A Brief History Of Love

The Big Pink
A Brief History of Love
4 out of 10 (what I want to give it)
8 out of 10 (what I actually give it)

Another in a long list of uber-hyped British bands that I truly want to hate and despise. The duo of Robbie Furze and Milo Cordell don't really have a innovative bone in their bodies, creating a sound that is a true melange of Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Placebo, M83, and 300 other shoegazer bands, which truly becomes a game of spot the influence. When I first listened to the album I immediately praised the wonderfully dense production values and the instant hooks that were sparkling and catchy, however, I didn't feel any sense of emotional connection with it. I listened a couple of times and stopped, thinking it would be something to delete from my iTunes library at a later date to make room for something more special.

Damn them.

I couldn't get the stupid thing out of my head. I feel like someone subconsciously planted a chip in my body that constantly plays it until I finally had to give in. It only takes the arena ready drums and hooky chorus of "Dominos" and my head is bobbing and I starting singing at the top of my lungs (to the chagrin of Kurt, Dan, Janis, and Ian I am sure).



It is a big dumb frat rock song, but its power to take over your brain is undeniable. That's not to say that the album is dumb by any stretch of the imagination. The lyrics are all quite wry and biting, and the fact that they transcend the enormity of "Dominos" with several other songs as equal to or even better, really goes to show what tremendous craftsman the duo are. This is especially evident with "Velvet," taking the Curve meets Nine Inch Nails meets Love and Rockets vibe and ratcheting up the pathos to 100 degrees.

"These arms are mine
Don't matter who they hold
So should I maybe, Just leave love alone
You call out my name, for the love you need
Which you won't find in me"



They can also be very subtle and almost druggy/hypnotic, as in the in hazy "Too Young To Love;"



And extends to their poppier side on tracks like "At War With The Sun," "A Brief History of Love," and "Tonight." And they even have a way with a ballad, the touching and haunting "Love in Vain."

I so wanted to rip this band a new one, but I just can't get them out of my system. Usually if I enjoy an album all the way through inevitably I will grow tired of it. I need a band to throw some curves in there to get me to challenge the way I listen to music. I thought there wasn't enough there at first, but I kept coming back and finding more to enjoy. So that is the reason for the weird score. I want to give it a 4 because I hate being wrong. But I have to give it an 8 based on the fact it is really too good not to like. While I don't love it like I do the Grizzly Bear or The xx cds, I find it is right up there giving chase.

Non Sequiturs

Been a busy few days for me. On Friday I had the first surgery I have ever had in my life. For years I have had an inguinal hernia and it had never given me trouble or pain, but apparently if you let it go without treatment it can lead to all sorts of nasty things so I decided not to procrastinate any longer and have it taken care of.

My mother was nice enough to come up from Savannah to stay with me and help. We had to get up at 4 am on Friday in order to be at the surgical center by 5:30 am. Everything went very smoothly, was checked in quickly and taken to prep. Had a lovely green patterned smock to wear. Pam was my nurse and took excellent care of me. Didn't even feel the IV when she put it in. I met the anesthesiologist, who was irreverent and cute, and told me I was getting the same anesthesia that Michael Jackson OD'd on. At that point I was just hoping I would feel a little woozy and not have to look into the light ;)

The nurse anesthesthetist (very cute and very gay) took me into the surgical room and made me put a fabulous silver shower cap on. It clashed horribly with the green smock though. That was the last thing I remembered thankfully. I woke up in the surgical recovery room and I believe I hit on the cute nurse that was working in there. He didn't seem amused.

The regular recovery room was fine. I didn't feel nauseous or dizzy and was sitting up and ate saltines and drank a coke with no problem. Anika, the nurse taking care of me, was cute, blond, and perky, and took very good care of me. I will have to say that the care I received at Piedmont Hospital was excellent. Everyone was very nice and very professional.

