From the depths of my external hard drive: Tell Me How It Feels

The Sweetest Ache - Tell Me How It Feels

("Tell Me How It Feels", Sarah Records, 1990)

 

♥ illustration by Vane Kosturanov ♥

Last.fm Recommendation: Speedmarket Avenue

Last.fm tags: indie, pop, swedish, twee

Recommended because of: Lacrosse, The Sound of Arrows, Stars in Coma

Just in case you missed it last time, here's the deal. Once a week (approximately) we will listen to Last.fm's personalized recommendations, pick our favourite band from what we hear and feature it on our blog. Simple & fun.

 

Speedmarket Avenue released an album through Elefant Records in 2008, called Way Better Now. Now Elephant Records happens to be one of my favourite labels, and I still managed to miss this. I imagine that a lot of other people did, as well. Here's your chance to catch up.

 

Download: Sirens

Download: Way Better Now

Sin Canciones

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As you probably read in the last post, my beloved fellow co-blogger (also known as Steven in this thing called "the real world" or something) is now in Spain. And so I'll take advantage of this opportunity to make a little tribute of my own to this sunny sunny country which we love.. The reasons I've never posted any songs in Spanish are pretty self-evident: according to Statcounter, only 5.40% of our visitors are from Spain. And some Latin-American countries are at about 1%. But that shouldn't stop me from sharing something I really love, right? And I really really really passionately love the Spanish (indie) music scene! For some reason most of the bands there make happy indiepop/tweepop that makes you wanna lie down in flowerbeds and wear Alice-bands with butterflies on them and dress in colors. I would've maybe said it's the sun, but I live in Greece and know that sunshine lends no helping hand in the making of a good twee band. And then there's also Sweden...but I digress. Here are some of my favorite Spanish songs and/or bands.

Los Fresones Rebeldes - Al Amanecer

How much catchier can indie pop get?? If you want to find out what this band is all about their name will tell you everything you need to know: The Rebellious Strawberries. As in, we might be twee but we're not afraid to use guitars - our musical influences might come straight from the 50s, but our attitudes don't. This is twee in the days when is was still associated with punk, this is sweet and in-your-face at the same time, this is fruit, but Rebellious fruit! Rock on little strawberries!

Índigo - Yoko Ono

There were/are so many people out there who hate Yoko Ono and blame her for the "transformation" of John Lennon and what happened to The Beatles that someone had to write a song describing how things (possibly) happened from her perspective. And what an sweet song it is.

Parade - Niño Zombi

Lovely lovely lovely song about...well...Zombie Boy! It's a little hard to convey what makes the song so sweet, funny, and sad at the same time without referring you to the lyrics. And I'm a little hesitant to translate myself. But here's the story. Zombie Boy is a kid who goes to school and eats his schoolmates, but doesn't really mean to. He just can't help it. And of course this would be just a silly song if only the lyrics didn't make it so painfully obvious how awful Zombie Boy feels, how hurtful is the realization that he's different from the other kids, and how they all make fun of him and how he knows that it's never going to stop. It's a sweet little tune this one, filled with discrete handclaps and shoopapas. Listen to it side-by-side with the Besties' "Zombie Song" - they make a good couple :)

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Le Mans - Buenos Dias Corazon

This is the song you played that lazy Sunday morning, that surreal Sunday morning when you woke up and found that nothing had changed. When you knew that for a while nothing felt real anymore, nothing seemed to have any meaning, any reason for existing. So you woke up and...well, you figured, at least you'd try. "Good morning little heart! How sad are you today? Did you wake up feeling better? Is the world treating you any better?" This is the song you had in your head while you strolled down flea markets with a bottle of cheap wine that you knew will give you a horrible headache afterwards and that made you sleepy. But that's a good thing. Sleeping is good. Tomorrow you'll feel better.

