To commemorate reaching 40,000 Twitter followers, John Darnielle has gifted us with a new song entitled “All Devils Here Now.” The track is actually a demo, recorded sometime between Tallahassee and We Shall All Be Healed. The song, Darnielle notes, features “actual Iowa bugs” and shares “psychic and geographic space” with other material from those albums. Indeed, it’s hard not to be struck by the subdued tone of the entire recording, as recent Mountain Goats recordings have tended towards larger, more polished arrangements.
Whatever the case, it’s a great track, and a wonderful gift for Mountain Goats fans. Have a listen:
This week, as part of their ongoing “valtari mystery film experiment,” (hint: use your mouse to highlight the hidden text!) Sigur Rós have released the video for “Rembihnútur.” The video was produced by Arni & Kinski, who have also directed for Snow Patrol, Placebo, and Ólöf Arnalds, and focuses on the stillness and personal revelations that can be found through meditation.
Here’s how Arni & Kinski describe the inspiration for the video:
“the elevation of your consciousness helps the overall consciousness of the planet.” -gourasana.
the much needed changes in the world will happen through changes within each and every one of us. we all want and need love. this film is a celebration of sigur rós’s music and the benefit it is having in the elevation of consciousness that is happening with humankind. people are finding strength in love, care, and respect for themselves, each other, and the world we live in.
for the last twelve years meditation has been a way of life for us. going within, releasing emotions, moving through negativity, judgment, discouragement, and the fears that are so often in the mind.
being able to move from the mind into the heart. this is what the music of sigur rós helps us to do and we use it as a tool in our meditation. in meditation we are able to feel and move through our emotions allowing us to drop deeper within our hearts. from this depth of heart we are finding more acceptance, compassion, love, gratitude, passion, clarity, intuitive thinking and much much more. we hope this video will inspire you to do your part in elevating the consciousness of the planet in whatever way that may be.
peace and love, arni & kinski
It’s a beautiful, thought-provoking work that will definitely add a bit of chill to your Summer. Have a look:
Out this week is a new video for “Breaking Down” from Florence + The Machine‘s Ceremonials album. Directed by Tabitha Denholm, who also directed the considerably more dramatic “Cosmic Love” and “Never Let Me Go” videos, the lighthearted, retro “Breaking Down” uses Super 8 to evoke the summers of the ’60s and ’70s. It’s a beautiful, perfect-for-Summer, video which is sure to make you nostalgic for all those backyard gatherings and road trips of years gone by… Have a look!
Founded in 2006, Funeral Club is the stage name of husband and wife duo Jenny and Joseph Andreotti. The band – whose sound evokes memories of Nick Cave, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the best parts of early-80s Cure – completed their magnificent third album, In the Fire, in Spring of 2011.
As the band tell it: “In The Fire was influenced by the idea of paying homage to experimental film makers Maya Deren and David Lynch, film composer Ennio Morricone, and to Pulp’s wonderfully sleazy film-noir inspired This is Hardcore. ” An eclectic set of influences, to be sure, but not surprising from a band that says its beginnings were inspired by “their grandparent’s journey from Oklahoma to Bakersfield, California during the great Dust Bowl migration, 1960s spaghetti westerns, David Lynch soundtracks, and the late 70s punk movement.” All of these diverse influences combine with haunting lyrics and sinuous, sensual melodies to produce an album that is both atmospheric and enveloping.
The band’s considerable talent for creating dramatic canvasses shines on “A Soapbox Serenade,” which crackles and moves with a sense of danger. It’s like stepping in to the climax of an obscure, foreign art piece. Beautiful and mysterious… have a listen:
Since the release of In the Fire, the band have kept busy, and have recently released a new EP – Waves & Waves – on Pale Noir. The eponymous “Waves & Waves” is a gorgeous, brooding track that features a superb combination of saxophone, ethereal vocals, and an arrangement that reminds me of Disintegration-era Cure. Why not have a listen?
If you’d like to learn more about the band, I strongly encourage you to visit their website, or check them out on Facebook. (It should also be noted that they’re lovely people who never once yelled at me for holding on to their music for an eternity… So, thanks, Funeral Club!)
I’ll leave you with the video for “Shadows” from the Waves & Waves EP:
Among other things, Lissie produces a truly prodigious amount of excellent music covers. Out this week is the video for her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way,” which featured on her most recent EP: Covered Up With Flowers. The video is actually a live recording, featuring a somewhat more “slick” visual style than the sessions that brought us her previous releases of “Bad Romance” and “Nothing Else Matters.”
Even so, it’s a lovely way to start a Friday morning. Check it out:
And if you really want to blow your mind… watch Lissie violate the “No Stairway” rule here.
