Posts about Phosphorescent
I was never a huge fan, yet I’m really surprised at Phosphorescent’s new song “The Mermaid Parade”. The voice is pretty as usual (great for singing forlornly about wolves), but this entire song is one boring melody repeated incessantly, with lyrics that attempt to invoke the salty smell of a sultry evening (I guess?) but fail to capture anything at all: the emotion is really flat (for being a sentimental song), and there’s not even an imagery or a rhyme that claims a territory in your brain. Did I mention there’s way too much bluesy guitar? That’s probably why The Tripwire thinks it’s “an American classic”, and that’s the only reason I’m terrified. Listen to it, what do you think?
PS. Just listened to it again. The ending is just horrendous.
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Download “The Mermaid Parade“
Photo above: Original by Sebastian Mlynarski. I just put my picture of a naked dancing “mermaid” on top it.
A mix of light rain and resolute sunshine led to a rainbow over Brooklyn while These United States was playing. Back home this kind of weather means a fox wedding. It was kind of perfect. Lots of people were out. Someone lent me a towel to wipe my wet chair with. That was nice.
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Showcase after showcase, through the early afternoon and the late night, complete with after parties, Cake Shop was abuzz with CMJ activities last week. On his way to see Cotton Jones for the second time at Pianos, Kashish stopped by to catch several performances: City Center upstairs, Phosphorescent closing the Chouette showcase downstairs and drawing a solid turn-out (Cake Shop hit full capacity); preceded by Castanets, and followed by what Kashish described as “hilarious boy-band mockers” Picture Picture, who opened the New York Noise 5 Year Anniversary line-up—they were voted the worst act of Day 4 by Pop Tarts Suck Toasted: “Who ordered a two piece karaoke act to the Cake Shop? Seriously this band was amazing in how awful they could be! No backing band, just two dudes and a sampler playing corny disco riffs as the shouted over it. Stupid!” All pics by Kashish.
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Download “A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise”
[imeem http://media.imeem.com/m/c8_dMeQE8Z/aus=false/]
Release: October 23, 2007 from Dead Oceans
As much as it’s filled with repetitious melodies and lyrics that aren’t the full force of poetry yet, Matthew Houck’s Pride, released under the name Phosphorescent, is a beautiful album. Indeed, the repetitions evoke a sense of containment, which effects a devotion that requires little or no straying. And so the voice stays on course one wistful song after the other, borrowing their solemness from hymns, though tucked away in the background of some are movements more energetic and spontaneous. There is also a successful employment of a choir throughout, which is apt for a project that sounds like it was produced for the singer’s own salvation, and which smooths the sound surrounding his flaking voice.
More after the jump.
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hooves on the turf is a mostly-music blog based out of brooklyn. i can be reached at hoovesontheturf [at] gmail [dot] com - please send me your lovely music as an attached mp3 or an mp3 link. if i like what you send, i'll be sure to ask for more.
