Sunn O))) + Ulver - Terrestrials

I first saw Sunn O))) at All Tomorrow's Parties in 2009; I had no idea what hit me and it took years to decide if I actually liked what I heard or if it was just a thoroughly overwhelming gimmick. In 2015 I saw them again at Primavera Sound and decided that not only do I actually like Sunn O))), but they were a hugely impressive band. After a day of drinking in the sun, they sobered me right up as they rattled my bones for an hour. There was a dude onstage waving his hands at a microphone for half the set - when he finally opened his mouth it scared the shit out of me.

For a long time I thought I should get a Sunn O))) album, but never got round to it. My friend Aled saw them with me at ATP and immediately bought a copy of The Grimmrobe Demos, the album we saw them play (they also played Monoliths and Dimensions that weekend, but I wanted to watch The Mars Volta in the main room; I think Aled watched a bit of both bands). A couple of months after Primavera Sound I was in San Francisco for work and took my usual trip to Amoeba Records. I decided that I'd finally buy a Sunn O))) album, and picked up this copy of the record they did with Ulver.

In hindsight, I probably should have bought one of the albums I knew to be amongst their best, or at least one of the well-known ones. I think I went with this one because it was cheap. I can't remember what other ones were there to choose from, but there wasn't a huge selection either way. It's not a bad release just somewhat underwhelming, which is a shame given how entirely overwhelming their live shows are. Maybe I'm just not playing it loud enough. It didn't come with a download code, so it's not spent a huge amount of time in my ears, which is a shame - I could see myself getting on well with this whilst working.

The third and last track, Eternal Return, is the most interesting. I remember being confused by the printed lyrics on the back of the sleeve because I had no memories of there being any lyrics on the first few listens, such is the trance Sunn O))) leave you in. I'm probably downplaying the role Ulver have in this record, but that's only because I have no knowledge of them at all. A few years ago I recommended Sunn O))) to a colleague who had very strange taste in music and his first reaction was "they remind me of Ulver". Needless to say, I sent him a link to this album.

I'm still keen to get into Sunn O))) properly, but I wonder if I just enjoy songs too much; I get a lot out of someone singing with an acoustic guitar. I get something out of this, but I doubt I'll ever be a fan of drone metal as a genre. I foresee a future here I have two or three Sunn O))) albums and consider that all the drone metal I need. I'm going to try to choose them wisely, I think that'll be key.

Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 3
Cost: £10.77 new
Bought: Amoeba Records, San Francisco
When: 08/07/15
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: none

Mono - Holy Ground: NYC Live With The Wordless Music Orchestra

Since I've been doing this PhD, instrumental music has really come into it's own. It used to be that the only post-rock bands in my collection were Explosions in the Sky and Mogwai, but since I discovered how nice it is to work whilst listening to epic, soaring music I've found so many more bands I love. Mono are certainly one of them, and this record is great.

I'm pretty sure that  they were the first band I ever saw at All Tomorrow's Parties, playing the EITS festival a few years back. They were certainly the first band I saw in the upstairs room at Minehead. I was very impressed, but somehow forgot to actually buy any of their records until a few years later. When this album was released there was a free download of Ashes in the Snow floating around that I downloaded and played to death. I've always been a sucker for classical instruments and rock music together (this might have something to do with Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve being a huge part of my life).

When I was in San Francisco a few months later I found the triple vinyl in Amoeba Records. I'd been wanting to buy it since the record came out but it was crazy expensive with postage from the states, so I jumped at the chance to get it then. It worked out to about £19, which is still a lot, but it's a pretty lovely package: limited to 3,000 copies, triple gatefold vinyl with individual picture sleeves and a DVD of the entire show. Musically, it's lovely. The orchestra adds so much warmth to the songs, and so much power to the whole thing. The DVD is a great watch too, seeing this rock band sat in front of a huge orchestra (also means I get to enjoy it without getting up to change the record five times). The whole thing is worth a listen, but Ashes in the Snow and Pure as Snow are certainly highlights and the outro to Everlasting Light is jaw-dropping.

I had tickets to see Mono playing with an orchestra in Koko last year, but I couldn't go in the end. Some friends and I were planning a fairly large trip around south-east Asia and the only time we could all make it involved me giving up my tickets to see Mono and Low. I was a bit gutted (especially since chances to see a performance as awesome as this record don't come around that often) but I'm very glad I went. I got to finally see Low at the Jeff Mangum ATP earlier in the year, and Mono are playing Shellac's one in December, admittedly not with an orchestra, but it should be good regardless.


Format: Triple 12", gatefold, picture sleeves, DVD
Tracks: 10
Cost: £19 new
Bought: Amoeba, San Francisco
When: 07/09/10
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Godspeed You Black Emperor! - f# a# ∞

As promised, here is a second post today to make up for yesterday's laziness. The significance of this record is that GY!BE played I'll Be Your Mirror last year and were incredible. I only went for one day and it was a choice between GY!BE + Portishead or Company Flow + Portishead. As awesome as it would have been to see Co Flow, I think I made the right choice (although, in sad news it seems that El-P can't play this year. I do hope I get to see him soon).

My friend Aled raved about Godspeed for ages and for some reason I went for a very long time without listening to them. I found this in Amoeba in San Francisco and added it to the large number of records I was already buying. I think the "original 1997 lp" printed on the plastic sleeve is a reference to the songs on the record, rather than when it was pressed (you wouldn't print that on a record in 1997, nor would you find the first print of f# a# ∞ for such a reasonable price). The cd has a very different tracklisting and is a bit longer, but if there were ever an album worth having on vinyl it's this one.

