Second Drawer Up From The Left

Album Review: Erasure.

2011-11-29T18:07:00.001-08:00

ERASURE

TOMORROW'S WORLD

Has it really been 26 years since "Oh L'Amour?" Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, better known to their legions of fans as Erasure, can honestly be hailed as one of the most successful synth-pop bands of all time. From their 1985 debut Wonderland to 1988's The Innocents; and from 1992's remarkable celebration of ABBA songs, Abba-esque to the delicate beauty of 2005's Nightbird – Erasure has soldiered on through highlights and low, selling along the way in excess of 25 million records.

Tomorrow's World, their 14th studio album, harkens back to the heady days of the early '90s with style and panache, and in the process happens to be their most exciting release of the last decade. Bell's voice is in as fine a form as ever, his trademark falsetto soaring to astonishing heights as Clarke backs up the proceedings with a plethora of headily pulsing beats, surging synths and flowery rhythms.

Exploring the age-old themes of regret, recollection, reflection and epiphany, Tomorrow's World is, all told, a hopeful record; focusing not so much on what has passed, per se, but rather its heart belongs in the future – thus the title, I reckon.

Things kick off with the joyful strains of "Be With You," its bouncy club anthem feel transporting the listener back to 1992 and the diva-led tracks that seemed to be the staple of the burgeoning house scene back then. Mssrs. Bell and Clarke revisit their Chorus-era days with the wonderful and bounce-eliciting "I Lose Myself" and "Fill Us With Fire," whilst the stirringly soulful "When I Start To (Break It All Down)" brings to mind their work on 1987's brilliant The Circus.

When all is said and done, Tomorrow's World fits nicely with the rest of Erasure's oeuvre. Radio-friendly, with no songs any longer than four minutes, this is a snappy and succinctly straightforward album. Erasure has always been a soul band with electronic sensibilities, and Tomorrow's World reflects that ethos perfectly. Wearing their hearts happily on their sleeves, Erasure has demonstrated that they still have stories to tell; and oh boy, do they still tell them beautifully.

I have no idea why, but currently Blogger is not allowing me to embed videos. Otherwise I would have embedded this terrific video montage of Erasure's recent tour, accompanied by the fantastic track "When I Start To (Break It All Down)." Check it out, it's very awesome.

Album Review: YACHT.

2011-08-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

YACHT

SHANGRI-LA

So sorry I haven't written in here in such a long time! Frankly, I've been pretty busy trying to inject myself into Melbourne society (i.e., trying to find a job) – but luckily I've been able to get a gig writing articles for the local weekly music magazine, Beat! How cool is that? There's a lot on my plate at the moment, but I'm quite hungry. Today I thought I'd share with my faithful readers a review I wrote for Beat on a fucking extraordinary record – Portland, Oregon-based duo YACHT and their fifth album, Shangri-La. Cheers, and I swear I'll pop in more often – I've been a bad, bad blogger as of late! But you guys are so damn awesome; I know you understand.

Ahem.

Where does utopia end, and dystopia begin? What darkness lurks in the shadows and ignored corners of a Brave New World? All heady questions to be sure, but Portland, Oregon duo YACHT are on the case with their fifth full-length album entitled, fittingly, Shangri-La. Yet another victory for New York dance label DFA, this glistening and darkly slick electro-punk outing screams out loud its concept of perceived perfection in society with a ferocity that at times borders on stunning.

Sporting a voice that wouldn't be out of place blaring from CBGB's in the late seventies, vocalist Claire Evans alternates between dreamy renderings of paradise and venomous diatribes railing against forced relationships, religious charlatans, and a society always stumbling in an endless quest for perfection. Multi-instrumentalist Jona Bechtolt and the mob that makes up YACHT's touring band ably provide a constantly mutating soundscape that challenges perceptions of what, exactly, electronic music can achieve.

Second track "Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire)" has Evans channeling The Bloodhound Gang when she intones,

"The Earth, the Earth, the Earth is on fire! / We don't have no daughter / Let the motherfucker burn."

Percussion-heavy "I Walk Alone" is reminiscent of seventies Detroit rock, and "Paradise Engineering" features lyrics that could have been penned by David Byrne delivered over beats and rhythms that bring to mind the best of LCD Soundsystem.

But the best of the bunch would have to be the sprawling and multi-layered "Tripped And Fell In Love". Dense, mean, and driven by some seriously sinister synths, it's a fantastically constructed and danceable game-changer in the world of disco-punk.

Highly, highly recommended.

Best Track: "Tripped And Fell In Love"

If You Like This, You'll Like: Sound of Silver by LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, It's Blitz! by YEAH YEAH YEAHS, The City Never Sleeps by THE CRYSTAL ARK

In A Word: Arcadian

So, yeah, that was my review. While you're here, why don't you watch the following film? Here's the music video for the first two tracks, "Utopia" and "Dystopia." Pretty cool shit, if you ask me.

Well, fuck. Embedding seems to be down. Oh well – here's the link to the video on the YouTubes. Enjoy.

Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win.

2011-07-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

Oh, man – feast your eyes and ears on this thing of beauty, my friends. Spike Jonze, director of such classics as Being John Malkovich, Adapation, and Where The Wild Things Are, has teamed up with the Beastie Boys and given the world an epic, 11-minute short film for their first single off their latest LP Hot Sauce Committee Part II.

I just can't do this masterpiece of supermarionation (think Thunderbirds, the British 1960's puppet show about the organisation International Rescue and their various adventures) justice. Suffice it to say: There's GI Joe figures, an abominable snowman, action, brilliant set pieces, and ... zombies. Seriously, I am at a loss for words. This has to be seen to be believed.

Album Review: Austra.

2011-07-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

AUSTRA

FEEL IT BREAK

"Dark synth." "Gloom synth." "Goth pop." These phrases, and many more, have been utilized by people to describe the pristine electronic goodness gracing the debut LP from Austra, a wonderful trio hailing from Toronto, Canada. Now, it's not like I completely disagree with these labels that have been given, but I can report that while there are indeed dark sparkles in their songs, I do not find Feel It Break to be an inherently gloomy work.

Rather, there's more of a mystical earthy feel to the album. It's certainly a sensuous experience, what with vocalist Katie Stelmanis's operatic and soaring voice – there are moments in these 47 minutes that have the power to take one's breath away, it's such a powerful and awesome instrument. Drummer Maya Postepski wields her sticks with fervour and panache, and Dorian Wolf rounds out the trio with his trusty bass.

My God though – this is a fucking brilliant record, from beginning to end. Opening track "Darken Her Horse" starts off like a funereal dirge as dreamt by The Knife, but as it slowly opens its dark petals, this slow-burning flower builds and grows, transforming into a solemn masterwork of sparkling, dreamy gloom pop (I didn't say it was completely free of gloominess). Like early Kate Bush? You'll fucking love this. "Lose It" is a fantastically punchy number, bringing to mind a-ha's early work; as with their keyboardist Magne Furuholmen's handiwork, the synths here are complex, sparklingly clear, and driven to a nearly confectionery sweetness. And then there's the sensual moodiness of the first single off the album, "Beat And The Pulse." Aural sex, pure and simple – it's simply amazing; a riveting track made even more compulsive with its accompanying video featuring mutated dancers. (Mildly NSFW, so you know.)

All said and done, I find Feel It Break to be a nearly flawless record. There are no bum notes to be found, and repeated listens will reward the intrepid connoisseur of quality electronic music. I trust you all are well; and apologies for having laid so low for such a long time – my visa in Australia has been granted, and now is the time to find a job!

Here's the video for "Lose It." Hopefully you love it as much as I do!

Video Disturbeo: Revolting Cocks.

2011-06-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ah, who says you can never go back? In October of 2010, I highlighted a few acts who recorded under the Wax Trax! label out of Chicago, Illinois. Somehow, I'd managed to look over Revolting Cocks while including their musical home-base of good ol' Ministry. I swear, it will never happen again.

Originally conceived as a side project for Front 242's Richard 23, Luc van Acker, and Ministry's Al Jourgensen (modern folklore states that the name "Revolting Cocks" was chosen after a particularly brutal bar brawl on the evening of celebrating the beginning of their collaboration – as they departed the fracas, the owner of said pub reportedly screamed after them, "I'm calling the cops, you revolting cocks!"), Revolting Cocks (also commonly known as RevCo by their fans) recorded one album for Wax Trax!, Big Sexy Land, in 1986. Richard 23 left soon after, citing "creative differences," and ever since then RevCo has always had in it a rotating cast of characters.

In 1993, they signed to Sire Records (home to such luminary acts as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Talking Heads, and Ice motherfucking T) and released probably their best album, the seminal (ha ha) Linger Fickin' Good. van Acker and Jourgensen, aligned with Chris Connelly, William Rieflin (from KMFDM and Pigface, among other similar acts), and Jourgensen's partner in Ministry-related crime, Paul Barker.

One of the tracks off of Linger Fickin' Good is a raunchy and giddily off-the-charts bit of certifiable madness – RevCo's absolutely inspiring "cover" of Rod Stewart's 1978 classic "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" My gosh, it's pretty damn awesome what RevCo did with it – it's grungy, it's squelchy, and it's quite frankly hilarious. When Connelly sings/mutters the line "He says I'm sorry but I'm out of KY Jelly," he himself can't stifle a laugh. Needless to say, the video for "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is NSFW. Featuring cartoonish satanic imagery, strippers with peeling skin, and copious amounts of flesh, you still can't look at this video and not think to yourself, My God, those guys are having a shitload of fun.

Enjoy!

Electro Classic Jukebox: Berlin.

2011-06-28T00:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, I had such an immense crush on Terri Nunn back in the day. Their first (and most controversial – many radio stations refused to play it on the grounds of its "graphic" lyrics) single, "Sex (I'm A)" practically made my 12-year old head explode. Even now, nearly thirty years later, listening to Nunn's purring and sexually charged voice can make my blood pressure shoot through the roof. But arguably their greatest moment came with the release of "The Metro," which stands out in my opinion as one of the greater achievements of synths-as-purveyors-of-mood in the early '80s, period. I mean, just listen to it! It was a truly defining moment for the New Wave synth-pop movement back in the day – a gleefully wondrous and thrilling mix of punk and pop that utilized the multi-layered synths in such a way that the listener was immediately transported to another time and place. The longing and loathing of the lyrics were perfectly captured by the brilliant Nunn, whilst the constantly driving and thoroughly exciting music nimbly captured the feel of trundling motion underneath the City of Lights. Nice touch at the end, utilizing the French police sirens, as well! In 2004, Nunn (alongside an entirely new Berlin lineup) decided to rerecord "The Metro," as well as a few other of their greatest hits – sorry, hon, but it's nowhere as cool, original and refreshing as the originals. Accepting no substitutes!

From Berlin's 1982 sophomore record, Pleasure Victim, here's Nunn and company with their awesome track "The Metro." Enjoy!

Throbbing Gristle, Re-Issued.

2011-06-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

(from XLR8R:)

"After the untimely death of founding member Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson late last year, the future of pioneering industrial outfit Throbbing Gristle was thrown into question. Thanks to a new post on the band's website, that question has been partially answered. Most importantly, the remaining members have elected to no longer perform live as Throbbing Gristle, following the sentiments of a statement made by Christopherson prior to his passing, who remarked that it would not be "possible for any changed band or variation of personnel to perform live as Throbbing Gristle without all the original four of us on stage." While TG diehards might be disappointed by that news, the group has not gone completely dormant. As detailed on their website, the band's contract with Mute Records expired last year, and the group has now chosen to reactivate its dormant Industrial Records imprint, which will be the sole representative for selling Throbbing Gristle's music. Furthermore, on September 26 the label will be releasing a series of remastered, deluxe vinyl reissues of TG albums The Second Annual Report, D.O.A. The Third & Final Report, Heathen Earth, 20 Jazz Funk Greats, and Throbbing Gristle's Greatest Hits. The remastered albums will also be available digitally and on CD."

So now you know. Keep an eye out – I'm looking forward to the vinyl. Here is a video of TG performing "Persuasion" at San Francisco's Kezar Pavilion (you can watch the whole damn thing on the YouTube if you wish) in 1981, right before they broke up.

Icelandic Soundscapes: Sigur Rós.

2011-06-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Sigur Rós

It was about five o'clock in the afternoon that December day in 2007, and the Sun had almost completely gone down. A huge and mysterious Moon was swollen in the sky, and all the Christmas lights and candles were lit, turning the main shopping and nightclub streets of Reykjavík – Bankstraeti and Laugavegur – into brightly lit holiday backdrops. Salvation Army volunteers were set up on every block giving out free hot chocolate for the donation of a few Kronar plunked into their little red pots. The broken glass from the previous evening's rúntur had, for the most part, been swept up and away. Little flecks of ice and snow fell from the edges of the rooftops, and the cobble stones of the footpaths tended to be a little loose in spots, resulting in the occasional stubbed toe or trip-up. Children ran about and played and laughed and shouted with little parental supervision. Shops, bars, and cafes all had little candles by their front entrances, the flames flickering in the sub-Arctic breeze. A giant glacier across Reykjavík Bay dominated the landscape as the Moon rose behind it, the clouds that partially obscured it were painted radiant shades of red, yellow and purple by the rapidly sinking Sun. A twin-engine propeller plane roared overhead on its way to the local domestic airport. People glanced furtively upward as it passed, only a few hundred feet above Austervöller Square. An elderly gentleman with crazy hair drives past slowly in the Christmas traffic, his window ajar, Zydeco music blaring from his car stereo. He grinned at me, and pumped his fist in the air. A little kid wearing a bright red jumper with white stripes down the arms and his mum smile as I danced a little jig for the old guy. I could hear his music from a block away as he took a right turn and disappeared from view. I stopped in a charming little cafe called Kaffitár; festooned with strings of hanging purple lights and sporting a dazzling selection of juices and pastries, it seemed like a great place to chill out for a few moments and collect myself. I ordered a single coffee with milk and one of the tastiest orange juices I've ever had, and retreated to the window seat and settled down into Reykjavík's English language music and culture magazine, The Grapevine, and then happened to glance at the thin gentleman sitting one seat away from me. I performed a double-take when I realised that the gentleman in question was the lead singer and guitarist of Sigur Rós, Jónsi Birgisson. I kept stealing sidelong glances, not quite sure if it was just a guy who looked a lot like him (that hairstyle and the build and the facial features – "elvin" comes to mind – seemed to be the norm). But yes, sure enough, he was blind in one eye. I didn't say anything. I was just thinking about how I'd often laugh with my friends and every now and then, with the dream of one day showing the band my Aegytus Byrjin tattoo on my back. Needless to say, I did not show Jónsi my tattoo. I finished my OJ and my second cup of coffee, folded up my newspaper, and stole away into the darkening afternoon. The shorter the days, the longer the shadows. But before I left, I captured his attention, and softly said, "Takk ..." He looked at me and smiled with a mellow shyness and went back to his reading.

sigur rós

"svefn-g-englar"

Aegytus Byrjin

I L U.

2011-06-13T17:27:00.000-07:00

School Of Seven Bells

From time to time (but not as often as I'd like), a song swoops out of the ether, seemingly coming out of nowhere, and smacks me upside the head with its sheer brilliance and power. The dreamy and sensual track "I L U," off of School Of Seven Bells' second album, 2010's Disconnect From Desire, is one of these songs. My goodness, it's such a lovely song.

Brooklyn, NY's School Of Seven Bells (also known as SVIIB) used to be a trio. Comprised of guitarist Benjamin Curtis, who'd left his brother Brandon's band Secret Machines, and identical twins Alejandra and Claudia Deheza from On!Air!Library!, SVIIB have created a sound that literally drips with passion and ethereal mysteriousness.

