Things that we all need to navigate

Since I have real trouble with putting a ranking on stuff I've liked this year - what does it mean to be the 7th best album, etc? - for the last couple of years, I've elected to come up with arbitrary awards to honour stuff that I've liked. And thus begins the AYGH 2008 retrospective!

The "Where the fuck did THAT come from?" Award: British Sea Power 

Last time I checked, British Sea Power were a weird looking, ok-ish indie outfit that sang love songs about Dostoevsky and had stuffed animals and kestrels onstage with them. Not a bad band, but still one lodged firmly in the periphery. But this year, they put out 'Do You Like Rock Music?', an album that aimed big and really achieved something great, despite what one "hilarious" rating may imply. Whether singing about light pollution, the influx of eastern Europeans into Britain, or a trip out (that'll be 'A Trip Out'), the record just sounded harder and more focused than anything they'd put out before. I could've done without the extra intro and outro on album highlight 'Atom', but kudos to whoever transcribed the lyrics here, and managed to convey the noises at the end as "the sounds of a crying baby being spat on." Their live show was fun, too, though possibly more for them than us towards the end. But overall, the transition from also-rans to still also-rans but also-rans that appeared on Letterman (and got bleeped!) suited them very well.  

[download British Sea Power - Lights Out for Darker Skies (live)] 

A bright and haunted age

British Sea Power / Film School
Jacksonville Jack Rabbits
April 19, 2008

"Come on, allons-y, let's go"

Somethings never change. It's been six years since I last saw British Sea Power, and they still look more like an expedition than a rock band. Hamilton's shirt was ripped so much it looked like he'd been to the Arctic Circle and back this very day. Now, though, they're augmented by a viola player (whose look owes a lot to the Lady of Shalott) and a keyboardist who didn't get knocked unconscious which was a plus.

"There's things that we all need to navigate"

Somethings do change. In 2002, I was terrified by the brothers' Demon Headmaster stare. Now, because they have a more polished new record out, they're a little more comfortable on stage. Still very little onstage chitchat, although at one point Noble mentioned Bill and Ben, which was cute. Primary impression of the gig: British Sea Power really fucking rock. I guess the album title is a hint, but oh my. I was surprised at how heavy they were, maybe because I still think of them as the awkward weirdos they were when they first started. BSP in 2008 are polished, seamless and loud as aw'hell. 'Canvey Island' lost a bit, I thought, under walls of guitars.

Some have criticized them for not being as spastic and mental as the olden days, but you can't expect a band to be young men forever. I would've liked to have seen 'Remember Me' in there, though.

"Lakes are forming on the pockets of your brain"

Highlights? 'Atom' and its shouts of "I just don't get it!" (a common reaction to molecular physics) was thankfully stripped of its extra intro. Viola and trumpet being heard above the racket for 'The Great Skua'. The double whammy of my two fave BSP songs, 'True Adventures' and 'No Lucifer' was pretty great. They finished, as is their way, with a 30 minute+ freakout that most of the audience left during, and was really loud, and saw Noble come into the crowd, and some gymnastics, and various guests, and lots of fingers-in-ears. It was okay, but clearly looked more fun for the band than for the crowd.

lights out for darker skies / atom / oh larsen b / down on the ground / how will i ever find my way home? / waving flags / the great skua / spirit of st louis / a trip out / canvey island / true adventures / no lucifer / carrion / a rock in

Earlier, San Francisco's Film School played a very impressive set that made me wish I'd noticed their album 'Hideout' last year. Lots of reverb, heavy MBV influence, nice tempo shifts, an attractive bass player (named Lorelei? really?) and a guitar player with a sense for showmanship. I don't know how much this would necessarily be captured when listening to their CD, but if you get a chance, go and see them play live.

Worth making a 150 mile round trip for, the weekend before law school finals start? Fuck yeah!

