@Plong 42 - that is exactly what I have been doing today, and will continue tomorrow, hence my choice of music for much of the day. I'm just trying to work out tomorrow's play list (nearly 7.00pm here, so enough for today!) Probably some blues tomorrow.
Champions League time again - some big games tonight, but I will be watching Galatasaray (Turkey) against Manchester United. Kick-off in ten minutes or so
- "Continent & Western--simultaneously more experimental and more accessible than previous Fond of Tigers releases--shows the band honing its unique blend of avant-garde textures and post-rock structures while expanding its range to include vocals and additional members. Torontos Sandro Perri (Constellation Records) lends vocals and lyrics to Vitamin Meathawk, while Swedish experimenter Mats Gustafsson brings his intense saxophone and electronics push to Grandad. Bandleader Stephen Lyons also takes the microphone for the lush, unhurried closing track, Upheaval.
While the textures and tonalities of experimental improv are still present, Continent & Western emphasizes song structure and melodic detail over some of the more esoteric directions taken on 2007s Release the Saviours.
From the unfolding layers of variation in the title track, to hard edge rockers like Sept 16th, 2005, to the intricate (relative) pop of Vitamin Meathawk, the third album from Fond of Tigers is a simultaneously more focused and more expansive take on the groups unique brand of ordered chaos.
Called post-everything, Fond of Tigers have been developing their hypnotic and intense music since 2003. Since its origins as a solo project of guitarist Stephen Lyons, the group has expanded to include its signature double-drumkit attack and processed violin and trumpet textures along with the artfully layered hooks.
- "Featuring seven of Vancouvers leading creative musicians, Fond of Tigers play a layered, nuanced music that explores musical possibilities ranging from the smallest gesture of extended technique, to the full avant-rock bombast possible with a wild, double-drum-kit-led septet. The group has shared stages with Tortoise, Deerhoof, the Grande Mothers, Shad, Mats Gustafsson, Sandro Perri, Chad vanGaalen, and others.
Notoriously hard to categorize, Fond of Tigers continue to evolve and explore a musical territory in the outlands of avant-rock."
- Drip Audio - 2010
- "In January 2005, Sonic Arts Network, the leading UK body for electronic music and sound art, was asked by Daphnes descendants to care for her collected papers, recordings and other items. It was with the benefit of experimental electronic music practice in mind that Goldsmiths Electronic Music Studio (EMS) collaborated with the Sonic Arts Network (SAN) to bring this collection into the academic community where it could be properly studied and developed. To this end, a grant was awarded to Goldsmiths, University of London in 2007 by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, to catalogue the collection, digitise the audio tapes and initiate related research.
In June 2008 People Like Us were invited into the archives of electronic music pioneer Daphne Oram, to rework them into new compositions, to be presented as part of a day-long symposium at London's South Bank Centre. Here are the results."
I've been curious for a while; and why not, it's free. I think it's pretty good too. Like the old saying about most modern country being bad pop with twang, except it's good pop with twang.
Another day of marking/grading undergraduate assignments. Today my theme is the Blues - most will either be playing on this album (Clapton) or highly influenced by the album - eg, Joe Bonamassa, Aynsley Lister, although I suspect a few other things will creep into my playlist, especially when I look at Jonah's latest Jazz Picks at emu.
- "Gunshae is the Panambient project of Canadian dubstep pioneer, Kuma; and renowned Oboist and DJ, Lady Eve.
Traveling Without Memory is the end result of seven years of Gunshae; from the projects early days as an ambient punk explosion to the acoustic/electronic hybrid sound of today.
Recorded in Vancouver, Tokyo and Atlanta, Traveling Without Memory fuses live instrumentation with loop-based technology to create an album swathed in layers of classical composition, DJ culture and improvised sound disruptions.
Gunshae is what happens when a classically trained musician and a notorious DJ with a penchant for improvising and have them jam on the sound of stuff and things. Its molten woodwinds and Satie references. Its a heavy drone played by a band sitting on a veranda with a mint julep. Its anesthetized show-tunes from the Dreamhouse. Its discrete music for the Wifi generation.
For a project that has prided itself on never playing the same song twice, the concept of an album has required a certain preparation. The ten tracks on the album are all originally derived from multi-track live recordings taken from performances in Tokyo, Atlanta and Vancouver as well as recording sessions at Den Studios in Vancouver.
Each performance is an improvisation with the acoustic instruments mixed down during the live performance with Kumas laptop processing. These multi-tracks have then been edited down and reprocessed, but for the most part, what you are getting is the feeling of the live interaction as it happens. . . . .
- The Conspiracy Group - 2008 Emusic
Really a fun album, largely improv'd, just sitting around with guitars. Some interesting reviews on the Amazon page.
