hi there, thanks for bearing with the unbelievably long hiatus. i've had a good rest, and much time to think about what in the world i wanted to do with this site. well, it's been immensely enjoyable sourcing and sieving through numerous news sources to present only the most newsworthy bite-sized bits, but somehow, people have responded much more favorably for the regular (or so it claimed to be) songs of the week.
as such, i've decided to continue hysterical and useless as a platform solely for introducing artistes that deserve much more recognition than what they currently receive. even if they are big already, there will be other reasons for presenting them. this will emerge in the form of a regular (ah, yet again, the laughable claim) feature artiste. i will attempt to introduce the background and music of the artiste, very much in the same way that i've been doing for the late-song-of-the-week, but hopefully in greater detail, more inspiring content, and perhaps, even with more disciplined regularity. but since i can't promise anything, the time frame will remain open, and i'll update it as much as i can.
hopefully, this will give you a fuller idea of the music i love, and what exactly draws me to it. instead of trying to explain what my influences/ interests are, i'll let these feature artistes and the music they bring speak for themselves, and to a certain extent, on my behalf as well.
with love,
morgan hoax.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
FEATURE ARTISTE: HER SPACE HOLIDAY
her space holiday is basically marc bianchi, who has been working under that title since 1996, creating dreamy soundscapes that form the canvas for painting his bittersweet pictures of life, interestingly described by pitchfork as "digital shoegaze pop songs". matt's penchant for crafting pieces that shuffle effortlessly between organic loops and gentle symphonies is particularly notable.
his latest effort young machines sees a relocation to the underground hip-hop mush label whilst staying distributed by the uk indie wichita label. file under: melancholic ambient.
selected discography
home is where you hang yourself (2000, wichita)
manic expressive (2001 wichita)
the young machines (2003, wichita/ mush)
mp3's
the luxury of loneliness
read more:
official site
wichita recordings
dirty loop music
morgan c. hoax |
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
FEATURE ARTISTE: KELLEY STOLTZ
jackpine social club, kelley's label describes him as "obsessed with traffic cones. this much you should know about him". somehow, there has to be a bit more to it. kelley started off playing for his first band in detroit, and later moved to new york to work as an intern for jeff buckley. and after buying his first 4-track, he recorded his first record the past was faster in 1999 for the telegraph company record label, and subsequently self-released a follow-up album antique glue on vinyl with hand painted covers. smacking of indie all over.
my first impression listening to kelley stoltz was the instant connection with nick drake- the mellow strings and morose vocals weaving through a slipstream of wondrous drone. but he goes beyond drake to create some dense atmospheric resonances as well, intensifying and building up upon the mere driftings. perhaps psychadelia authority ptolemaic terrascope says it best by describing his music as invoking "beefheart trashcan blues, 60's garage with shortwave. think gorky's and mercury rev. think stumptone meets tom waits produced by the chocolate watch band. 'perpetual night' is 'here comes the sun' if phil spector had produced it with the radiophonics workshop".
indeed the bold psychadelic revelry reminds one of how the volatile mercury rev stood out with the debut blow of yerself is steam, and antique glue definitely stands out embodying that mould of richness without letting go of the gentler subtleties. stoltz is certainly an artiste to look out for in the future.
discography:
the past was faster (1999, telegraph company)
antique glue (2003, jackpine social club)
mp3's:
mean marriane (courtesy of jackpine social club)
perpetual night (courtesy of kelley stoltz)
read more:
kelley stoltz's homepage
jackpine social club
morgan c. hoax |
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
THE HYSTERICAL AND USELESS TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2003
after a somewhat lacklustre start to the new millenium, the music seems to be picking up quite a bit, isn't it? but as it has been all the way, it gets more and more difficult to sieve out the gems from the thrash, but here's an attempt at recording my ten favorite albums of the year, limited of course to my humble cd purchases this year. in no way can this be considered representative of all the albums released this year, but at least we're giving it a go. cheers.
