Sigur Ros and Bjork Duet at Nattura

I picked up on this from the Music Slut but it sort of quasi-illustrates those light orbs...except this is daytime, so not nearly as dramatic. Also, sound and video quality could be a bit better. Nonetheless worth watching.






<3 The Elephant

Prospect Park Bandshell

We went over to prospect park Friday evening to see Elvis Perkins in Dearland. Discovered something: no need to buy tickets to any show at the Bandshell, unless you are actually planning on getting seats and paying close attention. I find it very hard in those huge outdoor venues to pay attention, I would rather chat and have a beer with my friends. Given the setting, the sound quality is decent, and the space is clean and nice.

Feist is playing at the bandshell Wednesday, July 9th. I'm feeling a picnic outside the perimeter of the venue, listening to her crooning folk and drinking wine. Maybe eating cheese too? Since the tickets are $35, I don't plan to actually pay for it, so I think that this will be a nice little way to enjoy the summer.

<3 The Elephant

Fleet Foxes Already Sold Out, Am an Idiot

I knew this would happen, it always does. I thought about buying tickets right away, like a month ago, and then didn't. Sigh. So I'm going to scrounge around on CL, see what I can come up with. There just aren't that many good shows this summer, so to let that one slip through the cracks.

Blood on the Wall? Again?

Ok, back me up guys. You were there. Blood on the Wall sucked ass. They sucked so bad I started a crappy openers contest! And I wasn't the only one who thought that. Yet, despite this alarming truth, I keep reading about them. I always thought that The Deli wasn't for me. But seriously, they got a V. Hot chili pepper next to Blood on the Wall. And I have seen them on love to hate a few times too. I'm sorry, but I'm standing up against them, any band that is worthless live, is in essence worthless in the recording. I'm just saying.


<3 the Elephant

Concert Review: Sigur Ros at MoMA

Pictures via BV

On Tuesday evening, myself and several friends joined the lucky swarm of hipsters invading the Museum of Modern art on 53rd st. I'm going to come right out and say it: MoMA isn't an ideal setting for a concert, as there was no stage, although there was free beer. The show was unusually long (maybe two hours?) but I had no sense of the length until I got outside and it was past 11. The concert was in conjunction with the exhibition Take your time: Olafur Eliasson, an exhibition which featured works of this Icelandic contemporary artist. Sigur Ros and Olafur Eliasson are an interesting parallel to draw in the art/music consortium. Sigur Ros' music creatures textures and landscapes primarily using instrumentation and rhythm, forcing the listeners to draw conclusions without verbal cues. Eliasson similarly creates environments and space using lights, spacial relations and mirrors. His compositions don't contain any symbolic or concrete imagery that the viewer can identify as scenery, rather he alters one's inner sense of space creating a fantasy environment of space and time.

One thing that really set this apart from a regular show (although having no history with SR, I can't compare to their usual sets) was an absolutely exceptional light show. I have virtually no idea how lighting design works, but I was very impressed. Without theatrical lighting, SR can create create suspense and longing, with the visual cues, it was an all encompassing experience. The lighting was primarily composed of several lantern like orbs that were behind a glass wall in an exterior courtyard. The orbs were a soft, warm light at their "home state" and as the mood of the music called for, the quality of the light would change. Ranging from a very yellow soft tone to an industrial, harsh blue. There were also gels that looked like moonlight through a summer forest, creating moving shadows that imitating the rustling leaves. They were absolutely beautiful. At one point, they employed a green back light that brought the whole courtyard to an emerald glow.

If I had a better position at the front, near the stairs, I would have had the pleasure of watching the marching band approach, in full white uniforms. There were four of them, that comprised the horn section and they entered with such theatrical grace, the whole audience was completely overtaken with thrill. It was a nice, ironic touch. Here is the BV link with lots of great pictures.

I am overwhelmingly excited to see them again in mid september at the church in Harlem. Yeah, you know, the ornate one, with no windows. On the corner.


<3 The Elephant

Todd P Rocks

If you don't care about soccer at all, then you should come with me to this free show on Roosevelt Island. Here is Brooklyn Vegan's little write up. I stole the picture just to give you a sense of how cool this is going to be.

Record Review: Sigur Ros: með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust

As I have mentioned, I was never a huge Sigur Ros fan, I just never quite got it. I also did the same thing with Radiohead, it took me until In Rainbows to catch on. I know that this is embarrassing, so lets move away from this point. I heard Gobbledigook first on Stereogum, and was instantly enamored.

"With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly" is a perfect title for this album. Every beat, every second, every chord leads to emotional swells, cooing, and chiming. My initial reaction to this album was that it felt like a soundtrack. For me at least, a good soundtrack stands alone, telling a story through the drudging of feelings and expressions. Although that is the goal of most albums, I think with soundtracks the emotions are stronger because of the concrete narration. This album doesn't need the storyline. It tells us a tale much more powerfully than a simple soundtrack. I find myself soaringly at peace with this album. As it rolls forth, unfolding is magical streams of sound I have that happy little warmth in my chest that a really good album brings out. I forget sometimes what thats like, as I have only experienced it handful of times. The orchestration is especially laudable because it is done seamlessly with the choral layering. Some highlights (outside of Gobbledigook) include the second track Inni mer syngur vitleysingur, Su i eryum and Festival. These are all dynamic and heart wrenching in their own way. Needless to say, I am not describing the full body experience that you will get from lying in your bed listening to this album, cover to cover, so to speak. No interruptions, just absorbing the subtleties of organs and voices. Please buy this album, and enjoy every rich morsel of it.

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is out 6/24 in North America 6/24 via XL.

<3 The Elephant