...but they sure know how to celebrate when they finally manage to score a goal
26 July 2010
Stephen Fry
The world wouldn't be the same without him (or his Tweets to be more precise).
Animator vs Animation
It only takes a pound to seriously piss off a supermarket...
Animator vs Animation
It only takes a pound to seriously piss off a supermarket...
15 July 2010
Mike Hadreas' Piano Recital
He is preceded by Porcelain Raft who is off to a bit of a rocky start with his first song, but all else is surprisingly good. It's not the obvious choice to put this artist on as a support act for Perfume Genius (except for the whole hey! He's a male singer-songwriter too, you know?-concept), but who actually likes obvious choices anyway? He's a at a crossroads between Caribou and Alaska in Winter but then poured into a one-man show with a guitar, keyboard and sampler and all of that looped into a lovely electronic slightly danceable mix. Well, I say danceable, but it's rather more of an introverted tap your foot to the rhythm and move your head from side to side kinda music. Rather lovely if I may say so (and as I'm reviewing this shindig, I think I may).
As you might have read on this blog, I'm rather in love with Perfume Genius' 'Learning' - read: obsessed - so you could say I had some very high expectations of this gig. When listening to the album, you might expect to find a singer-songwriter who is rather disconnected from the world and writes his songs in a dark room contemplating the beauty of suicide. Just the mere entrance of Mike Hadreas onto the stage obliviates this image. As if it were a piano recital, and Mike Hadreas the lucky seven year old who gets to show off what he's learned in the past two months, he takes up his place behind the piano and waves at the audience. It gets even more recital-like when he looks up for approval to his patron saint Gareth Campesinos! who's also attending Perfume Genius's London début.
For this live setting, Mike is accompanied by Alan Wyffels (nothing could describe him better than his name - if it is actually his name as I'm only sure it's Alan and there's an Alan Wyffels on the sleeve of the record), who acts as the teacher conducting the recital - as yes, we are still attending a recital. The best moments are when Mike makes mistakes - forgetting to change to a different chord or just getting lost in the music - and the audience, as if we were the proud parents attending our son's performance, applaud even louder. There are actually quite a few of these moments, though they only add to the intimate atmosphere.
Is this then the perfect gig to accompany the perfect debut album? No, it most certainly is not. There is that awful moment, at the very beginning of the gig, when Alan uses the 'pan flute' mode on his keyboard to accompany 'Look Out, Look Out', which absolutely ruins the song for me. Maybe it's my aversion to the pan flute (pan flutes and banjos are works of the devil), or the fact that I happen to be standing on the left side of the stage right in front of the boxes from which the pan flute emanates, but it's more a of a distraction than an addition to the sound in any way possible. Nevertheless, the rest of the set is simply enchanting. 'Learning' - a quatre mains piece in live setting - and 'Mr Peterson' more than make up for the use of the pan flute mode. As a true seven year old, Mike Hadreas seems genuinly surprised and thankful at the love his music is receiving, and as he doesn't really seem to know what else to do, scurries of the stage after another quick 'thank you' at the end of his set. This just might have been the most genuine gig I've seen in quite some time.
12 July 2010
My tips for De Affaire 2010
But as far as stories go, a lot of people at this festival will have ones better than mine, some might even be music related as the line-up always seems to be amazing. A perfect balance of acts with an excellent live reputation and always some pleasant surprises, and virtually every musical niche seems to be represented. So what to look out for this year at the 24th edition of my now favourite festival?
Los Campesinos!
Saturday 21.15 - Saddlespan
I love that they're playing this festival, partly because I might have convinced them to do so. I think all I need to say here is that I've already seen them 7 times and am still looking forward to this performance. And it might be a very special one as they're performing at their label Wichita's birthday party just two days earlier and will be performing a lot of old stuff that they rarely play anymore. They might as well do 'The International Tweexcore Underground' in Nijmegen then - any special requests by Tuesday or Thursday evening please, then I'll work my magic on Gareth again.
Los Campesinos - This is how you spell "Hahaha, we destroyed the hopes and dreams of a generation of faux-romantics"
Oh No Ono
Saturday 19.30 - Saddlespan
Another case of I've-seen-them-live-and-I-want-more. They supported Wolf Parade on their London date, and boy were they better than the actual support act. Their album ended up in my mid-season favourite list, and that was mostly due to their live performances which are just exuberant. Finally a band that seem to enjoy themselves more than their audience does.
