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10 Albums of Large and Small
Here’s what’s been in my ears lately — lots of post-shoegaze and nue-gaze and some psych-folk gems.
Banjo or Freakout – Banjo or Freakout (Memphis Industries)
Listening to Banjo or Freakout all week, an understated little London band made by Alessio Natalizia.
Parenthetical Girls – Privilege, Pt III: Mend & Make Do (Slender Means Society)
The 3rd Part of the Privilege series features band-member Jherek Bischoff on the cover. A report from a friend tells me that he has bloodshot eyes drawn in with blood on his cover.
The first dirty little ditty is about The Pornographer which is implied in the video below. The song sounds like a countrified version and throwback to The Smiths. I’m partial to the pretty plucking in For All the Final Girls and the OMD-stylings of Found Drama II (which come in both boy and girl versions).
Parenthetical Girls – Alphabet Series: Z (Tomlab)
You know I love the (((GIRLS))): The last in the Tomlab Alphabet Series that started with Unrest‘s Mark Robinson (hows that for a whirlwind). Features the cover of Chris & Cosey‘s October Love Song, which finds the band at its pop-most bliss.
October Love Song:
Miniature Tigers – Fortress (Modern Art)
Sometimes skimming off a little Animal Collective in their most folkiest of incarnations, Miniature Tigers has a pension for the lyric that is clever and surprising. A song about Nabokov’s Lolita has my favorite rhyme on the album:
“I wanna really get it and can’t relate / I just wanna lock myself away / Only wanna spend my time with you / Only wanna do what you wanna do / And I don’t know what I want from you / Not sure if I wanna stay with you / I can’t take my mask away”
Via Stereogum :
Gold Skull
Craft Spells – Idle Labor (Captured Tracks)
Many of the tracks on Idle Labor can be found on prior 7” releases but together with the new additions they form a coherent whole. If there were moments lost in the post-punk electronica of the 80s, you can find them here.
(Captured Tracks has become one of my favorite labels to find great artists)
You Should Close the Door via Fader
Party Talk via Pitchfork
Lisa Germano – Cry Wolf (4AD)
I stumbled upon a promo from one of my 4AD heroines. The remix of Cancer of Everything made the purchase worth every penny. Add in the remix of Sexy Little Girl Princess and you have gold.
GOBBLE GOBBLE – Neon Graveyard (Royal Rhino Flying Records)
Electro-psych bliss. Download the whole album for free at bandcamp
TV Girl – TV Girl (Self Released)
Can you have anthems about youth culture apathy? I Don’t Care.
Also songs about (post-)adolescent sex if you want it.
Download the whole EP for free at bandcamp
Yellow Ostrich – The Mistress (Afternoon)
I resisted the eMusic hysteria over Yellow Ostrich until I heard the Yeasayer cover of Tightrope (boring video below). The Mistress has more songs that employ those great drums and beautiful vocals.
Via I Guess I’m Floating :
WHALE
Twin Sister – Alternates (The Curatorial Club)
My good friend was turned me on to Twin Sister after some confusion around Twin Shadow. Finally listening to the demos for Color Your Life and with the hair-raising version of “I Want a House” I was sold. (Maybe old news to viewers of the US version of “Skins” — who knew?)
