Sonics XVIII
Monday, July 06, 2009
Sonics XVIII
Reservoir by Fanfarlo
An advice to lovers of music out there: do not delete e-mails from your favorite bands' newsletters too quickly. The truth is every once in a while, you find little gems like Fanfarlo, a band that came to me in the most unexpected ways. I subscribe to Sigur Ros' newsletter, and they sent me an e-mail to promote an album that isn't theirs, for some reason. Curious, I checked out the link and came to know about Fanfarlo in that way. Fanfarlo is a London-based indie band that churns out some of the best music that I have ever heard. The band extensively uses a variety of unconventional instruments, everything from violins and mandolins being thrown into the mix of guitars and drums. I am a sucker for bands that innovate like that, trying to find new sounds within the conventional limits, and this band's arrangements of music somehow mimics that of Sigur Ros in more ways than one. I am not sure if it is because they are friends, or that the sister of Sigur Ros' lead singer appears on this album cover (she is the one without the mask), but you can feel the vibe of Sigur Ros here. However, there is a greater emphasis of the vocals here, and also Fanfarlo seems to be less about the ambience and more about the layering of the music. I cannot immediately say that they are one of the best stuff that I have heard, or the best band that you are going to read about in this entry. But they are certainly a band that I enjoy very much, and I hope you like it as much as I do if you do happen to give it a shot.
Far by Regina Spektor
I've always been a fan of Regina Spektor, and I fell in love with her ever since her last album, Begin to Hope. Regina Spektor has this very unique way of piecing music with lyrics, and you can take the two aspects of a song apart and they could still work individually. Her music and her lyrics can both been seen as separate entities, both alive and breathing, but they live harmoniously together under one roof. Regina Spektor isn't the kind of piano-driven musician that you'd normally expect at all. She is like the sweeter and more polished version of Tori Amos, and her abilities on the piano takes it to a place where very little other musicians can. She doesn't just bang out chords like what other musicians would, but she actually turns them into a living breathing organism. One only has to check out the song called Machine on this album to realize how talented she can be in producing a different sound on an instrument so commonly used. That is not to mention the fact that Regina Spektor probably has one of the best voices in the business, switching keys and notes from one to the other like nobody's business. I love the song called Eet and the innocence involved, and then the song called Laughing With - oh, the beauty. She has the ability to write songs that make you go "wow, I've never thought of it that way before", and her love songs are more than "you fill me up with love" or "I love you forevers". She has a very interesting perspective on love, the kind of perspective that can only be viewed by a genius. Within the same four beats, Regina Spektor churns out notes in ways that are completely unexpected, and it slaps you with a surprise that stays with your skin and soul long after the album has ended.
Reservoir by Fanfarlo
An advice to lovers of music out there: do not delete e-mails from your favorite bands' newsletters too quickly. The truth is every once in a while, you find little gems like Fanfarlo, a band that came to me in the most unexpected ways. I subscribe to Sigur Ros' newsletter, and they sent me an e-mail to promote an album that isn't theirs, for some reason. Curious, I checked out the link and came to know about Fanfarlo in that way. Fanfarlo is a London-based indie band that churns out some of the best music that I have ever heard. The band extensively uses a variety of unconventional instruments, everything from violins and mandolins being thrown into the mix of guitars and drums. I am a sucker for bands that innovate like that, trying to find new sounds within the conventional limits, and this band's arrangements of music somehow mimics that of Sigur Ros in more ways than one. I am not sure if it is because they are friends, or that the sister of Sigur Ros' lead singer appears on this album cover (she is the one without the mask), but you can feel the vibe of Sigur Ros here. However, there is a greater emphasis of the vocals here, and also Fanfarlo seems to be less about the ambience and more about the layering of the music. I cannot immediately say that they are one of the best stuff that I have heard, or the best band that you are going to read about in this entry. But they are certainly a band that I enjoy very much, and I hope you like it as much as I do if you do happen to give it a shot. Albums by the artiste:
1) Reservoir (2009)
Honeysuckle Weeks by The Submarines
If you have watched the Apple iPhone advertisement for their applications, you'd probably find the song "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" very familiar. Apple has the ability to pick some of the best songs for their advertisements, and this song by The Submarines is no different. They almost always fit in perfectly with the product that they are trying to sell, and in turn it also helps them to cash in on their iTunes Store. I like how they try to stick with the unknown bands for the most part, because it really helps with their exposure. That song is just a happy song from the beginning till the end, a song that really makes you want to get on your feet and sing. The Submarines is one of those bands that I tune in to every once in a while, and not exactly the kind of music that'd blow you away. But it makes you feel good, and sometimes that is all that counts in the kind of music we listen to, no? I'd put them in the same category as New Buffalo or someone similar, the kind of music that I revisit every once in a while and feel happy about things. I recommend it to anybody who wants to have a bit of fun with music, or something to cheer themselves up. After all, if a song was used in an Apple ad, you can't really go wrong with it.
