Cramming It In
(End o' Week Notes)
I caught Sweden's Love Is All at the Horseshoe last night and was pleasantly surprised - the tracks I'd heard before seemed kind of smushily produced but live the band was very sharp and catchy: reminiscent at times, thanks to pixie-perfect lead singer Josephine Olausson, of the Sugarcubes in their heyday, but with No Wave saxophone, Ex-ish guitar slashes and maybe just a tad too much ska for my liking. Unfortunately due to an unavoidable proofreading incident, I missed the buzzed-about Crystal Stilts - I'd unfairly dismissed them for awhile because "crystal" was feeling like 2008's "wolf" (a joke the band themselves made in Eye this week), but when even Tim Perlich (the "Mikey" of Toronto music crits, as in "he hates everything") gave them sympathetic coverage (and tipped me off to the Vivian Girls connection), I took notice. But alas. Reports from the floor of the 'Shoe were good though. I'll try harder next time.
Frank Chromewaves presents the most elegant graphic case for a top-10 list I've ever seen: emblazoning all his chosen artists on gorgeous commemorative plates. In general, end-of-year lists and my love-hate of them have been very distracting this week.
Speaking of graphics, the funny-infographic-music-commentary trend has collided and melded with the obsessive annotation of Destroyer lyrics with the release of the Destroyer's Rubies statistical wallchart poster. It sure seems like something I ought to own (given the evidence against me) but the $87 (incl. shipping and handling) price tag is a true test.
The other most batshit thing I've discovered lately: A blog that obsesses on The Hills and free-associates in a way that can't quite be described as cultural criticism, but can't quite not, at really incredible length - this week, for instance, discussing the possibilities of a Heidi-and-Spencer spinoff show within the framework of Ted Hughes and Sylvia Plath.
And a treat: A new Pere Ubu download, free, from March of Greed, their collaboration with the Brothers Quay, although the latter aren't really in evidence in this example. (You can see it here.)
I'm sure I had something else to tell you.
General | Posted by zoilus on Friday, December 12 at 3:46 PM | Linking Posts | Comments (6)
COMMENTS
"Kate C." isn't me. Just sayin.
Posted by Kate Carraway on January 2, 2009 2:53 AM
That blog is fantastic! I don't care about new music from Europe, however.
Posted by Matt Collins on December 15, 2008 10:32 PM
"Plus, that just the way Josephine operates."
Written like a true (endearing) foreigner!
Posted by Saul Ramos on December 14, 2008 11:27 AM
Kate Carraway, why the hate on? I thought we were buds...and colleagues.
Plus, that just the way Josephine operates. She's adorable!
Posted by Chandler Levack on December 14, 2008 1:06 AM
"Endearingly foreign"?? Why does this blog always attract these ludicrous types who try so hard to come up with snappy patter that ends up falling flat on its face?
Sorry, dear, but just because Zoilus can get away with that sort of thing doesn't mean you can. Stick to appearing in hipster photo spreads in the fishwrap rags, please.
Posted by Kate C. on December 13, 2008 3:07 AM
I was at that show! Sorry I missed you. I am in agreement about the Sugarcubes comparision - Olausson is also endearingly foreign in the same way as Bjork.
Spencer is totally Heidi Montag's Ted Hughes. Or Kevin Federline.
Posted by Chandler Levack on December 12, 2008 7:53 PM