BrntO4Life
My Aunt Ida Smokes.
Day Three
Day Three
Artist You Should Know: Slow Club
Slow Club is a guitar and drums duo from Sheffield, England. Comparisons to another popular drum and guitar boy-girl duo, Cults, have been tossed about endlessly, which is detrimental to describing Slow Club.
Both groups project the twee-pop vibe made popular by C86 and, much later, groups like Los Campesinos! and Black Kids. But where Cults is content to bask in the circular nature of pop, Slow Club take the odd left turn here and there.
Since 2006, they have only released two albums, 2006's Yeah So and 2011's Paradise.
Not going to talk about this album much, since it came out in five long years ago. However, I enjoyed it. Much folkier compared to the new album, which is neither good nor bad. Check it out some time.
Choice Cuts: "Giving Up On Love", "I Was Unconscious, It Was A Dream", "There Is No Good Way To Say I'm Leaving You", "Trophy Room", "Apples and Pairs", "Our Most Brilliant Friends"
http://soundcloud.com/anoraklondon/slow-club-giving-up-on-love
5 years. That's how long it took for Slow Club to make their sophomore album - and it shows. Whereas the first album was largely a folk affair with a little bit of crunch, Paradise branches off into a variety of genres like a Parisian traffic circle.
The opener, "Two Cousins" smolders for nearly four minutes. For some reason, the single piano note that pounds throughout the song really gets to me, especially around the 2:45 mark when it cuts straight up through the mix.
Unlike most other albums reviewed thus far, the back-half of the middle act is quite strong here and the album closer is fantastic.
Choice Cuts: "Two Cousins", "If We're Still Alive", "Beginners", "You, Earth or Ash", "Horses Jumping", "Half Drunk"
Also, I happened upon the Deluxe Edition, which comes with 6 extra songs on it . I would recommend finding it as "Half Drunk" and the acoustic version of "Two Cousins" are both excellent tracks.
http://soundcloud.com/popfrenzy/01-two-cousins-1
2011 Album You Need: The Rapture - In The Grace of Your Love
The Rapture may be one of my favorite groups of all time. Their first two albums, Echoes and Pieces of the People We Love were impenetrable monuments to dance-punk, equal parts shredding and pure boogie.
But then, the band went quiet. They suffered through in-fighting which led to the bassist departing.
I was worried when I read that singer Luke Jenner was going through a gospel phase, expecting the worst of artist experimentation. Now, I don't see how people can't be more excited for The Rapture than ever.
In The Grace of Your Love is amazing both for what it is and what is isn't. First off, it's not a dance-punk record. Hell, most of it isn't even a dance record. It's also not really a rock record.
What it is, though, is a public record of the a band's very personal tribulations from the previous five years. The loss of a band member, Jenner's reconciliation with being a father and losing his mother to suicide nearly simultaneously. It's a band all grown up, tired of their pigeonhole and doing something about it.
"Sail Away" is epically brooding. "Blue Bird" is a roller coaster of melancholy. "In The Grace of Your Love" in an unabashed love song set on a dark, drugged out dancefloor. "How Deep Is Your Love?" is a real dance track. No punk, just four-on-the-floor and saxophone.
Personally, "It Takes Time To Be A Man" is the track that cuts deepest. The blues-esque guitar line, twinkling piano and sax outro mix with shouted vocals about growing up that really make me stop and listen.
Choice Cuts: "Sail Away", "Blue Bird", "In The Grace of Your Love", "Children", "How Deep is Your Love?", "It Takes Time To Be A Man"
http://soundcloud.com/modularpeople/08-the-rapture-children
2011 Single/EP That Kills: Glass Candy - "Warm In The Winter"
Just so you know, Johnny Jewel, the mastermind behind Glass Candy, was supposed to score the soundtrack to the beloved Drive.
They are really fun (and loud) live and "Warm In The Winter" is a fantastic dance track. I've provided the EP, which has two songs and instrumental versions of those songs.
http://soundcloud.com/cossetgaleria/glass-candy-warm-in-the-winter
Sweet Music Video of 2011: Destroyer - "Kaputt"
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puu3IvKnSb4&ob=av2e"]Destroyer - Kaputt - YouTube[/ame]
This kid lives the coolest life imaginable.