Sporting spidery guitar work reminiscent of Cocteau Twins and Wayne Hussey-era Sisters Of Mercy, angelic and breathy vocals, shimmering electronic whooshes, and poetic lyrics, "I L U" is nothing short of a revelation. The accompanying video does the song proud – it's a genuinely breath-taking piece of art that stands on its own in regards to visualizing the pains and the passion of falling deeply, madly, and crazily in lust. It just has to be seen to be believed.

One can visit SVIIB's MySpace page to be treated to more of their music – both off of Disconnect From Desire and their 2008 debut Alpinisms, if one is interested. For now, watch this video. It's incredible. And it's mildly NSFW, just so you know.

School of Seven Bells - I L U - Official Video from Vagrant Records on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

2011-06-12T17:21:00.000-07:00

Even though the Queen's Birthday being celebrated today is largely symbolic (her actual birthday was the 21st of April - making her a whopping 85 years old), we still have a soft spot for the monarchy here at SDU. So cheers, Lizzie! Happy Birthday, and hopefully you get some more corgis for your collection.

From their 1977 album Never Mind The Bullocks: Here's The Sex Pistols, here is the brilliant and quite scathing "God Save The Queen."

Video Disturbeo: Soft Cell.

2011-06-03T23:10:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. I really don't think I've ever actually seen the original video for Soft Cell's "Sex Dwarf." I mean, I probably would have remembered seeing it; it's a fairly memorable affair. Directed by Tim Pope, the prolific British director who's responsible for some of the greatest Cure videos ever made, this little film of absolute madness is one of the strangest things we here at SDU HQ have laid our eyes on in recent times.

A naked lady is strapped to a hospital gurney. Dave Ball is smirking in the corner of the white room, playing the blades of a chainsaw like a cello, surrounded by hanging hunks of raw meat. Marc Almond, whilst caressing the struggling naked lady, crows the demented lyrics as the room fills with half-dressed and BDSM-attired people who then proceed to commence an orgy. AND – just when things can't get any whackier, a leather-bound midget (the "sex dwarf" in question, I'd reckon) enters the fray and begins throwing raw meat everywhere.

This is just wrong. But when we here at Second Drawer Up say "wrong," we mean it in a good way. And – hoo, boy – is it NSFW.

From their 1981 debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, here is "Sex Dwarf" by Soft Cell, in its original, uncensored form – the way it was meant to be seen. Fucking brilliant.

Soft Cell - Sex Dwarf (Original Video) from Sergio Diaz on Vimeo.

Electro Classic Jukebox: Wolfsheim.

2011-05-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

Hailing from The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Germany, Wolfsheim were a rather brilliant synth-pop number who released a smattering of memorable "darkwave" tunes until their dissolution in 2005 due to disagreements as to what direction Wolfsheim's music was going to ultimately head toward. Comprised of neighborhood pals Marcus Reinhardt and Peter Heppner (who joined the band after Marcus' brother Oliver departed), they released seven albums throughout their career that, though bordering on the melancholic, still soared with a certain elegiac charm. No single of theirs is probably better known than the ground-breaking "The Sparrows And The Nightingales," off their 1992 debut album No Happy View, so of course I thought I'd share it today. Mein Gut, these are some mighty powerful synths at play here, and the lyrics are both epic and thought-provoking, providing one with an orchestral, majestic tone.

Have you had your helping of Wolfsheim today? I have. So here's some for you and yours!

Gig Review: Gary Numan.

2011-05-23T01:46:00.000-07:00

GARY NUMAN

14 MAY 2011

FORUM THEATRE

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

If anybody out there had any doubt whatsoever that without Gary Numan the electronic music landscape would be unrecognizable today – then all that nameless person would have to do to be irrevokably convinced would be to have headed towards and gained entry to Gary Numan his own bad-ass self performing his seminal 1979 album The Pleasure Principle in its entirety; authentically re-constructed, to boot. This is the show I saw on the 14th of May – a soggy autumn Saturday evening, and the excitement level of my fellow attendees was cranked to eleven and beyond.

Opening band Severed Heads, one of the founders of the Australian electronic music scene, came out of self-imposed retirement for the express purpose of supporting this tour. Basically two blokes (one of whom was main man Tom Ellard) on keyboards and a loop machine with a projection screen behind them (on which grotesque computer-generated images seemingly created in the early days of digital graphics played), Severed Heads' sound was all spidery and jittery synths married with a disco drumbeat and bizarre sound effects and vocal distortions. The techno-flavoured music filled the ornately decorated expanse of the Forum Theatre, which was only half-filled with punters, who seemed only slowly to be getting into it. Sadly, it wasn't until their last song that Ellard said, "Well, here it is. The song you've been waiting for us to play," before launching into their best-known track, 1984's "Dead Eyes Opened." Suddenly, everybody on the dance floor began dancing, and the energy level spiked.

At 10.15, Gary Numan came out to play. The Forum was filled to capacity, and as soon as the opening notes of "Airlane" hit the crowd went fucking bonkers. True to promise, not only did he play the entire Pleasure Principle album in its entirety, it was played authentically, meaning there were no "improvements" (as if that's possible) or updated means of playing the music, or "re-mixes" or "re-imaginings." There was Gary and four other blokes on the stage. Four synthesizers. A set of drums. And the euphoria that can only be described by hearing Mr Numan and company play live one of the most important albums in existence period.

I'm telling you: the music was positively alive there in the expanses of the old Forum Theatre. The synths were crisp and exact, the drumming was dynamic and lively, and Numan's voice pierced the darkness with an immediacy and verve; it still resounded and sounded as fresh as it did when the needle first met the grooves of the vinyl way back when I got the album in 1985 as a fourteen-year-old scrawny brat.

The crowd lapped it up, looking as happy and contented as I've ever seen an audience be. There was the general feeling that this was more an event than merely a show; the euphoria was quite infectious and addictive and palpable! Punters held their bottles aloft as they sang along to such infectious classics such as "Conversation" ("WE ARE NOT GODS / AND WE ARE NOT MEN …") and "M.e.," which, being my favourite track off the album, was just freaking brilliant. What's that? Did the crowd go crazy when "Cars" played? You bet your sweet ass they did! And thus did Set #1 come to a close.

Set #2 was selections from the old (namely, 1978's Replicas) and the new (Jagged and Pure mostly). Kicking things off with the chilly and oddly spooky "Down In The Park," the second set of the evening allowed Gary Numan and his merry band of men to express the rockier and more industrial side of Numan's oeuvre. Chunky-ass guitars, heavy beats, and throbbing bass exemplified a rather meta-moment in Numan's show – Numan taking and perfecting a genre of music that owed its very existence to Numan's music in the first place. As my wife C. said to me during "Haunted": "Nine Inch Nails was inspired by him, no?" And we all know the answer to that. 2300 die-hard Numan fans with love and respect in their eyes and movements collectively lost their shit when Numan, bearing a mischievous grin, broke into "Are 'Friends' Electric?"

Damn right, Gary. The world of electronic pop music wouldn't be recognizable today without your prescience and forward-minded assault on the senses we know now as The Pleasure Principle. An absolutely enchanting evening.

setlist

-----

airlane

metal

m.e.

tracks

observer

conversation

engineers

complex

films

cars

-----

down in the park

the fall

when the sky bleeds

pure

haunted

everything comes down to this

are 'friends' electric?

-----

halo

a prayer for the unborn

i die: you die

New Music: Ladytron.

2011-05-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Well, here it is – Ladytron's newest single, "White Elephant." (Sorry, but only on UK iTunes for the moment.) Their fifth studio album, Gravity The Seducer, will be released later this year on the 13th of September! How about that?

I gotta admit: I really enjoy the beguiling nature of this track. There's something wistfully majestic about it, and Marnie's vocals are as brittle and ethereal as ever. What do you reckon? Here it is.

The Cure At Sydney Opera House.

2011-05-16T22:11:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder to my readers in beautiful Sydney, NSW – The Cure will be performing live their first three albums (Three Imaginary Boys, Seventeen Seconds, and Faith) on the evenings of 31 May and 1 June, 2011 at the legendary Sydney Opera House. The shows will be 180 minutes long (with two intervals), and will feature a revolving lineup of musicians present and past who have indelibly moulded the spirit of The Cure.

three imaginary boys

-----

robert smith - voice + guitar

simon gallup - bass

jason cooper - drums

seventeen seconds

-----

robert smith - voice + guitar

simon gallup - bass

jason cooper - drums

roger o'donnell - keyboards

faith

-----

robert smith - voice + guitar

simon gallup - bass

jason cooper - drums

roger o'donnell - keyboards + percussion

laurence tolhurst - keyboards + percussion

This is going to be a show to remember – so if you're in Sydney (or plan on being in), you really can't do worse than go. We here at SDU HQ insist! Here's Robert Smith & company performing "The Drowning Man" off of 1981's Faith in 2005. Absolutely brilliant.

The Dead Will Dance Again.

2011-05-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

On the 12th of May this year, one Mr Brendan Perry wrote on his forum wall:

"Hi all,

I have been talking with Lisa Gerrard this past week with regard to recording a new DCD album this coming winter. We hope to complete the album by the summer of 2012 and then embark on an extensive two month world tour in late 2012. I will be posting updates from time to time with regard to our progress ... and remember ... you heard it here first and yes it is official!

Brendan."

All I can say is: WOW. This is great news. The last time Dead Can Dance had performed onstage was in 2005; me and a few of my mates were lucky enough to have seen them at the wondrous Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California. I mean, these are the folks who unleashed Spleen & Ideal on the world, had enchanted an untold number of people with the stoic mysteriousness of The Serpent's Egg and its enigmatic "In The Kingdom of the Blind, the One-Eyed Are Kings," had brought back from the grave the musical stylings and instrumentation of civilizations that had been long vanished from the popular culture (thus, of course, their name), and had mystified with their vocal prowess – Perry's deep and assured resonating timbre, alongside the lovely Gerrard's spookily breathy falsetto – and the deep imaginings of fables, incantations, rituals, and heretofore forgotten myths that the music aided in awakening. And let's not forget their mastery of the almighty hammered dulcimer. No, let's not forget that.

So let us rejoice that after nearly seven years (thirteen years, if you count the last song they actually recorded, "The Lotus Eaters," which appeared on their best-of compilation, Wake, in 2003), DCD is once again going (fingers crossed) to grace us with the mysticism and wonder of their musical trappings. Excited!

Here, from 1993's most excellent Into The Labyrinth, is the remarkable and hypnotic "The Ubiquitous Mr Lovegrove." Goddamn, what a great song this is.

And here's "Rakim," from Toward The Within, their 1994 live-recording of their 1993 sold-out world tour. Listen to that hammered dulcimer playing!

Gig Review: Cut Copy.

2011-05-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

CUT COPY

5 MAY 2011

PALACE THEATRE

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Cut Copy brought their shimmering white-light disco stylings back home to Melbourne on a beautiful and crisp Thursday evening at the stately Palace Theatre in the CBD, and my wife and I were there to breathe in the intoxicating fumes of one of the more reliably consistent live acts I've had the pleasure of seeing multiple times. But this was the first time I've seen them as a quartet as opposed to a trio, and funnily enough my wife C. and I were standing next to a nice looking couple near the mixing booth at the beginning of the show (we'd missed, sadly, the opening band, The Holidays) when the gentleman leaned over and told us that he was the bassist's brother-in-law. He pointed at his partner. "That's his sister," he muttered, sounding as if he'd had a few beers. Her brother, of course, would have been Ben Browning, who was brought into Cut Copy's fold for the recording and touring of their third full-length album Zonoscope. Browning's sister looked rather embarrassed, and then they moved on to another location; I'd reckon she probably said something like this to him later: I'd really appreciate it if you didn't say that to strangers again. Who knows; C and I found it funny and rather charming. I'd probably tell people if I was related to a member of Cut Copy.

But I digress. At 10 sharp, the lights went down and the lilting notes of the instrumental "Visions," from In Ghost Colours, began streaming from the speakers. Segueing perfectly into "Nobody Lost, Nobody Found," the 90-minute set sparked into life, bathing the sold-out environs of the Palace in a delectable feast of sparkling guitar-based synth-pop that not only reminded one of the halcyon days of the best of the '80s, but also revealed a bopping '60s mentality that wouldn't have been out of place on a Beach Boys record. Of particular notice were the tracks off the new album, which – man, oh man – they positively shone, they were so damn tight and achingly beautiful. "Need You Now," the slow-burning and powerful first single off Zonoscope, practically soared through the ceiling with Dan Whitford's angelic vocals and Erasure-reminiscent synth loops. "Take Me Over" never ceased to delight, what with its impossible-to-shake-from-one's-head catchiness – as I said before, a great driving song. A shimmering surf-rock feeling washes over the sunny "Where I'm Going," and the chants and droid-dance quirkiness of "Pharaohs & Pyramids" gave the audience a taste of the influence Kraftwerk has had on their musical palates. But, I was most curious about, what was "Sun God," that 15-minute behemoth of majestic synths, boisterous percussion, squalling guitars, and dreamy rhythms, going to sound like in a live setting? Fucking awesome, is the answer. I'm telling you: It was simply crazy. Say what you will about the Cut Copy live experience – "Sun God" was different. They just went batshit. Crazy feedback, an extra drummer, a video screen in the centre of the stage displaying objects blowing up in slow motion in a desert somewhere, aggressive lighting, and, simply put, four dudes on stage grinning like idiots and having the time of their lives made this a bloody standout.

Oh, Cut Copy: your live shows are turning into events. And that's a great thing. After two encores, they finished with the gorgeous "Feel The Love." I think the crowd filing out of the Palace Theatre felt that way about Cut Copy's music. It was amazing, and I for one cannot wait to see what they do next.

Here's 28 seconds of "Sun God" I filmed on my iPhone:

setlist

visions

nobody lost, nobody found

where i'm going

so haunted

corner of the sky

lights and music

take me over

saturdays

pharaohs & pyramids

hearts on fire

sun god

-----

need you now

out there on the ice

-----

feel the love

Oh, and here's Cut Copy performing "Saturdays" live for NYC's Fearless Music.

Album Review: Seekae.

2011-05-04T19:23:00.000-07:00

SEEKAE

+DOME

Sydneysiders Alex Cameron, George Nicholas, and John Hassel – better known as electronic "ghetto ambient" trio Seekae – have released their sophomore LP +Dome and connoisseurs of intelligent and thoughtful music everywhere can rejoice. "Ghetto ambient." This description of their sound, half-jokingly coined by the band to describe their ebullient and emotive crossbreeding of ambient electronica and glitchy experimental pop. Being a record that generously rewards repeat listens, +Dome expands greatly from where its predecessor, 2008's The Sound of Trees Falling On People (GREAT album title, BTW) left off. It builds on the kick-ass 8-bit fuzzy electronica and ambience with a stellar washing over of layered beats, string arrangements, sampled noises, and the heavy bass one might expect to hear at a late-night London drum 'n' bass club. And there's glockenspiels! Bloody glockenspiels! I don't know about you, but I'm crazy mad for glockenspiels.

