Posts Tagged ‘Ambient’

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Fever Ray – "When I Grow Up" (2009)

2010/10/01


I put my soul in what I do
Last night I drew a funny man
with dark eyes and a hanging tongue

I take my work too seriously. I am the problem. I forget sometimes that you can cut the grass perfectly, but there is always that one rebellious blade and ultimately the grass is just going to grow wild again.

This past week has tweaked me a bit. Arguments with my coworkers over how things should be done, and then after giving up on that, a huge file server gone bad, leaving a huge mess for me to clean up, even though I had plenty to do beforehand. I need to reset the expectations placed upon me (largely by myself, I might add) and inform others of the reality. If they don't like it then maybe they should find me some assistance or replace me or something. They don't pay me enough to be their slave and I need my funny man drawing time.


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Click here for more info on Fever Ray – Fever Ray – "When I Grow Up".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

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Fireferns – "So Fine" (2010)

2010/09/04

Audio Stream: http://www.myspace.com/fireferns/music-player?sindex=-1.1&artid=42215227

Fireferns


I was away in Brooklyn, visiting a couple old friends, on an impromptu-ish visit this weekend. New York as a whole never ceases to amaze me. The cultural diversity is always impressive. Every type of person appears to be present, and living together. They pass each other on the street, if nothing else. The city is like a giant cultural blender and it spills over into music. I heard Caribbean, hip hop, jug band, accordion and so many other forms of music over the course of a single day, half of it live and freely performed with skill on the streets. It is easy to see why people become intoxicated with the city and can barely comprehend a life anywhere else.

And yet some things are just too much for me. Everything is a bit expensive. Places that are only a few miles away can take an hour to get to. People are everywhere all the time, making for a restlessness that can only be escaped via a small dwelling called home for those who live there. You have access to everything and nothing at the same time. Sure there are diners, restaurants, groceries, and shops of all sorts everywhere, but the one you like or want may be a 20 minute walk or subway ride away. Most places have a sense of being "used". Sometimes it grants a certain character, but other times it just appears worn out. And sometimes it is just dirty like the countless gum spots stuck on the sidewalks.

I was happy to go for the brief time I was there, and then happy to leave again. I live in a small quiet kind of town where the locals all know each other by name. At night you can walk in the middle of the road for a mile, and only occasionally have to step aside for a car to pass. Good luck doing that in Brooklyn.

As part of my trip I went to see Fireferns, a side project of sorts for its two members. They were included in a variety show at Pete's Candy Store, named "Golden Scraps". It was quite a bit of fun to have poetry and spoken word pieces intermixed with theatrics and music, Fireferns performing as one of the many acts. The evening had a fun, impromptu feel to it, making it real and personal. From what I understand, it was the first time Fireferns really performed for an audience of that size, and the first "Golden Scraps". It was also the first time I had spent any time other than a passing visit to Brooklyn. I had so fine a time, hopefully it won't be the last time for any of those things!


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Click here for more info on Fireferns – "So Fine".

The song may be heard over and over here…

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One EskimO – "Astronauts" (2009)

2010/07/12


I keep hearing this song and thinking I need to share it with you all. It has a soothing quality.

Similar to what Daft Punk did with their video album for "Discovery", almost all the songs on One EskimO's debut album, "One EskimO", have an animated video that is part of a larger story entitled "The Adventures of One Eskimo". You can watch the whole thing here:

http://www.thewb.com/shows/one-eskimo/a-dream-revealed/7d6c9b26-7f09-4f3a-b3d0-86434bd50308

It is hardly an new idea to team up with animators to make videos (I'm also looking at you Gorillaz, Evil Nine, Radiohead and a slew of others I don't have time to list) but clearly it is a trend that is here to stay and I think adds something very cool and different to the musical arts!


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Click here for more info on One EskimO – One EskimO – "Astronauts".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

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M83 – "Kim & Jesse" (2008)

2010/03/18


G and I saw M83 open for The Killers over a year ago. I thought they were very different and good for dream pop. Afterwards, about this time of year, a year ago I was listening to M83's "Saturdays = Youth" album quite a bit. It certainly does have a dreamy quality I wish I could hold on to through the day. I'd rather dream away some days than experience the stress and frustration. Reality is always lurking in the shadows of our dreams though.

Dream dressed in blue
It's all they need for now
And forever

Chased by the moon
They shatter their whole peace
With singing

Somebody lurks in the shadows
Somebody whispers
Somebody lurks in the shadows
Yeah yeah yeah


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Click here for more info on M83 – Saturdays = Youth – "Kim & Jesse".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

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Imogen Heap – "Swoon" (2009)

2010/01/12


I love those days when I have a song, especially a new song, (that I like), stuck in my head and just keep coming back to it to be tickled by it. I know tomorrow the tickle will likely have passed with the moment, and the song is unlikely to cause anything so vibrant again. For today though, the tickle is there, and the song is Imogen Heap's – "Swoon". I think it might just be the staccato climax of the "Let me be the – great – scott – tip – top – pit – stop – in your ocean!" line that has drawn me in.


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Click here for more info on Imogen Heap – Ellipse – "Swoon".

The MP3 may be purchased here…

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Album of the Week: Röyksopp – "Junior" (2009)

2010/01/08

Track 2: The Girl and The Robot:


Röyksopp. Many of you probably have never heard of them, but have likely heard their music. e.g. That song that plays in the Geico Caveman commercials when he is in the airport on the moving walkway… That's Röyksopp. The music for the startup video for Mac OS X 10.3… That's Röyksopp too. But those are on older Röyksopp albums. I'm here to talk about their 2009 album "Junior".

I already geeked out about the first song "Happy Up Here" and included the album at #3 on my "Top 10 Best Albums of 2009" list. Now I am adding "Junior" to my "Must Own Album" list.

In "Junior", Röyksopp combines the energy of dance or techno with the meditative calmness of ambient, all in a way that still seems accessible and pop-like. Perhaps that is the definition of "house" music, that they are frequently categorized as, and they fit well. The album has a playful quality in the lyrics and the videos too that only adds to my appreciation. I have to believe they do not take themselves too seriously. They are having fun and have produced something fun for us to listen too. I suggest watching the videos for "Happy Up Here" and "The Girl and The Robot" (below).

Also I love their use of electronic slurs and rasp sounds in several of the songs. Those sounds are more akin to sounds heard in video games or sound effects than music. I belkieve any kind of sound is eligible to be an "instrument" and experimenters are to be commended for ever expanding the notions of what is an "instrument" and what sounds can be used in "music". Bravo.

Here are my 5 favorites from the album, with "Happy Up Here" being my favorite and "The Girl and The Robot" being a very close 2nd.

Track 1: Happy Up Here

Track 2: The Girl and The Robot

Track 3: Vision One

Track 4: This Must Be It

Track 6: Miss It So Much

PS: I know I've been slacking on my album of the week selections. Hopefully with the holidays being over I will return to my weekly stride.


Click here for other album suggestions!

Click here for more info on Röyksopp – "Junior".

The MP3 album may be purchased here:

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Sasha – "Mr. Tiddles" (2002)

2009/10/14


I was in the midst of a techno & trance binge when Sasha's "Airdrawndagger" came out and it hit the spot. It set the bar so high for me, it effectively ended my binge. The entire album is worth a listen as though it were one continuous song, because there are no breaks between songs (as is frequently the case with a trance album). Of all the tracks on the album, I always think of this one as my favorite. The resonating ethereal beats and pings have a mesmerizing quality, and the song has an intricacy often lacking in trance.

Or perhaps the hypnosis has finally worked and I am now telling you, "buy now, pay later" … *grunt* … "listen to trance, forget what I said about zombie rock" … *grunt* *take one step* *drool* … *grunt grunt* … *eat brains* … *grunt*


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Click here for more info on Sasha – Airdrawndagger – "Mr. Tiddles".

The MP3 may be purchased here…