Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Handsome Furs - Plague Park

Wolf Parade leadman Dan Boeckner and his fiancée's side project, Handsome Furs, reflects a very different side to the Victoria-formed indie rockers. I won't say it's Wolf Parade trying to be Joy Division. I won't even say it's Mr. Boeckner trying to be Radiohead. I'll make no comment at all on it being Apologies To The Queen Mary, as written by Efrim Manuck. They're all 100% true in every way, but let's give poor Dan the benefit of the doubt, huh?

As the last comparisons might have brought to mind to you, the Boeckner you hear here is a much darker and sombre one than we know from the noisy, fun, Modest Mouse-esque Wolf Parade. This seems to be in many ways the first major project he's done without Isaac Brock's ever-watching eye over it, and so it represents a major departure from his old sound. And so, there's not a note in major key to be found. And it is lush- filling the record with deep, sinister electronica and wicked bass notes has given Handsome Furs a whole new lease of life.

The population of instruments has also changed. Where Wolf Parade was far more simple- gimme slick guitar riffs, drums and electronic melodies and we're set- here Handsome Furs has introduced a far more complex sound, entering the orchestral world of their countrymen Arcade Fire and The Dears. The baroque-folk sound- bringing in strings, harps and bells to the fray- fills the album with a much more serious feel and gives the impression of a far more passionately intimate album. But these instruments do not take away from the vocals- and let me make this clear: it is most definately the album of a vocalist, and you can tell. The singing leads the songs even more than you hear in normal rock.

Although it contains only 9 tracks, and tips off at only 36 minutes- a length that seems to be dwindling and disappearing almost entirely in this world of 10 minute long solos and extravagant songs- this most certainly does not feel like a short album. The complexity and dense, lavish sound give this album every part the esteem of any other album you could be given.

The emotion of this album is far more furious and angry than our last visit to Dan Boeckner, with lines like "And if there's a God, he's a little god...But he hates his babies most of all" and song titles like "Dead + Rural". Clearly, what you can expect is a slightly less care-free album that before. This is indie rock for a dystopian future. But it is passionate and almost happily rageful.

Handsome Furs are a much more sombre but a much more colossal face of Canadian indie rock. As such, they're not easy to compare quickly to their sister project, Wolf Parade, in so many words. But for my money the result of Plague Park is a far more complete album and would not leave any Wolf Parade fan disappointed. If Krug and Boeckner's next album is anything like this, then I would consider it an improvement.

Preview - Can't Get Started
Preview - Dumb Animals

Handsome Furs - Plague Park (Megaupload)

-Mike (=

The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army

The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army

So how come The Polyphonic Spree are so happy? And so big- this is a band with 25 members and 10 vocalists, after all. Maybe this band is living proof that misery does love company- this is a band that certainly does have nothing of the depressed about it, with assorted keyboardists, percussionists, drummers, bassists, guitarists, flautists, trumpeters, trombonists, violinists, violists, harpists, French horn players, pedal steel players, theremineers and "electronic effects people" doing their bit to add their part to the veritable party that is their sound. The result isn't half as unstructured as you could imagine a band with this much sound to give could be, and remains surprisingly restrained.

The Polyphonic Spree- a name, given the size of the band, which couldn't be more apt- is not a band which are afraid to not take themselves too seriously, and as a result you can really tell that the band truly have fun making their albums. The undescribably large sound and drama of the band are all tinged with a strong sense of excitement and excess, like the world's biggest party put to music. This isn't just a jaded collection of black suits, or even a gang of passionate revolutionaries: this is a group of friends who want to play the loudest song they can on every one of their instruments. This is the stylisms of their seeming inspiration and closest band, The Flaming Lips, raised by 5 times the amount of members.

With the exaggerated sound of 10 singers, the inspiration for this album sounds like it was taken straight from broadway before any rock band that's ever been around. Indeed, listening to the album is the equivalent of an indie-rock musical, with extravangant, over-the-top embellished versions of songs. But the complexity within it reminds you that this is more than anything a rock album, even stripping down the exuberance.

An avant-garde, facicious, post-ironic orchestra, and a Flaming Lips in a world where there are 10 Wayne Coynes, Polyphonic Spree are one of those bands that will always hold a place in anyone's library. Condensed, distilled and concentrated optimism and happiness and bliss jammed into every song, they seem to be the biggest cure to any kind of negativity, ever. And for giving even Wayne- the single happiest man alive- a run for his money, you get an idea of just how much this band can put into under an hour.

Preview - Running Away
Preview - The Fragile Army

The Polyphonic Spree - The Fragile Army (zShare)

-Mike (=

Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold

Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold

Somehow, from a quietly recieved debut album in May 2007 (only 1,000 copies were originally printed), Bat For Lashes has recieved a major spot at this year's Glastonbury Festival, place in Thom Yorke's top 10 songs of all time, as well as fans in rock legends Jarvis Cocker and Devendra Banhart. As welcomes to the voracious world of indie go, people have done a lot worse than Natasha Khan!

