[...music...]

2011-07-28

a few weeks ago, i received this in the mail:

the new patrick wolf album "lupercalia". i had ordered online, and the package includes the ep "lemuralia".

whereas the previous album was a bit dark and gloomy, the general theme of "lupercalia" seems to be about being happy in love... understandable, since the dude got engaged last year. the songs are so light and sweet, it's like cotton candy.

my favourite track is "together". it has an electro feel to it, the alec empire touch.

together:

i wonder if there will be a north american tour...

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, patrick wolf

2009-08-15

the bachelor

i was practically drooling on my way home from work on wednesday, after buying the new patrick wolf release "the bachelor". i am such a fangirl.

yeah, i know, it was released in the uk a couple of months ago, and it had leaked online before that. but i didn't listen to any of it. except for the first single "vulture", when i saw the video. i was a little surprised with that song (it sounds different from his previous material), and not too impressed with that video.

i've been listening to the album on repeat for the past few days. i quite like it. it's consistent with his previous material; there are elements in several songs that remind me of each of his previous albums. for example, "count of casualty" has the electro beats and samplings of "lycanthropy", "the sun is often out" has the melancholic strings of "wind in the wires", and "blackdown" has the cheerful party mood of "the magic position".

a few interesting contributors on this album: narration by tilda swinton on "oblivion", "thickets", and "theseus", which are incidentally some of my favourite tracks. and alec empire's influence is apparent on "vulture" and "battle", two songs that don't work too much for me; after mutiple listens, i am starting to like "vulture", but am still trying to digest "battle".

i must say, i find that cover kind of ridiculous, even more so are some of the pictures in the booklet.

so the second single is "hard times"; great song, good beats, easy to sing along too. but not impressed with that video either; for some reason, it makes me think of fischerspooner (maybe it's the face paint, or the platinum blonde pompadour, or the costumes?).

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, patrick wolf

2007-10-06

patrick wolf @ cabaret music hall

my only popmontreal show this year. i went alone. it was stupid of me to have missed the bus, getting there later than planned. i did not get a good spot...

bishi was the opening act. a solo artist, singing and playing the sitar ontop of pre-recorded tracks. she wore the strangest dress that i had ever seen, with horns at the shoulders.

bishi rocking out on the sitar:

i was very excited to be seeing patrick wolf live, ever since falling in love with his previous album "wind in the wires". he's such a pretty-boy, cute and adorable, prancing around on stage. he wore a military-styled jacket, a dress shirt with a ruffle trim, cut-off shorts, knee-high socks, black&white dress shoes. and glitter. cute outfit. combined with his usual haircut, there was something school-boy-ish about his look.

as much as i hate to, i used the flash:

he switched between instruments: violin, ukulele, keyboard. he also had a full band: violinist, bassist, drummer, and a guy at the laptop for sound effects. i tried to take a picture:

patrick wolf on the keyboard, in the spotlight:

i've not really kept track of the setlist. let's see what songs i remember.

from the debut album "lycanthropy", there was "paris".

from "wind in the wires":
- the libertine
- wind in the wires
- jacobs ladder
- tristan

from the most recent "the magic position":
- accident & emergency
- the bluebell / bluebells
- the stars

i loved that he played the songs differently than on disc. "the libertine" is my favourite song of his. when he played that song, he introduced it by telling us about how the gypsies are being driven out of london, because of the olympics. and then he played the song in a gypsy style, and i freaked out (inside) and danced. that song got me all giddy. (and all pepped for the gogol bordello show, next week.)

during the encore, he first played "pigeon song", changing the opening lyrics to "montreal, why did you take my child away". haha. the second song was "magpie", and bishi came back onstage to sing the marianne faithfull lines.

at this point, i was slightly worried at how bad my memory is, since i couldn't remember if they played "the magic position". had i tuned out? then, they returned for a second encore, to play the cheerful "magic position". yay! patrick wolf had taken off his shirt, his chest sparkling aquamarine. i am convinced that this man was born with glitter permanently on his skin; he had it everywhere!

during the outro of "the magic position", he introduced all the members of his band onstage. a couple of girls at the front handed him a present: a case wrapped in party ribbons. as he took the gift, he asked: "it's not a bomb inside, is it?" haha.

overall, an amazing show, despite standing in a less-than-perfect spot. also, i found the set to be a too short. i hope he comes to montreal again; i will not miss it.

(in fact, the show ended so early, i probably should have gone to the main hall to catch ted leo's set, supposedly starting at midnight, according to the popmontreal schedule. but i went home instead...)

~~~

cd purchase: i got bishi's "never seen your face: the mixes", since she was at the merch booth, and i asked for an autograph.

hearing damage: none. it's not that kind of show.

~~~

Labels: bishi, cabaret music hall, cd purchase, patrick wolf, popmontreal, 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

2007-05-15

patrick wolf

nearly three months after its release in europe, patrick wolf's newest "the magic position" is released in north america today. it contains two extra live tracks.

i have resisted listening to it all this time. hearing it for the first time today, i was slightly disappointed that it is not as good as the previous "wind in the wires". the first half of "the magic position" is quite good, with the cheerful "accident & emergency" and the sad "bluebells". the second half is not as memorable. however, i did like the live piano version of "the child catcher"; it sounds more tragic than the original version.

still, it is a very good album. i will have to listen to it some more.

some internet sources say that patrick wolf will be taking a break from touring. he has three dates in toronto, but none in montreal. i guess i will not get the chance to see him live...

~~~

Labels: cd purchase, patrick wolf