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Pop Musicology - "The Second Drummer Drowned"

Article - Pop Musicology

My Latest Novel - Sister Sneaker, Sister Soul

January 2nd 2007 18:47
Song No. 5: My Latest Novel – Sister Sneaker, Sister Soul

The only flaw with My Latest Novel's debut 'Wolves' LP stems from this very song. Not that it's in any way to blame, because it's certainly not. Placing this track at the midpoint of the record leaves a nice arc towards and away from it, leaving a nicely symmetrical album template, but the sheer brilliance of this apotheosis means the the second half of the album can only be appreciated in relation to 'Sister Sneaker, Sister Soul'. It's great, but nowhere near as good.

The gentle progression of deftness to obliterating power is scintillating in itself, factoring in a typically fey and Greenockian love narrative underneath. But the story doesn't really mean anything when you've an escalation that factors in some violent violins attacking the distorted underbelly of the song for a good four minutes and the kind of careful structuring that any post-rock wannabes could learn a lesson or two from. Brevity and temperance are useful things, you know, and My Latest Novel can wield them as well as anyone.


Click elivery=stream" target="_blank">here for some delights!

My Latest Novel

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Songs Continue With Semifinalists

January 2nd 2007 12:34
Song No. 6: Semifinalists – Show The Way (from 'Semifinalists' on V2 Records)

Formed of nuggets that nestle uncomfortably next to one another like warring nations (i.e. the most entertaining way possible), 'Show The Way' is a neat summation of the Semifinalists' aesthetic. Beginning with the kind of plaintive, non-descript, plinky electronic harmonies that they can now pretty much patent, drummer Chris Steele-Nicholson's eagle-soar of a voice swoops into delicate action. As he sings of his enemies and friends with no little veiled menace, it is impossible not to feel that something horrible is on its way to destroy what's been created.


You know what? It does! Suddenly we're all crashing off the walls with chugging near-free-form guitar scales and flourishes, and a melee of smacking cymbals is ballast like no other. Then we've come back down to something like an even keel and one of the greatest pop moments of 2006. We coast down towards the end of the slide in disco harmony, singing about lighting up the stars with childlike abandon and genuine gladness seeping from the speakers. The most impressive thing about it, though, is that it's all over in three and a half minutes. To be taken once daily.

Go here to hear 'Show The Way'.

Semifinalists at Camden Lock Tavern
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Finlay... and Happy New Year from PM!

December 31st 2006 19:16
So the lists weren't posted in time for year's end, but who cares, yeah? Not PM, we just care about getting drunk tonight. Which, let me assure you, is already a task in the completing. Go Finlay!

Album No. 3: Finlay – The Fall Of Mary (Fortuna POP!)

'The Fall Of Mary' is, at the outset, bigger and bolder, choppier, a bit cheekier, and just as much fun as their first record, 'I Dreams And Visions'. Perhaps Finlay wouldn’t like to describe themselves as being all that much fun, but anyone who’s seen their rather transcendental live shows will surely disagree. This is a record where the line between chaos and order is not so much blurred as intentionally set on fire and doused liberally with Cointreau while the smacked-up invitees to the ball start a fight with tonality.

The vigour of stand-out smash-along 'Phantasmagoria' reaches, for Finlay, new heights of sonic insanity with its ludicrously fun finale, and the slow-burning epicentre of 'Mary IV' just needs to be heard to be fully taken in. Astute, frequently wonderful production lends a haze and a fuzzy milieu to singer Adam Straw's already lackadaisical vocal performances, but he is matched every inch by his ensemble's knack of catching him up and reminding him that they're still a pop band.

Go to this place and listen.

Finlay at F-POP! Fest
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Euros Childs - Chops

December 29th 2006 23:56
Album No. 4: Euros Childs – Chops (Wichita)

After the sad demise of his former group, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, one could expect front man Euros Childs to rest on his laurels for a while and take stock of what was left. But no. For Childs, the best thing to do was write some clearly beautiful and insanely idiosyncratic songs about donkeys, ice cream and surfing and then perform them in every venue available for about 10 months. This was a good idea.
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Am I Repeating Myself? Eh, DST?

December 29th 2006 19:49
Another band that is literally invading PM's lists...

