I wish I were [blank] . . .
Published by Natasha October 31st, 2006 in Music, I wish I were [blank].I wish I were going to the CMJ music marathon from Oct. 31 — Nov. 4. There are panel discussions, showcases of bands, and mini-film festivals. It is, however, only 4 hours away at the Lincoln Center, NYC, so if all you music nerds out there feel so inclined, here are my best picks for the event. The band list is ridiculous, despite heavy emphasis on dudes-with-guitars indie-type bands.
My top picks.
The Slits. Reuniting. Last spring I finally bought the remastered Cut. All-female and fearless, Londoners The Slits pioneered boundaries of noise, punk, dub, reggae, and funk in the late 70s.
Erase Errata. Quite similar, actually, except more explicitly political ideologically and more angular musically. San Francisco based, this all-female group takes cues from not only The Slits, but also The Minutemen and Captain Beefheart. Experimental, spastic, tight, improv-heavy goodness. An excerpt from a piece I wrote for the Ithaca Journal over the summer:
San Francisco no-wave band Erase Errata have never shied away from political dissent, but their latest release Nightlife (Kill Rock Stars) finds them sharper and angrier than ever. Nightlife comes close to perfecting the musical tension between Sara Jaffe’s anxious guitars, Bianca Sparta’s, well, Spartan percussive arrangements, and vocalist Jenny Hoyston’s controlled bark (”Rider”). For those who miss the raggedy reggae-minimalism of punk-funk greats like The Slits and Delta 5, Nightlife will prove satisfying to both the ears and the brain.
The Thermals. Straightforward but effective punk from this young Portland, Ore. band. Their music video for “A Pillar of Salt” is more fun and carefree than their records might suggest. From the same article as above:
Oregon punk rockers The Thermals have also released their own critique of religion, politics, and American values on their compelling concept record The Body The Blood The Machine (SubPop). The Thermals’ approach to punk rock is appropriately DIY — they recorded the entire albums sans former drummer Jordan Hudson — and their thoughtful lyricism and apocalyptic imagery are a generous cut above the rest. Perhaps inspired by their producer, Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, The Thermals smartly call it quits after 40 extremely urgent minutes.
Asobi Seksu. This Brooklyn indie pop quartet played the Fanclub’s kickoff show back in early September, and they delivered perfect amounts of 60s girl-group pop and early 90s shoegaze feedback. An excerpt from my review of their sophomore release Citrus, which appeared in Neumu:
Citrus is what results when carefully thought-out melodies and noise finely mesh together into a hypnotic, impressionistic mess, proving that the two, at least for Asobi Seksu, are inextricably linked. “Pink Cloud Tracing Paper” pays homage to My Bloody Valentine’s “When You Sleep,” bending its strings in unison against a fluttering synth melody, burying it all in the background of a raging chorus. “Strawberries” begins as bouncy guitar pop, only to surrender to Hanna’s Wall of Sound guitar playing. Although Loveless and Psychocandy are obvious reference points, this album actually succeeds most on its charming, candy-colored pop songs.
Aloha. So impossible to define, especially since I own only one album, Here Comes Everyone, but it is a stunner. A grower, but a stunner nonetheless. It is a recent favorite of mine, and has firmly implanted itself in my brain. Expressive vocals that sometimes veer on the falsetto side of Jeff Buckley, drums that sometimes veer on the math-y, post-rock side of Tortoise, melodies and hooks that often veer on the side of the sublime. Heard their live shows (unfortunately missed them when they visited Ithaca a few years ago) are highly improvisational and free-jazzy. I’m still struggling to explain to myself why it sounds so magnificent to my ears, but I’ll let you know as soon as I figure it out.
My Brightest Diamond. God, Shana Worden would just be the most breathtaking performance live, all high-drama and grace. Bring Me The Workhorse is one of my early favorites of 2006, and Worden effortlessly tackles the playful (”Dragonfly”), the dramatically epic (”Something of an End”), and minimalist bleak (”Gone Away”).
Despite being one of Sufjan Steven’s Illinoisemakers (the cheerleading captain, to be precise), Shara Worden, aka My Brightest Diamond, is all about drama. Her first solo album Bring Me The Workhorse (Asthmatic Kitty) is brooding, theatrical indie-rock with plenty of vocal inspiration from Jeff Buckley, Nina Nastasia, and Nina Simone (especially the vocal acrobatics on “Golden Star”). “Gone Away” has a stilted grace that’s equal parts film noir, gothic mystique, and Worden’s haunting, choir-trained voice.
Also good picks:
Architecture in Helsinki / Casper and the Cookies / Chin Up Chin Up / Deerhoof / The Fall / Gang Gang Dance /Magnolia Electric Co. / These Arms are Snakes / Tokyo Police Club
Obvious trendy favorites:
The Decemberists, The Black Keys, CSS, Albert Hammond, Jr., Girl Talk, Hot Chip, The Knife, Tapes n’ Tapes, The Walkmen, MSTRKRFT. Incidentally, most of these acts have passed through Ithaca at one time or another, no NYC required. 
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