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Mirah - "Gone Are The Days"
(a)spera, Mirah's fourth solo album, is her first since 2004's excellent C'mon Miracle. It's solo, yes, but she's not alone: Longtime collaborator Phil Elverum contributed to three tracks and she collaborated with fellow Portlanders Tucker Martine and Adam Selzer along with Chris Funk, Tara Jane O'Neil and Lori Goldston. The collection's out 3/10 via K, but we have the lovely "Gone Are The Days" today. We asked Mirah about it.
With the use of "we" instead of "I," "Gone Are The Days" takes on a universal feel. Is it intended as parable? It could tie into another track, "The World Is Falling." Actually, the more we dig, the more it seems like a concept album. The theme is something like, have we really done this to ourselves, to each other? So, yes, there is a universal we in there. Some disbelief, some grief. Not to give it all away but that song is about the loss of industrious, bright energy, about the lethargy that modern life and technology has introduced to our lives, about the forceful human greed to which so many planetary resources have been subject, it's about loss, and the struggle between wild perfect nature (perfectly wild, destructive even) and human control. But it's not all mopey negativity. All those things are part of our reality right now so it's just realistic to acknowledge them and sing about them.
Respectfully, I would call it a sorrow song, with a little swing and a bit of hope at the end, but ultimately it's a sorrow song.
You end the song by suggesting we steady the future with grace. How? I think that singing is as close as I get to praying and that if I sing that line enough times then maybe I'll know how to do it, I mean how to steady it. The future isn't over, it's just slightly out of reach at the moment because we're still in this moment. The future is happening already, that's why it's never gonna lay down, we just have to not destroy ourselves before we get there and beyond.
Premature Evaluation: Beach House - Teen Dream
When we meditated on Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally's gorgeous sophomore album Devotion we had the following to say: [Y]ou can't fall back on Mazzy Star or Galaxie 500 references because they've pushed themselves into their own, unique solar system.... (more)
New Jonathan Boulet Video - "A Community Service Announcement"
This dude's the latest signing to Australia's Modular label, landing with a tidy package of promotional offerings: a catchy, moistly breezy indie-pop debut single that couldn't be better titled for a meet-the-artist track; a subtly arresting/marginally tricked-out video; and a... (more)
New El Guincho - "Antillas (XXXchange Remix)"
When we first heard onetime BTW Pablo Díaz-Reixa, aka El Guincho, we were drawn in by "Antillas," a song we described as "a five-minute bundle of clattering loops and sunny harmonies." It was from the self-released Alegranza!, before he'd signed... (more)
Muse To Headline Coachella 2010?
According to Consequence Of Sound, a previously reliable source pins Muse to the coming year's desert fest headlining slot. Glenn Beck just bought a ticket. The dates are April 16-18. Oh and these Coachella headliner rumors? Needs more Pavement.... (more)
Parents Just Don't Understand Horrorcore
From hardcore to heavy metal to gangsta rap, local TV news teams have long warned parents about the terrifying new sounds rotting teenage brains. This week it's San Fran's KPIX on the horrorcore scene. Not all juggalos are murderers, dad!... (more)
