The Unusual, Day 3: El Perro Del Mar
I've taken a shine to five musicians recently, in last week's effort to seek out the Dr. Pepper of music, as I like to call it: The Unusual. I'd found myself in a rut of listening to the same-old same-old and my ears needed a jolt. I searched out music I've never heard, and music I never gave a chance, and the five performers highlighted this week stuck out like sore thumbs to soothe my bored ears. Today: El Perro Del Mar! So it's almost a little unfair to place El Perro Del Mar on a list titled "The Unusual," seeing as my attempt was to branch out my tastes a little bit. El Perro Del Mar's most obvious influences are Phil Spector and the 60's girl groups, but El Perro Del Mar pulls equally from the 1960s easy listening vocals that creates a beautiful and eerie discomfort. She pulls from much of the same music as the Pipettes, but without the dance floor backdrop.
The week I snagged this album, I was having some odd nausea and car sickness, and the music was so compelling that I refused to listen to it for fear of picking up an aversion to the music. I believe I succeeded at this.
The track "God Knows" really highlights just what is so compelling about this Swedish songster. There's a steady beat that's only noticable if you're paying attention, there's the pips that never overwhelm, and then El Perro Del Mar's vocals kick in with such fragility that a board mix is the only thing that layers it above anything else.
It's music that really speaks for itself.
El Perro Del Mar - God Knows
sidenoteNPR's All Songs Considered broadcast its Best of 2006 show last night. The top ten list (by listener vote) and the show can be foundhere. It's worth a listen to hear the different top ten lists from the guest, including KEXP's John Richards. I voted for He Poos Clouds by Final Fantasy because I figured Joanna Newsom didn't need any more help...
posted by Aaron Burkhalter @ 10:16 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Grr. Blogger Beta can kiss my butt... it killed my previously attempted post.... anyway...
My question, before I was so rudely denied, was 'Can you stand The Hold Steady'? Because when I turn on their music, I feel a near-instantaneous desire to turn it off again. I think its the lyrics. They do not, shall we say, sit well with me... why would anyone want to listen to a song about someone's certain kind of rat friends? Really. The NPR folk almost put that one at 10... how can this be?
Hey! We Will Build has a new album out if you want to check it out, it's called This is Necessary.
Also, on the subject of "The Unusual", Dan (half of WWB) released a sort of lo-fi/pop/electronic album called Tape .
Oh, and both albums are fully available for free to download at wewillbuild.net
Can I stand the Hold Steady? The jury's still out really. I've only listened to a handful of tracks, none of which turned me away, nor really grabbed me. Lyrics take a long time to sink in for me, and honestly the odd vocal styles might have more to do with my not listening to them... which is ironic considering my lauding of Antony, Joanna Newsom and the like.
But it wasn't NPR so much as NPR listeners... blame those that support and fund their operations... It was a pretty mixed bag on the top 10 for NPR. I'm waiting to hear from a few others, like Pitchfork, You Ain't No Picasso and the like...
As for the "We Will Build" action, that's hot! I've been hoping they'd put out an honest to goodness album. Not that I can complain - they've released so much online....
I really need to get the rest of my "Unusual" posts going. Just two more, but I'm shamefully late on what was supposed to be a one-week series.
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