Albert looks amazing. the first thing I was gonna ask Jules if I met him was "how is Albert?!" but that looks a tad unneccessary now. I am so happy.
this made me cry real tears:
it's such a homage to his fellow Strokes, and it was just so cool of him. he's bringing the attention back to the band, not being selfish or anything. oh I love you Julian C.
you know, everything has seemed like a rollercoaster but this is a sign of good things to come.
this morning, as I was gushing over the happy Strokes news of late, I wanted to listen to some music to match my mood. I opened up my cd drawer and my eye caught my The Shaky Hands cd, which reminded me of a slightly better band called Cut off Your Hands, nee Shaky Hands (they changed their name because of legal issues). so I pulled out my vinyl copy of You & I instead.
Cut Off Your Hands is like a lovely post-punk cocktail of The Clash, early Beatles, The Smiths' pop hooks (minus Morrissey's depressing lyrics) and your local indie group that makes music that you can dance to.
like recent blog darlings Girls, they make really good nostalgic music which is stuck in limbo between the 50's/60's/70's and the internet age. also like Girls, they fluctuate between wistful ballads and high energy dance numbers. they're like an infinitely better Kaiser Chiefs. and I like the Kaiser Chiefs.
everything is so right about this band, down to the live shows I've heard so much about. this is probably the best band you've never heard of, if I were you, I'd head on over to AMAZON (or your local record store) and pick up their debut right away.
I still have this clipping somewhere in my collection of music reviews etc
if you needed any more convincing, the band hails from New Zealand, which houses, without a doubt, the sexiest accent of the English language ever. don't believe me?
Pitchfork: Are the over-the-top shows the type of thing you'd be able to do with the Strokes?
JC: No, I would never get those four dudes to agree on something like that. You'd have one guy say, "Let's go out and have some Persian rugs and done!" And you'd have another guy say, "Let's dress like robots," and then nothing would get done.
Pitchfork: I like the robot idea, I'd go with that person.
JC: That person is me. [Laughs]
what I really love about these recent interviews with Julian is he really lets his guard down and it's almost like having a proper conversation with him. he is one cool mofo.
but you know how they say curiosity killed the cat? well I stupidly clicked HERE after being confused by a google search of the song's name. holy crap it made me want to stab something. or a couple of people. please don't look at the view count, it might make you throw up.
photos and mp3s have surfaced of Julian's (secret) record release show at LA's Spaceland. I love that tattoo on his right forearm. I'm quite pleased to have a better view of it =)
set list:
1. “River of Brakelights” 2. “Out of the Blue” 3. “Glass” 4. “11th Dimension” 5. “Tourist” 6. “Left & Right in the Dark” 7. “4 Chords of the Apocalypse”
The album begins with an eerie ten seconds which keeps the listener on edge, unsure of what is to come. Then, “Out of the Blue” explodes with a Strokes-like force that reassures you: all will be well. The song itself meanders along Julian’s existence, as if his whole musical life were flashing before him. But instead of blubbering some ambiguous stream of consciousness, his lyrics are crisp, well formulated and demanding recognition. Long gone are the days of hiding behind cryptic messages. This is Julian’s voice, in every sense of the word.
Phrazes for the Young continues with catchy songs, and Julian uses every instrument to its ultimate potential. He doesn’t have flashy solos or ominous bass lines, he just has the musical equivalent of eloquence gushing from his hands and feet and kisses.
It has a little bit of everything, from a deliciously soulful “4 Chords of the Apocalypse” to the electrifying “River of Brakelights” (a song that will leave you dizzy for sure) and even a country ballad called “Ludlow St” which eulogizes the past and cynically proclaims the inevitable bleakness of the future.
Ironically enough, this album is the ultimate futuristic record: it relies heavily on synths and consistently references better things to come. “Forgive them, even if they are not sorry”, Julian sings. Strokes fans might be reassured that this wise, sober, musically omnipotent higher being will be the much needed glue for the future of the band.
Phrazes for the Young ends with a couple of exquisitely intoxicating songs, concluding with just as much of a whirlwind bang as the opener--just in completely different musical territory.
In the end, we can all rest assured that the world’s greatest songwriter has not lost his Midas touch.
I love Christmas music so damn much. combine that with Julian's voice, and, to top everything off, I wasn't expecting to hear this for at least another month--so seriously, I wish it was Christmas today. this is so perfect.
I think my fixation with the holiday derives from my nostalgia for the snow days I never had and the lack of Christmas trees in my childhood household. I have such issues.
(cool embedded thing courtesy of Katie the German feline!)
happy official Phrazes for the Young day everyone! and screw you Britons for having it a day early.
PS did y'all hear? last night, Jules played Spaceland in LA as a secret LA record release show. I'm so uber jealous, because I've heard about Spaceland from PEOPLE I KNOW WHO HAVE PLAYED THERE. ie it's a small, intimate venue for super obscure indie bands etc
le sigh.
PPS here are a couple of bonus tracks (courtesy of Connor!)
PPPPS I was GOING to post a proper review of Phrazes today but I am extraordinarily exhausted (mentally and physically). maybe tomorrow? in any case, Out of the Blue is officially my favourite.
guess what I picked up after work today? it made me so giddy, I was dancing around through the store as I left
[just for the record, I bought these THE MINUTE THEY WENT ON SALE. I only PICKED them up today.]
if I can, I will record the concert. but if I know my big venues, I know they're pretty anal about video. people in the back rows manage to snag videos, but I am always in the front. always.
