Starfucker/STRFKR - Reptilians

Starfucker (briefly named Pyramiddd at some point and now kinda named STRFKR) have a new album out, Reptilians. They make electronic-falsetto-indie-dance-pop type music in the same vein as Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun and MGMT.

I had mixed feelings about their first album, Starfucker, as I feel a lot of their music is too happy-clappy for a miserable cunt like me and many of their synth sounds are just painful. However, they do manage to pull some spectacular songs out the bag (Check out Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second, German Love, Pop Song, Florida etc.). I was less pleased with their Jupiter EP, but their cover of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was fucking spot on.

Anyway, the new album is great and shows a definite musical step forward. There are still the features that I don't like (occasionally in an even more painful way than before), but there are songs on which they explore new sonic territory with a less annoying, more bass driven and/or spacey vibe. Many of the songs I don't like, but the songs that I do like I like a lot and remind me of other great psychedelicish bands like Deerhunter, Caribou and Grizzly Bear.

Here are tracks I really like:

Also, rad album cover.

To continue my Caribou wank-fest...

This breathtaking video of Caribou's breathtaking album closer, 'Jamelia', has just been made public:

Is it bad that this song literally makes me breathless?

This is a "sister video", released a year ago with the album opener 'Odessa':



It's a much catchier, dancier affair, but neither the song or the video blow my mind as much as 'Jamelia'.

Gig: Caribou @ Shepherds Bush Empire 22/2/11

Last night I saw Caribou at Shepherds Bush Empire. He/they was/were pretty damn awesome.

I got there in time to see the closing 15 minutes of Factory Floor. They've been getting a significant amount of hype for a while (enough to be the main support at a NME Awards show), and I guess they are a hype-makers dream (weird and inaccessibly). Their performance generally consisted of a looped beat with lots of random noises made by a keyboard, guitar and live drummer. It was pleasant enough to witness and became alluringly hypnotic, but I couldn't help but think that it just sounded like someone trying out all of the different sounds and settings on their new synthesizer. It was a bit like baverage, old fashioned electronic dance music, just without any dancing. I can understand people enjoying the live spectacle, but I seriously do not understand why someone would buy their music and listen to it at home.

After I lined up for the cloakroom and squeezed back into the crowd, Caribou came on. During the opening song 'Leave House', Dr. Dan Snaith's microphone went in and out of audibility, which was an early sign of the sound problems that would plague (but not come close to ruining) the rest of the night. Despite the problems, they played an absolutely terrific set for 1 hour and 15 minutes, playing classics from both Andorra and Swim. They also extended many of their more danceable songs to the complete joy of me and the rest of the crowd.

However, within a few minutes of their set beginning, it became quite obvious that the venue was much, much too full. Even though I was at the back, I couldn't move and was stuck awkwardly between a woman's boob and the wiggling bum of the man in front of me. The managers of the venue should really lower the amount of standing tickets they sell, as it came close to ruining the night. Despite the horrific over-population of the venue, and the resulting 40 minute queue for the cloakroom, Caribou were good enough to make it one of the best gigs I've been to in a while. They encored with the most epically mindblowing rendition of 'Sun' anyone could ever hope to imagine. I really, really hope someone got a good quality video of the whole thing.

I can't find any videos of last nights gig, but here's a beautiful one of his last London gig with Four Tet (which I sadly missed):





Also, I'm incredibly happy that they've been added to the line-up of the ATP/I'll Be Your Mirror Portishead gig I'm going to in July. It's going to be one of the best days of my life.

In other news, I bought tickets to the ATP Jeff Mangum in December! Really, really excited!

Deerhunter

A couple of days ago, I listened to Deerhunter's latest album, Halcyon Digest, for reasons I can't remember, months after my friend originally told me to listen to them.

It's one of the best new albums I've heard in ages, almost every song is an incredibly clever indie/pop classic. It's so damn good, the next day I bought tickets to see them live in March. That's right, they're so good I've given them my money.

The music ranges from the almost Massive Attack-esque trip-hoppy moodiness in the first track, to floaty upbeat pop, to crunchy garage rock. Here are some favourites:

(This is the Massive Attacky one)


(This starts like a homage to Rebellion (Lies), then sounds like a mix between Interpol and a parallel universe Surfer Blood that can write good songs, and ends off with a Pixies style outro jam. Amazing.)


(This beautifully manages to sail just about clear of Coldplay's treacherously cheesy waters. LOLOOLOLOL)


(This is one of the awesomest sounding songs I've heard in a while. It sounds like it should be on the Little Big Planet soundtrack, which is a giant compliment in my books)


(This is one of the weirdest and best album closers ever. Possibly only Niobe by Caribou beats it.)



Basically this album is so good, the people I have made listen to it are more amazed at the album than annoyed at my pestering. Listen to it now before I come to your house and beat the shit out of you.

Future gigigigigigs

I just spent a horrific £70 combined to see Portishead in July at All Tomorrow's Parties/I'll Be Your Mirror and Caribou in February at the NME Awards Show (booooo! hissssssss!).

To celebrate my past money, present poverty and future aural pleasure, I thought I'd write a blog post.

Portishead

Portishead are fucking amazing. To be honest, I'm still having trouble getting into their newest album, Third, but their first two are masterpieces of misery. Also, according to YouTube, they do a mindblowing live show. I don't think they'll be doing the massive orchestra thangg in July, but they might as it's such a big, high profile show. Look at the heart tearing renditions that'll happen in the event that they do:

Also playing that day are Grinderman (OMG NICK CAVE), who are pretty awesome, the dreamy Beach House, the bodacious Liars and several other bands I'm not cool enough to know. 

It should be an amazing day.

Caribouuuuuuuuuu

Although I was originally upset to find out Caribou wasn't a Pixies tribute band, I am constantly amazed by the complexity and beauty in Dr. Dan Snaith's music. His most recent albums, Swim and Andorra, are very different, but share the capacity to make me very angry that I'll never be that good at making music. Caribou are also supposed to be really great live, something I would have witnessed first hand if not for being fucking kicked out of fucking Offset fucking Festival FOR NO FUCKING REASON, but that's a story for another blog...

Also playing in February are Factory Floor, who I also missed at fucking Offset but were apparently so intense live someone passed out. It could have been me...