it's summertime

From the MySpace of Radiant Dragon

Sorry there haven’t been many posts recently.  This has been due to a number of factors:

1. Examinations
2. Our stolen Internet no longer can be picked-up (Netgear, you are sorely missed.  You too, SpeedTouch39EAFA.)
3. The library (and thus the Mecca of Internet access for us) is sofahway.

So, we are muchly sorry.  But now, all there is to do is drink Frome Valley cider (the best ever – yes I’m totally advertising it for free: DRINK THIS STUFF) in a hammock erratically and unsafely tied to part of a mutilated mutant of a shitty garden, with the sun reflecting off my Macbook screen as I type.  All for you, you lucky sods.

Alright! Radiant Dragon make music that's a cornucopia of cultural-genitalia clashing.  If you like Yeasayer, Animal Collective, and real ethnic and folk music, give it a whirl.

Radiant Dragon - Cloud Seeding

It reminds me firstly of an organ in distant space, speaking through dreams in Animal Collective-esque distorted vocals, accompanied by cowbells and backwards slurs.

I like it.  I really like it.  I don’t know exactly where I’d listen to it though…Maybe an indie-disco with The Jetsons?

Radiant Dragon - Country

Shimmering backwards slurring erring records bleeding into a helicopter sound made entirely of violins, quickly morphing into a romping, soft, desert-island beat with clouded, vocoder-style harmonic voices.  Country-and-western drums amalgamated with Theremin-like wails and dribbling robotic sentences.  It’s certainly a conjurer’s cauldron concoction of contrasting categories (in musical terms).  Unconventional and disparate.  Give this a listen!  I should expect they’d be good live.  *I'm still listening* Oh good!  I can hear more synths now.

Radiant Dragon - Oysters

This sounds like a Sunday morning radio classic from ten years ago mixed into a tropical beat, and Nirvana-influenced guitars strumming alongside rattlesnake tails and Bongo drums. 

Radiant Dragon - Taman

Smoky Indian sitar-like oscillations softly penetrating the ear-drums with sea-shanty harmonicas (softly, and it works) pushing towards a snake-charmer’s rhythm, only more electronic, against Britpop beats.  

Thus, to conclude, Radiant Dragon create really surprising amalgamations of things that just shouldn’t mix, but do, producing an eerie sound for the accompaniment to modern folk tales as a result.  The only thing I don’t like is the name.

I love anamanaguchi and Wavves are like totally cool and stuff apparently. You know they smoke weed?

Anamanaguchi - So Bored (Wavves Cover)

So I guess at this point I'm a fanboy?

Backstage A1 Bassline interview @ Chew the Fat from Bullet Train Records on Vimeo.

Interview by Marco Del Horno from Rinse FM, who we have had up here before.

Don Diablo vs Example - Hooligans (A1 Bassline Remix)

Regression

Piss poor scan of a lyric sheet paper airplane from MEN

Two bands today linked some what tenously.

Men is the new project from JD Samson of Le Tigre. They have a song on the new Kitsune. Do you really need to know more?

Off Our Backs
Credit Card Babie$
Simultaneously

Youves, who used to be Mirror! Mirror! have just released a mini album on Holy Roar. Dance punk is getting thrown around as a description but they have more balls than the rapture and their ilk. Closer to Black Flag than Black Strobe.

On Probation
Bigorexic

why am I not revising?

Coming to terms with the hideous realisation that most of humanity is bathing in its own stupidity, I've been disenchanted with everything recently.  But then I heard these and then everything was okay.  Ish.

I'd heard of Deerhunter but never really bothered to check them out.  I really regret that now, because I've only just discovered Atlas Sound (It's the solo project of mister Bradford James Cox.)  I heard the track 'Recent Bedroom' and subsequently spent about 3 hours on Hype Machine stalking down some tracks.  Unlike Kevin Shields (WHY DON'T YOU MAKE MORE MUSIC), he churns out flocks of tracks that are put up on the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound blog. 