Nadadora - Plásticos y Metales

The most atmospheric and nostalgic from this bunch of songs, Plásticos y Metalos (whose title, by the way, means exactly what you think it means), is a song I find myself playing either when I'm very very sad or very very happy. Beyond jumping-up-and-down happy. Calm-happy. It is also a song that always makes me imagine a beach scene - perhaps because the name of the band means "swimmer" or because of the fragile-sounding instruments, or because of the girl's ah-ah-ah-aaaahs which seem to come and go like waves. Genre-wise you should know that it tends a little more towards shoegaze and post-rock than the rest of the songs I've selected. So if you like that kind of thing, this one's for you.

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Tender Trap - Como Te Llamas/Tell Me Your Name

My best friend doesn't speak a word of Spanish. Yet in a certain hotel room in Barcelona, two summers ago, she couldn't stop bellowing "Como te llamaaaaaaaaaas indie girl??" for 7 days in a row. "Tell Me Your Name" is the only bilingual song in this post. And even if you only sing along to the English parts, lyrics rarely come in packages as danceable as this. I rather have a preference for the Spanish parts (and the girl's voice), although the English verse does start with "Cute girl, loves the Smiths..."

La Casa Azul - Hoy Me Has Dicho Hola Por Primera Vez

Guy Milkieway a.k.a. the genius behind La Casa Azul is inviting the girl of his dreams on a date. "Nothing fancy, just casual... er... maybe go downtown and have a cup of coffee? And then we can...you know...talk about Tommy James songs and some good books and stuff....come on! What do you say?? We could go see a Woody Allen movie afterwards if you like!" Okay, I just added the errs and uuhmms and maybes for nerd-effect, but how can you refuse an invitation like that?

Juniper Moon - ¿Volverás?

This song is quite simple really. A girl laments over the fact that her boyfriend left her. Yeah, well, what' else is new? She keeps wishing that he loved her more and wondering whether one day he'll come back to her. Over and over. And if you think that becomes annoying, if you think you'll mind in the least that this song has only two main riffs and keeps repeating the same verse and the same chorus again and again, think again. It doesn't change a thing.

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* All illustrations in this post by the amazingly talented Tim McEvoy!

There is one more Spanish band that needs to be mentioned and, at first, I was planning to include it in this post. But I started writing about it and then got totally carried away, as it was bound to happen since it's one of my favorites and I truly love their songs with all my heart. So make sure to check out my next post for this very special band.

Counting from today it's only 29 days 'til New Year's Eve!

Lacrosse - This New Year Will Be for You and Me
[this sweet sweet sweet sweet sweet album kept me company during last year's frosty London Christmas and as the cold sets in i find myself putting it on repeat once again]

Counting from today it's only 29 days 'til New Year's Eve
And it's easier to still believe this new year will be for you and me
But look at all the faces 'round here, look at all the people 'round here
The dark is getting darker and I'm only empty, still as empty
Some things always stay the same...

You know that counting from today it's only 19 days of darkness left
And starting from that day things can only get brighter
And look at all the faces 'round here, look at all the people 'round here
The dark will soon be lighter and all the empty will be filled
Some things never stay the same...

This December might be the first not to be worst month of the year.
This new year, it will be for you and me.

What I've been listening to the past week and the reason I haven't posted any of it

hooraffes by PETS

Ever since last Tuesday I've been listening to...

> The Happy Hollows! Ever since I first listened to 'Tambourine' I fell in love. Then I found out they're giving their EP for free and fell faster. Then I listened to it and was ready to sell my soul to them. (* We like to exaggerate. It's our thing.) Download Colors or just get the 'Imaginary EP' for free here!

> Love Is All! I need to listen to the whole CD, I know, but I just can't stop playing this song. Download: Wishing Well + buy 'A Hundred Things Keep Me Up At Night' on cd or vinyl here!

> James Yorkston! In expectation of the quiet, sweet, ordinary, warm and peaceful weekends that I'm hoping the winter will bring. Download: Temptation and buy the album here.

> Miracles of Modern Science! Sometimes it feels like our inbox is full of crap. Other times it doesn't. Download: 524 or get the whole EP for free here.

> The Smittens! How sweet is the new album? No really! On a scale of not-at-all to it-doesn't-get-any-sweeter-than-this how sweet is it? I'd say around sweeter-than-candy. Yeah, that sounds about right. Download: Half My Heart Beats and then buy the album!

