Linda's Blog — May 2009 Archive Blogger Profile

Pretty tripped out.

Fine Mist are an awesome synth-pop band from Vancouver. I have two ways of describing them:

1) They're like Fleetwood Mac with only synth and drum machine.

2) They're like every really good tune that people like to sing at karaoke, sung like you would at karaoke.

They are also playing tonight at the Astoria (769 E. Hastings) with Candles as part of the weekly Damaged Goods night. Tonight, the DJs are giving away free passes to the Sled Island music festival in Calgary. If you're in Van, go check it out.

I initially avoided listening to Here We Go Magic on account of their terrible name, and then because of the promo blurb sticker with endorsements from Sufjan Stevens and Rolling Stone, citing Conor Oberst (because I do not dig on Sufjan, Bright Eyes, or Rolling Stone). My man Mark (whose blog is awesome, click on his name to check it out) persuaded me it was worth a spin, though, and lo and behold, it’s way better than I imagined.

What we have here is first-class producer’s pop from a dude’s bedroom, destined to appeal to fans of such disparate musics as: Panda Bear, Caribou, Ariel Pink, Kurt Vile, Women, Studio, Arthur Russell, and Peter Bjorn & John. The press kit would also like you to think of Graceland and Remain In Light, which I’d say is pushing it a little, but not too off-base. The album's short (and a bunch of it is just slightly pointless noise-drone instrumentals), but if Luke Temple (that's the dude's name) keeps developing, I don't think he's going to stay unknown for long.

I have been really lazy about posting music to this blog for a while, so I'm going to make up for it. This week: lots of music posts. First off, Australia's best new band, The Eddy Current Supression Ring!

These dudes are total meat-and-potatoes: a square meal of rock n' roll. Just drums, bass, guitar, and absolutely no bullshit at all. Their stringent anti-bullshit policy places them squarely in the line of such classic thinking-man's thugs as Mclusky, The Fall, The Stooges, and The Monks. When I first heard Primary Colours, their second (and most recent) album, I thought it lacked frills, but I soon came to understand that these are just not frilly men, and it's all to the good. Their stuff is tough and catchy and stinking of realness. I just keep listening to it and it keeps sounding better.