Black is the New Black Part Two

Hope all had a Merry Christmas et cetera.

Back to the 'Bands Whose Names Start With The Word "Black"' theme, and today's post brings us to The Black Lips. All the MP3 blogs are talking about them, and they are signed to Vice Records. Personally, I think that having an awfully cool magazine like Vice start a record label has a negative impact on their coolness. I don't know why, but I just think that.

I've heard The Black Lips compared to Los Saicos or The Thirteenth Floor Elevators, but I ain't sure that they are rip-snortingly raucous enough. They do make some pretty good music though.

Cold Hands- The Black Lips

Sorry about the rather annoying promotion at the end of the MP3.

The Black Lips' MySpace.

I'm not a metal fan by any stretch of the imagination, though I am a big fan of Jimi Hendrix, the first person to be described as 'heavy metal' (by the New York Times, for the record). I'm also not particularly a Black Sabbath fan, though I like this song, Paranoid. I also like this clip of them performing it on Belgian TV. It is surprising just how healthy, vigorous and wholesome Ozzy Osbourne looks in it. A sobering message of the dangerous effects of lysergic acid.



Happy listening.

Sad Songs

I am at a loss to describe what actually links these two songs, other than the fact that I listen to both of them quite often, and that they are both sad in their own separate ways.

'Road To Peace' is a perhaps the best informed "protest" songs around. It portrays a prosaic and detail-heavy series of events in Israel/Palestine, the underlying theme being the futile cycle of violence. All to gritty bar-blues. The highlight of his latest 3CD album.

Road To Peace- Tom Waits

Tom Waits' website

The next song is as tender as the above song is rough. While 'Road to Peace' is sung by a disconnected narrator, 'Lonesome Valley' is a personal song. The instruments are undistorted and restrained, and the tone is rather melancholy. It harks back to Harvest-era Neil Young, only a bit more pastoral.

Lonesome Valley- Magnolia Electric Company

Magnolia Electric Company's website.

Bodies of Water

It's always frustrating when a band lacks the ability to define themselves. Usually it is because they don't want to draw attention to the fact they just make bad Kid A era Radiohead impersonations. LA-based Bodies of Water fortunately don't sound like Radiohead, but they do have trouble defining themselves. This grab from their website sums it up:

"They draw from a number of disparate traditions, combining the metaphysical intensity of gospel, the primitive gusto of punk rock, the earnest idiosyncracy of american folk, the sonic inclusiveness of tropicalia, the planned jamming of prog, and the sincere melodrama of musical theatre."

As it turns out, they don't really have any connection with any of those genres, save perhaps folk. But their vagueness in developing songs shows through in tracks from their well-titled album 'Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink'. Rather than coherent and defined tunes, with set verses and choruses, the songs seem to go from one movement to another. Strangely, the music is downbeat enough not to seem thoroughly pretentious. The track 'I guess I'll forget the sound, I guess, I guess' is actually a gem. At first it seems indeterminate, but three minutes and twelve seconds in, it makes it all worthwhile. 'Doves Circle The Skies' is more set in its ways, and requires less patience. Good tracks, though.

I Guess I'll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess- Bodies of Water

Doves Circle The Skies- Bodies of Water

Happy listening.

Black is the New Black Part One

It's a mystery as to why, but there are so many wonderful bands with 'Black' in their name. So much so that there is obviously space for several more blog posts of the same theme, without the apparent need to repeat samples of the same band.

I first came across Black Nielson in the first weeks of uni, back in 2005. I was given a copy of their album 'Current Sunlight' to review. I remember listening to it, and loving the tinny, sodden, delicate feel of the album. I then logged on to the internet to find out about them, to discover they had broken up the day before. Lame.

In absence of an MP3 for them, here's the videoclip for their best song, 'Love Song to Chan Marshall' (aka Cat Power). It is a fittingly understated tribute to the singer I adore so dearly.



Getting more current meanwhile. My mate Richy introduced me to The Black Kids. They're from Jacksonville, Florida. Their entire EP is available on their website, but here's my favourite song from it.

I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You- The Black Kids

It should also be noted that one of the band's members is called Reggie Youngblood, which is the most indie-rock name ever.

The Black Kids' Website

Happy listening.

Are You From Sweden?

It's a beautiful day here in Gerringong, on the south coast of New South Wales on the east coast of Australia. The sun is shining brightly, and so long as I'm in the shade it suits me fine. Curiously, no bands of any significance have come from Gerringong, though once Peter Garrett was once swimming at Werri Beach. I looked out of my window that day and thought, "Hmm. That looks like Peter Garrett. I'd go down for a closer look but the odds of it being Peter Garrett are too low to be worth my while." As it turns out, my poor statistical analysis contradicted the fact that the odds of a seven-foot tall, lanky, completely bald man swimming on Werri Beach being Peter Garrett are actually rather high. It was Peter Garrett.

But aside from that brief moment, Gerringong is not very rock and roll. The weather is very pleasant, which makes up for its lack of musical prominence.

It is currently overcast and -5 degrees celsius in Stockholm, Sweden. And as it turns out, Sweden is cranking out more great music per capita than the Haight-Ashbury circa 1967. As a result, some highlights from Sweden seem like a great place to start this MP3 blog.

I stumbled upon Lacrosse on another MP3 blog, and fell in love with this song. So much so that within three days it became the third most played song on my iTunes. And the songs beating it have been on there for so much longer. It is twee and joyous, but with solid production values. It feels like floating on a cloud of happiness.

You Can't Say No Forever- Lacrosse

The videoclip does the happiness of the song justice. Check it out.



Lacrosse's MySpace

If Lacrosse feels like floating on a cloud, Love is All feel like riding down a staircase in a desk chair. They tear it up live.

Talk Talk Talk Talk- Love is All

Love is All's website

Happy listening.