Once my surgeon Dr. Colquitt came in to see me, he told me I was ready to go whenever I was ready. My mother left to go pull the car around, but as Anika helped me into the wheelchair, my left leg started buckling like no one's business. She thought I was just feeling dizzy from the pain meds, however, it turned out my left leg was numb all the way from the incision down to the bottom of my knee. It seems I have difficulty recuperating from local anesthesia. When I get Novocaine at the dentist my mouth takes two days to come back to normal. Well, similar situation here.

They took me up to another recovery wing in order to wait out the numbness in my leg. Instead of being at the hospital for 4 hours we ended up waiting for over 8. Unfortunately, my leg never really un-numbed. I finally realized I could walk if I locked my knee and shuffled along. So we signed the discharged papers and headed home. Needless to say after the long wait at the hospital, the long wait to get my percocet prescription, driving in rush hour traffic on horrible potholed filled Atlanta roads, I was worn out.

Luckily, the anesthesia wore off in my leg the next morning, but I think it basically set me back a day in my recovery. Thank heaven my mother was here to help out. There is no way I would have been able to take care of myself otherwise. It has been very difficult to move and to get in and out of bed or a chair. My mom has been a real trooper.

Everyday has been better; less pain and more mobility. The only other issue was the pain med catheter. They made a small incision above the hernia incision and placed a pain med catheter that dispensed pain medication into the area for 48 hours. It really helped with the pain, but the downside was that I had to be the one to remove it. I am extremely squeamish when it comes to anything blood related. I can't even stand looking at a papercut. Unfortunately, my mother is even worse than I am so I didn't want to subject her to doing it. I got all the dressing off and it didn't look too bad, so I started gently pulling it out, thinking it would be out in about 2 seconds. I kept pulling and pulling for what felt like five minutes. I think it was inside about 6 inches. Finally it came out and I about passed out. I had to lay down for 10 minutes until I got my color back. I am sure I was eight shades of green.

Every day seems to be getting better and I hope to be somewhat normal by the end of the week. All in all, it has been pretty smooth. I am just glad to have a wonderful mother and a wonderful group of friends looking after me.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Head

"Darling, just don't put down your guns yet
If there really was a God here
He'd have raised a hand by now
Darling, you were born but you will die here
Oh that's quite enough for me too,
We'll find our own way home somehow."

Editors
"Papillion"

"You trick your lovers
That you're wicked and divine
You may be a sinner
But your innocence is mine

Please me
Show me how it's done
Tease me
You are the one"

Muse
"Undisclosed Desires"

"Small metal gods, cheap souvenirs
you've abandoned me for sure
I'm dumping you my childish things
I'm evening up the score"

David Sylvian
"Small Metal Gods"

"I don't have to leave anymore
What I have is right here
Spend my nights and days before
Searching the world for what's right here"

The xx
"Islands"

Appealing Things

Moms
Chris
Red velvet and coca-cola cupcakes
Vuze
Confirming plans to go to Coachella Festival next year
Grizzly Bear live
Garlic cheese dip
Blow Pops
Finding out I am eligible for a State sponsored health insurance plan

Annoying Things

Anesthesia
Pulling out a pain med catheter
Liars

Forget The Night Ahead

The Twilight Sad
Forget The Night Ahead
9 out of 10

"So tell me do you lose when you answer no
Catch the cold
You sailed on your own
We shared in the toll
And we're all alone"

The first lines from "Made to Disappear," another beautiful impressionistic song from the squalling Scottish band The Twilight Sad.



Clearer and more direct than their last release Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, Forget the Night Ahead forges a more singularly brutal attack. The lead four songs almost too intense to listen to all at once. James Graham, in his molasses thick Scottish brogue, still sings like a wounded child, scarred deep by memories of family slights, school yard recriminations, and doomed relationships.



The bold, muscular drum and guitar attack of "Reflection of the Television." The sad tale of an abused child who is stronger than he appears.



The dense squall of "I Became a Prostitute" with the haunting lyrics:

"you are the bearer of a womb without love
you could have had it all
is that what you said
is that what you said on a low ride
you said in your hands you'll stay, all with me today"



The intensity builds almost too much with the song "Seven Years of Letters," about an affair the man realizes he has wasted seven years on to end up with nothing.

