30 Oct 2010
28 Oct 2010
27 Oct 2010
Pseudomodernism, The Bay & The Reply
It’s a very interesting read, discussing the new desolation of developments such as Cardiff Bay with its gated communities, its swathes of empty luxury flats and his theory of “psuedomonderism” in general.
But there’s a particular passage that caught my eye…
“While the ruins of the postwar settlement's architecture – the under-maintained estates, the yawningly wide plazas, the vertiginous new spaces of towers and walkways – elicited aesthetic responses in post-punk and electronic music that matched the starkness, power and modernity of their setting, how do you respond critically to something that is trying so desperately not to offend?”
I think we already have a response in what is now derogatively titled Chillwave. Although predominately US based, I think the hazy nostalgia, the ever-so-soft synth washes, the palpable melancholia of the music is the reaction to the disassociation of people with a sense of place and power. The music is imbued with a sense of loss, a loss of feeling for anything. Chillwave is the sound of resentful and frustrated apathy.
The same can easily be said of Dubstep, but I believe that it is still tempered by modernist rather than psuedomodernist architecture.
[Right click and "Download Document" for mp3 of Feel It All Around by Washed Out]
21 Oct 2010
SWN 2010 Preview
Was only planning on going to the Thursday of this year’s SWN festival, had work and friend commitments. But then I won four weekend tickets. Who needs work or friends?
Here’s a quick rundown on who I’m psyched about seeing.
Thursday:
Threatmantics @Clwb - 7.15pm
Crash.Disco! @CAI – 8.15pm (Download Something Like This from NME.com)
Tall Ships @Y Fuwch Goch - 10.00pm (mp3---> Tall Ships - Beanie & Dodger)
Samoans @Dempsey's - 11.15pm
Friday:
T3ETH @Buffalo - 8.15pm (My favourite discovery at last year's SWN)
Stricken City @Undertone - 8.45pm
The Ex @Clwb - 10pm
Saturday:
Y Niwl @Model Inn - 6.15pm
Alex Dingley @Undertone - 6.45pm
Let's Wrestle @Model Inn - 7.30pm (mp3---> Let's Wrestle - I Won't Lie To You)
Egyptian Hip Hop @Dempsey's - 8.00pm (Download Middle Name Period from NME.com)
Islet @Model Inn - 11.15pm
But then the joy of SWN is stumbling across something you didn't know about before...
P.S. I've got one spare weekend ticket if anyone wants it.
The Multinauts
Just come across this Blake's 7 meets hipsterdom WTF video featuring Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti. Skip the first 16 minutes.
“…The Multinauts are visited by Falco Quasar. Falco convinces the Multinauts to blow off some steam by going to a wild space party where the galaxies hottest new “saga-wave” band, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti are playing. Good times go terribly awry when the trio travels to a wild kegger full of space preppies that turn out to be more than just party animals.”
THE MULTINAUTS- Episode One "Flashback" from Multinauts on Vimeo.
RIP Ari Up
I've written about the importance of The Slits before, so I'll just say that Ari Up was an enigmatic and beguiling stage presence, that music would be in a much poorer place if she'd never approached the mic and that she sang on the greatest cover version ever.
RIP Ari Up.
mp3---> The Slits - Heard It Through The Grapevine (Direct Link)
19 Oct 2010
Bonfire Of The Quangos
mp3 --- > Quando Quango - Love Tempo (Direct Link)
18 Oct 2010
Ringerz
Simple yet addictive video from a complex yet addictive band...
Islet "Ringerz" from Ewan Jones Morris on Vimeo.
Which Is Better...
Mondays are the new Fridays. Tonight’s three way tug of love is between…
I’m going with #3. I’ll be the guy at the back shouting.
Mp3---> Toro Y Moi - Blessa (via Box.net)
Summer Longing
The coat has been out for a while. The winter boots have been bought. But today the gloves come out. Now it is winter. And so the longing for summer begins.
To soothe the slow ache, here's my track of the summer. It has Balearic touches but really it is a pop song, dripping with melody. All it needs is a puppet's vocals and it'll soar away.
mp3---> Police Academy 6 - Run (via box.net)
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