Medicine - Shot Forth Self Living

hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=5HOE96NS

Recently dug out the vinyl version of this out of print 1992 album and was dismayed to find that it was destroyed with dirt and scratches and wouldn't play. I went looking for it in mp3 format then, and once i found it I thought, well I may as well spread the word about it here.

This debut Medicine album is absolutely essential for noisepop afficionados. It's highly influenced by JAMC/MBV's trailblazing experiments in marrying unsettling abrasion with soothing melody, but it's packed with enough menacing beauty of their own to set them apart from the early 90's shoegazing herd.

Shot Forth Self Living points to a musical aesthetic that sadly still hasn't been fully realised in the intervening years, by themselves, My Bloody Valentine, or anybody else. Someone needs to pick up that torch.

Wye Oak

www.myspace.com/wyeoak

Really good new boy/girl duo on Merge Records. Jenn does most of the singing and plays guitar. Andy plays the drums and keyboards, at the same time. Their recordings are excellent...I'll wait til they come to Dublin in November before passing judgement on their unique live show.

They sound a bit like the noises Chan Marshall would make while having a torrid affair with Ira Kaplan. Apparently, they made a biker cry at SXSW.

"If Children" is the name of the album. If you have some disposable income, go and buy it. It's very, very good and they deserve to be big. I'll let you have the opening track as a taster.

Please Concrete -
hxxp://rapidshare.com/files/141030528/
01-wye_oak-please_concrete.mp3.html

MBV - To Here Knows When (Fuji Rocks festival, Japan 25/7/08)

Now THIS is the best MBV reunion clip out there.

The debate is raging on youtube and elsewhere as to how much of it is actually being performed live, but in my opinion - after seeing them in the flesh - the vocals and Kevin's guitar are definitely kosher. Bilinda Butcher does not need to mime and Shields is a wizard with live guitar. There are obviously a few samples and a drum track thrown into the mix, but in fairness, it can't be easy to recreate a masterpiece like "To Here Knows When".

In any case, it doesn't matter - just savour this manna from audiovisual heaven.

Wilco & Fleet Foxes - I Shall Be Released

Spine-tingling encore performance from last week's concert in Spokane, WA. Fleet Foxes are one of the discoveries of 2008 for me.