Evangelian Vs The Avalanches

Check out this cool music video set to the Avalanches song “Frontier psychiatrist”. Very clever. And yes, Shinji does need a psychiatrist….

Sigur Ros – “Gobbledigook”

 

The new single from Sigur Ros’s 5th album is here and it’s FANTASTIC! I love it already and definitely is much more uplifting, playful and happy than previous work by the band. Above is the video of their new song. But be warned, plenty of nudity abounds! I’m pasting a copy of the recent information about the new album that was posted on their official site which you can click on in my blogroll. I can’t wait for the new album which will be released on June 23rd this year.

Sigur Rós will be releasing their new album worldwide the week of June 23. It is called Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.You can download the first track “Gobbledigook” and watch the video right now on SigurRos.com.

This is the official announcement sent out by the record labels today…

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
(English spelling: Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust)

Sigur Rós will be releasing their fifth album, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (English translation: with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly), worldwide the week of June 23. The first track from the album, entitled “Gobbledigook,” is available worldwide for free download via SigurRos.com. The video for the song is also on the website.

A pre-sale for the album will begin on SigurRos.com on June 2. A special deluxe edition of the album to be released later in the year — featuring a “Making Of… ” book, a film and more — will also be available to pre-order on the band’s website as of June 2. A stream of Með suð í eyrum… will be available to hear on SigurRos.com on June 9. Lastly, a plethora of Sigur Rós goodies — exclusive clips, information on tickets for upcoming shows throughout the year, etc. — will be available to those who sign up for the mailing list on SigurRos.com.

Með suð í eyrum… was co-produced with the band by renowned producer Flood, and was recorded in New York City (at Sear Sound Studios), London (at Assault and Battery Studios and Abbey Road), Reykjavík (at Álafoss, the band’s studio, as well as a church in Reykjavík), and Havana, Cuba. Whereas Sigur Rós’ last release — the critically-acclaimed documentary Heima, chronicling their free tour throughout Iceland — took the band to their homeland, their newest creation, Með suð í eyrum… is the first album in the band’s career to be made outside of Iceland. It is also their first album to feature vocalist Jón “Jónsi” Thor Birgisson’s vocals in English on one track (the remainder are sung in Icelandic).

Inspired by the unfettered feeling of the acoustic performances filmed during Heima, Sigur Rós decided to adopt a looser approach in the writing and creation of their brilliant fifth album. The material for the album was written, recorded and mixed entirely in 2008 and is being released just one month after its completion. The album glows with the perfect imperfection of live takes, the sounds of fingers playing guitar strings, cracked notes, and a stark, upfront presence not found in previous Sigur Rós recordings, moving away from reverb-soaked guitar sounds towards something altogether more affecting. The record also contains some of the most joyous music the band has ever recorded.

Opener “Gobbledigook” sets the tone for Með suð í eyrum… with its shifting acoustic guitars, playful vocals, time signature swings and swirling percussion, while “Inní mér syngur vitleysingur” (“Within me a lunatic sings”) sparkles as one of the most anthemic songs Sigur Rós have ever written. “Festival” is epic in its elation and scope, “Illgresi” features one of Jónsi’s finest vocal melodies over a lone acoustic guitar, and “Ára bátur” is the largest musical undertaking in the band’s career, as it was recorded live in one take with the London Sinfonietta and London Oratory Boy’s Choir, a total of 90 people playing at the same time. The band also utilized the talents of their string-quartet friends Amiina, as well as a five-piece brass section on certain tracks, in addition to introducing the Mellotron into their writing/recording process for the first time on this album, highlighted on one of the most tender and beautiful songs on the record, “Fljótavík.”

The spirit of Með suð í eyrum… is best captured by the album’s stunning artwork, contributed by acclaimed visual artist Ryan McGinley. McGinley first met the band when he photographed Jónsi six years ago; the album cover was taken from a flyer for McGinley’s most recent exhibit, “I Know Where the Summer Goes,” which happened to find its way into Jónsi’s inbox just as the band was deciding on how to best visually represent their new collection of songs. The result is a perfect synergy of the aural and the visual.

