At the Drive-In - Vaya

This won't be a huge post about how much I love ATDI, I'll save that for when I write about Relationship of Command. Vaya was the last of the ATDI back-catalogue that I picked up, although I still don't have the early EPs. I got into them the way most people did, Relationship of Command first, then I worked backwards picking up albums as and when I found them. I eventually found the cd version of Vaya for £4 in a record shop somewhere in Paris one night.

I'd heard Metronome Arthritis and 198d on the This Station is Non-Operational cd and thought they were both great songs. In fact, the whole EP is really good, but given that it was sandwiched between their two best albums it's really no wonder. 300 MHz is also a great song, making side B solidly good tunes.

I'd love one day to have all of the (good) albums in my collection on vinyl instead of cd, so I was pleased this was re-released. I was even more pleased by the colour of it, the UK (or possibly non-US) version was limited to 1,500 copies and the half pink/half transparent yellow looks nice. For £13, it was certainly a luxury buy, but I like it.


Format: 10", insert
Tracks: 7
Cost: £13 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 09/08/12
Colour: Half pink, half transparent yellow
Etching: none
mp3s: no

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

Fucked Up - David Comes to Life

David Comes to Life topped the list of my top ten records of 2011. I think I knew that would be the case before the other half the year had even happened. I can't remember which song appeared on the internet first, the brilliant introduction of Queen of Hearts ("Hello my name is David / Your name is Veronica!" is a huge chorus) or the more elaborate The Other Shoe, but I was suitably impressed by both and eagerly awaited the album's release. When I first played it, I had to play it again straight away because I couldn't wait to hear it another time.

I became a fan of Fucked Up much later than most, so to me they've never been about 2-minute hardcore songs; I first heard them when The Chemistry of Common Life came out and the music on there is the Fucked Up I got into. This album takes my favourite aspects of the last record, throws in a large serving of concept album (I'm a sucker for a concept album), spreads it all out over 18 songs and makes an incredible album of it. I can never quite figure out if Damian's vocals are at odds with the music the other five are playing, or if they've created something entirely new that works perfectly together; at times he's working to a beat of his own, but then it keeps finding a rhythm with the rest of the band. Queen of Hearts, Turn the Season and I Was There all give examples of this. On Serve me Right he sings the chorus faster than I can even read the lyrics. There's also the contrast between the gruff male vocals and the smooth female ones on The Other Shoe, Running on Nothing and throughout almost all of the album.

I'll be honest, the plot of the album does lose me a little and, despite a number of attempts, I can't quite follow it. I've read people's ideas about what's going on, but that's just confused me more (somehow the narrator is part of the story?). Yet I still think the album is great. Maybe it's enough to know there is a plot holding these characters and songs together, or maybe it's just that I love the music so much it doesn't matter. (The significance of all the songs having three-word titles is lost on me too.) There are highlights throughout the album, but I particularly enjoy the five songs from Act 4 (it could be because they provide closure to a story I don't get, but it's more likely that they're just great songs). I Was There demands my whole attention every time I hear it.

I've been putting off writing about this album for ages, because I knew it would take ages to write. On top of that there's all the pictures to take of the things inside the sleeve. They've made a nice package here (all pictured below): a fake cover with a poem on the back, a gatefold sleeve (with pictures from one of the videos), a huge poster with lyrics and yet another poem, and a download code. The matt-black sleeves for the records are a nice little touch, for reasons I can't quite figure out myself. Also, Banquet had packs of five postcards with the album giving even more details about the five characters.

All in all, easily the album of 2011, and definitely a new entry into my top 50 albums of all time I reckon. I look forward to December 2020 to see where this album appears on my albums of the decade list; I have no idea where I'll be or what I'll be doing, but I hope (and imagine) I'll still think this is a incredible album.


Format: double 12", gatefold, 24"x24" poster, second album cover, 5 postcards
Tracks: 18
Cost: £12.35 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 21/06/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: download

The Cut Ups - Building Bridges. Starting Here

I normally wait a while before writing about a record on here - it's nice to have time to properly get into it - but I've been playing this record pretty much solidly for the last three weeks so I feel I know it pretty well already. My year so far can broken up into three distinct phases: not aware The Cut Ups were writing or had a new album coming out; being excited that the Cut Ups had a new record coming out; and excitedly playing the new Cut Ups record. Each period of time has been better than the last.