 

Bradford ^

He's kind of goofy-looking and I really want his children.  Looking at this photo gave me the impulse to simultaneously shrug my shoulders, tilt my head to the side, raise both eyebrows and smile with my mouth open.  Just for a second.  ha.  I bet you just did that if you were reading this alone.

His music is varied, from the finger-clickingly foot-tappingly jumping and clicking your heels together boo-doo-do-wah-dah-bap, dowahdowahdowahdowah-da-bap! 

sort of thing that's exhibited in the Atlas Sound remix of Stereolab (below), to blippy, abstract sounds reminiscent of Animal Collective, to the soft pluckings of gentle notes turned downwards by the whammy bar, with droning voices drowned out by breathy vocals addressing things you can identify with through experience but would rather not think about.  Probably.  I heard Atlas Sound is playing a basement party somewhere in New Cross soon too, so I'll tell news when I hear news, but keep it on the down-low, kapeesh?

Please listen to these songs.  They are really worth listening to.  And look at the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound blog too.

Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Southern Baptist Remix)

We need some sunshine sometimes.  DO DO DO DOWAHDAHBAP DODADADADADODADOWAHDABAP

Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom

Simple, and incredible.

Atlas Sound - Requiem For All The Lonely Teenagers With Passed-Out Moms

What an amazing song.  Eerie, narcotic (that was actually unintentional, ha), melancholic.

Atlas Sound - Cobwebs

This reminds me of My Bloody Valentine in that the vocals are

 amalgmated with the droning guitars.

Atlas Sound - River Card

Reminds me of Air on The Virgin Suicides soundtrack.

Atlas Sound - My Car

Reminds me of David Vanderville/Saint Margaret.

You should listen to Crystal Stilts too.  They sound like surf music got depressed.  They're just brilliant.  You need to listen to them as much as Atlas Sound.

Crystal Stilts - Graveyard Orbit

I do love whammy bars, a narcotic drum beat and a droning vocalist in a song.

Crystal Stilts - Spiral Transit

This reminds me a bit of The Zombies, The Velvet Underground and the kind of surf music from that scene in which Travolta and Thurman danced to (I'm going to stick up for Tarantino soundtracks here)

Fun Fact: Frankie Rose (the drummer) is from the Vivian Girls.  

Grrr.  Why box net so slowyslowslow?

Image courtesy of the Internet.

I made a mixtape for my kitchen with a load of these tracks and others to go with them and my flatmates really actually fucking loved it.  They actually love me more for it.  Their love for me has grown bounds.  Really.  I think It's pretty good too.  Here's the tracklisting for those who want to copy.  Sorry I haven't put up mp3s but I think some would definitely get taken down.

1.  Stereolab - Neon Beanbag (Atlas Sound Southern Baptist Remix)

2.  Atlas Sound - Recent Bedroom

3.  Crystal Stilts - Graveyard Orbit

4.  Sic Alps - Sing Song Waitress

5.  The Concretes - Miss You

6.  Iggy Pop - Nazi Girlfriend 

(I can't believe Iggy Pop did a fucking insurance commercial)

7.  The Zombies - Leave Me Be

8.  Atlas Sound - River Card

9.  My Bloody Valentine - Soon

10.  My Bloody Valentine - Slow

11.  Ringo Deathstarr - Swirly

Such a good name

12.  The 5,6,7,8's - Blue Radio

This is an incredible rock and roll record.  Just listen to it.  It's fucking amazing.  

13.  Atlas Sound - Cobwebs

14.  Atlas Sound - Requien For All The lonely Teenagers With Passed-Out Moms

15.  Atlas Sound - My Car

Look at my preposterous flouting of the rules of the mixtape!  Yes there is far too much of the same band.

16.  Crystal Stilts - Spiral Transit

17.  Mercury Rev - The Funny Bird

 

why.