Posts written by Jed
2012 In Preview: Owen Pallett
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
Two years ago Owen Pallett released “Heartland”, a record of near unparalleled beauty and ambition which AGCS named our favourite album of 2010. Since then he’s gone on to score 14 Actors Acting for the New York Times, work on string arrangements for the likes of Alex Turner, Duran Duran, and of course Arcade Fire, and given us an excellent EP in the form of “A Swedish Love Story”. In short it’s been a busy two years for Owen, who’s finally seen his immense talent get the critical recognition it deserves, and who could blame him if he decided to have a bit of a rest after that?
2012 In Preview - Bloc Party
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
Oh Bloc Party, as much as I may find your run ins with the music press amusing, you don’t do yourself any favours. Still, if it takes the “news” that Kele is being replaced as lead singer to bring you out of hiding then I guess we should be thankful for the NME’s gullibility. Because while “that” incident was pretty much all anyone would talk about, the real news came in a short statement from the band themselves;
Bloc Party is still Bloc Party. See you soon.
Since then Kele has appeared on Zane Lowe’s show and revealed that the band are currently in the process of recording their fourth album, with (as of January 3rd) two tracks recorded and 17 demoed. As you can probably guess, the prospect of a new Bloc Party album has us VERY excited.
2012 In Preview: Marina And The Diamonds
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
I’ll admit it. The first time I came across Marina Diamandis I was not impressed. Catching her live on the autumn 2009 NME Radar tour, I found her performance underwhelming, and I came out of the gig with no idea of the sheer pop perfection she was capable of creating. I have fellow AGCSer Greg to thank for persuading me to give Marina and the Diamonds another shot, through the simple fact that he just would not shut up about how great she was. Eventually repeat listens of the likes of Are You Satisfied, Oh No!, The Outsider, and Hollywood brought me round to the same conclusion; Marina was awesome! As such, we at AGCS can’t wait to hear her next project, which sees Marina transform herself into a vacuous pop star called “Electra Heart”. It looks set to be an interesting ride.
2012 In Preview: Xiu Xiu
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
Whatever you think of Xiu Xiu, you could never call them boring. Seeing Jamie Stewart’s carnival of self-loathing at The Harley in 2010 remains the most intense live experience I’ve ever witnessed, and I can always rely on his records to remind me of the soul-crushing futility of human existence and that happiness is but a fleeting illusion. Bearing this in mind it’s probably not appropriate to say I’m “looking forward” to the new Xiu Xiu record “Always”, but like drivers slowing down to stare at a car crash, morbid curiosity will draw me back into the miserable world of Xiu Xiu.
2012 In Preview: The Avalanches
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
When “Since I Left You” came out, I was 11 years old. And I realised with a start the other day that this means I have spent more that half my life waiting for a second record from The Avalanches. Half a lifetime spent scouring the internet for clues as to the continued existence of the Australian turntablists and that fabled sophomore effort. I mean, I’m obviously being dramatic here; I didn’t really spend all those 11 years waiting for The Avalanches to return. It just feels like I have.
2012 In Preview: Everything Everything
Over the next few days we’ll be looking at what’s to come in the year ahead, and picking out some of the releases we’re most looking forward to hearing over the coming months.
Despite touring for most of 2010 and 2011 it seems like Everything Everything aren’t prepared to rest on their laurels in 2012. But although a new song, Kimosabe, started appearing in their setlists around a year ago up until now there’s been little indicatation of just how far they’d got with their new record. Or at least that was the case until the band played Cardiff earlier this week, a show which saw them play seven new songs. With that in mind, surely they can’t be too far off releasing some new material?
AGCS Interviews Screaming Maldini
Secret Sounds by screamingmaldini
It is AGCS’s humble opinion that Screaming Maldini are one of the most exciting bands around at the moment. The EPs they’ve released so far have been ridiculously over the top prog-pop affairs which have showcased more imaginative ideas than most bands can muster in a lifetime, and with a new album on it’s way 2012 could well be their year. In November last year I was lucky enough to catch up with frontman Nick Maldini, fresh from the studio, at the album launch of label mates Johnny Foreigner. Here he tells us more about the record.
“Nine Types Of Light” is an AGCS Album of the Year
OK, so initially we wanted to pick just five records for our AGCS albums of the year but I just couldn’t let this one go unnoticed. Because “Nine Types Of Light” recieved a lukewarm reception this year; people claimed it wasn’t as good as Dear Science (in fact it’s better) and in general it’s been overlooked, barely getting a look-in on album of the year lists. But personally I found this record to be the purest manifestation of TV On The Radio’s sound yet, a brilliant album I’m still not tired of. You can read my initial track by track review below.
AGCS Reviews EVERY Sufjan Stevens Christmas EP - Part Three
Since the release of the Songs For Christmas box set in 2006, Sufjan has recorded four more Christmas EPs (and who knows, the fifth could already be in the hands of this year’s lucky few). Of these only Vol. VI and Vol. VIII have found their way into the wider world; as for other two, we can only speculate as to what they may contain. I have it on very good authority that Vol. VII coincided with a short-lived death metal phase and Sufjan’s delicate falsetto was temporarily replaced with a gutteral pig squeal. And while I obviously just made that up, the fact remains that we just don’t know what those EPs sound like. More’s the pity.
Anyway, while it would obviously be lovely to have the complete set of Sufjan’s Songs For Christmas there’s no point dwelling upon it, so lets get back to the issue at hand…
AGCS Reviews EVERY Sufjan Stevens Christmas EP - Part Two
Yesterday I reviewed Vol. I, Vol. II, and Vol. III of Sufjan Stevens’ Christmas EP’s, and today in part two of our Suf-stravaganza I’ll be looking at Vol. IV and Vol. V. As I mentioned yesterday, these releases are a fascinating way to track Sufjan’s progress across the years, and these two EPs are no exception. Indeed, despite being separated by only a year they’re two very different beasts…
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