The magic begins with opener "Go," with its slow-building guitars over a snare drum and a throbbing bass, releasing finally with the aural imagery of a stream of icy cold water trickling over a field of pebbles as we launch into "Blood Bank," which I think of as a beautiful melding of Kid A-era Radiohead and Crystal Castles. "Two" invokes images children playing, it's so delicate with its intricacies and fragmented percussion. The lovely "Gnor," with its sparse strings, swells with emotion – I'm reminded of a sunset, the colours of the sky changing minutely as the sun bids adieu. There are so many surprises and wonderful moments on +Dome; I won't try to tell you about them. Rather, this is a record that demands to be listened to multiple times. There's always something new lurking in the background or just around the corner that hasn't been noticed before. Fucking amazing. One of the best records of the year, so far.

Here, for your listening enjoyment, is "Mingus."

Video Disturbeo: Nine Inch Nails.

2011-05-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe that it's been seventeen years since the release of Nine Inch Nails' second long player album, 1994's The Downward Spiral, isn't it? Yet sitting back, popping it on, and breathing in its intoxicating fumes of dissonance, mayhem, hard-edged social (and religious) commentary, intricate craftsmanship, and – yes – utter beauty ... it's still very much a relevant record, and it's still the powerhouse motherfucking masterpiece it was when Mr Trent Reznor first dropped it on the 8th of March, 1994 (see, I knew it was a Pieces). From the opening razor-like squalls of "Mr Self Destruct" through to the seething anti-Christianity crusade of "Heresy;" from the thoughtful and morose ("Hurt") to the gleefully profane and anarchic ("Big Man With A Gun"); and to the deliriously lush one-two punch of the trance-like "Eraser" and "Reptile" – The Downward Spiral is very much an album of brilliant ideas that consistently hit their mark. There's not a flat moment on this fucker; it's just that awesome. But no song on this album hit the clubs and radio the way that "Closer" did. Decidedly radio-unfriendly (well, in the "we're so afraid of the F-bomb" USA at least), what with its chorus of "I want to fuck you like an animal," "Closer" still went on to reach #41 in the Billboard, #25 in the UK, and a huge #3 in Australia.

So is it correct to assume that, with such a bruiser of a song, Reznor would want to go all out and release a video that's just as shocking? Of course it is. Directed by Mark Romanek (who went on to direct the under-appreciated Robin Williams thriller One Hour Photo, and is in theatres now with Never Let Me Go), this artfully creepy and horrific little film manages to push many squeamish buttons with its abbatoire imagery and pseudo-religious iconography. Full-frontal BDSM nudity? Check. Pulsing chunks of meat nailed to furniture? Check. Reznor licking a nipple-shaped microphone? Check. Holy crap, there's even a crucified monkey! Here it is, in all its squirm-inducing glory (F-bombs intact as well). Need I say it's NSFW?

Nine Inch Nails: Closer (Uncensored) (1994) from Nine Inch Nails on Vimeo.

Icelandic Soundscapes: Ghostigital.

2011-04-27T22:45:00.000-07:00

GHOSTIGITAL

When I'd gone on holiday in Reykjavík, Iceland during Christmas of 2007, one of the aspects of Icelandic culture I was really looking forward to learning more about was the face of popular music up there in that beautiful northern island. After fantastically helpful trips to record stores such as the legendary 12 Tónar on Skolavor∂ustíg (the incredible employees actually sat me down on a comfy leather sofa and brought me a latté with a stack of CDs and a CD Walkman), I was hooked on what I heard. I ended up buying a nice stack of music that day (and a couple of other days after that), and frankly the music has always proved to be immensely interesting, challenging, fun, and inspirational in the time that has passed since that magical Arctic Christmas – meeting my wife while I was there was also pretty freaking great as well, come to think of it.

12 Tónar

I bring this up because I've had cause to go through my entire music library as I was packing my shit up in San Francisco for my move Down Under, and I had a chance to sift through my Iceland treasures (who have always lived in a separate shelf from my more standard selections), and I thought it would be fun over the next few days to highlight some of the more esoteric and atmospheric (and downright strange) music the kindly folk at 12 Tónar had shared with me on that cold and exciting afternoon over three years ago. I will never forget that shop; I think I still need to send them a nice letter one of these days, truth be told.

FIRST UP: Ghostigital. Their 2006 album In Cod We Trust leapt out at me for two reasons. One – I'd always wondered what Björk's right-hand man in Sugarcubes, Einar Örn Benediktsson, was up to. Second – The music was such an odd and ferociously in-your-face maelstrom of electronica, metal, hip-hop, jazz, cabaret, spoken word poetry, and ... well, frankly quite unclassifiable is how I'd describe it. Teaming up with one DJ/producer extraordinaire Curver, who performed with one of my favourite Icelandic confectionaries, Sometime, Örn has created a bewitchingly original and challenging piece of work with In Cod We Trust. Featuring guest appearances from such guests as Mark E. Smith, Mugison (who will be covered later), New York rapper Sensational, Steve Beresford, and Dalek, this album goes fucking everywhere, man. I can't begin to recommend it enough. From the everything-including-the-kitchen-sink jumbled chaos of "Sense of Reason," through to the alarmingly bizarre aggression of "Crackers," and to the distorted hip-hop paean to the Northern Lights entitled, strangely enough, "Northern Lights," this album, like I said, is quite a challenging listen. But it's rewarding! And there's a shitload of fun to be had once you get used to Örn's vocals, which I will lovingly compare to a psychotic Muppet. I always had him pegged as the more entertaining voice in Sugarcubes. Now: some music!

"Northern Lights"

"Crackers"

Röyksopp Remixes Depeche Mode.

2011-04-27T17:56:00.000-07:00

On the 7th of June (the 6th in the UK), Depeche Mode will be releasing a remix album, Remixes 2: 81-11, chockfull of, you guessed it, remixes by such modern synth masters as M83, Röyksopp, UNKLE, members of Miike Snow, AND (get this) former DM stalwarts Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder. Should be a fun time! I'm down. Pitchfork has just released Röyksopp's contribution, a pretty awesome version of "Puppets," off of Depeche Mode's 1981 debut album Speak & Spell. Here's the link to listen to it. Funny, isn't it, how "Puppets," arguably the darkest song on that album of tinkling and rather light-weight pop ditties is here transformed into a nice and pretty piece of confectionary. I don't mean that in a bad way – it's really quite charming. Longtime (ha!) readers of this site will know that these two artists are among SDU's absolute favourites, as well.

Here's Dave and his Basildon boys performing "Puppets" for a German TV show way, way back in the day for comparison. Cheers, friends!

Album Review: Cut Copy. "Zonoscope"

2011-04-26T17:26:00.000-07:00

CUT COPY

ZONOSCOPE

One knows, as soon as Cut Copy's third full-length album Zonoscope begins with opening track "Need You Now" and its delightfully delicate marriage of crystalline synths and dreamy guitars, that this Melbourne band's trajectory is true.

On the 27th January this year, when Cut Copy first released "Need You Now," I'd written:

"Dan Whitford's vocals are as emotive as ever, and the rhythms put forward by Tim Hoey and Mitchell Scott, while tinged with a delicacy and deliberation that bring to mind the best of '80s New Wave, still contain a contemporary edge guaranteed to get asses out there on that fucking dance floor."

Well! Now that the album's been out for a couple of months, and Cut Copy is poised to return home for their homecoming Australian tour in a week's time, I feel the need to squawk a bit from my little box and declare just how fucking awesome Zonoscope is. A great rollicking song that's perfect for driving can be found in the wonderful "Take Me Over." "Alisa" brings together '60s harmonies with a surf-rock sensibility. The rather surreal "Blink and You'll Miss A Revolution," one of the album's denser tracks, brings to mind some of the house epics that were popular on dance floors back in the early '90s and positively soars at moments. And then there's the experimental "Pharoahs & Pyramids," that's abuzz with cool sound effects, vocal distortions, and a nice bass-y synth line that bumbles merrily along its way.

BUT – nothing on this great blue Earth could have prepared me for the joyous awesome power of the closing track, "Sun God." Holy crap, it's ... shit, it's just fucking amazing. Fifteen minutes and five seconds of just pure, incredible, and game-changing pop, "Sun God" WILL stop you in your tracks and cause you to say to yourself, "Wait – what? What the hell was that?" And then you'll play it a second time and let its lush brilliance wash over you again. A hypnotic piece of ever-shifting musical ideas, "Sun God" as a whole is made up of several distinct genres, constantly evolving and becoming something else as it charges along on a crazy, wonderful ride. Hyperbole on the part of this blogger? I doubt it. When I listen to it, I can't help but wonder if the boys have been listening to a lot of Kraut Rock; there's a distinct Tangerine Dream feel to the whole affair, with some Can-style percussions thrown in here and there and was that a ghost of Kraftwerk I heard in there at 9:19? Check out the cowbells that kick in at the three-minute mark! Oh, I just love this track; it's worth the price of admission alone. Here – listen to it yourself and see.

Cut Copy - Sun God by modularpeople

And here's the video for the first single, "Need You Now."

Cheers, friends, and have a great day!

Happy Birthday, Tim Curry!

2011-04-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

On this day, 19 April 1946, one Tim Curry entered the world. We here at Second Drawer Up HQ would like to take this moment to salute a brilliant actor, singer, and performer – holy crap, his breakout turn as Dr Frankenfurter in the 1975 classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show still gives us the willies. Fucking brilliant. Here, for your enjoyment, is Curry and gang (featuring a young Susan Surandon!) performing "Sweet Transvestite!"

Aaaaaand ... for all you Tim Curry fans out there, here's a video clip featuring Tim Curry's top 135 film quotes!

So, happy birthday, Tim. Cheers from all of us at SDU!

Video Disturbeo: Nurse With Wound.

2011-04-18T17:41:00.000-07:00

Nurse With Wound, the brainchild of Londoner Steven Stapleton, has, in its 30+ year long existence, released an astonishingly prodigious amount of music – over forty long-players so far, and still counting. Stapleton isn't one to shuffle off and rest on his laurels ... He not only writes, performs, and releases his own music; he also designs the dust covers himself under the nom d'artiste Babs Santini!

I don't even know how to begin describing Nurse With Wound's music to you, if you haven't heard them before. I like to liken the sound of NWW to what a madman might hear back in the dark days of Victorian asylums – huge, dimly-lit and crumbling institutions with dark corners and shifting shadows, piercing shrieks emanating from locked doors, mysterious colourless liquids running in rivulets down the mouldy wallpaper, and heavyset orderlies tying one to a chair, preparing a massive syringe with a "medicine" unknown. Equal parts loopy drones, sampled and distorted dialogues from long-forgotten horror flicks, industrial soundscapes, demented cabaret, and fucked-up mish-mashes of disturbing sound effects – all bound together with a humourous sensibility, mind you – are just a smidgeon of the NWW "sound". Want to check out some Nurse With Wound? For starters, you couldn't go wrong with 2009's compilation "album" Paranoia In HiFi. Essentially, it's a one hour-eighteen minute, single-track mixing together of several previously released NWW tracks. Look it up, download it, whatever – it's an amazing ride.

Here, from 2008's limited edition vinyl-only EP The Bacteria Magnet, is a great track called "The Bottom Feeder." The video from it, taken from two short Jiri Barta films (The Last Theft and The Club of the Laid Off), makes me want to scratch myself – there's something about creepy marionettes doing creepy shit that makes me incredibly uncomfortable. You can watch some clips from Barta's weird puppet-flicks here. Eesh. There's something about that little girl putting back together a smashed watermelon that really, really gives me the heebie-jeebies. Enjoy!

Depeche Mode On Rock Band 3?

2011-04-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

You bet your sweet ass! From depechemode.com:

"Three classic Depeche Mode songs are coming soon as downloadable content for Rock Band 3. 'Personal Jesus,' 'Never Let Me Down Again,' and 'Policy of Truth' will be released on March 8th as DLC (downloadable content) on XBox 360, Wii, and Playstation 3. 'Personal Jesus' will include Pro Guitar and Pro Bass parts."

So get cracking! If you visit the Rock Band website, you can watch a trailer clip featuring each of the three songs (check out the bleached-blonde avatar of Dave Gahan sporting the kitty-cat T-shirt!). Having played Rock Band a few times in the past, I'm particularly thrilled about the possibilities of "Personal Jesus" on the game. Imagine, cranking out that grungy guitar intro. Those drums would be a bit on the challenging side as well, don't you think? Though I wonder if one would get extra credit points for bellowing out the occasional "Yeah!" in between verses whilst spinning the microphone stand and pretending to be playing in front of thousands of fans at a stadium.

Seeing as I cannot embed the trailer video mentioned above, I thought I'd share with you kids the next best thing involving Depeche Mode and a video game. From 2006, when The Sims 2 came out, here is Dave, Martin, and Andy performing "Suffer Well" from their 2005 album Playing the Angel. Of course, as in all things Sims, it's sung in that peculiar tongue known as "Simlish." Very silly, but very cool as well. Cheers – and while you're at it, how about stating in the comment section a Depeche Mode song you'd like to see feature in Rock Band at a later date?

New Music: Disparition.

2011-03-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

DISPARITION

NEUKRK

Before charging headlong into the discussion of Neukrk, the terrific new collection of innovative electronic compositions by Manhattan-based one-man symphony Disparition (known to his friends as Jon Bernstein), I'd like to take a moment to say a few words about the neurological condition known as synesthesia. Put simply, it's a condition whereas the affected subject, known as a synesthete, sees colours or shapes when they hear noises. I'd done a little research on the phenomenon a few years ago, when I was writing a short story about a murder that took place in a seedy little motel room out in the boondocks. The only "witness" to the murder was a young woman in the room next door, who suffered from this condition. Whenever she heard another person's voice, she would see snaky, multi-coloured lines in her peripheral vision – the patterns and colours of the line would be unique for every voice she heard. Anyway, she heard the voice of the killer through the cheap, paper-thin walls of the motel ... and I never really got past that point. The story, with the working title "Shades of Murder," went into my "revisit at a later date" bin; to be honest, it hasn't seen the light of day since.

One of the cooler stories I read about was the case of the synesthete woman who only saw colours when she listened to music. Deeper notes resulted in darker colours, with various pitches and volumes creating a multitude of shades. This woman stated that music produced waving lines "like oscilloscopic configurations – lines moving in colour, often metallic with height, width, and most importantly depth. My favourite music has lines that extend horizontally beyond the 'screen' area."

Segue over. I bring this up because after my first listen to Neukrk, I thought to myself, What colours would I have been seeing if I were a synesthete? Normally I don't associate music with neurological conditions, but with this, the fifth electronic outing from Disparition, it immediately just jumped to mind. Here we have 18 tracks stretching over 1.3 hours – and there isn't a dull patch in sight. Neukrk is an absolute pleasure to listen to straight through from beginning to end. There are no breaks between tracks, and the flow is seamless. Needless to say, turn your shuffle off if you wish to experience the full power of Neukrk. This was designed to be listened to (I believe) from front to back. But that's just me – listen to it however you want!

How would I describe it? Neukrk (I love typing that) is first and foremost an electronic voyage that shifts and morphs into different moods and feelings throughout its duration. It flows and ebbs – varying subtly as it moves along from chilly piano-driven sonatas ("The Ballad of Fiedler and Mundt") to sweeping organic bridges ("Roscoff") to EBM-flavoured industrialism ("Ratchathewi") to surreal ambience to slices of German synth-pop inspired dance tracks ("Nieuwe Utrecht"). That's one of the things I like most about Disparition's compositional order – it never succumbs to just one genre, one idea. There's even a touch of flamenco guitars hovering in the background of tracks such as opener "Glass Tiger" and "Walled Forest." A general sense of experimentalism and discovery permeate everything on display here, yet – yet! – it's still quite accessible. Brains and intellect are the backbone of Neukrk, but not so much as to alienate casual listeners. Ghostly, swirling breezy effects shade the darkest shadows and corners everywhere you listen, and frankly I think that each subsequent listen will reveal new twists and turns that hadn't been noticed before. Pay special attention to the closing track "The Door" – my absolute favourite of the lot. Close your eyes. And think of that thing that lives in the walls of the old, dilapidated house, scratching and scurrying and keening in the darkness.

