by Jay Mattson

What comes to mind when you think of the Magnetic Fields?  Is it Stephin Merritt’s haunting vocals?  Is it the band’s minimally powerful melodies? Perhaps you remember the digital-via-analog production that confounded and pleased you at the same time.  Or maybe you just think about the utter emotion poured into every song without a hint of excessive effort.  All of these sentiments are legitimate and worthy of one of the most under-appreciated independent rock bands of the modern era.  Though the band’s beginnings extend to the early 90s, it was the release of 69 Love Songs in 1999 that truly showed the world what Merritt could achieve.  Originally planned as a 100-song musical theater-esque project, Merritt himself conceded that 100 was a gargantuan number to undertake and partitioned the vision down to 69, obvious sexual connotations intact.  On a personal note, 69 Love Songs was my first exposure to the Magnetic Fields.  Being one of their best albums, I was given the best possible introduction.  It has been just over ten years since 69 Love Songs was released in all of its 3-disc glory and it still stands as one of the best albums of the past 15 years.

Stephin Merritt has expressed on multiple occasions that 69 Love Songs is not an album of actual love songs, but songs about love songs.  While this might sound a bit redundant, he makes (in a most existential way) meta-fictional societal observations that still prove relevant and inspiring to this day.  One of the best examples of this phenomenon is seen with “The Book of Love”; it is a solemn, nearly distraught explanation of the human understanding of this emotion we call ‘love.’  “The book of love is long and boring” shows how uninspired these emotions can feel, while the actual expressed idea is surging with symbolism and underlying meaning.  In fact, this song speaks such volumes that it was covered by Peter Gabriel on his album of indie covers in 2010 and prior was used as the closing track to Scrubs in the spring of 2009.  One interesting subtlety to notice is the rather conservative use of electronic manipulation. While their earlier albums were somewhat characterized by synthesizers, 69 Love Songs only employs the technique on a handful of tracks.  Perhaps Merritt preferred a more analogical approach to this opus of satire, or maybe he was just tired of the effect.  When a synth is used, Merritt does so with swelling over-the-top jaunt.  On the opposite side of this coin of relativistic meaning, we have “Fido, Your Leash Is Too Long”, the direct follow-up to “The Book of Love” and a song that epitomizes the modern-rock approach to a love song that isn’t a ballad; make it underwhelming and somewhat unintelligible.  Of course, the satire of ‘underwhelming’ makes the song excellent in it’s own right whilst still expressing the crudeness of the soft rock appeal of the 90s.  The meaning of “Fido” is, as aforementioned, somewhat unintelligible, as the traditional imagery of a leash in the romantic sense shows it being too short, as one partner keeps a tight hold on the other.

Disc two seems to revert to a simpler and more straightforward aesthetic.  The short “Very Funny” is lifted by classical strings and piano to heights nearly reaching ballad levels.  The presentation of a variety of genres is one of 69 Love Songs‘ most endearing elements.  While each song is irrefutably a work of the Magnetic Fields, they are all executed in unique ways.  Take the juxtaposition of “My Only Friend” and “Promises of Eternity”; the former a piano ensemble, the latter an electronic-assisted hyperbole about the time it takes to express one’s feelings.  And how about “Washington D.C.”?  This track alone proves how versatile this band can truly be.  A cheerleader chant opens the ethereal effort and gives way to one of the more pop-oriented melodies on any of the albums.  With lines like “It’s my baby’s kiss that keeps me coming back” allowing Claudia Gonson a freedom to just sing without pretense, instances like this are a pure delight.  “Papa Was a Rodeo” is another track that yanks at the listener’s conscience. It is a pivotal song that expresses the chaotic nature of life on the road (“never stuck around long enough for a one night stand”), how it is perceived through the eyes of a child, and why it affects that child’s life even into the fall of his life.  Recovering from a flurry of down-tempo melodies, “The Sun Goes Down and the World Goes Dancing” is upbeat and fun.  Like a gypsy jangle, Merritt sings at a higher octave to compliment the heightened mood.  Of course, the lyrical nature is still characteristically pessimistic, though it is difficult to not move your head and raise your heel to the melody while singing along.

