Listen to the newest release from The Antlers as they cover "VCR" by the xx above. The band will be releasing an EP to follow up their excellent Burst Apart LP from earlier this year. You can check out the tracklisting below, including collaborations with Neon Indian and Bear in Heaven (via COS) and download the xx cover "VCR" via Stereogum.
(together) 01. Parentheses (PVT remix) 02. Tongue Tied 03. French Exit (SNRF version) 04. I Don’t Want Love (Peter’s version) 05. VCR (The xx cover) 06. Hounds (with Nicole Atkins) 07. Rolled Together (with Neon Indian) 08. Parentheses (with Bear In Heaven)
It would be weird to think of this song as a road trip song, but to me thats what it is. More of a road trip with myself, but a road trip nonetheless. With it's revolving synth pulses cut through by other hazy chords and all covered up by the ambient noises in the background, this song simply reminds me of driving, looking straight ahead, at nothing but the road, lost in space. It comes off as nothing impressive for the first minute and fourty-five seconds, as Alan Palomo simply speaks into the microphone, with no particular lyrics picked out by your ear on the first listen through. Once the chorus comes, you feel the sorrow, in your lungs it seems, with every breath, then the bridge, and right back to the chorus, repeated, and fading into the distant horizon along the highway, straight ahead, with no where else to go.
-----------------------------------------
Neon Indian's excellent album Era Extrana is in stores now.
You can download the Clams Casino remix of Washed Out's song "Amor Fati" from their debut album, Within and Without, which was released earlier this year, via Stereogum. The song was officially released yesterday (11/7) on the single Amor Fati with the B-Side "Call it Off."
You can stream the newest single, "Lawrence" from Christopher Owens' band Girls, below. The song is dedicated to Felts frontman Lawrence Hayward. The single will be out November 28th in the UK and December 6th in the US both digitally and on heart shaped vinyl. (via Pitchfork)
In order to properly get in touch with this tune from M83's excellent new album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, we should first include the lyrics. Check them out below and then our reaction.
i heard about this frog
it's a very tiny frog
but it's also very special
you can only find it in the jungle
so far away from me
but if you find it and if you touch it
your world can change forever
if you touch its skin
you can feel your body changing
and your vision also
and blue becomes red and red becomes blue
and your mommy suddenly becomes your daddy
and everything looks like a giant cupcake
and you keep laughing and laughing and laughing
nothing is ever quite the same really
and after you finish laughing
it's time to turn into a frog yourself
it's very funny to be a frog
you can dive into the water
and cross the rivers and the oceans
and you can jump all the time and everywhere
do you want to play with me?
we can be a whole group of friends
a whole group of frogs
jumping into the streets
jumping into the planet
climbing up the buildings
swimming in the lakes and in the bathtubs
we would be hundreds, thousands, millions
the biggest group of friends the world has ever seen
jumping and laughing forever
it would be great, right?
So this is pretty weird, I know. But it's a great song nevertheless. Anthony Gonzalez never ceases to amaze me, even with his strange obsession with using children in his songs (much to the chagrin of Carles). First off, I'm no expert, but I believe the title means "Tell me a story" in French, Gonzalez's native language. Apparently there are some theories that a frog like the one described in the lyrics does exist, you can discern that for yourself here, but I think it is more likely that this song is simply about a nice trip on some hallucinogenic drugs.
Whether you are creeped out by the little kid talking or not, you cannot deny that this song musically has some value. With a bubbly synth line, especially for M83 standards, alongside acoustic guitar chords and a simple bassline, this song builds and builds, moving along with the lyrics. The lyrics themselves give off the sense of happiness. The endearing innocent voice of the child, along with what he/she is saying is enough to make someone smile. Then it stops, and the build ends and you are in the wide open clear of the ambient synths as every noise in the song comes together for the last minute and a half and you just sit back in your chair and smile. The latter part of this song is like the moment as a child when you swing back and forth, back and forth and then get high enough to finally let go and for just a millisecond you feel like you can fly. It feels like that and I'm sure what it feels like when you use hallucinogenic drugs.