So what has given her such instant gratification and prestige? The opener, Horse And I, answers questions instantly. The first sounds you hear are haunting harpsichord notes ringing out- it's this nonstandard creativity that will become commonplace on the album, with strange instruments like old harpsichords and percussion sticks appearing everywhere. And suddenly the spooky theremin-esque synths come in and the vocals rise above it. The vocals, in fact, were sung with a 50 yard extention lead and a dark, rainy forest in the middle of the night. And the tone really reflects this. It's something at the same time immediately exciting and comfortable: it's adventurous, but pleasant. And so, from the first moment it is massively accessable and yet also overwhelmingly original.

Comparing Natasha Khan to anyone else is a difficult. The immediate artist that comes to mind is Bjork, but without the occasional absurdly experimental project that scares many people from the Icelandic songstress. But comparing her to the classical folk artists like Tori Amos or Kate Bush falls short, as well. Where they quickly bore or cease to interest in large doses, Bat For Lashes keeps interest throughout every moment of the 45 minute offering. And so she lands in a cool middle ground, like French artist Camille, being at the same time accessable, traditional and exceptionally listenable but also fresh, new and original.

Songs seem to break into 3 parts: there are the adventurous, melodic songs like Horse And I, mentioned earlier, as well as the grand finale I Saw A Light, which bring in a feel that is bigger than the song could ever achieve alone. But also, another common theme is of the almost trip-hop mysterious song which brings in almost Portishead-esque sensibilities, with off-key basslines, unnerving lyrics and ghostly reverbs, like Trophy or Sarah. Thirdly, the songs dispersed among these are the more personal, piano-lead, emotional tracks which sing of personal tragedies and stories, like Prescilla and Sad Eyes.

To answer the question at the start of this review, then, Bat For Lashes has achieved her almost scary rise to power in the indie community simply because she has perfected a large part of the folk genre: if Vienna Teng's direction for folk was a step out the door, then Fur And Gold is its ultimate direction. Amazingly memorable, spanning the entire range of music she could, Bat For Lashes represents everything the genre has tried to achieve. And she has succeeded with flare.

Preview - Horse And I (Live at Glastonbury)
Preview - Sarah (Live)
Preview - Prescilla (Single Version)

Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold (zShare)

-Mike (=

What It's All About

Dan Le Sac truly is a god among men.

-Mike (=

Antennas To Heaven - The Line Between Myth And Reality Has Always Been In Finland

Antennas To Heaven - The Line Between Myth And Reality Has Always Been In Finland

Kitchen sink lyrics and post-rock music. Why have the two never been combined before?

Let me explain. Post rock is massive, sweeping, epic, and usually 2 hours long: the real successors for the old classical operas of old. It's ethereal, trancelike and completely the opposite of lifelike. It is otherworldly.

Kitchen sink lyrics are like conversations in a pub. Extra details thrown in like conversation even if they don't fit the music, but the guy felt he needed to stick something in. If you imagine transcribing someone telling his mates some anecdote about the one time he had to carry a carpet through some fields with his mate Stevie... that's what you end up with. It's chatty, and witty... it's mundane. It's everyday.

The two are the exact opposites of each other. It's like The Streets conducting something by Mozart! Or Godspeed working with Jay-Z for a couple rap tracks! The two should never work. But here, Phil Hodgson and Dave Smith (see! Even their names are everyday!) have done just that: created sweeping, Mogwai-esque melodies and then written in front of it the stories of everyday people. But this doesn't weaken the effect of it: you're not let down by the fact it isn't about the world ending or anything. Because it gives post-rock the one thing it's needed since the first person ever penned an hour-long guitar solo: it's given it a personal touch.

Take the last-but-one track, Big Trev. Not the first title you'd think of in post-rockdom, but when the lyrics start with "I still like to think he was smiling. Even though I couldn’t be there to see it, I hope he understood that we were laughing with him, not at him. That there was a fondness amongst us all. He wasn’t the joke, he wasn’t the monkey in the corner to entertain and dance. He was one of us." and suddenly you realise it: this is MORE than just a nameless, abstract drama: this is individuals, real people, and the real emotion that real people feel in their real lives. And it makes it something a hell of a lot more moving than anything Mogwai has ever written.

So while the idea of mixing up the grass roots, "Ya wanna live with common people" lyrics style with the classical, grandeuse melodies of the concert hall seems a novel little gimmick at first, the results it gives are something almost impossible: by taking away the abstract, epic idea behind so much of post rock and giving it to the stories everyone has one or two of in their lives, it's made it even more powerful, and even more dramatic. And for that, this has become one of the better post-rock albums ever made.

