Father John Misty - Fear Fun (2012)

Little did I know that this year's Fleet Foxes concert @ Sydney Opera House (02/01/2012) was more momentous than I'd thought - It was to be my first and last Fleet Foxes concert.


Although performances were at times spine-tingling moving; there was something amiss, perhaps in part suggested by their momentum-breaking between songs tunings...


First off the ranks is Joshua Tillman (Better known as J. Tillman). Whilst no stranger to solo albums; this is his first under moniker Father John Misty. Fleet Foxes members Christian Wargo and Casey Wescott formed Poor Moon and are also signed to Sub Pop.  Wonder if Robin Pecknold is going to (or has the right to) continue Fleet Foxes with entirely new members like James Mercer did with The Shins...

Imagery used is steeped in psychedelic voodoo mysticism,
but J. Tillman at times sounds a dead ringer of John Grant.
Indeed, the song "Nancy From Now On" seems a page off Grant's songbook.

Whilst there's the inescapable Fleet Foxes moments; the album is, arguably, wider in scope.
More technicolour than his former band's sepia-tones.
 Jonathan Wilson who co-produces imbues the Laurel Canyon feel.

Thre's even a cod Michael McDonald moment on "Nancy.. ". 
Although filled with melancholy, the album isn't shy of it's tongue-in-cheek dark humour.

Videos are NSFW.
(Domiatrix, Purgatory Pizza, Gun Violence

His concert's on @ The Oxford Art Factory 27/05/2012.

Mostly Hypothetical Mountains Blog.


  8.6 / 10

2012!!!

2012 was ushered in with a bang and an even bigger bang for those who attended The Resolution Concert @ Glebe Island featuring Pet Shop Boys, Jamiroquai and a returning Culture Club...

As for me, Fleet Foxes @ The Sydney Opera House (2/1/2012) kickstarted the year with sublime songs harmonised to perfection...

Upcoming Concerts:

Beirut                            Sydney Opera House      5/1/2012
Lambchop                     Sydney Recital Hall       21/1/2012

Active Child                  Oxford Art Factory       29/1/2012

The Horrors                   The Metro Theatre         2/2/2012
Portugal. The Man         The Metro Theatre         7/2/2012

My Morning Jacket        The Enmore Theatre      3/4/2012

Considering:

Battles                           The Metro Theatre        23/1/2012

Feist                              The Enmore Theatre       7/2/2012 (Clashes with Portugal. The Man)

St. Vincent                    Factory Theatre             12/3/2012

Busy busy busy :)

Some Videos... ;-)

Some music clips I've enjoyed this year (Apart from ones already posted) to tide you over your holiday season:

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 2012!!!

2011 Best Of (Roundup)

It's been a busy, busy year with it's fair share of ups and downs; but we're not here to talk about that... 
May this year saw the birth of this blog and by Sep/Oct, I'd encountered a writer's blog of sorts - What to include/exclude; self-doubt in the form of not being a fully-fledged journo; and taking it all way way too seriously!

(Deep Breath... here we go!)

MUSIC

1.  Destroyer - Kaputt
2.  Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
3.  Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
4.  My Morning Jacket - Circuital
5.  White Denim - D
6.  Tom Waits - Bad as Me
7.  Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
8.  Radiohead - The King of Limbs
9.  Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud
10.  Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
11.  PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
12.  Wilco - The Whole Love
13.  Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
14.  Bright Eyes - The People's Key
15.  Beirut - The Rip Tide
16.  Middle Brother - Middle Brother
17.  Atlas Sound - Parallax
18.  Feist - Metals
19.  Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
20.  The Antlers - Burst Apart
21.  Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
22.  Active Child - You Are All I See
23.  Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
24.  tUnE-yArDs - WHOKILL
25.  Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
26.  I'm from Barcelona - Forever Today
27.  Grace Jones - Hurricane / Dub
28.  The Horrors - Skying
29.  St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
30.  The Field - Looping State of Mind
31.  TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
32.  Gotye - Making Mirrors
33.  Stephin Merritt - Obscurities
34.  Yuck - Yuck
35.  Cass McCombs - Humor Risk
35.  Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
36.  Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
37.  Panda Bear - Tom Boy
38.  Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
39.  Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
40.  Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
41.  The Dears - Degeneration Street
42.  Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
43.  The Black Keys - El Camino
44.  R.E.M. - Collapse into Now
45.  Battles - Gloss Drop
46.  Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow
47.  Modeselektor - Monkeytown
48.  Bonnie Prince Billy - Wolfroy Goes to Town
49.  The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks
50.  Woods - Sun and Shade

Special Mention:
Although The Flaming Lips hasn't offiicially released any LP this year, they have released many pricey and elaborately packaged EPs and a 6hr song followed by another that's 24 hours.  Details here (Updated).

Concerts Attended (Unreviewed) and Missed Concerts:
Attended both Okkervil River (A generally good night with later songs excelling) and Bright Eyes (A real dynamo onstage; with quieter performances commanding the audience' attention especially on Lua) and missed out on Explosions in the Sky's concert in Dec.

Ommissions:
So, no Drake (Rap's not my thang), James Blake (Just not gettig the hype), Adele (She's everywhere!), Lady Gaga (Not me), The Kills (The slow numbers are dreadful) or Susan Boyle.


MOVIE

Drive - Can't say enough about this movie!
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, it's a film noir drama bound to be a cult classic.
Genre defying, it has heart pounding action (Although not the bulk of the film as most would be led to believe); romance (Not your chick flick sort); humour (Not the LOL sort); bizzaro Lynchian moments; heavy character study; gritty violence and gore!!

More here.


TV

Just got onto "Sons of Anarchy" (Seasons 1 & 2 was only released in Australia this year), hence the frantic catching-up.  I find the series highly addictive as it has just the right blend of action/
tension/drama/comedy.  Great story line, well-scripted and acted, and the pace kept just right.
The lead character perfectly played by Charlie Hunnam, is part of a bikie gang.  He is conflicted between his deceased father's original vision for the club and it's law-breaking present.  To further complicate matters, he has just become a father himself and finds himself torn between duties.
All the characters are thankfully three dimensional, which is a nice departure from your usual 2D
TV personas.

Breaking Bad continues to confound, intrigue & entertain!

Looking forward to another year of top notch entertainment!

Wishing all my readers a great and safe holiday season,
Alex

Album Review: Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

It's incomprehensible that some city person like me has an ear for country music, let alone folk music.

Still, there is no denying there's something in Fleet Foxes' music which evokes backwoods sentiments; that of warmth, humility, earnestness and of a time uncomplicated and unhurried.  Perhaps the best antidote for this 21st Century city-living burnout?

This, their difficult second, has much to live up to.  Their eponymous debut won them both critical and commercial success and was a mainstay in many 'Best of 2008' lists.

Robin Pecknold, chief lyricist and vocalist has admitted the two year gestation took a toll on his personal life and the band's coffers.

A plethora of obscure instruments has been employed to imbue each track a sepia'd bygone feel.  Gorgeous chamber melodies and lush earthy harmonies abound; and was only curiously punctuated by track 10's "An Argument" - An excursion into jarring jazz territory.

Big-hearted campfire reveries.  8.6/10

...and long attention span not necessary: