Let’s see. So Phoenix was on SNL and it was great like everyone knew it would be. (Phoenix not SNL unfortunately.) Also Chester French released a mixtape earlier today entitled Jacques Jams, Volume 1: Endurance but I haven’t had a chance to listen yet cause I am like… working and stuff. You know. So come back either tomorrow or Friday for my thoughts. I’m sure I will love and I just can’t help but have a huge crush on Max Drummey. I know, I know. But why should D.A. Wallach get all the attention?! Now what else can we talk about?
Because Bon Iver was just recently added to the Dark Was the Night show at Radio City Music Hall (In less than a month!!! GAH! Obviously I am going.) I have taken this opportunity to fall just that much more in love with Justin Vernon’s music and have been taking an extra special listen to the Blood Bank EP that was released back in January. The Music Blog was just taking its first tiny baby steps off the ground so please forgive my lapse in coverage. Stuff iLike did not even exist yet! Anyways, the title track begins with vocals reminiscent of Fleet Foxes but Vernon’s voice takes on an edge for the rest of the album that was not present in For Emma, Forever Ago and it’s spectacular. The last track “Woods” has been written about at great length already so I won’t bore you, suffice to say it’s truly hauntingly beautiful. In my opinion, it is Vernon’s challenge to all those who believed For Emma was a one-trick pony. Clearly he is an artist willing to experiment and Vocoder is perhaps the last thing I ever expected. And if he performs “Woods” at the show in May, I will most likely freak-out. Incidentally Blood Bank is named for one of my favorite episodes of Northern Exposure. Awesome continuation. Listen to the whole EP on Bon Iver’s MySpace. (Okay, and Vernon is playing a show with his highschool jazz band. Christ, that’s flipping cute.)
I’m not as quite enthusiatic as everyone else seems to be about Fever Ray, solo project of The Knife’s Karin Dreijer Andersson. It’s a bit dark for me but I tend to move more towards acoustic than ambient regardless. That being said, the track “Seven” is frickin’ excellent. It’s definitely one of the more upbeat songs on the self-titled LP, so take a listen over at her MySpace and tell me if you agree. I’m eager to hear others opinions about this artist. Let’s all disagree with Pitchfork! Haha, kidding kidding. They are one of my ever-so reliable sites.
The Thermals have a new video out for the title track of new album Now We Can See and it’s quite fun. I like watching Hutch Harris bounce around and I enjoy the flat, slightly mono-tone quality of his voice. The simple “whoa-a-oh-oh” chorus makes you want to jump in with the rest of the band. Over the years, their sound has grow more polished and while some might have an issue with this I actually enjoy it. Bands need to grow and change and I have never understood the adversity they face while trying to do so. It’s not as if The Thermals sound differs SO DRASTICALLY that it’s unrecognizable. Anyways, although Harris is the one unusually garnering a ton of attention for his on-stage antics, thoroughly deserved as he is an excellent front man, it is always Kathy Foster who catches my attention. A bass-wielding female is a rare and wonderful thing in my opinion, it doesn’t always seem to be the go-to instrument of choice for us ladies. Not only is she able to rock with the best of them, but she is also responsible for the percussion you here on Now We Can See as Westin Glass had not joined the group yet. (Similar situation to The Body, The Blood, The Machine.) I’ll be seeing this group next month and I cannot wait. I am going to try and drag my baby brother to the show.
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