Album No. 5: Daniel Striped Tiger – Condition (Alone Records)
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The Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics

December 29th 2006 07:19
Album No. 6: The Flaming Lips – At War With The Mystics (Warner)

"They'll never do it!" the crowd screamed, "not after the last two albums being so damn good!" But the Lips managed to keep all the central tenets of what makes them special and apply it to a rather cosmic new collection of songs: the fuzzy aesthetic, the wonderful dementia of Wayne Coyne's words, Stephen Drozd's watery production, the scope and spectacle of recent years. It's all there. With "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" they announced themselves (not for the first time) as pop composers of impeccable loftiness, with "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion" they announced themselves (not for the first time) as psychedelic mood-setters par excellence, and with "Pompeii am Gotterdammerung" they announced themselves (not for the first time) as epic crafters of monumental sadness. In short, this is a part of the bigger picture, a step on the way to sonic perfection for this most inimitable of bands.
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The Low Lows... again...

December 28th 2006 23:18
Grr, get out of PM's lists...

Song No. 7: The Low Lows – St. Neil from 'Fire On The Bright Sky' (Warm Electronic Recordings)
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Christmas and Daniel Striped Tiger...

December 26th 2006 19:02
Sincerely, PM hopes you all had a wonderful Christmas. I can tell you with no hesitance that the red wine truly did flow in a most festive direction all the live long Christmas Day, it certainly made it a specatcle...

But we're still counting sirs!
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Weez Countin! The Low Lows - Fire On The Bright Sky

December 20th 2006 09:02
Album No. 7: The Low Lows – Fire On The Bright Sky (Warm Electronic Recordings)

As 'Fire On The Bright Sky' relaxes around you, its luxuriant atmosphere caressing the surrounding air, it becomes utterly obvious that this is the work of people who are well-versed in delicate constructions and who know the value of waiting before giving a musical pay-off. The stop-start slapdash of '(No Such Thing As) Sarah Jane' is expertly paced with an ending so impeccably woven through with viscous horns and strings that satisfaction is not so much guaranteed as gospel-intoned.
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Still Counting Down...

December 19th 2006 08:59
Yep. Can't be bothered to find any news. So stick around and enjoy the countdown! Maybe be some pictures of Dark Captain Light Captain up a little later in the week, provided PM makes it to their show tomorrow night. Huzz-yeah!

Album No. 8: My Latest Novel – Wolves (Bella Union)
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Fanfarlo - Tuesday (Come When We Call)

December 18th 2006 14:24
Song No. 9: Fanfarlo - Tuesday (Come When We Call) (Fortuna POP!)

Fanfarlo have announced themselves this year, under the gentle fist of Simon Aurell, as an avenue for the future of pop. His gentle compositions are brimmed with a genuinely exciting combination of mainstream saleability and pure craft. This tune, the B-Side from the 'Talking Backwards' single, exemplifies everything that Fanfarlo can become. Quirky, beautifully tuneful and completely heart-breaking, its paean to suggestibility and caving in is perfectly judged. When Aurell laments that his subject 'swallowed all that we put on your plate', it is wrenching but compulsive. The winding saxophones and plopping recorder lines intertwine to wonderful effect, slithering around eachother and withering with time like Aurell's lovely narrative. These elements combine with impeccable balance to create a minor emotional miracle, a minor miracle that, one hopes, is a mere drop in the ocean. It is important that people buy Fanfarlo's records - their pop is new and good. 'Tuesday' is proof of that.
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Jim Noir - Tower Of Love

December 16th 2006 14:29
Yeah, weez countin still, braaap!

Album no. 9: Jim Noir - Tower Of Love (Barsuk)
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Puffy AmiYumi

December 12th 2006 19:01
The countdown continues, dunnit! Today we can kick off with songs.

Song no. 10: Puffy AmiYumi - Nice Buddy (from their 'Splurge' record on Tofu)
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End of Year Already? Err... Yeah! Album and Song Top Ten Begins!

December 11th 2006 23:03
PM is, as usual, unbelievably sorry for any lack of posting over the last few days. Trust me, uni stuff has been piling up as fast as the pile of empty cups and biopot carcasses strewn about my hole. Thankfully, it'll all be over soon and normal service can resume, yeah? Yeah! So, in the spirit of being dull, lazy and nicking other people's ideas, PM is going to start posting a top ten albums and songs of the year. Starting today!

In case you're wondering (and chances are that you're not), I had to compile one or two end-of-year sorts of lists for a couple of different places. The first of which, Treble, worked on a writer-voting system and BARELY ANY OF MY CHOICES GOT IN! But y'know, go there (here) anyway for the first chunk of their song list. Just wait till my choices pop up nearer the top... and I had to pick 50 albums and 50 songs for Treble... grr... not really, I love those guys.
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