Breaking news

New Roisin Murphy record 'Overpowered' is her best record…wait…THE best record…of all times…ever. It’s like she was bitten by a radioactive Annie, who was bitten by a radioactive Madonna, who was bitten by a radioactive Spice Girl, who was…etc.

New Sigur Ros track: Sigur Ros – Hljomalind (myspace)

New Xiu Xiu tracklisting revealed. Includes titles like: 'In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall', 'You Are Pregnant, You Are Dead' and 'Under Pressure' which features Michael Gira (see Melvinbloodyhand’s previous post here). They also posted this as ‘their new album’…they obviously lied.

New Final Fantasy single: Final Fantasy – Hey Dad (myspace)

all the leaves are brown

These days the weather in Holland is the best you can get in the autumn! The sun shines through the colored leaves, making every moment a flickr possibility. Some records for me are connected to a certain season. Beth Gibbons (Portishead) and Rustin man released ‘Out of Season’ in 2002 and it’s still my favorite autumn record. Even though it’s not done to post about albums older than 3 weeks and younger than 20 years, I feel the urge to do so. The music is acoustic, slow, contemplational and sometimes jazzy. Her voice is enchanting (sorry for mentioning this inevitable word again on Ulkedoof!) and full of the depths of life. Check this:

Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Sand river (mp3)
Beth Gibbons & Rustin Man - Show (mp3)

Music is what separates humans from apes.

Music is the doorway into our tiny human brains. We can't keep ourselves from connecting music to events, feelings and memories. And that is why we speak of summer songs, love songs, party songs, nostalgic songs from when we were young and so on. There's certain songs that I will never play again in my life because they were played at the funeral of someone I loved. There's songs that make me smile, cry or feel in love just by hearing them. I just wanted to share a few of them with you.

Ella Fitzgerald - Dream A Little Dream
Louis Armstrong - Wonderful World
Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life
Belle and Sebastian - Funny Little Frog
Johnny Cash - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face

Radiohead - Karma Police
Chavela Vargas - Paloma Negra
Tindersticks - Another Night In
Cat Power - Werewolf

Bedroom Community

Bedroom Community is a fairly new label based in Iceland. They debuted with the releases of Nico Muhly, Ben Frost and Valgeir Sigurdsson. All three are beautiful records, Muhly displays magical arrangements reminiscent of Reich and Glass (with a cameo appearance by Antony without the Johnson). Valgeir's name might not ring a bell but he produced Björk's records from Vespertine on. He is also label-owner and studio-engineer, and his record is one of the finest released this year.

The record I want to highlight is Theory of Machines by Ben Frost


A very moving ambient/noise record with one loud track: 'We Love You Michael Gira'. Gira has recently visited the Netherlands with his insanely loud acoustic shows, but he is best known as the founder of the industrial noise band Swans. Ben Frost samples one of Gira's guitar parts in the aforementioned song creating a devastating track. If this scares you the other four tracks are less loud and equally beautiful.

Well, just check it out.
Official Site

Although Platinum & Drambuie does sound nice

Forget Rubber & Beer, Wood & Whiskey and Platinum & Drambuie! The best combination is obviously Iron & Wine.
Iron & Wine is Sam Beam who with ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’ has made one of the most enchanting albums this year. Listening to it may cause you to imagine yourself wandering through imaginary woods (so it’s an imaginary wood when you’re already imagining it? Yes it is, now shut up and do as I told you!) where everything is made of iron and wine…and there are all these…men…with beards…

But it may also just enchant you (you already said enchanted! Go away! Who the hell are you anyway?) …without all those useless images.

Anyway, his folkish masterpiece can be heard in its entirety on his myspace.



My favorites are:

Iron & Wine – Innocent Bones (myspace)

Iron & Wine – Lovesong of the Buzzard (myspace)

Iron & Wine – Carousel (mp3)

Soulwax

It's hard to pin down Soulwax. They started as a rockband (album: 'Leave the Story Untold'). Soon more danceable influences found it's way into their music (try to sit still to the song 'Too many DJ's', I dare ya!) on their acclaimed second album 'Much Against Everyone's Advice'. After that they revolutionized Dj'ing with the mash-up sets they did as Too Many DJ's (named after their own song). Then they returned with a third Soulwax album after six years (ironically titled 'Any Minute Now'). Although this may not have been a very surprising move they followed that with a remixed version of that album called 'Nite Versions'.

And to top it all of they played a secret gig in Amsterdam yesterday (last.fm event: not so secret) where they played the remixes they did for other artists live.
Yes, you heard (read) me right; they played the remixes they did for other artists... live!

Easily one of the coolest shows you're likely to see this year.

They also played the remix they did for a new Hot Chip song, which isn't even out yet: Hot Chip - Ready For The Floor (Soulwax Dub)

Another favorite was: The Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control (Soulwax Edit)

Even more remixes can be heard on the most comprehensive Soulwax site...ever.

She Wants Revenge is a dish best served twice

Is it just me or does the new She Wants Revenge (also know as the more joyfull Division or the new New order or the newer New Order if Peter Hook stops being a dick) sound an awful lot like a lazy Placebo with a singer whose testicles have in fact fully descended?

I guess Justin Warfield paid close attention every time he worked with Placebo. If you don't mind the repetition ('She Will Always Be A Broken Girl' is pretty much a new 'These Things') I guess it's a nice album though.

Their latest single: She Wants Revenge - True Romance (myspace)

Video for their best song, directed by Joaquin Phoenix: She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart (video)