Had a fun time playing these records. Was the first time I did it alone (but Ox and Eddie both played a couple of records) most are mine, but John at the Sprig has a few crates with some fun compilations I played some songs from
Today I’m prepping for the sprig and fern Sunday afternoon session. I was intending to only write short pieces and get through many records but then I got caught up writing this piece and have listened to it three times now.
I’ve never been a huge fan of scandi art pop. There’s often a large intersection with twee. Lyrics that are quite literary and feel intelligent and philosophical or alternatively sung with a wink. They’re expressed in a way that only gives you a sense they are written by a non English native because they are often sung with an interesting cadence and rhythm that would be very challenging to develop when you’ve grown up with the language. It tends to have organ and congas and acoustic guitars and has a jaunty upbeat rhythm that sounds like it was copied from a casiotone samba preset. The type of thing that could be background cafe music if you didn’t listen attentively to the things that set it apart. Basically what I’m trying to say is I don’t like Jens Leckman.
I had lumped Jenny Hval in with these type of artists so was generally disinterested in her (Since listening to this record I have gone back and listened to her other stuff and was very wrong making this assumption, but it does still sneak in there sometimes.)
When I was a teenager, I went to Denmark on exchange and got really into a Danish band, Speaker Bite Me who could broadly fit into this criteria, and I still listen to the CDs I bought there from them every now and then, so I guess I’m not totally opposed to it.
I got this record a couple of months ago from VMP, the American vinyl subscription service as one of the eight free records I got on sign up. The instagram ads really got me. It became reasonable price per record as I was only getting records I would want to buy anyway.
But when looking through the options I realised that quite a few of my favourite records I only really fell in love with after getting them. There have been albums I loved that never made it to regular rotation once I bought the records and records I bought on a whim that became absolute faves. So instead of buying a deluxe edition of a Strokes or Modest Mouse album, records that I once loved and would probably love again, I got a handful of albums I didn’t know very well.
This one made the cut because there were a couple of times over summer, while spotify was playing an endless automated playlist that I’ve had to check out what the song was and it was one from this album.
In the first three minutes of this record I thought I’d made a mistake. The album opens with everything that I don’t like about scandi-art-pop. Wry and intelligent lyrics sung in a odd cadence, jaunty upbeat instrumentation, it sounded far too clean and self aware.
But midway through the song it suddenly transforms, keys come in playing a chord progression. The beat becomes stronger. The original instrumentation feels like it’s swirling and her voice feels like it’s both adding to the layers and flying over the top. This happens throughout the album. Each song has a moment where it elevates into this beautiful magic dreamscape.
In the song Cemetery of Splendour she sings a melody that pulls your attention but always leaves you a sense of feeling left hanging. Later on in the song, just as the drums come in that melody comes back, but she continues on and resolves it. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings I’ve had when listening to music. It elevates the song so much so that I can ignore, or even appreciate, the enthusiastic spoken random words about nature over field recording that fill up the end of the song.
This is by far her most scandi-art-pop record. I listened to Blood Bitch and Apocalypse Girl, and both are far more abrasive and darker than this one. They are records that sound a lot more like music that I usually prefer. But I found myself missing those annoying scandi-art-pop elements when listening.
Ultimately what Jenny Hval does in Classic Objects is she takes a whole lot of things that I usually find annoying and make me love them. It has become the highest rotation played record out of those eight bonus records and I’m very glad I gave it a chance.
Fave songs: American Coffee, Cemetery of Splendour, Jupiter
Records listened to on 2 July
After a late night and tired day I didn’t listen to as much today as I planned to, but had a nice evening playing Zelda and listening to music. Not writing anything in detail today.
Was looking through the records to prep for tomorrow’s set at the Sprig and Fern so many of these may make an appearance.
I hadn’t listened to the Golden Awesome or David Bowie records in quite a while. I usually choose one of my other Bowie records when I feel like listening to him, but listening tonight I realised how much I enjoy this record. Boys Keep Swinging is stuck in my head still, a couple of hours later.
Records I listened to 1 July
30 June 2023
One of the rules I had set myself for this weekend was everything at 33 1/3. Nothing at 45. I broke it almost immediately with Lost Wisdom by Mount Eerie, which I had forgotten was 45 until the record started.
I had to listen to Mount Eerie this weekend though. Mostly because the idea to celebrate my 33 1/3 birthday came from his newsletter, but also because I just bought tickets to see him at Meow in September.
At one stage of my life Mount Eerie/The Microphones was my favourite artist. I would frequently lay in bed and listen to the albums ‘It was hot I stayed in the water, The Glow pt 2 & Mount Eerie back to back on my ipod in the early hours of the morning at my flat in Christchurch. I saw him perform back in 2014 and it was magic. I don’t listen as much anymore, but whenever I do it’s a good time.