"it's a sorry affair
we're on a hiding to nowhere
it's only right to swear
and they say that I won't answer you back
it's the dance that we'll never share
and the alarms that you can't do without"

The non-stop attack is finally leavened with the brief instrumental "Scissors," which leads to the second half of the album which takes a more measured approach, scaling back the onslaught of guitars, and adding more intimate instrumentation. The highlights being the beautiful triad of "The Room," "That Birthday Present," and "Floorboards Under The Bed."



"The Room" is another classic Twilight Sad song about some horrific childhood incident. You feel the hair on your neck standup when Graham wails the lyrics "you're the grandson's toy in the corner." You have no specific idea what he singing about, but the impressionistic lyrics and naked emotion make you feel the tone and measure of the song.

The squall returns for the amazing "Interrupted":



Forget the Night Ahead lacks the immediacy of Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters, but that does not take away from its beauty. By narrowing their focus, there are less meandering asides that made the first album such a touchstone, but this focus makes things more exciting. 2009 is shaping up to be a phenomenal year for music, and albums like Forget the Night Ahead make it all the more special.

Videos of the Week

Here are the latest videos that are intriguing me.



What I love about St. Vincent is how her songs have lovely, pretty melodies and seem very happy, and yet the lyrics have hidden meanings and depths which subvert the initial impression. Once you figure out the key to her songs, you never look at them the same way.



Live performance from one of my current favorite bands, The Twilight Sad. I love the singer's Scottish brogue. His lyrics are still way too personal and inscrutable to really know what he is singing about, but you feel and understand the emotion. I am upset that I missed their live show here. I didn't even know about it and it was a block away. Oh well, I am going to the Coachella festival next year and am hoping they will be there.



Another amazing song from the new album from Mew. Odd video that feels like a Bergman movie. This is one of my favorite songs on the album. It has a propulsive beat and amazing chorus. Hard to get it out of your head.



You will never look at Miss Piggy the same way again.



Absolutely bizarre video from Royksopp featuring Fever Ray. Karin Dreijer Andersson lends her otherworldly vocals to this crazy song.



I think David Sylvian works best when he goes for broke. His cd Blemish is one of the most gut wrenching cds I have ever heard. When he plumbs the depths of his feelings he comes up with something true and raw. His new release Manafon is another brilliant cd like Blemish. Lead single "Small Metal Gods" features the brilliant guitarist Fennenz.



Haunting David Lynchian video for Thom Yorke's cover of a wonderful Miracle Legion song. It is from an amazing compilation called Ciao My Shining Star, which benefits Mark Mulcahy, lead singer of Miracle Legion, whose wife died suddenly and left him with two small children to raise.



My favorite song off the new Editors cd. New electronic direction for the band that suits them.



The XX have probably my favorite cd of the year. I can't stop listening to it. Here is a live performance of brilliant song "Islands." They are playing here in Atlanta next month at a club about the size of my loft. I am so excited to see them.



So stylish and so cool. There is not one new wave/synth pop band from the 80s that does not owe a huge debt of gratitude to this band.

The XX

The XX
The XX
9 out of 10

Sometimes hype is just that, hype. It overwhelms and creates such unreal expectations that once a first album is released it can crush even the most steely of resolves. There are long lists of bands that failed under the hype machines, never to be heard from again. Rarely a band warrants the hype and even transcends it. The XX are such a band. For such a young band, all are barely of drinking age, they are supremely confident and fully realized. Forming in high school, band members Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, Baria Qureshi, and Jamie Smith cite influences as disparate as Aliyiah, Pixies, and the Cure. Singers Croft and Sim echo and pull between each other like lovers involved in an intimate, private conversation. Their voices barely rise above a whisper and it feels like the listener has stumbled upon secrets not meant to be overheard.

