Crosswalking

Paedantic Basterd · 05-13-2011, 12:48 AM

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RVCA · 05-13-2011, 01:28 AM

WOW! That hike looks like it was amazing! Really jealous

Paedantic Basterd · 05-13-2011, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVCA

WOW! That hike looks like it was amazing! Really jealous

Breathtaking, but much more than I'd bargained for! You start off climbing a hill that looks pretty steep, but do-able, but once you get to the top of that, you discover you didn't climb even 1/4 of Arthur's Seat, and that the real seat is a mountain so high you could not see it when you started, because it's behind the first mountain and shrouded in mist.

Then you man up and continue, because you can't half-ass it, fall down a hill into a thistle bush, climb 21786276 steps because the mountain's too damned steep for a path, get lost in the fog and discover you're still not done, then erupt onto a mountain top covered in missionaries who, it turns out, climbed up the easy way.

But if you're ever in the neighborhood, do it.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-15-2011, 12:39 AM

The Reader's Digest version. So many releases, so little time.

Violent Soho - Violent Soho (2011)

Three things that should never have been revived: 1) 80's neon clothing, 2) Imhotep from The Mummy, 3) Grunge.

Mélanie Laurent - En T'attendant (2011)

Mélanie Laurent, French actress better known as one of Quentin Tarrantino's Basterds, produces a wispy pop album leaning heavily on Charlotte Gainsbourg's discography, but without the benefits of Beck or Jarvis Cocker sitting in the pilot's seat. The result is a barely memorable album where the most interesting component is the mildly provocative cover art.

Grouper - AIA: Alien Observer/Dream Loss (2011)

There is something about the human voice which is magnetic, even when shrouded in mists of reverb, ethereal but incomprehensible. It lures me as a siren does sailors at sea. I imagine it is because of this love of voice that Grouper has written my favourite ambient album insofar as I've heard. Liz Harris exemplifies each of these albums' themes for a winning sleeper's album.

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi (2011)

Somewhere between PJ Harvey and Zola Jesus, but falling short of the best qualities of either one. A decent album that will go rightfully overshadowed by Let England Shake this year.

Zer0 · 05-15-2011, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi (2011)

Somewhere between PJ Harvey and Zola Jesus, but falling short of the best qualities of either one. A decent album that will go rightfully overshadowed by Let England Shake this year.

Anna Calvi's album is good enough, she has a really great voice and she's a great guitar player as well and the album has a nice sultry quality to it. However I get the impression that she can do a lot better, there's some flashes of brilliance on songs such as 'Suzanne and I' for example but there seems to be some directionless filler on other parts of the album. She's definitely one to keep an eye on, my prediction is that she'll nail it with her next album if she can focus her abilities.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-15-2011, 08:14 PM

I definitely wouldn't write her off, and I agree that there's promise for good work, but this particular release is not among 2011's best.

Paedantic Basterd · 05-18-2011, 11:10 PM

Further abridged coverage of 2011.

Lightspeed Champion - Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (2011)

This was an album I could not even tolerate through to the end. Devonté Hynes' effeminate, lispy vocals evoke imagery of Ru Paul's drag race and a deep seated irritability towards individuals with speech impediments. Pop rock has never sounded so pre-pubescent.

ADDENDUM: As it turns out, this is not a 2011 release. It is a 2010 release. It is however, still awful.

tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l (2011)

My first impression of Whokill, before even entertaining the album, was "Great, another pretentious band with an arbitrary, pain-in-the-ass name". Were you to pick up this release without an open mind, you would surely apply the adjectives contained in the previous sentence to the very music itself. It is fortunate that I did not, as Whokill is easily the most interesting album I have heard this year.

Merrill Garbus attacks the same brand of complex pop as Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca, but without the inane lapses in song structure that the Projectors tried to pass off as ingenuity. Merrill's voice is soaring and expressive, blurring gender boundaries and spitting in the face of anyone who doubts whether or not a white girl can sing with soul. Garbus deserves the title of my favourite female voice.

"Interest" is not a precise equivalent to "enjoyment" however, and I often found myself undecided as to whether or not I was entertained or annoyed between songs. Whokill is a smattering of buckshot, aiming at anything in Garbus' range from indie pop to afrobeat, sometimes unsuccessfully, but always with wide-eyed enthusiasm. Whokill is well worth the shot.

Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges (2011)

Colin Stetson is a jazz saxophonist and multi-reedist with a formidable touring resume, including Arcade Fire and Tom Waits. Given the obvious link, what I had expected from this album was a jazz take on Owen Pallett's layered and looped folk. Instead, Judges makes a half-hearted attempt at Steve Reich's Different-Trains-minimalism, but without achieving the same sense of movement or theme. While intriguing in theory, Judges is matte and monotonous in practice.

