30 September 2009

I love many SST records. So when I decided to try something new, Meat Puppets seemed like an obvious place to start. Something familar - they do sound like Husker Du and some songs were covered by Nirvana - but having not knowingly listened to them before, it still counted. Plus, I like the smudgy cover that looks like a rainbow caving in on itself. To be honest though, it bored me a little. Maybe I was distracted - I do need to work on my concentration while I attempt this massive undertaking of self-improvement - and it also seemed like a record that would benefit from being played at night, loud on headphones or driving somewhere. (If only I could drive!) I will attempt it again some time in the future but for now I will not pity it with a review. The internet already has enough people spouting about records they didn't pay enough attention to.
The Twelve Tribes is an accidental discovery. I had a friend back in sixth form who turned me onto jazz and the avant-garde and klezmer (ecetera) but we parted ways before I could be given a real education on the genres. I could hear sounds and know whether I liked, loved or loathed them but to investigate further would mean some actual knowledge of associating them sounds with names, places, discs or associated in genre. Quite frankly, I have been spending the past couple years running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I knew I liked other Klezmer Madness records though, as well as Indie attempts like the first Beirut album.
So finding this on Spotify was a godsend of sorts. It's so lush and delicate without a hint of being fey. At times they even break loose and the hip-hop break on As If combined with Krakauer's unrestrained clarinet is a personal highlight and it doesn't just feel like an unexplored territory for my ears but for hip-hop too. Clarinet played like this over some staccato Southern drums could sounds as fresh as Public Enemy's use of the JB brass section did in '88.

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In terms of self-improvement, I did fuck all today. Well on the way to eating my 5-a-day but ruined it with chocolate. My shoulder still hurts so I haven't even attempted to think about exercise. Spoke to Sian briefly about writing improved cover letters but talking about it and doing it are two different beasts. Texted some friends for the first time in a while but still feel lonely.