The Swingers - "Counting the Beat". It's Labour Day and here's a song for the labourers. Or rather for the labourers who aren't labouring. The ones lifting crates or typing memos who get distracted mid-crate, mid-memo, staring off into space. There's a girl or a boy in the glaze of their eyes, a skip in their heart, a tap in their toes. Can't get anything done, no, they're too much in love; fire the bosses, go on strike; call in sick, smash the timeclock; scamper dancing all through the warehouse, all over the office, til' the weekend. (Thanks Jessica!) [out of print]
Langhorne Slim - "Spinning Compass". And then something a little more Monday. "Spinning Compass" sounds like an overture, an introduction, a first date. Like a first & a beginning. Then again, here's the thing - it ain't. Listen to the lyrics. So here's a song for turning not-beginnings into beginnings, turning dead ends into open roads. Turning cello and accordion into a crop for your horse. [buy]
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Elsewhere:
Montrealers, take note! Silver Jews play Sala on Wednesday night!
Owen Pallett pointed me to the weirdoness of this synthesiser blog.
A beautifully presented mixtape of Tim Hardin covers.
A bizarre, luminous, sci-fi music video for Jay Bharadia's marvelous "Snowy Day".
The Record of the Week Club is a terrific project out of Winnipeg where all sorts of local musicians get together on a Wednesday night and then have to record a song before they can leave. Many fascinating things! Though of course I am most partial to "Keewatin Arctic", featuring the Weakerthans' John K Samson, Inuit throat-singer Nikki Komakslutiksak and electronico Blunderspublik.
And at the Lifted Brow, Christopher Currie is writing stories inspired by titles or prompts from other folks. They've now published "The Flannerys", his response to my challenge: A story that talks about one hundred and twenty women, all individually named, and never more than 10 named at one time (ie, in reference to the same thing/in sequence). Or is that too complicated?
Posted by Sean at September 1, 2008 12:16 PMIf I was working somewhere that sounded like Counting The Beat, I'd be too nervous to gaze off into space mid-task, girl or boy or no - the song's got an achingly mean la-da-de-la riff and the boss is probably watching us all from behind that one-way-glass window of his, a splintered baseball bat in his hand.
Wouldn't be surprised if he calls it Out Of Print, too...
Posted by Ryan at September 1, 2008 7:26 PMThanks for mentioning the Record of the Week Club! The Winnipeg music happenings rarely get mention on blogs from the larger of the provinces.
One of the participating artists, the but recently recorded Demetra Penner, has some tunes I think you might like, particularly "Arctic Sea". She is at present more known for her visual than her aural art, but she's got a fantastic, haunting voice. Listen here: http://www.myspace.com/tidessweetlyrolling. If you like.
Posted by Julia T at September 4, 2008 12:12 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
