#ofmontreal #music #boston
these are the ten albums/eps i’ve been kind of obsessed with lately. i uploaded them and wrote a little bit about them so you guys could get obsessed too.
the moth and the flame - selftitled
though dreamy, strange, beautiful, moving, selfaware and excellently produced, this band already doomed itself to the unrelatable stuff of legend in a bold, noble, and perhaps ultimately unwise move by choosing to only distribute their music thru physical copies.. due to a simple stubbornness not unfamiliar to any scene that involves moody artists with a vision and no label to confine it: they insist that the artwork accompanying the album plays a key part in the experience they’re not willing to risk giving up. luckily, the music itself remains unpretentious and agreeable with delicate plucking, lush percussion and soft, layered vocals not unlike radiohead’s pyramid song or everything in its right place. this album is the product of genuine artistry and drops subtle nods at its forefathers in experimental dream pop (entitled) without imitating. and! at only 41 minutes total, it’s definitely worth at least a listen.
if you like: gardens & villa, grizzly bear, local natives
gardens & villa - selftitled
a dream pop/glofi album from a former noise-punk band, this album encompasses every musical fleetwood mac reference beach house has dropped over the years with guitar tones and opulent vocals (orange blossom) and raises them with almost twin peaks-esque eeriness (cruise ship) and the unintentional sexiness that bands like depeche mode, the cure and the smiths managed to croon out in front of synths (star fire power). this quickly became one of my favourite albums after my second playthrough. very listenable, very danceable, very kissable and even perfect for falling asleep to, this album manages to carry the same subtly epicurean vibe all through the album’s serpentine maundering while never becoming redundant in its own style (see: the xx’s latest endeavor). definitely pick this one up and put it on in the evening when all is still around you.
if you like: grizzly bear, twin sister, fleet foxes
spook houses - home
loud but entirely apologetic, spook houses is the noisy, fun, but ultimately nostalgic project from nj that’s recorded a small string of splits and songs before their lp was finally released earlier this year. this is the ep that predates said release, and is every bit as charming and clumsy as your first kiss in retrospect. each song is lovingly produced with the same rushed feeling that japandroids has, the words falling over themselves as singer colin groans and “ooh-aah“s about the first summer back home and finding out how to fit in where you don’t know if you belong anymore. clocking in at just under 13 minutes, this lofi piece is sweet and reminiscent and even resembles, on closer inspection, stories you trade with friends from highschool that make you sad even though you’re laughing; if you give nothing else a chance on this list, listen to this and listen close.
if you like: lvl up, young prisms, no age, japandroids, neutral milk hotel
diiv - oshin
like is a softspoken surfer blood became a new order cover band, oshin is a tender, brow-furrowing, feet-shuffling, wistful efforts of surfrock-psychedelic band diiv (formerly dive). nothing i can say about this one except that it makes me feel like laying in bed with the window open next to someone who’s already asleep; lonely, but not quite.
if you like: beach fossils, real estate, wild nothing, abadabad
holograms - selftitled
ah yes. post punk. my favourite. not noise but not clean either, this is a structured, smart album that almost sounds like something by early 80s-era after the fire (which can’t be a bad thing). swedish boys shouting and pouting over quick punch percussion and repetitive, sterile electric guitar riffs, this is nothing new but it’s some of the best when you’re in the market to jump around and scowl about stuff.
if you like: iceage, (noisier) the strokes, cult ritual, 80s punk efforts..
miles davis all-stars - walkin’
little known four-track release. one of the best things miles davis ever did. clever and short.
if you like: miles davis, ya nerd
iceage - new brigade
take everything i said about holograms and put it here, except make it a little angrier and noisier.
if you like: that earlier stuff. but angrier. and noisier.
jensen sportag - sergio
goofy electronic funkpop. fun and dancey! if you liked the era of robotaki and breakbot remixes a few years ago, you’ll love this, because it’s all the fun of roller-rink retro, all grown up. this is a great lil ep to throw on and groove to, however you see fit.
if you like: chilly gonzalez, van she, poolside, early michael jackson
listener - wooden heart
everything that isaac brock wanted ugly casanova to be and then some. with antonymic angry vocals, banjos, jam-band acoustics and orchestral fills topped by palatial lyrics belted like a thrush from an arkansas native, this album is one of the most unapologetically supercilious releases i’ve ever heard— and adored. though production may be borderline pretentious, the theme is consistently heavy and poetic. singer dan nelson keeps up an almost-dialogue through every song, always a moment from driving himself to tears if we’re to go by tone alone. it’s all about dealing with death, loss, age, suicide, wisdom, learning, and fucking up; one of the most honest, moving things i’ve ever heard. listen to this when you’ve got an hour to spend with it.
if you like: modest mouse, the walkmen, la dispute
dads - brush your teeth, again ;)
emo garage nonsense. just fun to listen to when you’re driving around or writing letters or indulging memories of missed chances and summers that’re never coming back. you know the kind.
if you like: anything off top shelf records or “that part” of bandcamp
Love the Miles Davis tracks, haven’t been able to stop jamming to it since I started listening
Daughter - Landfill
This is torturous
Electricity between both of us
And this is dangerous
‘cause I want you so much
But I hate your guts
I hate you
Jukebox The Ghost - Lighting Myself on Fire
You’re wearing it down, you know, when you walk like that. We’re not supposed to carry ourselves in the smalls of our backs.
reckless93pwrmxxx - jensen sportag
you heart was reckless
you’ll regret us
things don’t last forever
Thank you NPR, so much
The Zombies, courtesy of NPR tiny desk series concerts
Playing Kalimba is a lot like texting. Only better.
I gotta figure out where to buy one of these
Owen - Never Meant
Who wants to recommend so really dope, new music for me? I have been getting a bit bored with my music selection lately and I am also a little lazy to search for new music myself right now so hook a sister up, please please. If you don’t know what kind of music I like than just check out my music tag (faceofasilentoctopus.tumblr.com/tagged/music) to get an overall, general feel of what you think I would be into (^-^)
Listen to Baths while you take a bath
Deerhoof - Sexy But Sparkly
this is good but when is deerhoof gonna stop singin about heartbreak and start singin about flowers again. c’mon.
