ELECTRONIC VOICE PHENOMENON
As a "journalist" I'm privy to a lot of great goodies (CDs, DVDs, books, concerts, et. al.) and I couldn't be more grateful. But then a label decides to stop leaking (something I sympathize with), they'll pass out a password and give you a few logins at 30 minutes apiece to check out a two disc set of top notch musicians transforming a book of lyrics from David Shrigley into music.
I'm not complaining about not receiving something concrete as much as A) I'm poor, clearly on my choice of job and B) therefore, my PC is old and doesn't like flash files for reasons unknown to me.
However, while fighting with my PC and these streamed files I must say the buried treasure is more than worth it. I think to fully appreciate just what's going on, a list of artists and tracks is needed:
First Impression: Worried Noodles
CD1 01 Roger Ferguson - Welcome Singer 02 Christopher Francis - One 03 Grizzly Bear - Blackcurrant Jam 04 R. Stevie Moore - Live In Fear 05 Phil Elvrum & Nick Krgovich - Watcha Doin' 06 Scarlett's Well - Maybe 07 Psapp - Sad Song 08 Aidan Moffat & The Best Of's - Your Hands Are Cold 09 YACHT - I Saw You 10 Simon Bookish - Prince Of Wales 11 Deerhoof - You, Dog (aka Kidz Are So Small) 12 Hank - Baby's Bible 13 Marriot 1262 (TV On The Radio Portland Chapter) - Sweet, Sweet Potato 14 David Byrne - For You 15 James Chadwick - The Wooden Floor 16 Islands - Joy 17 Cotton Candy - A Sentimental Song 18 Franz Ferdinand - No 19 Alig Fodder - The Hole 20 Cibelle - Elaine CD2 01 Dirty Projectors - Come Forward 02 The Curtains - Show Me The Way Things Work 03 Max Tundra - A Truce 04 Munch Munch - A Squirrel 05 Liars - Panic Button 06 Tussle (ft. David Shrigley) - A Clash Of Heads 07 Trans Am - The Film 08 John Shankie - A Song 09 Scout Niblett - The Bell 10 Final Fantasy - Joys 11 Mt. Eerie - A Sentimental Song 12 The Dead Science - Once I Found A Diamond 13 Lord Cut Glass - Maybe 14 No Kids - Another Song 15 Hot Chip - No 16 Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - The Pretty Girl 17 Mitch Friedman - Awesome 18 Pyrolator & Stoya - Elaine 19 Les Georges Leningrad - Manager And Coordinator Of Prostitutes
Ultimately, my first few listens of Worried Noodles boiled down to lyrical content. It's no wonder R. Stevie Moore, Phil Elvrum, Roger Ferguson, Deerhoof, David Byrne, GrizzlyBear and Psapp are drawn to such a witty and angular lyricist as David Shrigley. In the hands of the indie flavors of the month (Franz Ferdinand, Final Fantasy, and Casiotone for the Painfully Alone), the Worried Noodles' content just isn't strong (although Casiotone certainly brings a darker edge to his music in his brief clip).
I didn't get a chance to check out everything in my first few listens, but rest assured I plan on checking out the tracks from the Dirty Projectors, Liars, and Scout Niblett. I also haven't check out the book, but I figure it's an integral part in deciding whether this release is going to be worth your money or just another collectable dust collector (right now, I'd say the former--the highs are extremely high).
Before you even think it, no--I didn't make the stereotypical indie snob move and check out the David Byrne track first (and a little note: it's not the best track in this set, not by a long shot)--I immediately checked out the R. Stevie Moore track because I'm intrigued by Moore. As for Moore's contribution, it is steeped in 80s kid song production though "Live in Fear" isn't child's play. I was more intrigued by Phil Elvrum's uttering of the words 'crack pipe' during "Watcha Doin'" and if anyone is familiar with Phil's musical diatribes about not smoking and living healthier, it's a cute phrase to hear from Phil's lips. The song itself it certainly top notch and more memorable than his take on "A Sentimental Song" under his Mt. Eerie moniker--which is just another in a long line of solid if uninteresting Mt. Eerie songs. Phil's complacency is starting to show, and though it yields positive results most of the time, "A Sentimental Song" isn't as striking as his collab w/ Krgovich though Phil has another memorable line about a picture of a penis up on the fridge.
Posted on Aug. 13th, 2007
Newsbriefs: Pitchfork | NME | Drowned in sound | WirelessBollinger | dotshop (sweden) w/audio samples | twelvemajorchords | pinglewood
Also see, hear + purchase R. Stevie Moore's SHRIGLEY FIELD
David Shrigley interviews RSM in BOMB MAGAZINE - Number 101, Sept 2007. ( ? )
