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A Special Snowflake
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2010
- Posts
- 8,092
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- 1,212
Updates: Haven't been too well this past month, so there've been little in the way of updates on my part. I have a lot I'd like to talk about in the coming weeks. Anyway.
12.5.14
Mr. Twin Sister - Mr. Twin Sister
Great is my affection for this band. On their early EPs Twin Sister [Without The Mister] found their way into my heart with their delicate, wispy, and spacious pop rock songs that had just enough bizarre detail to set them uniquely askew. Songs like "All Around and Away We Go," "Lady Daydream," "Phenomenons," and "I Want a House" which are now indie classics as far as I'm concerned. Later on they sounded more focused and diverse in their range of stylistic cues, with nods to synth funk and overt electro pop throughout their 2011 full length, In Heaven. The track that really floored me though was "Hindoo House," the remains of a recording session that was accidentally wiped off the face of the earth; a mediocre quality MP3 was all that remained. Still, what was left had a nocturnal, chilled atmosphere and sounded like a spaced out techno reduction, only filtered through the band's twee lens. It pointed to an exciting direction for Twin Sister, as I could listen to a whole album of that stuff on repeat.
"That's Mister Twin Sister to you!"
A rose might smell as sweet, but for bands a name change often suggests a change of character. In this case it's the old name plus a new title, or rather multiplied by a new title; the 'mister' here turns the name both into a rhyme and a gender fudge. Of course, it's not all from scratch. For starters "Hindoo House" shows up under a new, reworked guise titled "In the House of Yes." Bits and pieces are familiar, but this is Twin Sister after three or four drinks. The androgyne suggested by the title appears with an 'inner voice' of masculinity on "Out of the Dark" and the pulsating "Twelve Angels," expressed by male and female vocals overlaid atop each other, an effect that's a little needlessly creepy but one that still works on some level.
If there's one defining trait that sets Mr. Twin Sister apart from its un-titled predecessor, it's a newfound confidence in these moments. These tracks are sonically right there on the dance floor and no longer gazing at the particles of dust drifting in beams of sunlight. Curiously enough though, a newfound sense of vulnerability and self destruction seem to emerge from not too far beneath it all. After the icy, whispering excess of "House of Yes," it all gets laid bare on the neon soaked moments of "Blush" which invokes the wisps of smoke rising from a bar ashtray. If there's any affirmation to be offered, it comes through for me in the occasional glimmers of a youthful voice that played on old tracks like "Phenomenons." It's a sign of lingering genuineness, of the 'me' that exists beyond a series of artificially lit nights.
The sweeping arpeggios of intro track "Sensitive" and spacious guitar twang of closer "Crime Scene" are interesting bookends; the latter in particular has the most Twin Sister Without-The-Mister feel to it. At least until it unleashes a chorus of late 90s Flaming Lips esque chants? ...Cool.
Gotta love the faux Yeezus (Sisteezus?) album cover art too.
. - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - .
Chance the Rapper's latest material under the banner of 'The Social Experiment' is really intriguing. First there's the melancholy "Ain't No Better Blues" which finds him sharing an impossibly inclusive list of things he hates. The title could refer to his in-song lament that things aren't getting better, or it could be a self aware jab at blues singing: there ain't no better blues than someone who hates everything. Either way, it's an oddly infectious track considering its spareness and seeming offhandedness. Chance always had a true knack for packing a lot of emotion into his bars; this shows that even when he's just reading off a list of things, the guy can make hearts hurt. In an age where 'emotional rap' consists of voice mail samples, this stuff is golden.
Next there's "Sunday Candy" from his forthcoming album with The Social Experiment entitled Surf. This is more like the Chance people know and love: vibrant and on point with personal and cultural observations all wrapped up in playful delivery. There's also an undeniable weirdness to the track that will make most rap fans raise an eyebrow. Namely the soaring trumpets and dup step break downs that would fall flat for anyone else. With Chance it's transformed into a soaring gospel hit.
. - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - .
James Blake has a new single due out called "200 Press," the name of which comes from its limited vinyl pressing. To be honest, James Blake has always been one of the most hit or miss artists for me personally; he's really on when he's on, but when he's not it's completely forgettable. But man when he's on though. Tracks like "Footnotes," "Tell Her Safe," "The Wilhelm Scream," and "Fall Creek Boys Choir" have pretty much secured his place in contemporary electronica's pantheon. Now "200 Press" can be added to that list. It has a deceptively simple beat that struts around deep sci-fi club synths, shaking its butt from side to side while Acid Trax type vocal samples deliver robotic hip hop commands. In a way it sounds like James Blake covering Machinedrum, which is fine in my book. If anything it's good to hear him exercising his found sound sampling chops and nurturing his talent for putting together.simple but infectious beats. Enough with the white boy R&B piano recital already.