Antennas To Heaven - The Line Between Myth And Reality Has Always Been In Finland

-Mike (=

A Northern Chorus - The Millions Too Many

A Northern Chorus - The Millions Too Many

I think I decided long ago if I were to pick one country to sum up everything indie rock is about, it would be Canada. I mean, there isn't any country more profilic in its number of successful and innovative bands forming- it really does churn them out. But its the underground movement where you often find the greatest music: the bands with entire careers out of the limelight- and honestly, often unjustly, too. A Northern Chorus' 4th album, The Millions Too Many, is a perfect example of this. The majority probably will never hear of this band- at least, outside of their homeland. But this album is nothing short of amazing: this is an album that doesn't only deserve repeated listens, but forces them.

The Millions Too Many is big. Often opening with just a voice and a simple guitar riff, it's not long until they unleash the full, orchestral scale of their might, with epic webs of sound made with thier overdriven- but never shallow- guitars and string section. They are loud, and unashamedly so. But they're not only loud. The quiet sections that break up the noise are just as powerful and evocative, punctuating the sound and giving it a real emotional impact. Think of it this way: it has the real poignant emotion of Sufjan Stevens. But it has the giant, epic scope of the loudest moments of Godspeed You! Black Emperor. In every song.

I wasn't kidding when I said unforgettable, too: somewhere in the vast, passionate anthems they've found that certain something that every artist strives for: catchiness. You'll find yourself singing along to every track before you've even finished listening to them the first time: I know I caught myself doing that a whole lot at the start. Sublimely melodic and tuneful, this is the same strong, anthemic music that made Arcade Fire big.

Resting strangely in the middle ground between We're Marching On and Bloc Party, The Millions Too Many is a delight to listen to. With all the pop sensibilities to ensure its mainstream accessibility and at the same time all the white-knuckle adrenaline of punk rock's overdriven guitars, and at the same time an entire orchestra of strings and brass to give the epic, almost classical feel to the music. Occasionally, a little-known band will come out of the melting pot with a masterpiece which launches them into mainstream, international success- see Broken Social Scene's or The Dear's sudden rise. If there's any justice in the world, then this album is A Northern Chorus'.

Preview - No Stations (Live)

A Northern Chorus - The Millions Too Many (Zshare)

-Mike (=

Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise

Okay, I'm done with exams now for the next 11 months. So I should be back from haitus, and back on schedule! And what better way to launch back into the blogging than...

Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise

Dreaming Through The Noise. The title sums up the sound of the album strangely well: the tone is often softened, almost dreamlike. But what makes this album special is the edge; the noise, which brings energy and excitement into the procession.

Vienna Teng is another recruit to the ever-growing chamber-folk pianist solists, but you shouldn't think she is anything but original. Between her veteran folk leanings- she has had 3 albums slip under the radar so far, after all- with her classical piano training and even the occasional wavering of traditional Chinese music, she's developed into a totally uncopiable artist. And once you get past that, it gets a bit more special than that.

The opener, Blue Caravan is everything an album opener should be: all rising strings, dramatic, rolling piano loops, epic acoustic guitar riffs and casually cool but classy as heck vocals. It manages to set you off on the journey that the album will get you on- but it's so smooth that you'll find yourself going back to the start as soon as it's over to live it out again. And not just because it's enjoyable music: it's the catchiest tune ever freakin' made, alongside that! This is music that shouts "I'm just going out, and I may be some time" but ends up getting out of it all okay. This music is untouchable and invincible.

But then you move on and the next track is the complete opposite: the bouncy, simple singalong Whatever You Want sings of the simple life and dismisses any ideas of yet another Regina Spektor wannabee. And then, Love Turns 40 is another change in direction, turning into a Tori Amos-fest of emotional melodies and wailing choirs. In fact, despite the complete lack of any change of instuments (plus or minus a violin or 2), every track seems completely unique from each other.

The other major stickout track is Pontchartrain, the penultimate offering from Dreaming Through The Noise. There is a sudden change from everything else on the album, the piano suddenly jarring and hitting all the black keys dissonantly and mysteriously. Over it, Vienna sings eerily about the devastation and results of hurricane Katrina in a strangely Radiohead-esque twist. And then, before you think it's all, it builds, and grows, until the result is a massively unsettling but undeniably beautiful piece of music that takes you past the 6 minute mark, drifting over everything else in your mind. If Vienna is dreaming through the noise, then this is the nightmare. But it's one that you don't want to wake up from.

Wistful but powerful, Dreaming Through The Noise is an album full of classics that haven't been discovered yet. It's got the classy, smooth sensibilities but it's also got the epic scope and drama coming out the wazoo. All in all, Vienna Teng has created a new anti-folk benchmark with this album, and it's more than worthwhile adding to your collection.

Preview - Blue Caravan (Live)
Preview - Pontchartrain (Live)

(These previews are stripped down versions of the songs without guitars or strings)

Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise (Megaupload)

-Mike (=

The Enigma Project

www.myspace.com/theenigmaproject

Well what can I say, I found this fantastic band on myspace one day and I have heard the future. All music will be like this one day.

Get your seatbelt on, Soviet will blow you off your chair.

Martyn xox