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Here is a selection of this issue’s book reviews.
Faile: Prints and Originals 1999-2009
Article is now a music blog….. Joke! That would be wank. But some record labels were like, “d’yer want some mp3s to put on yer site?” and we were like, “cool.” So we have some music reviewed and some mp3s to give away. Here’s some quality new releases we’ve picked that’ll be on shelves/amazon soon.
1. The Hundred in The Hands - The Hundred in the Hands (Warp Records) - released 20th September
Really, I’m down with all the washy Balearic chillwave stuff that seems to be coming out of the States right now. But sometimes, you just want a beat. NYC’s The Hundred in the Hands self-titled debut is a luscious combination of intimate narrative vocals, huggable guitar riffs, knee-jerk disco beats and analogue synths. Leading in with Moroder-style arpeggiators, opening track ‘You Aren’t Young’ declares the album’s post-disco sensibility. Single ‘Pigeons’ is a pop gem, with chasms of synthesiser and driving bass. But it is the contrast of indie guitar riffs over four-four dance rhythms and synth fills on ‘Commotion’ that make it a candidate for the album’s best track. THITH are refreshing, sounding like little else right now. Dress it up as you will, this is pure pop.
9/10
2. Summer Camp - Young EP (Moshi Moshi Records) - released 6th September
Opening a release with oceanic swelling synths really seems to be the done thing lately. So the first track on Summer Camp’s Young EP, ‘Round the Moon,’ feels pretty on trend. Regardless of your preferences towards fashion, the song kicks off what is otherwise a marvellous EP. Fuzzy guitars, tambourines, vocal quivers, seaside organs and lo-fi drums come together in a dreamy end-of-summer six song cluster. The dull scenes and feelings of being lost at a boring hipster party described in ‘Veronica Sawyer’ are familiar experiences, with the beautifully sung bridge, ‘I’ve got so much more than this,’ voicing a sentiment no doubt recognisable to many of us. Perfect for leaving summer behind and heading back to school, the Young EP is full of woozy nostalgia for girls that were too good looking for you, memories of parties you don’t really remember, and general summer time romance.
7/10
3. Tamaryn - The Waves (Mexican Summer) - released 14th September
In some ways, listening to this debut LP by San Franciscan singer-producer duo Tamaryn is like taking a ride through a reverberating cave of nineties nostalgia. Shoe-gazey haze and whispering drum beats, reminiscent of Slowdive, form its bedrock, particularly conspicuous on ‘Choirs of Winter.’ At the same time, Tamaryn’s vocals evoke those of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval, perhaps if she were audacious enough to take a couple of steps out of the shadows of timidity and towards the sunlight of the cave mouth. And ‘Love Fades,’ a dark and heady song, one of the LP’s poppier tracks, sounds like something from the soundtrack to that sordidly seductive late-nineties film Cruel Intentions. This isn’t to say Tamaryn are derivative throwbacks; it seems that here they’ve created an almost timeless atmosphere. Theirs is a sun-drenched desert landscape against which guitars gently lap, and at times crash, over one another in lulling layers. Living up to its title, The Waves provides fitting headphone fodder to float along on carefree… especially during late-night, post-pint commuter train rides home alone. At nine tracks in length, the risk of death by drowning is here limited; were it any longer you might never re-emerge from the depths.
7/10
4. El Guincho - Pop Negro (Young Turks) - released 13th September
Over recent months El Guincho has attracted countless comparisons to Animal Collective. These are valid to an extent: he’s into percussion and has a vocal likeness to Panda Bear. But Pop Negro, his second LP, is poppier, and more consistently bopper, than any Animal Collective, and doesn’t reach the same levels of psychedelic ambience or sonic build-up. And his lyrics are Spanish. Hailing from the Canary Islands, El Guincho creates a sun-drenched beach party atmosphere. I see tanned Europeans swaying around a BBQ, San Miguel in hand, to the jangly steel drums of ‘Bombay,’ and chanting in unison to the blissful ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’ of ‘Ghetto Facil.’ Though the fusion of international styles and rhythms, from calypso to tribal chanting, makes for an interesting listen, El Guincho offers no respite at his party, and it is at times difficult to distinguish one track from another. Perhaps its failure to make more of a lasting impression on us is largely down to this uptempo beach party vibe feeling kind of irrelevant in our current context. Looking out at the backdrop of grey Yorkshire skies following an aborted summer, El Guincho’s positivity, unfortunately, is more envy-inducing than escapist.
5.5/10
5. How To Dress Well - Love Remains (Lefse) - released 21st September
It took me a while to get over my prejudice against silly stage names and give this a listen; when I did, my initial thought was that my speakers were broken. Somewhere within I could make out the sound of pop music, but, overcast as it is in a cloud of fuzz and crackle, not in any conventional sense of the term. This is an experimentation in super lo-fi, distorted r’n’b. With Tom Krell’s voice (to use his name proper) muffled on tracks like ‘Ready for the World,’ you wonder whether anyone conscious is present, or whether you’re hearing someone making sounds in their sleep next-door. This sense of distance and emptiness is mirrored in the lyrics, which, when deciphered, are mournful and longing. Take for example the recurring motif of rain: track names ‘Escape Before the Rain’ and ‘Endless Rain,’ and a rare sing-along moment with lyric ‘I was hoping for the rain, I was hoping for you,’ on ‘My Body.’ A potentially alienating record at first, this deserves perseverance. The vocals, though at times barely-there, really are beautiful (in a similar, pained vein as those of The Antlers or Bon Iver) and once you’ve checked your speakers and given it a few listens, that fuzziness seems less troublesome. Plus, featuring a song to the stripped-down tune of Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love,’ surely the worst it can be is intriguing.