Signature song "Basic Space" highlights the strengths of this brilliant band. The beats are subtle and enveloping, the guitars delicate and haunting. The voices, a conversation between two lovers, too frightened by the intense physicality of their relationship:

"I'll take you in pieces
We can take it all apart
I've suffered shipwrecks right from the start
I've been underwater, breathing out and in
I think I'm losing where you end and I begin"



The songs are so personal, it is almost painful to listen to. "Crystalized" depicts a relationship where one lover feels they are treated too much as a sexual object and not a real person:

"You've applied the pressure
to have me crystalised
And you've got the faith
That I could bring paradise

I'll forgive and forget
Before I'm paralyzed
Do I have to keep up the pace
To keep you satisfied"



The cd is masterfully paced with the two ends of duets bridged by solo vocal performances from the two singers. Each focusing on internal thoughts and feelings:





"Shelter" is probably my favorite song on the cd. Croft's voice conveys such wounded emotion.

"I find shelter, in this way
Under cover, hide away
Can you hear, when I say?
I have never felt this way

Maybe I had said, something that was wrong
Can I make it better, with the lights turned on"

Most of the songs are minimal and hushed, but every so often, the band ups the beat quotient. I can easy see a song like "Heart Skipped A Beat" given a wicked remix treatment:



The XX do not create music that hits you over the head or stands out in a crowded room. It takes repeated listens to understand what they are doing, but they have so much control for such a young band, it is transcendent. The XX is definitely worth the effort to get to know. A top ten cd of the year.

Non Sequiturs

Had a really fun weekend. Went to Mary's in East Atlanta on Friday night for the quarterly Manshaft party. This quarter's fetish was military. I should have worn my camo cargo pants but completely forgot about them and basically worn my usual t-shirt and jeans. The party was fun, but it was a lot more subdued due to the recent raid at the Atlanta Eagle. Even subdued it was still fun; hung out with Kurt and Steve and Barry. Saw a lot of people I hadn't seen in awhile.

Saturday night was a blast. Pet Shop Boys were playing outdoors at Chastain. Went with Chrissie, Dan and his new boyfriend Beau. We brought food and tons of wine.



They played all the hit songs and had an amazing light and video show. They even played a cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida. Here are some pics taken from my Blackberry. They aren't the best pics, but you can get the gist of what we were seeing.



The stage before the show.



Go West.



Viva La Vida.



It's A Sin.



West End Girls.

Lyrics Rattling Around My Head

"We're all fine in the back of your mind
if we do what you like
then we could be with you tonight
if they bleed you dry
taken half the time
taken all your time."

The Twilight Sad
"I Became A Prostitute"

"Maybe I had said, something that was wrong
Can I make it better, with the lights turned on"

The XX
"Shelter"

"How should I hold this girlfriend?
As tight as I ever could?
Now, why should I?
No reason why.
You wore me down worse.
Did I show?"

Mew
"Repeaterbeater"

Appealing Things

Someone unexpected
Pet Shop Boys
Prosecco
Friends willing to help when you are in need.
Moms
Silence

Annoying Things

The past
Fruit flies
Finding the ugly truth out about someone you cared for once

Videos of the Week

Here are the latest videos that have caught my attention this week:



Peaches is pretty indescribable. She is just who she is. You either love her or hate her, but she is never ever boring.



Wild Beasts are another band you will either love or hate. The singer's voice is too distinctive and odd, but there is something captivating about it. And this video is just haunting.



The second video from Wild Beasts new cd. It is a little more mainstream than the last one.



Pitchfork has listed their top videos of the 2000s and, while I would like to more of them on here, most have embedding problems so this is one of the few I could find to post. Avalanches are a DJ collective from Australia and their debut cd Since I Left You is stunning. Here is the title track with it's bittersweet video.





The XX are one of my new favorite bands. They are very minimal, but all of their songs pack a punch. Here are videos for two great songs with very atmospheric videos.



Silly and goofy video from dance music legends Basement Jaxx featuring the wonderful vocals of Sam Sparro.






Three videos from my college years.



Cute puppet video from Dan Deacon. Just a sweet song and video.



Fuck Buttons are another band you'll love or hate. This is their new single and video. I like the song. The video tends to make me motion sick though.



Insanely catchy song from Jay Reatard. I hate clowns though.