A Long Bow: Prefab Sprout’s ‘I Trawl The Megahertz’

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Very Warm

*A Long Bow is a series where I focus on one artist, album or song and verbally prostrate myself in its honor, as I am not worthy of its presence in my life. Eternally grateful.*

Before you even hit play, make sure you’re in a comfy spot or ready to digest, at the very least, a 20+ minute track and a LONG essay on why it’s incredible. Rough Trade recently remastered Paddy McAloon’s (Prefab Sprout’s lead singer & songwriter) mostly forgotten 2003 solo album I Trawl the MEGAHERTZ this year, and according to McAloon’s desires, reclassified it as a proper Prefab Sprout record. The record is very different than their others, as it’s almost completely instrumental save for a few vocal samples, spoken word, and McAloon’s voice appearing on one song. However, it does not differ from the Prefab catalog in nearly every other department: it is masterfully arranged; perfectly orchestrated to pull at the heart strings with a three-pronged claw of melancholy, grace and humor.

I’ve posted about Prefab on the blog before, but if you’re new to them, here’s a quick rundown: Paddy McAloon is one of the world’s best songwriters of all time. Quite a way to start off a synopsis, eh? The band’s heyday in the mid/late 80s saw the band achieve multiple radio hits while still being an esoteric, totally nerdy pop band with humorous, romantic and self-deprecating lyrics, presented in the most slick ways possible. 1985’s Steve McQueen is my personal favorite and widely regarded as the band’s most complete work, but 1988’s From Langley Park to Memphis has the band’s mega-hits “The King of Rock N Roll” and “Cars & Girls” and is likely more well known across the board. Jordan: The Comeback [1990] is also highly regarded in its sprawling, infectious oddity. With the band known for its revelatory clever pop smashes, a fully instrumental record with a 20+ minute opening track caught fans, record label execs and the music press off guard. Megahertz was tremendously overlooked at the time, nearly 15 years after their height, almost certain to be lost to time.

Read more + listen more to I Trawl the Megahertz

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Listen: Friendly Fires – “Heaven Let Me In” [2018]

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Very Warm

I somehow missed this second single from Friendly Fires, one of my favorite UK dance bands, from late last year. I posted about the first, “Love Like Waves”, the band’s first single in nearly seven years. This new one follows the same sonic trajectory that “Waves” does, with a high bpm, bounding bass, glittering inclusion of horns and percussion, and the lovable, effervescent vocals of frontman Ed Macfarlane. “Waves” and “Heaven Let Me In” show that the band is far from done making seamlessly infectious burners that feel like they’d absolutely kill in a live setting. No word of an album just yet – let’s hope they have something up their sleeves coming soon.

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Listen: Molly Sarlé – “Human” [2019]

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Very Warm

My partner & I’s favorite voice & personality from Mountain Man, Molly Sarlé, released her debut single on Partisan Records recently and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it. The obvious comparisons tap into something like Angel Olsen or Weyes Blood or Hand Habits, but I feel like “Human” exists on its own special plane of being, one that is obviously present in the world of those artists, but honest and real enough that it sets itself apart. Does that make sense? Its songwriting is whimsical, cognizant and affirming. It sets itself apart from the pigeonholing that comes with associations with a humongous act like Sylvan Esso, as well as the comfy hyper-specific sound of Mountain Man. If “Human” hints at something on the horizon, like an album, then it’s very likely poised for greatness.

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Listen: Toro Y Moi – “Who Am I?” [2019]

Posted on January 22, 2019 by Very Warm

Toro Y Moi guy Chaz Bear continues to showcase his innate ability to contort his sound to tap into what “the kids” are into these days while still holding to a strong core voice that he’s carried throughout his career from his chillwave beginnings to now. In this case, it’s ultra slick electro-funk pop that seems a perfect soundtrack to a likely viral fan-made music video consisting of clips from 80s anime with its creator posting in the comments “can we get to 3mil views? edit: omg this is the best thing that’s happened to me. thank yoU!!”

Not saying any of these things are bad. On the contrary, Outer Peace is a record that undeniably feels like 2019. Touching textures of the past while massaging phrases of the future has been “in” for a while, maybe forever, but the specific recipe concocted on this track + album feels brand spankin’ new to me. Crafted for earworm Spotify placement, Urban Outfitters muzak, a vlogger’s music recommend section (“this is a little indie but so cool).