The tracklisting for Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly) is…

1. Gobbledigook
2. Inní mér syngur vitleysingur
3. Góðan daginn
4. Við spilum endalaust
5. Festival
6. Með suð í eyrum
7. Ára bátur
8. Illgresi
9. Fljótavík
10. Straumnes
11. All Alright

Sigur Rós will be playing shows all over the globe throughout the summer and fall to preview material from Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, including a special set at this year’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The tour dates are:

The June tour dates…
6/5/08 Guadalajara, MEX @ Teatro Degollado
6/7/08 Tepoztlan, MEX @ Festival La Colmena
6/8/08 Tijuana, MEX @ Planeta Tijuana
6/11/08 Omaha, NE @ Orpheum Theater
6/12/08 Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
6/14/08 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
6/16/08 New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom
6/20/08 Neuhausen ob Eck @ Southside Festival
6/22/08 Scheesel, Bremen @ Hurricane Festival

More worldwide tour dates will be announced soon.

Sigur Rós is: Jón Thor Birgisson (vocals, guitar), Georg Holm (bass), Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards/piano), Orrí Páll Dýrason (drums).

http://www.sigurros.com

 

http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/sigurros

 

 

 

Wolf’s Rain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The last anime I watched was “Wolf’s Rain” which is a 30 episode Japanese anime that I found engaging and melancholy.  The anime is beautiful and the main characters really grow on you. The series is set in a kind of dystopia where the world is dying and facing a kind of apocalypse. The main four characters, Kiba, Tsume, Hige, and Toeboe are wolves in human disguise. Kiba is on a quest to find ‘Paradise’ which is a legendary place that only wolves can find. The others are drawn into Kiba’s quest and they begin a long journey to find Cheza, the flower maiden (a kind of guide to Paradise) and to find Paradise itself. Also of note, the other characters include Quent, a grizzly driven and bitter wolf hunter, Blue, another wolf, Hubb a detective seeking his wife and the truth about wolves and Cher his wife and the scientist obsessed with Cheza the flower maiden.

Overall I liked this series which apart from the annoying and unecessary four episode recap on each character’s past, is well worth watching and you become lulled by the melancholy atmosphere and attached to the characters. It has philosophical undertones and reflects a kind of human obsession with paradise and utopic visions. What was disappointing was the end for me, in that it seemed rather anticlimatic after 30 episodes and perhaps was too cynical. But then, perhaps any other end would have been cheesy. I also liked the typically Japanese tragic love story of Darcia the Noble who became twisted by his fate. Also tragic and touching is the side-story of Hubb and Cher which unfortunately ends in tragedy. This is definitely the Autumn variety of the Japanese anime and not for those who want light, fluffy action and fun. (For that try Tenchi!)

 

Sigur Ros – New Album Coming Soon!

Sigur Ros have been busy since January this year recording a new album in Abbey Road Studios with Flood as their producer. They have apparently recorded 11 new songs for the new lp which is reported to be different from their previous  albums, “Von” 1997, “von brigoi” 1998, “Agaetis byrjun” 1999, ( ) 2000,  and “takk” 2005. Sigur Ros are my ultimate favourite band and I keenly follow everything they do having been to two concerts in Toronto. I love their music for its beauty, magic and etherial qualities. While they may not be to everyone’s taste, and although you can’t understand the lyrics at the gut level you can appreciate their emotive soundscapes in the most primal way. I am keenly anticipating their next cd and can’t wait to see what they do next. They are one of the few original bands out there who are true artists and who offer their own unique music of which no one else has surpassed in beauty. The new album, title as yet unknown will apparently out this spring/ early summer. Whahoo. 

