Emily's Albums A to Z

Listened: Friday July 2

As I mentioned before, Matthew Jay’s life was cut short too soon and he released little during his living years. In the course of this project I’ve discovered that there have been some posthumous releases besides Draw and Four Minute Rebellion; I’ll have to check those out.

I really love the cover photograph for its simplicity of texture interrupted only by the stone. It also vaguely resembles some sort of video game.

The song Four Minute Rebellion is really lovely, a great observation of the joys and pain of being a teenager. I love “Why are you staring at me? You’re breaking my nose from twenty-five feet.”

Louie is particularly haunting, considering how Matthew might have ended his life intentionally “Louie, are you looking for a meaning, I see how you struggle for some time, you’re never in a state that I can talk any sense to, oh Louie, don’t do it, don’t break your mother’s heart.” Incredibly moving to hear it put so bluntly; you wish he had listened to his own lyrics!

Listened: Friday July 2

I think Bon Iver and Jim James got their voices from the same place.  I can hear shades of Fleet Foxes too. Clearly beard rock is in full force.

Bon Iver picked a good pseudonym too – his music sounds like a lovely winter. Crisp, spare, and sharp. I love that you can hear the fingers sliding over the guitar strings. Another album I need to add to more frequent rotation.

Listened: Thursday July 1

Amongst hardcore Belle and Sebastian fans Fold Your Hands is considered to be inferior to prior releases, but I don’t get that at all.

I think some of Stuart Murdoch’s most beautiful singing can be found on this album. I Fought In A War, The Model, Don’t Leave the Light on Baby… they’re all fabulous.

And the lyrics… who doesn’t love singing “It’s been a bloody stupid day”? The Chalet Lines never ceases to move me with its tale “full of woe”. There’s Too Much Love is one of my favorite B&S songs – the rocking strings never fail to get me wiggling.

Beyond the Sunrise really bugs me though, I have to admit. It’s weird, and not in a good way. Stevie doesn’t need to be singing that low.

Listened: Thursday July 1

I love me some Beirut. The strings/horns/accordions give some nice gypsy flair to rock music and is quite a unique sound. The Flying Club Cup is very much influenced by French chansons, though. Which is great in my book, since I also love Edith Piaf.

This album is kind of a mashup of several different styles I never thought anyone would put together. Romantic, lovely, and booty-shaking all at once.

Listened: Thursday July 1

I don’t think FOTC get enough credit for their musicianship. Yes these songs are funny, but they’re also very well crafted musically. Inner City Pressure could easily be a legit 80s revival song on the radio right now. Boom is super-catchy, and actually isn’t that comedic if you read it straight.

My introduction to FOTC came from my co-worker Kristine several years ago on a company retreat. We were singing Robots for the rest of the trip. I quickly caught up on all the episodes when I got home and was in love.

Bowie never fails to crack me up – Jemaine’s impersonation of him on the show was one of the more surrealistic moments that somehow managed to be totally captivating in its bizarreness. Plus for some reason the idea of the “freaky old bastard” having nipple antennae is off the charts funny to me.

I’ve seen FOTC live a couple times now, and they’re some of the most audience-responsive performers I’ve ever had the pleasure to see. Audiences yelling provocative things at them end up making the show even funnier, as they are very quick with hilarious responses to everything. I definitely get the impression they’ve found their calling in life.

Listened: Thursday July 1

The only way I can describe my first experience with the Fleet Foxes album is that it felt alive. From the opening notes I knew it was something special; only a handful of albums have had that effect on me in my life. The harmonies and reverb are breathtakingly beautiful, and the music feels warm and fuzzy, like it was recorded on old fashioned equipment.

Once I put this album on, it’s very hard to stop it until it’s finished. It draws you in and doesn’t let go until the last strains of Oliver James. This song is very central to their live show, as it’s usually performed acapella without amplification.

The Foxes are currently recording their second album, and I can hardly wait for more, though really this album hasn’t gotten old at all; it’s still as fresh as it ever was.

Listened: Thursday July 1

I first heard of Nick Drake about 10 years ago when Pink Moon was on a Volkswagen commercial. I liked the song but I never quite got over the hump of investigating more. But I remember that was the beginning of the great Nick Drake popular resurgence amongst music writers and fans.

Woody loaned me Five Leaves Left and right away its quiet, lovely folk music blew my mind. Nick was only 20 years old when he recorded this, but you would never guess – his voice and the music are so mature sounding. The music is very timeless too; it’s not easy to tell this album is 40 years old.

The man only lived 6 years after this album was released, which is stunning. What else could he have done?

Listened: Wednesday June 30

Cornelius gets his name from a character in Planet of the Apes and his production group is called the Orangu-Tang Clan, which is kind of a cute play on the Wu-Tang Clan. He’s like the Japanese Beck – lots of grooving samples with light rapping in Engrish laid down over them.

I bought Fantasma back in college because it was the “in thing” at the time. As with Beck, I never really became a huge fan though. This album is fun to listen to, and decent to work to, but I never got hooked. It walks the line between art project and music, and sometimes things like that are hard to become a true fan of, since they’re not one or the other.

Listened: Wednesday June 30

The top of my head was blown off when I first heard Girl Talk. Firstly, there is the shortest-attention-span-ever samples (an exhaustive catalog of all the samples is here) constantly challenging you to identify all the sounds you’re hearing (as a music nerd I can recognize most, if they’re longer than 1 second). Then there are the vulgar rap samples laid over the top, which beg you to sing along even though you can’t believe what you’re singing.

This album convinced me even more that normal rap production blows. I can’t get into too many rap artists because what they’re rapping over is such crap or distracts too much from the lyrics. Much of the lyrics here are the usual boasts, but I was able to appreciate the poetry some of it because I could actually understand it.

Girl Talk is great live. I saw him at the Treasure Island fest, and his live mixed music is the epitome of giving the audience what they want; everyone screams when they recognize a new sample, and especially when it’s mashed up with something unexpected, which is most of the time. I wouldn’t mind seeing him again for a longer set.

Listened: Wednesday June 30

The Fawn is another gift from Woody’s brother Glen. It’s very groovy and of high musical quality, but at the same time very mellow. A great “soundtrack for being busy around the house” and good for working, since it’s both mellow and groove-attention-holding.