Entry #19: Under Byen - Det er mig der holder træerne sammen

Just so you know, one of my pet hates is when people say there's no good music to be found anymore.  Usually, they try to support their argument by appealing to modern pop music; music in the top 40 and on the radio.  This somehow "proves" that good music has significantly declined, and isn't like the Good Old Days™ (i.e. their era of choice).

That argument fails spectacularly because bad music has always existed.  Furthermore, the top 40, radio or TV have never been the places to find good new music.  If it appears there, it is simply a matter of fortune.  To my mind, the proclamation makes even less sense in the internet age, when new music can be stumbled upon, sometimes by accident, by just a few clicks.

And this is exactly how I discovered Under Byen in 2008.

There are some bands and some artists whose music clicks with you almost instantly, and from the first few seconds of 'Samme Stof som Stof', I was already hooked.  What I heard instantly found its home somewhere within the centre of my being, and I needed more.

I therefore picked up the album from which the aforementioned song was derived and devoured it.  What followed was this album, by way of the single 'Plantage', followed by everything else I could get my hands on.

Det er mig der holder træerne sammen was the album I came back to again and again; sometimes you can hear flashes of Bjork, other times, Portishead and yet other times later era Talk Talk, but they sound like nobody but themselves.  The lyrics, delivered entirely in Danish make no sense to me (beyond occasionally googling translations), but that only serves to make the music more mysterious, alien and poetic.

As 2008's autumn turned to winter, the nights grew longer and colder, and Under Byen's music became the blanket in which I wrapped myself to stave off the cold.  Det er mig der holder træerne sammen in particular makes me think of winter sun, very probably because it was on such wintry but sunny days that I played the album the most.

Discovering this amazing band was truly one of the happiest accidents of my life.

                                                              Under Byen : Legesag

Entry #18: Mogwai - Come on Die Young

Interesting story.

What I first heard of Mogwai's 'Young Team' in 1998, didn't impress me all that much.  I went back to it a few years later (after getting into Mogwai proper) and loved it, but at the time, it just didn't grab me for some reason.  There was a lot of hype about Mogwai then, but I just didn't get it.

In spite of that, I ended up giving the follow up album (this one) a try and was instantly hooked.  One of the things I love about it the most is Dave Fridmann's production.  He has a habit of sometimes overcooking bands he's not affiliated with himself (i.e. bands that aren't Mercury Rev or Flaming Lips), but his production work on CODY was spot on.

Mogwai's appeal for me is their ability to convey a range of emotions without lyrics.  In fact lyrics would detract from their music, and the few times they appear, it seems odd; almost forced.  As with a lot of music I end up liking, CODY is darkly atmospheric, and as soon as I hear the opener 'Punk Rock', I immediately find myself in that place where only Mogwai's music transports me.

Shortly after CODY was released, I saw Mogwai at Bristol University with a friend.  It was a noisy, calamitous affair (in a good way), but the venue was so small it seemed to contain them sonically.  Fortunately, when I saw them again almost 10 years later at Field Day, the space and the open air certainly did them a lot more justice.

Another band whose music I've almost obsessively collected, and the music alone speaks far more than mere lyrics ever could.

Especially this track...

                                                            Mogwai : Helps Both Ways

Entry #17: Sonic Youth - Evol

I'm a huge fan of Sonic Youth.  If you know me, it's very likely that you already know this.   Of all their albums, this is the one that has stayed with me the most.  When I first heard it, I was already somewhat familiar with the band (I had both 'Daydream Nation' and 'Goo' on tape back then).  Up until that point, 'Daydream' was a definite favourite, but 'Evol' changed that and after getting this album way back when, I sought out nearly every Sonic Youth album I could find.

The ringing guitars and reverb-soaked production give 'Evol' an almost dreamlike ambience which really appeals.  Sound-wise, it's a direct evolution from the previous album 'Bad Moon Rising'.  The songs are very atmospheric, sometimes even gothic in places and the whole album carries a moody, surreal tone that they've never repeated since. 