Over the last five years The Cut Ups' first two albums have been in very heavy rotation on my hifi and I've been looking forward to new album for ages. Luckily, Building Bridges doesn't disappoint, which says a lot given how high my hopes were set. This time they've stepped up their game even more than before - it's still the Cut Ups but there's so much more going on. Firstly, pretty much everyone they know gets a go on vocals and the number of people in the band is growing linearly with each album. All the extra instruments add a lot and its noticeable straight away on Exeter. The songs feel fuller and more varied, but work well together. Lyrically they're still picking fights against wrong-doing of any size, something I always liked about The Cut Ups, and I'll be Over Directly actually offers some solutions. I'm not quite taken by Another Bad Mood yet, but it is incredibly catchy. It's nice to hear Torches get another airing too.

I pre-ordered almost as soon as the pre-sale went up on Household Name and the record arrived two days early, which was greatly appreciated. The art work is incredible and by far one of the best sleeves I've seen this year (an old housemate of mine used to use the phrase "build a bridge" as a very annoying way of telling someone to get over something). Unfortunately, the record slightly knifed the inner-sleeve in the post, but I'll forgive that for the fact it was early. The blue vinyl is lovely and the cd copy included means there's nowhere I can go where I can't play the album. In Exeter Jon sings "There was a thought / I didn't need the stuff that I bought". I see his point (despite writing a blog about stuff I've bought), but disagree because I very much need this record in my life.

I'm seeing The Cut Ups on Thursday for the first time in years (I've missed a few London shows - last August I bailed on their Windmill show to go on the first date with my girlfriend, and in July this year I ended up going to see Soundgarden instead). Annoyingly, Tall Ships are playing Kingston the same night at New Slang and I'm pretty sure it's going to be impossible to get from Camden to Kingston in time for them. I've not played the Tall Ships record yet, but I'm pretty sure going to see The Cut Ups will be the right choice.


Format: 12", picture sleeve
Tracks: 11
Cost: £11 new
Bought: Household Name Records
When: 22/09/12
Colour: Blue
Etching: none
mp3s: cd

Street Eaters - Rusty Eyes and Hydrocarbons

Yet another band I got into by going to Fest last year, although I didn't actually end up seeing them that weekend. They clashed with Great Cynics, and whilst I see Great Cynics about once a month, they played one of the best sets I've ever seen them play, so I was pleased I caught them. Street Eaters were one of the bands I discovered in the weeks leading up to Fest on one of the Bandcamp samplers. The song Nation Builder caught my ear and a stream of their album made me a fan. I had every intention of seeing them but clashes are always painful and I felt I had to see Great Cynics abroad. Also the queues for 1982 were often killer.

Despite not seeing them, I picked up Rusty Eyes and Hydrocarbons at the No Idea yard sale on the Sunday morning. Records are so cheap in the states and by bringing it back myself I didn't have to pay postage! It's an awesome album, but I knew that from Bandcamp. Given that there's just the two of them, they have the fullest sound, and its really unrelenting in its attack. The dual vocals adds so much (just have a listen to Frigid Digits) and their voices complement each other greatly. The bass is perfectly chuggy and the drums are hit hard. Almost makes you wonder why other bands bother with guitarists (a thought I also had after seeing Lightning Bolt). Nation Builder is still a mind-blowing song, and Livid Lizard and Through the Cracks are both highlights.

So I've spent the last year lamenting the fact I didn't see them live, but all that will change in two weeks as they're touring Europe and playing the Black Heart in Camden. Needless to say, I'm definitely going. (I was supposed to join some friends in seeing The Dirty Projectors that night, but I'm not missing Street Eaters again. I like The Dirty Projectors but I can imagine seeing them in the soulless Roundhouse might not be that enjoyable anyway.) Anyway, I have high hopes. It'll be nice to be able to play this record without the guilty feeling of knowing I missed them on one of the (probably) few chances I have to see them.


Format: 12", insert
Tracks: 10
Cost: £6.20 new
Bought: No Idea yard sale
When: 30/10/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: download

The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

This band very nearly passed me by, and had it not been for my friend getting fed up watching metal bands, I may never have bothered listening to them. I have a faint memory of people getting excited when this collaboration happened (it's pretty A-list stuff) - I was living in Australia and definitely remember seeing the cd billed as The Saboteurs due to a name conflict there - but that was about it. The week after I returned to the UK some friends and I went to Roskilde Festival. We'd been the year before and loved it (I recommend it to anyone who enjoys large festivals). After a while of Hugh and I dragging her to see various metal bands, my friend Vicky pointed out there were bands of other genres playing that weekend and suggested we go watch The Raconteurs. I'd never been a huge fan of Jack White's output; there were a few White Stripes songs I enjoyed but that was about it. I'd heard of Brendan Benson and that's where my familiarity with this A-list ended.

