Okay, I said some things about Sigur Rós last week that weren’t entirely friendly. This is largely due to my irrational hatred of them (I’ve decided to make Quarashi my personal pinnacle of Icelandic music, judging Björk to transcend borders). I felt a little bad, because a lot of people really enjoy Sigur Rós, and if you’re one that might, but don’t yet know it (it seems to be the rational thing). So here are the two tracks that I enjoy. “Svefn-g-englar” I know from the Vanilla Sky soundtrack, and “Starálfur” you may know from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I think I mentioned that already. Anyhow, songs I do enjoy. Enjoy them yourself.
I’ll admit that I don’t normally visit Stereogum. It’s a great source of musical information, but it’s freaking overwhelming. There’s a positive avalanche of content, most of which makes me feel like a bad person for having not listened to the Vampire Weekend album yet, refusing to buy into the National’s hypefest, and for my irrational hatred of Sigur Rós. However I do subscribe to their newsletter and will float over there when something catches my eye (in this case their extensive Bonaroo coverage). One article lead to another lead to me finding this video that I really want to watch but can’t because my computer at work (where I am) is not capable of showing moving things with sound. So I thought I’d do the generous thing and, instead of filing it away (that is, losing it) somewhere in my email, I’d recycle the information and share it with you fine people.
The reasons that I think this video is interesting enough to save for later are these: I’m sure I should like Vampire Weekend, but I don’t yet; I’m baffled that people still acknowledge Andrew W.K.; and I grew up on Tom Petty. These things come together with VW, a few days after their set at Bonaroo, playing Summerstage in New York (an event put on by Mr. Wilkes-Kier). Having only one full album, well, here’s what Stereogum told me:
“Sometimes our sets are on the short side,” Ezra told the crowd. “We played at Bonnaroo where sometimes people play for five hours, and we just edged over one hour, and we were very proud of ourselves. We felt like we had to do something special and we were just in Florida so we thought we would play a song by probably the greatest human being who ever came out of Gainesville, Florida. Some people deride this guy, say that he’s like frat rock or whatever, but he’s a true fucking poet.”
I fully approve, and hope you’re looking forward to this video as much as I am.
Also: Tour Dates!
Jun 21 2008 Popped! Music Festival - Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA
Jun 24 2008 Hove Festival - Arendal, Norway
Jun 25 2008 Accelerator - Stockholm, Sweden
Jun 27-28 2008 Glastonbury Festival - Glastonbury, UK
Jun 29 2008 The Eden Project - Cornwall, UK
Jul 1 2008 Tivoli - Utrecht, Holland
Jul 3 2008 Werchter Festival - Werchter, Belgium
Jul 4 2008 Solidays Festival - Paris, France
Jul 5 2008 Les Eurockeennes Festival - Belfort, France
Jul 6 2008 Main Square Festival - Roubaix, France
Jul 7 2008 Montreaux Jazz Fest / Miles Davis Hall - Montreaux, Switzerland
Jul 8 2008 Turin Spaziale Festival - Turin, Italy
Jul 10 2008 Alive Festival - Lisbon, Portugal
Jul 12 2008 Oxegen Festival - Naas, Ireland
Jul 13 2008 T in the Park - Kinross, Scotland
Jul 19 2008 Pitchfork Festival @ Union Park - Chicago, IL
Jul 20 2008 Rogers Picnic - Toronto, Canada
Jul 25 2008 Capital Hill Block Party - Seattle, WA
Jul 27 2008 Pemberton Festival - Pemberton, BC
Jul 29 2008 Pipeline Cafe - Honolulu, HI
Aug 3 2008 Splendour in the Grass Festival - Byron, New Zealand
Aug 4 2008 Metro - Sydney, Australia
Aug 6 2008 Prince of Wales - Melbourne, Australia
Aug 7 2008 Prince of Wales - Melbourne, Australia
Aug 9 2008 Summer Sonic - Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan
Aug 10 2008 Summer Sonic - Osaka - Osaka, Japan
Aug 22 2008 Reading Festival - Reading, UK
Aug 23 2008 Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
Sep 13 2008 Monolith Festival - Red Rocks Denver, Colorado
Sep 17 2008 the Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
Sep 18 2008 the Wiltern - Los Angeles, CA
Sep 23 2008 Rialto - Tucson, AZ
Sep 24 2008 Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
Sep 27 2008 Austin City Limits - Zilker Park Austin, TX
So I had admitted earlier that I felt a fair amount of trepidation regarding last night’s Stone Temple Pilots show. I’d read bad things, I kind of floundered to come up with an ideal setlist, and, in doing so, I came to terms with how I really feel about Stone Temple Pilots. But in the end I think these things just served to keep my expectations in check, which turned out really well for me.