Cass McCombs - Wit's End (2011)

Described to me as the "feel bad hit of summer", Cass McCombs writes a melancholy album of pleasant folk/alt-country, and escapes the childish monkier of "Cass McComa" I had given him after hearing 2009's blackout-inducing Catacombs.

Badlittlekitten · 05-20-2011, 11:46 AM

I pretty much had the same reaction to Tuneyards as you - a muddy blur of annoyance and intrigue. That an album merits that kind of reaction at all is a credit to Merrill Garbus. And her voice is something to treasure, it wasn't until I saw a picture that I realised it weren't a bloke!

Paedantic Basterd · 05-22-2011, 12:28 AM

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Paedantic Basterd · 05-31-2011, 07:13 PM

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011)

Whatever. It's Fleet Foxes. Bucolic harmonies for wind swept prairies. I enjoyed this on their self-titled effort, but I was not particularly interested by the sequel.

Panda Bear - Tomboy (2011)

The alternate title I would have given to this album is Enough Reverb Already. I've never really seen the merits of Animal Collective, and after evaluating both Tomboy and Person Pitch, believe this to be Panda Bear's fault. I heard nothing on Tomboy to separate it from the prior album, and quickly grew tired of the incessant, loudly produced vocals. If one is going to use the same texture in all of his music, it devalues the originality of the work.

Elbow - Build a Rocket, Boys! (2011)

Most of my experience with Elbow's fifth album has been in a live setting, having seen the band tour the album twice this past March. I was surprised at the time to see most of the set comprised of songs from their previous breakthrough album The Seldom Seen Kid. After hearing Build a Rocket in album format, I am grateful they played so little of it. It isn't that Rocket is inherently bad, but simply inferior to its predecessor. It expounds upon Seldom Seen's alternative rock sound, but without any of its snark or thoughtfulness.

Rocket is knee deep in uplifting love ballads with so many triumphant swells it borders on tackiness, plus a couple of actually great songs tossed on top. Opening with one of my favourite songs of the year, The Birds, and gradually declines thereafter. While completely listenable, it remains a shame that it came from one of my most anticipated albums of the year.

Destroyer - Kaputt (2011)

My relationship with Dan Bejar is one of failsafe disappointment. I was equally disinclined towards City of Daughters and Destroyer's Rubies, Without exception, the Dan Bejar trio of songs on every New Pornographers album has been my least favourite tracks. You'd expect by now I'd have given up trying to gain any ground with him at all, but to my surprise, my perseverance has paid off.

Kaputt proves one of the year's better releases, and reminds me why it's important to remain open-minded. In the case of this album, patience rewards the listener with a suave album of smooth sophistipop reminiscent of 80s pop, and inflected with jazz. Kaputt is a great example of classic restraint. If only Bejar had continued to exercise it when he followed up with the compilation Ideas For Songs, and I don't just mean musically.

05-13-2011, 12:48 AM	#41 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	. Last edited by Paedantic Basterd; 04-24-2021 at 02:45 PM.

05-20-2011, 11:46 AM	#48 (permalink)
Badlittlekitten And then there was music Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Near Wild Heaven Posts: 287	I pretty much had the same reaction to Tuneyards as you - a muddy blur of annoyance and intrigue. That an album merits that kind of reaction at all is a credit to Merrill Garbus. And her voice is something to treasure, it wasn't until I saw a picture that I realised it weren't a bloke! __________________ 'Said do you feel it? Do you feel it when you TOUCH ME?. THERE'S A FIRE! THERE'S A FIRE!' The Stooges. Dirt. https://soundcloud.com/bad-little-kittens My Top 100 LPs My Top 52 Indie Tracks Of The 21st Century (incomplete)

05-22-2011, 12:28 AM	#49 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	. Last edited by Paedantic Basterd; 04-24-2021 at 02:45 PM.

05-13-2011, 01:28 AM	#42 (permalink)
RVCA （￣ー￣） Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 3,270	WOW! That hike looks like it was amazing! Really jealous

05-15-2011, 12:39 AM	#44 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	The Reader's Digest version. So many releases, so little time. Violent Soho - Violent Soho (2011) Three things that should never have been revived: 1) 80's neon clothing, 2) Imhotep from The Mummy, 3) Grunge. Mélanie Laurent - En T'attendant (2011) Mélanie Laurent, French actress better known as one of Quentin Tarrantino's Basterds, produces a wispy pop album leaning heavily on Charlotte Gainsbourg's discography, but without the benefits of Beck or Jarvis Cocker sitting in the pilot's seat. The result is a barely memorable album where the most interesting component is the mildly provocative cover art. Grouper - AIA: Alien Observer/Dream Loss (2011) There is something about the human voice which is magnetic, even when shrouded in mists of reverb, ethereal but incomprehensible. It lures me as a siren does sailors at sea. I imagine it is because of this love of voice that Grouper has written my favourite ambient album insofar as I've heard. Liz Harris exemplifies each of these albums' themes for a winning sleeper's album. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi (2011) Somewhere between PJ Harvey and Zola Jesus, but falling short of the best qualities of either one. A decent album that will go rightfully overshadowed by Let England Shake this year.

