine my surprise when I read sherburne's depiction of the new album, and better yet Yancy's more fully realized piece. Yancy also gracefully provides a link to a streaming version of the new single Deserter.

Great song, not track, but song. It really reminds me of some of the really late period Joy Division where they were already beginning to mutate into New Order musically but still had Ian Curtis singing for them. The music is sparkling and beautiful with that great mournful deep voice over the top. Scott Walker occasionally hits the same areas and it is a beautiful place.

enjoy and look forward to the upcoming album.

Matthew Dear - Deserter

Justine D.

Back again are the guys from I get rvng with their latest mix cd from the beautiful Justine D.
Now ordinarily I don't like mix cds, I want the full tracks to add to my collection so that I can quickly forget about who compiled the music and simply add to my ever expanding collection. However, once in a while something shows up that so defines the zeitgeist that I have to give my grudging respect and just jam to it.

This is one of those cds. With the recent proliferation of "new wave" bands on my space such as Glass Candy, the Chromatics and Farah a collection such as this was inevitable and since it speaks to my youth so successfully, quite enjoyable. Just check the tracklisting.

01. Robert Fripp & Brian Eno - Swastika Girls
02. The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds (7" Mix)
03. My Bloody Valentine - Soon (Andrew Weatherall 12" mix)
04. Shocking Blue - Acka Raga
05. Nitzer Ebb - Warsaw Ghetto
06. Turntablerocker - Love Supreme (Reduce to the Dub)
07. Daniel Wang - Like Some Dream (I Can't Stop Dreaming)
08. Ministry - All Day Remix
09. Glass Candy - I Always Say Yes
10. The Cars - Moving In Stereo
11. Hot Chip - No Fit State
12. Arthur Russell- Make 1,2
13. Chic - I Want Your Love
14. Delia Gonzalez & Gavin Russom - Black Spring
15. David Bowie - 1984
16. Crass - Walls
17. Malaria! - Kaltes Klares Wasser
18. Human League - Marianne
19. Christian Death - Romeo's Distress
20. Death In June - Nation
21. Goblin - Suspiria
22. Syd Barrett - Love You
23. The Zombies - Don't Go Away

Goblin, Delia & Gavin, Bowie, Chic, Ministry and an Andrew Weatherall remix of My Bloody Valentine! What more does a growing boy need?

What I can't figure out is how the guys from Igetrevng break even on this stuff. Five bucks for a cd is not much and each one is wrapped in a handmade case.
I have not listened to Diamond Dogs and particularly love the Bowie track on this compilation. 1984 is awesome!



Follow the links above to the myspace pages of Farah and Glass Candy for some choice free tracks.

Yoko

Once again thanks to the mechanizations of Andrew(Lovefingers), I have new respect for an old artist. He recently posted a remix he did (I believe) of one of Yoko Ono's tracks. Called "Triple Fantasy" it really knocked my socks off. Melodic, wistful and downright hooky I could not stop listening to it. It appears that he has now taken it down, but expect it to pop up somewhere soon. Something that good can not simply live scattered on hard drives forever, vinyl demands it.

After getting caught up in his remix I rethought my position on Yoko. Brought up by rabid Beatles fanatics does not give one a very fond mental image of her, but we must all one day confront our prejudices and this one was profoundly ridiculous. A pioneering artist in her own right before she met John, Yoko went on to perform music well on par with anything else available at the time. I just needed to open myself to its charms.

I hope these two tracks do for you what they did for me. Not the most obscure, but still great

Yoko Ono - Walking on thin Ice

Yoko Ono - Kiss Kiss Kiss

Out of date

This album made a comeback a few years ago in a big way. Everyone from The Rapture to The Futureheads cited it as a pivotal record in terms of their sound. I guess I missed out at the time. Being contrary and cheap can have its advantages though. By delaying gratification for a few years the fruit, in my mind, has just grown that much sweeter.

It took Sophia Coppala's film Marie Antoinette to really turn me on to a track from here. Although I didn't really like the movie all that much, her use of "Natural's Not in It" to characterize Marie's problems with spending was one of the most precise uses of music to document image ever.

Learn the words and apply them to your life. Its always good to view your day to day capitalist existence with a touch of irony and removal.

Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It