Albums of the year thus far...

C

Codreanu

Guest
Well into June, my selection remains Parker and Lily's "The Low Lows" released near the begining of the year.
http://www.parkerandlily.com/000musicTLL.html

My current infatuation is Picastro's "Metal Cares". Indeed, Liz Hysen might just be my new imaginary girlfriend, my chanteuse of despond, after Maria Taylor's disappointing release and Lisa Germano stopped returning my phone calls (j/k).

A review:

Picastro
Metal Cares
Polyvinyl Record Co.
posted June 6, 2005

Picastro's Liz Hysen is into dark sounds. Her debut album, Red Your Blues, was a raw, lo-fi recording that was hautningly beautiful, with Hysen's voice shining through a murky, sparse accompaniment. Her second album, Metal Cares finds her focusing even further on atmospheres rather than conventional songwriting. It's a mood record for bleak times, depressing days and sad thoughts, and it's not an upbeat listen in any sense of the word. Its grey, austere artwork accentuates the music within, instantly creating an aural rainy day whenever it's played. It's an ugly, dark record that might not spend a lot of time on your stereo, because its bleakness is simply overwhelming.

Comparisons might be made to Cat Power, but Picastro makes Chan Marshall look like Julie Andrews. Hysen has a deep, throaty singing voice, and it fits quite beautifully with Picastro's lush, moody arrangements. From the throaty, out-of-sync (and terribly distorted) vocals and piano combination on "Common Cold" to the naked, acoustic guitar folk of "Drama Man" and "Blonde Fires," Metal Cares is a startling record that's disturbing, due in part to her downright unintelligable singing. Vocals and instruments blend together; sometimes, Hysen's lyrics aren't very coherent, and when they are, they're just...disturbing.

With that in mind, it's also not unfair to say that it's this ugliness that makes Metal Cares oddly appealing. Whether it's the flighty, haunting violins and ethereal singing of "Raddy Daddy" or the utterly bizarre "Ah Nyeh Nyeh," where Hysen vocally intones sounds (though it's said that she's singing Russian lyrics) accompanied by a piano and violin, there's an appeal to Metal Cares that causes you to hit repeat, even after swearing that you just hated what you've heard. Is it a curiosity about having just heard something that's utterly bizarre? Is it that the music's ugly/beautiful? It's hard to say, because it seems both reasons are valid.

Metal Cares isn't an easy listen, nor is it something that you're likely to return to, but it's a record you won't soon forget, because it...is...WEIRD.

--Joseph Kyle

A couple of mp3s for the brave:

No Contest (7.03MB)
http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1UO8AZKS7ASEK2RBEA5LU4N68Y

Common Cold (1.89MB)
http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EBDU1FNP56763VUSUJM6K39PP

Other albums that have given me great pleasure:
Marissa Nadler - "The Saga of Mayflower May"
Remora - "Enamored"
Carissa's Wierd - "I Before E"
The Remote Viewer - "Let your Heart Draw a Line"
Hood - "Outside Closer"
The London Apartments - "Romanticism Aside"
Xiu Xiu - "La Foret"
Great Lake Swimmers - "Bodies and Minds"

Albums that have been tasted and found sweet:
Aarktica - "Bleeding Light"
Malcolm Middleton - "Into the Woods"
Damien Jurado - "On my Way to Absence"
Maria Taylor - "11:11"
Smog - "A River is too Much to Love"
Savoy Grand - "People and What they Want"
Montag - "Alone Not Alone"
The Books - "Lost and Safe"
L'altra - "Different Days"

Albums I have found repugnant:
Low - "The Great Destroyer"
Cerrato - "Me and You"

Albums relegated to critical limbo pending coming to terms:
Radar Bros. - "The Fallen Leaf Pages"
Skating Club - "The Unfound Sound"
Stuart Staples - "Luck Dog Recordings"
The Zephyrs - "Bright Yellow Flowers on a Dark Double Bed
 
Shout Out Louds - Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
Stars - Set Yourself On Fire
Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
 
The Tears "Here Come the Tears"
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds "B Sides and Rarities"
Morrissey "Live at Earls Court"

> Well into June, my selection remains Parker and Lily's "The Low
> Lows" released near the begining of the year.
> http://www.parkerandlily.com/000musicTLL.html My current infatuation is
> Picastro's "Metal Cares". Indeed, Liz Hysen might just be my new
> imaginary girlfriend, my chanteuse of despond, after Maria Taylor's
> disappointing release and Lisa Germano stopped returning my phone calls
> (j/k).