> Between the Pine! Their second album will be released on December 16 and you'll be able to get it here. Here's a little taste of what awaits us. Download: Coca-Cola

> My Darling YOU!! I don't know why but for some reason their 2007 EP 'I Will Exclude You With My Body Language' never reached my ears until today. And I really can't tell you how much I love love love love love love love it. I'm sure you will too as soon as you follow the next three steps:
Step 1: Download: Salary to see what I'm talking about
Step 2: Buy the EP here! It's 5 euros/6 dollars (plus if you're lucky enough to live in Sweden shipping is free)
Step 3: Start melting!

And the reason I hadn't posted anything for a week...

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

short, bittersweet.

'Temporary Home' by Kelie Bowman

Upon entering Pipas' website/blog the first thing you probably notice is a green header that says:
"Lupe and Mark sing songs that make their world go around. short, bittersweet."
I think that's pretty much all you need to know about them. The rest you'll find in their songs.

The Bobby from 'Chunnal Autumnal' (2002)

What Nobody Does from 'A Cat Escaped' (2002)

Hiding in the Park from 'Golden Square' (2004)

This city of ours

*** Cara Del Gato - This Town Ain't What It Used to Be ***

*** Emmy the Great - City Song ***

*** Antsy Pants - Big City ***

Blame Sheffield and Britney

Candy

(from Slow Down Tallahassee, 2007)

+

Electric Sun

Limbs

(from The Beautiful Light, 2008)

 

Contrary to what their name might suggest, Slow Down Tallahassee is a band from Sheffield, UK - influenced by uhm... "Britney Spears, Carrie, The Shangri-Las, The Breeders, Leonard Cohen, The Go-Gos, The Runaways, Madonna".

You better start thanking Britney.

The old T-shirt and the new blue hat

You know, every year before I pack my bags for the summer holidays I have the same damn problem. I can't make up my mind on two subjects: the clothes that I plan to take with me and the songs that I'm going to stick on my mp3 player. Given that the existing space both in my suitcase and on my mp3player is quite limited and that I'm going to be stuck with these clothes/songs for the next 30 days this is a major issue every time. I naturally start the selection by sorting through the new stuff (front of the closet/recently added on media library), where I'm much more likely to find things that I'm not yet bored of. Summer dresses I bought on sale in February and waited all this time to wear, jeans I recently turned into shorts in preparation for the July heat, the top I just borrowed from my best friend and everything I got at H&M the previous week especially for this trip. The latest CDs by bands I love, some Yelle and Why? to get me in the mood for Benicassim, that band you always talked about and I never had the time to listen to, something from Pitchfork's "best new music" section. Songs and clothes that haven't yet worn out. Except sometimes when you look for your new blue hat you come upon a T-shirt with no-longer-visible writing on it instead (in the back of the closet). A T-shirt you'd forgotten about - that has shrunk in the wash, that you had worn for weeks on end the previous year and that last summer's sun had bleached; yet one that you love more than all the new clothes you bought. Sometimes you look for a song from Soda Fountain Rag's new album and you find Red Tape instead. A song you'd forgotten about, that you'd listened to throughout the summer of 2007, every day, all summer, until September came and you let it go. A song that's sooo last year and yet so fun and summertime-ish you love it more than all the new songs you were thinking of taking with you. So what can you do? You have to pack the old T-shirt too.

Red Tape - The old T-shirt

Oh Brother - The new blue hat you can buy here)

So many lights, so many stars, so few Watercolor Paintings songs

^ Watercolor Paintings - Tender Loving Care ^
^ Watercolor Paintings - So Many ^
^ Watercolor Paintings - Snail ^

If anyone knows where we can find more songs by this great band (except for the ones on their myspace) PLEASE let us know!

