A Sweeping Curve of Sound

AntiMusic talks with Anthony Gonzalez about the new M83 album “Saturdays = Youth” (released 4/15 on Mute).

“If the doomy synthetic romance of his earlier work hinted at a fetish for Eighties goth staples such as Sisters of Mercy and The Cure, this album’s chiming astro-pop finds Gonzalez taking a stroll on the sunnier side of the decade. Main influences for the album are English bands such as Tears For Fears and Cocteau Twins, as well as classic John Hughes teen movies such as “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles” (The red-haired Molly Ringwald look-alike on the cover is no mistake).”

Erik Davis sings the praises of Horses Brawl.

“Much user praise was heaped on Horses Brawl’s first self-titled album, and so I sampled and bit. The group, which hails from the rural fenlands of East Anglia, is one of the more unclassifiable acts I’ve stumbled across recently. It’s like early music performed in some punk club in, I dunno, Serbia. Baroque tunes and medieval peasant stomps are cut with Balkan filigrees and modern folk guitar stylings, set to ferocious and sometimes mournful rhythms, and played with urgency and tang. So yes, the woman, Laura Cannell, does play  cumhorns and recorders, and if that’s your cut-off for twee I guess I understand. But her recorders are double barreled, like shotguns, and they sound like ‘em. The first song on the album is called “Mofo.””

Pitchfork reports that Leonard Cohen is going to tour (and release a new album) in 2008.

“A Led Zeppelin reunion is great and all, but what if your interest in the music of the 1960s and 70s runs not in the direction of riffs and stomps but rather toward quieter waters. What of baritone vocals? What of steadily strummed acoustic guitars? What of poetry and references to fellatio received on an unmade bed in the Chelsea Hotel? Fear not, gentle-music lover. Leonard Cohen has you covered. According to a post on the elderly songwriter’s official forum (via Mojo’s blog), “Leonard Cohen will be touring with his band in Canada and [the] U.S. in May and in Europe in the summer. More details will be announced in February.” This tour will be Cohen’s first in 15 years, according to Mojo. The blog also mentions a new Leonard Cohen album due out later this year. “

Unto Ashes is in the studio, and plans a new album in the “late Summer or early  Autumn”.

“Winter’s inspiration is upon us. We are pleased to report that we have been writing new songs and recording tracks. It has been a wonderfully prolific time, and we are very pleased with some of the enchanting madrigal folksongs that have enveloped us like an early morning mist. Furthermore, we find ourselves hopelessly infected by an unusually wide variety of curious melodies and rhythms; the viruses include oriental, medieval and military strains, and we look forward to passing them on to you. “

In a final note, White Magic has posted a live video clip from their December performance at  the Music Hall of Williamsburg, and you can catch a live performance and interview with AKACOD on WMBR, here (Scroll down to ‘PIPELINE” Jan 22, 8pm).

That is all I have for now, have a great day.