How is your eye? Mine is fine, 20, as is the other one. I skip and jump across the interweb trying to find something to listen to a number of times any given day. Mid skip and jump the other day I peered down at the screen and saw the big blonde head of Erika M Anderson. She shortens it to EMA when releasing music, which makes googling her a no-go zone, you just get loads of hits for the European Medicines Agency. This all means that when she gets picked up, polished up and handed repetitive dross to record she will have some brand new google friendly moniker. However right now she has released a corker, an absolute stonker of an album; Past Life Martyred Saints.
Pitchfork gave it a pretty good rating, so good that it made their uber cool 'best new music' section. Clipper Johnson (who will be sharing his thoughts on Nicolas Jaar soon) also e-mailed me with a youtube link to the track California.
Leaving aside how epically cool Erika is behind that lies a brilliant song resplendent with dark lyrics and a strong and booming sound. The runaway tempo of the vocals runs perfectly on a slower treadmill of deep drum beats, deep key chords and a wandering synth line.
The album as a whole is a powerful experience too, from the echoes of the Fake Plastic Trees bass line (1 minute or so in until it kicks in) present in the opening song; The Grey Ship.
To the impressive vocal harmonizing present on Coda to the six minute closing epic Red Star. As I listen to it and write this the Radiohead comparison jumps out at me again. The drone and synth opening could very easily be that of a song on In Rainbows minus the cymbals maybe. Erika's vocals then take over and she sings of a beautiful boy with green eyes. This is further augmented by the introduction of some gentle guitar interspersed around the song at the perfect time it seems.
I am still only in the very dormant stages of getting to know this album hence the slightly loopy feedback thusfar. She will be back here though!
Catching the other sectors of my eye, and ears of course, this week is Jeremy Messersmith. I have been listening to him quite extensively and am going to see him soon.
July 20th
Hotel Utah
500 4th St
(between Harrison St & Bryant St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: SOMA
That is where it as at folks. I'll buy a drink for anyone who actually goes having read this, email me for details, we'll call it a competition!
Rounding up tonights three is Nicolas Jaar. You will be getting to read a piece about him in the next few days. His unique brand of laid back techno deserves more than this cursory mention.
So that is that.
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