On Repeat: Brian Eno

I was about to post something that I found kind of amusing, but as this is a little over the one-year anniversary of the blog, I'm posting something monumental.

Brian Eno, "An Ending (Ascent)"

It's absolutely perfect, and one of the most comforting songs I know. There are currents of melancholy and general emotional ambiguity that run underneath the surface, but without them, just as in life, the pure beauty of this song wouldn't be as important, fulfilling, or real. If you like this, love it, or think that I'm making a big deal out of nothing, I'd like to know.

a pleasant surprise

Justice make some awesome remixes. U2's new single, "Get On Your Boots" is absolutely terrible. Yet somehow, Justice made it much more than tolerable -- they made it really, really good.

MGMT's "Electric Feel" was already good, but Justice really upped the ante by adding their trademark hyper-compressed kick&snare attack, distorted synths and funky bass lines.

I guess this is just a brief Justice tribute post. Do you love them? Hate them? Ambivalent? Apathetic? Share your thoughts if you please.

Used to Be

I just got the new Beach House track, and have to say that I'm pretty stunned. When I first heard this band, I absolutely hated them. I thought their music was the most boring/stupid thing ever (I know, mature, right?). Then I listened again last winter, and realized how much I love them. Victoria Legrand's languid, woozy melodies are complimented by Alex Scally's inebriated slide guitar into a perfect melange of narcotic pop. Last Sunday I listened to some of my favorite tracks of theirs (from both 2006's Beach House and this year's fantastic Devotion).

So on to the track: "Used To Be" is pretty simple meditation on change, love, and growing older (and of course, how these affect one another). Legrand provides a halcyon chord progression with some sort of bright mallet patch on her keyboard, singing in a much clearer manner than ever before. Her voice is still swimming in reverb, but the beauty of her plaintive, earnest melodies really shines through here. After the first verse, Alex Scally adds heavily distorted, almost fuzz-folk guitar (á la Neutral Milk Hotel's "Ghost") adds a new dimension to the band's sound, one I'd like to see them explore even more.

The B-side is a demo version of "Apple Orchard" that I find far superior to the original. Legrand doesn't strain at all, as the melody is completely within her grasp, but I miss the slide guitar of the LP version.

If you're new to Beach House, BUY THEIR MUSIC NOW!

The simplicity of the video compliments the song well; I love it.