2006 – Page 14 – (((withoutsound)))

Not Finnished

May 21, 2006
Sean
Music

Earlier this year I paid a visit to Finland and returned with some great new finnoscandian music like Boomhauer, Lodger Hi-Fi, Aksu, and Tapes. But I neglected one of the truly great indie Finnish bands, 22-Pistepirkko.

It’s not exceptionally anomalous that I overlooked 22-Pistepirkko (the name refers to a 22-spotted ladybug) as I spent most of my time in Helsinki, but the band – hailing from just outside the Arctic Circle – has been so consistently good since their inception in 1980 that I feel quite embarrassed for the omission. And by consistent, I don’t mean to imply the trio hasn’t evolved, they have. When they began, their sound was focused on the roots of rock-n-roll – beat-oriented locomotive rock – and they sang in Finnish. Today, almost three decades later, their music has grown – progressing through country, pop, and even electronica along the way.

Honky Rap, Part 2: Baby Dayliner

May 18, 2006
Drewl
Music

Baby Dayliner is the other artist I’ve been listening to lately who makes rap music as if restructured by whitey (see Honky Rap, Part 1). What differentiates Baby D from The Fiery Furnaces, and from the average hip-hop artist, though, is really just his taste.

When he sings, he doesn’t find enough notes to really qualify as singing, not that he’s missing any notes. He kinda talks with a bit of melody, which is why I call it rap, and yet he also kinda croons. On “Whodunit?” he concludes the bridge with whoa whoa shoobadoo-badoo/yeah yeah shoobadoo-ba hey/whu’ whu’. CD Baby refers to him as a 21st century Sinatra. But he may just as well be an early 20th century Jay-Z.

Feelings. Whoa-oa-oa, Feelings.

May 17, 2006
Sean
Links, Music

Once again, Ryan Adams over at goodhodgkins, breaks it down. This time, Visceral Song Moments - when does that Destroyer song make you feel something? Well, if it's European Oils, right around the 2 minute mark.

Live from Boston

May 11, 2006
Sean
Music

Just a quick note to check some of the great live music posts over at Rbally. The recent Andrew Bird "Sovay" track with My Morning Jacket, especially.

The Queen City Sound: Trip Hip

May 10, 2006
Sean
Music

Since I’ve lived in Southern Ohio for only 10 months, I’ve been holding off on writing about a Cincinnati band. But I can’t resist any longer. I’m no longer a Queen City greenhorne, so on one of my recent trips to Shake It Records, I succumbed and finally picked up a copy of Wussy’s 2005 release Funeral Dress.

Released this past December on the Shake It label, Funeral Dress isn’t an enormous departure from Chuck Cleaver’s other band, the Ass Ponys, it’s still off-kilter roots rock, but just a little less off-kilter. Maybe it’s the addition of drummer Dawn Burman or jack-of-all- intruments Mark Messerly, or maybe it’s splitting the vocal and songwriting duties with newcomer Lisa Walker, but whatever it is, it works just fine.