Thrill Jockey - ANIMAL MY SOUL

Tag Archive: Thrill Jockey

FUTURE ISLANDS : BEFORE THE BRIDGE

Filed under: Music — Leave a comment

September 17, 2011

I posted a video of the brilliant Baltimore trio Future Islands a while back and make no apology for posting another.

‘Before The Bridge’ is a track from the band’s forthcoming album On The Water released by Thrill Jockey records. It was directed by Abe Sanders who I presume is the same Abe who used to play drums for Jan Hunter’s band Lower Dens,

I find the video to be magical, mesmerising – so full of life and colour. It was shot in and near the house where the album was recorded earlier this year in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The house was built in 1914 and was home to Abe’s uncle Andrew Sanders, who ran the shipyard across the street. The book and scissors featured in the video have been there since.

Tags: Abe Sanders, Baltimore, Elizabeth City, Future Islands, Thrill Jockey

Comment

NEW GROUPER ALBUM AND JAPAN RECOVERY

Filed under: Good causes, Music — Leave a comment

April 7, 2011

Artwork for Grouper's A/A

Artwork for the Japan recovery compilation album.

After a three year semi- hiatus, the very wonderful Grouper (aka Liz Harris) returns in spectacular style next week with the vinyl and digital download release of a double album (A/A) on Monday, April 11th. The titles of the two discs are Dream Loss and Alien Observer.

In an interview for Pitchfork she says that “Dream Loss is a collection of older songs, mostly written before a hard time. Alien Observer, for the most part, is made of songs recorded after that time”.

If you can’t wait that long to hear something new from her, you will find one track – Cassiopeia (3:22) on the Thrill Jockey compilation Benefit for the recovery in Japan .

$15 will get you sixty-four artists from around the world and nearly five hours of music. Most importantly of all, 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this brilliant collection will go directly towards the recovery and relief effort after the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

preview Grouper’s A I A (gorillavsbear.net)
A Musical Guide to Japan Benefits and Valiantly Intentioned Fundraising Efforts, Featuring Thrill Jockey and Rebecca Black (blogs.villagevoice.com)
Natural Grouper therapy (Previous Animal My Soul post)

Tags: A/A, Grouper, Japan recovery, Liz Harris, Thrill Jockey

Comment

WE WALK IN PRECARIOUS WAYS

Filed under: Music, Poetry — Leave a comment

September 10, 2010

I’m really hooked on this song by the Baltimore trio Future Islands, all the more so after watching them perform it on You Tube. Samuel Herring has a remarkable voice – very mannered and thespian, like an English gentleman press-ganged into rock’n’roll.
This, together with the poetic drama of the song, make it irresistible.

It comes from their album An Evening Air on Thrill Jockey and a stripped down version also appears on a limited edition 12″ EP called Undressed. Here is the video (+ lyrics)

This is what I know / The canopy loss of our home / Is a far cry, while I’m away.

Tethered to finding a rope / We walk in precarious ways / And go alone at night / To Misery’s bed./In Misery’s bed, we stay.

So far away

Here in the tremble and pulse / With the rush and the weight of the world / I am a cannibal, known /Begging the lashes to break

You find me awake in a dream / A scream in the dark, so it seems / Or is that just how it leaves?
The shadow I cast now the breeze.

So far away

So this is how it goes / With the loss of our canopy home / That falls with the leaves from the trees / As we pass.

And I wasn’t there in the last / But I was surely there from the first / Here, in my chest where you burst / I keep the crush and the weight of the world.

So far away