Saturday Bits 'n' Bobs

I got this track in my e-mail this week by Voicst called Whatever You Want From Life. They are a trio from Amsterdam who have been touring around the world for the past year in support of their album 11-11. The album is being released in the U.S. on July 18th on their own label, Duurtlang Records. Eli Janney from Girls Against Boys produced the album. I like what I'm hearing - indie rock with a bit of synthy dance pop production. You can stream more songs over at the band's website, Voicst.com.


Scott Walker is one hell of a trippy dude. At the height of his pop career in the late '60s as half one third of the Walker Brothers, he left it all behind. For a life of increasing reclusiveness, and recordings that got fewer and stranger with the passing of time. Where his pop hits were gorgeously orchestrated crooners, his solo stuff became more and more minimal and concrete. He is about to release a new album called The Drift on 4AD, and there is a very cool microsite up - the-drift.net. There are photos, a historical timeline of the man's career, lyrics to all of the new songs, and a video for new song Jesse. It is essentially an animation of ever changing patterns with images emerging. I have watched it a couple of times and found it to be incredibly psychedelic - very close to things I myself have "experienced" long long ago. Considering that the "song" is supposedly "sung" from Elvis to his dead, 6 foot fetus twin Jesse I'd say it's incredibly surreal stuff. I personally don't know if I will buy the album - I'm not sure I can handle much of it. But for anyone interested in experimentation, I would say that this is where it's at. Of further interest is this Scott Walker interview from British TV's The Culture Show which I found very engaging.


P.S. - I'd like to give Steve over at zombiepop.com a big up for hooking me up with the fly new banner!