Music // Wednesday Omnibus 2 (#blogboost)

From top to bottom, left to right.
Top albums of the last two weeks & Day 2 of the 30-day Challenge...

1. Talking Heads -77: Let's face is, Talking Heads are gold, let's also face that this album is on here because for the last 7 days I have had Psycho Killer on repeat... It has this really base primal quality to it, the very repetitive shallow, major toned sound. The chorus lyrics have this wonderful abstract quality, reminisce of a magic spell - "Psycho Killer / Qu'est ce que c'est / fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa / Better run run run run / Run run run away". It's tribal.
2. Cakes Da Killa - The Eulogy: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. How do you talk about this album!? It's like a beautiful bitch slap. A mix of angry, horny, melodrama, noise, hip hopy record of awesome. Ok, trying to be more precise than that is difficult, the samples used complement each track perfectly, instead of creating a new universe, they keep you gripped into every track, the french horns in Keep it Coochie are maybe my favorite. GETRIGHTGETRIGHTGETRIGHT.
3. David Byrne & St Vincent - Love This Giant: Speaking of horns... As Annie Clark said herself "This album has just so much brass". And oh boy does it ever. What a collab. The whole production has a golden timbre, the vocal harmonies strike a strange off-tune pitch adding a more sinister feeling to this upbeat LP, always playing on their various strengths, in particular St Vincent's fluttering vocal acrobatics.
4. Seasick Steve - I Started Out With Nothing And I Still Got Most Of It Left: I think for me Happy Man is really the defining track here. So utterly soulful, this whole ensemble effortlessly merges a kind of tragic let down with the hope of some one who has sat down, and reclining gently in the sun exclaims: 'Fuck It'. I think the title gives that away. This is really how I image the American Deep South would sound personified. Blues to the max.
5. Miley Cyrus - Bangerz: MILEY <3 For real though. But that's for another post (lucky you). Bangerz has not yet been released (for better or worse only time will tell) (I'm counting down). This has popped up here because Wrecking Ball has been rocking my commute, yo. I can't deal with her, I have so many feelings. For your pleasure I have linked below the Tom Brady version of Wrecking Ball, you're welcome. This track has BASICALLY EVERYTHING: a synthetic dance beat & the sound of heart brake. There is evidently lots at stake here with big "you're bleeding me dry" vocals. I like the very slow chorus beat, like you've been drinking since noon when the love of your life got on that train and you can't feel your feet any more. Yo it's banging.
6. Jools Holland and the Rythm & Blues Orchestra - Live Performance: So. Much. Jazz. I can't begin to comprehend the sheer skill require to execute these songs and if the technical brilliance isn't enough then the irresistible swing has to be. I've said it once, I'll say it again, you have to be dead for this to not get you moving. The whole concept of an R & B orchestra is outstanding, I love the musical dialogues that take place throughout the performance as different instruments take center stage and dictate the tune. I can't think of any thing more intelligent to say, just listen to this:
7. The Antlers - In The Attic of the Universe: So I only just listened to this today and my thoughts are still fledglings, after a first listen I think it's easy to say that I prefer their more recent albums, they sound more whole . I can't help but feel that this record doesn't take advantage of Peter Silberman's absurdly haunting, sensual and esoteric voice. If I could make love to voice, it would be his. I might make a top 5 actually.
8. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise: Epic, uplifting and completely soul destroying. Featuring delicate and empowering orchestral arrangements, this LP still has a lo-fi feeling to it, apparently it was recorded on tape (?). There is a child-like quality to these tracks, a naive wonder, like a being told a fairy tale for the first time, only this record is not telling you the tale, but is the sound track to your reaction. It's getting late.  
9. The Beach Boys - Smile: THIS HAS TO EASILY BE ONE OF THE BEST COLLECTIONS OF SONGS EVERY WRITTEN OR RECORDED. That's that.

...So more of that next Wednesday! I have to remember to write this up earlier in the day to ensure maximum eloquence... You can check out  last week's Wednesday Omnibus here :)

Also, if you're on last.fm then hook me up -- katelightning !

Hope you are enjoying, this is going to be a pretty intense 30 days I am coming to realise!

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Thanks for stopping by! :) Here's Tom: