Photocopica

I Spooned With Kimya Dawson

2007-09-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

Wow, another post in this blog!? I'm a madman! Right, down to business...
A newly found beauty in my life is the incomparable Kimya Dawson. I presently have two of her several albums: I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean and her latest Remember That I Love You. She is an antifolk artists living in Olympia, Washington with her husband and baby girl. Like many antifolk artists, she sings quietly and all but mellifluously, although, with her soft guitar rhythms, she produces a soothing and nurturing sound when joined.

She often sings about "the state of things" and many times how she views herself and how she thinks others see her but in an unabashed sense. The way she comes about voicing her lyrics makes her seem maternal and kind of like she's telling a children's story or a nursery rhyme. I whole heartedly suggest at least one of her albums. She can make you the saddest or the happiest person in the world. Her stories are true to life but at the same time, can give a fairy tale way about them. You should check out her site and her Myspace.

Two Elephants

2007-07-22T09:56:00.000-04:00

Sorry I don't post often enough, but that's partly because no body actually reads this blog. Anyway, today's review is really special. They are an Icelandic band called Múm. They band name, I'm pretty sure, isn't Icelandic or anything, but makes the image of two elephants holding trunks? Something like that. But anyway, their music is generally indie/electronica with a slight ambient tone when the vocals are added.

They're music is general mixed with the variety of experimental tracks they record. You'll usually never hear the same version of the same song often, especially when played on the radio. They like to make a lot of remixes of their own work several times over, probably because that's where they get their "finished" copies of the tracks they publish. Most of their songs are for atheistic value, giving off a mood or tone which can then be interpreted anyway by the title - which are sometimes very interesting. This is probably because they vocals that are in the song are often a droning or a repetitious chorus that is more of an instrument than a voice that is speaking or conveying an idea. Several tracks from their new album Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy include titles like: Blessed Brambles, They Made Frogs Smoke 'Til They Exploded, and Dancing Behind My Eyelids which won critic acclaim for its catchyness and its different approach to its vocals.

After looking into the band I found out that there have been many members and people that have helped make their music. When they founded in 1997, they were four including Gunnar Örn Tynes, Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason and the twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir. Gyða recently left the band to continue studying in Reykjavík. Now the members only consist of Gunnar, Örvar and Kristín. Being an experimental music band, they're members tend to fluctuate as new things are added and tried.

To describe how their music is in a general sense, I'd have to say mercurial. Sometimes its very "experimental" and you have to listen carefully and many times before anything emerges from the music. Other times its very strait-forward and fun to listen to. The tack above Dancing Behind My Eyelids is one of these fun and catchy melodies. Also, it gives a much more lyrical approach to the songs center or "soul." It's a good example of their music.

Fansite

Like my math teacher?

2007-04-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hello Everyone,
Due to the good taste of a friend, I, again, have a new artist that is just fantastic! Her name is Anni Rossi. Which is kind of weird and her name even sent bells off in my head because my math teacher's last name is Rossi and Anni Rossi kind of resembles her... so for a while I was getting the chills from the thought of my math teacher playing viola and stomping her feat! Oh! And by the way, that is what she does! Yes, yes. I wouldn't want to group her because I do not know If she would appreciate that, but she kind of falls into the freak-folk category. She might kill me if she read this because she may consider herself just normal folk, or indie, or alternative, or even experimental... I really don't know what she considers herself, but I will say that her composition of her music sounds a lot like Joanna Newsom. Just the composition! You'd have to minus the harp, add the viola, and possibly damage her vocal chords to get the same sound that Joanna gives.
So anyway, you should really check her out. Of course, there in lies the problem with Anni. It's like she doesn't exist! With the exception of MySpace, there is not one place I could find about her and her music. I also can't find anywhere to buy her album, Scandia or download her music (I definitely suggest buying her album though, she's a struggling artist). There are also some YouTube links I found that have her performing at some gallery in the SF Bay area, I think. Wheelpusher is a great song, and I suggest that if you go to her myspace page, you listen to the recorded version. And another, this one is a cover of "Creep," by Radiohead, another really good song.
I've found sites where I can order her album, but they're all "B" grade, shady sites that I don't even want to be looking at. So, I am kind of scared to order from them... I bet she has fan-sites (although I am yet to find any) but of course, I'm just too lazy to look thoroughly, so if at all you like her and/or find a good site to buy her CD or a fan site or anything like that... please do not hesitate to comment!

Your Nomadic Wheelpusher,
~Sir December

::EDIT::

OK! I have the CD now... and it's absolutely incredible! I seriously suggest that you buy it! It is really fantastic. All of the tracks are great, and I personally like Ecology and Glaciers. They're fantastic songs!

Useless Crap

2007-03-31T09:38:00.000-04:00

Hi There!
So this blog i have created in all seriousness (not really) to post and/or show all of my useless crap that I find or that I want to share. I think that this isn't a bad idea considering that I often find a lot of useless crap on the internet or just things that poeple might like to see or whatever... So i'll start posting things about music, films, and other things of the like. I'll probably end up posting stuff from sites that have a lot of funny or cool shit that would be good for a quick peek.

~Sir December