GOLDEN GRRLS

Somehow Golden Grrls manage to simultaneously sound like both Brilliant Colors and Pavement.

Which means that their debut 7'', Beaches/Date It, is just as good as I hoped it would be when they first emerged from behind the counters of Monorail a couple of years ago.

Yay!

Date It by Golden Grrrls

Beaches by Golden Grrrls

VIVIAN GIRLS

Oh, new Vivian Girls song! Did not know, but it's not the worst thing to discover when you come home from work on a Monday, Valentine's Day, even? It feels lighter than a lot of what was on Everything Goes Wrong. Which I guess only makes sense when you compare the record titles... Colour me (even more) excited about Share the Joy!

...is it April already?


Vivian Girls - I Heard You Say by DybMusic

MIX: 2011.02

MIX! BOREDOM! JOY! RECENT FAVOURITES!

Again: No theme. Five songs from 2011. One from way back. All hits. The cat approves of all selected songs.

RANGE ROVER - THERE’S NOTHING FOR ME HERE

This song isn't nearly seven minutes long. It's clearly not more than 3 and a half.

LOWER DENS - BATMAN

The best single released so far in 2011, or just my current favourite band?

MAZES - MOST DAYS

Two joyous minutes of noisy pop that you can lose yourself in almost every day.

NATURAL CHILD - DOGBITE

This sounds as cool as the girl on front cover of the 7'' looks. (ie. VERY.)

MYELIN SHEATHS - DO THE MENTAL TWIST

When this was released, I wasn't completely convinced. But on revisiting after listening a lot to the album released late last year, all I can say is: I was wrong. This is clearly awesome.

COASTING - SNOOZEFEST

Awesomefest.

TROGONS - PROTEST SONG #678

I was really meant to go to London this weekend, but then decided not to. Instead I listened to Trogons pretending I was in Brixton to see them support Dignan Porch and Weekend on Saturday. That's a good line-up! Also: Tune!, as they would say over there.

SEX BEET - DIRTY BOOTS

Also from London. Also noisy girl fronted pop. Is that a pattern emerging? (Also: tune!)

TRONICS - FAVOURITE GIRLS

Old song alert! Hit alert!

Yr my favourite girls.

NO JOY - GHOST BLONDE

It does a great job of finishing one of 2010's best albums, so I expect that it will do an almost too good job of ending this most humble mix. This is a long two minute shoegaze song.

Download:
Mediafire 

BANANAS SYMPHONY

Not quite as cheery as the band name would have you think, but much sweeter than the song title might suggest, Bananas Symphony's digital single Salty has proven to be strangely addictive. Not sounding a million miles away from Fred Thomas' City Center project, the two songs create a sugary mix of random noise, pop melodies, vocal samples and acoustic guitars that don't sound like acoustic guitars. Nom nom.

MIKE ADAMS AT HIS HONEST WEIGHT

I had never heard of Mike Adams before and his decision to add "at his Honest Weight" to his name didn't exactly convince me this was going to be something I'd find too interesting. (What does it really mean? And my first impression would've been pretty similar if his artist name was 'Mike Adams Sings About How He Feels'). But after reading a glowing review, I gave the first track of his album 'Oscillate Wisely' (a pun on Oscar Wilde? a pun on an Oscar Wilde pun?) a listen. And then I listened to the rest of the album.

THREETIMESINAROW.

I'm not quite sure why I like it, but I really do - even after spending all day at work listening to it trying to convince myself I don't like it. I'm tempted to say it's simply because of, you know, the songs, but it might also be because of the strange noises in the background on Sunrise or the ending of It's All Been Done, You Said, when I, the first time I heard it, for a couple of seconds, was terrified my computer had broken down. Or maybe it's because all the songs somehow manage to sound the same while really being completely different. Or maybe it's because I like anything that can make sadness seem this triumphant.

Bad Weather by mikeadams

OWL SPLINTERS

During last week's CTM festival here in Berlin I wanted to go see Svarte Greiner aka. Erik Skodvin play at HBC with a few other artists from his Miasmah label, but, as is too often the case, I decided I couldn't allow myself to afford it this time. You see, even though I'm not overly familiar with them, I wanted to see them because Svarte Greiner is half of the duo that ha released maybe my all-time favourite ambient album; Deaf Center - Pale Ravine

AND NOW THEY ARE RELEASING THEIR SECOND ALBUM: OWL SPLINTERS

You can listen to it in its entirety via Type, which is what I'm doing at this very moment. First impressions would suggest it might be as good as Pale Ravine.

Shhh. Get quietly excited.

(in)activity

At the end of last year and in the early days of 2011, I didn't seem to be doing much on school nights. More often than not, I would spend these nights with my laptop in my room, skipping from one music blog to another. So when I started this wee blog a couple of weeks ago, it was, partly, to convince myself that it wasn't a complete waste of time; that music-geeking can also be useful. After which, of course, everything's been much much busier and I've had no time for extracurricular activities. But now I'm ill. So if any day is the day for another post, this is it.

I'm not sure why exactly, but I've listened a lot to Norwegian language music in the last few weeks. A lot of deLillos, the Aller Værste and Anarki og Kaos (a compilation of Norwegian punk), but mostly a more recent band called Kråkesølv. Maybe it's because I had such a lovely time in Oslo over Christmas and I didn't want the times of being surrounded by Norwegian to end? Or maybe it's just because I realised how great Kråkesølv are and that I felt like I had to catch up after not having payed them any attention at all earlier? In any case, here's the video for Skredder from their 2009 debut Trådnøsting. The album reminds me of Photo Album era Death Can For Cutie. Only better. And from Bodø. Aw.

Another recent favourite is the new Pains of Being Pure at Heart track, Belong, which is the title track from their forthcoming album. There's talk of a Smashing Pumpkins influence, and that may well be, all I know is that it sounds FUCKING AMAZING. I can't wait for this record now. And they're playing here in Berlin in only a couple of weeks. Jippi!

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Belong by Slumberland Records

 Right, that's it for now. I'll be back with more when I get bored again.