> A review:

> Picastro
> Metal Cares
> Polyvinyl Record Co.
> posted June 6, 2005

> Picastro's Liz Hysen is into dark sounds. Her debut album, Red Your Blues,
> was a raw, lo-fi recording that was hautningly beautiful, with Hysen's
> voice shining through a murky, sparse accompaniment. Her second album,
> Metal Cares finds her focusing even further on atmospheres rather than
> conventional songwriting. It's a mood record for bleak times, depressing
> days and sad thoughts, and it's not an upbeat listen in any sense of the
> word. Its grey, austere artwork accentuates the music within, instantly
> creating an aural rainy day whenever it's played. It's an ugly, dark
> record that might not spend a lot of time on your stereo, because its
> bleakness is simply overwhelming.

> Comparisons might be made to Cat Power, but Picastro makes Chan Marshall
> look like Julie Andrews. Hysen has a deep, throaty singing voice, and it
> fits quite beautifully with Picastro's lush, moody arrangements. From the
> throaty, out-of-sync (and terribly distorted) vocals and piano combination
> on "Common Cold" to the naked, acoustic guitar folk of
> "Drama Man" and "Blonde Fires," Metal Cares is a
> startling record that's disturbing, due in part to her downright
> unintelligable singing. Vocals and instruments blend together; sometimes,
> Hysen's lyrics aren't very coherent, and when they are, they're
> just...disturbing.

> With that in mind, it's also not unfair to say that it's this ugliness
> that makes Metal Cares oddly appealing. Whether it's the flighty, haunting
> violins and ethereal singing of "Raddy Daddy" or the utterly
> bizarre "Ah Nyeh Nyeh," where Hysen vocally intones sounds
> (though it's said that she's singing Russian lyrics) accompanied by a
> piano and violin, there's an appeal to Metal Cares that causes you to hit
> repeat, even after swearing that you just hated what you've heard. Is it a
> curiosity about having just heard something that's utterly bizarre? Is it
> that the music's ugly/beautiful? It's hard to say, because it seems both
> reasons are valid.

> Metal Cares isn't an easy listen, nor is it something that you're likely
> to return to, but it's a record you won't soon forget, because
> it...is...WEIRD.

> --Joseph Kyle

> A couple of mp3s for the brave:

> No Contest (7.03MB)
> http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1UO8AZKS7ASEK2RBEA5LU4N68Y Common
> Cold (1.89MB)
> http://s17.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0EBDU1FNP56763VUSUJM6K39PP Other
> albums that have given me great pleasure:
> Marissa Nadler - "The Saga of Mayflower May"
> Remora - "Enamored"
> Carissa's Wierd - "I Before E"
> The Remote Viewer - "Let your Heart Draw a Line"
> Hood - "Outside Closer"
> The London Apartments - "Romanticism Aside"
> Xiu Xiu - "La Foret"
> Great Lake Swimmers - "Bodies and Minds"

> Albums that have been tasted and found sweet:
> Aarktica - "Bleeding Light"
> Malcolm Middleton - "Into the Woods"
> Damien Jurado - "On my Way to Absence"
> Maria Taylor - "11:11"
> Smog - "A River is too Much to Love"
> Savoy Grand - "People and What they Want"
> Montag - "Alone Not Alone"
> The Books - "Lost and Safe"
> L'altra - "Different Days"

> Albums I have found repugnant:
> Low - "The Great Destroyer"
> Cerrato - "Me and You"

