the oh so quiet show

Marie Antoinette

I saw Marie Antoinette this weekend not so much for the story (which is like 75% of the wikipedia entry) but to see the costumes and Versailles (heartstoppingly beautiful) and to hear how modern music would fit into a movie set in 18th century France.

I didn’t really know what music was on the soundtrack, so I was surprised when song’s from Aphex Twin’s Drukqs came up. The first time I heard that album I mainly though, “WTF.” It was like the auditory equivalent of a modern art installation involving random shit on the floor, ripped up fabric, broken glass, blah blah blah. I don’t mean that in a bad way; it just wasn’t something I could digest aside from a few songs, including the ones that happen to appear on the MA soundtrack. What’s different about these songs? WIKI KNOWS ALL:

At least 13 of the 30 tracks are piano compositions, both prepared piano (a style pioneered by John Cage), and normal piano. These tracks have an acoustic beauty not commonly associated with an electronic music artist such as James. The instrument used was a MIDI-controlled Yamaha Disklavier, which James programmed to play via sequencers, rather than from the piano’s keyboard. The Disklavier is a modern descendent of the player pianos of the late 19th and early 20th century, which were controlled by rolls of punched paper tape.

Uh huh. [nods] Avril 14th is one of my favorite tracks and sounds least like the rest of the album.

Aphex Twin – Avril 14th [removed]

I don’t know what I like so much about it, but it’s just…nice. It’s nice. Yes. That’s it. It makes me feel calm, not happy or sad. Just. Content. Until the next track on the album comes on and my head is shredded by random chopped up beats going at 100000 bpm.

Or maybe it’s a “sad little lonely song”. From Aphex Twin on Wikipedia:

In October 2006, Entertainment Weekly’s website ew.com reported of Kirsten Dunst; “Before a lot of scenes, she’d play Aphex Twin’s wistful solo-piano ditty Avril 14th to put herself in the right reflective mood: That was my sad little lonely song that I’d listen to a lot.”

Piano Solos, Vol. 2

One of my other favorite songs from the movie was also a piano solo by Dusin O’Halloran [myspace] (1/2 of Devics, who put out one of my favorite albums of the year) . When I heard it in the movie, I immediately went into quiet panic mode: “I KNOW THAT SONG WHY DO I KNOW THAT SONG WHERE IS IT FROM?!?!?!” After sifting through my iTunes I realized I had recently downloaded it without knowing who the song was by. Take a listen:

[audio:http://www.redbirdmm.com/upload/Opus%2023.mp3]
Dusin O’Halloran – Opus 23

The song is off Dustin’s latest album, Piano Solos, Vol. 2. Of course, you can also find it on the Marie Antoinette soundtrack. This is another one of those “Mm, I feel content” songs. Not especially happy or sad. Lullabye-ish.

..Which reminds me, I’m really tired.

Bring on the Gondry! Here’s Beck’s new video for “Cell Phone’s Dead”:

Read more about it at Director File.

I must admit that this video doesn’t elicit an automatic “OMG AWESOME!” from me, but it’s pretty cool. Beck turns into a door…over and over. Or maybe it’s the door that turns into Beck.

…Uh, let’s not mull over that for too long.

Also check out Gondry’s latest film, The Science of Sleep. I found it more “OMG AWESOME!”

Who made up that saying?

Immi fans talk about Magnet cancelling his supporting dates. Hey, I’m bummed and I couldn’t even go to any shows. Of course, I was most annoyed by the comment, “the nonchalant attitude on the website about it is highly annoying”. Sorry, but I’m not given the exact copy to write on the site (I was given one sentence of information) and left to my own devices, I thought I may as well be marginally funny.

Actually, sometimes I don’t want to edit the website because whatever I write ends up representing Magnet, which is not necessarily good. I love to write in my own style and when I don’t feel like I have the freedom, coming up with something can be very hard. Even for a blurb that is only a few sentences long.

On a totally random note, I’m liking Beach House at the moment.

A friend told me that Mew and Magnet were playing at Bowery Ballroom. Huuuh. So I take a lookie at the calendar and for November 3rd I see…a show with a gazillion artists (for the CMJ music marathon) including Mew and Magnet. What the shizz? WHAT IS THIS MONSTROSITY?

I mean, I’d love to go, even if they only played 2 songs each. Or one. Or none. I’d just want to be in their presence.