Oh No Ono - The Wave Ballet
HEALTH
Sunday 21.15 - Club Voerweg
Bring earplugs for this one. It's outside, yes, but still bring them. They were amazing on a small stage like Merleyn just last year, and they must have liked the place as they're back for more now. 'Die Slow' is still a personal favourite, though their entire second album is one of last year's better albums. If you don't like noise, you'd better skip this one. If you do, I'll see you there!
HEALTH - Die Slow
Toro Y Moi
Tuesday 21.00 - Ruïne
Noise haters might go to Toro Y Moi in stead. My first tipped band I haven't actually seen live yet! It's an Affaire exclusive as he hasn't even performed in London yet! Well, he's actually doing his first London date the day before arriving at De Affaire, but still, that's pretty good programming. His album 'Causers of This' was one of favourites of this year, a perfect soundtrack for summer and another one riding the chillwave hype. Looking forward to this!
Toro Y Moi - Blessa
Errors
Tuesday 20.30 - Club Voerweg
The programming is almost perfect, this being it's only flaw as half of Error's performance clashes with that of Toro Y Moi. I still have to make out which one of them will get my eventual vote. With Errors you'll at least be sure of some deadly catchy and danceable tunes. I want to see people dancing here!
Errors - Antipode
Dum Dum Girls
Thursday 22.45 - Ruïne
Er, yeah, Dum Dum Girls, so far, I seem to have missed four of their London dates so I really want to see them at De Affaire. I'm even willing to sacrifice the opportunity of seeing both Cut Copy and The Golden Filter in Paradiso. They make catchy lo-fi pop songs, some even in German, that will be stuck in your head for days.
Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La
A Very Special Guest
Thursday 23.30 - Saddlespan
This year, they've added a bit of mystery to De Affaire, and I love it. Opposed to Glastonbury or Lowlands last year, they've actually managed to keep this secret act secret. Though it must be said that we didn't know about Them Crooked Vultures until a few days before the festival and I might have just missed out if this is just another public secret as I live in London now. The nominator appears to be singular, so I'm guessing a solo performer. As Doornroosje already managed to put Pavement on this year, I can't help but feeling very excited about this - and in need for clues that don't really tell you anything but do manage to make you even more excited.
Other honourable mentions:
The Antlers, The Morning Benders, Tokyo Police Club, The Hundred in the Hands, Post War Years, Memoryhouse, Pantha du Prince, Gold Panda, and a special recommendation by my Icelandic flatmate: FM Belfast from Reykjavik.
Timetables and more information can be found here
Mid-Season Favourite Album Countdown
(Almost) all recommended albums - by myself and two other IKRS contributors (Stef & Ilse) - can be found in this Spotify playlist.
10. Oh No Ono – Eggs (Leaf Label/Friendly Fire Recordings)
So I may be cheating a bit with this first one as it was released last year on the continent. But as it took a few months more to cross the Channel, and since I may have slightly forgotten about it while compiling last year’s list, I’m giving it a second chance. One of the reasons I might have overlooked it last time round probably was the presence of this other Danish band (remember Mew?), and what is the possibility of two Danish bands coming up with brilliant albums in the same year? Well, the two of them certainly provide evidence for a Danish sound – and that does encompass more than just the high singing – as Oh No Ono do sound rather similar to the aforementioned, but they do provide their entirely own sound, whether this would be psychedelic rock (Internet Warrior) or pure disco (Helplessly Young). Live they’re equally enticing, partly because they appear to enjoy being on stage even more than any person in the audience could enjoy themselves while dancing to their music. And they’re also one of the opening acts on the forthcoming Affaire Festival in Nijmegen! So please do come early if you want to see Los Campesinos!, because Oh No Ono is definitely a band you don’t want to miss (if not for the music, then for their amazingly handsome guitarists, yup).
