My Listening Hours: The Spring's Best

Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther and Bamnan & Silvercork
I bought The Trials of Van Occupanther in December after seeing it on other people’s top ten lists and hearing the absolutely fantastic opener, “Roscoe.” When the time came for me to make my own best-of-’06 list I mentioned Trials but was hesitant to show it much love since I hadn’t really had time to digest it. Three months later, this album has not left my hard drive, my iPod, my car stereo, my dreams, my waking hours. It easily would have been my #1 of last year had I heard it in time. “Roscoe” is the song that sucks you in, and on first listens it seems to sit head and shoulders above the rest of the album. But this is one of those albums—the best kind—where the more you listen to it, each individual track at one point becomes your favorite. The first time I mentioned Midlake I provided an mp3 to “Roscoe.” This time I’ll give you “We Gathered in Spring.“

I listened to a few tracks from their first album, Bamnan & Silvercork, at the time, and I liked them but was too immersed in Trials to be distracted. What I’d read on the internet also kept mentioning that the album was heavily indebted to the Flaming Lips. Not a bad thing, necessarily, but it sounded like code for “this band has not found their way.” When I bought tickets to see them at the Troubador last month, I picked up B&S just so I’d be familiar with the songs. It’s true that the album is not as fully formed as Trials, and there are a few Lipsy elements—the keyboards and the distorted drums, in particular—but nevertheless B&S surprisingly sunk in and gripped me. The record really has its own charms, very distinct from Trials. “The Balloon Maker,” for instance, has become inescapable for me. My experience of Midlake reminds me of the way I reacted to the Scud Mountain Boys seven or eight years ago. I bought Massachusetts and was possessed by it for many months, then made my way to the supposedly lesser Early Year; it was lesser, but it was quite different and wonderfully in its own way.

What I’m saying is: I can’t recommend Midlake enough.

Peter Bjorn & John: Writer’s Block
Sometimes you just have to turn the Cynic Switch off. This trio was popping up on the internet friggin’ constantly for much of last year. I don’t know about you, but I’m largely to the point where when Pitchfork leads the charge, I run the other way. Then “Young Folks” started getting rotation on my local radio station. I didn’t know it was PB&J at first; I thought it was a good song, catchy, nothing life-changing. But then my brilliant wife started getting into it and we went to Amoeba and picked it up. And wouldn’t you know it but this is a really great album. It’s much more layered than I would have thought based on the single. Parts of it make me think of the Kinks if Kevin Shields were the guitar player.

I touched on the trio in this post, if you can wade through the parts about book-lookin’. That post includes an mp3 for my personal favorite, “Roll the Credits,” so here I’ll give you “Let's Call it Off.”

The Little Ones: Sing Song EP
Like Midlake, this was another one I bought in December but too late to digest before making a year-end list. I have disclaimers about this band—it’s that Cynic Switch; sometimes it turns itself on automatically—but first let me get the main point out of the way: this is a great little batch of songs. There’s really not a dud in the bunch. Now, here are the caveats: these guys really don’t bring much new to the table. Their album cover is disturbingly close to the Shins’ Chutes too Narrow, and for that matter their sound is not that far off. The singer reminds me of the days when Ben Gibbard was not quite so cloying and over-earnest—there was too a time! In other words every influence I hear in the Little Ones is a band that is probably the same age as them. But so what? All I really know is I’ve been playing this album over and over. My wife and I blare it out of our car windows as we drive up the PCH to Malibu on the weekends. Try out “Lovers Who Uncover” and see what you think.

Tomorrow, a few words on those albums I purchased, liked well enough, but didn't stick.

Comments

[Jeremy]

I bought the crane wife in january (a 2006 release) and it's taken up much of my time since. it's my favorite of their catalogue, and had I heard it earlier, would have been my favorite of last year.

the hype surrounding the hold steady forced me to buy boys and girls last year. since then, I've been wading into the lifter puller/hold steady back catalogue and really enjoying it. how did I not know these guys before? it sounds like the RFTC of my youth, only written for my late 20's/early 30's.

the new menomena is pretty good. and initially I loved it. It hasn't taken up as much time as I thought it would though. unfortunately, it just isn't addictive enough.

saddle creek just sent out the new bright eyes to those who ordered it from the label. I've been devoting a lot of time to it, but the jury's still out. 80% of it is stylistically the same as wide awake, and I can dig that cause I loved wide awake. the other 20% just isn't sitting quite right with me yet. we'll see though.

also, since having a kid, we've developed the habit of listening to "sleep" music. Stuff that mixes well with us trying to keep a 4 month old mellow. In doing so, I've discovered the first damien rice album, and I really like it. it's on at the house constantly (for the reason stated) and I'm glad.

sorry, that was a little long, and there's more to say too, but I'll stop.

[pgwp]

Best Decemberists ever? I may have to check it. I've been a little gun-shy with the Decemberists after their second album. I loved their first to pieces but I thought they got too schticky real quick.

Bright Eyes, I've never been too keen on. I've tried, oh I've tried. But all I ever think about is how much spit must be covering that microphone.

Never heard of menomena... and based on a quick listening station glimpse of the hold steady I couldn't figure out why people were digging them so much. But they're good? I may finally have to believe that if you're into them.

Sleep music... I hope you've got the Kings of Convenience, both albums. They're perfect.

[sroden]

i listened to the two midlake tracks and i can't help thinking it sounds a heck of a lot like travis - a band that seemingly had potential before starting to really stink up the place. it's always sad when there's one really crappy song on a band's first record and the second record follows the potential of that song rather than the 9 good ones... call it travisism...sorry, but everytime i hear this guy's voice i think of travis... "we gathered" started off pretty nice until that shitty synth horn solo which is really tragic... "the little ones" has potential, will have to listen more...

[pgwp]

Pistols at dawn, Roden.

[Jeremy]

Yeah, I'm one of those Bright Eyes fans who totally gets, and appreciates people hating him. I get that he's mopey, I get that he has a lisp. I can appreciate people not liking that. But, I actually like his lispiness, and all around, really like his melodies and such.

Hold Steady took a while to grow on me. Finn's voice is grating at best, and never really much to sing along with. But the lyrics are really interesting and memorable, and the guitar rock can, often, be outstanding. Once I got over his voice, I started to really enjoy them. That's happened to me so many times in my life though, that I'm starting to become more patient. If I hear something and hate the vocals immediately, I should probably devote the next month of my life to it, cause I'll probably end up loving it.