Elfen Lied

I just finished watch all 13 episdoes of Elfen Lied the anime series. I loved it inspite of the sometimes excessive violence. The story follows the incident of the escape of Lucy a diclonius, or mutant human who possesses strange vector arms and enormously destructive psychic powers. Lucy escapes the secret lab where she is being help captive and experimented on to enter the lives of two college students. As the plot unfolds Lucy becomes enmeshed in the lives of Kohta and Yuka, the two students and teters between her two split personalities – one cutsy and innocent aka “Nyu” and the other psychotic and estranged. Other characters enter the frey including an abused homeless girl and another less violent “diclonius”, Nana. Overall the series is good and the animation is top notch. The story leads up to a cathartic moment where all is revealed and the intricate and emotive bonds of fate between the main characters are revealed in a wash of blood and tears. For me the best thing was the title intro song (in Latin) which is beautiful and haunting as well as classy. For a taste of Elfen Lied see the intro song above.

New Music – Portishead and Tokyo Police Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Cd’s I recently bought on itunes which I highly recommend are Portishead’s much awaited “Third” and Tokyo Police Club’s new lp “Elephant Shell”. While both are different in sound and influences these two new albums are equally worth listening to.

Portishead funnily enough herald from the English town Portishead and had huge success with their previous album’s “Dummy” released in 1994 and “Portishead” the follow up lp in 1997. Their debut cd “Dummy” was an instant classic and clever mix of jazz-pop fusion with ambient elecronic samples. Beth Gibbon’s haunting vocals combined with the atmospheric sound made this cd an underground hit and a permanent addition to alternative music culture. The second lp, the self-titled “Portishead” left much of the pop-sampling behind and presented a starker and more melancholic journey into sparse emotive landscapes.

The new album “Third” comes to us 11 years later and reflects a stripped down, minimalistic addition. Beth Gibbons is back as the vocalist and she croons along to electronic groves which although bleak and somewhat industrial, improve which each listen. While some people still wish for another “Dummy”, Portishead give us a brave, transitional and pioneering CD which will not be everyone’s cup of tea but is well worth waiting for.

Tokyo Police Club’s new album “Elephant Cell” is their debut lp which doesn’t fail to live up to their catchy ep and single “Nature of the Experiment” which was a firm favourite in my collection. Quirky and clever, this single was a fresh sound in the wilderness of indie music in Canada. This Canadian band should go places with this album and overall the 13 songs flow seamlessly in indie-glory. They sound like a mixture of The Strokes with their own happy, blend of indie guitar scratch. I like this lp very much and it makes a good soundtrack for happy mornings and brisk walks. A definite pick-you-up in comparison to Portishead’s moody soundscapes.

 

Advertising in the Netherlands

Clearly the Dutch are ahead of all of us and use their natural assets to their best advantage! Now that’s advertising. Hilarious.

Ode to Bacon and Eggs

Today being a Saturday, or the weekend, and having a British-based background, I always have some kind of cooked breakfast. How could one not enjoy the tasty culinary delights of a traditional bacon and eggs meal? Whilst in Scotland when I was 21 on holiday, I had a full-Scottish breakfast everyday. Ah, Heaven! bacon, sausages, eggs. .. mnnnnnn. Naturally I put on about 10kg but meh, life is short.  Although I would eat this everyday if health wasn’t a concern, I allow myself the pleasure once a week. Here’s a photo of one of the best breakfasts I had recently which was in the Creole Cafe, at Kirra beach, Qld. This breakfast was one to surpass all other breakfasts in terms of both aesthetics, fat-content and taste. Bloody Good!

Kath and Kim – Different, Unusual, Special and Common

Being abroad in the great TO, and being Australian, I miss the sophisticated hilarity of Australian comedy shows (hehe). Kath and Kim are perhaps the best of Australian self-mocking humour. They give such an accurate picture of Australian, middle-class urban family culture it’s almost scary. This is one episode that makes me laugh. Especially the scene with young “Ebony-ray” mimicking her mother. All-in-all it’s different, unusual, special and common!

Not Happy Jan

This is one of my all time favourite Australian adds. Have a look. I’m sick of people abroad not getting this joke when I feel like making it so. Here ’tis.