Beirut - Postcards from Italy

I had heard numerous mentions of Beirut but never really paid attention to them over the years. I say years, I really mean about two, so I was a bit surprised to discover Zachary Francis Condon had been knocking about since 2006. Debut effort in the form of Gulag Orkestar is something different. I’m not one for general folk themes, or world music, but this project is all about exploring. I don’t know how I feel about it.

The music itself is somewhat infectious, especially heard in Postcards from Italy, but for me, it’s Zacharys voice that is the true instrument of Beirut. From what I’ve read, he was only 19 or 20 whilst this album was made, but he has the voice of a rum-swigging 40 something that might have had too many cigarettes before he recorded this album. The major let down of this album is the track Scenic World. It sounded out of place, completely, something the likes of that guy Owl City would make. Disappointing really. Put that aside though, and I’ve got an album I can appreciate.

Postcards from Italy had to be the stand out track. That dreamy, floaty guitar intro coupled with Zacharys voice has a summery haze about it, backed up with a bit of a stomping background. The horns are perfect.

Beirut - Gulag Orkestar

(May, 2006)

Song of Week Fourteen Album

Unfortunately, I cannot get a decent version of In My Life for an audio post on this blog, so I will have to make do with just linking it via YouTube. I dislike this because it ruins the uniformity of my blog! Ah. Oh well. Here’s the link: http://goo.gl/Hmas

Out of a record that has numerous tracks I could choose as favourites, I went for In My Life. I’m not too sure why. It’s probably the short riff that is brought in at the start and played sporadically throughout. It just sounds lovely. Reminds me of Under The Bridge or something. It annoys me that some of my favourite riffs or intros are so short. In My Life does that, but redeems itself.

I had never really given The Beatles a real go, bar having their “1” album, which I guess doesn’t really count for anything. I was fed up of reading and hearing people say they are overrated and yadda yadda, so I wanted to see for myself. Although I knew I wasn’t really doing it justice by listening to only one of their albums… Maybe I might make an exception to the rule and listen to more of their albums through the 52 weeks…

The Beatles - Rubber Soul

(December, 1965)

Russian Circles - Station

Russian Circles are a band hailing from Chicago and they are coming to the bar where I work in just under a week or so. I decided that this would be a good opportunity to check them out and see what they were like.

I was impressed. I can’t say I listen to instrumental post-rock music a lot at all, the closest would be Explosions in the Sky, but even at that, I don’t own any of their albums. I anticipated this to be a bit difficult to get into, but I think I’ve found a genre in which I appreciate, especially that of Russian Circles.

It was thusly a pleasant surprise to find the track Station, which has a stomping, fist rising attitude to it. The riff is heavy and really comes at you. I like it. Although I do often wonder how vocals would work with such music. I’d probably go with a safe bet and keep it as it is. Proper heavy track which could be a part of a workout compilation of sorts.

Russian Circles - Station

(May, 2008)

I simply cannot express how upsetting this documentary is. I will not review this. Please, watch it. Do not research it. Just watch.

Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure

I had to go with the title track for this weeks favourite song. What A Pleasure brings a lovely duo of flat bass creating the background, over layed with jangly guitar lines. I kinda visualise it as the bass being the background colours, the emulsion paint to the walls, and the guitar the detailed final colouring. Quite a number of songs from this album have this same format.

I feel that the vocals of Dustin Payseur are completely detached from this music. If the bass is the background, he’s somewhere out the back having a quick fag. That’s not to say I don’t like them, I just wonder if they had more prominence, would I like his voice as much. Either way, this is a stand out track, followed closely by Calyer, which is lovely.

Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure

(March, 2011)

You know what? I had been looking forward to this movie since I saw a trailer around last summer. I think it had cropped up before going to see Transformers 3 or something like that. It looked good. It looked scary.

So, having a peek at IMDb, rating it at 3.6/10 and Metacritic, a desperate 18/100; these scores scream “I’m a shit film!” at even the most average of cinema goer. But I admit, I enjoyed it. Putting the streams of pubescent delinquents aside and their warped view of what cinema etiquette is, I was scared by the film. It was deeply unsettling.

It uses the found footage aspect, akin of [REC] and Blair Witch Project, which I did not actually know was going to happen. As with these types of films, certain things are to be expected: long pauses with a loud bang, or face jumping at you and so on. It ticked this box. But I feel the film would have been viewed better as a “proper” film, as in filmed as a film, not found footage - as if we are to believe these events truly happened.

The only cheapening time of this movie is when a rather large dog jumps out of nowhere, completely unexpected, during a time of light heartedness and no tension. I find that movies that are generally a bit dump rely on things like this to just scare the audience meaninglessly, which never really works on me. I didn’t like that The Devil Inside did that.

Regardless, I liked this film. It is not a hugely scary film that should find its way to your DVD collection, but rather, a second rate “Oh, I know a film that might scare you” recommendation to your friends, for them to rent or download. Still, worth a watch and a fright.

Chromeo, why hadn’t I heard of them before? It was only after a recent chat about this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaI0LWcYvnU that I realised how much I wanted to listen to them. After doing a bit of snooping, I decided that they shall fill the boots of Week Eleven Album.

Electrofunk. Electro and funk. Two great genres combined. Add a splash of 70s and 80s throwback and you’ve got Chromeo. A duo of Canadians who know how to bring a beat together and make you smile.

Their opening track of “Hot Mess” is a decent enough opener, but I feel it is slightly marred by the cockney woman spewing a bit of nonsense every now and then. Still, that aside, it’s a great track, giving a glimpse of what is about to come: Synths. Pop. Disco. Funk. Dancing.

I decided to go with Night By Night as my Song of Week Eleven Album. It brings in a sprinting bass line, reminiscent of some California beach racing game in an arcade somewhere in sunny America. It would do well as to feature on the soundtrack to Drive, if only to break up it’s dark vibe throughout, and bring some serious joy into that fictional world. It’s topped off with a grandiose guitar solo. This track breathes nostalgia. Excellent.

Chromeo - Business Casual

(Septemeber, 2010)

Tennis - Marathon

After a week of listening to Real Estate, I was happy to carry on for another week, but had to stick true to my project and move on to another album. I had to make sure it was of the same essence: light, airy, bright and summery. This is what Tennis has achieved. The Tennis duo, husband and wife, Alan and Patrick, bought a boat and sailed along the East coast of America. Everything about this album is thickly coated in a duvet of years gone by, the album cover, the sound, even the name of Tennis. Everything feels… retro to some, nostalgic to others. I like it. A very tight knit album, coming in just under or over 30 minutes, it’s a quick breath of fresh sea air.

Marathon was the stand out track for me. The finger clicking and smooth vocals opening brings you in to a track I can only describe as ‘just lovely’. Have a listen. Believe you are in the summer, if you aren’t already. Smile. Fun.

Tennis - Cape Dory

(January, 2011)

Real Estate - It’s Real

Out of an album that just gives and gives, I chose the song which just pips so many others as my favourite track. It’s short, sweet, almost delicate, with a lovely looping jangly riff giving a serious but light, airy summery vibe. It makes me smile, along with nearly every other track of Days. I am so pleased to come across this band. Although I am only week nine into my project and it being only the third month of 2012, this shall almost certainly be my summer track of choice. Just lovely.