05-15-2011, 08:14 PM	#46 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	I definitely wouldn't write her off, and I agree that there's promise for good work, but this particular release is not among 2011's best.

05-18-2011, 11:10 PM	#47 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Further abridged coverage of 2011. Lightspeed Champion - Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (2011) This was an album I could not even tolerate through to the end. Devonté Hynes' effeminate, lispy vocals evoke imagery of Ru Paul's drag race and a deep seated irritability towards individuals with speech impediments. Pop rock has never sounded so pre-pubescent. ADDENDUM: As it turns out, this is not a 2011 release. It is a 2010 release. It is however, still awful. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l (2011) My first impression of Whokill, before even entertaining the album, was "Great, another pretentious band with an arbitrary, pain-in-the-ass name". Were you to pick up this release without an open mind, you would surely apply the adjectives contained in the previous sentence to the very music itself. It is fortunate that I did not, as Whokill is easily the most interesting album I have heard this year. Merrill Garbus attacks the same brand of complex pop as Dirty Projectors' Bitte Orca, but without the inane lapses in song structure that the Projectors tried to pass off as ingenuity. Merrill's voice is soaring and expressive, blurring gender boundaries and spitting in the face of anyone who doubts whether or not a white girl can sing with soul. Garbus deserves the title of my favourite female voice. "Interest" is not a precise equivalent to "enjoyment" however, and I often found myself undecided as to whether or not I was entertained or annoyed between songs. Whokill is a smattering of buckshot, aiming at anything in Garbus' range from indie pop to afrobeat, sometimes unsuccessfully, but always with wide-eyed enthusiasm. Whokill is well worth the shot. Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges (2011) Colin Stetson is a jazz saxophonist and multi-reedist with a formidable touring resume, including Arcade Fire and Tom Waits. Given the obvious link, what I had expected from this album was a jazz take on Owen Pallett's layered and looped folk. Instead, Judges makes a half-hearted attempt at Steve Reich's Different-Trains-minimalism, but without achieving the same sense of movement or theme. While intriguing in theory, Judges is matte and monotonous in practice. Cass McCombs - Wit's End (2011) Described to me as the "feel bad hit of summer", Cass McCombs writes a melancholy album of pleasant folk/alt-country, and escapes the childish monkier of "Cass McComa" I had given him after hearing 2009's blackout-inducing Catacombs.

05-31-2011, 07:13 PM	#50 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011) Whatever. It's Fleet Foxes. Bucolic harmonies for wind swept prairies. I enjoyed this on their self-titled effort, but I was not particularly interested by the sequel. Panda Bear - Tomboy (2011) The alternate title I would have given to this album is Enough Reverb Already. I've never really seen the merits of Animal Collective, and after evaluating both Tomboy and Person Pitch, believe this to be Panda Bear's fault. I heard nothing on Tomboy to separate it from the prior album, and quickly grew tired of the incessant, loudly produced vocals. If one is going to use the same texture in all of his music, it devalues the originality of the work. Elbow - Build a Rocket, Boys! (2011) Most of my experience with Elbow's fifth album has been in a live setting, having seen the band tour the album twice this past March. I was surprised at the time to see most of the set comprised of songs from their previous breakthrough album The Seldom Seen Kid. After hearing Build a Rocket in album format, I am grateful they played so little of it. It isn't that Rocket is inherently bad, but simply inferior to its predecessor. It expounds upon Seldom Seen's alternative rock sound, but without any of its snark or thoughtfulness. Rocket is knee deep in uplifting love ballads with so many triumphant swells it borders on tackiness, plus a couple of actually great songs tossed on top. Opening with one of my favourite songs of the year, The Birds, and gradually declines thereafter. While completely listenable, it remains a shame that it came from one of my most anticipated albums of the year. Destroyer - Kaputt (2011) My relationship with Dan Bejar is one of failsafe disappointment. I was equally disinclined towards City of Daughters and Destroyer's Rubies, Without exception, the Dan Bejar trio of songs on every New Pornographers album has been my least favourite tracks. You'd expect by now I'd have given up trying to gain any ground with him at all, but to my surprise, my perseverance has paid off. Kaputt proves one of the year's better releases, and reminds me why it's important to remain open-minded. In the case of this album, patience rewards the listener with a suave album of smooth sophistipop reminiscent of 80s pop, and inflected with jazz. Kaputt is a great example of classic restraint. If only Bejar had continued to exercise it when he followed up with the compilation Ideas For Songs, and I don't just mean musically.