The “lo-fi” label has been applied to indie music since the early ’90s, but few songs have achieved a lo-fi/country feeling like “I’m Sorry I Love You”, one of Gonson’s ditties about a heart-worn lover who comes to grips with a broken relationship.  Additionally, the radio-reverb friendliness of “Wi’ Nae Wee Bairn Ye’ll Me Beget” shines through as a powerfully under-produced track that still manages to convey intense meaning.  My favorite song on all three albums from 69 Love Songs is “Yeah! Oh Yeah!”, a song that literally attacks any love song ever written.  Without subtle imagery to act as a buffer, this track surges forth with the power of anti-love esteem.  “Are you out of love with me? Are you longing to be free? Do I drive you up a tree?/ Yeah! Oh Yeah!” is the opening line of this duet between Gonson and Merritt.  From there, it continues its descent into the already-dead (and now festering) relationship between lovers who have been out of love for so long, they no longer censor their feelings.  This track is meaningful in it’s disparity.  The natural follow-up track is “Meaningless”, a 50s doo-wop style track that imposes the meaningless of words of love… how they are only words and nothing more.

I could spend three full-length features outlining the nature of 69 Love Songs, one for each disc, and I still feel as though it would not be enough.  This career-defining album is full of metaphor, imagery, subtle meaning and stylistic progression more broadly than some bands achieve in their entire career (just look at Poison).  If you have heard this album before, play it for yourself again and remember why the Magnetic Fields are one of the best bands from this generation.  If you have not heard 69 Love Songs, I implore you to find time to really listen.  Do not play it while you are working, exercising, or playing a game.  Really listen to it and absorb the irony, the satire, and all the existential truths that exist below the surface.

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Magnetic Fields – The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side

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Magnetic Fields – My Sentimental Melody

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Magnetic Fields – Let’s Pretend We’re Bunny Rabbits

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Magnetic Fields – It’s a Crime

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Magnetic Fields – Very Funny

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Magnetic Fields – Yeah! Oh, Yeah!

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Magnetic Fields – Papa Was a Rodeo

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The post 69 Love Songs: (Just Over) 10 Years Later appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

The five members of Dappled Cities comfortably define themselves as a band who creates “oddball pop”. Oddball pop? Well, the particular specification seems to be getting more common by the day with bands like Danielson, Sunset Rubdown, and Islands all making popular entries into the contemporary music setting. With non-traditional song structures accompanied by instruments originally only found in the closets of gypsies and priests, such artists are rapidly finding new and creative ways to express themselves. Ten years ago, one would have probably looked at you quite strangely if you told them that adding accordions, xylophones, musettes, rhaitas, and high-pictched squeals to a musical composition would equate to a large success. But as usual, innovation always strikes to those first who dare to disprove stereotypes. The five boys from Dappled Cities have a similar goal with their philosophy, being to create music that is both catchy and innovative, utilizing radical production techniques and vocal presentations in order to provide dramatic differentiation and atmospheric reliability between songs. They come to us from Sydney, Australia, in a country that has seen originating artists such as Melbourne’s The Temper Trap, Julian Nation, and Gotye, names that have all been featured on this web site, in addition to many others, due to their sheer creativity and factor of enjoyment. Those who were familiar with Dappled Cities prior to this article may have previously known them as Dappled Cities Fly, though they recent underwent a name change, omitting the “Fly”. Originally called Periwinkle when fifteen-year-olds Dave Rennick and Hugh Boyce met Alex Moore and Tim Derricourt (of English descent) in 1997 after discovering they all lived near each other, went to the same high school, and had a similar taste in music. They had musical originality even in the beginning, taking great pride in it as well. “We were surrounded by a pararecieveddoxical ‘west coast punk’ environment,” co-vocalist Dave Rennick went on to say, “[so] we weren’t too well received at bands competitions and the like.” Realizing that the close-minded suburbs weren’t the place for them, the band set their sights on the large city of Melbourne after graduation. After keyboardist Mark Bradshaw joined the band, the name of Dappled Cities Fly was settled. Following several lengthy tours of Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States (most recently SXSW), in addition to the release of their debut, A Smile, Ned Cooke replaced Bradshaw as the keyboardist, in addition to the dropping of “Fly” from the band name.