Funny: the session aspect doesn't phase me at all. It's a natural outgrowth of their musicianship that they would record in this manner, rather than one instrument at a time. Some of the songs are long, but I think they are explored in every way possible.
Chez Guvera:
Some of you might realize that I've expressed my reservations about the quality of Sierra Hull's work: she seems to be more famous in acoustic circles for her face than her musicianship. With free credit, I decided to give her album a shot. I think my initial impressions were correct: fluid, but meandering, playing covers up poor songwriting.
Comments
Grading a big stack of papers, this is getting me through the rough bits. And prodigious quantities of coffee.
While out shopping, I listened to Jorge Ben's Solta O Pav
- "Continent & Western--simultaneously more experimental and more accessible than previous Fond of Tigers releases--shows the band honing its unique blend of avant-garde textures and post-rock structures while expanding its range to include vocals and additional members. Torontos Sandro Perri (Constellation Records) lends vocals and lyrics to Vitamin Meathawk, while Swedish experimenter Mats Gustafsson brings his intense saxophone and electronics push to Grandad. Bandleader Stephen Lyons also takes the microphone for the lush, unhurried closing track, Upheaval.
While the textures and tonalities of experimental improv are still present, Continent & Western emphasizes song structure and melodic detail over some of the more esoteric directions taken on 2007s Release the Saviours.
From the unfolding layers of variation in the title track, to hard edge rockers like Sept 16th, 2005, to the intricate (relative) pop of Vitamin Meathawk, the third album from Fond of Tigers is a simultaneously more focused and more expansive take on the groups unique brand of ordered chaos.
Called post-everything, Fond of Tigers have been developing their hypnotic and intense music since 2003. Since its origins as a solo project of guitarist Stephen Lyons, the group has expanded to include its signature double-drumkit attack and processed violin and trumpet textures along with the artfully layered hooks.
- "Featuring seven of Vancouvers leading creative musicians, Fond of Tigers play a layered, nuanced music that explores musical possibilities ranging from the smallest gesture of extended technique, to the full avant-rock bombast possible with a wild, double-drum-kit-led septet. The group has shared stages with Tortoise, Deerhoof, the Grande Mothers, Shad, Mats Gustafsson, Sandro Perri, Chad vanGaalen, and others.
Notoriously hard to categorize, Fond of Tigers continue to evolve and explore a musical territory in the outlands of avant-rock."
- Drip Audio - 2010
Guvera.
Got this on BT's rec upthread. Really a fun album, largely improv'd, just sitting around with guitars. Some interesting reviews on the Amazon page.
amclark, just wasn't expecting that Taylor Swift album
;-)
Another day of marking/grading undergraduate assignments. Today my theme is the Blues - most will either be playing on this album (Clapton) or highly influenced by the album - eg, Joe Bonamassa, Aynsley Lister, although I suspect a few other things will creep into my playlist, especially when I look at Jonah's latest Jazz Picks at emu.
- "Gunshae is the Panambient project of Canadian dubstep pioneer, Kuma; and renowned Oboist and DJ, Lady Eve.
Traveling Without Memory is the end result of seven years of Gunshae; from the projects early days as an ambient punk explosion to the acoustic/electronic hybrid sound of today.
Recorded in Vancouver, Tokyo and Atlanta, Traveling Without Memory fuses live instrumentation with loop-based technology to create an album swathed in layers of classical composition, DJ culture and improvised sound disruptions.
Gunshae is what happens when a classically trained musician and a notorious DJ with a penchant for improvising and have them jam on the sound of stuff and things. Its molten woodwinds and Satie references. Its a heavy drone played by a band sitting on a veranda with a mint julep. Its anesthetized show-tunes from the Dreamhouse. Its discrete music for the Wifi generation.
For a project that has prided itself on never playing the same song twice, the concept of an album has required a certain preparation. The ten tracks on the album are all originally derived from multi-track live recordings taken from performances in Tokyo, Atlanta and Vancouver as well as recording sessions at Den Studios in Vancouver.
Each performance is an improvisation with the acoustic instruments mixed down during the live performance with Kumas laptop processing. These multi-tracks have then been edited down and reprocessed, but for the most part, what you are getting is the feeling of the live interaction as it happens. . . . .
- The Conspiracy Group - 2008
Emusic
Chez Guvera:
Some of you might realize that I've expressed my reservations about the quality of Sierra Hull's work: she seems to be more famous in acoustic circles for her face than her musicianship. With free credit, I decided to give her album a shot. I think my initial impressions were correct: fluid, but meandering, playing covers up poor songwriting.
Guvera.
Dracula's Daughter...
Guvera - I think I owe this one to somebody here...
Chez Guvera:
Truly sensitive.
Guvera.