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#253 - Bratmobile - Fuck Yr Fans
A lot of bands would probably benefit from taking a leaf out of Bratmobile’s book and peaking their songs at two minutes.
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#278 - Unwound - Nervous Energy
this is the most mentally busy 5 minutes of my life
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#29 - The Microphones - I Want Wind To Blow
Fitting that after trying and failing quite a few times this year to describe the atmosphere and aesthetic of a lot of Pacific Northwest artists (Karl Blau, No Kids and Thanksgiving in particular come to mind), I’ll find my voice and articulacy when it comes to the magnum opus of not only Phil Elverum’s career but of that whole scene - The Glow Part 2.
While the previously mentioned Thanksgiving record Cave Days & Moments is just as flawless in it’s production and atmosphere, The Glow Part 2 just takes on a whole other scale and level of ambition; thematically, atmospherically and most crucially of all, sonically. Phil Elverum provides the Twin Peaks to Adrian Orange’s Northern Exposure.
There’s been a lot of talk recently about sleep-like hypnagogic music like Ducktails, OPN and James Ferraro (all of which I hugely enjoy, don’t get me wrong) Elverum’s work and production just feels far more sleep-like to me, despite the music contained within often being totally blistering and noisy. Easily my favourite production job ever and one of the only records that won’t make me cringe at myself using words like womb-like and visceral.
And like any ‘Magnum Opus’ when it comes to the LP, it’s ridiculously difficult to choose just one track when as a piece of art it feels so complete. The opener just summarises what’s so great about the record as a whole though - twentieth time i’ll mention the production, oh my god those drums towards the end, Elverum’s imagery and writing, a totally otherworldly atmosphere that I’ll never truly be able to explain.
Maybe i should get a bit drunk more often and not feel so self-conscious writing, huh? Probably not when I read this in the cold light of day
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#106 - Mirah - Promise To Me
Again, one of those artists where the textures sound like they could only have ever come from the pacific northwest. C’mon Miracle is a really beautiful record.
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#223 - Sleater-Kinney - Oh!
Summer, eh? Some of the best bands ever will probably not have me writing anything substantial about them cos i dont wanna be inside and oh man i wanna ride my bike and sit in the park and stuff. Which is, obviously, a tragedy because my writing is so great and stuff, y’know.
Sleater-Kinney are well amazing innit
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#290 - Old Time Relijun - Witchcraft Rebellion
Forget everything you knew about Phil Elverum. Whenever certain K Records or Washington bands come up I try and struggle to explain the common sound, especially in the whole Microphones/Mirah/Adrian Orange sorta community. But with this Elverum’s past involvement is like, barely a footnote, it’s almost like his stamp can’t be heard - his drumming is a million miles of what can be heard on, say, The Glow, pt. 2. Infact i’d question quite how much input Elverum ever had with the project, considering he wasn’t in the band in the first place and he has since left, yet they have (more or less) maintained a similar sound. Probably shouldn’t have dedicated a paragraph to him then, though to be fair this is one release he did contribute to.
This track is weird. Like all their output. Almost party funk band vibes and mostly instrumental until batshit crazy vocals and lyrics come in towards the end. Which would be good at describing pretty much all their stuff. Complete anomaly to “that Washington sound”.
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#295 - Growing - Fancy Period
Seems really bizarre (but awesome) that Growing’s first release of the new decade is through Vice Records. This track is from my favourite Growing record, Color Wheel. They’re one of those bands that seem to completely exist within their own world. This is so good.
Have a good weekend everybody.
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#337 - Lake - Bad Dream
LAKE are one of those bands i listen to occasionally and really like and then think i should definitely to this more and then i dont definitely listen to this more. Olympia band on K Records. would describe more but i’m pretty sure K & Olympia gives you more of an impression of their sound than words could.
for some reason i bought a tote bag at their show. not entirely sure if i ever intended to use it or boys should use tote bags. but i hung it up in my kitchen and now my dad uses it for shopping. my dad = well indie. we’re gonna getting matching k tatoos and everything.
not really.