For those wondering where the second name of Dappled Cities Fly derived from, co-vocalist Dave Rennick has the odd answer. “It’s hard to spell, hard to pronounce, even harder to remember, and has inevitably been coined on several occasions as the ‘worst band name ever'”. Such characteristics apparently brought a bit of satisfaction to the band, seeing the name as entirely original, just like their musical approach. According to guitarist and vocalist Tim Derricourt, the word “Fly” was dropped from the name for “artistic reasons”, mainly being that it looked better without it on the cover of their newest and second album, Granddance. Rennick also went on to clarify the situation, stating it’s merely an abbreviation. “We are just trying to make it easier so when we are in pubs trying to talk to people, we can just say it as Dappled Cities. It’s also that the label in the US [Dangerbird] wanted us to drop the ‘Fly’ entirely, which we weren’t keen to do at all,” Rennick continued to to say, “so we are just trying to get the best of both worlds, but in doing so we’ve actually just made it more confusing for everyone, which I guess is one of our traits as a band: confusing people. It’s part of keeping ourselves interesting and interested, but for the record we have not changed our name.” Granddance follows their first LP, A Smile, a the critically acclaimed debut that introduced the band’s creative sound to international ears. In addition to bands like Youth Group, The City Lights, and Red Riders, Dappled Cities are known as one of the distinctive bands in causing awareness for Australia’s growing music scene, a setting that prior to this decade was only recognizable for names like AC/DC, Olivia Newton-John, The Go-Betweens, and Silverchair. Now, we have a contemporary presentation of Australian artists like Kylie Minogue, Architecture in Helsinki, and The Avalanches in addition to my aforementioned newcomers.

Even though A Smile was a very well-recieved debut that introduced the band’s creative sound to international ears, the band was harsh in criticism of their own work, calling it a linear alternative rock album that consisted of stereotypical “noodly Pavement guitar rock”. After Smile was recorded in Australia, the five-piece decided made their trip out West to soak up the sights and sounds. Of course, they chose the city that represents Western pop culture in the brightest spotlight: Hollywood, California, which is the new destination for the recording of Granddance. Speaking of the new album, Rennick says, “it’s a lot grander, more bigger sounds – along the lines of the Beach Boys, late Flaming Lips and so on. Lots of synths and organized sounds, as opposed to noodly Pavement guitar rock.” Listening to the eleven tracks on the album, I certainly have to agree with Mr. Rennick, as the band’s sound has progressed significantly with a mature approach sounding off in most tracks under the watchful supervision of producers Jim Fairchild (ex-guitarist of Grandaddy) and Peter Walker (Dangerbird). Dave Rennick was quite fond of the producers’ contributions, saying “They were great. Theyâ€re both musicians so they’ve had a lot of experience in the studio and whatnot. It was like hanging out with chums and all of us making combined decisions.” That experience certainly showed, as it created an admirable sound in combination with the youthful talent of Dappled Cities. Tim Derricourt and Dave Rennick both split the songwriting on the album, with each contributing five or six songs apiece to the final result of eleven tracks. Grandance was released last November in Australia and saw a United States release on March 1st.

The album’s opener, “Holy Chord”, was written by Derricourt and it shows a certain factor of mature intensity that was not found in A Smile or any other previous Dappled Cities song, for that matter. Derricourt’s vocals have often been compared to Peter Gabriel’s and though this song isn’t the best example for a Gabriel comparison, one can easily see how unique Derricourt’s delivery is. In one instance, he goes from an underbelly of mumbles to a high-pitched squeal that is synchronized to the utilization of several bells and keys. Think along the lines of a mixture between the creativity of Danielson, the incoherent hooks of Carey Mercer, and the durability of Peter Gabriel. Somewhere in between that odd mess of enjoyment, you have Tim Derricourt’s “Holy Chord”. After an intense arrangement of guitars, lively percussion, and a mass diversity of backing vocals and effects, Derricourt concludes the song with a rather surprising question. “What does it mean to take off all our clothes and look into your eyes and say, ‘I mean it’?” Like the majority of the songs, “Holy Chord” is filled with hooks, some that are discovered on first listen and others that are found on the tenth. For this reason, in addition to the exotic nature of the track, it reminds me somewhat of a more vocal Animal Collective, if they had more emphasis on pop music. “Work It Out” moves a bit more slowly and dramatically, in large part to the synth involvement. Throughout the song, a largely noticeable synth pad composes a very distinctive melody that is dependent on Derricourt’s range and enthusiasm, resulting in a track full of enjoyment and artifical beauty. “Vision Bell” is not as diverse as the other tracks on Granddance and even recalls A Smile a bit, though when it’s all said and done, the song is one of the most accessible and enjoyable on Granddance. The vocals show a smug admiration for Brian Wilson in some sections over the elegance of melodious keys, reverb effects, and incessant guitars. The hooks, for the most part, lie in the vocal execution, often sounding like a bizarre duet. “The Eve The Girl” is a particularly bleak song calling on a family where the deadbeat father (“a useless man”) and disoriented mother (“a useless mess”) give birth to a “useless son”, setting the norm for a society of unrightful expectations, familial influence, and unavoidable loneliness. Such dramatic songs like “Beach” and “Watercourse” hold the same tone of effectiveness in overlaying a dramatic sense to a newly cultivated auditory presentation. Rennick’s “Fire Fire Fire” has the potential to do well on college radio charts with a straightforward approach that pushes forward a radiant chorus accompanied by a charming set of backing “oohs” and reverb effects. “You’re not a fire so I will not dance with you,” may elude to a sense of emotional and sociological relinquishment, with the enjoyable harmonies making it all the more satisfying. With the majority songs being nothing short of entirely gratifying, Granddance is an extremely impressive sophomore album from Dappled Cities, one that should certainly find them a larger international following. Even though we are only three months into it, Dappled Cities are my favorite Australian band of the year.