The Bear Post

Illustration by Jason Sho Green

'Bears are crazy. They'll bite your head if you're wearing a steak on it.'
-> Space Ghost

* Bearsuit - Itsuko Got Married *
* Seabear - Singing Arc *
* Panda Bear - Ponytail *
* Message to Bears - Plane Over Evening Sky *
* Golden Bear - Galaxy Queen *
* Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others *
* The Bear Colony - Hospital Rooms Aren't for Lovers *
* 14 Iced Bears - Cut *

Yesterday...

As promised, yet another band from the wonderful Collective Family, and one of my favourites, if I might add. I would describe Blanketarms is as a predominantly twee, slightly punkish and unquestionably DIY band - and though the combination of the words twee and punk (plus the male/female vocals) makes me unavoidably think of Los Campesinos!, they sound nothing like them. Think less drum beats and dancefloors, more ukuleles and lo-fi recordings. The punk influences are noticeable mostly on their album 'One Small Fist ' (which includes songs with titles like 'Just Because I Can't Change Anything Doesn't Mean I Can't Change Everything' and 'Whatever you do, DO NOT, DO NOT, DO NOT shop at Walmart') or their contribution to a Misfits tribute album, but otherwise they're quite subtle. And that is definitely a good thing, as I rather prefer their tweer and less political side. These next tracks are all taken from their 2006 double album Sweet & Sour, which was, according to singer Isaac Arms, 'a try at mixing the sweetness of indie-pop with my incessant desire to be a pretentious prick'. It's over-cutesy at times, but over-cutesy it's what's needed on a day like today :) Happy birthday S.! I love your guts.

Blanketarms - I Love Your Guts
Blanketarms - Let it Fall
Blanketarms - Eff That Ess

Download full album here.

...but what happened to the organ?

Hello Seahorse! - Won't Say Anything We are sparks. We are foam. We are crashing waves. We are clap-clap. We are clip-clop. We are oh oh ohs. We are seahorses! We are Mexicanos. We are the sand, the beach, the ocean. We are long whistles. We are not talking. (but) We are making you sing. We are *woosh!*

Hop Along, Queen Ansleis - Spinach Water We will not care that you're into electronic music and don't usually like folk or twee-sounding songs. We will ignore you when you shout at us that our name is stupid. We will not give a damn if you think bottles and bells and kazoos sound pretentious in a song. We will continue to sing our beautiful songs. Not beautiful songs that punch you in the face. Songs that feel as light as an eyelash on your skin. We will sing our songs then, and you will silently, obediently but cheerfully hop along.

Meho Plaza - I Sold My Organs We loved our Moogs. We wondered just how much use could we make of them before getting boring. We realized it was quite a lot. We kept going on and on. We still sounded awesome! Pitchfork even included one of our songs in a mixtape! We made some money. We started acquiring a taste for expensive champagne and hookers called Cindy. In a couple of months we were broke. We had to sell something so we could afford buying new Moogs. We sold our organs. (And if we were talking about Mates of State that last sentence would've constituted a nice pun)

Okay so we are talking about Mates of State. What the heck happened to the organ? The instrumentation sounds so scarce and muted without it. It's like they were having loud & crazy & fun fun fun parties on the previous albums, but the police came and made them turn the music down on this one. The boy/girl harmonies are still there, but not quite as strong as they used to be. My favorite song on it must be Great Dane.

Oh, and here's an oldie but yummie (back in the day when Mr. Organ was still alive *sigh*):
I Got This Feeling

When you come, bring the sun

And for this post we travel to Europe...starting up north and heading south, towards the sun...

Iceland:
*Sigur Ros - Gobbledigook
This track (see lots of naked people playing in a forest... aka the video, here) is a taster from their new upcoming album, which will go by the title 'með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'. Pretty catchy eh? Though it can also be loosely translated as "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly", which is something you could at least attempt asking a sales assistant at your local record store for. They probably won't understand you, but still. It's better than ( ).
Their summer tour will take them across the world, from Mexico to Norway,
while Letters have no Arms will be lucky enough to catch them at Benicassim

Sweden:
*El Perro Del Mar - How did we forget
Taken from her beautiful new album From the Valley To The Stars
*El Perro Del Mar - Loneliness
*A Smile and a Ribbon - The Boy I wish I Never Met


France:
*Sebastien Tellier - Divine
France's 2008 Eurovision entry, and the reason why the French are just so much cooler than most of the world.
*M83 - Kim and Jessie

and 12 points go to me for not making any cheap Eurovision tie-in comments ;)

Let's go sunwards!

