NEW MUSIC FOR OLDS #29
Shout out to Kirkjubaejarklauster!
I’m currently high above the Atlantic, en route to picturesque John F. Kennedy airport. It will be such a relief to see natural beauty again, after a full week trapped in the claustrophobic squalor of Iceland.
I think we all see the clever thing I did there. In the comedy world, we call this a reverse-y1.
Admittedly, I may not be at the top of my comedy game. My sense of humor is fueled by deferred rage and melancholy and, quite frankly, I find wit difficult when when my heart is so full. Whatever you’ve heard about Iceland, trust me: it’s better. And not just better—it’s more. I’m not talking about the town names here (shout out to Kirkjubaejarklauster). Iceland is like nowhere you’ve ever seen—Mother Nature, gone off her meds. It’s volcanos and waterfalls and gorges and canyons and gurgling hot springs and vibrant rainbows and black sand beaches and winding caves and shifting tectonic plates and disturbing wax mannequins.
I could go on and on (and on). Suffice to say: five stars, Iceland! You done good.
…
Jumping forward six hours. I’m home now and still feeling oddly divine. I’m no travel expert (doing a lot of something is not the same as being good at it), but I will offer this: there’s something to be said for traveling to a place where the weather is worse than where you live. A tropical beach in February is all well and good, but it makes for a vicious post-vacation comedown. An easier glide path? Returning to NYC right as the birds are chirping and the cherry blossoms have emerged, knowing it will be at least five weeks before everyone starts complaining about the heat. Euphoria!
…
Jumping forward again. It’s now the fourth quarter of a Knicks playoff disaster and everything sucks and I want to die. Fuck Kirkjubaejarklauster. Fuck cherry blossoms. Fuck euphoria.
It was nice while it lasted.
On to the reason we’re all here. I have music to share, and it’s very fine music indeed. I wrote up these songs prior to my journey, so the following opinions are as pure as the snow atop top Sölheimajökulll, swayed by neither my Icelandic highs nor my Knicks-based lows:
An aural kaleidoscope
Pop vengeance
An all-time favorite
And yeah, probably a few vacation photos
In the words of Snorri Sturluson, let’s get bizzy.
GOOD STUFF
Here’s where you’ll find the Glossary of Terms.
Avalon Emerson, “Sandrail Silhouette”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Sandrail Silhouette (single)
Nutshell: Dreamy electronica
Voltage: 5
Thoughts: I know diddly about this artist, other than what I learned from Sound Opinions, but I do know this is a recording worthy of your finest headphones. Usually a song features “strings” in a supporting role, creating a lush ethereal backdrop. Here, a simple cello/viola combo (I think?) is pushed right to the front of the mix, such that you can hear the bow rubbing against the strings. It’s a nice organic juxtaposition to the synths and jangly guitar. I’m sure there’s a more precise way to describe this, so let this serve as a reminder that I mostly don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about.
Pairing suggestion: Taking a nap inside a kaleidoscope
Kate Davis, “Monster Mash”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Fish Bowl
Nutshell: Alt power pop
Voltage: 6
Thoughts: Let me set your mind at ease: “Monster Mash” is not a cover song, nor does it appear to be a graveyard smash. This tune came to me via my friend and Austin Powers cosplayer Allie Goertz. It’s big and bouncy, but also just a bit…off? It’s not just the lyrics, which hint at some sort of I Spit on Your Grave type scenario. It’s also Davis’ arch presentation, which manages to feel both cheerful and unhinged. When she sings “I’m coming for you”, you know it’s a promise and a threat. I like a song that’s equally as likely to bake you cookies as murder your pet. Make of that what you will.
Pairing Suggestion: Getting 40 text messages at 2:15am.
Califone, “Villagers”
Listen on Apple Music // Listen on Amazon Music
Album: Villagers
Nutshell: Post-apocalyptic Americana
Voltage: 4
Thoughts: One nice thing about NMFO is that I am, for the most part, writing about new discoveries and therefore don’t have much emotional skin in the game. Everything is, ”Hope you like this, but no biggie!” When it comes to Califone, I can’t be quite so flippant. This band has meant a lot to me over the past 20+ years, to the extent that I almost don’t want to share them with anyone. Luckily(?), the songs (and singing) of Tim Rutili are an acquired taste. My best attempt at describing Califone: Gothic folk music, as recorded by E.T.’s transmitter. I can’t promise you’ll love this, and part of me doesn’t want you to. More for me.
Pairing suggestion: Slowly dying in a rocking chair aboard an abandoned space station
Addendum: Twitter is no longer letting me embed tweets (this fucking guy…), but someone going by the handle “@swarbles” recently tweeted something about Califone that felt way smarter than anything I’d come up with:
If ever there were a season tailor made for a new @califonemusic record, it is spring: full of lingering snow, mud sucking one's feet into the earth in an attempt to ground, birdsongs lilting overhead, budding life, revealed litter, clear skies, rainy days, greening, new blood.
Perfectly said.
Now, if you please…
And here’s your chance to ask me anything about Iceland (or these songs):
SOME BULLSHIT
Jet lag is getting the best of me, so I’ll just share a few more Iceland photos and be on my way. After hours of obsessive pruning, I’m down to around 200 “keepers”. Here are but six. I’ve tinkered with them a bit, mostly just upping the saturation a notch. In doing so, I’ve probably made them worse.
There are definitely better photos, but your boy is running on fumes.
I also dug up some beautiful Icelandic music, which paid subscribers will read hear about next week. Is this a subtle nudge for you to consider upgrading? I’ll never tell. But I will mention that I’ve spent the last eight days spending like someone with far sunnier financial prospects. Worth it, but…
Until next time, dear reader. To quote The Tale of Jokul Buason, we part in sight but not in friendship.
No we don’t.
Califone sound like they grew up listening to Sparklehorse; a terrible way to grow up but fine once you are grown.
Did you see any statue's of Bjork? Or any room temperature fish packed in a crap ton of salt?