Music What I Been Listenin' To

I seem to be a fairly erratic purchaser of music, often buying 3 or 4 records at once before not dipping into my pockets for sometimes two months or more. Mentioning 'buying' music, it might be worth doubling back over what a few years ago might have been a innocuous statement but now is not such a certainty, even for those devoted to music. Yes, I still buy albums, solid, physical albums.

Despite the advent of downloading (legal and ill-) and the more recent arrival of Spotify (a programme I have been using for most of this year and which I love wholeheartedly) and the myriad predictions of the death of the album format I still refuse to relinquish. I'm aware that I could save myself a large wodge of cash buy simply never buying anything again, but the collector inside me desires to have the little plastic cases stored neatly on a shelf in front of me. I like having the artwork, the case, the physical signifier that I own this piece of art. I'm aware that this is seen as bemusing to anyone over the age of 40, including my father, who has never loved the CD sleeve, seeing no merit in the scaled-down, poor-relation to the vinyl sleeve. But hey, I was raised with the CD, this is what I know.

Anyway, on to what I intended to write about before I was characteristically sidetracked - what I have been buying, and listening to, recently.

First up The Beatles. I have always been disinterested in the Fab Four a mixture of over-familiarity with their most famous material, which without trying is so easy to achieve due to their omni-presence in media and culture alongside the fact that with not growing up with any of their records in our home. I did listen to my brother's copy of the '1' album in my teenage years a couple of times but again, because I already knew the tracks I found it hard to get into (I like having to get to know songs on an album, and as a rule of thumb the albums I know least of when I buy tend to work out as my favourites). I just was never interested.

However, for no discernible reason last week I decided to give The Beatles a go. I decided that the only real way to do it was to start at the beginning and work through their 12 studio albums in chronological fashion. So this week I have been listening to 'Please Please Me' and 'With The Beatles' which I have enjoyed immensely. I should also say that an added incentive to buy The Beatles catalogue is that all the band's records have just been remastered and re-released in three-fold glossy card cases. They look and sound wonderful.

This last week I have also been listening to:

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

Kings of Convenience - Riot on an Empty Street

The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace

Little Richard - Here's Little Richard

and, a lovely mixtape made by a lovely someone!

The Fiery Furnaces 'I'm Going Away'

A while back I used this blog to indicate my excitement at the imminent release of a new Fiery Furnaces' record. Well the album was out this week and I'm delighted to say it's a real peach.

The Fiery Furnaces - Charmaine Champagne from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

Critics have been generous in their praise and the general consensus is that I'm Going Away in many respects owes more than a nod to their debut release Gallowsbird's Bark, certainly in terms of it's accessibility.

While the new album is sweet, sleek, tuneful pop in comparison to the more angular bluesy sound of Gallowsbird's it shares that record's 3 minute, more emotive, more traditionally structured style. While shorter, more structured tracks were something they were clearly returning to with the last two records (Bitter Tea, Widow City) after their deviations with Blueberry Boat and Rehearsing my Choir it is with this record that the idea is again fully realised.

I'm Going Away is a much more immediate record, and this is largely down to the fact that the Friedberger's gift for insanely catchy pop hooks is allowed to take centre stage, almost entirely unobsured by the extra layers of discordant noise, errant notes and snyth effects which while adding greatly to the Furnaces' records are something that often makes their albums challenging first listens, if ultimately hugely rewarding. I'm Going Away is the record to use when first introducing somebody to the band, or to win over your sceptical mates.

Come back soon!

I love the Fiery Furnaces, very very much, and having been spoilt by their previously incredible output rate - 5 albums in their first 4 years, these days I struggle to cope now that their release schedule has fallen in line with most other bands - i.e. one album every two years.

Anyway it appears (they're not very good at announcing these things, even on their own website) that the next album 'I'm Going Away' will be in the shops in July, so in excitment and anticipation here are a couple of their previous singles.

'Duplexes of the Dead' from their last album 'Widow City'


'Tropical Ice-Land' from their debut record 'Gallowbird's Bark'