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Dappled Cities – Holy Chord

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Dappled Cities – Work It Out

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Dappled Cities – Vision Bell

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Official Web Site

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The post Dappled Cities Fly Tweak Their Name and Sound appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

If the turkey can dance, you should too.

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Peter Gabriel – Family Snapshot

For many, family is a necessity for the holidays. Peter Gabriel’s ‘Family Snapshot’ is such an accurate display of love and its importance in society, half-mocking those ignorant few who view love’s only purpose as a tool for product marketing. This is my favorite Gabriel song, off of my favorite Gabriel album, Peter Gabriel [3] (Melt). This is one of those rare songs that seem to enjoyably go on forever, despite its mere 4:28 length. Gabriel’s sorrowful and longing vocals are some of the underrated in the business. “I’m alive,” he sings with such passion, as he folds into an entirely new and more intense variation of the song about midway through with increasing percussion, saxophone and 80s keys that are ahead of their time. “All turned quit, I have been here before,” Gabriel starts after the bass and saxophone recede, “lonely boy hiding behind the front door”. Despite the aforementioned length, this song has the feel of an epic, making it a classic in songwriting by the prolific Gabriel.

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Andrew Bird – Measuring Cups

Most likely a popular accessory on this day of stuffing yourself and the turkey. Bird works delicately over a tender acoustic guitar and romantic strings, off of the fantastic and critically popular Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs. The second repeat of “so put your backpack on your shoulder, be the good little soldier,” is the most eruptive Bird gets, as the song remains generally consistent thorughout. Andrew Bird & the Mysterious Production of Eggs is filled with heartwarming acoustic-laden songs like this one, with Bird’s newest album being one of the most anticipated of 2007 for his masses of fans. Unless you plan on spending your Thanksgiving at a McDonalds, measuring cups seem somewhat necessary for homemade food.

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Belle & Sebastian – For the Price of a Cup of Tea

I like tea of all types, particulary green tea. Tea on Thanksgiving seems to go well with the desserts that are put out. Only Emeril knows the secret. ‘For the Price of a Cup of Tea’ conveys the general sound of Belle & Sebastian’s The Life Pursuit, a mixture of upbeat tunes centered around rollicking guitar riffs and bright keys, with a few of being ‘Funny Little Frog’ and ‘We Are the Sleepheads’. There are also a few tracks focused on dramatically poetic takes on overlooked daily life, such as ‘Dress Up In You’ or ‘Mornington Crescent’. The riffs are fairly repeatitive, but rather than working against itself, it proves as a memorable way to enhance recognition for future listens. Stuart Murdoch humors us by how financial agreements can equal an item (a line of coke) or social status (the village joke), but how it can never make most of us entirely happy. We all appreciate morality.

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Queen – You’re My Best Friend

Much like Christmas, Thanksgiving can be a lonely time if you’re without friends. What are you supposed to? Go sit on the corner and stare at happiness in windows, I suppose. Queen’s Greatest Hits recently became the most sold record in the UK, which would make this song one of the most popular in the UK (and in the world). We can all put obscurity to the side for irresistable pop songs like this.

