What actually IS free to a good home?

Okay, I think we can all agree that Feist has gotten enough attention (deservedly so by the way) and the same can be said for Stars’ new record. I’ve also recently covered Amy Millan’s solo work, but there is one more female vocalist in Broken Social Scene.

I’m talking about the ever-lovely Emily Haines of course. And although a Metric post is long overdue (their first album has recently been re-released) I wanted to talk about her solo work (well, together with her backing band The Soft Skeleton).

June saw the release of her album 'Knives Don’t Have Your Back' in Europe and the UK and in July the outtakes EP ''What Is Free To A Good Home?' (I don’t know, what is? No seriously, I have no idea) was released. 'Knives Don’t Have Your Back' is a criminally overlooked record full of dark nocturnal piano-driven songs with beautiful lyrics (her father was an admired poet) that cut you like…well…knives. And the incredible part isn’t that the album is quite far removed from the rock-attitude and cleverness she shows in new wave band Metric. The impressive thing is that the 'What Is Free To A Good Home?' EP is EVEN BETTER! Seriously; I listened to it two times a day for at least two weeks and still come back to it frequently. Do yourself a favor and listen to this:


The video for Our Hell is as disturbing as the song: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Our Hell (video)

Take her to the bank, take her to the bar: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – The Bank

Also from the EP: Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton – Bottom of the World (mp3) (mypsace)

The Madd is b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

The Madd is definately both wicked and massive.

The Madd is the shit.

The Madd is b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

Everything about The Madd just rubs the right way. It's rock 'n roll. It goes down like chocolate. It has an organ that makes you dance around in your living room and scare the cat. The band members are well-dressed and look thoroughly un-Dutch, in a good way. Singer Dave van Raven bluntly checked out chicks and tits during their gig and the invitation for their release party proudly boasted 'after the show: free fucks', but my mom would still welcome them as her sons-in-law because they're too charming not to.

The music is a sixties-best-of in the best way possible. It's an appropriate tribute, but manages to surpass being just that. It's fucking energetic. They totally get away with choruses like "Heyheyheyheyhey - jump now" and I love the Beatlesque vocals on Roughy The Beatles Man. Even the slight Dutch accent of the singer just adds to it instead of it being annoying. Releasing 'Ongeneeslijk Beat' ('Incurably Beat'), The Madd's first full length album, has just been another bull's eye for the Excelsior label. Go out and buy the damn thing, it's worth it.


And please don't do the "But Hera, they sound just like The Who"-thing. I know. But I don't mind. I'm incurably beat. To hear what The Madd themselves sounds like, try their show at Motel Mozaïque. Hear some more at their Myspace or Last.fm.

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)