If you have watched the Apple iPhone advertisement for their applications, you'd probably find the song "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" very familiar. Apple has the ability to pick some of the best songs for their advertisements, and this song by The Submarines is no different. They almost always fit in perfectly with the product that they are trying to sell, and in turn it also helps them to cash in on their iTunes Store. I like how they try to stick with the unknown bands for the most part, because it really helps with their exposure. That song is just a happy song from the beginning till the end, a song that really makes you want to get on your feet and sing. The Submarines is one of those bands that I tune in to every once in a while, and not exactly the kind of music that'd blow you away. But it makes you feel good, and sometimes that is all that counts in the kind of music we listen to, no? I'd put them in the same category as New Buffalo or someone similar, the kind of music that I revisit every once in a while and feel happy about things. I recommend it to anybody who wants to have a bit of fun with music, or something to cheer themselves up. After all, if a song was used in an Apple ad, you can't really go wrong with it. Albums by the artiste:
1) Declare a New State! (2006)
2) Remix EP (2006)
3) Honeysuckle Week 2008)
I've always been a fan of Regina Spektor, and I fell in love with her ever since her last album, Begin to Hope. Regina Spektor has this very unique way of piecing music with lyrics, and you can take the two aspects of a song apart and they could still work individually. Her music and her lyrics can both been seen as separate entities, both alive and breathing, but they live harmoniously together under one roof. Regina Spektor isn't the kind of piano-driven musician that you'd normally expect at all. She is like the sweeter and more polished version of Tori Amos, and her abilities on the piano takes it to a place where very little other musicians can. She doesn't just bang out chords like what other musicians would, but she actually turns them into a living breathing organism. One only has to check out the song called Machine on this album to realize how talented she can be in producing a different sound on an instrument so commonly used. That is not to mention the fact that Regina Spektor probably has one of the best voices in the business, switching keys and notes from one to the other like nobody's business. I love the song called Eet and the innocence involved, and then the song called Laughing With - oh, the beauty. She has the ability to write songs that make you go "wow, I've never thought of it that way before", and her love songs are more than "you fill me up with love" or "I love you forevers". She has a very interesting perspective on love, the kind of perspective that can only be viewed by a genius. Within the same four beats, Regina Spektor churns out notes in ways that are completely unexpected, and it slaps you with a surprise that stays with your skin and soul long after the album has ended. Albums by the artiste:
1) 11:11 (2001)
2) Songs (2002)
3) Soviet Kitsch (2004)
4) Begin to Hope (2006)
5) Far (2009)
Lungs by Florence and the Machine
I discovered Florence and the Machine when I was reading through an article about bands to look out for at this year's Glastonbury. It's not like I attended the event or anything, but it was a good chance to find bands that I haven't heard of anyway. Florence and the Machine was really the only band that caught my attention, and I must say that it was really because of Florence Welch's hair. There is something about people with red hair making some awesome music, and I have no idea why. At any rate, Florence Welch makes some of the most awesome music I have ever heard. Unlike the bands that I have mentioned before, this is the one that I HIGHLY recommend simply for its raw power and brilliance. In some ways, I am inclined to say that I like Florence and the Machine more than Feist, and I compare the both of them because they seem to be somewhat similar. Yet, Florence and the Machine always seems to one-up Feist, and she is like a wilder and crazier side of Feist that we never really got to sing. They even sound somewhat alike, only Florence Welch has a much greater range. I mean, just listen to The Girl with One Eye and you'd know the raw power of her voice. You really only need to search YouTube and hear one of her live performances to know that yes, this is a force to be reckoned with. I have been waiting for this album to be released after I heard the song The Dog Days Are Over, and it is probably the most awesome song I have heard in a while. Again, I highly recommend Florence and the Machine, this album is full of epic win in biblical proportions.