An absolute work of art, and something I will never get bored of hearing.

                                                     Sonic Youth : Shadow of a Doubt

Entry #16: Spooky - Found Sound

 
Yet another album that turned out to be a huge influence on my own music long before I started making it.

1997, I'd not long returned to my home town having previously moved away for university.  I'd heard about this album from a friend before I'd left, but other than the lead single 'Bamboo' I'd not heard anything from it.  Based on what I'd heard, I decided to buy the album and I'm so glad I did.

As per an earlier entry, Aphex Twin's 'Selected Ambient Works' had already turned me on to experimental electronica, so this continued my foray into territory that would eventually define my own music.

                                                                  Spooky : Bamboo

Entry #15: Low - I Could Live in Hope

The album that got me into Low back in 2003 was 'Things We Lost in the Fire', but it was this album that struck a chord with me the most.

Now despite what hipsters and credibility seekers may assert, I don't always find the cliche about a band's first album being the best to be true.  IMO, it sometimes takes another record or two before a band truly finds its feet and substantially develops its sound, few get it right first go, and those that do typically burn out too soon.  Low certainly is certainly an exception in this case, and as much as I enjoy their discography in general, I don't think they've ever come close to bettering this.

'Hope' has been my soundtrack to long, dark nights at home in front of the computer or a good book, and it has accompanied me on nightly journeys.  To me, it's a very nocturnal album, and expresses so much with so little.  The song I've chosen to feature below is not just my favourite from the album but one of my favourite Low songs in general.  It encapsulates everything that makes this album what it is and never fails to get me right in the feels every single time.

                                                                      Low : Lullaby

Entry #14: ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes

Of course, pretty much everyone who likes this band likes this album the best, and for good reason.  It's fucking fantastic.

For me, it also holds enormous sentimental weight.  I bought it around the time it came out, and I was beginning a huge personal upheaval.  2002 was a year of constructive destruction, a beautiful Tarot death.  Things as I had previously understood them had changed, and at the time, I didn't know if I was even ready to change with them, but knew that it wasn't a matter of choice.

This album's energy allowed me to channel my own emotions into something that made sense.  As I fought inner battles that nobody I knew could ever perceive, this is one of the albums that helped me through it all.

The day after I bought it, I traveled by coach to visit an old friend who lived out of town.  I played this on the way and remember reading through the lyrics in the CD inlay and admiring Conrad Keeley's artwork.  At the time, it almost felt as if this album had been made just for me.  It was May and the sun was shining, 'Source Tags' was played to death all summer, and to this day, not only does it remind me of sunshine, it does not sound right under any other conditions.

The song 'Source Tags and Codes' is probably one of my all-time favourites, but I've chosen something else below as it seemed to fit better.  The former can be found on YouTube though so do check it out.

                         ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead : How Near How Far

Entry #13: Sebadoh - The Freed Weed

Back in 1996, I picked up a Sebadoh tape called "The Freed Man".  I had already gotten into lofi music earlier that same year thanks to Beck albums like 'One Foot in the Grave' and 'Stereopathetic Soulamure' which, in turn, endeared me to that particular album.

A few years later, I discovered  'The Freed Weed' which, I was pleased to learn, featured many of the same songs as 'The Freed Man' but with an extended and slightly different track listing, and it was this album that grabbed me the most.  That particular summer (1999?), I played this a lot for some reason; I think Lou Barlow, and to a lesser extent Eric Gaffney's candid, broken, messy love songs struck a chord somehow.  I had also started making my own 4-track music and found it inspiring (even if my own music was very different).  Either way, it recalls a period of burgeoning creativity, and I will always remember it for that.

Some might argue that the songs would benefit from "proper" production, but I say bullshit to that.  This is how they are meant to sound and how they should sound.  This is the point.

                                                             Sebadoh : Perfect Power