Videos, But First Some Dreaming

Though some people may find it hard to believe, I was impressionable once upon a time. I remember being in sixth grade, and the teacher, the-one-and-only Miss Henion (then), came up with this idea of our class doing a dance number to The Human League’s “The Things That Dreams Are Made Of.” Of course, at first, everyone grumbled, especially the boys who did not want to hit the last note in the line, “Take a cruise to China…” But in days, the song started to really resonate in my young mind. On one level, it opened the world of synthpop to me, so I have to give credit to my sixth grade teacher among the few that really molded my taste in music. But on another level, it was the actual words: “…like fun and money and food and love and things you never thought of…” At a young age, she taught me to dream, and what is life if you cannot dream? Where would anyone of us be if we did not dream? How could we imagine a better world for ourselves, or even the world, if we did not dare to dream?

We recently reconnected via Facebook, and this was something that I shared with her. She made this awkward, square peg in a world full of round pegs feel comfortable and made me dream. But what is amazing about this story is that she was not only paying lip service; this is something she believes in whole-heartedly. My evidence? Her son, you see he was told to stop dreaming by his educators, but she insisted that he keep on dreaming… the sky is the limit… even for trumpet players! You see she encouraged her son to continue to dream and to play that trumpet, and in turn he has learned to dream. And in his dreaming he remembered Haiti and the earthquake and all the heartache that came with it. Unlike the press and the general public, he did not want forget and he wanted to do something about it, and he did. Together with a friend, Joey Soriano, a high school student, composed “Shed a Tear,” featuring Liz Rosa, and uploaded it to iTunes. All of the proceeds from the song will go to Project Haiti. This is an important cause, so before watching those videos below, click on this iTunes link and purchase the song for under a buck. And spread the word, for at once you are helping those who are in greater need than us, while helping Soriano to continue to dream.

And now for some videos.

Fyfe Dangerfield’s “Barricades” from his YouTube Channel: fyfedangerfield.



Foals’ “Blue Blood” from their YouTube Channel: wearefoals.



Steve Mason live cover of Madonna’s “Borderline” from the DominoRecords YouTube Channel.



Pulled Apart By Horses’ “High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive” from their YouTube Channel: PulledApartByHorses.



These New Puritans’ “Hologram” from their YouTube Channel: thesenewpuritans.



Skunk Anansie’s “Over That Love” from their YouTube Channel: SkunkAnansieOfficial.

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These New Puritans: "Hidden"

When I come across the word “puritan,” other words instantly come to mind: moralistic, prudish, repressed, sententious, and narrow-minded. Of course there is another way to look at it; like the historical puritans, there is an attempt at purity, a sense of returning to the most essential elements. And that is what you get with These New Puritans’ album, “Hidden” (18 January 2010 in the UK, 2 March 2010 in the USA). In this grandiose sophomore effort, what are being purified are our preconceived notions of music and musical classification. What is being hidden is a work of art that is unexpected. To label this album simply as “art rock” would be a great injustice… to label this album anything would be a great injustice. From the very concept of how to employ noise to create melody to the complete genre bending – genre inverting! – this album’s claim to fame is its ability to bombastically question your notions of what music proper is, while delivering an experience that’s inviting, urgent, and irresistible.

Opening with “Time Xone,” a brass instrumental slightly over two minutes, the song moves as slow as dirge and just builds the anticipation for the second track, “We Want War”: the symphony meets the disco. Not the kind of song that you expect from a “rock band” – both using the musical motifs of the opening with a dance beat – the percussion and the nightmarish backing vocal arrangements are haunting. Then there is the dark “Three Thousand”: almost rapped as if by a vocalist that has no vocal rhythm, the song again incorporates dance elements, while flirting with darkwave. This is one of the most sinister sounding songs I have heard in ages.

The album then abruptly changes pace on “Hologram.” This song really displays the pop sensibility of These New Puritans; essentially a pop song with a harrowing edge, the song is still orchestrated and sonically luscious as the previous and following songs.

And of course I am tempted to go right through this album and add my two cents about each and every song. From the dancehall vocals backed by an eerie chorus of children in “Attack Music” to the primitive, almost worshipping feel of “Fire-Power,” from the gothic “Orion” with that eerie chorus again to the simple and short empathic “Canticle,” the album is consistently full of music that is unexpected, constantly shifting and testing your ears. With a nod to intellectualism, they incorporate Richard Garnett’s “Where Coral Lies” into “Drum Courts” – nothing like a little bit of intertextualization. But this is not a generic cover of a song, nor is it a passive sample. The poem/song has been deconstructed, reconceived, and completely assimilated into the album. This is so well done, that even if you know the poem, it may pass you by without notice. “White Chords” is the last song with vocals and is one of those songs with a visceral, sonic undertow that is anxiety inducing and alluring all at once, while the album comes to a close with “5”: an experimentation with orchestral arrangements.

These New Puritans (composed of songwriter Jack Barnet, his twin George, Thomas Hein, and Sophie Sleigh-Johnson) produce an album here that avoids all the clichés of art rock, mainstream music, and the banality of the indie scene. And, if as “puritans,” they are on a mission to bring music back to a purer form, without the fuss of genre conventions and media expectations, they have succeeded. “Hidden” will challenge your notions of popular music, while delivering a sonic feast that is distinct and mesmerizing. Hidden here is music that unfurls on its own terms, breathes its own life, and is unique, relevant, urgent, and thriving. Unravel it.



Track Listing:
1. Time Xone
2. We Want War
3. Three Thousand
4. Hologram
5. Attack Music
6. Fire-Power
7. Orion
8. Canticle
9. Drum Courts – Where Coral Lie
10. White Chords
11. 5

Keep up with These New Puritans at their homepage, MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter.

Here is their video for “We Want War” from their YouTube Channel: thesenewpuritans.

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Videos During a Blizzard, Part Two

I have to say that one of the things I enjoy the most when I talk to SDM about music is all the older stuff he listens to. So the other night he went crazy sharing videos on YouTube with me, and what I quickly realizes that is that he is right: it is a crying shame that so many older videos are not officially available on the Internet. Well, as promised, I am sneaking on and posting a few “older” videos that I was able to find official providers for. Hope you enjoy them.

Lush’s “De-Lux” from the 4ADRecords YouTube Channel.



Beirut’s “Elephant Gun” from the 4ADRecords YouTube Channel.



These New Puritan’s “Elvis” from the DominoRecords YouTube Channel.



Sunscreem’s “Love U More” from their YouTube Channel: sunscreemofficial.



British Sea Power’s “Remember Me” from the RoughTradeRecordsUK YouTube Channel.



Division Day’s “Tigers” from the eeniemeenierecords YouTube Channel.

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