I discovered Florence and the Machine when I was reading through an article about bands to look out for at this year's Glastonbury. It's not like I attended the event or anything, but it was a good chance to find bands that I haven't heard of anyway. Florence and the Machine was really the only band that caught my attention, and I must say that it was really because of Florence Welch's hair. There is something about people with red hair making some awesome music, and I have no idea why. At any rate, Florence Welch makes some of the most awesome music I have ever heard. Unlike the bands that I have mentioned before, this is the one that I HIGHLY recommend simply for its raw power and brilliance. In some ways, I am inclined to say that I like Florence and the Machine more than Feist, and I compare the both of them because they seem to be somewhat similar. Yet, Florence and the Machine always seems to one-up Feist, and she is like a wilder and crazier side of Feist that we never really got to sing. They even sound somewhat alike, only Florence Welch has a much greater range. I mean, just listen to The Girl with One Eye and you'd know the raw power of her voice. You really only need to search YouTube and hear one of her live performances to know that yes, this is a force to be reckoned with. I have been waiting for this album to be released after I heard the song The Dog Days Are Over, and it is probably the most awesome song I have heard in a while. Again, I highly recommend Florence and the Machine, this album is full of epic win in biblical proportions. Albums by the artiste:
1) Lungs (2009)
Riceboy Sleeps by Jonsi and Alex (Riceboy Sleeps)
I listened to fifteen seconds of this band and decided to get the album. This is yet another little gem that dropped by my e-mail via the Sigur Ros newsletter. This one makes more sense though, because this is a solo effort by the lead singer of Sigur Ros along with his friend, Alex Somers. Being from Iceland, you know what to expect from this album musically: ENDLESS STREAM OF AWESOME. This album comprises completely of a choir and strings elements done by Amiina, another one of my favorite bands out there. Ambient would be how you classify this type of music, the kind of music that kinda surrounds you and embraces you, sometimes freezing cold and sometimes scorching with warmth. Nonetheless, it is a comfortable album that is signature of all Sigur Ros albums out there. This album feels like an extension to Sigur Ros' discography, like some EP that just got released or something. Anyway, I have listened to it already, and I must say that this is probably some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. It really moves you to your bones, you know, the way it captivates and sways you in so many different ways, from every different direction. If I have a complaint, it'd be the fact that it only has nine songs in total. Every song is pretty damn long, but I simply cannot get enough of it. Get ready to completely immerse yourself into this musical world, and take a journey with the two awesome musicians as they take you to a place that you never thought existed before this album came along. I HIGHLY recommend this album to lovers of music.
I listened to fifteen seconds of this band and decided to get the album. This is yet another little gem that dropped by my e-mail via the Sigur Ros newsletter. This one makes more sense though, because this is a solo effort by the lead singer of Sigur Ros along with his friend, Alex Somers. Being from Iceland, you know what to expect from this album musically: ENDLESS STREAM OF AWESOME. This album comprises completely of a choir and strings elements done by Amiina, another one of my favorite bands out there. Ambient would be how you classify this type of music, the kind of music that kinda surrounds you and embraces you, sometimes freezing cold and sometimes scorching with warmth. Nonetheless, it is a comfortable album that is signature of all Sigur Ros albums out there. This album feels like an extension to Sigur Ros' discography, like some EP that just got released or something. Anyway, I have listened to it already, and I must say that this is probably some of the most beautiful music I have ever heard in my life. It really moves you to your bones, you know, the way it captivates and sways you in so many different ways, from every different direction. If I have a complaint, it'd be the fact that it only has nine songs in total. Every song is pretty damn long, but I simply cannot get enough of it. Get ready to completely immerse yourself into this musical world, and take a journey with the two awesome musicians as they take you to a place that you never thought existed before this album came along. I HIGHLY recommend this album to lovers of music. Albums by the artiste:
1) Riceboy Sleeps (2009)
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