Tannic Teeth

Few songsmiths are able to lurch feelings so freely as Paddy Mann from Grand Salvo. So freely and with such piercing clarity.

His second fifth album, Soil Creatures, is a low-fi amalgam of plucked harp, meandering piano and sweeping acoustic guitar. The lyrics are almost whispered. It’s delicate as a lacy veil yet conjures up emotive power of the “whimsical. wistful and wanting”. Like threads of dreams chased upon awakening.

Operating out of Melbourne, his album contains ten tracks. It’s spartan and pensive. The track list are simple single words. Simplicity doesn’t belie any loss of power.

I first heard ‘Needles’ on Triple J whilst driving home from work. I couldn’t think straight after paying attention to the lyrics. And they’re not convoluted bamboozling lyrics.

They’re simple. Like the thoughts we have yet never think to express. “The curtains behave like the soul of a wave – the texta explodes so deliciously slow” for example. A touch of gold if you ask me – but then again I am a closet hippy.

Stand out tracks: Needles, Father, Brother and Sea

(You can listen to a few tracks by clicking here)

I don’t often ‘do’ music reviews because:

1) music is not my speciality, and

2) there are enough people out there doing music reviews.

However in a way I thought I would share this relatively new artist from Sydney.

His name is Jehan Gonsalkorale but for simplicity calls his band ‘Jehan’.

If you like the sounds of Damien Rice, Josh Pyke and Micheal Nyman then you’re bound to like this guy.

His music is is lyrical and pure. His voice is hauntingly simple and honest.

It’s not the overtly confected pop folk that we’re used to. You can hear his talent on the guitar on the track ‘Upon eyes closed’ backed by the brown earthy resonance of solo cello and understated drums. Almost like Sigur Ros meets Firekites. It’s resonating and pensive.

Overall there is a trusting, progressive almost ‘faith’ about this EP.

Stand out tracks: Self Portrait, Better than Two, At the Gate, Nine Lives, Upon Eyes Closed. But really they are all superb.

Just what some of us need to feel good about the lives we live, about the frailty of being, well, human.

You can hear all the tracks on this myspace and download two of them for free from triple J unearthed.

http://www.myspace.com/jehangonsalkorale

http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=16325

I have an admission to make. I love classical music.

Don’t get me wrong I still listen to Triple J and always on scope for new artists.

But who could disagree with music that HAS endured 350 years and still venerated, still played and still brings people (like me) to their knees in weeping piles for reasons unknown. This I’m confident to say is humanity’s greatest musical achievement. So where did it all go wrong? To disintegrate to the paltry offerings of Scremo, Death Metal and Gangsta Rap?

My CD collection is massively outweighed by the Greats of Classical. And by classical I mean just that. Not REALLY into romantic classical or beyond where things get a little experimental – I’m not ready to appreciate the works of Wagner and Mahler.

I like the rules and conventions of Baroque and Early–Late Classical: J.S.Bach, C.P.E. Bach, Vivaldi and everybody’s favourite W.A. Mozart. Lesser known string works of Manfredini, Corelli, Geminiani, Locatelli – pretty much any Baroque Italian composer ending in ‘i’ are all fantastic in form and style. The Italians back then ruled the strings. They rule the Conerto Grosso.

J.S.BACH is the one that does it for me. I don’t know why but works of his make me stop and surrender. It’s a strange kind of liberation where you get lost into something beyond the music, perhaps it’s a sphere of emotion that becomes overwhelming – I just breakdown. For a man that devoted his life to music and to GOD (though I’m not condoning any religion here), he seems to have gotten close to the realm in musical form and connecting with the ‘Unknown’.

Listen to these pieces in a relaxed state a few times and me what you feel.

Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 988 – Air

Double Concerto in D minor BWV 1043- Largo ma non tanto

Goldberg Variations BWV 988 – Aria

Concerto in C minor for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060- Adagio

Always on the lookout for new up and coming Australian bands, I stumbled across Newcastle band Firekites on Triple J.

Straddling the genera of indie-pop-folk-jazz, Firekites has released their debut album ‘The Bowery’. It’s a mix of plucked acoustic strings, soft voices, immixed with strings and subtle electronica. The lyrics are softly spoken invoking nostalgic emotions, where seipa tones come true to life. It’s cruisy low-fi music where you feel obliged to chase the threads of day dreams that sprout when listening. Lyrical and heart felt. For some reason it reminds me of Melbourne. The cold, the laneways and the promise of coffee and hope for love.

It’s warm, earthly, nostaligic and deja vu inducing.

Stand out tracks: Last ships, Autumn Story, Paris,  Same Suburb Different Park, By Night, Skimming Rooftops

Check out the videos for Autumn Story. It took 6 months to make, it’s stop motion chalk animation.

Same Suburb Differnt Park is also very arty too.

Listen to some tracks here