Frankly, it's fucking terrific, the whole package. Deeply recommended. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dig "Shades of Murder" out of the bin and listen to Neukrk whilst writing it. Cheers, friends.

You can click here to either download Neukrk, or (better yet) purchase a hard copy for your collection. You'll be glad you did! And now, with no further ado, here is the video for "Ratchathewi". Enjoy!

Saturday Awesome.

2011-03-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

From Gawker TV:

"While Rob was away for six months in India, his roommates hosted themed dance parties in his room. Mummies, balloons, robots ... it's covered. If it was as much fun as it looked, who do I call to hire these guys?"

Every now and then I read about a kick-ass prank done to somebody while they were away on an extended vacation. I should know, 'cos once when I was in London visiting my girlfriend for a couple of weeks two years ago, a few friends gathered dozens of onions (of which I'm not fond of in the slightest) and hid them throughout my flat. But after seeing what these guys filmed in Rob's room while he was in India was just flat-out the best thing I've seen today. Period. Here's the video they filmed - with a fucking brilliant track called "Riverside" by Sidney Samson serving as the soundtrack. It's just fucking amazing. Watch, and enjoy.

Violator Is 21 Years Old. Buy It A Drink.

2011-03-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

The date was 18 June 1988, and Depeche Mode had just performed the final show of their Tour For The Masses at the venerated Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Thus ended their hugest tour of their relatively young career, and the obvious question on everybody's tongues was, How on Earth do they top this?

How, indeed. The tour was filmed by renowned music documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, and later released as the concert film 101. In fact, at the end of the movie, one saw a shockingly young Martin Gore backstage, sitting in the green room with a mixture of shock and elation on his face, tears streaming from his eyes, repeating as a mantra: "What now? What do we do now?" It was a fantastic moment of honesty and, yes, fear in young Gore's features.

After taking a much needed rest, the band hunkered down with their long-time manager Daniel Miller of Mute Records and famed producer Flood in May of 1989 to record what would become their biggest-selling album ever; a dark masterwork featuring some of Gore's most intimate writing to date, and three of their most ground-breaking singles ("Personal Jesus," "Enjoy the Silence," and "Halo" come to mind) that helped launch Depeche Mode into the stratosphere, cementing their place as the world's most successful (and probably only, these days) stadium-filling electronic act of all time.

I'm talking, of course, about Violator. Did you know that it was released 21 years ago, on the 19th of March, 1990? Wow, it's amazing how fast the time has flown by, isn't it? But listening to it now causes one (me, for instance) to realize how immediate and timeless this recording really is. Being the first DM album to utilize real drums (Alan Wilder's bombastic stick work in the highly spiritual "Clean") and certainly a more "rock 'n roll" sound (more guitars, for instance, and some highly stylized harmonica samples), I think Violator was quite possibly the first DM album to solidly register with the "rock kids," and, as such, spread the joy that is DM all over the proverbial map.

Which is a great thing. What's not to love? There's something for everybody here, whether it's the blistering blues influence coursing through the train-inspired "Sweetest Perfection" (sung to, er, sweetest perfection by the eternally-youthful Martin Gore); the stomping rock 'n roll fever that permeates every second of "Personal Jesus;" the haunting spareness of "Waiting For The Night, with probably the most plaintive and introspective vocals ever sung by Dave Gahan (and the twinkling stars represented by Wilder's synths are simply gorgeous); and, of course, Gore's bewitching vocals on the most lovely and romantic "Blue Dress" ("Can you believe - something so simple - something so trivial - makes me a happy man - can't you understand - say you believe - just how easy it is to please me - because when you learn you'll know what makes the world turn")

So! How about cuing up Violator (on vinyl if you got it) and toasting its 21st birthday in style? That's what I did. Cheers, kids. Here's "Halo" for you.

Electro Classic Jukebox: Cabaret Voltaire.

2011-03-21T01:29:00.000-07:00

"There's 70 billion people over there."
"Where they hiding?"
"There's 70 billion people over there."
"Where they hiding? Where they hiding?"

And thus begins "Yashar," one of my all-time favourite tracks from Sheffield-based electronic pioneers Cabaret Voltaire. Having formed in 1973, well ahead of the vast majority of their future post-punk peers, Cabaret Voltaire began their two-decade career performing not necessarily "music" per-se, but a fascinating hybrid of Dadaist (they were named after the famous Zurich, Switzerland Dada club after all) performance art, featuring (amongst other things) feedback, bleeping synth noises, and endless taped loops of sampled sounds, voices, and strange, experimental static. It wasn't until 1979 that they released their first "proper" LP, the noise-punk manifesto Mix-Up. (If one is interested in hearing what CV was up to during those heady days of noise manipulation and experimentation, then one should go forth and find their 1980 cassette-only compilation 1974-1976.)

Originally a trio consisting of Richard Kirk, Chris Watson, and Stephen Mallinder, after Watson's departure in 1981, they became a duo. Many albums throughout the '80s and early '90s were to follow, including such classics as Red Mecca (1981), The Crackdown (1983), Drinking Gasoline (1985 EP), Plasticity (1992), and The Conversation (1994). 1982's 2X45 (so named because it consisted of 2 45RPM 12" records (goddamn, now that would be a collector's item worth having, wouldn't it?)) was the last album released with Chris Watson as a member, and it is also the album from which "Yashar" is culled.

So here is "Yashar." Listen to it, and try to imagine ambient music as we know it without the influence of these mightily talented and influential Sheffielders. I certainly doubt there'd be any Aphex Twin, that's for sure. Enjoy!

And, from their 1985 EP Drinking Gasoline, here's another terrific track "Ghostalk." Goddamn, I love this shit.

Safely Landed.

2011-03-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well, kids – I would seem to have safely returned to the land Down Under. It's been a tough few weeks, but I've finally re-tiled, re-carpeted, and re-painted my San Francisco flat; and, having found a property manager, have rented said flat to a couple of nice tenants. SO! Now that I'm back on terra firma (the time spent in planes and airports to get across the Pacific Ocean is obscene), I would like to officially announce that Second Drawer Up is back in business. Cheers everybody – and thank you for your patience! Coming up in the next few days are going to be some reviews of new music by Art Vs Science and Cut Copy, a look at Sheffield noise artists Cabaret Voltaire, Gary Numan news, a foray into some great DJs, and – of course – the music, videos, and photos you've come to expect from my little corner of the internet. I, for one, am totally looking forward to it! Thanks again. You guys mean the world to me!

The above picture, by the way, is that of an echidna – one of two mammals (both Australian natives) that lay eggs. Bonus points to whoever can comment with the other egg-laying oddity!

Time, Time, Time!

2011-02-14T01:50:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while, and I have to be up front with you all – I've been terrifically busy. I married my girlfriend in Australia, and am currently back in San Francisco taking care of business so I can move back to Melbourne and do my damnedest to become an Australian citizen. Holy shit, this is a lot of work; but I'm up to it. I'm also up to sharing electronic music with one and all – so I promise that in the very near future I will continue with (what I hope to be) the pretty cool music reviews, news, and observations that I've been doing over the last year. Be patient, dear readers. There will be more posts, I promise. Expect reviews of new albums by Cut Copy and Art Vs Science, reviews of shows by Meat Beat Manifesto, and a couple of lookbacks at tried-and-true works from the likes of Human League and Simple Minds. I will also be focusing more on the gothic scene, so expect more of that.

So – yeah. Keep tuned, and Happy Valentine's Day, I reckon.

From 1986, here's Depeche Mode with "Black Celebration". Cheers!

New Music: Cut Copy.

2011-01-27T15:27:00.000-08:00

Zonoscope, Cut Copy's eagerly awaited third album, will be released 4 February this year. I, for one, am tremendously excited; Cut Copy has always been a riveting band, delivering music that is breathtaking in its delirious futuristic beauty. The quartet from my adopted city Melbourne, Australia (they used to be a trio, but they've recently brought on their fourth member, Ben Browning, on bass), through their first two albums – Bright Like Neon Love (2004) and In Ghost Colours (2008) – have exhibited a singular grace and elegance that is unmatched by their contemporaries. Dan Whitford's vocals are as emotive as ever, and the rhythms put forward by Tim Hoey and Mitchell Scott, while tinged with a delicacy and deliberation that bring to mind the best of '80s New Wave, still contain a contemporary edge guaranteed to get asses out there on that fucking dance floor.

So it is with great pleasure that I share with you today the first single off of Zonoscope, "Need You Now." Give it a listen. Then give it another. And another. My God, it's gorgeous. Cheers, friends. And enjoy.

Cut Copy - Need You Now by cutcopymusic

Gary Numan Is Visiting OZ.

2011-01-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure today that I announce the dates for Gary Numan's 2011 Australian tour. Yes, the man who helped pioneer electronic music into what it is today is bringing his The Pleasure Principle Tour down under – and you know what that means. You got it – Numan will be performing his 1979 masterpiece The Pleasure Principle in its entirety, plus a special encore with selections from his entire career, from albums such as Replicas and Telekon through to Pure, Jagged, and the soon-to-be-released Splinter. So! Excited yet? As if that weren't enough, Sydney "Aus-electro" masters Severed Heads have been tapped to be the supporting act! How fucking awesome is that?

Here, for your reference, are the dates of his Australia/New Zealand tour. Please note that Severed Heads will not be performing at the Perth and Auckland shows.

12 MAY 2011 – BRISBANE – THE TIVOLI

13 MAY 2011 – SYDNEY – ENMORE THEATRE

14 MAY 2011 – MELBOURNE – FORUM THEATRE

16 MAY 2011 – ADELAIDE – HQ

17 MAY 2011 – PERTH – ASTOR THEATRE

21 MAY 2011 – AUCKLAND – AUCKLAND TOWN HALL

And, if you click here and subscribe to Red Ant Touring, who's promoting the tour, you can get yourself two free Gary Numan downloads, and three free Severed Heads downloads! So, you know, go and do it, already.

See you there, kids. Stay well, and talk to you later! From 1979's Replicas, with Tubeway Army, here is Gary Numan at the Old Grey Whistle Test in London performing "Are Friends Electric?". You can be sure this is going to be huge live. Cheers!

Happy Australia Day!

2011-01-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well, today is Australia Day – and my first one, at that! I've got to give props to my adopted country; everybody has been incredibly warm and inviting for the first four months of my stay. True, the paperwork hasn't gone through all the channels yet, but patience, I'm told, is a virtue. But still – I'm really enjoying it here, and I have been made to feel at home.

That being said, I'd like to showcase some music from the 1986 Richard Lowenstein film Dogs In Space. Set in Richmond, Victoria (an outer suburb of Melbourne), this examination of the 1978 Melbourne punk scene – starring Michael Hutchence of INXS in his first leading role – doesn't, unfortunately, hold much water in the story-telling department. Chockfull of wooden performances, stilted dialogue, and a whole lot of nothing happening throughout its 103 minutes. BUT – and this is a huge 'but' – the music! My gosh, the music gracing the soundtrack, put together by Lowenstein and Ollie Olsen (who was part of the scene back in those days; a member of the post-punk band Whirlywind), is pretty much playing nonstop; so it more than makes up for Hutchence's "acting" (which pretty much amounts to rolling around on the floor in a heroin stupor 75% of the time, all the while "speaking" in hardly anything but barks and grunts). Hutchence: brilliant singer, crap actor. But I digress.

Featuring pulse-quickening tracks by late-'70s acts such as Iggy Pop, Thrush and the Cunts, Primitive Calculators, Ollie Olsen, Gang of Four, Brian Eno, and Boys Next Door (Nick Cave's band before it transmogrified into The Birthday Party), the soundtrack to Dogs In Space is fucking fantastic. And if one is interested in knowing more about the scene personified in the film, one can check out an ABC 1 documentary entitled We're Living On Dog Food, which takes its name from the Iggy Pop track that opens Dogs In Space. So without any further ado, here are some of my favourite tracks from this well-meaning film.

First up is "Win/Lose" from Ollie Olsen. I love the bit in the film where he sings it in the main house's living room, backed up only by a tape machine!

Here is "Pumping Ugly Muscle" by Fitzroy-based Primitive Calculators. Some brilliant anger going on in this track, with a lot of cathartic screaming and wailing!

What can one say about a band called Thrush and the Cunts? Great hooks, interesting name. Here is their seminal track from the so-called "little band scene", "Diseases."

Here's "Shivers" by Boys Next Door, which would then become The Birthday Party. Goddamn, look how young Nick Cave is! And dammit, he makes this song fucking ache.

During the closing moments of the film, where Michael Hutchence's character's girlfriend has been buried (she died of a heroin overdose), we're treated to "Rooms For The Memory," a track written and performed by Ollie Olsen, and sung by Hutchence. This collaboration would result in a short-lived side-project called Max Q – which almost broke up INXS, seeing as Hutchence did the recording behind his band's back.

And last but not least, here's "Endless Sea" by Iggy Pop. Now, I know he's not Australian. However, that being said, this song – which plays in the background while Saskia Post's character has her fatal overdose – so completely works in the movie, I just had to include it. And there you go, as I leave you with Iggy. Have a fantastic Australia Day, people.

He Took Her To A Movie.

2011-01-23T16:05:00.000-08:00

Ladytron fans, rejoice! Ladytron has just announced on their website that they are reissuing their first three albums, 604, Light & Magic, and Witching Hour, fully re-mastered and "featuring the original album track listings plus four bonus songs for each album." Sounds incredible! The bonus songs are either remixes of favourite tracks, or live versions. Could be an awesome year for Ladytron; their first single off the upcoming album, "Ace of Hz" is out now on iTunes, and the album itself will be coming out later this year.

Ladytron's label, Nettwerk, has released through Sound Cloud a sample of six songs from their catalogue that you can, you know, click on and listen to. You can click on this link here to visit the Sound Cloud page. I've embedded the tracks themselves below. Included are "Playgirl," "He Took Her To A Movie (Live in Sofia)", "Seventeen," "Seventeen (Soulwax Mix)," "Destroy Everything You Touch," and "International Dateline (Simian Mobile Disco Remix)." Happy listening, everybody!

Ladytron - Reissued by nettwerkmusicgroup

Gig Review: Grinderman.

2011-01-21T22:08:00.000-08:00

GRINDERMAN

17 JANUARY 2011

PALACE THEATRE

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Sure, sure, sure ... this is an electronica blog, you might say. And yes, you're right. BUT, this is Nick Cave we're talking about here, and goddamn it, I'm going to review his show I had the honour of witnessing when he dropped down in his hometown (of sorts) of Melbourne, Victoria. So there.

Longtime Bad Seed Conway Savage (1990 to present) was the opening act, sitting at an electric piano and accompanied by a guitarist. He was a quiet and graceful presence; subtlety and a glass of red wine perched atop his instrument were his constant friends -- alongside those audience members closest to the stage who could actually hear him over the din of the talkers and shouters in the back of the house, who were constantly on the cusp of completely drowning out Savage's bluesy concoctions. I had to leave my wife in the back for a spell so I could get closer to hear some of his intoxicating melodies. I really had never listened to his solo stuff before, but from what I could discern, his music would be a lovely companion to a night drinking out – I was reminded of Tom Waits, to be honest. I'm looking forward to picking up his most recent release, 2009's Live In Ireland. With a quiet "Thank you," and a nod to the crowd, Savage left the stage.

At around 10.00, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis (guitar, violin, percussion), Martyn P Casey (bass), and Jim Sclavunos (drums, percussion) took to their instruments and basically just brought the fucking house down right then and there, ripping wholeheartedly into "Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man" off their second album, the deliciously dirty and demented Grinderman 2. "And he sucked her, and he sucked her, and he sucked her DRY," bellowed Cave, delivering karate kicks into the air and following up with his Big Bad Wolf howl, "AWOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!" I swear, the intensity present in the room as he and his cohorts let loose on the first date of their Australian tour was buzzing, man. In fact, there were moments where old Cave – circa The Birthday Party – seemed to have come out to play, it was filled with so much giddily recounted mayhem and chaos. Grinderman has always been the id of a sweaty, hairy, sex-obsessed nasty man; Sclavunos's and Ellis's mountain-man beards certainly did nothing to dispel that particular aspect of their music. How was it that Sclavunos explained their new album to NME last year? Oh yeah – "No I'm not going to tell you anything about any of the songs. But they're great, and they cover a variety of topics from bloodshed to hairy animals to young girls masturbating in bathtubs ... on the first album you felt the weight of distended testicles swaying in the breeze of a mid-life crisis, whereas this one is a magic carpet ride floating over the rich spectrum of life," is what he said. Nice! And correct. This show displayed not a single flat note, glitch, or boring moment. It was the aural equivalent of a rampant locomotive with no breaks, steamrolling through anything and everything that gets in its way. "Get It On," with its chorus of "GET IT ON / GET IT ON / ON THE DAY THAT YOU WERE BORN" was simply fucking explosive. "No Pussy Blues," a treatise on a woman who just won't put out, no matter what one does for her, was fluid in its frustration.

The scathing "Honeybee (Let's Fly To Mars)" was fantastic in its punk-rock fervour, and "Worm Tamer," a rollicking track with one of the funnier lines to ever be sung ("Well my baby calls me the Loch Ness Monster / Two great big humps and then I'm gone") nearly hypnotised with its grungy dirty-ass blues. Fittingly, Cave and company closed things down with the first Grinderman's self-titled track, "Grinderman." "Yes I'm the Grinderman / In the silver rain / In the pale moonlight / I am open late / Yes I'm the Grinderman / Yes I am / Any way I can."

Damn right, Nick. Yes, you are.

setlist

mickey mouse and the goodbye man

worm tamer

get it on

heathen child

evil!

when my baby comes

what i know

honeybee (let's fly to mars)

kitchenette

no pussy blues

bellringer blues

-----

palaces of montezuma

man in the moon

when my love comes down

love bomb

grinderman

Here for your viewing pleasure is Grinderman's "Heathen Child," directed by John Hillcoat, director of fantastic films The Proposition (which was scripted by Nick Cave) and The Road, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy (which featured music written by Cave and Ellis). It's NSFW, just so you know – featuring nudity, violence, and grown men prancing around in Roman Centurion costumes.

Grinderman - "Heathen Child"
Uploaded by naivepromo. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

House Classic: Leftfield.

2011-01-17T18:57:00.000-08:00

As promised earlier this afternoon, I'm going to commence highlighting the various acts and personalities gracing Australian soil this upcoming March for the ultra-fantastic Future Music Festival. So I figured, why not now? Yo, check it out -- here's fucking Leftfield!

Formed back in 1990 by London mates Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, Leftfield were one of the stalwarts of British electronic music and progressive house that began to earnestly sweep the planet during the early-to-mid-'90s. Hell, I remember when their 1995 debut album Leftism came out. Holy shit, it was awesome. Featuring an eclectic lineup of guest vocalists (including PiL's own John Lydon!), it was a mighty force to be reckoned with; it just didn't stop banging! Then, in 1999 they released their second, and last, album, Rhythm and Stealth. The vibe this time out was a little darker and moodier than its predecessor. Layered with deeper basslines and exhibiting a certain menace reminiscent of trip-hop electronica stalwarts Massive Attack (who in 1998 had released the amazing Mezzanine), RaS had vocal contributors (such as the brilliant Afrika Bambaata and Roots Manuva) who brought a distinctly urban feel to the proceedings.

Now, Leftfield is back and touring. But Barnes is going it alone this time out, seeing as Daley has decided to focus on his DJing and solo record. And they'll be at this year's Future Music Festival -- so the resident doctor at Second Drawer Up HQ has officially prescribed your presence. Party on, and enjoy!

Here, from 1999's Rhythm and Stealth, is their breathtaking track "Dusted", featuring the vocal talents of the one and only Roots Manuva.

Future Music Festival 2011!

2011-01-17T17:07:00.000-08:00

Well! This should be something! Here, in all its glory, is the Future Music Festival making its way through Australia this March! All told, the lineup is absolutely solid. Here's where the Festival will be touching down in Oz, and when:

BRISBANE

SATURDAY, 5 MARCH 2011

PERTH

SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2011

SYDNEY

SATURDAY, 12 MARCH 2011

MELBOURNE

SUNDAY, 13 MARCH 2011

ADELAIDE

MONDAY, 14 MARCH 2011

Fantastic! Looking forward to it. Now let's take a look at the lineup, shall we?

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS

PENDULUM

DIZZEE RASCAL

MGMT

MARK RONSON AND THE BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL

KE$HA

ART VS SCIENCE

THE PRESETS

LEFTFIELD

PLASTIKMAN

SVEN VATH

SANDER VAN DOOM

STEVE AOKI

LOCO DICE

ZANE LOWE

COSMIC GATE

JAMES HOLROYD

STEVE ANGELO

DON DIABLO

ETIENNE DE CRECY

...

and many, many more.

How awesome is that? I'm really looking forward to a few of these acts. Chemical Brothers, yes. Leftfield? Yes, please. Art Vs Science and The Presets (who are releasing their new album mid-2011)? Definitely. MGMT is always fun. Dizzee Rascal is going to be a hoot and a holler. Pendulum put on a terrifically intense live performance, so they'll certainly be worth checking out. But one of the nice things about festivals such as this is that it'll also be a day of discovery -- nothing beats stumbling upon a new band and totally digging it.

Anyway, from time to time during the next couple of months, I'll be returning to this lineup and sharing some of the music to expect at Flemington Race Course this autumn!

Cheers, boys and girls -- can't wait to catch up!

iamamiwhoami

2011-01-16T15:18:00.000-08:00

Barren tree branches sporting eyes in the cracks in the bark. Spilled jars of coffee beans from which feeling toes venture warily. Placental imagery in a gilded forest of cling film and foil. A forest of disembodied legs and arms, all smudged with dirt and grime. Slimy mollusks leaving a trail of mucus on a leaf. A black cat. A beautiful blonde woman curled up amongst the exposed roots of a tree, licking the bark. Virtual birth from a crack in the trunk of a birch.

These are but some of the many images employed by the Swedish experimental group iamamiwhoami, headed by the ethereally gorgeous Jonna Lee. Short teaser video clips have been showing up on YouTube for most of last year, garnering a lot of speculation and anticipation as to who are they and what are they about. Well, now the (black) cat is out of the bag, and a series of videos with such titles as "o", "t", "n", and "y" have been released through iamamiwhoami's YouTube Channel. Their music is available on iTunes, as well -- so I completely recommend a visit to pursue some of this devilishly clever and freakishly brilliant experimental electronica headed by the voice of an angel. To say the music's dreamy and mythical would be an understatement, by my reckoning! As I said before, Ms Lee's voice is something of a revelation; wispy yet forceful, with a breathy insouciance befitting a body of work that seems to revel (if not openly worship) the woods and the mysteries that can be found within their mysterious darkness. The music is delightfully experimental, full of piano, crickets, toads, squelching beats, humming insect noises, elegiac synths, and a general sense of wonder that comes through every note. Best discovery I've made in quite some time, and I thought of sharing it with you, dear readers! Check it. Here, for your viewing and listening pleasure, are three of my favourites: "o", "t", and "y" -- which do spell "toy."

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#1)

2011-01-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

Well, this is it. The final installment of Second Drawer Up's "Top Eleven Albums of 2010". I have to admit I'm a bit sorry to see it finish. Mayhaps I'll hit some of the albums that came close to making my list sometime in the near future (Kele's debut solo record The Boxer springs to mind); I think that would be quite fun. But -- yeah -- this is the final installment. And once again I'd like to remind the reader that these have in no way been listed in a preferential order ... though I have to admit that this record I'm about to put down is certainly one of my all-time favourites. So here it is!

GORILLAZ

PLASTIC BEACH

On the 9th of March last year, Gorillaz released their third (and perhaps final) album, Plastic Beach. A cartoon band created by Damon Albarn (of the late, great Blur) and realized by Jamie Hewlett (who was responsible for the great comic series Tank Girl), Gorillaz consists of part-time Satanist Murdoc Niccals, the pint-sized and impossibly skinny 2D, half-robotic assassin Noodle, and the hulking behemoth Russell Hobbs.

Their self-titled debut was released in 2001, featuring the classic tracks "Clint Eastwood" (featuring Del tha Funkee Homosapien - which in itself was rather ideal) and "19-2000" (with Miho Hatori and Tina Weymouth). 2005 brought us the more fully-realized Demon Days, with the most awesome electro-disco single "Dare" and their pairing with Neneh Cherry, "Kids With Guns". And now, we are blessed with the singularly epic sprawling masterpiece that I'm talking about right now at this very moment. As a matter of course, the cartoon characters have been somewhat sidelined by a very large coterie of flesh-and-blood musicians and guest vocalists -- but their spirit still lingers strongly in the world of Gorillaz' third LP. Set on the titular piece of real estate, somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean, this rollicking piece of work finds itself reveling on chunks of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that have somehow manifested themselves into an island where the Gorillaz have set up their home. And, boy, I've got to tell you - they have some seriously awesome guests. Here on Plastic Beach we have musical compositions (ranging from dub, raggae, hip-hop, techno, and - yes - electronica) with such luminaries as Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Mick Jones and Paul Simonen from The Clash, Mark E. Smith, Lou Reed (!), Mos Def, and De La Soul. Eclectic? For sure! And that's one thing (of many) that makes it so special - you can't pin it down. Based on what I've heard, I heartedly recommend it to anybody. Pardon my French, but it's fucking magical.

Probably the most searing, awesomely scorching track off of Plastic Beach has to be the rollicking "Stylo," with vocal performances from Damon Albarn, Mos Def, and the gorgeous soul voice of the one and only Bobby Womack. The accompanying video is something special as well. It features three of the cartoon characters speeding through the desert in their car after some kind of shootout. It's a car chase! Guns blazing! A fat cop with donuts! Bruce Willis chasing them with a humongous gun! Noodle the cyborg with a hole in its head! It freaking rocks.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 11 & 10.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Number 9.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 8 & 7.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 6 & 5.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 4 & 3.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Number 2.

Thank you all so much for reading! If you like what you're reading at all, then help spread the word for me -- share a link, like on Facebook, re-Tweet, yeah, all that sweet-ass shit. Peace out, and can't wait to hear from y'all again!

Electronica Classic: Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas.

2011-01-13T17:15:00.000-08:00

This shit rocks. Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas, two incredibly talented producers and electronic composers from the magical country of Norway, first worked together in 2005, producing a self-titled album featuring original tracks. Two years later they reconvened, taking that album and completely remixing it -- in turn, transforming it into an entirely new entity. Lindstrøm himself hardly ever tours, so when he does it's needless to say a joyous occasion for connoisseurs of detail-driven and immaculate dance music. Luckily, 2011 is the year he's decided to take his show on the road. Here are his tour dates -- if you can make it, then go, already!

10 FEBRUARY 2011

SANTOS PARTY HOUSE

NEW YORK CITY, NY

11 FEBRUARY 2011

THE VANGUARD

HOLLYWOOD, CA

12 FEBRUARY 2011

MEZZANINE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

18 FEBRUARY 2011

FABRYK KATRCINY

WARSAW, POLAND

25 MARCH 2011

OTTAKRINGER BRAUREI

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Check out his Myspace site for further information and go, already! Here's Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas's "Mighty Girl" off of Reinterpretations to get your juices flowing.

Lindstrøm & Prins Thomas - Mighty Girl by Dell Von C

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#2)

2011-01-13T15:09:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are. The final two of eleven albums of 2010 that made Second Drawer Up's cockles warm up. Here's number two (though once again I'd like to remind everybody that this list has in no way been in any preferential order) -- an outstanding surprise released by a band who I was beginning to believe wouldn't release anything else at all...

MASSIVE ATTACK

HELIGOLAND

Seven years. Seven long, long years. That's how long ago Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, better known as Bristol duo Massive Attack, released their fourth official album 100th Window. Seven years. I really was under the impression that they'd laid Massive Attack to rest; content to noodle about here and there with other musicians and eschew the limelight.

But they never sat on their laurels, did Massive Attack. They were busy as bees, working on film soundtracks, engaging in fundraisers for the benefit of Palestinian children, and curating festivals in London. Del Naja and Marshall were also taking their time, getting together from time to time and writing bits and pieces of what was then only known in blogs and rumours as "LP5". But it was when they went to hang in Damon Albarn's (of Gorillaz) studio that music began to flow -- enough for an EP they released in 2009 called Splitting The Atom. And after that, it all came together and coalesced into a finished "LP5" -- featuring three of the songs off of Splitting The Atom, "Splitting The Atom," "Pray For Rain," and "Psyche." The LP was subsequently titled Heligoland, after the German archipelago where Werner Heisenberg first formulated the idea of quantum mechanics in the 1920s. (You see, Heisenberg suffered from tremendous allergies. Heligoland doesn't have any trees or pollen to speak of, so he felt comfortable there.) Don't know if that's the particular reason Del Naja chose Heligoland, but that's my favourite guess.

So! Was the wait worth it? Fuck yeah, it was worth it. What I've always liked about Massive Attack has been their intense and unwavering feel for experimentation. From their 1991 debut Blue Lines to '94s Protection to '98s immense (and my favourite, I must add) Mezzanine there's always been a deliriously feel of immersion in the listening experience. And yeah, I mean it when I say "experience". 'Cos that's what listening to a Massive Attack record is like -- it feels as if you're in another place and time while those squelchy beats, string arrangements, and numbing basslines wash over you. Heligoland is no different. Written with a host of other musicians and featuring vocal work by Horace Andy, Hope Sandoval, Tunde Adebimpe, Guy Garvey, and Damon Albarn his own bad self, this record is like a treasure trove of musical wonder, coming at you from every direction. There's the gleeful menace and atmospherics of "Girl I Love You," complete with Andy's powerful voice backing shit up. "Rush Minute," one of the few tracks featuring Del Naja's scratchy and moody voice, slowly builds in intensity over staccato drums and guitar and an unrelenting beat. The beautiful Hope Sandoval's breathy vocals preside over "Paradise Circus." And then, closing shit out, there's the demented animosity of "United Snakes," which seems to evoke a nightmarish world of intrigue and dishonesty that exists ... underwater. It's all so awesome and thrilling; and I'm happy that Massive Attack is back -- in a huge way. Yo, check it.

Here's "Girl I Love You" from the album. Brilliant!

And here's a link for the video "Paradise Circus." It's amazingly pornographic and is unsuitable for work! I mean it -- it's truly NSFW and if you click to the right link, the video will start immediately. Two words: Seventies Porn. CLICK HERE.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 11 & 10.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Number 9.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 8 & 7.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 6 & 5.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 4 & 3.