Not to completely cast a big shade on this track, but it really feels like the musical embodiment of roller blading down a palm-lined street without a care in the world. There’s Daft Punk, there’s soundcloud city pop-mining beatmakers, there’s the death of Tumblr memes and monolith of Twitter memes, there’s The Avalanches’ carefree summer mood from Wildflower. It’s for alt college kids with radio shows to get emotional at their house parties to. It’s for riding a bus late at night, vibing all the way to your sweetheart’s place. It’s all there. It makes ya feel good. What else do we need?

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Listen: Weyes Blood – “Andromeda” [2019]

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Very Warm

My queen of 2016, Weyes Blood, (honestly, one of my many queens of 2016, from Jenny Hval to Jessy Lanza) is BACK with a new album coming this Spring via her fancy new label, Sub Pop. While there’s no official date or album name yet, we do have something even better than words and numbers: actual music.

After an upsettingly quiet 2018, “Andromeda” is a beyond refreshing return, making for something that might be WB’s most “up” song since 2014’s The Innocents. It’s still the Weyes Blood that we all know and love, with instantly recognizable vocals and a sense of uncanny at every turn. Chalking her upcoming album as one of my most-anticipated for the year, no doubt.

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Listen: Sharon Van Etten – “Seventeen” [2019]

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Very Warm

If music continues to reach the bar that Sharon Van Etten’s “Seventeen” reaches, we’re in for a doozy of a year. This is an incredibly powerful song about talking to your former self about the good and the bad, and how everything is going to be okay. It rocks me to my core.

The music video makes me realize I love living in NYC! New York, baby!

Sharon Van Etten’s upcoming album, Remind Me Tomorrow, comes out 1/18/2019.

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10 Best Songs: Animal Collective

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Very Warm

2019 marks the 10-year anniversary of Animal Collective’s breakout album Merriweather Post Pavilion, the record that got me into the band, as well as acted as the cement shoes that pulled me down into the nefarious depths of indie rock. Although I no longer consider the band as one of my top favorites at this time, I was a massive fan in high school and college and they definitely had a hand in developing my taste today. Merriweather‘s anniversary got me in the AnCo wave and pulled me back out to sea with these MD boys. I’m kind of sick of listening to so much of them again, so what better way to exorcise an obsession than making an agonizing list? That’s like, my life’s work right there.

Going into making these selections, I made myself a set of questions to ask myself once it was complete. Will I lean towards songs lead by Panda Bear or Avey Tare? Will I be pulling all the hits? Will I find any deep cuts that I adore? Will any of their early material make the cut? Will any of their recent material make the cut? Would my current favorite album of theirs, Strawberry Jam, hold up after being picked apart? Is “My Girls” gonna be my favorite song? In short, am I going to be incredibly predictable?

Check out my top 10 favorite Animal Collective songs below, complete with Warm Visions description flair, along with an analysis of my picks below that.

  1. “Fireworks” [Strawberry Jam]
    Leisurely riding your bike home on a warm Friday evening with the sun in your eyes at the start of the commute and the sun dramatically setting at the end of it.
  2. “Bleed” [Fall Be Kind EP]
    Every night you have a dream of being buried alive, which eventually leads you to find solace in lying in large patches of dirt above ground & staring at drifting clouds above.
  3. “My Girls” [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
    A living room dance party soundtracked by thunder and heavy rain on the rooftop.
  4. “For Reverend Green [Strawberry Jam]
    A man born without a voice box jury-rigs one together using an old rotary phone and an antenna through his windpipe, eventually gaining the ability to broadcast space station correspondence through his mouth.
  5. “Daily Routine” [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
    Late morning dreams of brainless chores make you feel like blissfully sleeping away the day is synonymous with being productive.
  6. “The Purple Bottle” [Feels]
    A backyard party is lit by sparklers, making for not only dynamic lighting but also small pricks of pain when a spark makes contact with skin.
  7. “Bluish” [Merriweather Post Pavilion]
    A hypnotized soul, lost in the undulating riptide of love for another.
  8. “Cuckoo Cuckoo” [Strawberry Jam]
    Giant cracks in the Earth’s surface caused by an earthquake emit at once both chaotic and harmonious frequencies across the planet.
  9. “Safer” [Peacebone EP]
    A nonsensical slideshow of memories and sensations flash before your eyes in the throes of entering the afterlife.
  10. “Prospect Hummer” [Prospect Hummer EP]
    A chorus of frogs back up a wispy grasshopper soprano in a club secluded by tall reeds.