The record cover for Lost Wisdom folds out to a big poster of a foggy mountain and that was up on the lounge wall in my Newtown flat for years. It’s one of his most simple and beautiful records. Julie Doiron’s voice brings
there was a sequel released last year Lost Wisdom Part 2, but I haven’t listened to it enough to have a strong opinion.
I have one other Mount Eerie record that may come out this weekend. I’m sure I’ll buy at least one more at his show later in the year.
Neil Young has been one of those artists who I have trouble knowing where to start. I have listened to Harvest a bit, and a live album that was in Mum’s car for a long time quite a lot. Other than that I’ve only heard what has been put on by others. I’ve always liked what I’ve heard and understood that he was important.
So naturally I bought one of least Neil Young Neil young albums, Trans. I found it in Creeps record parlour’s bargain bin. I had heard of it before because it’s a bit notorious due to it being such a departure from his sound.
It has it’s fan base but not generally considered one of his best. It is listed on number 34 of 42 in Ultimateclassicrock.com’s Neil Young albums ranked. The extensive use of vocoder, more mechanical/electronic rhythms and lyrics about computers and robots turned off some fans.
Luckily I don’t know his best albums very well. So I can enjoy Trans for what it is. I love the idea of a canonised rock star making such a bizarre album. Some of it comes across as a bit cheesy, but it is generally incredibly listenable. It is deeply silly and I love it.
What I listened to on June 30
It was my 33 1/3 Birthday on Thursday 29 June. And to celebrate I’m spending the weekend listening to records and on Sunday I will play them at Sprig and Fern Berhampore. I wanted to write about all the records I am listening to, but I have some other things to do so will do some
It was my 33 1/3 Birthday on Thursday 29 June. And to celebrate I’m spending the weekend listening to records and on Sunday I will play them at Sprig and Fern Berhampore. I wanted to write about lots of the records I’m listening to, but I’ve got other stuff to do so instead I’m just going to note else what I listen to on each day.
This is my most recently acquired record, having arrived a few days ago. It came from VMP, a vinyl subscription service who’s promotion of a bunch of bonus records really sucked me in. I justified it with my tax return which I had done a rough calculation of online before actually submitting it. Unfortunately I forgot to factor in the ACC levy and ended up with a tax bill instead of a refund and a dent in my savings.
But anyway, I’ve got some really great records from this place which would otherwise have been difficult or expensive to acquire. And I’ve made some choices that I wouldn’t make in other purchases which have brought me to appreciate albums which I’d previously ignored.
I’d assumed that I’d heard Under Construction before because I’ve enjoyed the music of Missy Elliott for years. But when I listened when I was making the decision of the record for this month I realised I’d only heard a handful of songs. That’s a thing I love about records, I have had access to this album at any time on streaming for years, before that I could have listened on youtube or downloaded it. Buying this record, even considering buying the record, was the drive I needed to properly listen to it.
The record opens with a spoken word manifesto which positions the purpose of the album as a tribute to Aaliyah and plea for peace and growth in the hip hop community and getting back to making good music, and ends with the very funny statement
You don’t see Bill Gates and Donald Trump arguin’ with each other
‘Cause both of ’em got paper and they got better shit to do’
It’s quite a complex theme for an album and spelling it out explicitly at the very beginning makes sense. But it is something I’m already sick of after a couple of listens and will probably skip it. There are a few more spoken word interludes, but they’re generally short so not too disrupting. It ends with her speaking directly to critics preempting any criticism she knew they would inevitably come to her. (Before a Work It remix ft 50 Cent)
It’s the type of thing that would maybe be more appropriate in liner notes, but also very few people read liner notes and liner notes don’t even exist anymore. She is successful in hitting the points in the intro, both in lyrics and style. And would I have picked up on this theme myself if I was listening without looking for it specifically? Probably not.
The thing about this album, is it does all what she says it does, but it’s also very fun. So fun that it would probably be easy to miss everything else in it. Work It is undeniably one of the best ever club rap songs. I have never heard it played at a party and ruin the vibe. Nothing I can write about it will do it justice.
I only really got how revolutionary the sci fi future production of Missy Elliott and Timbaland was recently This came from reading the Rap Year Book by Shea Serrano, watching Hip Hop Evolution and following the Number Ones column through the Timbaland dominated 2000s. This album mashes up the synthy futuristic beats with samples that throw back to hip hop. It makes the album feel both very of it’s era and timeless.
The Beyonce collab about staying home with her boyfriend instead of going to the club is also really funny 20 years later.
Fave Tracks Work It, Back in the Day, Slide, Play that Beat
What I listened to on June 29
EAMONN MARRA 