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#s 4 & 3)

2011-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

So! Here we are -- well over halfway through our special little list of our favourite eleven albums of 2010. Today we have numbers four and three for you. So we recommend you fix yourself your favourite beverage, sit back in your comfortable (at least we hope it's comfortable) chair, and read today's entry! You'll be happy you did. Especially if that chair's a comfortable one. Going on ...

DIE ANTWOORD

$O$

I still remember when Die Antwoord first entered my consciousness. I was browsing my preferred go-to site for all things cool and interesting, BoingBoing, and one of their South African correspondents had written a missive on this fascinating rap-rave crew from Cape Town whose sound was unlike anything he'd heard before. The accompanying video was unlike anything I'd seen before. An impossibly tall and skinny blonde man (NINJA) covered with primitive tattoos, a diminutive tomboy girl (¥O-LANDI VI$$ER) with a funky platinum fringe haircut, and a huge DJ (HI-TEK) with a massive talent for human beatboxing were holding court in the hot South African sun and talking about a concept called "ZEF". Frankly, I couldn't take my eyes or ears off them, and I thought to myself, These guys are fucking crazy. They're going to be HUGE.

So when the trio finally dropped their debut album $O$ in November, I snapped the fucker up. And I've got to tell you: this record has got to be the most original I've heard in many a moon, dude. It's startling. Racing breathlessly from genre to genre, $O$ never plays it safe -- it's loud, it's in your face, it's brooding, and it's gleefully profane. Now that I think about it, that's what "ZEF" is really all about. All I can say is this album is "fokken" brilliant. Check it.

ZOLA JESUS

STRIDULUM II

A concept album of sorts, based on a cheesy 1979 science fiction film called The Visitor, Stridulum II by Zola Jesus (the stage name of Phoenix, Arizona singer Nika Roza Danilova) is an attempt to discuss the powers of good and evil that rest on the weary shoulders of a young woman who is caught between the pulling forces of the two. Here's what I wrote: "This is quite literally a thrilling album, deep and mysterious and full of emotion. From the opening number 'Night' to closing time with 'Lightsick,' Danilova brings to mind the best vocal performances of Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush, splashing and dashing the flavour with sleek and dark synth brushstrokes and a mighty dollop of mezzo soprano classicism. Something dark and wounded in the night; a decision upon which balances the difference between success and failure; a heavy head, lost in the fog of confusion; and the blindness that careens from the deepest pits of despair -- this is not a happy record."

Here's the video for my favourite track, "Sea Talk." Like a funeral dirge backed by towering organs and a militaristic drumbeat, when Danilova sings, "Sick / I'm sick, honey / I don't, I don't got the money / Do you want a raincheck?" you can feel the raw emotion all the way down your backbone. Enjoy.

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 11 & 10

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Number 9

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 8 & 7

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Numbers 6 & 5

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#s 6 & 5)

2011-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Chugging right along. Second Drawer Up's Top Eleven Albums of 2010 continues, resembling a steaming locomotive loaded with nothing but the dandiest electronic goodies this side of Pluto (which is still a planet in my book)! Here are numbers 6 and 5 -- and remember, kiddies, that none of these albums are in any preferential order! Shall we?

MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS

THE CRYSTAL AXIS

Melbourne, Australia's own Midnight Juggernauts dropped their sophomore album The Crystal Axis May of last year, and frankly I feel as if they dodged what many consider to be the "dreaded sophomore curse". Any doubts about Vincent Vendetta, Andrew Szekeres, and Daniel Stricker being able to maintain their glistening prog-rock-meets-Vangelis sound were quickly dispelled by the opening number, "Induco", an instrumental introduction that would surely feel at home in an early-'80s science fiction film about a dystopian future. Here's what I wrote last year after having seen Midnight Juggernauts at the Lovebox Festival in London: "[It's] a hypnotic and soulful hybrid of 70s glam, soaring Ennio Morriconesque soundscapes, and spacey synths that would fit quite comfortably in anybody's music collection." Songs such as "This New Technology," "Cannibal Freeway," and (my favourite) "Winds of Fortune" really take their debut record Dystopia's musical direction further along this road lined with so much psychedelic lustre. It's fun, it's danceable, and above all it takes the listener to a dynamic, mythological place with (to quote Bryan Ferry) a rhythm of rhyming guitars. Excellent stuff, indeed. Now, here's "This New Technology" for your listening pleasure, gentle readers.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

THIS IS HAPPENING

There's a moment, three minutes and six seconds into the opening track "Dance Yrself Clean", that's a lot like the curtain effect at certain rock shows -- you know what I'm talking about; when a song builds and builds and builds, ratcheting up the anciness and expectations and potential bust-a-movers ... and then when that final note hits, then POW! it all begins in earnest and the beats kick in and the volume goes up ten-fold and the crowd goes fucking apeshit and the curtain that had previously concealed the band falls down to the stage with a crash and the lights go wild. So ... yeah, 3:06 into "Dance Yrself Clean" that happens. And once those cards are thrown down by James Murphy of DFA fame, then all bets are off the table. For here's his third (and, unfortunately, probably his last) album under the LCD Soundsystem moniker -- and he's going out with a bang, motherfuckers.

There is so much good on this album. There's the delightfully cynic track "I Can Change" ("... And love is a curse shoved in a hearse/Love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry/And this is coming from me."), flowing along effortlessly and -- while it's at it -- bringing to mind the Eurythmics' classic "Love Is A Stranger"; the punk-rock late-'70s boisterousness of "Drunk Girls"; "Pow Pow", which takes its usage and fetishism of cow-bells to dizzying heights; and "Home" which sounds like the soundtrack from an alien production of a western -- yet the film-making ETs were all on angel dust.

So. This Is Happening. Will it truly be James Murphy's last album as LCD Soundsystem? I certainly hope not, but if it is indeed true, it's not like he's going away, or anything. I picture him heading back to his producing chair in NYC's DFA HQ -- making fucking kickass music no matter what name he's doing it under. Thanks, James -- for going out with some class!

Here's "I Can Change", track five off of the aforementioned album. Enjoy!

SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010: Numbers 10 & 11.
SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010: Number 9.
SDU's Top Eleven Albums of 2010: Numbers 8 & 7.

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#s 8 & 7)

2011-01-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

And the ball keeps moving on Second Drawer Up's Top Eleven Albums of 2010! Let's jump right in, shall we? Numbers 8 and 7 were chosen through Facebook when I asked some friends to give me two numbers. Simple shimple, easy schmeasy peasy!

RöYKSOPP

SENIOR

When Torbjörn Brundtland and Svein Berge recorded their ebullient Junior in 2009, featuring a multitude of guest vocalists, soaring synths, partying beats, and, yes, a singular sensation of being young and carefree, they'd also put down on tape some more introspective and multi-layered instrumentals that really had no place on such a festive album. So they released in 2010 the followup to Junior: Senior. The Norwegian electro-artistes stated on their website:

"The two albums (’Junior’ and ‘Senior’) have a kinship, in that they represent Röyksopp’s two very different artistic expressions. ‘Junior’ – with emphasis on vocals, accessible melodies and harmonies, has the energy, the inquisitive temper and confident 'hey-ho, let’s go!'-attitude of youth, whereas ‘Senior’ is the introverted, dwelling and sometimes graceful counterpart – brimfull with dark secrets and distorted memories, insisting 'I’m old, I’ve got experince…'. Senior’ is furthermore an album about age, horses and being subdued – with devils breathing down your neck."

And here's what I wrote last year: "Flowing nearly seamlessly over nine tracks and 48 minutes, this entirely instrumental work shines with a languid and chill-out beauty. Hypnotic, meandering, and in no hurry, Senior would make a fantastic soundtrack to an imaginary sci-fi spaghetti Western film with lots of dramatic silences and speculative ennui."

Terrific album; very mellow, it plucks the heart's strings in just the right places, and -- even better -- it's a bit like brain food; Senior takes your mind to a fantastical place, like a spa, and massages your grey matter with tones and moods and feelings. It's just ... right.

Taken from the album, here's track 4, "Senior Living." My Gosh, it's a gorgeous song.

SCISSOR SISTERS

NIGHT WORK

Featuring a cover depicting Robert Mapplethorpe's 1980 photograph of ballet dancer Peter Reed's well-toned ass, and literally chockfull of sharp and edgy disco-saturated shenanigans, Scissor Sisters' third full-length, Night Work, was a direct result of a wholesale scrapping of eighteen tracks, that the band just couldn't coalesce behind. Lead singer Jake Shears fled to Berlin for a few months to "readjust" and it was there, in the sex clubs, cabarets, discotheques, and the music scene in general that a fire was lit in his imagination. Voilá -- a brilliant album was born. Taking its cue from the halcyon days of gay sex and partying before the spectre of AIDS reared its ugly head, Night Work straddles (ha) the fine lines separating pleasure and pain, love and death, joyousness and sadness, and the trials and tribulations of hooking up with strangers after a sweaty night out. The disco sensibilities they explored on their self-titled debut are all here, but turned up to 11. Title track "Night Work" sets off the proceedings with style and flair, complete with buzzing guitars, throbbing rhythms, and Shears' and Matronic's vocals overlaid on the catchy-as-fuck chorus. "Running Out" is probably my favorite song off this record, and my nominee for the next single! I'm telling you - this song soars, man. It's an incredibly, impossibly catchy piece of pop confectionary that seemingly has it all: sharp indie guitars courtesy of Babydaddy and Del Marquis, a fantastic disco beat, and chirping, swooping synths that bring to mind some of the best stuff that late 70's/early 80's Krautrock had to offer. Then on the darker side of things, there's the spooky "Sex And Violence," told from the point of view of a serial killer who kills gay men, trailing his next victim and singing how he's going to do the deed. Chilling. Ana Matronic has a solo song, "Skin This Cat" as well. Featuring a deep, progressive throbbing bass-line throughout with a fantastically fun 8-bit keyboard flitting about like a stoned butterfly, it's something of a turn-on when she purrs, "Here, kitty kitty, let's skin this cat."

Night Work. Simply divine; it's a monumental work.

SDU's Top Eleven: Numbers 11 and 10.

SDU's Top Eleven: Number 9.

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#9)

2011-01-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

Did you really think I wasn't coming back? Well, here's your #9 on the "Second Drawer Up's Top Eleven Albums of 2010" list. Oh, and it's a freaking doozy! I'm speaking of mash-up artist and party soundtrack maestro Girl Talk and the startlingly awesome piece of work he dropped in November, All Day.

GIRL TALK

ALL DAY

What do you get when you take 373 songs from every different spectrum of popular music, and then painstakingly overlap them -- and, in doing so, manage to create a veritable masterwork of mash-up heaven at the same time? Well, when Pittsburgh DJ and producer (there's a lot of those on my top eleven list, aren't there?) Gregg Gillis -- better known as Girl Talk -- did just that, he created what is quite possibly the ultimate party track of all time: a sprawling, loopy, demented, and thoroughly booty-shakealicious 72-minute track All Day. Holy crap, what else can I say about Girl Talk's 5th album, except to say that it fucking rocks? Featuring a stunning 373 samples (a full list can be found here) from acts that run the spectrum from 2 Live Crew to U2, to Depeche Mode and Flock of Seagulls, to Black Sabbath and Ludacris, and Cyndi Lauper to Bruce Springsteen to 50 Cent, All Day simply does not stop. It just goes and goes and goes -- and frankly my advice to you is to put it on at a party. That'll do it. And due to the fact that Gillis didn't ask permission to use any of the sampled tracks on this, All Day is available for a free download. Yep, you heard me. Free. There's no excuse to not have this in your collection, so go on down to Mr Gillis's production company Illegal Art's (ha) website and download it, already! Do it. You'll thank me later. Once again, with feeling: It's free.

Here's the first segment of All Day, featuring Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" delivered with Ludacris' "Move Bitch (Get Out The Way)". Holy crap, this album is fucking amazing.

SDU's Top 11 Albums of 2010! (#s 11 & 10)

2011-01-06T15:35:00.000-08:00

Hey there boys and girls -- the year 2010 is off like a cheap prom dress, and now is about the time to begin discussing important things like the best albums that have graced our eardrums here at Second Drawer Up HQ. It's been a bumper year for exquisitely exciting electronic music releases, and after a veritable shitload of listening, judging, and making up rules as we go along, we've finally chosen eleven (why eleven? because it's 2011, that's why) albums that really got us moving, thinking, feeling, and humming. Please note that these are in no particular order. I just wrote them on a pad of paper, numbered them, and then asked my wife to give me two numbers at random. Voilá -- SDU's complicated voting system finally revealed! So. Without any further ado, here are numbers 11 and 10 on my list. Enjoy, and check back often; I'll be plowing through this list throughout the weekend. Cheers, my lovely readers, and I hope you had a lovely and safe New Year's celebration!

11.

PANTHA DU PRINCE

BLACK NOISE

The first thing you might become aware of whilst listening to Pantha du Prince's stunning third full-length Black Noise is, that even amongst all the synths, drum programming, and samples that are on display, how bloody organic it sounds. Born Hendrik Weber, the Germany-based DJ and producer had long possessed an affinity for the mountains and the snow. After learning about subtle sounds on a register far too low for humans to hear -- black noise, as opposed to the white variety -- and how an avalanche can be caused by them. Maybe, he posited, black noise can also be a warning, as well? Black Noise began to be pieced together in the high-altitude atmosphere of the German Alps. Using samples of natural phenomena, and synthesizing the sounds of ice crystals, pressure, swaying trees, and the incidental noises of a sleepy alpine town unaware of the danger silently swooping down from above, Mr Weber has created a gorgeous, delicate, and infinitely serene piece of electronic music that is guaranteed to massage the mind, as well as the ears. From the achingly beautiful opener "Lay In A Shimmer" to the somewhat menacing "Stick To My Side" to "Welt am Draht" ("World on Fire", also a 1973 German science fiction flick directed by Rainer Werner), which turns up the urgency, Black Noise is one of those albums that rewards one through repeat listens from beginning to end. Putting it on shuffle doesn't work for this record. It's beautiful, it's a bit chilly, and it's majestic -- a mini-universe in its own right. Check it out. Now, here's Pantha du Prince's "Stick To My Side". Accompanied by Panda Bear from Animal Collective!

10.

CRYSTAL CASTLES

CRYSTAL CASTLES II

Oh, those tricksters from Toronto, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath! In May of 2010 they dropped their second full-length which, like their debut in 2008, is also entitled Crystal Castles. Formed when DJ and producer Kath witnessed the willowy Glass screaming her vocals at an audience at a punk show (she was in a band called Fetus Fatale), and then inviting her to record some vocals over some music he was putting together, Crystal Castles (not named after the video game, but rather the fortress She-Ra hang out in in He-Man and the Masters of the Universe) embraces a slew of different facets of electronica. There's the jagged edges of pure, unadulterated noise, accompanied with the shrieking yelps of the hyperactive and vicious Glass (opener "Fainting Spells") that acts a bit like the drill a dentist might wield, except instead of grinding away at your teeth, it bores a hole in one's cranium with no mercy. Then there's the soaring '90s-style synths and house rhythms of "Baptism" sampled with 8-bit video-game sound effects. "Violent Dreams" moves like a disturbing fairy-tale one might read to a child to give it bad dreams, and then there's "Not In Love", which is as close to Chris & Cosey as you can get, I think (and, I'm pleased to add, has been re-released with vocals by the one and only Robert fucking Smith of The Cure!). Crystal Castles II is an album fraught with danger; all sharp edges and uncomfortable moments. It's certainly not a safe album -- in fact, I'd go so far as to say that Crystal Castles have managed to place their electronic fingers on the bridge of the psyche that exists on a plane somewhere between regret, guilt, violent thought, sadness, and anger. It's an emotional roller-coaster, to be sure, and it's fucking magnificent. I can listen to this shit all day. Here's "Violent Dreams" -- enjoy!

