Alla Polacca + Stowaways: making lonely people happy since 2003
What happens when a (somewhat) well-known Portuguese band decides to split an album with a not-so-popular project? ALLA POLACCA: 01. D-FLOATED 02. SECRET SATELLITE 03. ASTRAY 04. FAKE BLUE 05. WRONG LIKE US 06. RED CAT 07. SILENCE DECODER 08. FURTHER FAR 09. MORNING VS JUPITER
Some would say these CDs were hand-made by God… but I believe there's something else beneath these 17 tracks that altogether couldn't achieve anything less than perfection:
(CD1)
The minute the first track starts spinning, you unconsciously let the self submerge in its strange (and yet melodious) synth ambience and be driven through a familiar Unknown by a couple of hauntingly beautiful piano keys, as if you were simultaneously lost outside on a deserted street-corner, and found between some bed sheets and your lover's chest.
At some point your senses are invaded by an icy sigur-rós--ian vibe.
It's depressing.
It's beautiful.
Now.. it's too late to refuse the melodic mellow guitar and piano entwinement, progressively bursting into some sort of epiphany.
It's magical.
And don't look so surprised if you made it 'til the end of "Fake Blue" without noticing. (It happened to me too...)
Suddenly, your mouth tastes this deceiving pop beat, hidden behind a sweet voice and a catchy whistle... Least did I suspect, that "Wrong Like Us" could resume, in approximately three minutes, a distorted mishmash of sweetened Pavement bits with a Sonic Youth electric pulse and a despair summoning Ian Curtis' group. Again, you're forced to wander through the same streets as before... But now, they're empty and getting darker by the minute.
Although you're uncomfortable, desperate and afraid to go through them all alone, pieces of familiar sounds - Mogwai, Sigur Rós, Grandaddy and Smashing Pumpkins - stumble across your feet.
Soon you'll realise the more you walk towards them, the more they fade away.
There are birds echoing behind a piano and feverish guitars, and by the time "it will come soon" is sang, the last track has reached its end.
------ STOWAWAYS: 01. BED BUGS 02.THE ROOM UPSTAIRS (*) check in comments 03. BOOGIE LIST 04. RENTED BODY 05. YOUR PROP 06. CHIMNEY-SWEEPER 07. GIANTS OF THE MOUNTAIN 08. AMPUTATED LEG The minute you press play, you're unleashing into the atmosphere countless interesting flowing sounds of such eclectic expression. "Chimney-Sweeper" and "Rented Body" are soaking wet in warm bossa-nova rhythms. And if you're one of those who is a complete sucker for the Ye-Ye Movement, you'll be needing some comfy pants in order to wiggle your package to the sound of "Your Prop". You move on, but you're still trying to get rid of that previous tune's catchy whistle when an exquisite sound of what would The Doors sound if they were a today's indie band pierces its way in through "Giants Of The Mountain". For the grand finale, you're presented with "Amputated Leg" a wise tropical Brazilian samba and Wilco guitars (as in "Can't Stand It") combo that will instinctively draw a smile on your face, while sweetly freshening your soul. The world could end tomorrow, and you wouldn't care less.
(CD2)
In a short space of time (if not just in mere seconds) you experience a sweet rhapsody merging (what seems to be) the Balkans with the most luscious Arabian sounds, waltz and rock.
After "Bed Bugs", the poppy "The Room Upstairs" rushes in à la Grant-Lee Phillips, which unexpectedly will lead you to a delicate acoustic "Boogie List", the piece that clearly reveals Stowaways' contemplation for Radiohead.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (15)
Before I respond properly.....I want to know if this is really you, or if I'm hallucinating again.
Of course you're not hAlLuCiNaTiNg..
(Oh fer chrissake, it's me, ya sister..)
"And if you're one of those who is a complete sucker for the Ye-Ye Movement, you’ll be needing some comfy pants in order to wiggle your package to the sound of "Your Prop"."
hahahahahahaha maahahaaahahahaha...are you saying only humans with a prop can enjoy this song?
love both of these songs. that stowaways one is devine though. (it's like ive heard it before or something) ..i'm a sucker for that type of pop/rock tune though.
I didn't say that, so don't jump to conclusions, mister!
(Hmmmm... something tells me stowaways came across your way via e-mail... but that's just me guessing.. you know..)
cool. just checkin.
you have made my day, thanks for this
Glad to know that, C. :)
Look who it is!!! I can't believe my eyes. Am I seeing my long lost sister again? (Insert invisible ink here: snail mail for your attention is impending).
You have such a way of inticing me to that dark end of the street when only the murmurs of dead whisperers can be heard. I think I'm hooked.
(I've been MIA for so long. I needed this. Thanks ever so much)
(Is it me or flu meds just gave me a hallucination?)
Good gracious... You can't possibly imagine how glad I am to see my dear brother's avvie in action again!
(Snail mail coming my way!? ::inner thinking:: hmmm... I MUST do something!)
::blushing:: Awww, stop it you...
Anyway, it's nice to know you enjoyed this :)
(Mon plaisir!)
Damnit, I wanted to start a band called the Stowaways! Oh well... not like that would EVER actually happen anyway.
Good tune.
Only a few... "match".
I didn't get it... *scratches head*
about the album title "...lonely people..."
Oh! (got it now)