Music checked out today, per suggestions from EVERYWHERE

The suggestions came in the form of mix tapes, tracks of the day, iTunes.. I made a list and kept it til I had the time to do the research... Here are the bands checked out this morning and some notes for later. Maybe.

Lindstrøm
Where You Go I Go Too is what I listened to. I was looking for Real Life is No Cool (the new album) but I guess it hasn't been released in the US yet... I can't find it on iTunes. Not overly impressed by WYGIGT, but I may not be in the right mood for his style of electronic this morning.

The Golden Filter
Went looking to see if iTunes has anything other than the single My Favorite Things for me to sample. Nope. Not excited by the lyrics of this track.

Ladyhawke
Appears to only have 1 full album available on iTunes: Ladyhawke (a regular or special edition... choice up to you) and 2 others that are an EP and a single. Totally down with the track Magic, and found My Delirium to be good as well. Maybe there IS something to the iTunes rating system. I usually try to stay away from what other users may have labeled highly, but it appears in the case of Ladyhawke they knew what they were talking about. The lyrics aren't too amazing based on what I heard of the snippets. Contemplating purchasing single tracks, but not the entire album. I don't think I like her sound THAT much. A little too synth-pop-80's for me. Reminded me of Deborah Gibson.

Defender
Went to check out the rest of the Wherever You Are, You're Home EP (2009). Not impressed, but I think it's mostly because I've kind of grown out of my God Lives Underwater phase and the repetitiveness of this style of music is not quite my bag anymore. This band reminds me a little of Amon Tobin, without having that comparison mean TOO much... The 2007 release Defender is more popular (on iTunes) than WYAYH. I'm not surprised by that. WYAYH seems like a digression, while Defender comes off as more well-rounded. Defender is the full portfolio of work, WYAYH is a concentration.

Interesting side note: iTunes recommends two albums I already own and have lukewarm feelings about under these albums. I see. Got it.

M83
I've been meaning to check them out for a while. Drew has dropped them on two separate playlists and I really like bands that have numbers in their names. Read the iTunes bio and decided to listen (sample) the albums in order of production. Dead Cities, Red Lakes and Lost Ghosts (2003) seems like the type of album I would grow to love over time and thoroughly enjoy having in the studio while working. Props to 0078H for being my favorite on this one.

M83 (2003) snuck in from nowhere and might be my favorite so far.

Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005) feels more developed, like a full thought process than DC does. It starts off making you believe this will be an epic set, but then decides to get back to you later. I'm not surprised that two of the more popular M83 tracks come from this album: Teen Angst and Don't Save Us From the Flames are easily the most coherent here.

The way I feel about M83 right now is the way I felt about AIR before I really got to listening to them. Which may mean I need to listen to ALL of their albums. Or it might mean it will be a forced relationship. It also might mean that M83 is that band that whenever you have the iPod on shuffle and one of the tracks comes on, you're like 'Dammit!' and hit skip. Only good in the context of the full album.

Digital Shades (2007)... Yeah. No. Here's your epic soundtrack. It's just not that interesting.

Saturdays = Youth (2008). Here it is. I can handle this one. I think I even love this one. It's official, I like my ambient music better with vocals. Sue me.

Autechre
Leave it to me to get a recommendation for an album that was released in '94: Amber was suggested to me by a friend. I like it in the same way that I love me some NIN instrumentals. Which is funny, because apparently this band got released on the Nothing label once.

I tried to listen to everything else of theirs, but it's a lot and it all sounds really similar to me. Another day, maybe. But for now, I like Amber. Great for working.

Pulp
So, back in like 1996 I went to my first HFStival in Baltimore/DC. It was probably DC. I was there to see Garbage, of course. And No Doubt. But Pulp played and I got this overwhelming feeling of 'sexy music' and wanted more. I eventually purchased This is Hardcore (1998). It was not everything I wanted. I think maybe Pulp sounds better live. The lyrics are a little 'creepy rich guy paying for sex' for me. Maybe it's Jarvis's voice.

Then, last year I get Pencil Skirt on a mix-album-homework assignment (also from Drew) and decide that this is a pretty hot song. Again.

Maybe Pulp is like that ex that you know is no good for you: they keep doing things that keep you coming back for another try... and after a month (or 6 years, if you're me) you realize things will never change. Maybe their 1995 release Different Class is what roped me in the first place, it happens to have Pencil Skirt on it (not shocking).. and maybe this is the only Pulp album I really need to own. Lord knows This is Hardcore got ditched at a reseller YEARS ago...

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I still have a long list of people to check out. But I also have other things to do. So that may get saved til tomorrow. Thanks for reading my rambling.