They're local to me (western Mass.) and I'm going to see them play with Fountains of Wayne next week. They're pretty rad.
I only have a handful of tracks from the second album but I intend to follow through on the rest of their catalogue. They lean on a lot of things I go for: male/female harmonies, odd little left turns and subtly suggested emotional textures. (Subtly suggested emotional textures? Jeez!) They're just very artfully made songs with understated surges that are delicately measured and that are quick to undermine themselves so things don't get too melodramatic.
I saw the Thermals last Friday and it rocked.
Their cover of 'The Ballad of Big Nothing' has, for me, supplanted the original. Is that representative?
The line-up for Lollapalooza has been announced, and now I'm wondering if I can scrape together $165 by August so I can go.
Nick Drake's Family Tree - hmmm, good? Or exploitative?
I want to hear Nick's harmonies with his sister Gabrielle.
This:
In addition to the release of Family Tree, 2007 will see the release of an upgraded version of the Fruit Tree Box Set - which includes Nick Drake's three original studio albums; a new book; as well as a DVD of the A Skin Too Few documentary. Fruit Tree will also be available in limited edition vinyl.
probably will be outragiouisly expensive, right? Plus, I'll have almost all the music in it.
Hmm... It might be good for me to listen to some Nick Drake other than just Pink Moon.
Not that I want to dump a bunch of cash on an expensive boxed set.
There's a nice compilation called Way To Blue, but you should probably just cut to the chase and pick up Bryter Layter and Five Leaves Left. After listening to the compilation a few times, you're going to break down and buy them, anyway. All the other stuff is ok, but not, strictly speaking, necessary.
I saw the Thermals last Friday and it rocked.
Their cover of 'The Ballad of Big Nothing' has, for me, supplanted the original. Is that representative?
Not really. On that cover, the vocals are done by Kathy, their super hot, super cool bassist (briefly of the All Girls Summer Fun Band). Their usual vocalist is super hot, super cool Hutch Harris - and they are usually a lot faster and punk/poppier than on that Elliott Smith cover. I think their 06 album
The Body, The Blood, The Machine
was one of the top three of the year (though I remember that Jon thinks the vocals were recorded weird) - and I could watch the video for Pillar of Salt every day and never get sick of it.
I just bought tickets to see them (for the second time) in July.
Currently, I am loving the new LCD Soundsystem and that Amy Winehouse 60s soul/bad girl album is growing on me - I loved the music right off the bat, but the lyrics are taking a while.
Oh - and anyone who hasn't seen
The Filth and the Fury
so should (story of the Sex Pistols as told by band members and filmed by Julian Temple) - I saw it for the first time this weekend and John Lydon broke my heart. It was awesome.
What else? My cat died last week. That sucked but she had a good life and was pretty sick - so it went as these things usually do. Oh and Hec - you are a big SF Giants fan, right? As is my new (awesome) BF. For his b-day, I bought us tickets to two Giants games this summer at Wrigley. FUN.
That's my news.
and that Amy Winehouse 60s soul/bad girl album is growing on me -
I heard a piece about her on NPR and had to immediately run home and download the tune
Rehab.