Hohum.

WHAT THE SHIZZ.

Update (10/14): Nevermind, Magnet isn’t playing for CMJ or opening for Imogen Heap beacuse he’s finishing his new album. I guess that’s a valid reason. :\

—

I’d also want to go to Brooklyn Vegan’s CMJ showcase at Pianos on November 1st. It’s free! And I’d love to see Loney, Dear (actually, that is the only artist in the lineup I’m really interested in). Download some Loney, Dear mp3 clips (or listen at myspace). It took me a while to get into Solonge, but it’s…lovely. So. Yes. That’s all I can come up with. CJ gave me the CD sometime during the summer without explanation. I listened; I liked. That’s how we roll.

[thanks Honey!]

I haven’t actually bought Beck’s new album “The Information” yet, but I’ve been listening to it for a few days. (DO NOT ASK HOW. SECRET INFORMATION.) I will buy it eventually, like after I stop caring that it costs $10 on amazon.com and 16€ at amazon.fr.

The Information

Why isn’t the CD in my possession yet? Sadly, the videos and songs that have been popping up on his website until the release of the album didn’t catch much of my attention. The trend with Beck albums for the past few years is that my interest in them has decreased. Don’t ask me why. (I maintain my beck fansite somewhat half-assed…oh well.) However, I do like his new album, even more so because of the videos that I had initially written off as “…huh?”

happy fun times

That’s what’s nice about em. They’re random. Lo-fi. Weird. Download them all courtesy of ShotsRingOut.com. Right now I’m watching the video for “New Round” (one of my favorite songs so far) and it’s just a bunch of friends hanging out. With instruments. Wearing random clothing. In settings accentuated by fake backdrops and houseplants. I also like this video in particular because it doesn’t have any effects aside from fading in and out. It’s a video you could make with your friends if you have a lot of em…and if they’re a bit odd. (Who likes normal people anyway? Psshaw.)

Beck described the video making process to Celebrity Week:

We bought a couple of video cameras, set them up in the same room, one of them had the green piece of paper and people just sort of stopped by. We had a whole side room full of wigs and toy rifles and a bunch of nonsense [like] spacesuits … There is something in these that is sort of awkward and unprofessional and charming.

It gives me a nice, warm feeling. Mmm. But I can’t wait to see the Michel Gondry video for “Cell Phone’s Dead”.

battle of the adbands

From Motionographer comes this…this…umm. It’s quotin’ time:

This is the funniest bit of mograph work I’ve seen in a while. Maybe ever. Directed by Ugly Pictures and animated by man vs. magnet (both with Curious Pictures), this spot takes you on a hilarious, ultra-violent, semi-pornographic tour through just about every famous album cover known to man. […] The spot was created for Fluid Battle of the AdBands in NYC.

Violence is funny! Heehee!

“WE ARE BROOKLYN AND WE POP REAL FUCKING HARD”

Brooklyn is a band from Paris who sings songs in English. Of course, if you were from Brooklyn you probably wouldn’t call your band Brooklyn. But. I find it amusing anyway. A bunch of people in Brooklyn should form a band called Paris and sing in French to complete the circle.

[via blogotheque]

We Will Build

After letting We Will Build seep into my brain for just a few seconds (through I Guess I’m Floating), I knew that I liked them. Don’t you love it when things just click like that?

I would try to describe the awesomeness my brain felt when I listened to them, but someone else already wrote a great description. I will steal quote from Big Static for your benefit (and so I can go to sleep more quickly):

Have you ever felt the intense desire to listen to something friendly? Not perky or hyper or courteous but just friendly? It might sound like a dull concept but We Will Build are anything but. With a nice blend of influences such as Air and Ratatat, these two Canadians are the musical equivalent of a nice tender hug and frankly, as much as it makes me sound like a wuss, I like little else in the world more than hugs, musical or physical

I totally agree. Nothing really compares to hugs. Not even chocolate. But what do you do when you’re alone? So very alone? …With a source of music? You listen to the music that hugs you back. Kinda. Not really. It doesn’t have arms.

Their myspace page lists their style as “powerpop/electronica”. Simple and true. Their songs range from lullabye-ish to something that would make a good soundtrack to “jumping on the bed under the influence of too much sugar”. As for what that means, you should just download all their songs to see for yourself. ALL OF THEM. Take advantage of their generousity.