Who Are You,You Are Awesome Awards (Three-way tie)
Here are three albums that came out this year which I liked, from acts about whom I knew very little at the time, and still barely know anything about. Other than that I like them. Obviously.
1. Surrounded - The Nautilus Years
These guys are from Sweden, and a solid review from DiS made me seek them out. They sound like Grandaddy with richer strings, fewer robots, and almost as many moments of heart-stoppage caused by sheer prettiness. There's a song towards the end that's like ten minutes long and just spends eight of those minutes slowly shuffling away, hands in pockets, as if after a great conversation with a long lost friend.
[download Surrounded - Safe Tomorrow Sun]
[Surrounded official / myspace]
2. Paris Motel - In the Salpêtrière
The internet tells me this one was actually released in October 2007, but I certainly didn't hear them til this year. I've believed for years that women's vocals + strings = perfection. And Paris Motel, who as the name implies are from London, get it just right. It's music that you'd want to see performed at the kind of place you have to dress up to go to. And you'd be seated. And it'd be magical.
[download Paris Motel - Three Steps]
[Paris Motel official / myspace]
3. Get Well Soon - Rest Now! Weary Head, You Will Get Well Soon
This is the only album of these three that I actually wrote about already. Konstantin Gropper nails a lot of styles on this album - all manner of instruments swell, and he's got a way with words too. Also, cover of 'Born Slippy'!
[download Get Well Soon - If This Hat Is Missing, I Have Gone Hunting]
[BONUS download Get Well Soon - It Must Have Been Love (Roxette Cover)]
[Get Well Soon official / myspace]
Christmas in adventure parks
Satan's your best friend
Back when Audiogalaxy ruled the - ahem - audio galaxy, it kept telling me that the genre I listened to the most was "chamber pop". What does this mean? Who knows? I've never heard of that genre outside of that short lived software. But this week I've been listening to the album 'Rest Now, Weary Head! You Will Get Well Soon' by Get Well Soon, and it sounds like it was recorded in a chamber. I mean this with great admiration - it's a fine record, very richly orchestrated and well put together, with long song titles not getting in the way of clever arrangements and just plain good songs.
Because I'm lazy I don't mind saying that the first song, with its lazy horns and prevailing sense of Eastern bloc ambiance, sounds like Beirut, while the very slowly unfurling chorus on 'Christmas in Adventure Parks' is lovely, as is 'Witches! Witches! Rest Now in the Fire'. Also, there's a song where he's singing in a deep, country voice with banjos in the background and a female co-vocalist. The pace picks up with 'If This Hat Is Missing, I Have Gone Hunting', which has big, echo-ey drums and a chorus of cheerleaders. Brilliant! I also like the calmer songs, like 'People Magazine Front Cover', 'Help To Prevent Forest Fires' and the cover of 'Born Slippy' by Underworld. Lager Lager Lager.
GWS is apparently one Konstantin Gropper from Germany (Mannheim?) and hopefully we'll hear more of him in the future. This record is perfect for listening to repeatedly, allowing it to get under your skin, and warming you up in the cold, barren winters which we don't enjoy anymore.
[download Get Well Soon - Christmas In Adventure Parks]
[Get Well Soon myspace / official]