Anyway, I was amazed when they played. I've never seen Led Zeppelin (obviously) but I swear it was like watching them. The whole set was four slightly-geeky looking guys rocking so hard, a constant flow of pure energy and the songs were brilliant. The metal bands we'd been watching all weekend could learn a lesson from The Raconteurs. They were one of the highlights of the festival. I'd missed the boat slightly with them, but made up for it that summer; we saw them again at Pukkelpop and for a third time at Leeds. Each time they were as good as the last - cracking songs and a great live show.

After all this, I came to listen to the album, and I have never been so disappointed (well, I probably have, but hyperbole works well here). The songs that were mind-blowing and fierce live were tamed to the point of being dull. Sandwiched between them were songs so uninteresting and forgettable I keep having to check the titles to remind myself of them (Together does nothing for me in the slightest). There are some great songs here, but they rely on me remembering how they impressed me so live. For that reason I can still enjoy Steady, As She Goes, Broken Boy Soldier, Level and Blue Veins. Somewhere, hidden in the production maybe, are incredible tunes and if you listen hard enough you can hear the potential. I wish this album was recorded live, or they put out a live album from that 2006 tour.

Despite this, I picked up the LP whilst doing some internet shopping for very cheap. The packaging is lovely (the writing on the sleeve is all in gold foil) and comes with a poster. I knew I wouldn't love it, but I do enjoy some of the songs enough to spin the record from time to time. It reminds me of that summer, of discovering this incredible live band I'd ignored, and of how good those songs were.

I also bought their second album during the Tuesday-record-from-Spillers year and saw them again that summer, but more on that when I come to write about that LP.


Format: 12", gatefold, picture sleeve, 12x24" poster
Tracks: 10
Cost: £6.30 new
Bought: recordstore.co.uk
When: 11/12/07
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: no

Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People EP

I remember the excitement of when I first discovered Sufjan Stevens' music. I'd bought the soundtrack to the film I'm Not There which featured endless covers of Bob Dylan songs by a variety of artists, some I knew, some I didn't. Sufjan's cover of Ring Them Bells caught my ear and thought he was worth checking out. I read his Wikipedia page and realised he was this hugely admired, prolific song-writer who I'd somehow never heard of. I found a copy of Illinois on cd in a second shop (with Superman on the sleeve) a short while later and became a fan. I picked up a few other albums over the years, some better than others, and eagerly awaited new music. He'd been away for a while but came back with a new hour long EP and album both within about a month of each other. The music world was excited but unprepared to be so divided.

Both records were put onto Bandcamp to stream and I listened to them both (which was the first time of many I'd visit Bandcamp). I thought All Delighted People was fantastic. The never-ending title track was amazing, both versions putting a different spin on it. From the Moth of Gabriel and The Owl and the Tanager both sound like a classic Sufjan songs, which almost everyone will agree is a good thing. The closer Djohariah is nothing to write home about, but the handclaps are nice. The album however I couldn't get on board with at all. The Age of Adz was a crazed, experimental, auto-tuned record that Pitchfork lapped up (interestingly they hated All Delighted People). There was one song that I thought was quite good, but that was countered by another that I could barely listen to. The rest I was entirely on the fence about. I'm not against artists experimenting and "pushing boundaries"; I think it's important and music would be terribly dull if no one did. However, I got the impression that it got rave reviews because it was different and not necessarily because it was any good. In turn, All Delighted People got forgotten about and ignored because he'd written songs more like those that came before. I have a bad habit of taking bad reviews personally when it's an album I like. I know I shouldn't. It's very easy to interpret bad reviews of records as the reviewer saying "you must be an idiot if you like this" when they're not (usually) saying that at all.

Anyway, I think this is a cracking EP, and anyone who enjoyed Illinois or Michigan or Seven Swans would enjoy it equally as much. I listened to it a bunch online and picked the double vinyl up in Banquet just after I moved to Kingston. The EP is spread over three sides, with the fourth containing 11 instrumental piano tracks, neither found on the cd or the download card. I was very pleasantly surprised, expecting just a one-sided record. It's nice when artists/labels reward those buying the vinyl with added bonuses.

Format: 12", gatefold sleeve
Tracks: 19
Cost: £13 new
Bought: Banquet Records
When: 14/07/11
Colour: Black
Etching: none
mp3s: download