Pathetic. Really pathetic. Our blog hasn't even had its 3-month anniversary and I'm already experiencing what I believe is called writer's block. It's not fair. I was supposed to have one of those man-that's-beautiful-I-wish-I-had-written-that sort of posts. I had an idea for it... Well, if you must know, I was gonna talk about my summers and how I feel they will be getting a lot warmer from now on because of the Occasional Flickers. But for the life of me I can't find anything remotely interesting to say about them. Which is really a shame, because they feel like the sunniest and sweetest of summer days hiding in the shadow of an old apple-tree; because they sound so fragile you really believe that they would melt and disappear altogether from this planet if ever a drop of rain should touch their skin; because they smell like sea-salt and they taste sparkly and yellow - real sunshine-yellow, not the ugly nicotine-yellow of autumn bands; because they come from Greece and really, have you ever heard of a good Greek band,let alone a good Twee Greek band that, to cap it all, is also signed to Cloudberry? Because of all these reasons it's a shame I had to pick today for my writer's block. What I'll do is I think I'll leave them for another time instead of offering them this excuse of a post. They don't deserve this. I should make a list of songs I've been listening to this week, stop whining and post some Santogold for the masses. There.

The Occasional Flickers - When the Skies Look So Gray*
The Occasional Flickers - Sunwards*

And speaking of... well... I could justify the song choice by saying its title is the name of a Greek island, but the truth is I just really really wanted to post this song.

Fleet Foxes - Mykonos (Sun Giant EP)

*If you don't enjoy twee don't bother with The Occasional Flickers

How cool is Neil Gaiman?

a) There's something very comforting in the idea that you can address questions about a book you loved to the actual person that wrote it and get an answer back. Mr. Gaiman probably has more contact with his readers than any other writer of our time. Just check out his blog for God's sake! Tons of letters and e-mails from fans (and his replies to them), videos, articles or interesting links shared between him and his readers, recommendations, advice for young writers that bombard him with questions etc. etc. etc....Does he ever sleep, that man? If only all writers could be as open to communication instead of shying away from society and living like hermits ( *cough cough* mister J.D.).
b)He has a last.fm account! Our music compatibility might have turned out to be "Low" but it's so nice to be announced by the taste-o-meter that "you share a few artists in common, including The Magnetic Fields, Belle & Sebastian, Beirut, David Bowie and Regina Spektor"!
c) His collaborations (and there are many of them) with Dave McKean are definitely bonus points.
d) He's friends with Terry Pratchett, Terry Gilliam, Thea Gilmore and of course Tori Amos, who has mentioned him in a couple of her songs ('Tear in Your Hand', 'Space Dog', 'Carbon') and whom he included as a character in his book 'Stardust'.
e)And another thing. In 2002 'American Gods' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel. Now Neil Gaiman offered it for free online for a whole month to celebrate his blog's one-year anniversary. I mean how amazing is that? Someone offering for free what is, according to Wikipedia, among the most-honored works of fiction in recent history. On his site/blog you'll also find lots of short stories, articles, essays, interviews, readings, videos, book excerpts, and book extras. All for free.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not asking you to like his stuff (although it's pretty easy to). In fact, I've only read two of his books and a couple of short stories. But there's no denying that he's pretty damn cool.

And since this is a music blog, playing on repeat these days on my MediaMonkey (drop iTunes folks):

Culture Reject - Inside the Cinema (Culture Reject, 2008)
Vetiver - Hook & Ladder (Thing of the Past, 2008)
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - The Battle in Water (Heartcore, 2008)
Springfactory (side-project of Peter, a suburban kid with a biblical name) - Get Out of Bed (grab it from Series Two Records)
Yelle - Amour Du Sol (Pop-Up, 2007)
Santogold - Say Aha (Santogold, 2008)