On the other end of the same spectrum---from the minimal to the maximal---the latest mixtape from How To Dress Well is pretty impressive. Entitled You and I Are the Same, this far reaching mix features FKA Twigs, Philip Glass, Akron/Family, Dean Blunt, The Microphones and many others thrown into a blender and gussied up... or rather, dressed well.
https://soundcloud.com/howtodresswell/you-and-i-are-the-same
12.5.14
Mr. Twin Sister - Mr. Twin Sister
Great is my affection for this band. On their early EPs Twin Sister [Without The Mister] found their way into my heart with their delicate, wispy, and spacious pop rock songs that had just enough bizarre detail to set them uniquely askew. Songs like "All Around and Away We Go," "Lady Daydream," "Phenomenons," and "I Want a House" which are now indie classics as far as I'm concerned. Later on they sounded more focused and diverse in their range of stylistic cues, with nods to synth funk and overt electro pop throughout their 2011 full length, In Heaven. The track that really floored me though was "Hindoo House," the remains of a recording session that was accidentally wiped off the face of the earth; a mediocre quality MP3 was all that remained. Still, what was left had a nocturnal, chilled atmosphere and sounded like a spaced out techno reduction, only filtered through the band's twee lens. It pointed to an exciting direction for Twin Sister, as I could listen to a whole album of that stuff on repeat.
"That's Mister Twin Sister to you!"
A rose might smell as sweet, but for bands a name change often suggests a change of character. In this case it's the old name plus a new title, or rather multiplied by a new title; the 'mister' here turns the name both into a rhyme and a gender fudge. Of course, it's not all from scratch. For starters "Hindoo House" shows up under a new, reworked guise titled "In the House of Yes." Bits and pieces are familiar, but this is Twin Sister after three or four drinks. The androgyne suggested by the title appears with an 'inner voice' of masculinity on "Out of the Dark" and the pulsating "Twelve Angels," expressed by male and female vocals overlaid atop each other, an effect that's a little needlessly creepy but one that still works on some level.
If there's one defining trait that sets Mr. Twin Sister apart from its un-titled predecessor, it's a newfound confidence in these moments. These tracks are sonically right there on the dance floor and no longer gazing at the particles of dust drifting in beams of sunlight. Curiously enough though, a newfound sense of vulnerability and self destruction seem to emerge from not too far beneath it all. After the icy, whispering excess of "House of Yes," it all gets laid bare on the neon soaked moments of "Blush" which invokes the wisps of smoke rising from a bar ashtray. If there's any affirmation to be offered, it comes through for me in the occasional glimmers of a youthful voice that played on old tracks like "Phenomenons." It's a sign of lingering genuineness, of the 'me' that exists beyond a series of artificially lit nights.
The sweeping arpeggios of intro track "Sensitive" and spacious guitar twang of closer "Crime Scene" are interesting bookends; the latter in particular has the most Twin Sister Without-The-Mister feel to it. At least until it unleashes a chorus of late 90s Flaming Lips esque chants? ...Cool.
Gotta love the faux Yeezus (Sisteezus?) album cover art too.
. - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - .
Chance the Rapper's latest material under the banner of 'The Social Experiment' is really intriguing. First there's the melancholy "Ain't No Better Blues" which finds him sharing an impossibly inclusive list of things he hates. The title could refer to his in-song lament that things aren't getting better, or it could be a self aware jab at blues singing: there ain't no better blues than someone who hates everything. Either way, it's an oddly infectious track considering its spareness and seeming offhandedness. Chance always had a true knack for packing a lot of emotion into his bars; this shows that even when he's just reading off a list of things, the guy can make hearts hurt. In an age where 'emotional rap' consists of voice mail samples, this stuff is golden.
Next there's "Sunday Candy" from his forthcoming album with The Social Experiment entitled Surf. This is more like the Chance people know and love: vibrant and on point with personal and cultural observations all wrapped up in playful delivery. There's also an undeniable weirdness to the track that will make most rap fans raise an eyebrow. Namely the soaring trumpets and dup step break downs that would fall flat for anyone else. With Chance it's transformed into a soaring gospel hit.
. - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - . . - ~ - .
James Blake has a new single due out called "200 Press," the name of which comes from its limited vinyl pressing. To be honest, James Blake has always been one of the most hit or miss artists for me personally; he's really on when he's on, but when he's not it's completely forgettable. But man when he's on though. Tracks like "Footnotes," "Tell Her Safe," "The Wilhelm Scream," and "Fall Creek Boys Choir" have pretty much secured his place in contemporary electronica's pantheon. Now "200 Press" can be added to that list. It has a deceptively simple beat that struts around deep sci-fi club synths, shaking its butt from side to side while Acid Trax type vocal samples deliver robotic hip hop commands. In a way it sounds like James Blake covering Machinedrum, which is fine in my book. If anything it's good to hear him exercising his found sound sampling chops and nurturing his talent for putting together.simple but infectious beats. Enough with the white boy R&B piano recital already.
On the other end of the same spectrum---from the minimal to the maximal---the latest mixtape from How To Dress Well is pretty impressive. Entitled You and I Are the Same, this far reaching mix features FKA Twigs, Philip Glass, Akron/Family, Dean Blunt, The Microphones and many others thrown into a blender and gussied up... or rather, dressed well.
https://soundcloud.com/howtodresswell/you-and-i-are-the-same