1. radiohead- hail to the thief
one may speculate on how the title (which is also part of the opening song 2+2=5) might be a reference to piracy, but this album certainly goes beyond making a statement. instead, it offers a comprehensive cummulation of radiohead's past work, building upon it and weaving it together for what might be their last album. embracing the experimentation of their later work whilst maintaining the rock sensibilities of their earlier efforts, haif to the thief gives a complete picture of what the band has achieved and a peek into what we might be in store for in the future. it may not compare to the dazzling heights reached by ok computer, but it's certainly one heck of an album.
2. grandaddy- sumday
picking up from where the sophtware slump left off, grandaddy remains intrigued with technology, but what shines through has to be the resonant warmth of the whole record. a perfection of the sound they've been developing over the years, sumday is a record showing the band most confident at what they do best, from jason lytle's airy but intimate vocals to the pristine mix and arrangements that make it such a pleasant joy to dwell in. sweet, wistful, poignant and peaceful all at once.
3. the thrills- so much for the city
having only recorded an ep prior to this, the thrills show much maturity in their full length debut. you might find it hard to believe the group hails from dublin when witnessing such unabashed summer-drenched beach boys pop that would have made brian wilson blush but still give his two thumbs up. laden with catchy bite sized melodies and hooks, the band brings us through summer in the states, fondly recalling santa cruz, hollywood kids and even comparing love to las vegas. lots of promise and potential in store from this group.
4. silver mt zion- this is our punk rock
their previous album witnessed the addition of the memorial orchestra to the sparse set up, and this time, a whole choir is introduced, as indicative in the longer band name (not reflected above simply because i can't be bothered to type it all out). the trio from gy!be expand their protest with the help of lush string instrumentation and choral grandeur. this isn't punk music sonically, but the message and statements made are certainly more punk than what most punk bands today have to offer. you'll have to be devoid of all feeling if this doesn't melt your heart and stir something inside.
5. blur- think tank
splitting with graham coxon isn't exactly the best move blur made, but they've shown their resilience and innovation with this 7th album, reinventing themselves once again from the kinks influenced parklife and great escape, to the pavement nod college rock burst of the eponymous album, the experimental orbit-managed dabblings of 13, and now to the strings and morrocan beat of think tank. borrowing much from damon's recent stint with the mali musicians, blur show us a more intimate side without ending up sappy. a band that surely won't go out of time.
6. the wrens- the meadowlands
it's been a 7 year wait, but the indie rock veterans have finally returned with their much anticipated follow up to secausus, and quite bravely live up to the hype. tight guitar arrangements fuse seamlessly with the melodic piano tinklings, and occasionaly voyaging left of the dial with some effects and experimentation. amazingly balanced and immensely beautiful.
7. mogwai- happy songs for happy people
it's not anything strikingly original, but mogwai have really mastered their craft in the climatic roars of the battered and much slandered genre of post rock. while gy!be records thrive on manifesto-driven themes, mogwai aren't ashamed to dish out the overwhelming buildups, unashamed of not having any ulterior motive behind the music. happy songs for happy people is ironically a rather dark album, but show much depth for the guys who shouldnt just be known for selling "blur are shite" t-shirts.
8. belle and sebastian- dear catastrophy waitress
after the relative disappointment of fold your hands child, the shy scotts rebound with the lightly floating melodies they are best known for in beautifully crafted albums like tigermilk and if you're feeling sinister. the production of trevor horn (the buggles) is evident here, bringing the band deeper into the 70's pop sound without ending up awfully cheesy. not their best album, but i love them so much they've gotta be in this list.
9. the observatory- time of rebirth
a local album making the top ten? well about time i must say. the combination of leslie's haunting vocals and folk mummurings with evan's ambient direction is absolutely enchanting, lifting the listener to a higher place while keeping him close by their side. time of rebirth might just be a demo release for the moment, but it works well enough the way it is. wondefully crafted
10. spiritualized- amazing grace
jason pierce's perpetual facination with religion, love and drugs continues to be fed in this latest effort, which moves away from the overbearing orchestral arrangements to the raw and dirty sounds that are more reminscent of the unparalleled energy of their live shows. as with what they're best known for, gospel hymns are fused with damaged rock, and the result is yet again destrucively beautiful.
morgan c. hoax |
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