[...music...]: 2008-04

2008-04-25

i met a friend for lunch today, but i got there early, so i snooped a little at futureshop. to my surprise, i saw that thrice have released "the alchemy index vols iii & iv: air & earth". cool! i don't care how this album sounds, i had to get it for completeness.

listening to this, i am slightly surprised. the 'air' disc is soft and nice. the 'earth' disc is even more stripped down. this is so different from their previous post-hardcore material. i like.

after lunch, i went to hmv looking for some electronica cd's. yeah, i want to diversify my collection, so i am venturing out of the usual indie bubble. i had a few releases in mind, but i only found one: atb's "trilogy", the double-disc version.

and it really sounds like two different albums. disc one is dance music, featuring different vocalists. my favourite track is 'renegade' with heather nova. disc two is more ambient, a good chillout mix.

it's been a while since i've listened to dance music. i used to love this stuff, back in the mid 90's. right now, i feel like i'm tired of indie rock in general, so i am returning to listening to dance music, and trying out some electronica and techno along the way.

as for the other releases i did not find, i will try to order them online or something...

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Labels: atb, cd purchase, thrice

2008-04-15

storming the base

a month ago, i ordered a bunch of cd's from storming the base. i received most of the package back then. today, i finally received the final piece, the rasputina title. this was my first time ordering from them, and i am quite satisfied with how fast the (initial) package arrived.

emilie autumn - opheliac
i first found out about emilie autumn while browsing the 'industrial' section at hmv megastore, and i saw her cd's on the shelf, priced at $91. i was curious to hear what made her albums so special. so i checked out some songs from "opheliac" and i ended up really liking them. she plays the violin, mixing the classical with the industrial. on this album, disc 2 includes a picture gallery, and some video clips on "lessons in being a wayward victorian girl". sure, the whole goth-industrial-victorian act is a little gimmicky, but it does make for some awesome pictures...

the faint - danse macabre remixes
i had really liked the "danse macabre" album. and i usually like listening to remixes, especially of a whole album. it's interesting to hear a different interpretation of the songs. also, i got this because it was on sale.

leandra - metamorphine
another female solo artist, mixing the classical with the gothic, except her instrument of choice is the piano. i found out about this album through a music blog; i listened to some songs, and found them quite enjoyable.

rasputina - oh perilous world
a mostly cello band, fond of wearing corsets and victorian costumes during their recitals. i had not heard much from them since their sophomore "how we quit their forest" (my favourite). i got their fifth and most recent album "oh perilous world". this newer material is not much different from before, except they seem to have lost a bit of the edgier electro-industrial sounds of "how we quit the forest". i'm sad i've still never seen them live...

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aside from the faint, there seems to be some kind of theme with this purchase...

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Labels: cd purchase, emilie autumn, leandra, rasputina, the faint

2008-04-10

embed

testing something new: an embedded media player. i'll use it to share/stream some songs.

"a warm place" is one of my favourite nine inch nails songs. i've just found out about this version, featuring stella soleil, and i am in love with it.

i found this song through http://remix.nin.com/. lots of interesting stuff there.

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Labels: other

2008-04-08

nin

today was the retail release of nine inch nails' "ghosts i-iv", their first since their departure from universal. everyone has probably heard about it by now, as it was digitally released about a month ago, with its many pricing schemes. as a casual fan, all i want is the cd edition.

an entirely instrumental album, reminding me of the softer side of nin, similar to the stuff i loved so much on "the fragile". at times, it feels a bit like elevator music, in that it is not too remarkable.

still, overall, i think it's a nice album.

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Labels: cd purchase, nine inch nails

2008-04-01

los campesinos! + dropkick murphys

new release today: los campesinos! "hold on now, youngster...". i've been waiting for this release for a while. this band sounds like so much fun. very dance-able pop songs, with a hint of twee, and boy-girl vocals.

since it was part of a 2/$25 deal, i also got dropkick murphys "the warrior's code". a bit of celtic punk there. i don't have any in my collection.

when i was at the store, i heard this one guy ask for a manager, since he wanted to complain about the security guard following him, which he did not like. and so, a manager and the security guard in question approach the guy, and they talk for a while. the guy tried to leave the store, but the security guard pulled him back in. the guy lost it, and started to shout: "i didn't steal anything! why are you treating me like this?!" etc. the manager and the security asked him to calm down. the guy kept shouting, almost wimpering. it was like a child throwing a tantrum. weird...

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Labels: cd purchase, dropkick murphys, los campesinos