Hidden Volume will be releasing the next Ar-Kaics single
next week.
There will also be a new album from Whirr coming out in the
future on Graveface Records. No official release date yet.
Joanna Greusome latest album, which has been out of print
for a while, has been repressed in a new color variant. It is now on clear with
a mint green center over at slumberland records.
Spin did a little featurette on Kip Bermans apartment called
Spin:
In My Room. It is really funny and you should check it out.
Here we go...
This is also a special release from RSD 2014. It is limited
to 4000 pressings in a gatefold double vinyl set. It is a live album with
recordings taken from various points on tour with the Magik * Magik Orchestra. This
album features tracks from all across DCFCs seven plus albums. I thought that
this would be a great selection of albums but it seems that it comes off very
sleepy. Quite literally, I will probably not listen to the album unless I can’t
sleep. This is very good music, it’s just that it puts me to sleep.
There are some great songs that are on this album that are
made even better with the addition of Magik * Magik though. All of the songs
are played in a minimalistic style to give the orchestra the most impact. Most
of my favorite tracks from this album are on the second record with the
exception of Different Names For The Same Thing which is on the first side of
the first record. This track comes off as a beautiful slow track with soaring
strings in the background. Ben’s voice comes off as smooth as silk which only
matches the tones of the strings. The two instruments play off each other in
perfect harmony.
Grapevine Fires makes use of my favorite instrument, the
Rhodes keyboard. The orchestra is on the track but hidden so that the keyboard
can take the stage over the strings. Again, Bens’ voice is so smooth. The
addition of the echo or room ambiance, not sure if it is a real echo from the
performance hall or an effect, gives his vocals a more dreamy effect.
Sycamore is another track that I really like from this
album. It features the band more than the orchestra. When the orchestra comes
through it just makes the bands sound that much sweeter. The orchestra is used
very sparingly in this song but that is what I like about it. It is a less is
more kind of a thing.
I like the acoustic guitar that leads the track I WillFollow You Into The Dark. Again, the orchestra is used very sparingly with this
track. It is basically a solo track for Ben where he sings and plays the
acoustic guitar. So, to add a string orchestra to a song that is already sweet
and personal just ads to the emotional effect that comes from the song.
This is a very beautiful album but is not something that I
plan on listening to frequently. I will be happy to listen to it to aid me to
get to sleep or if I am in the right mood but otherwise I will not be listening
to the album.
This is the vinyl version of the concert that is on disc two
and three of the DVD/BD set from Shut Up And Play The Hits. This vinyl version was
released for RSD 2014 (April 19th, 2014). It is a five record box
set with all of the records being double sleeved in the set. It is limited to
3000 copies and finally puts the last concert in a stereo format. It is
unabridged so there is nothing missing that is on the video version of this
release. Although, the track listing between the two releases, this box set and
the Shut Up And Play The Hits release, are slightly different, the music
appears to be the same. In the runout of each record is one word. When you put
those words together it reads, “New
York I love you but you’re bringing me down.” This is
also the title of the last track from the concert. The set came with a digital
download card but it is not redeemable until May 20th. I believe
that the rest of the world will also have access to pay for the digital
download at that time as well. One of the stickers on the shrink wrap of the
box set says that James Murphy, the lead singer for LCD Soundsystem, mixed the
audio for this release to ¼” analog tape before putting it to vinyl. This is
supposed to give it a better sound for vinyl records. I do think that this does
give the records a better sound. I have some Jimmy Hendrix records that were
repressed a few years back that were mastered from the original tapes and I
think that those records are some of the best sounding records that I own.
With five records this set has 28 tracks. There is no single
released from this set as the concert has been out on video since 2012. There
are some songs that were played live for the first and last time at this
concert. Some of those tracks were from the first release that LCD Soundsystem
ever released. Those releases were from the 45:33 album. Two of those tracks
are some of the funniest and strangest tracks that I have ever heard. They were
played back to back because of the interplay between the two characters in the
songs. The songs are called Out In Space and Ships Talking. I don’t own 45:33
but have an interest in getting it because of these tracks.
There is a third track that is featured from the 45:33 album
that features Reggie Watts. I first learned of Watts from the show Comedy Bang
Bang where he is featured as the band on the show along with adding to the
comedy of the show. He does the vocals for the track called You Can’t Hide(Shame On You). It is a old style R&B track. I especially like the backup
singers. Reggie’s deep vocals and the female back up singers make this play on
a R&B song work so well. The band only ads to the funk of the track, boosting
the track to stand up to some of the greatest R&B tracks in my opinion.
My favorite two tracks from this groups history were played
during this concert. Someone Great is one of those two tracks. The song starts
off with the synth part opening. It kind of gives a bit of play before the song
fully kicks in. Once the song does kick in it becomes this little piece of
perfection. Then the lyrics come in and all is good in the world. Having this
song in a live format actually gives the song a fuller sound. It could be that
the conversion from digital multitrack to stereo added to the fullness of sound
or it could be that the slight variation in creating the sounds for the live
version of the song has gotten better since the studio recording. Either way I
think that this live version of the song sounds better than the studio version.
My other favorite song from LCD Soundsystem is called All I
Want. I like this song for the blatent use of the Eno/Bowie sound of the 70s.
The way that this is achieved in the live setting is that there is more than
one person playing the lead guitar part at the same time. They are both playing
Gibson Les Paul guitars to give them that same duplicated sound. I don’t know
what model of the Les Paul they are playing or if they are exactly the same. I
would have to assume that they are using the same pedal and amp set up though.
The unison that the guitarist display is near perfection. With the slides and
the lengths of each note, this song just makes me feel good.
I don’t know if this box set will be released on vinyl for
the March 20th date but I do know that it will not be put to CD. As
I mentioned before, it will be available for download.
This is an EP that was released in april of 2011. There were
500 copies pressed on white vinyl and was released through Kanine Records. I
got this EP because of the single that was on the Kanine Records compilation
called Non Violent Femmes. It is actually a pretty good EP considering it is my
first introduction to the group outside of the song on the Non Violent Femmes
compilation.
The EP has only four tracks and all are very short except
for the last one. The first track is called Cog. This track has a great pop
bunk sound with staccato notes being played in a fun rhythm across the whole
song. I really like the whole female vocals across the board.
The second track on the EP is title track, Prisoner. it is a
fun track with eighth notes being played through the whole song to give it that
punk feel even though it is a very light feel. It kind of reminds me of Joanna
Gruesome or Golden Grrls a little. Of course both of these groups cam out after
Eternal Summers.
The third track is called Childs Mind. This song has sort of
a B-52’s sort of a feel. This could be because of the lower tones used with the
guitar and bass together playing the same notes. The chorus picks it up a bit
with the drums taking the lead a little bit. This is a very fun track that I
like a lot. This will be on my frequent listen list for a while.
The last track, Pure Affection, slows the music down dramatically.
The song pulls from the chill era and the lounge eras both. I like the song for
that reason. The merging of two different genres that came from a need of the
same slow sounds.
I like this EP and hope that you all check it out.
That is all I have for this post. Be sure to check out the follow up, to be posted with in a few hours, of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart concert earlier this week.
That is all I have for this post. Be sure to check out the follow up, to be posted with in a few hours, of The Pains of Being Pure At Heart concert earlier this week.
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