Well, 2011. You were quite the year! So much so that I’ve only been able to recover enough to think about you a full week into 2012. Crazy, huh? New jobs, lots of change, oodles of shenanigans, and yes, lots of good music. So much so, that I undoubtedly missed vast quantities of things that I really should have got to. Ho hum.
So what things did Skye like? Blimey. I just looked at the Excel spreadsheet of this year’s releases (see how cool Skye is!), and there’s a lot of stuff on there. However it’s fair to say that I do actually have a favourite record of 2011, despite my general resistance to ranking things. I know, crazy times, huh, maybe the Mayans are right after all.
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skye | 12:00 pm |
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Topics:
2011,
anna calvi,
arcade fire,
bill wells and aidan moffat,
bon iver,
carloman,
cults,
danger mouse and daniel luppi,
feist,
gorillaz,
king cresote and jon hopkins,
king's daughters and sons,
laura marling,
loch lomond,
low,
mogwai,
roundup,
sons & daughters,
st. vincent,
stephen malkmus and the jicks,
summer camp,
the dead man's waltz,
the go team,
tv on the radio,
wilco,
wild beasts
Via the Guardian: this weird, pared back version of Yoü And I, as remixed by Wild Beasts. The only thing missing from this would be an extra vocal by Hayden Thorpe. No video, unfortunately, because presumably the awesome would cause the internet to asplode.
Erstwhile crazyband Wild Beasts‘ latest LP is streaming this week over at The Guardian: their third, Smother, follows up Mercury-nominated Two Dancers, and it has to be said, it sounds pretty darned good. Auntie is calling Wild Beasts the “the most inspirational, intriguing, effortlessly enrapturing band at work on these shores“, which is pretty effusive. Do they deserve the hyperbole? Well, judge for yourselves. Certainly it retains the group’s trademark esoteric sound, and it doesn’t feel like they’ve sacrificed themselves to the mainstream. And there’s a synthesis here of the band’s subtlety along with nuance and intrigue: check out the superbly well-titled “Loop the Loop” for evidence of that.
Smother is out on the 9th of May in the UK and the 10th in North America.
The Guardian: Wild Beasts, Smother (stream)
Well, it’s certainly a bit of a way from “Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants”, that’s true enough. “Albatross” is the latest from the Wild Beasts (and first video from upcoming third LP Smother). The song takes a definite turn for the melancholic, while the video is laden with symbolism that’s as muted in colour as the song is sombre in tone.
Smother will be out on 9th May.
Watch the brand new Q&A (from Glastonbury 2010) in the feature below.
MP3: Wild Beasts – Dancing On Our Tongues (Raffertie Mix)
Enjoy yesterday’s magnificent take on ‘All The King’s Men’ in the clip below.
MP3: Wild Beasts – All The King’s Men
Catch ‘em next year at:
Feb 10 Troubadour Los Angeles, California
Feb 11 Independent San Francisco, California
Feb 13 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
Feb 14 Chop Suey Seattle, Washington
Feb 17 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Michigan
Feb 18 Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Feb 19 Schubas Chicago, Illinois
Feb 20 Pike Room Detroit, Michigan
Feb 22 Horseshoe Tavern Toronto, Ontario
Feb 24 Great Schott Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 25 Kung Fu Necktie Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 26 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Feb 27 Black Cat Washington, Washington DC
Watch ‘All The King’s Men’ here.
MP3: Wild Beasts – All The King’s Men
Enjoy last night’s brilliant rendition of ‘All The King’s Men’ in the clip below.
MP3: Wild Beasts – All The King’s Men
