As for listening.

It seems like ages since I made a listening or reading post here, and it’s not for lack of new material – so to get me back in the habit here’s a list of my recent listening favourites you might want to check out (as Kevin points out, my listening collection is a little weighted towards the darker of indie these days – but in my defense, I am really not all that angsty!).

Beirut ~ Gulag Orkestar and Lon Gisland (2007) ~ Beirut is essentially one guy from Albuquerque and a few of his friends but you really wouldn’t know it to listen to these albums. Gulag Orkestar (2006) particularly riffs on my favourite of the Eastern European brass sounds held together by lots of thumping accordion. Really impressive project in the vein of Devotchka with the aesthetic sensibility of Sufjan Stevens. I’m excited to see where Beirut goes as a project as a little more musical maturing would take it a long way.

Various (Stars) ~ Do you trust your friends? (2007) ~ Remixes and covers by various artists of the Starts 2005 album Set Yourself on Fire (a watershed indie album if there ever was one). Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) doing the opening track is definitely the highlight of this collection for me, though I’m sure if I spend more time with this I will find others that resonate as much. Easy to listen to indie/electronic – definitely on the rotation this week.

Feist ~ The Reminder (2007) ~ Yes, I know. Everyone loves this album. So do I.

Headmix Collective ~ Birthrights ~ Last night, Kevin came over and told me to put this on my iBook. Although I can find little information about Headmix on the web, I believe this album came out in 2005. It is certainly a great listen so far (I’ve had it on the player this morning at work), though I haven’t had time to develop any greater analysis. Dub, traditional celtic fiddles and penny whistle, didgeridoo, hung on the frame of electronica with some heavy beats holding it down. Somewhat reminiscent of Shooglenifty but with political lyrics. Really. Take a listen.

Christopher O’Riley ~ True Love Waits (2003) & Hold Me to This (2005) ~ It is with great reluctance that I agreed to take a listen to these Radiohead cover albums which are done entirely in solo piano.Not because I don’t like Radiohead – but because I do (*love*) … I tend to stay away from all cover/tribute albums in fear of having the interpretations ruin the originals for me. But really, the solo piano does hit the right angsty note for all Thom Yorke’s beautiful minimalist melodies – a testament to the brilliant composition that exists beneath the indie-rock overlay. And now would probably be the time to also say that I really wish Radiohead would hurry up and put out another album.