[...music...]: 2007-07

2007-07-31

many thanks to rox for letting me know that matthew good is releasing a new album today! i had no idea until a couple of days ago. i like these types of surprises; anxious waiting is avoided.

the album has been streaming on the website for a while. even before hearing it, i knew i would be getting it. matthew good has consistently released some good albums; i would buy anything he releases in the future.

i've started to listen to "hospital music" right now. it's more subdued, much less rock than previous albums (especially compared to "beautiful midnight"). the songs are more mellow, which highlights how good his vocals are. a minor annoyance is how he tends to stretch out every second word he sings; it gets a bit tiring after a while.

on certain albums, there is an "eargasm" moment: a part in a song, usually when the melody shifts, that is the most perfect part of an entire album, sending chills down my spine. from now on, i'll start pointing out these special moments, should i find one on my future purchases. on "hospital music", the eargasm moment happens on track 5 "born losers", at around 3:42, when a sequence of notes are hammered out.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, matthew good

depeche mode

depeche mode has too many releases for me to collect them all. instead, i have the singles compilation spanning 1981 to 1998, and the later "exciter".

just yesterday, i heard the live recording of their show at the bell centre in may 2006, so that put me in the mood to listen to some more depeche mode. and so, at the music store today, i finally picked up the more recent "playing the angel", just to keep up.

there are a couple of tracks that i like a lot, such as "lilian" and "i want it all".

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, depeche mode

2007-07-18

circle takes the square

circle takes the square is a band i checked out just because of their name: it sounds like a battle between geometric shapes.

the first time i heard their music, it didn't do much to me. it sounded like typical screamo post-hardcore, and i was not too impressed. but a couple of weeks ago, i went back to listening to their songs. and somehow, it clicked; i "got" it.

i love the dual vocals, both throaty screaming and singing, and the shifts between cacophony and melody. with this second listen, i heard more subtleties in the music. and so i got "as the roots undo" today.

i like how the tracks follow each other smoothly, and how the last track reprises the melody whistled in the intro, making the album a cohesive whole.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, circle takes the square

grendel

i found out about grendel just last week, when i accompanied my friend to hmv. i tried the most recent album "harsh generation" at the listening booth. after skipping the intro track, i immediately loved the next track, the title track. after hearing some more samples, i got the cd today.

it is industrial-dance stuff, makes me want to play with glowsticks and jump around.

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, grendel

2007-07-14

ours @ le gymnase

by the time we arrived at the venue, the opening band acrobat was already playing. it seemed like the show had started early, as we only caught a couple of songs. it sounded alright.

since the venue wanted the show to end early, the second opening act did not perform at all. instead, ours were on right away! i was quite into them, back in 2001, when "distorted lullabies" was released. but i hadn't listened to that disc for so long, that now, it's kind of meh. i went to the show to check it out, and i wasn't expecting much.

i ended up being blown away. they are much, much better live than on disc. the size of the venue and of the crowd was perfect for this type of show. the intensity was seen and felt in each song. jimmy gnecco was great; he sang, wailed, and screamed. some songs gave me shivers.

i only recognised the tracks from "distorted lullabies". there was "here is the light" and "i'm a monster". during "miseryhead", a trio of guys at the front rocked out big time, raising their fists, punching up in the air; it was kind of a funny sight. i also recognised "murder", where gnecco did some praying, and wrapped a towel around his head. there was also a new song that sounded almost danceable. in the middle of the set, they played a 20-minute track of several movements; it was post-rock-ish, and i wish i knew what it was. they ended with "fallen souls", which was perfect.

it was a sweet but short set. now, i wait for the new album to come out, and hopefully, they will tour and come around again. i shall not miss it.

as always, i take awfully blurry pictures.

~~~

hearing damage: we stood next to the speakers, so my left ear is half-deaf at the moment. i'll sleep it off.

~~~

Labels: le gymnase, ours, shows

2007-07-08

plaza st-hubert

there was a sidewalk sale at plaza st-hubert this weekend. today, i went to check it out, recalling that there is a store selling music and films. i browsed through their second hand cd section, and picked up a few items.

amon tobin - permutation
i've been wanting to get some amon tobin cd's ever since i saw the video for "4-ton mantis". although this album does not contain that song, i got it anyway.

cocteau twins - lullabies to violaine
a compilation of their singles and ep's. although i am not much of a cocteau twins fan, i feel i should have some of their music in my collection.

lovely feathers - my best friend daniel
fun music to listen to. they were great, when i saw them live last year, easily upstaging the feature band they were opening for.

magneta lane - the constant lover
i remember seeing a video of this band. although i cannot remember the song, i think i liked it enough. besides, this cd was in the bargain section, so there is no harm in trying it.

patrick wolf - lycanthropy
my best find of the day. i was so happy to see this in the bargain section; i could hardly believe my luck! this is patrick wolf's debut album and it is amazing. i had ordered it at full price from amazon, only to have my order mixed up, and never getting the merchandise... and now i end up finding it at a super reduced price. yay! this is the main reason i love to shop at second hand stores; i never know what treasures i'll find, and sometimes at bargain prices too!

ryan adams - demolition
this gets me one step closer to collecting all of ryan adams' albums...

overall, i am very pleased at what i found today. especially that patrick wolf album...!

~~~

Labels: amon tobin, cd purchase, cocteau twins, magneta lane, patrick wolf, ryan adams, the lovely feathers