Day Three
Day Three
Artist You Should Know: Slow Club
Slow Club is a guitar and drums duo from Sheffield, England. Comparisons to another popular drum and guitar boy-girl duo, Cults, have been tossed about endlessly, which is detrimental to describing Slow Club.
Both groups project the twee-pop vibe made popular by C86 and, much later, groups like Los Campesinos! and Black Kids. But where Cults is content to bask in the circular nature of pop, Slow Club take the odd left turn here and there.
Since 2006, they have only released two albums, 2006's Yeah So and 2011's Paradise.
Not going to talk about this album much, since it came out in five long years ago. However, I enjoyed it. Much folkier compared to the new album, which is neither good nor bad. Check it out some time.
Choice Cuts: "Giving Up On Love", "I Was Unconscious, It Was A Dream", "There Is No Good Way To Say I'm Leaving You", "Trophy Room", "Apples and Pairs", "Our Most Brilliant Friends"
http://soundcloud.com/anoraklondon/slow-club-giving-up-on-love
5 years. That's how long it took for Slow Club to make their sophomore album - and it shows. Whereas the first album was largely a folk affair with a little bit of crunch, Paradise branches off into a variety of genres like a Parisian traffic circle.
The opener, "Two Cousins" smolders for nearly four minutes. For some reason, the single piano note that pounds throughout the song really gets to me, especially around the 2:45 mark when it cuts straight up through the mix.
Unlike most other albums reviewed thus far, the back-half of the middle act is quite strong here and the album closer is fantastic.
Choice Cuts: "Two Cousins", "If We're Still Alive", "Beginners", "You, Earth or Ash", "Horses Jumping", "Half Drunk"
Also, I happened upon the Deluxe Edition, which comes with 6 extra songs on it . I would recommend finding it as "Half Drunk" and the acoustic version of "Two Cousins" are both excellent tracks.
http://soundcloud.com/popfrenzy/01-two-cousins-1
2011 Album You Need: The Rapture - In The Grace of Your Love
The Rapture may be one of my favorite groups of all time. Their first two albums, Echoes and Pieces of the People We Love were impenetrable monuments to dance-punk, equal parts shredding and pure boogie.
But then, the band went quiet. They suffered through in-fighting which led to the bassist departing.
I was worried when I read that singer Luke Jenner was going through a gospel phase, expecting the worst of artist experimentation. Now, I don't see how people can't be more excited for The Rapture than ever.
In The Grace of Your Love is amazing both for what it is and what is isn't. First off, it's not a dance-punk record. Hell, most of it isn't even a dance record. It's also not really a rock record.
What it is, though, is a public record of the a band's very personal tribulations from the previous five years. The loss of a band member, Jenner's reconciliation with being a father and losing his mother to suicide nearly simultaneously. It's a band all grown up, tired of their pigeonhole and doing something about it.
"Sail Away" is epically brooding. "Blue Bird" is a roller coaster of melancholy. "In The Grace of Your Love" in an unabashed love song set on a dark, drugged out dancefloor. "How Deep Is Your Love?" is a real dance track. No punk, just four-on-the-floor and saxophone.
Personally, "It Takes Time To Be A Man" is the track that cuts deepest. The blues-esque guitar line, twinkling piano and sax outro mix with shouted vocals about growing up that really make me stop and listen.
Choice Cuts: "Sail Away", "Blue Bird", "In The Grace of Your Love", "Children", "How Deep is Your Love?", "It Takes Time To Be A Man"
http://soundcloud.com/modularpeople/08-the-rapture-children
2011 Single/EP That Kills: Glass Candy - "Warm In The Winter"
Just so you know, Johnny Jewel, the mastermind behind Glass Candy, was supposed to score the soundtrack to the beloved Drive.
They are really fun (and loud) live and "Warm In The Winter" is a fantastic dance track. I've provided the EP, which has two songs and instrumental versions of those songs.
http://soundcloud.com/cossetgaleria/glass-candy-warm-in-the-winter
Sweet Music Video of 2011: Destroyer - "Kaputt"
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puu3IvKnSb4&ob=av2e"]Destroyer - Kaputt - YouTube[/ame]
This kid lives the coolest life imaginable.