So! There are numbers 11 and 10 from SDU's "Top Eleven Albums of 2010". Please stay tuned; there are still nine more to go! Will your favourite make it to the list? Do you have any comments or complaints? What are some of your favourites? Let me know -- I'd love to meet some of my readers. Take care, and talk soon. Numbers 9 and 8, tomorrow! Peace out.

R.I.P. Mick Karn.

2011-01-04T15:08:00.000-08:00

Sigh. I can't believe I'm typing this right now, but here goes. Mick Karn, prolific bassist for seminal Romantic band Japan, Peter Murphy's musical partner in side-project Dali's Car, and accomplished solo musician in his own right, has passed away Tuesday evening from advanced cancer.

There was always such an avant-garde approach to his craft -- his riffs could be recognized from a mile away, they were so distinctive; forceful yet delicate, intricate things. It really saddens me that he's passed on. From the brilliant debut Japan record Adolescent Sex of 1977, to 1981's Tin Drum (on which he played all the wind instruments, as well), to 1993's Bestial Cluster, to his work with Bauhaus' Peter Murphy as one third of Dali's Car (seriously: check out their 1984 album Waking Hour -- it's pretty freaking awesome), and his collaborations with the great Japanese artist Yoshihiro Hanno, Karn was all over the map, never satisfied with sticking to one genre or other.

He was a greatly talented muso, a renaissance man in his own right, and he will be fantastically missed. Rest in peace, Mr Karn -- and thank you so very much for all the great musical memories. Amen.

Here are a few of my favourite Japan tracks to share on this sad day.

japan

"adolescent sex"

adolescent sex

japan

"art of parties" live at the old grey whistle test '82

tin drum

japan
"life in tokyo"

And here's Karn with Peter Murphy in Dali's Car's "His Box" recorded live at the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1984.

Christmas Island.

2010-12-24T16:52:00.000-08:00

If I had to choose my favourite era of Depeche Mode (and I had a gun to my head, natch), I'd probably choose their "industrial" phase; the one they went through during the mid- to late-'80s. Construction Time Again, Some Great Reward, Black Celebration, and Music For The Masses rank as my favourite works of theirs -- and frankly, it wasn't just the A-sides of the singles that got my blood flowing. Often times during those years, they'd release the single, and then on the B-side there'd be two or three live tracks from a 1983 show at the Hammersmith Ballroom in London, and a "throwaway" instrumental that somehow didn't make it on the album. In 1986, when they released the 12" maxi-single of "Question of Lust" off of Black Celebration, they included for the B-side a most curious track: "Christmas Island," a very odd instrumental penned by both Martin Gore and Alan Wilder (which in itself was very odd; Gore was famously stingy about sharing songwriting credits with anybody).

Beginning with a background television set tuned to some kind of revolutionary recording, with a menacing throbbing synth building up in the distance, "Christmas Island" then proceeds to bust out some serious industrial EMB rhythms, filled with the brim (as was their norm back in those days) with sampled percussion, found sounds, and a distinctly dark overview. Christmas Island itself has been in the news quite a bit these last few months (over twenty-five Iraqi boat-people died horrifically in an incident off the northern coast of Christmas Island just under two weeks ago and set off in the Australian government a major rift over the laws of amnesty to asylum seekers from the Middle East and Asia), and the song is written about the island; but that's one of the things that make this track so listenable. What does it all mean? I'll tell you what: It's certainly not about tinsel and holiday trees.

Here's "Christmas Island" from our favourite boys from Basildon in 1986. Enjoy.

depeche mode

"christmas island"

a question of lust 12"

It's A Wham! Christmas!

2010-12-24T15:45:00.000-08:00

Recently voted as one of the "most irritating Christmas songs ever," Wham!'s "Last Christmas" sure does earn that accolade. But due to the fact that electronica, goth, new wave, and dance really don't have much in the way of holiday music (Depeche Mode's brooding "Christmas Island" might make an appearance later, though it has nothing to do with Yuletide caroling) -- so what can I do? Here's some schmaltz, and here's a very young George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley cavorting with young, pretty people on a ski holiday! Look at the hairstyles! Look at George's teeth!

Released in 1984 as a B-side on "Everything She Wants" for the coveted Christmas #1 spot in the UK, it was of course beat out by "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Wham! ended up donating all the money earned through sales to the Ethiopian famine, too, so bully for them! But my God, it's an irritating track, alright. But here it is, in case you dig it.

Love, and many happy holidays,
Second Drawer Up From The Left

wham!

"last christmas"

everything she wants 12"

Do They Know It's Christmas?

2010-12-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

Honestly, did you really think I wasn't going to have this track on my playlist? Now, a load of people out there have attacked this track, "Do They Know It's Christmas?", by noting that:

A) Indeed, rains do fall and there are in fact rivers in the mighty continent of Africa,
B) Many folks in Africa probably don't know it's Christmas, if only for the fact that they might not be Christians, and
C) The song itself, comprised as it was of a veritable who's-who of mid-'80s British pop royalty, was (and let's face it, it's kind of true) a little on the twee side.

Bono's impassioned lyric "Well, tonight thank God it's them ... instead of yoooooouuuuuu" notwithstanding, I'd like to just share it today, on baby Jesus' birthday. The sun is out and shining bright, galah parrots are taking wing from a small grove of gum trees, and a red-bellied black snake is sunning itself on a crag next to the neighbouring garden. 'Cos really, when one thinks of it, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" still has a pretty awesome calibre of coolness to it.

Written by Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) and Midge Ure (Ultravox) in order to highlight the plight of Ethiopians in the midst of one of the worst droughts of all time, "Do They Know It's Christmas?" was released 29 November 1984 and became the Christmas #1 single, selling over three million copies and becoming the (at the time) biggest-selling British single of all time (knocking "Bohemian Rhapsody" out of the water in the process). With John Taylor from Duran Duran on bass, Phil Collins (back when he was still kind of cool) on drum duty, Ure on keyboards, and Mr Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet on guitar, I really have to say that the music certainly outshines the lyrics.

And what a treasure trove of vocalists! There were the gals from Bananarama, Simon le Bon, Bono, Sting (back when he was cool), Paul Weller, George Michael (Wham!), Paul Young, Boy George (Culture Club), Adam Clayton (U2), Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Kool & the Gang, Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Martyn Ware (Heaven 17), the blokes from Big Country, and (recording their voices on tape and mailing to Geldof after the fact) David Bowie and Paul McCartney.

We here at Second Drawer Up HQ wish you, our dear readers, a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season! Thanks for reading, and keep in touch -- SDU's TOP 5 ALBUMS of 2010 are coming up, and boy oh boy are they corkers, or what?

So -- here's Band Aid and the single "Do They Know It's Christmas?". Enjoy!

band aid

"do they know it's christmas?"

Recycled Post! Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

2010-12-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

I swear this album just gives me shivers, it's so good. I've been incredibly busy juggling through the hoops set up by the Australian government in regards to immigrating, so I have to admit that I haven't been posting as much this month as I normally would. Don't worry, some new stuff is on its way! But for now, here's my review of "Organisation" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark -- probably one of my favourite albums of the '80s. Cheers, have a lovely day, blah blah blah. Talk soon.

Atmospheric. Majestic. Sombre. A dark-hearted cocktail of heartbreak and misery. With no further ado, I'd like to tell you, dear readers, about Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's second album, Organisation. Released in October 1980, I would be tempted to say that this is probably their bleakest release, especially coming so soon on the heels of their much poppier eponymous debut (which, in essence, was basically a faithful reproduction of their live shows up to date). What's rather interesting about Organisation, now that I think of it, is how the entire affair begins: with the energetic and quite poppy "Enola Gay." I'm pretty sure everybody, at one point or another, has heard this classic anti-war track. As we all know, Enola Gay was the airplane (USAAF B-29 SuperFortress) that dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, Japan on the 6th of August, 1945, instantly vaporizing (and slowly killing) 140,000 citizens. Even due to its grim subject matter, it's certainly the catchiest single on the album. Such a juxtaposition - noodling synths, an immensely hummable tune, and snazzy drumbeats layered over lyrics such as "Is mother proud of Little Boy today?" and "Aha, this kiss you give, it's never ever gonna fade away." And now that that story has been told, it's time to move on to the rest of the album.

When the German experimentalist band Kraftwerk (more, much more, on them later) played in Liverpool, UK in the October of 1975, a certain spark was ignited in the imagination of one Andy McCluskey, who, immediately after the show, knocked on the backstage door and introduced himself to the band. According to Wolfgang Flür in the BBC Four documentary Synth Britannia, McCluskey had said, "We've just been shown the future - we're going to throw out all our guitars, and buy nothing but synthesizers TOMORROW!"

And how that inspiration shows, in Organisation! Andy McCluskey, his long-time partner in music Paul Humphreys, and the permanent replacement for their drum-machine (lovingly entitled "Winston"), Malcolm Holmes, came together and created an interesting hybrid of pop music, electronic experimentalism, and industrial chic - all thrown together with a punk-rock ethos of, in Humphreys's words, "just go out there and do it, already!"

So they did, and, in the heyday of synth-pop, they put out a piece of art that's nearly unprecedented in its audacity and originality. It practically goes without saying that the surge of brilliant synth-pop that launched from the UK was mightily helped by acts such as OMD and others that sprouted like wildflowers from the bleak Northern towns during the rubbish end of the '70s, when Victorian slums began to be ripped down and replaced by the narrow and grey concrete high-rises of modern-day England.

Take a fine track like "Statues." The KORG sends a seamless stream of smooth doom in the background, as finely tuned harpsichord synths pluck and bend in the fore. An organ-borne clickety-clack drumbeat pulls gently, as the most forlorn and defeated vocals I've ever heard sag like dead orchids.

What is faith

And when belief

And who knows how

These things deceive;

I never said,

And though I tried

If I could leave,

I'd sleep tonight.

The song's just bloody haunting. There's such an imminent gloominess that lurks underneath everything, like a fungus you know grows under the most beautiful of gardens. And how the notes just hang there, and how, as the song fades into the ether, McCluskey's vocals just wail in pain, "I can't imagine how this ever came to be." Fade into nothing. Written as a post-humous dedication to Ian Curtis (15 July 1956 - 18 May 1980), I'd like to think that Ian himself would have been so fucking proud.

I'd like to make a quick side-note on how damn catchy "The More I See You" is, before I move on to the highlight of the album - "Stanlow." "The More I See You" is a subtle and somewhat funky marriage between Kraftwerk and Gary Numan. This immensely hummable track practically dares you not whistle its charms after hearing its lovely lilts and turns. It's also the only cover on the album, based on the 1945 single by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon. Like I said earlier in this paragraph, it's as catchy as all hell, and sometimes I'll find myself attempting to play the imaginary keyboard on the edge of my desk! Great love song, filtered through the emotive lens of early '80s synth-pop.

Which brings us to the final song on the album (unless you happen to purchase the remastered 2003 version, which has six extra tracks on it, including a nifty re-working of their first single, "Electricity"), "Stanlow." It's certainly rare to hear a love-song devoted to an oil refinery near Liverpool Bay, Merseyside, but here you have one. At six minutes, forty-one seconds long (of which the first two and a half minutes are comprised almost entirely of samples taken from within the refinery itself!), this is ... well, it's fucking amazing, is what it is.

I - I just can't do it justice. I'll let the final lyrics set the tone.
A morning comes just as it left

The warmer feeling seldom owned

And tonight all I see alone

And as she turned we always knew

That her heart was never there.

What does it all mean? Frankly, I've never been to Stanlow, nor have I experienced what it meant to have it in such close confines during the waning years of the '70s. But it must have been one hell of a landmark, to be honest, to have inspired such a beautiful, heartfelt paean. And, just when the lyrics and music fade away, the intense, heartless churning of the machine takes over once again and slowly disappears, as if into the River Mersey.
And this is one hell of an amazing album. And that, dear readers, is what I think of when I think of Organisation.

And I leave you now with OMD performing "Statues" in 1981. Enjoy, dear readers, and have good dreams.

Electro Classic Jukebox: Duran Duran.

2010-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

Two things. First, a heartfelt "thank you" to EMI Records for finally enabling embedding on their music videos. Truth be told, I'm not really sure what the issue with embedding was in the first place -- it's not like I was stealing the music and sharing it with somebody else without giving EMI their piece of the pie or anything like that! Rather, I like to think that the act of embedding music on a blog or a website actually is a form of free advertising for their "product," more than anything else. Somebody sees the blog, likes what they hear, and maybe -- just maybe -- they'll go to their local record shop or iTunes and make a purchase. Everybody wins, and blah blah blah. So thank you, EMI, for finally seeing the light. Embedding is not stealing. Yay.

Secondly, thank you to Chez Pazienza at Deus Ex Malcontent for posting Duran Duran today. Their 1982 masterpiece Rio, long a favourite album of mine, is mind-bendingly chockfull of brilliant moments, and always well worth a listen from front to back. Every song on this work is a highlight, whether it's the title track with its chorus "Her name is Rio, and she dances on the sand," the monumental minimalism of "The Chauffeur," the heady (and probably best-known) urgency of "Hungry Like The Wolf," or the out-and-out rock 'n' roll rollicking of "Last Chance On The Stairway." Rio is a work of genius, and frankly has not aged a day since it was released nearly thirty years ago.

For what it's worth, my favourite track off Rio is "Save A Prayer." It has racked up hundreds of plays on my iPod and iTunes; and that's not even taking into account how many times I've played it on vinyl, cassette tape, and CD. There's something magical about it -- is it the slightly Asian influence in the opening synths? John Taylor's immaculately performed bass riffs? Simon le Bon's mature and realistic musings on a one night stand? Is it how the entire band gels and performs a nearly 6-minute perfect pop song in a day and age where the norm was three and a half? Who knows? It's just a fantastic song. "And you wanted to dance, so I asked you to dance, but fear is in your soul / Some people call it a one night stand, but we can call it paradise."

Indeed.

duran duran

"save a prayer"

rio

The Crystal Ark.

2010-12-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Producer Gavin Russom is known by the nickname "Wizard" -- a moniker that's rather fitting, considering his flowing red mane of hair and his almost mystical ability to program, play, and build synthesizers. Also a member of DFA's ridiculously talented family of musicians, this gentleman from Providence, Rhode Island also sometimes performs as The Crystal Ark. His music, to me, represents a sort of subsonic melding of technological prowess and an almost organic, shamanistic spirituality that dives deep beneath the surface of the listener's subconsciousness and subverts the definition of reality, and how encapsulated the broader surface of life really is. And hey! It's fucking fabulous to dance to.

The Crystal Ark has released two EPs this year: The City Never Sleeps and The Tangible Presence of the Miraculous. Ten days ago, the video for "The City Never Sleeps" was released, and it's simply amazing. Directed by vocalist Viva Ruiz (whose hypnotic and chanty voice propels the transcendent track), this video has everything: Insomniac New Yorkers, old-school synths, spiritual quests, a shaman dancing on a table, and brilliantly realized animal costumes. And lasers! So yo, check this shit out.

The Crystal Ark - The City Never Sleeps from DFA Records on Vimeo.

Tron Legacy Light Show.