I already expected them to open with “Big Empty,” having read more than one account of things happening this way, and I was really okay with that. I thought it was a good way to ease into the show, and Dean’s guitar on that one is well highlighted. “Wicked Garden” was next, and the first of eight (8) songs from . Eight. Including two that I didn’t even recognize (I’ll post a complete setlist once I figure out what they were). I find this notably odd, especially when compared with the Smashing Pumpkins only playing one song that was even from the Gish era (Of course the Pumpkins had something to promote, STP were just there to play and try to be famous again).
Scott didn’t seem to be under the influence of anything, but I’m a horrible judge. I just figure he always minces about like that, palm out, twisting in his Beatle boots. If he muddled the words to anything, it was to songs I don’t know the words to, either (and likely while I was trying to sing along to said songs). His voice sounded okay, a little nasal on “Big Bang Baby” but that’s his choice. It was pretty nice, actually, to hear some of those early songs sung with the more distinct voice Scott cultivated later on. I’d also read complaints of Scott rambling on between songs, and he was fairly talkative early on, mentioning how they didn’t usually make it through SLC when they were touring before, but beyond that not much. Nothing distracting.
Overall it was a good show. Worth my $10 discount ticket. Probably not worth full price, but that’s me. The breakdown of albums represented was a little telling: 8 from Core (9 if you count playing “Wet My Bed” over the PA as they took a curtain call), 4 from Purple, 3 from Tiny Music…, 2 from No. 4, and 2 from Shangri-la Dee Da, and only one from last Friday’s list (”Too Cool Queenie,” it kind of made my night). It appears we did it to ourselves, as the STP website has a feature that invites you to build a setlist. It’s the right way to do a tour like this, and I really wish I’d taken some initiative with that, but alas. Looks like Vegas on Saturday is going to have a much better set. I approve.
I heard the new Sigur Rós song, “Gobbledigook” from the forthcoming Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, on the radio last night. I have to admit I’m a little smug about it sounding like an actual song rather than a movement in a suite. The guitar sounds like a normal, strummed guitar; the drumming reminds me of Animal from the Electric Mayhem; and the vocals sound like words. I don’t care what language the song was written in, Sigur Rós songs never sound like they have lyrics so much as vocalise accompaniment. This, ladies and gentlemen, is your precious Sigur Rós playing a rock ‘n roll song.
I will admit that my dislike for Sigur Rós is mostly irrational. I quite enjoy “Svefn-g-englar” and “Starálfur” a fair amount, but on the whole I find the Icelandic forest nymphs pretty bland unless the music is accompanying something. I’ll cite “Starálfur” being used in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou as a prime example of Sigur Rós being well used (that song also features a brief bit of elusive strummed guitar), but generally the whole aura of the band seems so convoluted and self-congratulatory that I’m immensely turned off by them. So I present to you my petty victory over post-rock.
P.S. Please don’t misunderstand, I’ve nothing really against post-rock, I’ll cite certain Mogwai songs and Nine Inch Nails’ Ghosts I-IV as examples of enjoyable stuff. I just hate Sigur Rós so much.
I should start off by saying that I don’t know much about Mason Jennings. Anymore than you know about any artist. I know he plays guitar and is on Brushfire Records. Thats it. Oh, and I freaking love his album, In the Ever. Like, a lot. It’s chill, folky, instrumentally pleasing and hasn’t burned my ears out yet.
Your New Man is cute and funny, so thats below, and the rest of the songs on the album provide a nice variety of thoughts and lyrics. I like how Jennings brings in Jesus and God but without me feeling like someone doused me with holy water. You know?
Ok, that was aggressive. I’m having a ‘client’ come over in about 15 minutes and my house is a mess, and what am I doing? Giving you advice, not cleaning.
Bonnaroo is next week. No, I’m not going. The only way I was going to be able to go is if God farted 50 gallons of gasoline out of the sky. I just can’t afford any of it. About 400 dollars for tickets for two, plus travel, and food. Even free tix wouldn’t have cut it. So I will mope. And jealously read all about it. (I am a little excited about staying here and showered, though….sssh).
Anyways, I wrote this festival guide before Langerado this year. Nothing really change at Langerado, as far as my advice and experience, so no updating is necessary. Well, be prepared for all weather. My only thing I was missing at L-Ado was a sweater and an extra pair of shoes. It got balls cold, so we were both cold. Didn’t see it coming. Bonnaroo gets COLD AS SHIT at night, so bring a sweater and sweatpants, for real. 7 am rolls around and the sun is spanking you, which sucks, but be prepared for the cold. Please. It sucks.
P.S. Love you guys. Love your people around you. Help people out. Stay safe, and don’t buy shrooms from a big guy with a beard. Dark hair. Shifty looking, if you have a radar like mine. Seriously. Avoid him.
Sigur Rós - Svefn-g-englar: Play in Popup | Download
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