09. Sleigh Bells - Treats (Mom + Pop/N.E.E.T.) This is one of those rare occasions on which, after I’ve seen a band live, I didn’t particularly look forward to the album. However, as the XX did last year, they really managed to surprise me. Sleigh Bells have a story to them. A story of the kind you’d expect to see in a movie featuring Sandra Bullock rather than in actual reality. Derek Miller, who’d played in hardcore band ‘Poison the Well’, was waiting tables in New York when he met Alexis Krauss, a former teen pop star and at the time fourth grade teacher. He asked her whether she’d like to sing in his band, and electro hip hop duo Sleigh Bells was born. Their songs sound quite aggressive and up front, but do keep a sense of pop which allows them to be stuck in your head for days to come. The album might be just a tad bit too monotonous to ensure them a place in my end-of-the-year list, but for now they’re quite enjoyable.
08. Broken Bells – Broken Bells (Columbia)
It took me quite a while to start appreciating this album, but once ‘The High Road’ really hits you it’s very hard to put this album down. And I’m not the only one to appreciate this fine track by James Mercer of the Shins and Danger Mouse, as it has also been featured on the Match of the Day album for the World Cup. But maybe that ought to cause me to reconsider Broken Bells as they are featured on there among the likes of Glasvegas, Iglu & Hartly and Scouting for Girls – and that’s when I’m not even looking for the bad eggs in there. Ah well, football fans are not a bunch that is well known for their exquisite taste in music and kudos to the person who managed to get at least one decent song on there. I’d have seem them live by now, if it weren’t for the ridiculous requirements to get into the outdoors audience of the Jimmy Kimmel show. Is this the point where someone intervenes with the words ‘That’s Hollywood’?
07. Beach House – Teen Dream (Sub Pop)
‘Norway’ is a good contender for track of the year. It’s structure is so simple that it’s simply amazing they can get away with it. But I guess that’s part of the strength of the album: tracks that are so simple that you just can’t help yourself singing along to them after hearing just the first few lines. That and Victoria Legrand’s voice (I believe a breeding programme should be created in order to preserve her talent and create a whole generation of Legrand-like singers). And it’s not just on record, live they are amazing as well, no matter the size of the venue. I’ve seen them in a storage/art room behind the bar of a pub, a proper sized venue hidden somewhere in Hammersmith (anything west of central London I consider hidden) and in an enormous venue like the Roundhouse and each and every time they delivered an amazing set, even being a match to the equally amazing Grizzly Bear in the latter venue. Also, their Record Store Day exclusive EP was pretty neat as well. And I’m not just saying that because it was on blue vinyl.
06. Xiu Xiu – Dear God I Hate Myself (Kill Rock Stars)
After seeing him ‘play’ in Ekko in Utrecht, Jamie Stewart scares me. Yes, the sound quality wasn’t all that, but there are ways to deal with that other than shouting at the tech/sound guys as if they have stolen your lunch money and getting electrocuted while trying to fix it yourself. I believe even Angela Seo was slightly intimidated – as were the guys standing in the trajectory of the bottle that was kicked of the stage, a point in the show at which the audience collectively took a step back. Luckily, I’ve also seen him play in London and do know how the new album is supposed to sound like live, which is pretty good. I’ve only really gotten into Xiu Xiu since I’ve started listening to Former Ghosts last year (a super group in which Jamie Stewart is also involved who will release what is going to be the best album of the year called ‘New Love’ in September), and as much as I like ‘Dear God I Hate Myself’, it’s not one of his (their?) best. Fabulous Muscles and Knife Play still top that list, but this is nevertheless a very worthy effort. Now let’s just hope Jamie Stewart manages to actually get through a set without physically attacking the audience next time he’s around (which will be on a tour supporting earlier mentioned Former Ghosts album FYI – and yes, I will now stop plugging albums that have not even come out yet).
5. The National – High Violet (4AD)
Even though this is not The National at their best, it’s still an awful lot better than what most bands dare to put out. Alligator and Boxer still top the list of their best albums for me, and they’re tied as I keep switching back and forth of liking one of those better than the other. But this is supposed to be about their newest endeavour so let’s focus on that shall we? It took some time for me to really get the album, well, it actually took hearing it being performed live – and is there anything better in this world than hearing ‘England’ live in London? ‘Runaway’ turned out to be another gem, as well as ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ with that beautiful melancholic “All the very best of us / String ourselves up for love” chorus. I just love how Matt Berninger can make any silly thing sound like the most profound truth. Not that his lyrics don’t make sense, but sometimes he just manages to work in a sentence that appears to me more like a mind fuck than a well thought out lyric. And after seeing him joke around a bit at the Electric Ballroom gig, I think he’s rather enjoying people’s attempts to make sense of his nonsense. I’m just sad that ‘Terrible Love’ now seems to have become their set closer of choice, as ‘Mr November’ or ‘About Today’ seemed so much more equipped to let everyone go home on a high.
04. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening (DFA)
So this album already made an appearance in both other lists, so it must be good! And I absolutely agree. I’m a sucker for songs that exceed the five minute barrier, so this album is a real treat for me. I love the balance between the more dance punk based tracks and the electropop downbeat ones. All killer no filler you could say. So there’s no ‘Someone Great’ or ‘Tribulations’ on this album, but I think that overall it is an equal to the two earlier releases by James Murphy and friends. That point is best signified in a live setting, when all three albums just blend into a perfect mix of all that DFA goodness. As others have mentioned, this album relates more to the work of the Juan Maclean, and that’s probably got do to with Nancy Whang taking up a bigger role in some of the songs, such as ‘One Touch’. ‘You Wanted a Hit’ (which almost touches upon the glorious ten minute mark) and ‘I Can Change’ are the two tracks that bring this album to its high for me. ‘Pow Pow’ is what keeps it out of the top three.
03. Zola Jesus – Stridulum EP (Sacred Bones)
Yes, I’m slightly cheating again. But is it really cheating if there are no clear rules for making this little feature in the first place? There’s just that name – album countdown – that might imply that EPs are not welcome here, that they are what vuvuzelas are to festivals to this blog. But as with vuvuzelas, this Zola Jesus’s EP is pretty hard to ignore. It’s just six tracks long, but oh, they’re all so incredibly good. I already loved last year’s album The Spoils, though that was a bit flawed in that it was just too lo-fi. Home recordings can be absolutely great, but that album just took it too far. Luckily, it did ensure the right amount of publicity for Nika Roza to be able to record this EP in a proper way. There’s this sense of impending doom and anxiety that keeps hunting you throughout the sextet of songs that makes one almost scared to put this record down, while there’s also that spark of hope in lyrics as “But at the end of the night, we’ll be together again” in opener ‘Night’. I’m completely enchanted by this EP – it even beats most full length albums of this year. And she’s also coming over to pay the Netherlands a visit, together with Xiu Xiu and with/as Former Ghosts, together making this already my most anticipated gig of the year. And they’re making me wait till 20 November. The waiting’s unbearable already.
2. Infinite Body – Carve Out the Face of My God (Post Present Medium)
I absolutely love this album! I almost feel bad about my number one being a better album than Infinite Body’s as this is just so amazing, and it seems go so unnoticed – luckily for my number one he made a near perfect album to ensure the first place on my list (and is that enough to get your attention so you come back for tomorrow’s number one? I promise it will be REALLY good!). Infinite Body is the solo endeavour of California’s Kyle Parker who used to make a lot of noise as Gator Surprise, but decided to start making this beautiful music in stead, and what an awfully good choice that was. He apparently still has a full time job working in a movie theatre (he’s the guy getting you the popcorn) and barely has enough equipment to perform live. All the more reason to be amazed by what he manages to create on this LP. Oh, just wake me up with the sounds of ‘A Fool Persists’ and know that nothing could ruin my day – had I only considered this on 11 July. His music seems to relate to what Fuck Buttons do, but less harsh, though still noisy, a bit like Fennesz. It would deem it very appropriate for a Stanley Kubrick film. Or just any other occasion as you should just give it listen. Or two. Or listen to it infinitely as I now tend to do.