8/10
You Won’t Need Me Where I’m Goin’
A few weeks ago we posted some of the nice reviews and things people have said about the last issue. Since then we’ve had a few more!
Linefeed Reading List 08/10 from Michael Bojkowski on Vimeo.
Line Feed
It was really flattering to make the Linefeed August Reading list with so many other great magazines. I think we’re in good company with Gym Class, Sup and Fire and Knives! The review is above in video form. We are at about 9:55
State of Independents
SoI is a blog/research-project/magazine about independent magazines. We posted them a copy and they gave us this lovely review. If you have a chance, fill in their survey about your magazine consumption habits. You have until August 20th.
Oh my days, there is a lot coming up this month. Once again, sorry for this blog post coming up late. We try to be on it. Anyway, better late than never. Here’s Article’s Sheffield guide for February.
1. Love Bytes - Sonic Materialities
The city wide festival of digital arts kicks of this month. There are all sorts of interesting treats of varying geekyness to look out for. In particular, Friday Feb 12 the Millennium Gallery will see sound art perfomances by artists Francisco Lopez, Russell Haswell, and Mark Fell. Oh, and its free. Check their website for more.
2. Dead Ends - The Moor
If you’ve walked up the Moor any time in the last year, you will have noticed the empty shop windows being used as exhibition spaces. A new installation on the Moor is by photographer Theo Simpson. Dead Ends explores the position of unemployment by looking at slips thrown down at the Job Centre.
3. Bloc Projects Presents: Bloc International Billboard: Peace Near the Black Sea
Turkish artist Ipek Yeginsu, Peace Near the Black uses photography to “pay tribute to the lost fishermen, to the lonely hearts missing their beloved ones, and to the Black Sea’s grandiose past full of heroic myths.”The billboard is up until the 28th of February.
4. Nocturnal by Brown Owl
Showcasing the work of poster designer Brown Owl, the Nocturnal exhibition at the Forum will feature a limited edition screen prints. Check it. Boom.
5. Kid Acne South Yorks T-Shirt
Stand up, be proud. Like most men in their early twenties, we love t-shirts designed by street artists. This is no exception. Sweet.
6. A Mapplethorpe Response: Toilet Tour
Not sure what this is, but I think you get to graffiti the toilets of the following places on these dates:
The Lescar- Tuesday 16th February
Varsity- Wednesday 17th February
Corporation- Friday 19th February
More info on the link
Please forward anything you might think should be listed to: [email protected]
Every year since 2003 the BBC has climbed down the nations chimney and bestowed upon us the acts which show the most promise in the upcoming year. In the past it has belched out such talents as Mika, Lilly Allen and Franz Ferdinand. In short, by choosing artists with financial and industry backing, its always right. So how does 2010 shape up? Hayden Woolley casts a critical gaze over the musical landscape of the next 12 months.
Just for a change these guys are influenced by……… 80’s electropop. Another self-conciously arty band, the sort which the record-buying public almost never warm to. They seem like the sort of guys who have considerably more photo-shoots than songs, posing as they are in all their hautre-couteur glory . The song is of little importance I suppose, they are a band in the same way that Never Mind the Buzzcocks is ‘a quiz.’ I think its all a ploy, somewhere along the way a major label have their hand up these guys asses, and they’re tickling their prostates until they spunk money everywhere
Sometimes you get these really forward-thinking, talented young musicians who have absolutely zero money producing DIY budget-house that blows other shit out the water. This sounds like it was recorded in a bread bin and its all the better for it. The home-made percussion, the distant woozy vocals, the vintage-vinyl quality. This is great. More please.
Alan Sugar – “Right, I’m giving you lot ten grand to go start a band. I want it a bit of old fashioned razzmatazz, a glitzy affair. You’ll be required to do a PowerPoint presentation of why I should buy your product at 6pm tomorrow in front of a room of record company execs. Nick and Margaret are watching you all the way with this one, I want you to go out and make me some hard earned cash. I don’t care if its soulless shit, just get in the bloody taxi!”
(serves one small appetite)
Take one portion of Postal Service and castrate thoroughly, carefully removing all bones. Dilute with four parts tepid rose water and leave to soak overnight, preferably in front of a clouded window to aid quiet introspection.
In the morning, rouse, ensure subject has developed an affected American whine so rhotic the songs practically spherical, and wipe down with one of those Primary School Kids drawings Teatowels things. You know the ones. Add mandatory Casio noodlings and stir until twee-er than two ragdolls on a houseboat.
Oi, OC - 4 letters - M T F U
Rox is 30% more coffee-table than an entire coffee-table constructed only of Sade CD’s. In fact, if coffee tables were sentient and possessed a taste in music, this is probably what they’d listen to. This is music suitable for divorcees only. Those who can but look up to advertisers and say ‘Please Sir, target my demographic and tell me what to like.’ You may come to recognise her at the rear-end of next years Brit awards nominations. She’s the half-Jamaican half-Iranian one with a soulful voice whose this years Amy Winehouse. OK? Good.
If you’re lucky enough to have a Dad with a well-established beard then he might take you to a real-ale festival. At that real-ale festival you might witness a jovial bunch of musicians who tour around rural pastures playing old-fashioned songs for old-fashioned souls to nod their heads in appreciation to whilst sipping their pint of Bishop’s Todger. With banjo solo’s and bovine-songs, that band are Stornoway. What the fuck they’re doing on this list is anyone’s guess.