A Fine Mess
Posts tagged Absolutely Kosher
Azeda Booth – “Tubtrek”
Mar 4th
Imagine my surprise (and joy) when discovering that Azeda Booth have a new EP out, and free one at that. Since listing their debut album In Flesh Tones as one of last year’s best, I – together with a lot of fans – have eagerly been awaiting new material from this Calgary band.
Turns out Tubrek isn’t completely new though as four of the eight tracks are remixes of songs from the debut. But like I said, it’s free. And pretty good too. The new tracks - ”Fiji Inn Hearts”, “Neonate”, “Samoan Girls”, and “Squall” – are perhaps a bit more experimental (which is something they already were) than their previous work, but then there has been a change in the band, now making them a trio instead of a quartet.
I’ll admit to not finding the first three tracks all that interesting at first, but the beautiful “Squall” immediately became a favorite, as did the Goodhands Team remix of “In Red”. However after repeat listenings “Fiji Inn Hearts” and “Neonate” have also joined that category, even if the high pitched synthesiser in the previous makes my cat turn her ears around. “Samoan Girls” is nice and mellow but pales a bit in comparison to the other new tracks. The remaining remixes of “First Little Britches”, “Well”, and “Big Fists” are more than acceptable. If it wasn’t free, I’d probably pay for it.
To download Tubtrek, simply go here.
~ “Squall” ~
Little Teeth
Aug 14th
At first impression one might want discard of Little Teeth as just some crazy kids making crazy music. You can probably leave it at that and just enjoy the craziness. Personally, I think it’s brilliant.
Consisting of three rather erratic souls, Little Teeth’s music isn’t for everyone. (But then what is?)Lead singer Dannie Murrie growls, shrieks and snarls more than she actually sings at times, which combined with their quirky melodramatic indie-pop might be a bit too much for some. But if music isn’t for channeling your inner turmoil, then what is it for? Because turmoil is something that seem to be in the center of Little Teeth’s sound, whether it’s about raw pain pure energy.
Besides Dannie Murrie, Little Teeth consists of Ammo Eisu and Andy Tisdall, all of which contribute with a range of multi-talents to the band (bass, guitar, keys, banjo, accordian, synth, vox, violin, cello, you name it). Combine that with their list of influences (Sparklehorse, Xiu Xiu, Animal Collective, Múm, Joanna Newsom, Mountain Goats) and you might get an idea of what they sound like.
Their debut album Child Bearing Man (out Sept. 9th, on Absolute Kosher) is the result of 14 months of doing all the tracking, mixing and production themselves to stay true to their unique outlook on the world. The final product is an erratic, energetic and compelling record to sink your own little teeth into.
Azeda Booth – “In Flesh Tones”
Jul 20th
Before anything else, let’s get the whole “I-can’t-believe-it’s-not-a-girl-singing” issue out of the way. Because despite the very feminine-sounding vocals, Azeda Booth‘s lineup is solely an XY constellation.
Originally a duo when formed in 2004 by Morgan Greenwood and Jordon Hossack, Azeda Booth became five-piece when additional members Chris Reimer, Marc Rimmer & Mike Wallace joined the band in 2006. Their first EP, Mysterious Body was released last year although recorded while Greenwood and Hossack were still a duo. Their latest effort however, the full-length In Flesh Tones (Absolutely Kosher, 2008) showcases the current Azeda Booth.
If the vocals weren’t enough to throw people off when trying to define what they are, the music of Azeda Booth is no exception:
“They twist and flutter, too skittish for space rock, too hot for IDM, too concise and charming for glitch-core… The arrivals and departures are hazy and blurred, the tone both tense and delicate, the fuel potent and clean, the direction most definitely UP.” (from the official website)
The above quote is a good description of their sound – it is quite scattered and at times abstract, yet somehow the pieces fit together nicely. Broken down into components you can find bits of shoegaze, experimental, ambient electronica and pure pop.
While I’ve only just started to acquaint myself with Azeda Booth, and therefor perhaps still a bit lost in their mist, there are tracks on the album that speak to me immediately (“Ran”, “In Red”, “Big Fists”) and others which I am still happily discovering (“First Little Britches”, “Lobster Quadrille”, “Well”). Although the hazy moments may drag down the overall impression at times, In Flesh Tones is definitely worth to explore and discover in its fullest.