1. Perfume Genius – Learning (Turnstile)
I’ve been in love with this album ever since I heard the first demo’s of ‘Lookout, Lookout’ and ‘Learning’ and the album wasn’t even near actually existing. And that’s been some time now, and I still simply can’t get enough of those tracks. Mike Hadreas has such a fragile voice, and manages to get the piano to match this fragility, but his lyrics reveal a much darker side. Songs with a twist, not like the earlier mentioned Xiu Xiu, but more in Pulp way – and that’s always a good way, isn’t it? Just take ‘Lookout, Lookout’ as it tells the story of Mary Bell : “Mary, Mary Bell / With an uppercase M / All the neighbors know / What your mother sells / But you carved out a name for yourself. [...] Keep your wits / He will not be missed / He didn’t have a family to begin with.” It gets even juicier if you’d know that the lead character of this song was just eleven at the time.. But it’s not all just storytelling, Perfume Genius also is the aggressor (Learning: “No one will answer your prayers / Until you take off that dress”) and the victim (Mr Peterson: “My work came back from class / With notes attached / Of a place and time / Or how my body kept him up at night”). All sung with the same rather sweet voice, strangely reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens’ ’John Wayne Gacy Jr.’. A psychological roller coaster, this album, and one of those rare albums that you’d like to label ‘perfect’. And can anyone please enlighten me as to the role Caralee McElroy has played in the creation of yet another one of my favourite albums? I think she might just be my new favourite music person.
So I may be cheating a bit with this first one as it was released last year on the continent. But as it took a few months more to cross the Channel, and since I may have slightly forgotten about it while compiling last year’s list, I’m giving it a second chance. One of the reasons I might have overlooked it last time round probably was the presence of this other Danish band (remember Mew?), and what is the possibility of two Danish bands coming up with brilliant albums in the same year? Well, the two of them certainly provide evidence for a Danish sound – and that does encompass more than just the high singing – as Oh No Ono do sound rather similar to the aforementioned, but they do provide their entirely own sound, whether this would be psychedelic rock (Internet Warrior) or pure disco (Helplessly Young). Live they’re equally enticing, partly because they appear to enjoy being on stage even more than any person in the audience could enjoy themselves while dancing to their music. And they’re also one of the opening acts on the forthcoming Affaire Festival in Nijmegen! So please do come early if you want to see Los Campesinos!, because Oh No Ono is definitely a band you don’t want to miss (if not for the music, then for their amazingly handsome guitarists, yup).
It took me quite a while to start appreciating this album, but once ‘The High Road’ really hits you it’s very hard to put this album down. And I’m not the only one to appreciate this fine track by James Mercer of the Shins and Danger Mouse, as it has also been featured on the Match of the Day album for the World Cup. But maybe that ought to cause me to reconsider Broken Bells as they are featured on there among the likes of Glasvegas, Iglu & Hartly and Scouting for Girls – and that’s when I’m not even looking for the bad eggs in there. Ah well, football fans are not a bunch that is well known for their exquisite taste in music and kudos to the person who managed to get at least one decent song on there. I’d have seem them live by now, if it weren’t for the ridiculous requirements to get into the outdoors audience of the Jimmy Kimmel show. Is this the point where someone intervenes with the words ‘That’s Hollywood’?
‘Norway’ is a good contender for track of the year. It’s structure is so simple that it’s simply amazing they can get away with it. But I guess that’s part of the strength of the album: tracks that are so simple that you just can’t help yourself singing along to them after hearing just the first few lines. That and Victoria Legrand’s voice (I believe a breeding programme should be created in order to preserve her talent and create a whole generation of Legrand-like singers). And it’s not just on record, live they are amazing as well, no matter the size of the venue. I’ve seen them in a storage/art room behind the bar of a pub, a proper sized venue hidden somewhere in Hammersmith (anything west of central London I consider hidden) and in an enormous venue like the Roundhouse and each and every time they delivered an amazing set, even being a match to the equally amazing Grizzly Bear in the latter venue. Also, their Record Store Day exclusive EP was pretty neat as well. And I’m not just saying that because it was on blue vinyl.
