Andrew Bird – Noble Beast [Fat Possum: 2009] Andrew Bird is a unique artist. His music (a mixture of indie rock, folk, jazz and classical influences) and his mellow voice have made him a darling of critics and endeared him to many devoted fans. Noble Beast is a rich folk record featuring the many instruments of Andrew’s prodigious musical talent – violin, guitar, mandolin, glockenspiel, and whistling. He actually lists ‘whistling’ as one of the instruments he plays, and upon hearing the amazing clarity, depth and pitch of his whistle in songs like opening track “Oh No” you can easily understand why – And not an AutoTuner in sight! Lyrically, the intelligence and virtuoso vocabulary of Bird are evidenced in dazzling rhymes and vivid imagery that describe biology and nature (“Natural Disaster”, “Tenuous”). His dulcet baritone vocals swell so gently and intimately through his songs that you step into the strange and beautiful world he creates, where he somehow manages to make the scientific terminology for animal and plant species sound downright poetic. Noble Beast is intimate, delicate, beautiful and strange – quite like Andrew Bird, I’d imagine.
Having seen videos, read reviews and heard several notorious rumours, Album of The Week was very excited about seeing Of Montreal live in concert for the very first time. Kevin Barnes, the main man behind the wild hybrid art-pop/funk/disco sound, is definitely some kind of musical genius. He is the band’s composer, lyricist, engineer, mixer and producer – so I couldn’t help but wonder how the hell his eccentric musical love-child, Of Montreal, would transform from my tape deck to the stage... Cut to the most outrageously entertaining show I’ve ever seen on The Zoo stage. After his five superbly dressed musicians took to the stage, Mr Barnes emerged from the wings resplendent in draped Eastern fabrics, Jesus sandals and a full face of makeup: “I am a hippie God” said he. Onstage he is a mesmerising presence, and the dude has one hell of a set of lungs on him. Combining the psychedelic imagery from video projections, a dynamic light show, and several guest characters that joined the band on stage at various moments, the show was a complete sensory experience. The aforementioned guest characters included a roaring tiger in a pastel three-piece suit, a sinister ninja, a fat golden Buddha, a leotard-wearing cross-dresser with a crotch full of fruit, and a drum kit bashing brontosaurus. The band performed a selection of tracks from two most recent albums Skeletal Lamping (2008) and Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? (2007), as well as some older songs. The reproduction of Barnes’ songs into the live format was flawless - courtesy of the awesome musicianship of the band and a very complicated technical system. Set highlights included ‘Suffer for Fashion’, ‘She’s a Rejector’, ‘Non Pareil of Favour’ and ‘Id Engager’, as well as Kevin Barnes’ costume change with an inbuilt smoke machine, and the terrifying/hilarious duet between the tiger and the brontosaurus. So now we have finally seen them live and our verdict: freaking spectacular.
Having been recording piano-based blues albums for a decade Tom Waits had grown tired of his music and felt it was time to re-invent. So he got rid of his manager, changed labels and self produced his next album, Swordfishtrombones.
I am not going to lie: when I first heard Tom Waits as a child I was pretty scared. And why wouldn’t you be; his deep crackling voice not only sounds like a cross between a David Lynch villain and the all-powerful Oz, but the songs are filled with horns and off-kilter percussion and sounds that accompany the wonderful weird, movie-like storytelling that is reminiscent of something from your most weird and surreal nightmares. From the manic opener Underground to the beautiful ballad of Town with no cheer and the darkly humorous spoken word of Franks wild years this album jumps around and keeps you riveted throughout its 15 tracks.
Swordfishtrombones not only re-invented Tom Waits career but created a new form of experimental music and storytelling that would inspire musicians and artists of many kinds for years to come.
Ps. This album is best listened to after midnight……with a light on.
Madonna’s 1989 release Like A Prayer is inarguably her greatest musical achievement and one of the most important pop albums of the 1980s. Love her or hate her, girlfriend has hit some pretty ridiculous milestones in a career spanning 25 years:
200 million records sold worldwide
Inducted into the Rock n Roll hall of fame
Pushing boundaries for minority groups including latinos, African Americans, gays and lesbians
A Golden Globe award
Being fitter at 50 than I’ll ever be in my entire life
This year is the 20th anniversary of Like A Prayer, so instead of doing a regular review we’ll dedicate seven words to each song on the album.
1. Like A Prayer – Catholics riot. Pope squirms. Everyone else? – Dance! 2. Express Yourself – Female empowerment track made shoulder pads sexy 3. Love Song (feat. Prince) – Dream collaboration. Only Prince could outsexify Madonna 4. Til Death Do Us Part – Confessional about Sean Penn being a prick 5. Promise To Try – Wrenching piano ballad with gorgeously honest vocal 6. Cherish – The Herb Ritts-directed video is totally whalesome 7. Dear Jessie – Disney-ish. A favourite when I was nine 8. Oh Father – Madonna’s bitch slap to her deadbeat dad 9. Keep It Together – Funking tribute to Sly and Family Stone 10. Spanish Eyes – Brave and honest song inspired by AIDS 11. Act of Contrition – a contrite Madonna gets rejected from heaven
Amazingly it still sounds as modern, as subversive and as captivating an album as it did when it was first released. Madonna and I may have drifted apart over the last few years, but we’ll always have Like A Prayer.
25.02.10
Our semi regular e-newsletters are finally up and running so sign up for news on great albums new and old plus ticket and album giveaways.
We have two double passes for next week’s Sydney show of the outrageous Tel Aviv punk semi-nudists Monotonix. Rad! Email us at info@albumoftheweek.com.au with your details and “I want to get nude with Monotonix” in the title for your chance to win. And if you can’t make the show we’ve also got two Monotonix CDs to giveaway so drop us a line and tell us why you love noisy Tel Aviv nudists.
18.02.10
Sydney singer songwriter Ernest Ellis has another amazing song and here it is to download for free! Can't wait for the album release in the coming months.
09.02.10 Yo La Tengo are touring Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney in mid February AND their being supported by the awesome Songs. Get There!
Albums are like our friends. We like to party with some and just chill out with others. We introduce some to our parents, and some we are ashamed to even be associated with. Some are beautiful and poetic, and some are short, scary and only good in small doses. Nevertheless, we love them all in their special way. Each week we feature an album that might make a good friend for you – someone you’ll want to hang out with or maybe be reacquainted with. So please read on.
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
