So, Manitoba then...

X-Ray then by any chance... Up In Flames is a killer record btw... Manitoba did a v good live show at 100 club in london last week if anyone's interested...

It's funny how many great records seem to have come from Canada (or Canadians) since my girlfriend moved here from Toronto. Not that the two are related, I'm sure.

this thread shd prob be linked to: Tell me about Manitoba

My feeling was almost that Cornelius suffered from too many ideas and trying to get them all down at once, so the result was strangely unmoving. "Up in flames" seems to flow better.

Actually no, it was Jockey Slut. Not seen X-Ray yet.

Bought the Manitoba album at the weekend. Do you know, it is almost AN EXACT COPY of the second Chapterhouse album? You know, the one that no one bought cause they went all techno. Right down to the breathy backwards reverbed vocals. The beats, the guitar texture, the treatment, especially the vocals. The ambient techno/shoegazer crossover never happened in 1993, but it's happening in 2003. This makes me laugh SO HARD.

It's a nice album, I'll give you that. I'm not sure that it's a GREAT album. But my god, does it sound like Chapterhouse.

Just read Nick's review, it's all true.

Have I gone and got his first one here? Oh poobum!

My favourite thing of his remains his remix of a Four Tet track on the Paws EP.

Jesus where? UK? Tell me more now please please! What a frickin' lineup!

05-07 Atlanta, GA - Echo Lounge
05-08 New Orleans, LA - The Parish
05-09 Houston, TX - Rhythm Room
05-10 Austin, TX - Emo's
05-11 Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
05-14 San Diego, CA - Casbah
05-15 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
05-16 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
05-17 Portland, OR - Plan B
05-18 Vancouver, BC - Commodore
05-19 Seattle, WA - Chop Suey
05-22 Minneapolis, MN - Ascot Room *
05-23 Chicago, IL - Empty Bottle *
05-24 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center *
05-25 Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater *
05-26 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop *
05-27 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
05-28 Montreal, PQ - Cabaret Music Hall *
05-29 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
05-30 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
05-31 Cambridge, MA - Paradise *
06-01 Philadelphia, PA - Transit *

* - with Manitoba (full live band show) and Four Tet (live)

As I'm snorkeling in its undercurrents and as I can't say this often enough, if you like to backstroke psychadelia's seas, love The Circulatory System with me. It's neither laptop nor electronic (not really), yet melodic wall of sound moments aplenty.

(The above link will take you to a few mp3s and videos.)

i think it's closest relation is mercury rev's "See you on the other side". both very much a complete piece of work, not a collection of songs, and both have a real jazz-pop feel. its my fave of the year so far, but i haven't heard much yet.

a great album.

m.

APRIL '03

Saturday 19th
FZW
Dortmund, Germany
w/ Murcof

Sunday 20th
Scheune
Dresden, Germany

Tuesday 22nd
Trauma
Marburg, Germany

Wednesday 23rd
Roter Salon
Berlin, Germany
w/ Barbara Morgenstern

Thursday 24th
Le Printemps de Bourges Festival
Bourges, France
w/ Tony Morley DJ

Friday 25th
Triptych Festival, The Venue
Edinburgh, UK
w/ Murcof, Tony Morley DJ

Sunday 27th
Triptych Festival, Tron
Glasgow, UK
w/ Murcof, Tony Morley DJ

Tuesday 29th
V.K. Club
Brussels, Belgium
w/ Eardrum, Murcof

MAY '03

Tuesday 6th
Rescue Rooms
Nottingham, UK
w/ Four Tet, Icarus

Wednesday 7th
Thekla
Bristol, UK
w/ Four Tet, Icarus

i'm in there like swimwear.

I've just got hold of the Assholes... 12" and a track off the Giv'r 12" too; both are very unlike the UIF material but obviously of a kin, and very good too. This guy is slowly cementing himself as my fave current artist.

Funny thing is, it's totally grown on me. I thought it sounded like a Chapterhouse album on first listen. But now I'm hearing more of Mercury Rev in there. Like _See You On The Other Side_ era Rev. Maybe even hints of the more mellow songs on BOCES.

I like it. I like it more and more every day.

(also brought about by Spotify)

So far, Milk is possibly even better

Up in Flames would be in my top 30 or so albums this decade. A landmark album.

Yeah, I think it's a special disc, too. Not as enthusiastic about his work since then.

The deluxe edition of UIF is excellent, too. The B-Sides of all his albums are nearly as good as the studio material, and he puts out so much material!

I wasn't feeling Milk too much, but thought Andorra was fantastic -- that was a top 10 of the year for me. It's his shimmery summery psych-"pop" record, if anything is.