After seeing him ‘play’ in Ekko in Utrecht, Jamie Stewart scares me. Yes, the sound quality wasn’t all that, but there are ways to deal with that other than shouting at the tech/sound guys as if they have stolen your lunch money and getting electrocuted while trying to fix it yourself. I believe even Angela Seo was slightly intimidated – as were the guys standing in the trajectory of the bottle that was kicked of the stage, a point in the show at which the audience collectively took a step back. Luckily, I’ve also seen him play in London and do know how the new album is supposed to sound like live, which is pretty good. I’ve only really gotten into Xiu Xiu since I’ve started listening to Former Ghosts last year (a super group in which Jamie Stewart is also involved who will release what is going to be the best album of the year called ‘New Love’ in September), and as much as I like ‘Dear God I Hate Myself’, it’s not one of his (their?) best. Fabulous Muscles and Knife Play still top that list, but this is nevertheless a very worthy effort. Now let’s just hope Jamie Stewart manages to actually get through a set without physically attacking the audience next time he’s around (which will be on a tour supporting earlier mentioned Former Ghosts album FYI – and yes, I will now stop plugging albums that have not even come out yet).
Even though this is not The National at their best, it’s still an awful lot better than what most bands dare to put out. Alligator and Boxer still top the list of their best albums for me, and they’re tied as I keep switching back and forth of liking one of those better than the other. But this is supposed to be about their newest endeavour so let’s focus on that shall we? It took some time for me to really get the album, well, it actually took hearing it being performed live – and is there anything better in this world than hearing ‘England’ live in London? ‘Runaway’ turned out to be another gem, as well as ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ with that beautiful melancholic “All the very best of us / String ourselves up for love” chorus. I just love how Matt Berninger can make any silly thing sound like the most profound truth. Not that his lyrics don’t make sense, but sometimes he just manages to work in a sentence that appears to me more like a mind fuck than a well thought out lyric. And after seeing him joke around a bit at the Electric Ballroom gig, I think he’s rather enjoying people’s attempts to make sense of his nonsense. I’m just sad that ‘Terrible Love’ now seems to have become their set closer of choice, as ‘Mr November’ or ‘About Today’ seemed so much more equipped to let everyone go home on a high.
So this album already made an appearance in both other lists, so it must be good! And I absolutely agree. I’m a sucker for songs that exceed the five minute barrier, so this album is a real treat for me. I love the balance between the more dance punk based tracks and the electropop downbeat ones. All killer no filler you could say. So there’s no ‘Someone Great’ or ‘Tribulations’ on this album, but I think that overall it is an equal to the two earlier releases by James Murphy and friends. That point is best signified in a live setting, when all three albums just blend into a perfect mix of all that DFA goodness. As others have mentioned, this album relates more to the work of the Juan Maclean, and that’s probably got do to with Nancy Whang taking up a bigger role in some of the songs, such as ‘One Touch’. ‘You Wanted a Hit’ (which almost touches upon the glorious ten minute mark) and ‘I Can Change’ are the two tracks that bring this album to its high for me. ‘Pow Pow’ is what keeps it out of the top three.
Yes, I’m slightly cheating again. But is it really cheating if there are no clear rules for making this little feature in the first place? There’s just that name – album countdown – that might imply that EPs are not welcome here, that they are what vuvuzelas are to festivals to this blog. But as with vuvuzelas, this Zola Jesus’s EP is pretty hard to ignore. It’s just six tracks long, but oh, they’re all so incredibly good. I already loved last year’s album The Spoils, though that was a bit flawed in that it was just too lo-fi. Home recordings can be absolutely great, but that album just took it too far. Luckily, it did ensure the right amount of publicity for Nika Roza to be able to record this EP in a proper way. There’s this sense of impending doom and anxiety that keeps hunting you throughout the sextet of songs that makes one almost scared to put this record down, while there’s also that spark of hope in lyrics as “But at the end of the night, we’ll be together again” in opener ‘Night’. I’m completely enchanted by this EP – it even beats most full length albums of this year. And she’s also coming over to pay the Netherlands a visit, together with Xiu Xiu and with/as Former Ghosts, together making this already my most anticipated gig of the year. And they’re making me wait till 20 November. The waiting’s unbearable already.