I've tried to capture quite how lovely the package is in the pictures, but there's more than the envelope full of goodies and the flattened coin (I love the idea of someone sat by a train track putting Canadian cents on the track solely for putting in these sleeves, not to mention that it's a crime to destroy an image of the queen!). The track names are etched into the groove run-offs and the title of the album is a reference to the locked-groove at the end of Side B, so the final notes, f# and a#, just repeat for ever. These things are lost on cds.

Also, musically it's perfect the way it is. On first listen I thought the intro to Nervous, Sad, Poor... went on too long, but now I know to be patient. For me though, it's all about side B. The whole 17 minutes of it is beautiful. I'd not seen 28 Days Later before getting the album so when he starts wandering around the empty, deserted streets of London and East Hastings kicks in I was amazed. I'd never considered it to be the sort of music that would fit a film (of course it had to be heavily edited) but it worked so brilliantly. I don't think of the film in general now when it breaks, but I do think about the isolation and desolation of that scene. I've often just played Bleak, Uncertain, Beautiful a few times over in a row, and let the locked groove run a bit (whilst I'm told it's f# and a# at the end, it could be anything - my musical talents don't extend anywhere near as far to confirm that).

ATP announced this morning a GY!BE gig for November in the Forum, which I've now got tickets for. I'm willing to believe that every show is as good as the one I saw in Alexandra Palace last year, so it should be good. This blog doesn't get a huge number of views (to say the least) and if you've read this far, it's probably because you're interested in the band or a massive vinyl nerd like myself. If the latter, then I imagine the lush packaging here will tempt you, but in either case have a listen to some of the music because it's really wonderful.


Format: 12", silk-screened drawing of a train, envelope containing: a4 insert, gig flyer, contact sheet and a flattened 1 cent coin
Tracks: 2
Cost: £10.95 new
Bought: Amoeba San Francisco
When: 07/09/10
Colour: black
Etching: Side A: "Nervous, sad, poor...." Side B: "Bleak, uncertain, beautiful..."
mp3s: no

The Bouncing Souls - How I Spent My Summer Vacation

A truly classic album. Last year The Bouncing Souls played four nights in London, each night playing two of their albums in full (a concept I adore). I only had Hopeless Romantics and Summer Vacation at the time, so I went to those two nights. I think part of the reason why the Summer Vacation night was so good was because every single song was massive and such fun to jump around to and sing along. I like the excitement of knowing that they're going to play certain songs. It's almost like being prepared for the excitement somehow makes it more enjoyable, even though I know it should be the other way round (the joy of a good surprise).

True Believers and Gone are two of my favourite Bouncing Souls songs, but the other 11 are all excellent. That Song starts the album perfectly ("I put the needle on the record, and I play that song again"). Manthem and Break Up Song are exactly the songs you expect them to be, but make a great duo. Gone is fantastic way to close the album, and a cracking song on it's own.

I bought this one on the same trip to Amoeba as the Low + The Dirty Three record, and a whole bunch of others. I think this album has always been in print and I'm sure Banquet have had it in stock at various points, but I was spending money and I'm glad it got caught up in that storm. It's basically a perfect punk rock record; songs about music, girls and hanging out with friends; upbeat but heavy. Like I said, a classic.


Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 13
Cost: £11.68
Bought: Amoeba San Francisco
When: 07/09/10
Colour: black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Low + The Dirty Three - In the Fishtank 7

I don't listen to this album enough. Low and The Dirty Three are both bands I've fallen in love with in the last two or three years (The Dirty Three ever since I saw footage of them in the All Tomorrow's Parties film, and Low after hearing their Daytrotter session). I really should play it more. It runs in length somewhere between an EP and an album (not that these are fixed lengths!) so I don't think to put it on when I'm after either album or EP. I also bought it at the same time as a whole bunch of other records, so it got a bit lost in the chaos. That said, it was one of the first ones I listened from them all because I couldn't wait to hear it.

I was on holiday in California with a friend and we had an afternoon free in San Francisco. I'd heard great things about Amoeba Records and had to check it out. It was, and still is, one of the biggest record shops I've ever been in. If Matt hadn't got bored I'd have spent hours in there (on top of the hour we already had spent). You'd always find at least one album you were after in there. I love Banquet as my local, but if I lived near Amoeba I'd be in heaven (I didn't get to check out the other two branches, and my bank balance is pleased). I'm sure I'll rave about it more when I get round to writing about the other albums I got there.

Anyway, I stumbled across this one with an arm already full of vinyl. I'd never heard of the In the Fishtank series, nor that Low and The Dirty Three had collaborated. The text on the sleeve explained everything for me, which reduced my confusion. Being abroad I couldn't crack out the smartphone and read all about it, so I just bought it and saved that for when I got home. They have some cracking looking records, and some awesome collaborations that I really want to hear (the Isis one in particular). I've not seen any of the others in shops since, but will definitely pick up some more in the future.

The two bands work so well together. I love how stripped back Low's sound is usually (I only just got C'Mon after finally seeing them recently and its one of my new favourite albums - it would have made last year's end-of-year list for sure), but The Dirty Three add something lovely to it. Ocean Songs made the top 10 of my favourite albums of the 90's and they're a band that I'm still exploring. I've done a lot of good work whilst listening to them. It would be fascinating to hear them work together with a bit more time. These songs are great but you wonder where they might have been if they had more time. I get that the series captures this brief working period and I think that's great, I'd just love to hear more.

Some songs sound more Dirty Three than Low (Cody) and some the other way (When I Called Upon Your Seed). The Neil Young cover is fantastic with Mimi singing (I don't know the original but I should check it out) and Lordy comes out of nowhere and works so well. I'm really glad I picked this record up (once I saw it there was never any doubt that I would), and I should listen to it more often.

Format: 12"
Tracks: 6
Cost: £6.57
Bought: Amoeba San Francisco
When: 07/09/10
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no