[download British Sea Power - True Adventures]



[British Sea Power - official / myspace]
[Film School - official / myspace]

Spring Break list

- Stop shaving, everyone! My Morning Jacket are back, and here's their SXSW set, complete with new songs, and without 'It Beats For You'. [NPR]
- The union between Archie and Jarvis Cocker has finally taken place. [Chris's Invincible Super Blog]
- Nice article about how there are too many words in pop music these days. Words like, oh I don't know, 'Shawty' or 'Yahhh!'. [Slate]
- Dunno if you saw them on Letterman this week, but here's a full live show from British Sea Power. The good news? They still play 'Carrion' [Waves and Wires]
- Someone watched 'Hitman' so you don't have to. [AV Club]
- DiS meets Godlike Genius Efrim Menuck [Drownedinsound]
- So the new Tim Bisley is... Robin Williams meets Matthew Perry. This can only continue to go well. [Hollywood Reporter]
- 'Apatow's Cohorts Making Muppet Movie' is the headline. If they desecrate my beloved Sam the Eagle, there will be punches a-flyin'. [I Watch Stuff]
- Carrie Brownstein really nails how I feel about the perfectly okay Vampire Weekend. [Monitor Mix]
- Finally, the new Mystery Jets video will cheer you up. Even if you're already happy.

Monday's things to click and read

Some things:

- Playing a gig in London? Why not invite The Queen? Good enough for Mr. E. [NME Blog]
- Still very excited for 'Searching for the Hows and Whys', and to that end, Sam has gotten all 21st century, with a video podcast. [Get Cape Wear Cape Fly @ YouTube]
- I usually don't care for novelty covers, but Final Fantasy's take on Celine Dion's 'Power of Love' is better than you'd think. [iGiF]
- Finally! An chance to get into The Kinks. [AV Club]
- British Sea Power are coming to Florida! Three whole dates! Here's a brief review of their new album 'Do You Like Rock Music?': It's ace. Here's a slightly longer review: It's not as manic as they used to be, and some people are turned off by this. But I really dig the dynamics and the anthemics, particularly on the album's first half. The video for 'No Lucifer' is puppetry genius. I'll see you at Jack Rabbits. [Pitchfork]
- Steve Coogan's new film is apparently very good. [AiCN - contains spoilers?]
- Guillemots did 'Get Over It' on Jonathan Ross. It's not as mental as 'Kriss Kross', but they get points for use of the word "dram". [Youtube]
- Apparently, we're guilty of over-analyzing Girls Aloud. Wait, what? [Guardian Unlimited]
- It's President's Day here in the U.S. Make your Chester A. Arthritis jokes... now.
- I'd love to see Janusz Kaminski win on Sunday for the incredible cinematography in 'The Diving Bell and the Butterfly', but he probably won't. [Oscar.com]
- I meant to post this earlier, but how's this for a newspaper headline? [Why That's Delightful!]
- Q Magazine and HMV combine to determine the best British albums of all time and of course it's rubbish. Menswe@r are nowhere to be found! [Telegraph]
- Finally, here's my new purchase that's going to make Biology exams a lot easier. [Shirt Woot!]

4play: The future's bright

Best bands that will release albums in early 2008

1. British Sea Power

BSP's third album is called 'Do You Like Rock Music?' and it's a huge leap forward from their also-great older material. As you may expect from the title, it's heavier than they've ever been, the guitars chime like the Bunnymen, there's a nod to the Hitler Youth ('No Lucifer') and plenty more that I haven't yet had time to fully absorb. Having been straight-up blown away when I saw them way back in 2001 at the Dublin Castle (!) in Camden, co-headlining with National Prayer Breakfast (!!). Check out first single, 'Waving Flags' in the embed:



2. A Silver Mt. Zion

They toured for most of the year, and then didn't put out an album! But since I've slowly become fully immersed in the world of all these Constellation bands, and since 'God Bless Our Dead Marines' is one of my new favourite songs, I'm now very eager to check out '13 Blues for Thirteen Moons', which is due in March. Here's a live recording of the first song.

[download A Silver Mt. Zion - One Million Died to Make this Sound (live)]

3. dEUS

It's no secret that I'm kind of in love with the grandaddies of Belgian music (that description makes them sound crap, though). The good news is that unlike the seven years it took them to make 2005's 'Pocket Revolution', this time it was only three years. The new one is coming soon, says Tom Barman on their website and I'm sure I'll love it. Not a lot of details yet, everything that's known is here. And to tide you over, here's a nice live video.



4. The Notwist

Please? It's about time. We still remember.