This is the last post until Thanks Giving (49). I started my
holiday position where I work last Monday. I tried to plan this so that I would
not need to post much through November and December. I will also have a
Christmas (50) post and a best of post for the New Year (50.5) before the year
is out. Happy holidays!
Remember, Record Store Day Black Friday is coming up. There is only one or two items that interest me but you can be sure that they well be on the thanks giving episode! It will be up on Saturday or Sunday of that weekend.
Here we go...
This new single for Broken Toy was released this past
Tuesday (October 22, 2013). I think that this is the last single that will be
taken from the album Waiting For Something To Happen because the next single to
be released will be the tour only single for their up coming tour in Japan and Australia. By the way, all of the Japan dates
have already sold out. Unless you are a compleatist, like me, this single is
not really needed. The A side, broken toy, can obviously be found on the album.
Also, the B side, If You Still Want Me (Bedroom Demo), has a studio version on
the album too.
The A side, Broken Toy, is a sweet song about people being
human and having flaws. The band likens this flaw in humanity to a broken toy.
It is very cute and sweet to think that someone would think to say that the
person they like is a broken toy but to then turn it around and say that they
are also broken but broke in such a way that they were broke only for them.
The B side, If You Still Want Me (Bedroom Demo), some how
sounds better than the studio version. The track sounds like they are in my
room here with me. Where as the studio version you can tell they are in the
studio and it is a recording. It all has to do with the acoustics of the room
that you record in I guess. I have to say that I like this recording better
than the studio version. I would like it very much if they would record more
music like this. It just seems more mellow and rounded on the edges.
This is an EP that was released on white vinyl from
Slumberland Records and on clear vinyl through Tough Love Records. The EP was
released in October of 2013. Both of these records have three tracks only. The
download has seven tracks. The records do not have a download to get any of these
tracks. I was a bit disappointed when I learned this but I still got the record
and the download. I like that the cover pays homage to the new David Bowie
album though. With the record the tracks are Third Uncle (Brian Eno cover) on
the A side. On the B side are The New
Life (David Holmes Remix) and Projektions (Gabe Gurnsey Factory Floor Remix).
With the download you get an additional new track called Visions and a mess of
other remixes.
Slumberland Records has this posted on their web page about
the three tracks on the record, “With the artwork making a playful nod to
Bowie's latest record, it's not surprising that the EP should see the band
experiment with the sonic make up of their last album. On the A side is a cover
version of Brian Eno's 'Third Uncle.' Recorded in August of this year, it is
the first recorded Girls Names track to feature new drummer Gib Cassidy and
offers a telling glimpse at what creative steps the band may next take. On the
flip are two incredible remixes of tracks taken from the sister record. The
first is by producer/composer/dance don legend David Holmes, who lends a
somewhat European elan to the titular track. The second sees Gabe Gurnsey from
Factory Floor add his band's characteristic dance floor focus to Girls Names'
motorik groove, turning in something that jitters and pulses in a manner
befitting of any track attributed the Factory Floor moniker.”
The first track on the download of this EP is called
Visions. I think this track is just as good as the Eno cover, Third Uncle. The
song reminds me a lot of Joy Division. I feel this way not only because of the
vocals but because of the bass lead track. The guitars seem to slide all over
the song giving it a sticky oily feel that I have never heard on any song. It
is really unique.
The reason for the EP in the first place is for their cover
of the song Third Uncle. Girls names to a fantastic cover of this song. This
song is somehow richer sounding than the original. I think that the clarity has
increased and getting rid of some of the noise that was recorded on the
original helped this cover version a lot. This is one of my favorite songs that
has been released this year for sure.
This single has been re-released through Sony Music/Sign Of
The Times in October of 2013. The single was originally released on 7” in early
2012. I am tired of hearing that she has released the new single Youth when it
is over a year and a half old. And again, it is very disappointing if you
release a single and only include a bunch of remixes of the same song. At least
Girls Names had the decency to have two original songs and include remixes of
other songs. Now that the rant of over, I actually like the remixes on this EP
a lot. Each one is different and unique from the others even though all five
songs are from the same song.
I talked about the song, Youth, in Vol. 3 Episode 33. Here is what I
said about the song when it was first released, “[Youth] starts out with her
vocals only with the music fading in slowly. There are lots of synth strings
and a low under current bass line and light drums. It builds into a bass driven
track with glitch drums that sound really good. The song drops this all off
with only her vocals about half way through the song. The piano comes in slowly
and then everything picks back up. It is a great song with great song
craftsmanship in my opinion.”
This digital remix EP comes with three remix versions of the
song and a radio edit version of the song. My favorite of the three remixes is
the one called the Seamus Haji Remix. Based on other reviews this seems to be
the most popular version with other fans too. It has a very big bass line/beat.
The song is done in modern dance styles with old skool techno influences. It is
a lot of fun to listen to with the distorted but rounded bass line. It would be
very cool to hear this song in a dance venue.
The other version that I like is the Danny Howard Remix. It
is a bit noisier than the Seamus Haji mix but still holds my interest. I guess
it is more dub step with some of the noises that are used. It sounds really
cool I think.
This is a live EP from the iTunes Festival in London of this year. It
was mastered for iTunes. There are six tracks on the EP all from the new album
except for the last two. Track five is Festival from Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum
Endalaust and track six, Varúð, from Valtari. I read the reviews before I
bought the EP that are up on iTunes (there are two). One loved the Music and
the other disliked the mix of the EP a lot. I thought that was odd since
something that was put out by a music company should be good, right? Was I
wrong. After listening to the EP I found that the whole recording sounds like
it was recorded with a cassette then converted to MP3. This is one of the worst
mixes I have ever heard from anything that Sigur Rós has ever put out. On top
of that there is a lack of bass in a specific frequency range through all of
the songs too. I listen to Brennisteinn not only for the music but to also feel
the bass line hit me in the chest. It just doesn’t come close with this mix. I
will give them some leeway with the song being a live version but I saw them
play this song live when they came to my home town and it sounded nothing like
this recorded version. I think iTunes has a long way to go before they get
there mixing of music down right. People want full sound for all systems, not
just for headphones. I am, on the other hand happy that the band was able to
play for this special month long set of concerts and that other people got to
hear them in their full sonic glory.
That is all I have til the next holiday...
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