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Listen: Haron – “Lotuseter” [2018]

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Very Warm

I’m not quite done sharing music from 2018, thanks to a buzzer-beating recommendation from a trusted friend. Wandelaar is the project of dutch composer Haron Aumaj, and it taps into some of ambient’s greatest works with floating and poetic use of piano and synthesizer. There’s plenty of room to breathe within the notes, allowing for each listen to be unique to one another, depending on the noise environment you listen in.

In love with this record in a big way. Make sure to support Haron & his label Queeste.

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Recommended Albums: December 2018

Posted on January 11, 2019 by Very Warm

Wanna give a special shout-out to Bandcamp Daily for this month’s edition of Recommended Albums. Usually I go off my general knowledge of what’s being released, reviewed and talked about that month, but it seemed like everyone was just focusing on Best Of 2018 lists. It seemed like every site was shut down for the holidays. That is, except the good folks at Bandcamp. I found a good amount of records there that were treats to listen to, most of which I had never seen featured anywhere else.

What I’ve collected is an eclectic array of projects, ranging from potentially the biggest artist in the world, to a reissue of West African funk, to twinklecore emo, to gospel. Didn’t do any abstract comparisons this month, just a quick description for each. Enjoy listening & hope these don’t make you regret posting your Best Of 2018 list too early.

Algernon Cadwallader – Some Kind Of Cadwallader & Parrot Flies Reissues [Lauren Records]
Defunct, foundational twinklecore emo band got their catalog reissued. If you haven’t spent any time with this band but enjoy rock music, do yourself a favor and listen to these. I can’t listen to this type of music all the time but when it hits, it HITS. Big rippers.

Bad Bunny – X 100PRE [Rimas Entertainment LLC]
Possibly the biggest artist in the world right now. Latin trap, as they call it. If you don’t hear it here, you’ll likely hear it anywhere else. Production is for the most part insane.

Budgie – Holy Ghost Zone [HGZ]
Gospel samples with Bay Area bounce. The material in the samples themselves is incredible, so whatever is surrounding it is just icing on the cake. Moving both emotionally and physically. Reminds me of the 90s.

El Búho – Camino De Flores [Shika Shika]
Downtempo electronics fused with rainforest field recordings and traditional folk instrumentation from South & Central Americas. A constantly flowering, bubbling and evolving sound.

Hammock – Universalis [Self-Released]
Soothing, emotionally open post rock & ambient. Not a lot of dramatic swells, more music for guided introspection. Goshdarn pretty to boot.

MIKE – War In My Pen [10k]
It’s no wonder MIKE and Earl Sweatshirt are friends. Taps into that same woozy, dimly-lit, chopped-up airspace as Some Rap Songs.

Orchestre Abass – De Bassari Togo [Analog Africa]
Collection of tapes and singles from 1970s Togo, led by organist Malam Issa Abass. Aggressively funky, in a way that kicks up dust and spurs the body to thrash in rhythm.

박혜진 park hye jin  – IF U WANT IT [clipp.art]
A winning combination: house & techno from South Korea with an ice cold emcee. Very barebones and low-key. No barnburners on here, but that’s totally cool.

Silent Servant – Shadows Of Death and Desire [Hospital Productions]
Dark, harrowing, maze-like goth techno + post-punk fusion. Is a techno + post-punk fusion just industrial? Not quite, I don’t think. Sounds like a terrifying villain chasing you.

Twist – Distancing [Buzz Records]
Ultra breezy indie pop rock with an emphasis on guitar lines and subtle psychedelic songwriting maneuvers. Not chock-full of hooks, but the ones present are STRONG. I predict I’ll be seeing a lot of Twist in 2019.

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Listen: Hiroshi Yoshimura – “Creek” [1986]

Posted on January 5, 2019 by Very Warm

Had a moment today with Hiroshi Yoshimura’s 1986 album Green: I was standing on the top observation deck at the Whitney Museum in the rain, looking out at lower NYC. Watching all the little things conspire down below me, along with the pitter-patter of the rain against my coat made for a lovely, comforting sensory experience. Some may find standing in the cold rain is unpleasant, but if you’ve got an appropriate soundtrack, you can turn a dreary day into a cozy one.

If you haven’t listened to any of Yoshimura’s music, I recommend Green as well as his recently-reissued Music For Nine Post Cards. Had plenty of moments with that album as well. The man knows how to set a peaceful mood.

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