Loch Lomond - lexicographers

Ritchie Young started Loch Lomond in 2006 as a solo project, with players coming and going in accordance to requirement, summer vacation and what day Easter fell on that year. Currently a six-piece, the Portland, OR band of chamber-folk merrymakers released a fourth album under beloved Tender Loving Empire label. Mixed by Adam Selzer {M Ward}, Tucker Martine {The Decemberists, Laura Veirs}, and Kevin Robinson {Viva Voce} - Little Me Will Start A Storm is a menagerie of fantastic instruments, crafty rhythms and unconventional lyrics. All tied up with the Youngs' zigzagging vocals, zooming from high up in the register rafters down to an alto.

In truth, whenever any band incorporates a musical saw, they've got my vote. I'm a cheap date.

"Wax & Wire" from 2009 Fruit Bats lightly hearkens to the Scottish lochs of their namesake. "Elephant & Little Girls" is the first single off the Feb. 22 release, who's humid, ambient base track of crickets and hush makes me want to stretch out in a backyard. Under a tarp, wearing a down jacket - weather permitting.

Loch Lomond // Wax and Wire
Loch Lomond // Elephants & Little Girls

Circlesquare

Do people mention INXS ever when they're talking about Dance Rock?

This guy, Jeremy Shaw, is from Vancouver but lives in Berlin. Whenever music people talk about moving to Berlin I think of Stephen Daedalus in Paris with puce gloves carrying a flower. Ha.

Anyway this is fucking sick. What I'm listening to is Circlesquare's new release from !K7, Songs About Dancing and Drugs. Apparently his previous album, Pre-Earthquake Anthem, was like "a molasses drip laced with codeine" so I'll have to check that out, too.


The children of scientists are more predisposed to have Asperger's.

All Live But the Ending

Hell

Hell has been active as a dj and producer for 30 years. He is also the founder and boss of the label International Deejay Gigolos (Miss Kittin & the Hacker, Dopplereffekt, Terence Fixmer, Fischerspooner, Tiga, Vitalic, Jeff Mills...).

This track I'm posting is from his new album Teufelswerk. He's divided it in two by the themes of Night and Day; Kruder of Kruder and Dorfmeister helped produce the Day half. Drops in late April and I completely cannot wait... there's a Hawkwind cover on it. Hell's last album, NY Muscle, is so so brilliant.

Hell is short for Helmut btw.


The Angst & The Angst Pt 2


Hell was German GQ's Man of the Year in 2003.

Bonus: In 2006 Hell also produced this track, which I love, for G Rizo.

Eye Wanna C U

Telepathe 2

So I'm sitting here reviewing this cd for WRIR and realize... I love it. I know I'm not just saying that because the review I wrote was completely dead-on on the first try, after the first full listen. You know what that means? I feel it.

Telepathe Dance Mother
Label: Iamsound
2/25/09
melodic dramatic indietronica (RPM)

Off-key, moany, choral female vocals over bass and drum heavy beats, occasional harpsichords, and dirty south parking lot synth riffs and high-hats. Bold, often violent, Secret-Gardenish lyrics similar to Hole's Victorian fixation.
RIYL Gang Gang Dance, Free Blood, School of Seven Bells

Reviewed by: Mary Claire
Recommended tracks: 1, 7, 9, 2 (see below)
FCC: 8, 2 (at -1:36)

PROPERTY OF RICHMOND INDIE RADIO DO NOT REMOVE

"You could have at least said 'Secret Garden at night.'"

This is the song that made me realize it's appropriate to do a second Telepathe post immediately after the first one.

Michael

Telepathe

Telepathe is from Brooklyn, having started off as a side project by members of the bands Bloodlines and First Nation. To my delight they decided to roll with the Kraut jamz full-time.

I thought the WRIR mail squirrels had chewed it up or something, but apparently Telepathe has only just released Dance Mother, their full-length from Iamsound.

The album includes "Chromes On It," which via music blog distribution and the Chromes on It EP caught a lotta people's attention last year. Iamsound is giving it out free here. I also quite like the Tan Lines remix.

Most of the songs on Dance Mother are less in-your-face than "Chromes."

The video for "So Fine." Can we please talk about the MSCL elements of this? And the kitty, obv.

The Magnificents

More British people. These, The Magnificents, are Scots, having met in (my old town) Edinburgh while in art school. They toured with Beta Band-- luckies-- plus Stereolab, Trans Am, and Mogwai.



Ring Ring Oo Oo

These New Puritans

These guys I think must be on the Freemasonry Tip. If not actual Masons. The album they put out last year on Domino is called Beat Pyramid. Yeah? If you listen to the whole thing, it's all basically about infinity and numerology, in a way that you kinda can't help but take seriously.

I've got my eyes open. If their next release mentions feathered serpents or Christopher Wren I will know for sure.

En Papier

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool

I heard these guys on BBC's Rob Da Bank show last week. I think they might be in danger of blowing up on the alt-club scene this year: they have catfish moustaches and are rumored to be in the lineup for Barcelona's Sónar festival.


Dance the Way I Feel

The Teenagers

Two French guys and a Londoner, the Teenagers raised for a lot of people this year the question of bad art/taking the piss. Is this what happens when a band forms as a joke? (They did.) And if so, is it worthwhile? Sort of a J.T. LeRoy issue I guess.

In particular, the song "Homecoming" tells the story of a young English man who travels to visit his step-aunt in California and sleeps with her virgin-whore daughter. One of the French guys sings the dialog of the English character, an American woman the valley-girl step-cousin responses. Bayside stereotypes + dirty language = fun with national identity and sexual politics. Bad art, whatevski.

The "Homecoming" remix by Gentlemen Drivers also wins for its choice of vocal sample.




Gross 7" cover posted in lieu of dirty hipster photo.

Most of the standout tracks from the full-length, Reality Check, are up on their Myspace. But my favorite's not. Hear below.


Streets of Paris

Thieves Like Us

Proud Factory Records knock-off. That's why they named themselves after a New Order song. 2 Swedes and a New Yorker; met in Berlin, "exiled" in Paris. Go figure.



"Drugs in My Body" has been kicking around since 2006, but their album Play Music just came out this year. This song and another good one you can descargar free from RCRD LBL.

Crystal Stilts

Alight of Night

Joy Division on a surfboard.