I found out about Siskiyou over at Thanks Captain Obvious, while checking out his October Mixtape. It’s thanks to a review of their self-titled debut album by my mate Sandy over at Slowcoustic that I also discovered that the band is made up of one current and one ex-member of Great Lake Swimmers and since I already love them it’s no wonder that I fell for Siskiyou straight away. I’ve not been able to stop listening to this one all afternoon. Love the understated beginning and the solo in the middle. And is that beautiful wobbly sound a saw being played?
A visit to their myspace alerted me to more of their self-described ‘jovial hate ballads’, and also proved that they are not just a one song thing either – listen to ‘Everything I Have’ (tandem vocals, rustic beats and horns) and follow it immediately with ‘Funeral Song’ (low-key beginning, slow and steady build). It’s lovely stuff.
Siskiyou kick off an extensive tour of Canada and Europe tomorrow night to promote the album, which you can order in CD, vinyl or digital form here through Constellation Records.
Hopped into the car to drive to work the other day and the radio was playing a Mountain Goats song! I’ve never heard them on the radio before so I was pretty stoked and even better – it was one I’d never heard before.
It’s CLASSIC MG’s isn’t it? I bloody love everything about it, especially those last few lines. How the hell does he keep coming up with all these awesome songs??
Inside your room we shut the window
And we turned on a fan
And we lay there together in the darkness
I can keep a secret if you can
Finishing one another’s sentences
Like a pair of identical twins
Your boyfriend’s out of town until Tuesday
And nobody saw me come in, nobody saw me come in
(wattle image is mine, taken in country Victoria last month)
It’s currently spring here in Oz, although you wouldn’t bloody know it thanks to some unseasonably cold days this past week or so. I am HANGING OUT for our first 30 degree day! Usually here in October it’s been summer weather for two weeks already.
Up in the Northern part of the world though, people are all about the autumn tunes, with two mixes coming to my attention these past few days. Heather over at I Am Fuel, You Are Friends has a 20+ track Autumn Leaves, Autumn Stays mix available, and Motel De Moka also offers up Hello Autumn! for your listening pleasure.
If you’re a fan of The National, or even just a casual observer of the internets, you’ve no doubt come across a review or two of their latest offering High Violet.
Though it was released in May, it’s taken me ages to get to the point where I can cobble together a post about this album. It took me many, many listens before I could work out whether I liked it or not. It seemed darker or thicker than their previous offerings, the melodies wouldn’t stick in my head and I just didn’t get it.
I think part of the problem was that I’d heard a few songs prior to the full album. With some bands and releases this isn’t a such a big deal, but in this case, hearing these songs out of context meant that I’d already formed opinions without hearing the whole thing. Big, big mistake! Huge.
I think one of the first tracks I heard was ‘Bloodbuzz Ohio’ and I remember really, really hating it. ‘This is not The National!’ I thought. As the sixth track on the album though, following immediately after the gradual build and explosion of ‘Afraid Of Everyone’, it’s an absolute stunner. It’s been a long time since I heard two songs blend so seamlessly together.
Now, it’s an album that I can’t get enough of. It’s a rare week when I haven’t listened to it two or three times in a single sitting, and I can’t believe that it took so long for it to click. All the classic National themes are there – dark humour, gloomy introspection, loss, anxiety, confusion, despair.
Album highlights? Well, it’s hard to go past the ‘Afraid Of Everyone’/'Bloodbuzz’ combination, but I love the slow burn of ‘Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks’ as well, and the line about inventing ‘a summer lovin’ torture party’ in ‘Lemonworld’ is pretty fantastic. I love ‘Sorrow’ too, despite its less than happy sentiments. Bugger it, I love the whole damn thing!
And, thanks to my obsessive website checking and a heads up from a friend, I discovered that The National, in addition to doing the Oz music festival circuit this summer, are also playing at The Palais in Melbourne and I’ve got tickets!! I can’t tell you how excited I am to be seeing them again. I’m sure it will be equally as good as last time, although the change in venue will probably make for a slightly different atmosphere I think. At least this time I’ll be able to see!
The January 9 date is sold out now, but a second Palais show has just been announced. Presale tickets are available from 5pm Thursday 21st October, with general tickets on sale Friday 22nd October at 12pm. Click here for more info.
(Image via Claus.com – check out their excellent album review here)
Angus & Julia Stone are currently on the road, hitting up the US, Europe and the UK before heading back home for a string of festival dates here in Oz. Check their myspace for details.
The above track is from All Creatures Make Merry, the most recent full length from Scotland’s wonderful Meursault. I’ve been very remiss in not reviewing this album, which is largely because I lack the necessary brain power right now and the perfect turn of phrase, but it’s one that I play loud, and often. It’s a beautiful piece of work.
By the winter I’ll have risen
And by the summer I’ll be blind
I will meet with you but I don’t know where
And I will spend some time
Just gazing at the glory
And the horror of it all
I will be with you with your worst ideas
If I’m to be with you at all