I absolutely love this album! I almost feel bad about my number one being a better album than Infinite Body’s as this is just so amazing, and it seems go so unnoticed – luckily for my number one he made a near perfect album to ensure the first place on my list (and is that enough to get your attention so you come back for tomorrow’s number one? I promise it will be REALLY good!). Infinite Body is the solo endeavour of California’s Kyle Parker who used to make a lot of noise as Gator Surprise, but decided to start making this beautiful music in stead, and what an awfully good choice that was. He apparently still has a full time job working in a movie theatre (he’s the guy getting you the popcorn) and barely has enough equipment to perform live. All the more reason to be amazed by what he manages to create on this LP. Oh, just wake me up with the sounds of ‘A Fool Persists’ and know that nothing could ruin my day – had I only considered this on 11 July. His music seems to relate to what Fuck Buttons do, but less harsh, though still noisy, a bit like Fennesz. It would deem it very appropriate for a Stanley Kubrick film. Or just any other occasion as you should just give it listen. Or two. Or listen to it infinitely as I now tend to do.
1. Perfume Genius – Learning (Turnstile)
I’ve been in love with this album ever since I heard the first demo’s of ‘Lookout, Lookout’ and ‘Learning’ and the album wasn’t even near actually existing. And that’s been some time now, and I still simply can’t get enough of those tracks. Mike Hadreas has such a fragile voice, and manages to get the piano to match this fragility, but his lyrics reveal a much darker side. Songs with a twist, not like the earlier mentioned Xiu Xiu, but more in Pulp way – and that’s always a good way, isn’t it? Just take ‘Lookout, Lookout’ as it tells the story of Mary Bell : “Mary, Mary Bell / With an uppercase M / All the neighbors know / What your mother sells / But you carved out a name for yourself. [...] Keep your wits / He will not be missed / He didn’t have a family to begin with.” It gets even juicier if you’d know that the lead character of this song was just eleven at the time.. But it’s not all just storytelling, Perfume Genius also is the aggressor (Learning: “No one will answer your prayers / Until you take off that dress”) and the victim (Mr Peterson: “My work came back from class / With notes attached / Of a place and time / Or how my body kept him up at night”). All sung with the same rather sweet voice, strangely reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens’ ’John Wayne Gacy Jr.’. A psychological roller coaster, this album, and one of those rare albums that you’d like to label ‘perfect’. And can anyone please enlighten me as to the role Caralee McElroy has played in the creation of yet another one of my favourite albums? I think she might just be my new favourite music person.
7 July 2010
World Cup meets Tour de France
The final ought to be very interesting for the Rabobank team. (Also, note the Hela Curry Kruiden Ketchup - if anyone is planning on coming this way: pannenkoekenmix and Hela Curry Kruiden Ketchup).
And Nierman after the match:
E-mail to the Beeb
Dear Sir/Madam,
I'm probably sending this to the wrong person, but I'd really like to see this problem addressed. During the entire World Cup, your (and ITV's) commentators have been systematically mispronouncing the names of virtually all Dutch players. We have rather accepted this fact and are very pleased with your overall coverage of the Cup.
However, in light of our possible Final against Germany, I'd like to address your pronunciation of 'Sneijder'. As opposed to German names like 'Schweinsteiger', you'd might note the absence of the 'ch' after the initial S. This means that 'Sneijder' is NOT pronounced as 'Schneijder', as you keep insisting on doing. Some examples of how his name ought to be pronounced can be heard in the snippet (<- also an 'sn' there rather than a 'schn') of the radio coverage I've included in this message.
I, and the rest of the Dutch community in England, would be very pleased if you would take this into consideration. We would hate to hear 12 German names in the final (or even 1 if we end up competing against Spain).
Kind regards,
Linda Wijlaars
I'm probably sending this to the wrong person, but I'd really like to see this problem addressed. During the entire World Cup, your (and ITV's) commentators have been systematically mispronouncing the names of virtually all Dutch players. We have rather accepted this fact and are very pleased with your overall coverage of the Cup.
However, in light of our possible Final against Germany, I'd like to address your pronunciation of 'Sneijder'. As opposed to German names like 'Schweinsteiger', you'd might note the absence of the 'ch' after the initial S. This means that 'Sneijder' is NOT pronounced as 'Schneijder', as you keep insisting on doing. Some examples of how his name ought to be pronounced can be heard in the snippet (<- also an 'sn' there rather than a 'schn') of the radio coverage I've included in this message.
I, and the rest of the Dutch community in England, would be very pleased if you would take this into consideration. We would hate to hear 12 German names in the final (or even 1 if we end up competing against Spain).
Kind regards,
Linda Wijlaars
2 July 2010
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