2010-12-05T16:33:00.000-08:00

From the good folk at io9:

This is some crazy, awesome shit. For most of late November and early December, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London, England was used as the canvas for a projected Tron: Legacy light show featuring the soundtrack from Daft Punk and sound effects from the film. Behold! Here's the 9 1/2-minute video of the proceedings! Man oh man, this kicks some serious ass. I remember seeing the original Tron in theatres when I was a young lad; in fact, that was one of those movies (E.T., Empire Strikes Back, and Predator are others that come to mind) that I went and saw, over and over and over again. I, for one, am frothing at the mouth to see this bugger -- I really hope it's as awe-inspiring to me as an adult as the original was when I was a child. Go, Tron Legacy! And go, Daft Punk! You guys were born to provide this soundtrack.

I recommend putting in headphones, or turning up your volume to full-blast. This is epic.

HP ePrint & TRON: Legacy projection mapping - complete animation from Guided Collective on Vimeo.

Art Vs Science!

2010-12-04T18:06:00.000-08:00

The year was 2007, and Dan McNamee had gone to see a Daft Punk concert in Sydney. Inspired by the techno spectacle (as well as anybody should!), he rang up two old high school mates, Jim Finn and Dan Williams, and proposed that they form a band. Art Vs Science was born, and the rest, as they say, is history. And I'm really, really impressed by what they've turned out so far.

There are many pleasant surprises that have engaged me during my stay here in Melbourne (if one is interested, then visit my Oz-ward Bound blog to read about my adventures trying to gain Australian citizenship). Victorian architecture, flocks of parrots, the colourful flora and fauna, the laid-back personality of the local population, and -- yes -- the nearly obscene wealth of fantastic electronic acts that have been formed here. From the Presets, to Severed Heads, to Cut Copy and Midnight Juggernauts, to Pnau and Empire of the Sun, to Grafton Primary and Infusion, and to Art Vs Science and Sean Quinn and many, many more, Australia has produced some of the more original and eclectic electronic soundtracks to grace my playlist in many a moon.

So, back to Art Vs Science. They formed in early 2008, and have so far released two EPs: 2009's Art Vs Science and 2010's Magic Fountain. Their first full-length (title TBA) will be released in February of 2011, and they've also covered Split Enz's "I See Red" for the new compilation record He Will Have His Way, a compendium of Tim and Neil Finn covers. They've also recorded a minute-and-a-half little ditty about bad breath for the Australian kid's science TV show Sleek Geeks (think about rhyming "halitosis" with "diagnosis"), and are currently on tour with Infusion and Sean Quinn (they hit St Kilda on the 10th of December at the venerable Prince Bandroom -- you should totally go)!

An enthusiastic and bombastic stew of experimental synths, disco-punk, and techno, Art Vs Science's music is fantastically catchy, a frenzied hodgepodge of forward-thinking boom 'n' bass 'n' noise. Utilizing guitar and bass and live drums, their work has something for everybody, including those music snobs who tend to steer clear of bands that "just noodle at keyboards and sequencers." But holy shit, there's a lot of fun to be had here. "Parlez-vous Français?" will not only get your ass moving on the dancefloor, but will also make you smile -- there's a lot of quirky humour on display. "Take Me To Your Leader" delves deep into Empire of the Sun territory -- it reminds me quite a bit of Mr Steele's "Swordfish Hotkiss Night." "Magic Fountain" maintains a serious Daft Punk sensibility throughout its hardcore bangin', and -- if you're listening to their Magic Fountain EP -- there's even a live cover version (recorded at Splendour in the Grass) of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's "Boom! Shake the Room" that's just ... fucking special.

OK, I've talked enough. Here's some music for y'all, my favourite readers in the whole wide world.

art vs science

"parlez-vous français?"

art vs science ep

art vs science

"magic fountain"

magic fountain ep

New Music: David Lynch.

2010-11-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

Well, what can I say? David Lynch, author, practitioner of transcendental meditation, producer and beloved writer and director of classic films such as Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, Dune (I know it was critically mauled, but dammit, I liked it), and Wild At Heart, can now add "electronic music composer" to his long and admirable resumé.

For on the 26th of November Mr Lynch released through iTunes a catchy little piece of pop confectionary entitled "Good Day Today." And here it is, for your listening pleasure!

Good Day Today by threeminutesthirtyseconds

What do you think? I quite like it -- it's got a cheery and pulsing beat, a groovy early '90s trance vibe going on, and Lynch's digitally distorted vocals seem so ... Lynchian, if you'll forgive me for using that term. "Good Day Today" chugs merrily along, and makes me smile. There's real hope and wonder going on in this track -- I love it. Kudos to Mr Lynch; he really is a Renaissance Man.

R.I.P. Leslie Nielsen.

2010-11-29T13:55:00.000-08:00

LESLIE NIELSEN

11 FEBRUARY 1926

28 NOVEMBER 2010

Any reader who regularly checks into Second Drawer Up knows that from time to time we enjoy showcasing comedy. So today we would like to take a moment to fondly wish brilliant comedic actor Leslie Nielsen farewell. He died peacefully in his sleep in a Ft Lauderdale, FL hospital the 28th of Novermber, 2010 from complications with pneumonia. Rest in peace, good sir; you were always a class act, and were funny as hell.

Though he began his career as a dramatic actor (Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure are two thrilling films of his that will live on indefinitely in the annals of time), it was his scene-stealing comic turn as Dr Rumack ("I am serious. And don't call me Shirley.") in 1980's fabulously brilliant Airplane! that sealed the deal and caused his comedic star to soar. From there, he played the overly serious and deadpan Detective Frank Drebin in the woefully short-lived TV show Police Squad!, and its cinematic brethren, the Naked Gun series of films. Following those were a series of rather silly send-up movies such as Scary Movie 3 (2003), Wrongfully Accused (1998), and Spy Hard (1996), that -- while not as blazingly hilarious as his earlier comedies -- were still pretty damn good, graced as they were by Mr Nielsen's thoughtful, deadpan comic timing.

There will never be another Mr Nielsen to grace our slapstick comedies, and I look back fondly at the heady days of Airplane! and Police Squad! with a wistful smile on my face. So here are some of my favorite bits of his! Enjoy, laugh, and take a moment to thank Mr Nielsen for all the laughs he provided through his tremendous talent. Cheers, Leslie! I hope you're making somebody laugh right now, wherever you are.

And while we're at it -- how about an entire episode of Police Squad!?

R.I.P. Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson.

2010-11-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

It is with great sadness that we at Second Drawer Up have learnt that Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson, one of the founding members of legendary industrial band Throbbing Gristle, its reincarnation as Psychic TV, and part of experimental troupe Coil, has died unexpectedly in his sleep Wednesday night the 24th of November. He was only 55 years old.

Many great things can be said about Peter. Alongside his stellar work with Throbbing Gristle, widely believed to have been the progenitor of industrial music, he is also credited with the first usage of a sampling machine onstage; which in itself is one hell of a fucking accomplishment. After the end of Throbbing Gristle, he and Genesis P-Orridge went on to form Psychic TV (whilst Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti went on their own for Chris & Cosey). A Throbbing Gristle fan by the name of Jhonn Balance joined Psychic TV and then, after a spell, Christopherson and Balance left and formed Coil - which, to this day, remains the be-all end-all of industrial electronica in my humble opinion. This partnership lasted over two decades, until the untimely death of Balance (who, ironically, fell off a second-floor balcony) in 2004.

Christopherson was also an accomplished music video director, responsible for videos by a disparate spectrum of musical acts, including Ministry, The The, Rage Against the Machine, Yes, Sepultura, Van Halen, and Paul McCartney (!).

No words I can write at this moment can completely convey how important Christopherson's contributions to the world of electronic music were. 55 years old?!?! That's just way too fucking young - no one in this dimension knows what else he could have done. So it is with a heavy heart that we here at Second Drawer Up HQ bid "Sleazy" a fond adieu. Rest in Peace, dear sir. You will be sorely missed.

UPDATE: Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti have written a lovely remembrance to their longtime friend and collaborator. You can read it here.

throbbing gristle

"valley of the shadow of death"

d.o.a: the third and final report of throbbing gristle

throbbing gristle

"d.o.a."

tg live vol. 2

coil

"windowpane"

love's secret domain

Album Review: Sigue Sigue Sputnik.

2010-11-21T15:39:00.000-08:00

Who knows what was going on in my mind yesterday when, whilst I was in the midst of doing some household chores, I thought to myself, You know what would be nice right about now? Sigue Sigue Sputnik. So, with me being a creature of instant gratification, I cued up their 1986 debut album Flaunt It and let fly! And I got to thinking, Hmm, does it hold up after 24 years? And the surprising answer is -- yes. Yes it does, and funnily enough, it almost sounds more apropos now as when it did back during the years of Reagan, the Cold War, and the burgeoning years of digitalism.

For here is an album that wears its star-fucking soul on its sleeve. It's no coincidence that the first time you hear Martin Degville's voice on album opener "Love Missile F1-11" he's saying over and over again, "I wanna be a star! I wanna be a star!"

Founded by Generation X and Lords of the New Church bassist Tony James, Sigue Sigue Sputnik (named after a Moscow street gang, whose name translates roughly to "Burn Burn Satellite") was originally a concept borne from a desire to capitalize on the rampant commercialism on display in popular culture -- and make a killing while at it. Choosing the rest of the band pretty much based on their looks (vocalist Degville was a clothing designer whose retail shop, Ya Ya, was ransacked for the band's crazy outfits), the next step was to find a motto. "Fleece the World" seemed appropriate, and then the theme -- "Hi-tech sex, designer violence, and the 5th generation of rock n' roll." Thrown into the mix was a futuristic dystopian world run by multi-national corporations in which instant gratification could be yours with the touch of a button (sound familiar?), and everything was ready to roll!

Tapping Ray Mayhew and Chris Kavanagh for drumming duties, Neil X for guitar, and Martin's co-worker at Ya Ya, Yana on synths and "club effects," Tony James had finally all his pieces put together. Now it was time to put together an album and sell it to the unwashed masses!

Taking their cue from science-fiction films, exotic international locales, video games, sex magazines, high-design, haute-couture, Japanese manga, and the all-mighty dollar, Sigue Sigue Sputnik's sound was all over the map. Featuring heavy-duty rock guitars, heavy and intensive percussion, drone-y insect-like sound effects, vocal distortions, liberal usage of samples from films (Dirty Harry, Blade Runner, and The Road Warrior featured large), and even advertisements for products real and imaginary dispersed between the songs, Flaunt It was (and still is) a wild roller-coaster ride through the fevered imagination of a world in which anything and everything is for sale. Tracks such as "Rockit Miss USA," "21st Century Boy," and "Massive Retaliation" are prime examples of all these disparate influences at work at the same time, and frankly, are just a shitload of fun. "High-tech sex and rockets, baby," indeed, Mr Degville! Does Moscow rock your baby? It sure does.

Highly recommended after all these years, I cannot stress enough how fun this album is. If you haven't already, then check it out by all means.

sigue sigue sputnik

"21st century boy"

flaunt it

sigue sigue sputnik

"love missile f1-11"

flaunt it

Album Review: Zola Jesus.

2010-11-18T20:52:00.000-08:00

STRIDULUM II

ZOLA JESUS

Wow. I mean, just ... wow. I really don't think I have the arsenal of words needed to describe this record and do it justice but, I'll try.

The story behind Zola Jesus' revelatory Stridulum EP and its fleshed-out followup LP Stridulum II begins with a chance viewing of a rather obscure film from 1979 called "The Visitor." Known also by its Italian title of "Stridulum," this whacked-out movie is essentially an LSD trip recorded on camera, centering around a young girl with telekinetic powers who possesses in her both the seeds for good, and the seeds for a powerful force of evil that may spell the end of civilization. Directed by Giulio Paradisi and with a cast featuring the likes of Mel Ferrer, Lance Henriksen, John Huston, Shelly Winters, and Sam Bloody Peckinpah, it's a weird cult film that was, shall we say, interesting.

This film, particularly a scene in which "Goodness," personified by John Huston, comes down from the sky in a cascade of doves and light and attempts to "wash away" the girl's bad side (and the accompanying soundtrack), did not go unnoticed by a young woman in Phoenix, Arizona named Nika Roza Danilova. Known by her stage name of Zola Jesus, and with ten years training of opera singing under her belt, she was inspired to record Stridulum and, as it turns out, one of the best albums of the year, hands down.

This is quite literally a thrilling album, deep and mysterious and full of emotion. From the opening number "Night" to closing time with "Lightsick," Danilova brings to mind the best vocal performances of Siouxsie Sioux and Kate Bush, splashing and dashing the flavour with sleek and dark synth brushstrokes and a mighty dollop of mezzo soprano classicism. Something dark and wounded in the night; a decision upon which balances the difference between success and failure; a heavy head, lost in the fog of confusion; and the blindness that careens from the deepest pits of despair -- this is not a happy record. But the music! And her voice! It soars and falls, like tendrils of the blackest smoke you've never seen ... it's a revelation to listen to. At times hopeful, at times bleak, and never, ever less than fascinating, Zola Jesus has created something strange and special -- something that, once heard, can change the way one listens to music. It's that damn good. Pay special attention to "Sea Talk." Like a funeral dirge backed by towering organs and a militaristic drumbeat, when Danilova sings, "Sick / I'm sick, honey / I don't, I don't got the money / Do you want a raincheck?" you can feel the raw emotion all the way down your backbone.

This powerful and emotive record is now officially a contender for Second Drawer Up's Album of the Year. Check it out, by all means. You won't regret it at all.

zola jesus

"sea talk"

stridulum ii

News From Röyksopp.

2010-11-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

Norwegian duo and perennial Second Drawer Up favourites Röyksopp have, a few months after the stealthy release of their fourth studio album Senior, finally announced their dates for the United States and Canada on their 2011 tour. And here they are:

Friday 18th March : Toronto, The Guvernment

Saturday 19th March : Montréal, Club Soda

Monday 21st March : New York City, Webster Hall

Wednesday 23rd March : Washington, DC, 9:30 Club

Thursday 24th March : Atlanta, Masquerade

Friday 25th March : Miami, Ultra Music Festival

So there you have it! True, it doesn't seem to be much of a stay in North America (and they're not visiting San Francisco??? Crazy!), but you know how these things work -- at some point they'll add dates, and (almost) everybody will be happy. I recommend visiting their site often and checking out the news ... things do change. Before I sign off on this lovely Friday morning, I'd like to ask you guys: Have you heard Senior yet? I'm listening to it right now, and it's a lovely, lovely piece of electronic work. When Torbjörn Brundtland and Svein Berge announced the followup to 2009's exuberant Junior, they stated that whilst Junior had an "emphasis on vocals, accessible melodies, and harmonies," Senior, they promised, would be the "introverted, dwelling, and sometimes graceful counterpart."

And how! Flowing nearly seamlessly over nine tracks and 48 minutes, this entirely instrumental work shines with a languid and chill-out beauty. Hypnotic, meandering, and in no hurry, Senior would make a fantastic soundtrack to an imaginary sci-fi spaghetti Western film with lots of dramatic silences and speculative ennui. Think of the best work of Angelo Badalamenti and Ennio Morricone (especially on the aptly titled "Forsaken Cowboy") run through a trance-y filter of smooth and haltingly gorgeous synths, and you might be close. This record is one for a nice night in -- light some candles, pour some champagne, snuggle up with that special someone on a sofa and gaze deep in their eyes ... yeah, you get the picture. I'd like to play for you now a special track off of Senior. Here is "The Drug."

röyksopp

"the drug"

senior