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The Jam – Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

Another song reflecting the importance of family. This has to be my favorite song to sing along too, though I must sound like a fool without Paul Weller’s emphasized British accent. Bruce Foxton’s great bass line (one of the million) is also one of my favorites to play. Weller takes us through the tale of a tragic hero: a family man coming home to his wife after a hard day of work, only to get stopped by a bunch of scums that inhabit the depressing tube station. “The glazed, dirty steps – repeat my own and reflect my thoughts,” is one of Weller’s brilliant lines, with the beginning of the song portraying a mental state, eventually followed by cringing physical torment that the man suffers. While laying on the floor on the verge of dying, Weller portrays the man as he ends the song with disturbing, yet effectively haunting thoughts:

The last thing that I saw
As I lay there on the floor
Was ‘Jesus Saves!’ painted by an atheist nutter
And a British rail poster read: ‘Have an awayday – a cheap holiday – do it today!’
I glanced back on my life
And thought about my wife
‘Cause they took the keys – and she’ll think its me
I’m down in the tube station at midnight
The wine will be flat and the curry’s gone cold
I’m down in the tube station at midnight
Don’t want to go down in a tube station at midnight

The post The Morals of Thanksgiving. appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

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The Elected – Would You Come With Me

The Elected is basically composed of half of Rilo Kiley. Blake Sennett and Jason Boesel worked on their new album Sun, Sun, Sun while Jenny Lewis was off working on her own material. The album is full of sappy romantic hooks and lovable western acoustics. ‘Would You Come With Me’ is my personal favorite off the album, as all three minutes are purely enjoyable. Sennett’s lyrical talents are displayed here as he details a typical romance with a chorus reflecting the name of the song. “I had this sadness creeping like vines over me. I didn’t get what I want, so I just took what wanted me.” Yeah, Blake, we get it.
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Isol̩e РSchrapnell

Hey, this is electronic instrumental techno. But wait, don’t turn away! I even once got those emo loving high school kids to bop their heads to this insanely catchy song. Off of last year’s exceptional, We Are Monster, Rajko Müller has a load of elements from jazz to microhouse on a very fun album.
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Peter Gabriel – Games Without Frontiers

The first time I heard Peter Gabriel, I was working at Subway as a slave making sandwiches about to fall asleep while on the job. This song came on the radio and I immediately found myself listening to one of the lyrically profound songs ever. Interpret a bunch of names as countries in a political gangbang and you have yourself Peter Gabriel’s ‘Games Without Frontiers’. Do yourself a favor and buy Gabriel’s Greatest Hits. The song’s general expression on international relations is brilliant in Gabriel’s wordplay. “Andre has a red flag, Chiang Ching’s is blue. They all have hills to fly them on except for Lin Tai Yu. Dressing up in costumes, playing silly games. Hiding out in tree-tops shouting out rude names. The UN is indeed very well represented by children.

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Wire – I Am the Fly

I know a lot of you were aware when Pitchfork gave the reissue of Wire’s Chairs Missing a 10. While I disagree with people who live and breathe on their scores, they were actually quite on target with that album. Actually, every Wire album in the late 70s was just so ahead of its time that it is difficult to disagree. ‘I Am The Fly’ was really one of the first songs of its post-punk genre. It just grows on you immensely with each listen, from the nicely placed claps to the amazing bassline, ‘I Am The Fly’ is just an example of greatness on Chairs Missing.
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The Shins – Saint Simon

I’ll share my favorite Shins song because it’s only a matter of time before everyone will get their hands on their new album. Off of Chutes Too Narrow, the reason that The Shins get so much acclaim isn’t because of the overhyped Garden State, rather it’s their simple and straightforward approach to making great pop songs. ‘Saint Simon’ is a very good example of their sound that only can be compared to bands such as Belle & Sebastian.
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Bj̦rk РJoga

Don’t put Björk near Dick Cheney, or he may shoot her. As lame as that joke, the only thing the general public can really pinpoint about Björk is her wild(life) outfits or the fact that she’s from Iceland. Well, that would be our superficial society, eh? Her music is actually quite good too! ‘Joga’ is a beautifully done song off of Homogenic, showcasing Björk’s vocals at their finest. Check out the chorus. Don’t you feel the chill?

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Archer Prewitt – Go Away

This last song is very similar in sound to the first one (The Elected) on here, though I actually like this one even more. Archer Prewitt is actually one of the most underappreciated musicians on the modern front today. He was one of the founders of the great The Coctails and his solo career is nothing short of extraordinary. I can’t count the number of instruments he has mastered on two hands. His album last year, Wilderness, was actually my favorite out of the bunch and ‘Go Away’ is just beautiful. When the climax occurs with strings bustling and Prewitt’s flawless vocals taking front stage, the question is how a song could get much better.

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