> Albums relegated to critical limbo pending coming to terms:
> Radar Bros. - "The Fallen Leaf Pages"
> Skating Club - "The Unfound Sound"
> Stuart Staples - "Luck Dog Recordings"
> The Zephyrs - "Bright Yellow Flowers on a Dark Double Bed
 
> Morrissey "Live at Earls Court"

"...Earls Court"! Miserere! Extinctus amabitur idem... *smites forehead*

More:

Albums that have given me great pleasure:
July Skies - "The English Cold"

Albums that have been tasted and found good:
South San Gabriel - "The Carlton Chronicles"
Static Films - "Love of Light"

Decent Albums:
Ainara LeGardon "Each Day a Lie"
Drowsy - "Growing Green"
Jason Anderson - "The Wreath"
Jacob Faurholt and Sweetie Pie Wilber - "Queen of Hope"

Albums relegated to critical limbo pending coming to terms:
Summer at Shatter Creek - "All the Answers"
Ida - "Heart Like a River"

Albums I have found repugnant:
Soltero - "Hell Train"
 
Cod....the PIMP's never even heard of one of these groups, not one. Glad you like them.
 
Right Let me thinK, here goes, in no partiCular order.

EditoRs, The BacK RooM...
AmbulanCe Ltd, Ambulance Ltd...
The DuKe SpiriT, Cuts Across The LanD...
The OtherS, The Others...
Sons and DaughterS, The Repulsion BoX..
Tears, Here CoMe the Tears...
The Wedding PresenT, Take FountaiN...
NiNe Black Alps, EverythinG Is...
The SubwaYs, YounG EternitY...
DoVes, Some CitieS...
 
> Right Let me thinK, here goes, in no partiCular order.

> EditoRs, The BacK RooM...
> AmbulanCe Ltd, Ambulance Ltd...
> The DuKe SpiriT, Cuts Across The LanD...
> The OtherS, The Others...
> Sons and DaughterS, The Repulsion BoX..
> Tears, Here CoMe the Tears...
> The Wedding PresenT, Take FountaiN...
> NiNe Black Alps, EverythinG Is...
> The SubwaYs, YounG EternitY...
> DoVes, Some CitieS...

I was gonna say...where are Doves & The Tears? Thanks, Betty for revised list.
 
> The SubwaYs, YounG EternitY...

My head is spinning round, I don't know what to do
When I pass out, I dream a little dream of you
And then every time I see you
You don't know my name
And then every time it's raining
You're the one to blame
My head is spinning round, I don't know what to do
If I'm so happy, I've got everything to lose
And every time I see you
You don't know my name
And now it's always raining
You're the one to blame

And every time I see you
You don't know my name
And now it's always raining

I want to hear what you, what you've got to say
I want to hear what you, what you've got to say
I want to hear what you, what you've got to say
I want to hear what you, what you've got to...
Say hey hey hey
 
Dungen - Ta Det Lungnt
The Rakes - Album
The Coral - The Invisible Invasion
Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock And Roll
Beck - Guero
LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Clor - Clor
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth
The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan

Oh, and Codreanu, if you like the albums you mentioned then I'm sure you'll like these too....

The Indies - Wild Imagination
Billy No-mates - Makin' Up Shit
Mojo Bore - The Top 40 Is For Children
Lonely - I Wouldn't Listen To This If I Had A Girlfriend
The Unpopulars - Pretentious Dickhead
Snobby f***ing Wanker - Yuk! Sting Smells!
 
> Oh, and Codreanu, if you like the albums you mentioned then I'm sure
> you'll like these too....

> The Indies - Wild Imagination
> Billy No-mates - Makin' Up Shit
> Mojo Bore - The Top 40 Is For Children
> Lonely - I Wouldn't Listen To This If I Had A Girlfriend
> The Unpopulars - Pretentious Dickhead
> Snobby f***ing Wanker - Yuk! Sting Smells!

Sorry, most popular music "says nothing to me about my life", thank God.

Otherwise, the DJs would hang THEMSELVES.
 
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